EKM vs Shopify

If you’re searching for a simple to use eCommerce platform, but you’re unsure about which platform to choose, we’ve got you covered. We’re going to compare two similar tools - Shopify and EKM.

Shopify is one of the most-used platforms on the internet for quickly launching online stores with pure simplicity. EKM isn’t quite as popular, but remains a very eligible option, making it a great idea to consider what they have to offer.

Although EKM isn’t used by nearly as many webmasters as Shopify, they do offer high quality features along with competitive prices, especially if you’re planning to launch your business in the United Kingdom. By comparing these two excellent eCommerce solutions, you will easily be able to choose just one and know exactly which tool is best suited for the direction you plan on taking with your online business.

EKM and Shopify Compared - Which One is Better for UK Businesses?

Choosing between the two platforms isn’t always as easy as it seems. You may be tempted to go towards the most popular option at first glance, but upon discovering the available features at EKM, it may seem like a more suitable option for your business’ needs. EKM and Shopify both offer very simple to use dashboards, making them both ideal for beginners. However, their built-in features vary and so do their pricing. We’re going to take a closer look at both of these eCommerce solutions so you can get a better understanding on which option is the best for your specific needs, especially if you’re running or planning to launch your eCommerce business in the United Kingdom.

Technical Comparison

Having very few issues to deal with on a regular basis can make your eCommerce platform much more enjoyable to use. Fortunately, both Shopify and EKM offer very stable environments. We looked into recent issues for both platforms and both of them had just a few minor issues. Shopify and EKM have status pages so you can keep track of current issues or scheduled maintenance. Furthermore, both platforms report incidents on social media, so you can keep track of outages simply by following them on Facebook or Twitter. As far as website loading times are concerned, Shopify has slightly faster loading sites, but in the end, both were very similar. Depending on the apps you choose to add, the loading times will actually be quite similar and you won’t notice much of a difference when choosing one eCommerce platform over the other. These are two highly reliable and high performance platforms.

Customer Support

Customer support is vital for smooth business operations. Fortunately, whichever platform you choose, you will be provided with excellent support channels. Both Shopify and EKM offer support via email, phone, email and live chat. At EKM, you will only be able to contact the support team via live chat from within your user account area. Additionally, they both offer great tutorials along with extensive knowledge bases. EKM also have excellent video tutorials to help guide you through every step of the way. However, when it really comes down to it, EKM has the edge by offering a dedicated account manager to every single user. Overall, you won’t be disappointed with either one of them when it comes to support.

Features

One of the great things about both EKM and Shopify is that they are both very simple to use. With their beautiful dashboards, you will easily be able to navigate from one function to another. After trying both platforms, we actually found EKM more enjoyable to navigate, but Shopify shouldn’t be too difficult to use either. Adding new products is simple and straightforward - so is managing orders, calculating taxes and even setting up the appearance of your store.

• Both platforms have tons of built-in features, but we preferred the selection of functions at EKM. For instance, their Evolution Mode, allows you to receive updates automatically - they also provide free SSL certificates, you can manage bulk products simultaneously, eBay integrations are ready from the start, you can add product image lightbox galleries and so much more.
• Shopify also has great features, but they also require you to rely heavily on third-party apps in order to enjoy many functions, which adds an additional step, can cost more money and can actually slow down your website.

Overall, between the two platforms, we found EKM to be packed with more features from the get-go and those features were very high quality tools.

Design

The themes available on these platforms vary greatly, but you should have no problem finding one that suits your business to perfection. Both Shopify and EKM have several dozen themes available for you to choose from and most of them are high quality. The designs are modern and trendy, which isn’t always the case with website builders. Shopify’s paid themes tend to be quite expensive, but they do have some nice free themes available, so if you don’t want to spend any money on your theme, you should be able to find an option that doesn’t cost a dime. Setting up the themes on both platforms requires just the click of a button and customizing them is just as easy. Overall, it doesn’t matter whether you choose EKM or Shopify, both of them offer a nice selection of free themes and both of them are incredibly simple to install and customize.

Prices

The cost of operating your online store will take away from your overall profits. For this reason, most startup business owners will want to benefit from the most cost-effective eCommerce solution available.

• Fortunately, both EKM and Shopify are very affordable.
• Both platforms offer a 14-day free trial so you can get to know the platforms before settling on just one option.
• When it comes to actual monthly fees, Shopify is slightly more affordable, but the EKM pricing plans come with more benefits. For instance, there is a larger amount of built-in features at EKM than at Shopify, so you won’t have to use as many third-party apps, which ultimately keeps your cost down, however, this can also be considered as a drawback - you won’t be able to customize your EKM shop as much as Shopify.
• Additionally, EKM does not have any transaction fees, but Shopify does - if you’re not using Shopify Payments. If you’re looking for the most affordable solution, EKM has slightly better pricing overall.

EKM Video

The Final Verdict: EKM or Shopify

In the end, comparing Shopify and EKM is very difficult because both platforms are incredibly similar. They both offer an easy to use dashboard along with excellent tutorials, making them both ideal for beginners. However, both eCommerce solutions also deliver excellent features that make growth possible and even simple. One great piece of advice is to make the most out of the 14-day free trials offered by both these platforms - get to know each platform for a few days before committing to just one.

The amount of themes at both Shopify and EKM is impressive and the themes are pretty nice. Combine this with excellent customer support on both platforms and you’ll be sure to make a good decision regardless of the platform you choose. EKM and Shopify also have nice marketplaces with tons of third-party integrations, but EKM has the upper hand with more built-in features from the start.

One of the great features that sets EKM apart is their dedicated account managers. Every account holder at EKM gets their own account manager who will be there at all times, ready to provide assistance. This makes EKM an even better solution for people who are new to building online stores. After all this, it’s a very tight call and comes down to personal preferences. Make sure to give each platform a try with their free trials and see which platform better suits your needs.