Strikingly vs Shift4shop: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Strikingly vs Shift4shop presents a close competition, with each platform excelling in different areas. Strikingly scores slightly higher overall, making it a better choice for users seeking ease of use and quick website setup, while Shift4shop offers more robust ecommerce features and customization options.

Strikingly (Overall Grade: 6.6/10)

is ideal for individuals and small businesses looking for a user-friendly website builder. Its drag-and-drop interface, modern templates, and comprehensive support make it accessible for beginners. Strikingly excels in ease of use and offers solid ecommerce capabilities, though it may fall short for more complex online stores. The platform’s focus on speed optimization and user-friendly design tools makes it a versatile choice for creating professional-looking websites quickly.
Shift4shop (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)

is a strong contender for businesses focused on ecommerce. It offers a wide range of professional, customizable templates and advanced product management tools. Shift4shop’s extensive payment processing options and robust security features make it a reliable choice for online stores. However, its steeper learning curve and occasional customer service challenges may be a drawback for some users. Despite these issues, Shift4shop’s comprehensive ecommerce features and marketing tools provide a solid foundation for growing online businesses.

	Overall grade: 6.6	Overall grade: 6.4
Design functionalities & templates	7.2	7.5
Ease of use	8.1	7.0
Ecommerce	7.2	7.6
Website Editors	7.5	7.2
Product testing options	7.1	5.0
Price	8.1	6.7
Hosting quality	7.2	7.8
Website speed optimization	7.9	6.3
Plugins and integrations	5.1	7.3
Marketing features	7.2	8.0
Customer support	7.2	7.9
Security	7.5	8.9
AI capabilities	1.6	0
User Management	7.3	7.9

Best for ecommerce

7.2

7.6

Verdict

: Strikingly is user-friendly and suitable for small to medium-sized stores, while Shift4shop offers more advanced ecommerce features and better scalability.

Strikingly

: Strikingly is a versatile website builder that allows users to create professional-looking online stores with ease. It offers essential ecommerce features such as product listings, inventory management, and various payment gateways. However, when comparing Strikingly vs Shift4shop, Strikingly may lack some advanced customization and scalability options needed for larger businesses.
Shift4shop

: Shift4shop provides a comprehensive suite of ecommerce tools, including advanced product management, integrated payment processing, and support for a wide variety of payment methods. It is well-suited for businesses looking to scale and manage complex ecommerce operations. However, it may have limited customization options and potential challenges with customer service responsiveness.

Best for informational & business websites

7.4

7.2

Verdict

: Strikingly edges out Shift4shop for informational and business websites, thanks to its user-friendly interface and higher score in this category.

Strikingly

: Strikingly is a versatile platform that excels in creating professional-looking websites without any coding knowledge. Its drag-and-drop interface and customizable templates make it easy for users to design and manage their sites. With a score of 7.4, Strikingly is particularly well-suited for informational websites, offering features like blogging tools and SEO optimization to enhance online presence.
Shift4shop

: While Shift4shop is primarily an eCommerce platform, it also offers robust tools for building and managing websites. With a score of 7.2, it provides a variety of professional, customizable templates and supports various business models. However, its focus on eCommerce functionalities may present a steeper learning curve for those looking to create simple informational sites. When comparing Strikingly vs Shift4shop, Strikingly’s ease of use makes it a more favorable choice for informational websites.

Detailed comparison

7.2

7.5

🏆

Winner: Shift4shop.

Although both platforms offer a variety of templates and designs, Shift4shop scores slightly higher in design functionalities and templates.

Strikingly offers a wide variety of templates and designs for its website builder. With over 60 unique templates to choose from, users can find a design that suits their needs and preferences. The templates are modern, visually appealing, and customizable, allowing users to personalize their websites.

Strikingly 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

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8.1

7.0

🏆 Winner: Strikingly

. With a score of 8.1, Strikingly is more user-friendly than Shift4shop, which scored 7.0. Strikingly’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface and modern templates make it accessible for beginners, while Shift4shop’s rich functionality may present a steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with ecommerce or web design.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Strikingly

. Both platforms offer solid learning resources, but Strikingly goes a step further with its user-friendly platform, comprehensive support center, and direct customer support via live chat or tickets.

Learn Strikingly

Learn Shift4shop

7.2

7.6

Strikingly and Shift4shop both offer ecommerce capabilities, but they cater to different needs. Strikingly is a user-friendly platform that allows users to create online stores within their websites, manage inventory, set up shipping and tax options, and accept payments through various gateways. On the other hand, Shift4shop offers a comprehensive suite of ecommerce features, including advanced product management tools, integrated payment processing, and support for a wide variety of payment methods. However, Shift4shop has been noted for limited customization options and potential challenges with customer service responsiveness.


Ecommerce themes and templates	6.5	6.5
Product page customization	6.0	7.8
Payment processing and commissions	6.8	8.4
POS capabilities	5.0	7.0
Payment gateways	7.0	9.0
Product numbers	5.5	7.5
Additional ecommerce features	6.5	7.2

Strikingly ecommerce features:

Product Listings
Inventory Management
Coupons and Discounts
SEO tools
Analytics
Social Media Integration

Strikingly add a product

Shift4shop ecommerce features:

Payment Gateway integrations
Inventory management
Abandoned cart recovery
Order management

Ecommerce themes & templates

Strikingly offers a variety of eCommerce website templates tailored to meet various website building needs. These templates are designed by a world-class team of website designers and developers, focusing on modern trends and best practices to ensure your eCommerce site stands out. On the other hand, all the templates of Shift4Shop are designed for online stores, making it a suitable choice for businesses looking to set up an online store.

Product page customization

Customizing product pages on Strikingly involves showcasing your products with high-quality images in the “Portfolio” or “Product Catalog” section, emphasizing a premium feel to attract buyers. Adding products is streamlined through the “Simple Store” section, where you can detail product types, names, descriptions, and manage inventory and pricing. 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.

Payment processing

When it comes to payment processing, Strikingly supports secure payment processing through Stripe, Square, and other gateways like PayPal, offering a range of options for ecommerce sites. The transaction fees for using these services vary depending on the payment gateway and user location. 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.

7.5

7.2

🏆

Winner: Strikingly

. Strikingly, with a score of 7.5, is a user-friendly website editor designed to help individuals and businesses create professional websites quickly and easily, without the need for coding knowledge. It features a drag-and-drop interface for easy customization of website elements, such as text, images, and videos. Users can choose from a variety of templates that can be personalized to fit their brand, making it possible to launch a unique online presence swiftly. Strikingly also emphasizes mobile responsiveness, ensuring websites look great on any device, and offers SEO tools and social media integration to enhance online visibility and engagement.

Strikingly 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.

Mobile editor/app

2.0

🏆

Winner: Strikingly

. When it comes to mobile editing capabilities, Strikingly and Shift4shop both fall short of providing dedicated mobile editor apps. However, Strikingly does allow users to edit their websites through a mobile browser, although the interface is noted to be very inconvenient. This limited functionality still offers some level of mobile editing, which can be useful for making quick changes on the go.

Shift4shop, on the other hand, does not offer any mobile editing capabilities, making it less flexible for users who need to manage their websites from mobile devices.

In summary, Strikingly edges out Shift4shop in this category due to its minimal mobile editing capabilities, despite the inconvenience of the interface. Shift4shop’s lack of mobile editing options places it at a disadvantage for users seeking on-the-go website management.

7.1

5.0

Overall Result

:

Strikingly Wins

. Strikingly scores 7.1 in product testing options, while Shift4shop scores 5.0. Strikingly offers a 14-day free trial with access to all features, while Shift4shop offers a free plan with access to all its features, but only for US customers. Neither platform offers a money-back guarantee.


Free Plan	Yes	Yes, only for US customers
Trial Duration	14 days	No trial version
Testing Premium Features	All features during free trial	All the features within its free plan
Money Back Guarantee	No	No

8.1

6.7

Strikingly offers better value for money with a higher price score and discounts on annual plans, while Shift4shop does not offer any discounts.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	Free ($0/month): Includes Strikingly.com subdomain, unlimited free sites, 5 GB monthly bandwidth, 500 MB total storage per site, simple store with 1 product per site, and 5 pages per site and 24/7 support.	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.
$10-$20	Limited ($12/month): Allows connection to custom domain, includes 2 limited sites, unlimited free sites, 50 GB monthly bandwidth, 1 GB total storage per site, free domain with yearly plans, and allows selling a single product and 5 page per site. Value for Price: 6.5	No offering at this amount
$20-$30	Pro ($20/month): Offers 3 pro sites, unlimited free sites, unlimited bandwidth, 3 GB total storage per site, simple store with 300 products per site and up to 100 pages per site, site membership, custom forms, multiple pages, and removal of Strikingly branding, among other advanced features. Value for Price: 8.5	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
$50+	VIP ($59/month): Includes all Pro features plus 5 pro sites, 10 GB total storage per site, priority customer service, English phone support, account management, and allows selling unlimited products. 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.

7.2

7.8

🏆

Winner: Shift4shop

Both Strikingly and Shift4shop offer managed hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. However, Shift4shop edges out with unlimited bandwidth and storage, and daily backups, making it a more robust solution for businesses with high data storage needs. Strikingly, while offering a user-friendly platform, has limitations in storage space and lacks a traditional backup feature.


Do they offer hosting?	Yes, cloud-based hosting	Yes, with unlimited bandwidth and storage, daily backups
Data Centers:	Multiple data centers, specific locations not disclosed	Locations not disclosed
Type of hosting:	Managed Hosting	Managed Cloud Hosting
Uptime:	99.9%	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.9%	Yes, 99.9%

7.9

6.3

🏆 Winner: Strikingly

Both Strikingly and Shift4shop have implemented various strategies for speed optimization, but Strikingly has a higher website speed optimization score and provides more detailed information about their load times and PageSpeed score ranges.


Focus	CDN, Code Minification, Caching, Optimized Server Response Time, Image Optimization and Compression, Responsive Design	CDN, Code Minification, Image optimization, Caching
Performance Tools	Not specified	Not specified
Key Strategies	CDN, Code Minification, Caching, Optimized Server Response Time, Image Optimization and Compression, Responsive Design	CDN, Code Minification, Image optimization, Caching
Load Times	Can vary depending on different factors	Vary depending on optimization
Page Speed Scores Range	80-90/100 average	Not specified
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Not disclosed	Not provided

Strikingly is a user-friendly website builder that focuses on speed optimization through various strategies such as CDN, code minification, caching, optimized server response time, image optimization and compression, and responsive design. Although Strikingly does not disclose any information about Core Web Vitals improvements, it provides an average PageSpeed score range of 80-90/100. The load times can vary depending on different factors.

On the other hand, Shift4shop is an eCommerce platform that also implements strategies like CDN, code minification, image optimization, and caching for speed optimization. However, Shift4shop does not provide any information on their Core Web Vitals improvements or specific PageSpeed score ranges. The load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on optimization.

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5.1

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. Strikingly, scoring 5.1, also offers a range of plugins and extensions, but they are not as extensive as Shift4shop’s offerings.

It’s worth noting that while Shift4shop offers both free and premium options for plugins, Strikingly’s plugins are mostly free, which could be a deciding factor for some users.

Shift4shop Applications

Shift4shop integrations

7.2

8.0

🏆

Overall Winner: Shift4shop

. Shift4shop has a higher score for marketing features, indicating a more comprehensive set of tools for SEO, email marketing, blogging, social media integration, analytics and reporting, and ads and promotions. Strikingly also offers a robust set of marketing tools, but falls slightly short in comparison to Shift4shop.


SEO Tools	✓	✓
Email Marketing	✓	✓
Blogging	✓	✓
Social Media Integration	Embedding and linking to social media platforms	Linking to social media profiles
Analytics and Reporting	Basic site performance tracking	Comprehensive analytics and reporting tools
Ads and Promotions	Essential tools like discount codes and coupons	Range of advertising and promotion tools

7.2

7.9

🏆 Winner: Shift4shop

. Comparing Strikingly vs Shift4shop, Shift4shop takes the lead in this category with its comprehensive 24/7/365 customer support. Shift4shop offers multiple support channels, including US chat support, US phone support, and European support, ensuring users can get help whenever they need it. The dedicated eCommerce support team based in the U.S. is particularly praised for its responsiveness and expertise.

Strikingly also provides 24/7 customer support via email and live chat, with additional phone support for VIP users. While Strikingly’s support is known for being quick and friendly, it falls slightly short compared to Shift4shop’s extensive support options and dedicated eCommerce support team.

7.5

8.9

🏆

Winner: Shift4shop

. Shift4shop takes security seriously, offering a comprehensive approach to safeguard against cyber threats. This includes free SSL certificates, PCI compliance, DDoS defense, and advanced fraud protection to ensure safe online transactions. They also support secure payment methods and offer continuous updates to their security measures.

Strikingly also emphasizes the importance of website security, offering features like two-factor authentication and DDoS protection. However, it falls slightly short when compared to the robust security measures provided by Shift4shop.

1.6


AI Builder	Limited AI integration for website creation	No AI capabilities
AI Ecommerce features	No AI ecommerce features	No AI ecommerce features
AI Content Generation	No AI content generation tools	No AI content generation features
Additional AI features	No additional AI features	No additional AI features

🏆 Winner: Strikingly

. Although both platforms have limited AI capabilities, Strikingly has a slight edge with its limited AI integration for website creation. This includes a visual editor for direct element editing and layout suggestions, as well as automatic image resizing for optimal display across devices. On the other hand, Shift4shop does not have any AI capabilities.

7.3

7.9

🏆 Winner: Shift4shop

. Both Strikingly and Shift4shop offer robust user management features, but Shift4shop edges out with a slightly higher score.

Strikingly allows you to invite up to 10 teammates to edit and manage your site, with roles such as Admin, Editor, Store Manager, Blogger, and Agent, each with specific levels of access and permissions.
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.

Strikingly User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Admin	Has access similar to the site owner but with specific limitations.	Can edit content, manage store and events, and view analytics, but cannot add/remove teammates.
Editor	Can make changes to the site with some restrictions.	Edits site content but lacks access to store management, settings panel, or analytics.
Store Manager	Primarily focused on e-commerce functionalities of the site.	Manages products, orders, and store settings, with no capabilities to edit non-store content.
Blogger	Specialized in writing and managing blog posts.	Can write and manage blog posts, with optional publishing rights.
Agent	Dedicated to managing audience interactions, primarily through live chat.	Has access to audience data, can respond to live chats, and send individual messages, with no site editing access.

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
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

Strikingly

39 reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars

Shift4shop

34 reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars

Users appreciate Strikingly for its ability to import data from LinkedIn, a variety of attractive templates, and responsive customer service. However, there are some reported issues, such as unexpected subscription renewals and limitations in customization options. Despite these drawbacks, Strikingly is valued for its ability to quickly create professional-looking websites, making it suitable for personal projects, startups, and small businesses. While pricing and customer service options may not appeal to everyone, those seeking an uncomplicated website building experience with diverse design choices may find Strikingly to be a suitable solution for their needs.

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, support for different customer types, and the 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 easier to use for beginners?

Strikingly is generally easier for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and simpler design tools. It’s ideal for those who are new to website building and prefer a straightforward process.

Can I use both Strikingly and Shift4shop for ecommerce?

Yes, both platforms support ecommerce. Strikingly offers basic ecommerce functionalities suitable for smaller online stores, while Shift4shop provides a more robust set of ecommerce tools, ideal for businesses looking to scale and require advanced features like inventory management and payment processing.

How do Strikingly and Shift4shop compare in terms of design flexibility?

Shift4shop offers a higher degree of design flexibility with over 100 customizable, mobile-friendly templates focused on ecommerce. Strikingly also provides a variety of templates but is more focused on simplicity and ease of use.

What are the main differences in pricing between Strikingly and Shift4shop?

Strikingly offers a more straightforward pricing structure with clear benefits at each tier, including discounts on annual plans. Shift4shop also offers a free plan but requires users to process payments through their system, which may not be suitable for all businesses.

Which platform offers better customer support?

Shift4shop generally offers more comprehensive customer support, including 24/7 access and a variety of support channels. Strikingly also provides good support but may not match the extensive options available with Shift4shop.