Shopware vs Salesforce: Our experts compare the store systems! (2024)
Anyone who wants to create an online store is faced with the big question of which store system is the best choice. There are many providers on the market, all of whom offer good solutions. However, they generally differ in a number of respects. In this article, we would like to compare the Shopware and Salesforce e-commerce systems in order to highlight their weaknesses and strengths as well as their most important functions. So if you're faced with the decision of whether to use Shopware or the Salesforce store system for your own online store, you've come to the right place!
Reading time 10 min
- What is Shopware? A brief overview of the store system
- A first insight into the Salesforce Commerce Cloud
- The big functionality comparison: Shopware vs Salesforce
- Our conclusion: Which store system is the better choice for your online shop
- FAQ: Questions and answers about online stores with Shopware and Salesforce
A brief overview of Shopware
Shopware is a German company that was founded in 2000. Shopware has developed e-commerce software that is popular with German store owners. With the Shopware store system, retailers have a flexible and scalable solution. Unlike many other e-commerce platforms that are offered as cloud solutions, Shopware offers both cloud-based and self-hosted versions. This gives companies the option to choose between a turnkey solution and one that allows for more customization and control. In addition, the store system is suitable for both B2C and B2B stores.
Salesforce and the Salesforce Commerce Cloud
What is Salesforce? Salesforce is an American company that was founded in 1999. Salesforce became particularly well known for its CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, which enables users to build and manage customer relationships. Over time, other Salesforce products came onto the market, including the Salesforce Commerce Cloud. This is a cloud-based e-commerce platform solution that supports companies in creating and managing online stores. The Salesforce solution for store operators or future store operators is suitable for both the B2C and B2B sectors. So if you are looking for an online shop solution for your company, Salesforce could be the right choice.
The big functionality comparison
Do you want to create your own online store and are looking for a suitable platform? In our feature comparison, we take a close look at important aspects of the Shopware store system and the Salesforce Commerce Cloud. You can see at a glance what the two e-commerce systems have in common and what makes them different.
Shopware vs Salesforce - the comparison
| Function | Shopware | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
|
E-commerce functions |
||
| Product data management | With Shopware, you can add product information, categories, media, variants and SEO information. A PIM (Product Information Management) can also be integrated into Shopware to manage all data in the online store: Product information, media data, stock levels, product categories, languages, etc. This is particularly interesting for you if you have a broad product range or use several sales channels. | It is possible to store product information such as name, description, price, SKU and much more. In addition, each product can be assigned to a category. Images, variants and attributes can also be added in Salesforce. A PIM can also be used in the Salesforce store system. |
| Shopping cart and checkout | As the store operator of a Shopware store, you can optimize the shopping cart yourself, for example with a one-page checkout or a guest checkout. A progress indicator that helps the customer to understand which step of the checkout process they are in can ensure a clear overview. | The Salesforce store system has an optimized and customizable shopping cart and checkout process. Features such as one-click purchasing and saving payment data for returning customers can be integrated. |
| Payment and shipping options | A variety of payment methods, including PayPal, credit cards and SEPA direct debits, are available. Shipping options are individually configurable. | There is a wide range of payment options. These can be integrated through third-party payment gateways. There are individual options for shipping that you can specify. |
| Discounts and promotions | Shopware allows you to create various discounts and promotions, including percentage discounts, fixed amount discounts and time-limited offers as well as vouchers. | There is a promotion and discount management tool. |
| Ease of use | ||
| Customizability of the design | Themes are available and can be added free of charge or for a fee. With a developer, you also have the option of creating your own design. | The design can be easily customized, but there are also ready-made templates. |
| User interface and navigation | Intuitive and user-friendly backend for developers, front-end navigation is simple and can be easily operated by any merchant. | The user interface is customizable, the backend provides access to the most important functions. |
| Mobile responsiveness | The correct and user-friendly presentation of your online store is possible with Shopware on all end devices. | The same applies to Salesforce. The platform even supports the creation of mobile apps and PWA (Progressive Web Apps). |
| Integration options | ||
| Third-party integrations | There is an extensive store for plugins and extensions provided by third-party providers. | Again, there are some partners that provide third-party applications with the Salesforce AppExchange. |
| API availability | Shopware has a RESTful API that developers can use to access various areas of the store system and integrate external applications or platforms. Data such as products, orders and customers can be retrieved in this way. | Salesforce also has an API that can be used for integrations. |
| CRM integration | There is no integrated CRM solution. There are CRM extensions in the store that can be installed additionally. | The Commerce Cloud is part of the large Salesforce ecosystem. For this reason, the Salesforce CRM can also be seamlessly integrated. This allows you to easily link your sales, marketing and customer service data. |
| Marketing and SEO | ||
| Search engine optimization (SEO) | SEO tools are already available, such as SEO-friendly URLs, meta information, breadcrumbs, canonical tags and automatic 301 redirects. Additional plugins from the store enable further SEO functions as well as analyses. | The optimization of URLs, meta tags and the support of rich snippets can be done directly in the Salesforce Commerce Cloud. |
| Product ratings and reviews | There is already an integrated system that allows your customers to submit ratings for products. You can then check and approve the ratings in the backend. With plugins that you can install additionally, you have further options for reviews, such as a photo review or an automated email that asks every customer to leave a review after a purchase. | You have similar options with Salesforce. The system offers the option to rate products. Additional functions and analysis options can be integrated via third-party providers. |
| Personalization and recommendations | These functions include: personalized content, target group segmentation and recommendations based on customer behaviour. | The personalization options offered by the Salesforce Commerce Cloud are particularly good. For example, there are AI-driven recommendations thanks to the integrated "Einstein" feature. This allows you to provide personalized content, product recommendations and even personalized search results based on the customer's behavior, preferences and history. |
| Reporting and analysis | ||
| Sales reports | Sales statistics are available in Shopware in the backend. There you will find, for example, information on sales reports, orders by category, by customer and more. | The Commerce Cloud offers detailed and customizable sales reports. There you can find out everything about analyses of sales trends, bestselling products and many other aspects. |
| Customer behavior analysis | Basic analyses are included in Shopware. Plugins and integrations from Google, for example, can be used for more advanced analyses. | In the Salesforce store system, there are integrated analysis tools that can be used to analyze customer behavior such as page views, purchasing behavior, abandonment rates and personalized product recommendations. |
| Customer support, assistance and training | There is a very active community that can be helpful in solving problems. Shopware also offers German support, which is subject to a charge. | Salesforce has comprehensive customer support that is included as part of the contract. There are also online resources, documentation and help articles directly from Salesforce. |
| Resources and training materials | Extensive documentation can be a help for developers and users. Shopware also organizes events such as the Shopware Community Day or offers workshops. Shopware agencies can help with the implementation and administration of Shopware. | Salesforce has an online learning platform called Trailhead, as well as webinars, documentation and certification courses. Events and conferences are also organized. |
| Pricing model | ||
| License costs | There are three models: Rise, Evolve and Beyond. Rise is available from 600 euros per month. The other two versions are charged individually. | Salesforce also offers three variants: B2C Commerce - Starter, B2C Commerce - Growth, B2C Commerce - Plus. Unfortunately, no prices are known here. These must be requested individually or are calculated based on the requirements and the gross volume of goods in your store. |
| Additional fees | In principle, there are no additional fees. Plugins that you can install for additional and individual plugins may incur additional costs. This also applies to some themes. | As you pay fees per function or per requirement, there are always additional costs if you require additional functionalities. |
Advantages and disadvantages of Shopware
To give you a final overview of the Shopware store system, we would now like to briefly present the advantages and disadvantages that you can expect if you choose Shopware as your e-commerce system. There are also a few points that we have not yet covered in the feature comparison, but which are particularly eye-catching and should be considered when deciding on a store system.
| The advantages | The disadvantages |
|---|---|
Advantages and disadvantages of Salesforce
Of course, you should also have an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the Salesforce Commerce Cloud e-commerce solution, which is why we have also filtered these out for you. Here, too, there are a few aspects that we haven't looked at yet but could be interesting for your decision.
| The advantages | The disadvantages |
|---|---|
Our conclusion
We hope you now have a good overview of the two store systems. In our opinion, it is not possible to say which one is better. Overall, however, it can be said that both store systems have their advantages and disadvantages. You need to weigh up which platform is best for you. However, if you need help with this, feel free to get in touch with us. We will go through with you what the best solution is for you and also help you with the online store creation.
FAQ: Questions and answers about e-commerce store systems
Here you will find answers to some frequently asked questions about Shopware and the Salesforce store system. The explanations may also help you to make a decision. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us - via our contact form or simply by phone.
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What else is part of the Salesforce ecosystem?
There is not only the Salesforce Commerce Cloud, but also an entire ecosystem. These are all designed to optimize business processes and make them more efficient. For example, there is Salesforce CRM for customer management and sales automation and other solutions that complete the ecosystem's range of functions. With regard to sales processes in particular, Salesforce offers tools such as CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote), which help companies to create quotes more quickly and calculate them more accurately. There are also marketing automation tools such as Pardot, which make it possible to create targeted marketing campaigns and effectively guide leads through the sales funnel.
Depending on the size of the company, there are different requirements for the software. Therefore, the Salesforce ecosystem offers scalable solutions that are suitable for both small start-ups and global corporations.
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What is Pardot?
Pardot is a marketing automation platform that was also developed by Salesforce. It offers customized solutions to make marketing campaigns more effective and better qualify leads. Thanks to its high level of customizability, companies can tailor their marketing strategies specifically to their target groups and business goals.
For sales teams, Pardot is a valuable tool as it allows them to better evaluate and segment potential customers based on their engagement and behavior. This allows sales teams to be more targeted and efficient by focusing on the most promising leads.
In addition, Pardot can be seamlessly integrated with various commerce tools. This allows marketing and sales teams to create and execute cross-channel campaigns. Through this cross-channel integration, companies can provide consistent and personalized experiences across different touchpoints, from email marketing to social media to web content.
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What is Demandware?
Demandware was the name of the cloud-based e-commerce platform developed by the company of the same name. Demandware was acquired by Salesforce in 2016. Following the acquisition, Demandware was integrated into the Salesforce ecosystem and renamed "Salesforce Commerce Cloud". This integration made the platform an important part of Salesforce's comprehensive offering, which combines customer relationship management (CRM), marketing automation and now also e-commerce solutions.
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What is CPQ and how can companies integrate this process into their e-commerce experience when using Shopware or Salesforce?
CPQ is a software tool for companies that helps to configure products or services according to customer requirements, set the price accordingly and create a quote. CPQ stands for "Configure, Price, Quote".
CPQ is the ideal tool for companies that offer customized products or services.
Salesforce offers its own CPQ solution, known as Salesforce CPQ. This is natively integrated into the Salesforce platform so that companies can easily bring together sales, service and e-commerce functions. While Shopware does not natively have a built-in CPQ solution, companies can integrate third-party CPQ solutions or specially developed plugins to introduce the desired CPQ functionality into their Shopware store.
For both platforms, integrating CPQ into the e-commerce experience improves customer satisfaction by allowing customers to configure products to their liking and receive a transparent quote instantly. At the same time, companies can ensure that they charge correct prices for complex products or services while remaining efficient.
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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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