Thrivecart Vs Shopify 2020: The Ultimate Comparison (Pro & Cons)

Posted on the 09 August 2020 by Jitendra Vaswani @JitendraBlogger

ThriveCart & Shopify are both software that works as an eCommerce platform. ThriveCart & Shopify allows you to accept payments from customers for physical or digital products/services that you sell online. Using either of these eCommerce platforms will take your business to the next level. Don't sit still after developing a high traffic website. Get a product or service lined up and ready to sell. Studies show that most businesses lose money by not including a shopping cart. Stop embedding a PayPal button and start making some real growth by using a shopping cart. Having your eCommerce platform might be easier than you think. Here, we look at ThriveCart vs Shopify to sort things out for you.

Thrivecart vs Shopify 2020: Overview

ThriveCart Overview

This is a newer shopping cart software that aids eCommerce platforms in the promotion and sale of their products and services. On top of performing basic functions of a shopping cart which are mentioned above, it also offers some additional features. Constructing checkout pages are a joy due to its simplicity and ease-of-use. Check our detailed ThriveCart review here.

It provides various features like upsells, bumps, etc. that greatly increases your profits by translating more clicks into sales. ThriveCart has been crafted cleverly to integrate multiple email marketing tools, payment pages, webinar domains, etc. to name a few. ThriveCart allows you to use Instagram, Linkedin, etc. for promotion without jeopardizing your checkout rates. ThriveCart offers the most flexible experiences among shopping carts.

Shopify Overview

Shopify allows entrepreneurs to monetize their businesses by setting up eCommerce platforms for their websites. Shopify is one of the earliest and most trusted brands out there when it comes to shopping carts. It is a Canada based eCommerce firm that is very popular among drop shippers. It also allows exhaustive integration and is available in multiple languages worldwide.

Shopify fees are on a monthly or yearly basis, starting at $29 a month. There's also a 14 day free trial period. Shopify is a cloud-based software and it is a hosted solution. This implies no need for buying web hosting or using other third-party software. There is no need to worry about software maintenance or web server maintenance. This is the reason why so many retailers can smoothly run their business from any nook and corner with an internet connection.

Thrive and Shopify Shopping Carts: What and Why?

The what

A shopping cart is a link between a customer and a retailer. It is at the very core of an eCommerce business. It's easy to overlook a shopping cart and consider it redundant. But it does more than just taking payments and organizing distributions.

The why

Collecting Payment: The most basic function of the shopping cart. Accept payments from credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple pay, etc. and even cryptocurrency. Also allows you to make use of advanced options like special plans and subscriptions.

Turn Browsers into Buyers: Shopping carts are stacked with excellent marketing techniques that acquire new customers and retain existing ones. It can be done through displaying a detailed catalog, letting customers create wishlists, and making use of promotions.

Streamline your Work Tools: It can be integrated with your various marketing strategies and helpful plugins to create a hassle-free experience

ThriveCart Pros

The major advantages of using ThriveCart are given below.

Bump:

This is an extraordinary function that will bump up your profits by a little bit every time an order is placed. It does this by displaying enticing add-ons every time the checkout window is shown. This feature pop-ups with related products at the time of check out. Consider that a client is ordering a pair of earphones from your eCommerce store.

You can couple that with earphone protection covers so that it will pop during checkout as a bump. This is a business trick proven to work and you can use it to increase your profits. Your customers can save themselves from checking out twice with this feature.

Click upsell:

An up-sell is a suggestion you present to a client the very next moment after they've completed buying order from your website. This is a major advantage of ThriveCart. 1-click upsell let your clients update their order with just a click without going through the hassle of adding card details again. This is another proven strategy that you should take advantage of.

Customers tend to buy products or services again just after they have made a purchase. This enhances the chances of double purchases. Make sure to reward the loyalty of your valuable customers with some discounts.

ThriveCart integration:

We have been raving about the integration capabilities of ThriveCart, but with good reason. The seamless tech integration in ThriveCart effortlessly bridges multiple software.

Given below are a few platforms ThriveCart can be integrated with: One time pay:

Pay only once and reap the benefits of ThriveCart for the rest of your life. Not many shopping carts have this feature. This offer may not be available for long. Get ThriveCart quickly to make use of this benefit.

ThriveCart cons

Limited templates: The design templates offered by ThriveCart are quite restricted and they fail to provide feasible options in that regard.

Translation issues: There have been many instances reported where the translations of has failed to work properly

Dated Interface: ThriveCart has an old user interface which could be made to look a bit modern

Limited support: There's no advanced support available when it comes to failed payments. There is a lot of scope for improvement in this area.

Is ThriveCart suited for me?

ThriveCart is ideal for you if you are selling or wanting to sell digital products. But it is not too shabby when it comes to selling physical products as well.

ThriveCart offers focused funneling that can help you gain greater profits. And if you need an additional option, you can always integrate it with the software of your choice.

ThriveCart customer support

ThriveCart support contains over 150 articles to help eradicate any doubt you may have. These include everything from ThriveCart login to info about the affiliate platform to various tips to get more out of your sale. And obviously, you can raise a ticket if you need support outside of what is already shown.

Shopify Pros

The major advantages of using Shopify are given below:

Shopify customization: The customizable options are truly limitless with Shopify. Personalize everything by offering product variations, displaying multiple images, and organize your products any way you want. Manage your products efficiently with every product detailing its price, weight, etc. It also offers search engine optimized tags to popularise your website more among potential customers.

Shopify unlimited: A lot of eCommerce platforms are helpless when it comes to listing after a certain number. But Shopify is truly boundless in that regard and can show any number of products or services that you have made available for your clients.

Payments made easy with Shopify POS: Point of sale or POS makes it possible for you to accept cash online. This comes especially handy for cash on deliveries or if you're planning to open a pop-up store.

Shopify security: Shopify is one of the most secure eCommerce platforms out there. It has cleverly crafted fraud prevention systems that warn you of any suspicious purchasing order made by a customer. You can also track and monitor the sales history of your regular clients and use it to maintain good relationships.

Shopify shipping: There is a huge chance that you could lose a lot of earnings if you overstate or understate your shipping charges. But fear not and don't burden yourself with the additional headache of having to calculate shipping costs. Shopify automatically calculates the shipping costs based on inputs like location and dimension or weight of the product.

Shopify flexibility: Shopify will not restrict your business to a single point. Customer reps or sales agents can also complete an order for their clients if they choose. Shopify also provides a lot of options to reward your clients with discounts which will further boost your revenue. You can expand your business drastically and employ more people by taking advantage of these benefits.

Shopify integration:

Shopify is well established as an eCommerce platform and can integrate itself with almost any software that pops into your head.

Given below are a few platforms that Shopify links well with:

Shopify cons

URL: The slug in the URL structure is not exactly suited for search engine optimization. This might cause some hindrance to the visibility of your website.

Using multiple languages: There is no in-built feature for storing various languages. The software or templates available in this regard are either very costly or quite limited in their purpose

Shopify Payments: Shopify will charge you with transactional costs except for Shopify Payments, which, unfortunately, is not widely used.

Is Shopify suited for me?

Shopify is the best option available anywhere if you are thinking of embarking into dropshipping. It is one of the most used shopping carts in the world and for good reason. Its power-packed features and flexible integration capabilities allow you to optimize your business strategy to gain maximum revenue. It also allows you to use it in tandem with various parcel services to extend the reach of your products.

ThriveCart Vs Shopify head to head

Both of these firms are pretty impressive in their terms when it comes to the point of outputs. But, they are not exactly free of flaws. So as of now, we have already discussed the standout qualities each firm possesses. Now let us decide which one excels in every aspect.

Establishment:

ThriveCart was established quite recently in the year 2016 whereas, Shopify was established way back in the year 2004. Both firms contain options like email marketing, CMR, etc.

Price:

Both theses shopping carts empower businesses to create campaigns and build professional looking eCommerce stores and landing pages with readymade templates.

Shopify: has a three-tier pricing system starting at $29 that includes unlimited product listing, 24*7 support, sales channels, etc. There is also a 14 day trial period where you can use it free of cost

ThriveCart: provides enticing one-time pricing at $495 along with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This is a limited-time opportunity that won't drain your wallet every month.

Customer Support:

ThriveCart support contains over 150 articles to help eradicate any doubt you may have. These include everything from ThriveCart login to info about the affiliate platform to various tips to get more out of your sale. And obviously, you can raise a ticket if you need support outside of what is already shown.

Shopify: contains a 24/7 support helpline along with dedicated articles that explains every little detail. You will also get access to the Shopify community and can participate in various discussion forums.

Integrating ThriveCart with Shopify

If ThriveCart can be integrated with anything, is it possible to integrate it with Shopify? If you're spoiled for choice between the two, you can combine them to deliver optimum results for you. Imagine if a certain product you sell is way much in demand compared to your other products. With a combination of ThriveCart & Shopify, you can funnel your best selling products to increase your revenue, all the while, keeping Shopify as your storefront to enjoy various perks like unlimited listings and fraud prevention.

Sounds good, but how do I use Shopping Carts?

Shopping carts not only makes it easier for customers, but it also makes it easier for you - the business owner. All it takes is to install the shopping cart software and link it to your products.

3 types of businesses are traded in for money using shopping carts:
  • Selling Physical Products: They include everything from electronics, apparel, clothing, furniture, etc. These products are quite popular in eCommerce platforms and are the sure-fire way for you to make a big buck.
  • Selling Digital Products: Ebooks, templates, audio clips, graphic packs, etc. fall under digital products. The demand for these products is rising and the future is bright if your eCommerce platform sells this.
  • Selling Services: These generally consist of recurring services like insurance, logistics, and also one-off gigs like freelance work.

You can sell them separately or in combination according to your preference and the needs of your customers. Shopping carts in eCommerce platforms also keep track of your inventory and make it easier for your viewers to browse.

So which shopping cart should I use? Types?

Now that you've understood how important shopping carts are for your business, let's looks at the options. Decide out of 2 options with the first one being hosted shopping cart and the second option is a licensed shopping cart.

Hosted shopping cart

These shopping carts are run and hosted by a third-party enterprise. Most responsibilities like server maintenance, backups, and upgrades fall on the shoulders of the host.

Pros
  • Hosted shopping carts charge very low fees or none at all.
  • Unclutters your business website
  • Technical expertise is not required
  • Perfect for new businesses
Cons
    Customers will be directed to external domains for payments, which causes inconvenience.
Licensed shopping cart

They provide greater control for business owners and allows them to develop their specialized shopping carts. Businesses can be customized according to the requirements using licensed shopping carts.

Pros
  • Flexibility in changing features and functions of platforms.
  • Option to integrate third-party tools
  • Customers can enjoy a better shopping experience
  • Best suited for established businesses.
Cons
  • The initial investment for the shopping cart will be quite high
  • Will required specialized IT experts and technical support staff

FAQs Thrivecart vs Shopify

Testimonials & Thrivecart vs Shopify

Shopify Customer Review

Thrivecart Customer Review Quick Links:

Conclusion: Thrivecart vs Shopify Comparison 2020

In this bout between ThriveCart and Shopify, no one was able to land a knockout punch. They have their strengths and weaknesses. Both of them offer features that can be considered as a boon in sales marketing. They also provide us with pretty savvy tips for attracting clients towards our products and services. So we'll leave the decision to the judges, which is you, the reader.

We've briefed you on everything necessary on theses shopping carts for you to make an informed choice. So it is suggested to select the software which accurately fits the demands required. However, there is no ideal software without any flaws. Both of them are working hard in order to optimize their features more effectively, and the best part is that both of them are improving after every update so that no objections would arise in the future. Luckily, you know how to combine them if the choice proves too tough.