Showit vs Shift4shop: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Showit and Shift4shop both offer unique strengths, catering to different user needs and preferences.

Showit (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)

is a powerful tool for creative professionals such as photographers, designers, and bloggers. Its drag-and-drop interface and dual canvas design provide a high degree of customization and control over the website’s appearance on different devices. Showit excels in design functionalities and ease of use, making it ideal for visually oriented websites. However, its ecommerce capabilities are limited, relying on third-party integrations for more advanced features. Showit is best suited for users who prioritize design flexibility and creative freedom.
Shift4shop (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)

is a comprehensive ecommerce platform that supports various business models, including dropshipping and print-on-demand. It offers a wide array of professional, customizable, and mobile-friendly templates, along with robust ecommerce features such as payment gateway integrations, inventory management, and abandoned cart recovery. Shift4shop also provides extensive marketing tools, strong security measures, and 24/7 customer support. It is an excellent choice for businesses looking to establish and grow their online presence with a focus on ecommerce.

	Overall grade: 6.4	Overall grade: 6.4
Design functionalities & templates	8.5	7.5
Ease of use	8.6	7.0
Ecommerce	4.8	7.6
Website Editors	8.0	7.2
Product testing options	8.3	5.0
Price	7.9	6.7
Hosting quality	7.3	7.8
Website speed optimization	5.4	6.3
Plugins and integrations	5.8	7.3
Marketing features	7.2	8.0
Customer support	6.4	7.9
Security	8.3	8.9
User Management	6.7	7.9
Overall	6.4	6.4

Best for ecommerce

4.8

7.6

Verdict

: Showit is ideal for creative professionals needing design flexibility, while Shift4shop excels in comprehensive ecommerce functionalities.

Showit

: Showit is primarily a design-focused website builder, offering great flexibility and creative freedom. It integrates with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce for basic ecommerce functions. However, it lacks the comprehensive ecommerce features found in dedicated ecommerce platforms. Showit is best suited for visually oriented websites rather than extensive ecommerce operations.
Shift4shop

: Shift4shop is a robust ecommerce platform with a variety of professional, customizable, and mobile-friendly templates. It supports multiple business models, including dropshipping and print-on-demand, and offers extensive tools for payment processing, inventory management, and order fulfillment. Shift4shop is ideal for businesses looking for a comprehensive ecommerce solution.

Best for informational & business websites

8.7

7.2

Verdict

: Showit is the superior choice for creating visually appealing and highly customizable informational websites, while Shift4shop, though capable, is more tailored towards ecommerce functionalities.

Showit

: Showit excels in providing a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface that allows for extensive customization without coding. Its dual canvas interface for mobile and desktop views, along with seamless WordPress integration, makes it ideal for creative professionals and bloggers who need a visually stunning and responsive website. With a score of 8.7, Showit is highly recommended for informational and business websites that prioritize design flexibility and ease of use.
Shift4shop

: Shift4shop, scoring 7.2, offers a robust platform with a variety of professional, customizable templates and comprehensive tools for ecommerce. While it provides essential features for creating and managing websites, its primary focus on ecommerce may present a steeper learning curve for those looking to build simple informational sites. Shift4shop is better suited for businesses that require extensive ecommerce capabilities alongside their informational content.

Detailed comparison

8.5

7.5

🏆

Winner: Showit.

Showit stands out with its wide variety of templates and designs, catering to diverse aesthetic preferences and business needs. It offers a high degree of customization and control over the website’s appearance on different devices.

Showit Themes

On the other hand, Shift4Shop provides a selection of over 100 free eCommerce templates, catering to a wide array of design preferences and brand identities. These templates are professionally designed with an emphasis on optimizing sales, employing the latest in technology and design trends.

Shift4Shop Themes

Get a head start on website creation with AI

Create a custom website tailored to your business needs 10X faster with 10Web AI Website Builder!

Generate Your Website

No credit card required

8.6

7.0

🏆 Winner: Showit

. With a score of 8.6, Showit is more user-friendly than Shift4shop, which scored 7.0. Showit’s drag-and-drop interface and customizable templates make it easy for users to create custom websites without needing any coding knowledge. On the other hand, Shift4shop, while offering a wide array of features and customization options, may present a steeper learning curve for beginners.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Tie

. Both Showit and Shift4shop offer a range of learning resources for users. Showit provides a comprehensive training course, a learning hub with videos, help documents, a dedicated support team, and a private Facebook group. Shift4shop also provides a wide range of learning resources, including articles, videos, and 24/7 customer support.

Learn Showit

Learn Shift4shop

4.8

7.6

When it comes to ecommerce, Shift4shop clearly outperforms Showit. Showit is primarily a website builder focused on design, offering great flexibility and creative freedom, making it ideal for visually oriented websites rather than extensive e-commerce platforms. It includes basic ecommerce functions but lacks the comprehensive ecommerce features found in platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. However, Showit allows integration of both the mentioned platforms for enhancing ecommerce capabilities.


Ecommerce themes and templates	2.0	6.5
Product page customization	2.5	7.8
Payment processing and commissions	4.0	8.4
POS capabilities	1.0	7.0
Payment gateways	4.5	9.0
Product numbers	3.0	7.5
Additional ecommerce features	3.5	7.2

Showit ecommerce features:

Shopify and WooCommerce integration

Shift4shop ecommerce features:

Payment Gateway integrations
Inventory management
Abandoned cart recovery
Order management

Ecommerce themes & templates

Showit does not have any ecommerce specific templates. On the other hand, all the templates of Shift4Shop are designed for online stores, providing a more tailored experience for ecommerce businesses.

Product page customization

Showit has very basic ecommerce capabilities, primarily through its integration with WooCommerce and Shopify. In contrast, Shift4Shop offers a variety of product page customization features to enhance the online shopping experience. These include advanced product options with inventory tracking, customizable product layouts, and the ability to showcase products through images, zoom, and video. Additionally, the Product Designer app facilitates extensive customization for personalized products.

Payment processing

Showit supports e-commerce by allowing integration with third-party platforms like Shopify Lite, ThriveCart, WooCommerce, and Podia, rather than offering direct payment processing or POS capabilities. Users can add e-commerce functionalities to their Showit sites using embed codes for “Buy Buttons” or similar features from these platforms. The choice of platform depends on the user’s specific needs, including product type, store size, and budget, as each platform has its own pricing and transaction fee structures. Additionally the platform supports integration of PayPal pay button, allowing users to pay directly through their PayPal account.

Shift4Shop supports over 200 payment gateways, including major providers such as PayPal, Visa, and Stripe, offering a broad range of options for global markets without charging additional transaction fees from the platform itself. However, merchants may incur standard fees from their chosen payment providers, typically ranging from 2-3% per sale. The platform also facilitates POS capabilities through third-party integrations, enabling both online and physical store sales.

8.0

7.2

🏆

Winner: Showit

. Showit, with a score of 8.0, is designed for creating custom, responsive websites with a focus on ease of use, especially for photographers and creative professionals. It allows users to design their website visually with a drag-and-drop interface, eliminating the need for coding knowledge. Users can create highly customized pages by adjusting layouts, fonts, and colors, and can also incorporate multimedia elements like videos and images directly into their designs. Additionally, Showit offers deep integration with WordPress for blogging, enabling users to manage and publish blog posts within the same platform, providing a seamless experience from website design to content management.

Showit editor

Shift4shop’s editor, scoring 7.2, offers a comprehensive website builder with a focus on e-commerce, enabling the creation of various types of websites with an array of templates and customization options including a drag-and-drop editor. It integrates advanced features for product management, payment processing, and SEO optimization, alongside marketing tools for social media and email campaigns. Security measures and customer support options are in place, although reviews on support quality vary. Pricing is structured around transaction fees for a basic plan with additional tiers for businesses exceeding certain sales volumes.

Mobile editor/app

🏆

Winner: None

. Both Showit and Shift4shop do not offer dedicated mobile editor apps, which means users cannot edit their websites directly from a mobile device.

Showit focuses on providing a highly customizable, drag-and-drop interface for desktop use, particularly appealing to creative professionals. However, it lacks mobile editing capabilities, requiring users to make all design changes on a desktop.

Shift4shop, similarly, does not provide a mobile editor app. The platform is geared towards eCommerce with a comprehensive set of features for desktop editing, including product management and marketing tools. Users must rely on desktop access for any website modifications.

In summary, neither platform offers a mobile editor app, making it necessary for users to perform all website edits on a desktop. This limitation is significant for users who need the flexibility to manage their websites on the go.

8.3

5.0

Overall Result

:

Showit Wins

. Showit scores 8.3 in product testing options, significantly higher than Shift4shop’s 5.0. Showit offers a 14-day free trial during which all premium features can be tested, and also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. On the other hand, Shift4shop offers a free plan only for US customers and does not provide a trial version or a money-back guarantee.


Free Plan	No	Yes, only for US customers
Trial Duration	14 days	No
Testing Premium Features	All features during free trial	All features within its free plan
Money Back Guarantee	30-day money back guarantee	No

7.9

6.7

Showit offers a range of plans with varying features, while Shift4shop provides a free plan with essential features for businesses willing to use Shift4Shop’s payment processor.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	No offering at this amount.	Free Plan ($0/month): Requires minimum $500/month processed payments with their Shift4shop payment with 2.90% + 30 Cents transaction fees. Unlimited Products, SEO & Marketing Tools, Unlimited Staff Users, Integrated Blog, Unlimited Bandwidth, 24/7 Customer Support, No Revenue Caps, API Access, Secure Online Payments. This plan allows to manage only 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered.
$20-$25	Showit ($24/month): Ideal for sites without a blog. Includes 20GB storage and secure certificate. Regular design backups stored for 7 days. Value for Price: 6.0	No offering at this amount.
$25-$30	Showit + Basic Starter Blog ($29/month): For new blogs. Includes everything in the Showit plan, plus blog-specific features. 20GB storage, up to 10k monthly visitors, daily backups stored for 30 days, pre-installed plugins (no additional plugins are permitted), 1 WordPress user. Value for Price: 7.0	Paid Plan ($29/month): All features of the free plan with support for other payment processors such as PayPal. This plan allows to manage only 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered. Value for Price: 8.5
$30-$40	Showit + Advanced Blog ($39/month): For migrating or high-traffic blogs with custom plugin needs. Includes everything in the Basic Starter Blog plan, plus up to 25k monthly visits, unlimited number of plugins, unlimited number of WordPress users, Free advanced blog migration from WordPress or Squarespace and FTP access. Value for Price: 8.0	No offering at this amount.
$60-$70	Showit + Advanced Blog 50k ($69/month): Includes everything in the Showit + Advanced Blog plan, with possibility to install custom WordPress plugins, 30 GB storage, up to 50k visitors monthly, and possibility to migrate Squarespace and WordPress blog posts. Value for Price: 8.5	No offering at this amount.
$100+	Showit + Advanced Blog 100k ($129/month): Includes everything in the Showit + Advanced Blog plan, with possibility to install custom WordPress plugins, 50 GB storage, up to 100k visitors monthly, and possibility to migrate Squarespace and WordPress blog posts. Value for Price: 9.0	No offering at this amount.

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

7.3

7.8

🏆

Winner: Shift4shop

. Both Showit and Shift4shop offer managed hosting with 99.9% uptime, but Shift4shop edges out with a higher uptime guarantee and unlimited bandwidth and storage. While both platforms do not disclose their data center locations, Shift4shop’s overall hosting quality score is slightly higher, making it the winner in this category.


Do they offer hosting?	Yes, Managed wordpress hosting, with daily backups and 20GB storage.	Yes, with unlimited bandwidth and storage, daily backups.
Type of hosting:	Managed WordPress hosting	Managed Cloud Hosting
Uptime:	99.9%	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99%	99.9%
Data Centers:	Not disclosed	Not disclosed

5.4

6.3

🏆 Winner: Shift4shop

Both Showit and Shift4shop have strategies for speed optimization, but Shift4shop has a slightly higher website speed optimization score.


Focus	Optimization plugins, Caching	CDN, Code Minification, Image optimization, Caching
Performance Tools	Not specified	Not specified
Key Strategies	Optimization plugins, Caching	CDN, Code Minification, Image optimization, Caching
Load Times	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity	Varies depending on optimization
Page Speed Scores Range	Not specified	Not specified
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Not disclosed	Not provided

Showit, a drag-and-drop website builder, uses optimization plugins and caching as strategies for speed optimization. However, the platform does not disclose any information on their Core Web Vital improvements. The load times and PageSpeed scores for Showit vary depending on optimization and website complexity.

Shift4shop, an eCommerce platform, uses CDN, code minification, image optimization, and caching as strategies for speed optimization. Like Showit, Shift4shop does not provide any information on their Core Web Vital improvements. The load times and PageSpeed scores for Shift4shop also vary depending on optimization. Despite the lack of specific information on performance tools, PageSpeed scores range, and Core Web Vital improvements, Shift4shop has a slightly higher website speed optimization score than Showit, making it the winner in this category.

Get a head start on website creation with AI

Create a custom website tailored to your business needs 10X faster with 10Web AI Website Builder!

Generate Your Website

No credit card required

5.8

7.3

🏆 Winner: Shift4shop.

With a score of 7.3, Shift4shop offers a diverse ecommerce ecosystem with a wide array of plugins and extensions, catering to various online store enhancements from user experience improvements to sales boosts. Showit, scoring 5.8, offers a variety of plugins primarily for users with the Advanced Blog plan, enhancing website functionality across SEO, spam protection, and more. However, the availability and use of these plugins are contingent upon the subscription tier, with higher tiers required for broader plugin compatibility and additional features. Notably, compatibility issues exist with certain WordPress plugins, necessitating alternative solutions or adjustments for optimal functionality.

Shift4shop Applications

Shift4shop integrations

7.2

8.0

🏆

Overall Winner: Shift4shop

. Shift4shop scores higher in marketing features, offering a comprehensive set of tools for SEO, email marketing, blogging, social media integration, analytics and reporting, and ads and promotions. Showit also offers a robust set of marketing features, but it relies heavily on third-party integrations for email marketing, analytics and reporting, and ads and promotions.


SEO Tools	✓	✓
Email Marketing	Yes, through third-party integrations	✓
Blogging	✓	✓
Social Media Integration	✓	✓
Analytics and Reporting	Yes, through integration of Google Analytics	✓
Ads and Promotions	Yes, through third-party integrations	✓

6.4

7.9

🏆 Winner: Shift4shop

. When comparing Showit vs Shift4shop, Shift4shop takes the lead in customer support with its 24/7/365 availability. Shift4shop offers comprehensive support options, including US chat support, US phone support, and European support, ensuring that users can get assistance at any time. This round-the-clock support is particularly beneficial for businesses that operate outside of standard business hours or have urgent issues that need immediate attention.

Showit, on the other hand, provides customer support via email and chat from Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 11 PM Arizona Time, with limited support on weekends. While Showit typically responds within 1-2 hours during business hours, its support availability is not as extensive as Shift4shop’s. However, Showit does offer a high degree of customization and control over website design, which may appeal to creative professionals despite the more limited support hours.

8.3

8.9

🏆

Winner: Shift4shop

. Shift4shop’s security score is slightly higher than Showit’s, and it offers a comprehensive approach to security. It provides free SSL certificates, PCI compliance, DDoS defense, and advanced fraud protection to ensure safe online transactions. Shift4shop also supports secure payment methods and continuously updates its security measures to safeguard against cyber threats.

Showit also prioritizes user data privacy and security, adhering to GDPR guidelines and employing Amazon’s S3 for secure and redundant data storage. It provides robust security features for all hosted websites, including free SSL certificates for secure HTTPS connections and automated backups. However, it falls slightly short when compared to the comprehensive security measures offered by Shift4shop.


AI Builder
AI Ecommerce features
AI Content Generation
Additional AI features

Neither Showit nor Shift4shop currently offer any AI capabilities. Both platforms focus on providing a user-friendly interface for website building and ecommerce, but do not utilize AI for features such as content generation, personalized design, or data analysis. This lack of AI capabilities may limit the automation and personalization options available to users.

Winner: Tie

. Both Showit and Shift4shop have the same score of 0 for AI capabilities, indicating that neither platform currently utilizes AI in their offerings.

6.7

7.9

🏆 Winner: Shift4shop

. Both Showit and Shift4shop offer different user management capabilities.

Showit allows only one user on lower plans, on its Showit + Advanced Blog plan the platform allows an unlimited number of users with different access levels.
Shift4Shop allows for multiple users to manage and edit a website, with the number of staff user slots varying by plan. Additional users can be added as needed through the purchase of extra Staff User seats at $10 per user per month.

Showit User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Administrator	Users with full access to all administration features, including Elementor settings.	Can edit all content, Access to Elementor settings, Can install plugins and themes, Can manage users
Editor	Users who can manage and publish content including pages and posts.	Can edit pages/posts created with Elementor, Cannot access Elementor settings, Can manage categories, tags, and links, Can moderate comments
Author	Users who can publish and manage their own posts.	Can create posts with Elementor, Cannot edit pages, Limited access to media library, Cannot access Elementor settings
Contributor	Users who can write and manage their own posts but cannot publish them.	Can create content with Elementor, Cannot publish or edit pages, No access to Elementor settings, Submissions require review by higher-level roles

Shift4shop User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Admin	Full control over the platform, responsible for setting up and managing all aspects of the online store.	Complete access to all areas including configuration, order management, product listings, user management, and analytics.
Manager	Oversees day-to-day operations, including order processing, inventory management, and customer service.	Access to order management, inventory, reports, and limited settings for day-to-day operations. Does not have access to high-level configurations.
Sales Rep	Focuses on customer interaction, order entry, and sales tracking.	Access to customer information, order creation, and sales reporting tools. Cannot alter product listings or configurations.
Content Creator	Generates product descriptions, blog posts, and marketing material.	Access to content management systems, blog, and marketing tools. No access to order management or configurations.
Customer Service Rep	Handles customer inquiries, returns, and complaints.	Access to customer information, order status, and communication tools. Limited access to order modifications.

Additional Features


SSL Certificate	✓	✓
Custom Domain	✓	✓
Free Custom Domain Included	X	X
International Domains	✓	✓
Mobile Responsive	✓	✓
Page Speed	✓	✓
Website Builder Mobile App	X	X
Convert a Website To An App	X	X
Website Analytics	✓	✓
Multilingual Sites	✓	✓
Multiple Users	✓	✓

User Feedback

Showit

0 reviews

0 out of 5 stars

Shift4shop

34 reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars

Showit, designed for creative professionals, does not have a presence on the G2 platform, making it challenging to gauge user feedback from that source. However, its unique dual canvas interface and seamless integration with WordPress are highly valued by users who prioritize design flexibility and customization for their websites.

Shift4Shop reviews present a mixed but generally positive perspective from users. They appreciate the platform’s feature-rich storefront capabilities, ease of use, and versatility in integrating various services, which facilitates online sales and efficient eCommerce management. However, critiques focus on the less intuitive user experience, occasional technical issues such as slow site loading, and the perceived degradation of customer service quality since the Shift4Shop takeover. Despite these criticisms, Shift4Shop is recognized for its cost-effectiveness and ability to solve a variety of eCommerce-related problems, benefiting users by enhancing their online sales capabilities and operational efficiency.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

Which platform is better for creative professionals, Showit or Shift4shop?

Showit is the preferred choice for creative professionals like photographers and designers due to its superior design flexibility and customization options. It offers a unique dual canvas interface that allows for independent design of mobile and desktop views, making it ideal for visually-oriented websites.

Can I use both Showit and Shift4shop for ecommerce?

Yes, both platforms can be used for ecommerce, but they cater to different needs. Shift4shop is specifically designed for online stores and offers comprehensive ecommerce tools including advanced payment gateways and inventory management. Showit, while not primarily an ecommerce platform, allows for ecommerce functionalities through integrations with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.

How do Showit and Shift4shop compare in terms of user-friendliness?

Showit scores higher in user-friendliness with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easier for users without coding knowledge to create custom websites. Shift4shop, while offering robust features, has a steeper learning curve, especially for beginners.

What are the pricing options for Showit and Shift4shop?

Shift4shop provides a free plan for businesses willing to use its payment processor, making it a cost-effective option for startups. Showit offers several paid plans, starting from a basic plan suitable for sites without a blog to more advanced plans that include blogging capabilities and higher traffic allowances.

Which platform offers better customer support?

Shift4shop offers more comprehensive customer support, available 24/7, including US chat and phone support. Showit provides support via email and chat with limited weekend coverage, which may not be sufficient for users requiring immediate assistance.