Online store: How to choose the right store system
11 store systems in comparison
You want to open an online store, but you don't know which store system is best for you? Then you've come to the right place. We take a look at eleven different e-commerce systems. With your own requirements profile, you can then find out which system is suitable and which is not.
Reading time 12 min
- What is a store system anyway?
- Types of store system: What are the different options?
- Why is a well thought-out choice of a store system important?
- The different store systems: a comparison
- Our conclusion
- FAQ
What is a store system anyway?
If you are wondering what a store system is, we have a short explanation for you. Store systems are the systems on which an online store runs or products can be sold. A store system is therefore important for all entrepreneurs in the trade, which would also like to sell articles online.
E-commerce systems or store systems can be divided into two different types: prefabricated store systems and self-built store software. But even with the prefabricated store systems there are still significant differences. Some systems consist of several modules that can simply be clicked together. Individualization is only possible to a very limited extent here. With other store systems, self-created functions and designs can be added. However, we will discuss this in detail later.
Store system types: What are the different options?
In order to give you a better idea of the different providers of store systems later on, we would first like to explain the different types of store systems in detail. The store systems can be divided into e-commerce complete solutions, rental store systems or SaaS solutions, open source e-commerce systems and WordPress e-commerce plugins:
- Complete e-commerce solutions: With a complete solution for your online store, you get everything you need around your online store. This includes, for example, a CRM, an enterprise resource planning and an ERP system.
- Open source systems: Shop systems that are open source are particularly suitable for store operators with an affinity for technology. This is because they can be set up themselves and adapted to their own needs. However, programming knowledge is mandatory.
- Rental shop systems / Software as a Service: SaaS solutions are usually built in the form of modular systems and are therefore particularly suitable for e-commerce beginners. You can sign up there by taking out a subscription with a monthly subscription rate and can then click together your store in just a few steps.
- WordPress plugins for e-commerce: Plugins for WordPress are a method to extend already existing WordPress websites. You can install a plugin that allows you to offer products on your website. However, for many products such a plugin is not suitable.
Why is a well thought-out choice of a store system important?
The decision to use a store system should be well thought out. You should think about what your store must be able to do. But you should also take a look into the future. Do you have plans to expand further or will it rather stay with a small webshop? Asking yourself this question is crucial for choosing a store system. Because some systems are better suited than others when it comes to expansion.
Furthermore, aspects such as individual design and special functions are also important. Maybe it's enough if you create a standard store that doesn't need much configuration. Because that also has advantages! But it can also be that you already have precise ideas that cannot be implemented with a basic store system.
Company presentation
With your webshop you also want to represent your company. Here it depends on professionalism and a good look. Your product range should be presented clearly and vividly. The store system must offer suitable options for your company, so that the presentation can go hand in hand with your existing branding. The professionalism of your online store and the representation of your company also include creating enough options that make excellent customer service possible.
User-friendliness and flawless shopping experience
Your store should be intuitive for your customers. The shopping experience must be smooth and free from glitches. This is ensured if there is also a flawlessly functioning shopping cart, coupons, discount code fields, a wish list and the option to filter products.
Functionality
Moreover, you should make sure that all the processes of your store are working. Therefore, you should naturally first figure out what processes need to run at all to keep your store up and running. Once you have defined this, it will be easier for you to choose the right store system. After all, smooth sales are the foundation for your success in e-commerce.
In the next section, we'll help you create your own requirements profile to help you make the perfect store system choice.
How to create your own requirements profile for the perfect store system
These questions will help you to determine the most important requirements for your store system. In our following comparison of different systems, you will find individual details that you have previously defined. In this way, you can see which e-commerce system best fits your requirements profile and where it might be worth making compromises.
The different store systems: a comparison
Which store system best suits your business? Hopefully, you will be able to answer this question by the end of this article. We will now introduce you to the different and best store systems that are commonly used in Germany. In order to better compare the systems, we have examined the same 14 criteria for each e-commerce system. The criteria include:
gambio
gambio is a store system that is available in a cloud version and in a self-hosted variant. The cloud version is very well suited for smaller companies and start-ups that are looking for a fast and uncomplicated store solution. Customization is only possible to a limited extent. The self-hosted version is suitable for larger companies that want to set up their online store with a larger budget. The variant also costs only 149 euros per year, but requires much more custom programming and setup, which is why some resources still need to be used.
| gambio advantages | gambio disadvantages |
|---|---|
- Store system type: Both e-commerce-competence solution and rental shop system
- Beginner to professional: Suitable for small and large businesses
- Scalability: Is possible with gambio, the version is adaptable to the required performance
- Budget: For cloud version three tariffs selectable: "Start-up" for 19,95 EUR, "Small Businesss" for 49,95 EUR and "Professional" for 99,95 EUR monthly. Own hosting for 149 EUR per year.
- Setup: With cloud solution you don't have to set up anything. You can start working on your store directly. Self-hosting setup with installation instructions.
- Layout and design: Simple design, three different layouts. The StyleEdit can be used to customize store elements.
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Multilingualism and global sales are possible. Different currencies are available in the payment process
- Hosting and security: cloud hosting and own hosting possible, data is stored on servers in Germany.
- Data protection: Online store is easily adaptable to DSGVO.
- Support: German support by phone and email
- User friendliness: Can be customized
- Advertising / Promotion: Vouchers and coupons, banner creation and SEO tips.
- Interfaces: For your newsletter marketing, for example, you can integrate external software, in addition, other interfaces to gambio partners are possible
- Technology: PHP
- Loading time: Can be easily optimized
Adobe Commerce (Magento)
Magento Commerce, as many still know it, will now become Adobe Commerce and can be downloaded from Adobe's website. Only the open source version will continue to be called Magento. Magento is one of the most popular store systems in its form and now, with the merger with Adobe, will receive additional analytics and marketing features.
| Adobe Commerce (Magento) Advantages | Adobe Commerce (Magento) disadvantages |
|---|---|
- Store system type: Cloud solution in the rental store model or own hosting
- Beginner to professional: Freeware variant for small and medium-sized companies, but also suitable options for large companies
- Scalability: Yes
- Budget: Free community version (open source) and paid premium version (cloud option or software) - prices only available on request
- Setup: Setup is more difficult, cooperation with an agency helpful
- Layout and design: Design via drag-and-drop tool, responsive
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Internationalization is possible
- Hosting and security: From Adobe or host it yourself
- Data protection: DSGVO-ready
- Support: Community forum and enterprise support
- Usability: Veryuser-friendly
- Advertising / Promotion: Promotions can be created, SEO optimizations
- Interfaces: Existing, for example to other marketplaces
- Technology: PHP
- Loading time: Takes sometimes quite long, but can be optimized
Shopware
The Shopware store system is widely used in Germany. The different versions make the e-commerce system Shopware interesting for small companies as well as for large corporations. In case of problems, a German support team is available. In addition, the functions of Shopware are well adapted to the German legal system, since Shopware is a German store solution. We at EXWE use Shopware for most of our online store projects.
| Shopware Advantages | Shopware disadvantages |
|---|---|
- Store system type: open source (self-hosted) or cloud
- Beginner to professional: For small start-ups and large companies
- Scalability: Online store can grow with the company
- Budget: Community Edition free of charge, Rise Edition from 600 Euro monthly, Evolve and Bedyond Edition: Price only on request
- Setup: Difficult without programming knowledge
- Layout and design: Responsive design, kept simple and straightforward, expandable with template
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Internationalization and multilingualism are possible
- Hosting and security: Different hosting partners possible
- Data protection: DSGVO compliant
- Support: German store support
- Usability: Customizable through plugins
- Advertising / promotion: SEO, various tools for marketing
- Interfaces: Connectable to marketplaces via plugins and further interfaces available
- Technology: PHP
- Loading time: Customizable
OXID eShop
OXID eShop from OXID eSales AG is available as an open source variant as well as a commercial variant. The Community Edition is free of charge. Other paid versions include the Professional Edition and the Enterprise Edition, which are also suitable for larger companies. There is a marketplace with a large selection of plugins that can add more modules and features to the online store.
| OXID eShop Advantages | OXID eShop disadvantages |
|---|---|
- Store system type: As open source system and commercial versions
- Beginner to Professional: Mainly for medium and larger companies. The free version also for smaller companies, but few functions.
- Scalability: Yes
- Budget: Community Edition free of charge, Professional Edition approx. 2900 €, Enterprise Edition for B2C 18,000 € and for B2B 32,000 €
- Setup: No setup fee, setup is easy
- Layout and design: Modern and responsive design
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Multiple languages, currencies and tax rates possible
- Hosting and security: You take over the hosting on a server. So you can ensure a high level of security yourself
- Privacy: With modules you can make your store DSGVO compliant
- Support: Is chargeable, you can create support tickets
- User-friendliness: Simple design that even inexperienced customers know how to use
- Advertising / Promotion: SEO, social media, coupon code, discount promotions, with extensions also email marketing
- Interfaces: Many interfaces to ERP, accounting, enterprise resource planning and SAP products.
- Technology: PHP
- Loading time: Can be optimized
Alzura Shop
Alzura Shop is a good option if you are a store owner and don't want to deal with programming languages. You don't need any programming knowledge and can create your own store in a few steps. The design options are limited, but the store system is also suitable for large companies. However, there are no interfaces to other marketplaces.
| Alzura Shop advantages | Alzura Shop disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
|
- Store system type: Cloud-based as a rental store system
- Beginner to professional: Suitable for all company sizes
- Scalability: Alzura can also be scaled by changing to different tariffs
- Budget: Starter already from 19 Euro per month, Professional 49 Euro, Enterprise 199 per month plus a commission per order in each case.
- Setup: Quickly possible after registration and selection of version
- Layout and design: Responsive standard designs
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Multiple languages, currencies and delivery countries possible
- Hosting and security: Hosting in Germany with domain and SSL encryption included
- Data protection: DSGVO compliant
- Support: There is a manual and customer support via mail or phone
- Usability: Can be customized
- Advertising / Promotion: Personalized emails, SEO
- Interfaces: No
- Technology: Due to the SaaS cloud system, users do not have to deal with technology
- Loading time: Fast loading time
Shopify
Shopify is an e-commerce software from a Canadian company. The different versions of the store system are suitable for both small retailers and large corporations.
We have directly compared the Shopware and Shopify store systems in another article. If the two e-commerce systems have come into your closer selection, just take a look there as well to learn even more about Shopware and Shopify. After that, you're guaranteed to make a decision!
| Shopify Advantages | Shopify Disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
|
- Store system type: Cloud-based store system
- Beginner to professional: For small start-ups, medium-sized merchants and large corporations
- Scalability: There are different versions that can be scaled with
- Budget: Basic from 27 Euro monthly, Shopify from 79 Euro monthly and Advanced from 289 Euro monthly + transaction costs
- Setup: You can set up the store yourself easily and quickly
- Layout and design: Nine different themes are available. Additional templates can be purchased in the Themeshop.
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Multilingualism and internationalization are possible.
- Hosting and security: Hosting is taken care of - you also get a free SSL certificate
- Data protection: Not DSGVO compliant, must be adapted by you
- Support: English support only
- Usability: Can be customized and optimized
- Advertising / Promotion: Email marketing is free with the Shopify app up to 2,500 emails, Connected to Facebook, Snapchat Ads and SEO are possible as well as discount and coupon codes
- Interfaces: Can be connected to various software applications
- Technology: Ruby on Rails
- Load time: Can be optimized
Host-Europe
Host-Europe is a hosting provider that also offers a store system. Since 2017, Host-Europe, based in England, has been part of the GoDaddy Group. The company's store system is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.
| Host-Europe Advantages | Host-Europe disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
|
Store system type: Rental store system or SaaS system
- Beginner to professional: Small to medium-sized companies
- Scalability: Possible through different versions, but not suitable for large stores
- Budget: Basic for 9,99, Medium 19,99, Premium 34,99 and Supreme 54,99 € monthly
- Setup: No programming skills, but setup fee
- Layout and design: 24 very basic free designs, seven designs that can still be purchased. Customization is limited
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Various languages
- Hosting and security: Data security and SSL encryption
- Data protection: DSGVO compliant
- Support: Email and phone support (free for DE, AT and Switzerland)
- User friendliness: Can only be optimized to a limited extent
- Advertising / Promotion: Blog, newsletter, SEO is limited
- Interfaces: Interfaces to payment providers and shipping service providers
- Technology: ePages
- Load time: Optimizable, does not belong to the best load times
JTL Shop
JTL also offers a store system for online trading: the JTL Shop. The latest version of the store system is called JTL-Shop 5 and is available in different versions. The standard version can be subscribed to on a cloud-based monthly basis. The other versions are only available as an open source model for self-hosting. There is an OnPage Composer that you can use to showcase your products. With the help of a drag-and-drop function this is very easy. So you don't necessarily need programming skills to create a standard store.
| JTL Shop advantages | JTL Shop disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
|
- Store system type: rental store system and self-hosted
- Beginner to professional: For beginners and large companies
- Scalability: Thanks to different versions your JTL store is scalable
- Budget: Free version available (Community), Hosting (as rental version) 14,99 € monthly, Standard 499 € one-time, Professional 1.499 € one-time, Enterprise from 4.999 € one-time
- Setup: Installation is a bit more difficult, but subsequent setup is easy
- Layout and design: Simple design that is optimized for mobile device. There are more templates for more individual designs in the theme store
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Different languages and currencies are possible
- Hosting and security: With JTL hosting you have chosen a legally secure option, because the servers are located in Germany. The other JTL versions you have to host yourself, so the guarantee of security is also in your hands.
- Data protection: DSGVO compliant
- Support: German e-mail support for all versions except Community Edition
- User friendliness: Different templates increase the user friendliness
- Advertising / promotion: SEO possible, also integration for social media, email marketing can be done with integrable apps
- Interfaces: Very many interfaces that allow everything you need for your webshop. Among other things, the connection to the JTL-Wawi, the merchandise management system of JTL is directly possible. In addition, you can connect payment providers such as Paypal Express and accounting software. CRM systems can also be connected.
- Technology: C/C++
- Loading time: Can be optimized
plentymarkets
The plentymarkets system is a complete solution for online trading. Especially for medium and large online stores, the store system is perfectly suited. The plentysystems AG is based in the United Kingdom as well as in Germany and is therefore the best solution for all those who want a store system that directly covers all functions.
| plentymarkets advantages | plentymarkets disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
|
- Store system type: Cloud solution
- Beginner to professional: Mainly for medium-sized and large companies
- Scalability: Is given
- Budget: STARTER version with the "Basic" tariff starting at 39 Euros, PRO version with the "Classic" tariff basic fee plus a maximum of 15 cents per order and the "PLUS" tariff for large companies
- Setup: Complicated, only with IT experience
- Layout and design: Customizable templates and possibility to develop own designs
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Different languages and currencies
- Hosting and security: In Europe, you have the choice between Germany and Ireland
- Privacy: DSGVO compliant
- Support: Chargeable, for smaller requests free of charge
- User friendliness: Can be customized
- Advertising / promotion: coupons, discount codes, SEO, Google Analytics as well as multi-channel sales.
- Interfaces: Almost all functions are already integrated in plentymarkets: WaWi, CRM, Pim and other sales platforms as well as much more.
- Technology: Laravel among others
- Loading time: Can be optimized
wooCommerce
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that you can install for your website to offer products as well. The prerequisite is of course that your website runs on WordPress. The solution is free of charge. However, to use many features, you need extensions, which are usually paid.
| wooCommerce advantages | wooCommerce disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
|
- Store system type: WordPress plugin
- Beginner to Professional: For beginners, but also for large companies
- Scalability: With the many extensions also scalable
- Budget: Standard version is free, some extensions are chargeable
- Setup: Installation of the plugin is easy
- Layout and design: Standard layout is included, additional design templates can be purchased
- Multilingualism and internationalization: multilingualism is available, payments in different currency through plugins also possible
- Hosting and security: self-hosting, mostly already covered by your website
- Privacy: DSVGO compliant
- Support: Company comes from the USA, support is therefore a bit more difficult. However, so-called experts and freelancers are offered on the website, who can help. However, this is only possible for a rather expensive fee.
- User-friendliness: A user-friendly online store can be designed by yourself
- Advertising / Promotion: Simple SEO features, coupons and discounts, and email marketing with extensions
- Interfaces: Not available in the basic version, plugins to extend available
- Technology: PHP
- Load time: With optimizations you can improve your load time, if they should not be fast. Fast loading times are possible in principle.
wpShopGermany
wpShopGermany is a plugin for your WordPress site. With this extension you can easily offer products on your website. The plugin is suitable for the German market and can only be used in combination with WordPress. You can get the license from 45 Euro.
| wpShopGermany Advantages | wpShopGermany disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
|
- Store system type: Wordpress plugin for e-commerce
- Beginner to Professional: Different license keys: Light/Demo, Pro and Enterprise, which are suitable for small and medium stores
- Scalability: Yes, but especially for small to medium sized stores, rather difficult for large corporations
- Budget: wpShopGermany 4 in Pro for 45,00 EUR and Enterprise for 149,00 EUR
- Setup: Easy installation
- Layout and design: Simple
- Multilingualism and internationalization: Yes
- Hosting and security: Own hosting
- Privacy: Adapted to German law
- Support: German speaking support
- User friendliness: Can be optimized
- Advertising / Promotion: Coupons, Newsletter with wpNewsletterGemany
- Interfaces: Yes, to various payment providers
- Technology: PHP
- Loading time: Can be optimized
Our conclusion
On the global market, as you could see, there are many options for your online store. And we haven't looked at all of them! Choosing the right store system is definitely not easy. But maybe you could already make a shortlist with the help of your requirements profile. If you need help in making a decision or would like individual advice, EXWE is the right place for you. Our developers and experts are always available.
In our online store agency we have successfully implemented a large number of online stores. Years of experience have shown that the Shopware store system is best suited for individual and high-performance webshops. If you want to learn more about our Shopware store creation, we recommend our Shopware service overview. Maybe Shopware is the right solution for you and your company!
FAQ: Questions and answers about store systems
If you still have questions about store systems, you can find some frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers or explanations here. You still have a specific question or need help choosing the right system? Then do not hesitate to contact us.
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Which store system is from Germany?
There are many store systems on the German market. However, not all of the systems used originate from Germany. In order to get full support in time, it is advantageous to choose a store system from Germany. Shopware and gambio are both store systems from Germany with German support. Jimdo, Alzura Shop and ePages are also from Germany.
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Which store system is the best?
This question cannot be answered in a general way. Of course, it depends on the requirements of your company. A store system can be the best for a company, but it is not the best for you. Generally speaking, Shopware and Magento are the most popular store systems in Germany. According to research by eCommerceDB from June 2020, the two together account for a market share of approximately 50% in Germany.
Other important store systems are OXID eSales, JTL Shop, plentymarkets and more. More details can be found in this graphic:
https://solobusinesstribe.de/shopsysteme-vergleich/#73-faq-häufig-gestellte-fragen
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Which store system can I use without programming knowledge?
If you don't have any programming skills or there is no one in your company who can program, then working with an online store agency is helpful. The online store experts can implement your individual wishes and are very familiar with the user-friendliness and technical details. Otherwise, there is still the option to choose a modular system. This is offered by Gambio, Wix or Jimdo, for example. However, you should note that these store systems cannot be customized as much, since there is only a selection of individual modules to choose from.
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What costs arise after the completion of the online store through maintenance?
Even when an online store has been completed, the work is far from done. New products must be added or updates made on a regular basis. Usually, your employees or you yourself enter new products. Depending on the selected store system, this is not difficult at all. For updates or technical innovations and functions, it helps to consult experts whose daily business is to ensure the maintenance of online stores.
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How do I find out which store system is best for me?
To find the right store system for your needs, you should first determine the requirements of your store and your customers. This includes features such as payment options, shipping methods, product management and marketing tools. You should also consider cost, ease of use, and integration options with other applications. It's a good idea to test different store systems and gather feedback from customers and employees before making a decision.
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Hello, my name is Meike. I take care of the EXWE back office and am responsible for our social media channels. All of our articles are meant to make your life easier and help you make decisions. Nevertheless, it can happen that something remains unclear, so: If you have questions about this article you can easily reach me at +49 231 93149827.
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