Zenfolio vs Volusion: Comprehensive comparison guide for 2024

Final verdict

Zenfolio and Volusion both offer unique strengths tailored to different user needs, but they cater to slightly different audiences.

• 
  Zenfolio (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)
  
  is a specialized platform designed for photographers and visual artists. It excels in providing elegant, customizable templates and integrated ecommerce capabilities for selling prints and digital downloads. Zenfolio’s focus on the photography niche makes it an excellent choice for professionals looking to showcase and sell their work online. However, it has limitations in design flexibility and broader ecommerce functionalities compared to Volusion.
• 
  Volusion (Overall Grade: 6.6/10)
  
  is an all-in-one ecommerce solution that offers a user-friendly interface, comprehensive product management, and robust marketing tools. It is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses looking to build and expand their online stores. Volusion’s extensive range of integrations, advanced security measures, and scalable user management make it a versatile choice for various ecommerce needs. When comparing Zenfolio vs Volusion, Volusion stands out for its broader ecommerce capabilities and ease of use.

	Overall grade: 6.4	Overall grade: 6.6
Design functionalities & templates	6.8	6.1
Ease of use	6.3	6.9
Ecommerce	6.3	7.1
Website Editors	7.6	7.1
Product testing options	8.4	7.6
Price	8.2	7.6
Hosting quality	5.7	7.0
Website speed optimization	5.2	7.1
Plugins and integrations	6.5	6.8
Marketing features	6.1	6.9
Customer support	6.7	7.0
Security	8.0	8.7
AI capabilities	2.4	0.0
User Management	2.8	7.7

Best for ecommerce

6.3

7.1

Verdict

: Zenfolio is tailored for photographers and visual artists, while Volusion offers a more comprehensive ecommerce solution for various business types.

• 
  Zenfolio
  
  : Zenfolio is designed specifically for photographers and visual artists, offering integrated ecommerce capabilities for selling prints, digital downloads, and other products. It provides customizable templates and essential online selling tools, making it a good choice for those in the creative industry. However, when comparing Zenfolio vs Volusion, Zenfolio’s ecommerce features are more niche and may not cater to broader business needs.
• 
  Volusion
  
  : Volusion is an all-in-one ecommerce solution designed to help businesses build, manage, and expand their online stores. It offers a range of customizable templates, secure payment processing, and tools for marketing and SEO. Volusion’s comprehensive product management system and analytics capabilities make it a robust choice for various business types looking to grow their online presence.

Best for informational & business websites

6.9

7.2

• 
  Zenfolio
  
  : Zenfolio is tailored for photographers and visual artists, offering elegant, mobile-friendly templates and integrated e-commerce capabilities. While it excels in showcasing and selling visual work, its design flexibility and ease of use are somewhat limited for general informational websites. Zenfolio scores 6.9 in this category.
• 
  Volusion
  
  : Volusion provides a more versatile platform with customizable templates suitable for various business types. Its user-friendly interface, comprehensive learning resources, and robust hosting quality make it a strong contender for informational and business websites. Volusion scores 7.2 in this category.

Detailed comparison

6.8

6.1

🏆

Winner: Zenfolio.

If you’re a professional photographer or visual artist looking for a platform that offers a range of customizable website templates that are both elegant and mobile-friendly, Zenfolio is the preferred choice.

Zenfolio offers a variety of customizable templates and features specifically tailored for photographers, with a focus on showcasing and selling their work. While it provides several customization options, including blocks for different layouts and styles, it may not offer as much versatility outside of photography-specific needs.

Zenfolio Themes

Compared to Zenfolio, Volusion offers a variety of design templates tailored to meet the diverse needs of online stores and businesses. The platform provides users with over 30 professionally designed, responsive templates. These templates are crafted to cater to a wide range of industries, ensuring that businesses of all types can find a design that aligns with their brand identity and goals.

Volusion Themes

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6.3

6.9

🏆 Winner: Volusion

. Scoring a 6.9, Volusion offers a user-friendly interface that caters to both beginners and experienced users, making the process of building an online store relatively straightforward. Zenfolio, with a score of 6.3, offers a specialized platform for photographers, focusing on easy setup and customization for photo portfolios, but it has limitations in design flexibility. If ease of use is a priority, Volusion is the clear winner in this category.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Volusion

. While both platforms offer learning resources, Volusion goes a step further with its comprehensive suite of learning resources aimed at helping users maximize their website’s potential. Zenfolio’s learning resources are somewhat limited and users have expressed a desire for more comprehensive learning resources.

6.3

7.1

Zenfolio and Volusion are both capable ecommerce platforms, but they cater to different audiences. Zenfolio is designed specifically for photographers and visual artists, offering integrated ecommerce capabilities for selling prints, digital downloads, and other products. Volusion, on the other hand, is an all-in-one ecommerce solution designed to help businesses build, manage, and expand their online stores.

Ecommerce themes and templates	7.0	6.5
Product page customization	7.2	7.0
Payment processing and commissions	6.5	7.5
POS capabilities	3.0	7.0
Payment gateways	6.8	7.5
Product numbers	5.0	6.0
Additional ecommerce features	6.5	7.0

Zenfolio ecommerce features:

• Multiple Currency Support
• Discount Coupons
• Order management
• Gift Certificates
• Tax management

Volusion ecommerce features:

• Ecommerce Product listings
• Payment Gateways
• Multiple Currencies support
• Shipping options
• SEO tools
• Social Media Integration

Ecommerce themes & templates

Zenfolio provides customizable website templates with integrated e-commerce features for photographers, designed to showcase and sell their work across various genres. These templates include essential online selling tools such as secure payment options, product management, and marketing integrations.

Volusion offers a selection of ecommerce-specific templates designed to cater to various store aesthetics and needs. They provide 14 free themes and 38 paid themes, each costing $180. These templates are mobile responsive, ensuring that your online store is accessible and user-friendly across all devices.

Product page customization

Zenfolio allows users to detail their product pages with descriptions, images, and options such as size or color. This allows for each product page to be adjusted to clearly display its unique attributes. Placing products in specific galleries or categories helps organize the site and improve navigation.

Volusion offers a range of ecommerce product page customization options to enhance the shopping experience. Users can modify product descriptions, images, and videos to showcase their items effectively. The platform allows for the customization of options and variants, such as size and color, to provide a more detailed and user-friendly product selection process.

Payment processing

Zenfolio supports Stripe and PayPal for payment processing, integrating them seamlessly into its platform designed for photographers to sell their work online. The platform charges a commerce fee of 7% per order (excluding tax and shipping) and a payment processing fee for transactions through Stripe or PayPal.

Volusion offers a comprehensive eCommerce platform that supports various payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and its own solution, Volusion Payments, tailored for U.S.-based merchants. The platform is distinctive for its low transaction fees, which vary based on the subscription plan. Additionally, Volusion provides POS capabilities, enabling seamless sales both online and in physical locations.

7.6

7.1

🏆

Winner: Zenfolio

. Zenfolio, with a score of 7.6, offers an intuitive, no-coding-required website builder tailored for photographers, featuring drag-and-drop customization, a wide array of templates, and a powerful Custom Layout block for personalized designs. Its integrated eCommerce capabilities enable selling both digital and physical photography products, supported by comprehensive security features for protecting photographers’ work.

Volusion’s website builder editor, scoring 7.1, is designed for ease of use, catering to both beginners and experienced users. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to easily add, remove, or modify elements on their website without needing to code. Users can customize their site’s layout, adjust colors, fonts, and images, and even integrate various functionalities like social media links, shopping carts, and payment gateways.

Mobile editor/app

8.5

4.5

🏆

Winner: Zenfolio

. Zenfolio offers a dedicated mobile editor app that allows users to manage their websites and galleries directly from their mobile devices. It includes features for receiving notifications, managing galleries, handling sales-related tasks, and showcasing photos through a client presentation mode. Additionally, the app supports uploading and editing photos, as well as accessing various tools for reports, CRM, bookings, and blog management, although some features may still necessitate desktop use for full functionality.

On the other hand, Volusion does not have a dedicated mobile editor app. Although it is possible to edit on a mobile browser, the experience might not be optimal due to the smaller screen size, and navigating through the admin dashboard could be difficult. Therefore, Zenfolio is the clear winner in this category.

8.4

7.6

Overall Result

:

Zenfolio wins

. Zenfolio scores 8.4, while Volusion scores 7.6 in product testing options. Both Zenfolio and Volusion offer a 14-day free trial, allowing users to test their platforms. However, Zenfolio stands out with its 30-day money-back guarantee, providing an extra layer of assurance for users.

Free Plan	No	No
Trial Duration	14 days	14 days
Testing Premium Features	During the free trial	During the free trial
Money-Back Guarantee	30-day money back guarantee	No money-back guarantee

8.2

7.6

Zenfolio and Volusion offer different pricing plans suitable for various needs, with Zenfolio providing more discounts for annual billing.

	Offerings	Offerings
$0-$10	Portfolio ($9.00/month): Basic entry-level with 15 GB photo storage, HD video, single-page website. Value for price: 6.0	No offering at this amount.
$20-$30	PortfolioPlus ($23.00/month): Balanced features with 150 GB photo storage, HD video, single-page website. Value for price: 7.5	No offering at this amount.
$30-$50	ProSuite ($40.00/month): Extensive features for photo and video, multi-page websites, blog, templates, and more. Value for price: 9.0	Personal ($35/month): Suitable for small businesses, allowing up to 100 products, 1 staff account, and offers support via live chat and email. Supports stores with up to $50K in GMV/year. This plan allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered. Value for price: 6.5
$70-$80	No offering at this amount.	Professional ($79/month): Targets growing businesses with up to 5,000 products, 5 staff accounts, and additional features like newsletters, abandoned cart reports, and phone orders. Supports up to $100K in GMV/year. This plan allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered. Value for price: 7.5
$200+	No offering at this amount.	Business ($299/month): Designed for large stores, offering unlimited products, 15 staff accounts, priority support, and integrations with Amazon and eBay. Supports stores with up to $500K in GMV/year. This plan allows to manage 1 website and there is no limitation of number of pages offered. Value for Price: 8.0

5.7

7.0

Winner: Volusion

. Volusion offers managed cloud hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and provides unlimited storage and bandwidth across its plans. Zenfolio, on the other hand, offers cloud hosting with storage ranging from 15GB to unlimited, but does not disclose any information about its uptime statistics or the locations of its data centers. Therefore, Volusion is the winner in this comparison.

Do they offer hosting?	Yes, with from 15GB to unlimited storage, with possibility to backup website’s content manually.	Yes, unlimited storage and bandwidth across its plans. However there’s no mention of backup features.
Type of hosting:	Cloud Hosting	Managed Cloud Hosting
Uptime:	Not disclosed	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	No	Yes, 99.9%
Data Centers:	Not disclosed	Not disclosed

5.2

7.1

🏆 Winner: Volusion

Both Zenfolio and Volusion prioritize website performance and page speed, but Volusion takes a more comprehensive approach to speed optimization, giving it the edge in this category.

Focus	Mobile responsive design	CDN, Image optimization, Code minification
Performance Tools	Not specified	Regular Monitoring and Updates, SEO optimization
Key Strategies	Mobile responsive design	CDN, Image optimization, Code minification, Regular Monitoring and Updates, SEO optimization
Load Times	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity	Varies depending on the optimization, website complexity
Page Speed Scores Range	Not specified	Not specified
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Not specified	Implementing various performance optimization techniques

Volusion takes a comprehensive approach to website speed optimization, employing strategies such as Content Delivery Network (CDN) usage, image optimization, code minification, regular monitoring and updates, and SEO optimization. This approach ensures that Volusion websites load quickly and perform well, regardless of their complexity. Volusion also focuses on improving Core Web Vitals through the implementation of various performance optimization techniques.

On the other hand, Zenfolio focuses on mobile responsive design as a strategy for speed optimization. However, Zenfolio does not provide specific information on their load times, PageSpeed score ranges, or Core Web Vitals improvements. This lack of transparency makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of Zenfolio’s speed optimization efforts. Therefore, Volusion is the clear winner in this category.

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6.5

6.8

🏆 Winner: Volusion.

With a score of 6.8, Volusion edges out Zenfolio, which scores 6.5. Volusion offers a marketplace with a variety of integrations to enhance its ecommerce platform, including tools and services across categories such as Accounting, Business Resources, Channel Management, Customer & Relationship Management, Design, Domain Registration, Email Marketing, Fulfillment, International, Live Chat, Marketing, Mobile, Order Management, Payment Processing, Security, Shipping, and Shopping Feeds. In total, there are 82 integrations available to help complete your ecommerce business needs.

Zenfolio, on the other hand, offers a focused set of plugins and integrations specifically designed for photographers, including WordPress plugins for embedding photos, a Lightroom Classic plugin for direct photo uploads and management, and the ability to embed forms via services like Jotform. These features enhance the functionality of Zenfolio websites by facilitating content integration from external sources, streamlining photo management workflows, and allowing for customized user interactions through forms.

Volusion Applications

6.1

6.9

🏆

Overall Winner: Volusion

. Volusion stands out for its comprehensive SEO tools, email marketing through third-party integrations, social media integrations for selling directly on platforms, and analytics and reporting tools. Zenfolio, on the other hand, offers limited SEO tools, email marketing on higher plans, basic analytics tools, and ads and promotions through its e-commerce capabilities. However, Zenfolio does offer blogging features, which Volusion does not.

SEO Tools	Yes, but limited	Yes
Email Marketing	Yes	Yes
Blogging	Yes, on higher plans	No
Social Media Integration	Yes	Yes
Analytics and Reporting	Yes, basic built-in analytics tools	Yes
Ads and Promotions	Yes	Yes, but limited

6.7

7.0

🏆 Winner: Volusion

. In the comparison of Zenfolio vs Volusion, Volusion takes the lead with a slightly higher customer support score. Volusion offers 24/7 chat support through the Merchant Center dashboard and phone support during business hours for Business Plan and Prime Plan users. Additionally, enterprise customers benefit from priority support and a dedicated client success manager, ensuring timely and effective assistance.

Zenfolio provides customer support through email 365 days a year, LiveChat from Monday to Thursday, and phone support for Advanced plan subscribers during specific hours. While Zenfolio’s support is comprehensive, it lacks the 24/7 availability and dedicated enterprise support that Volusion offers, making Volusion the better choice for customer support in this comparison.

8.0

8.7

🏆

Winner: Volusion

. Volusion’s security measures are comprehensive, including SSL certificates, PCI DSS compliance, firewalls, data encryption, regular security audits, DDoS protection, two-factor authentication, and automated backups. These features ensure the protection of sensitive customer and payment data, making it a reliable choice for ecommerce businesses.

Zenfolio also prioritizes security, offering SSL encryption, watermarking, password-protected galleries, and cloud backup. However, it falls slightly short compared to Volusion’s extensive security measures, particularly for ecommerce sites.

2.4

0.0

AI Builder	Zenfolio does not have an AI website builder	Volusion does not have an AI website builder
AI Ecommerce features	Zenfolio offers PhotoRefine.ai for managing photo collections	Volusion does not have any AI powered ecommerce features
AI content generation	Zenfolio does not have AI content generation features	Volusion does not have AI content generation features
Additional AI features	Zenfolio does not have any other AI features	Volusion does not have any AI features

🏆 Winner: Zenfolio

. Despite a low AI capabilities score of 2.4, Zenfolio does offer an AI-driven eCommerce feature, PhotoRefine.ai, which assists photographers in managing their photo collections. This gives Zenfolio an edge over Volusion, which does not have any AI capabilities.

2.8

7.7

🏆 Winner: Volusion

. Zenfolio and Volusion have different approaches to user management.

• Zenfolio allows only one user to edit and manage a website. This might be limiting for larger teams or businesses that require multiple people to manage different aspects of the website.
• Volusion, on the other hand, offers customizable user account management with various roles and permissions tailored for efficient online store operation. These roles, including Administrator, Editor/Manager, Customer Service, and Marketing, provide different access levels for tasks like site design, order processing, and analytics. Subscription plans determine the number of staff accounts available: 1 in the Personal Plan, 5 in the Professional Plan, 15 in the Business Plan, and unlimited in the Prime Plan. This range ensures scalability and flexibility to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, enabling effective management and operation of eCommerce teams across different business scales.

Unfortunately, there are no user roles and access levels tables available for Zenfolio and Volusion.

Additional Features

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

User Feedback

Zenfolio

3 reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars

Volusion

65 reviews

3.2 out of 5 stars

Users appreciate Zenfolio for its elegant and affordable site/portfolio designs, highlighting the platform’s suitability for photographers looking to showcase and sell their work online. The Starter plan is praised for its value, though some users express a desire to upgrade to the Pro plan for its enhanced client interaction features and customizable marketing tools. Criticisms include dissatisfaction with the platform’s handling of photo albums and a desire for more privacy and faster loading times. Overall, Zenfolio is valued for its ability to organize and share professional photographs and files, despite some navigational and performance issues.

Users generally appreciate Volusion’s affordability compared to competitors like Shopify, finding its simplified user interface suitable for non-tech users. However, there are concerns about its limited integrations and frequent technical issues, such as crashes and slow support responses. Some users feel that Volusion lacks the advanced features and customization options offered by competitors like Shopify, making it less competitive in the market. Despite these drawbacks, Volusion remains a feasible option for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a budget-friendly solution for establishing an online store.

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