“Do you know that 17 Million + businesses use eBay to sell their products online?”
“According to BuiltWith, more than 4.4 Million Ecommerce websites have been built with Shopify.”
“On the Internet today, there are 1600 + live websites that are built by brands using SamCart. The number is growing exceptionally fast every month.”
SamCart, Shopify and eBay are three popular websites for website development. If a business plans to get into ecommerce, the biggest issue that comes in its way is making a choice between them. Are you confused about which one to choose from, SamCart, Shopify and eBay?
If yes, then today’s your lucky day. In this blog, we are going to present an in-depth comparison between “SamCart vs Shopify vs eBay”. With comparison, it becomes easy to decide which platform to carry your website development journey with. So without any further delay, let’s get into the blog.
Overview of SamCart
In 2013, Scott and Brian Moran established SamCart, an online platform for checkout pages. The aim was to create one of the best online shopping experiences, which is regularly updated and improved. Regardless of the type of products you want to sell, SamCart allows users to create functional checkout pages in just a few minutes.
To get started, establish your payment gateway, which supports Stripe and PayPal. Speaking of SamCart pricing, it’s cheaper than many huge ecommerce platforms.
Key Features of SamCart
SamCart offers a wide range of features that helps a business get a kickstart in the ecommerce industry. Some of the key features of SamCart are as follows:
- Drag-And-Drop Builder: The e-Commerce features and sales funnel of SamCart enable businesses to customise their website, including checkout pages, without any prior coding knowledge or experience.
- Predesigned SamCart Templates: SamCart offers a wide variety of SamCart templates to choose from, making it easy to customise and match the look and feel of your brand. By simply integrating your products, you can immediately start selling and creating professional checkout pages using premium eCommerce themes.
- Unlimited Products: The user-friendly e-Commerce platform feature of SamCart allows you to sell a diverse range of products without any limitations on their quantity or type.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a comprehensive e-commerce platform that has been in operation since 2004. It is not limited to a specific industry or business model but rather is designed to serve the needs of any individual seeking to sell products or services.
Shopify has transformed the Ecommerce industry by eliminating the conventional hassle for a brand to migrate their business on the internet. In simple terms, it’s a platform that allows businesses to create an ecommerce website in the least complex manner.
What Key Features Does Shopify Offer?
Shopify comes with a variety of ecommerce features to help a business grow in the market. Below we have shared some of the major features:
Shopify’s Point of Sale feature allows businesses to expand their sales channels to include physical storefronts. This feature enables companies to set up pop-up stores, for instance, and sell their products offline while accepting payments from buyers through a card reader.
- Out of the Box SEO Tools
The Shopify platform provides users with various search engine optimisation (SEO) tools to help them reach their desired goals. Additionally, the platform offers support for multiple third-party application integrations.
Shopify provides a variety of tools to connect with wholesale suppliers on a global level. Oberlo is one of these tools that allow businesses to import products from AliExpress to their Shopify store.
eBay – Detailed Overview
eBay is a well-established online marketplace that offers individuals and businesses the opportunity to sell their products to a global audience. As one of the first online auction platforms, eBay is known for its wide range of products and its ability to attract buyers seeking great deals.
To become a seller on eBay, one must create a seller account and list their products, including a detailed description, price, and image. Additionally, eBay allows for both buying and selling activities on the platform.
Features of eBay You Should Know About
Following are some of the primary features of eBay that you should know about:
- Listing And Selling: One of the core features of eBay is the ability for users to list and sell their products on the platform. This includes creating a seller account, adding listings, setting prices, and uploading product images.
- Auctions: eBay is famous for its hosted auctions, which allow sellers to set a starting price for their item and let buyers bid on it. This feature is useful for sellers who want to get the most money out of their products.
- Buyer Protection: eBay offers a buyer protection program which covers eligible purchases in case the item is not received or not as described in the listing. This gives buyers peace of mind when shopping on the platform.
- Search and Discovery: eBay has a powerful search feature that allows buyers to search and find products based on keywords, categories, and other filters. The platform also offers a “Best Match” feature, which helps buyers find the most relevant products based on their search query.
- Global market: eBay is a global marketplace, which means that sellers can reach customers from all over the world. The platform supports multiple languages and currencies, making it easy for sellers to sell to an international audience.
SamCart VS Shopify VS eBay – Detailed Comparison
It can be difficult to decide whether to use Shopify or eBay, or SamCart to start your online business. To make things simple, here are the major differences between the three platforms on various matrices:
#1 Pricing
- SamCart price for the basic plan starts at $49/month and ranges up to $199/month for the highest-priced plan.
- Shopify offers a basic plan at $29/month, with plans ranging up to $299/month for large businesses with multiple retail stores.
- eBay provides five plans, starting from the “starter plan”, costing $7.95/ month and the “enterprise plan”, which is the most expensive one, costing $2999.95/year
#2 Ability to Scale
- SamCart has advanced features for scaling your business at $199/month and also offers a white-glove service in the “Enterprise” plan.
- Shopify offers an “Advanced Shopify” plan for growing businesses with multiple retail stores at $299/month. It also supports enterprise-grade solutions for large businesses on the “Shopify Plus” plan.
- eBay isn’t much of a scalable option if you aim to target the global market. The application isn’t available in every country, so those factors limit your scalability. But you sure can scale your business to countries where it’s available.
#3 Shopping Cart Design
- SamCart offers more flexible and advanced designs for shopping carts compared to Shopify. The designs are highly customisable as well.
- Shopify’s shopping cart design is sufficient enough to create optimised, high-converting checkouts that can be customised.
- eBay doesn’t come with customisable shopping carts, but its design is already seamless and promotes the overall customer experience.
#4 Payment Integrations
- SamCart integrates with payment providers such as Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net.
- Shopify offers integration with a wider range of payment processors through Shopify Payments, including PayPal, Stripe, SagePay, and more. Additionally, Shopify also has its own payment gateway solution.
- eBay comes with a great advantage in terms of payment integration. There is a wide range of available payment options, such as debit cards, credit cards, bank accounts, etc.
#5 Page Templates
SamCart gives access to countless product templates that can be fully customised, while Shopify offers themes for different types of products, which can be either free or paid.
eBay provides exclusively free templates, which sellers can use to make their categories and pages more attractive,
#6 Customer Support
- eBay offers a comprehensive help centre and contact options for buyers and sellers.
- Shopify also provides a comprehensive help centre, as well as 24/7 support through live chat, email and phone.
- SamCart, on the other hand, offers email and live chat support for its customers. It’s important to note that the level of customer support may vary based on the pricing plan.
#7 Easiness to Use
- Shopify offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of resources, such as tutorials and guides, to assist users in setting up and managing their online store.
- SamCart also provides a user-friendly interface and offers a variety of features to help users optimise their checkout process.
- eBay, on the contrary, may be more complex for first-time users and requires a bit more technical understanding to navigate and set up a seller account.
These were some of the key matrices that describe how eBay, SamCart and Shopify are different from one another. This comparison will help you decide which platform to choose to create your online store. Now that we have done the comparison part let’s move forward with understanding the pros and cons of the three.
Pros and Cons – Shopify, SamCart and eBay
When considering an ecommerce platform for your business, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons to determine if it’s the right fit for your needs. So here are the pros and cons of eBay, SamCart and Shopify. Go have a read:
| Pro | Cons | |
| Shopify | ● Shopify offers a wide range of customisable templates for creating an online store. ● Built-in e-commerce features such as inventory management and payment processing. ● A large app store with various third-party integrations to enhance store functionality. ● Shopify offers 24/7 customer support for users. ● The pricing plans are flexible, with options for small and large businesses. | ● Limited control over certain technical aspects of the website ● Higher transaction fees for non-Shopify payment gateways ● Dependence on third-party apps for certain functionality. |
| Samcart | ● SamCart offers advanced design and sales funnel capabilities for optimised checkout experiences. ● Provides flexible pricing plans for businesses of all sizes. ● Offers integration with multiple payment providers. ● Includes access to a variety of customisable product page templates. ● Offers white-glove service for enterprise-level businesses. | ● Limited customisation options for checkout pages ● Higher pricing for advanced features ● Limited integrations compared to other e-commerce platforms. |
| Ebay | ● Wide range of products available through a global marketplace. ● An easy setup process for sellers. ● Robust search functionality for buyers. ● Built-in customer feedback system. ● The auction feature allows for competitive pricing. | ● Limited control over the website design and customisation options ● Higher service fees for sellers compared to other platforms ● Risk fraud or scams among buyers or sellers. |
Final Words
SamCart, Shopify, and eBay each platform has their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Each platform caters to different types of businesses and offers a unique set of features. Ultimately, the choice between the three will depend on the specific needs and goals of your business.
It is important to thoroughly evaluate the features and capabilities of each platform before making a decision. Lastly, if you find this blog useful, make sure to share it with your friends who are confused about which platform to choose between the three. Help them get a clear idea of the choice.
