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CommerceHQ vs Shopify

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By Becca - March 19, 2019- in Go-Getter Blog

There is a new player on the market, CommerceHQ.
Let’s dive on in & explore the pros and cons of what seems to be a pretty awesome selling platform.
 
CommerceHQ is an alternative platform to Shopify.
We are hoping this article will shine a light on the advantages & disadvantages of each to help you decide which to use.
CustomCat integrates with both CommerceHQ & Shopify.
We will only be discussing the pros and cons of basic CommerceHQ & Shopify plans.
Both platforms have additional plans. To view them, visit CommerceHQ and/or Shopify.

CommerceHQ

Beginner Friendly

No advanced computer skills are necessary. As you can see, the CommerceHQ Dashboard is pretty straight forward.
commercehq dashboard

Up to 30K/month

With Startup pricing, you can sell up to 30k a month. To put that in perspective, this means you can sell up to $360K a year just for $99/month.

In-house App Store

You don’t need to purchase any other third-party plugins to have a successful store.

Free High Converting Themes

Build a fully customized template with the help of Twig (if you are a developer) or you can choose a template from a theme store.
 

Drag and Drop Software

You have the ability to move elements around to achieve the desired look.
 

No Processing Fees

Unlike Shopify, CommerceHQ doesn’t charge any transaction fees.

Built-in Features

 

  • Abandoned Cart Recovery
  • Automated Gift Cards
  • 1-Click Upsells
  • Upset Campaign Builder
  • Coupon Codes
  • Native Apps
  • Checkout Page
  • Visual Store Builder
  • Unlimited Staff Accounts
  • Unlimited Products
  • Unlimited File Storage
  • Advanced Reporting
  • Currency Converter App
  • Advanced Reporting
  • Related Products
  • 99% Uptime
  • SSL Secure Checkout
  • Inventory Management
  • CVS Export Builder
  • Unlimited Bandwidth

Facebook Group

In the CommerceHQ Facebook Group you can find FREE Live Q&A Calls with Jon Mac on a weekly basis, instructions for the latest testing & scaling techniques, & feature updates.
This group is great for networking with other great individuals to get insight into a print-on-demand industry.

Here are a few of the limitations of CommerceHQ. 

  • Ticket system customer support
  • No mobile app
  • Newer platform
  • Support only a few currencies
  • No available discount codes

Shopify

Discounts Available

If you purchase a yearly plan you can bump down the price as low as $26 per month.

Customer Support

  • Phone
  • Open Chat
  • Email

Upgrade & Downgrade Options

Upgrade or downgrade at any time with the month-to-month payment option.

Mobile App

Accessible on-the-go functions.

Offline/Online

This article explains offline selling well.

Blog Module

This feature is great for announcing new features & products to your customers.

Here are some of the not so great things about Shopify. 

Basic Plan Features

Basic plan features are limited.

  • Abandoned Cart Recovery
  • FREE SSL Certificate
  • Discount  Codes
  • Manual Order Creation
  • Sales Channels
  • 24/7 Support

Third party plugins may be required & may sometimes cause problems.

  • Gift Cards
  • Professional Reports
  • Advanced Report Builder
  • Real-time carrier shipping

Processing Fees

  • Credit Card Rate: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
  • Shopify Payments fee: 2% if Shopify payments not activated

Pricey Templates

Some templates can run as high as $180.

Formatting

  • Formatting is not retained if you select a different theme.

CommerceHQ: Connecting CustomCat

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to connect CommerceHQ to CustomCat.

CommerceHQ: How to Use POD App

Here’s a link on how to use the Print-on-Demand App.

Final Thoughts

CommerceHQ is a powerful alternative to Shopify.
It seems to be less complicated & easier to use for newer sellers. Everything that the seller ultimately needs to sell is included in the basic package.
There are no other additional transaction fees, whereas with Shopify you’ll find yourself adding additional plugins to make your store look good.
CommerceHQ seems to be more beginner oriented.
Shopify seems cheaper, however, the costs start to add up once you add your plugins.
Here’s a calculator to show you how much BASIC Shopify will cost you based on your monthly revenue.
What do you think? Which one are you leaning towards?  Leave us a comment below.

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