Comparison of Shopify vs. Shoptet and Shopify Plus vs. Shoptet Premium
Choosing the right e-commerce platform affects not only scalability, but also overall business efficiency and operating costs. In the Czech market, Shoptet has long been considered the leading platform, while Shopify dominates rather globally. At first glance, it may seem that the differences between the two platforms are narrowing, especially when it comes to tools for foreign expansion. Is this impression based on truth? What about cost efficiency or investment in research and development? In this article, we will compare both platforms, including the Shopify Plus and Shoptet Premium variants.
Shopify vs. Shoptet: Key differences
While Shopify is a global player, Shoptet specializes primarily in the Czech and Slovak markets. The main differences between the two are mainly visible in functionality, customizability and foreign expansion options.
Focus on foreign markets
Shopify is designed to enable online stores to easily enter global markets. With support for multiple languages and currencies, integrated payment methods and functionalities like Shopify Markets, the transition to foreign markets is seamless. This feature brings huge benefits for stores planning rapid expansion.
Shoptet has been expanding its functionality for international expansion in recent years, but it hasn’t reached the same level, especially when it comes to user experience, localization and choice of payment gateways.
Development and innovation
Shopify is constantly innovating and investing billions in research and development. In 2023, Shopify invested about $1.7 billion in R&D, which allows the platform to continuously improve functionality, integrations with other systems, and user experience.
Shoptet is looking to improve significantly in this area, but more limited financial resources are slowing their speed of development.
Customization and scalability
Shopify offers robust customization options with a wide range of apps and add-ons – the platform has over 12,000 suitable add-ons that allow for flexible expansion of your e-commerce functionality. In addition, Shopify provides native connectors for MS Business Central, for example, which simplifies integration with ERP systems. There are also official integration options for SAP that can be used to synchronize data efficiently without the need for complex development. With these tools, online stores can grow and add new features without having to migrate to another platform in a complicated way.
Shoptet offers approximately 360 add-ons that are suitable for local businesses, but the customization options are not as broad and flexible, limiting the ability to scale the store to meet specific needs.
Total Costs of Ownership (TCO)
TCO is one of the key factors when deciding on an e-commerce platform, especially for medium and large online stores. TCO includes all the costs associated with owning a platform throughout its lifecycle – from initial implementation costs to long-term operational and development costs. Comparing the TCO between Shopify and Shoptet (and their premium versions) reveals important differences that can affect the long-term success of stores.
1. Initial costs: implementation and launch
Shopify offers a relatively easy and quick implementation, which means e-stores can be up and running in a matter of days or weeks. It provides a wide range of ready-made templates and applications, minimizing the need for custom development. Shopify is designed to be as intuitive and scalable as possible, reducing the demands on IT teams and external developers during implementation. The initial cost of Shopify includes a monthly subscription fee, which varies depending on the plan, but starts at $2,300 per month for medium and large online stores who choose Shopify Plus.
Shoptet has the advantage of lower initial costs. Its basic plans are affordable and allow small businesses to get started quickly. For medium-sized e-commerce stores, Shoptet Premium is available. However, you need to take into account that implementing more advanced features in Shoptet often requires developer involvement, which can increase initial costs if you need customization or advanced features for foreign markets.
2. Operating costs: monthly fees, apps and extras
Shopify’s monthly fee includes key features like hosting, security updates, and support. It also provides access to a huge ecosystem of apps and add-ons that allow you to customize the platform to your specific needs. Shopify’s operating costs can include transparent fees for third-party apps. It also offers a scalable payment system where transaction costs decrease as sales grow. Another important feature is the automated updates and maintenance that Shopify performs without customer intervention. This means fewer costs associated with operational issues or the need to involve IT teams.
Shoptet offers affordable monthly plans that include basic features, hosting and support. However, APIs are only available from the premium plan, whereas Shopify offers them from the Basic level. Thus, for medium and large e-commerce stores, the limited number of integrated features and smaller selection of apps may result in higher operational costs, as developers will need to be involved for advanced customizations. Additional expenses may be required due to the need to purchase or develop custom integrations for foreign markets, different payment methods or ERP system connections.
3. Growth & Development costs and long-term return on investment (ROI)
The main advantage of Shopify is its scalability. It allows e-stores to grow quickly without the need for complex technical adjustments. This means that stores can start with a smaller plan and gradually move up to higher tiers (e.g. Shopify Plus) as their business grows. Shopify’s high investment in research and development (R&D) is reflected in the constant addition of new features and tools such as automation, AI and social integration, without the need for additional investment. In the long run, Shopify has a better return on investment (ROI) because high initial costs are compensated by lower costs to operate and grow.
Shoptet has the advantage of lower initial costs, which can be attractive to smaller businesses that focus on a local market. However, once an e-commerce store begins to grow and plans to expand into foreign markets, the costs associated with the need to customize the platform can increase rapidly. Shoptet doesn’t have as large an investment in development and innovation, which means its customers are more likely to have to pay for customization and special integrations if they need complex features to grow. These are also sometimes difficult or impossible to do because the API is only available from Shoptet Premium (in Shopify is already on the basic plan).
You can read more about TCO in this article.
Platform Comparison
| Shopify | Shoptet | |
| Platform | Global (focused on international markets) | Local (Czech and Slovak market) |
| Number of add-ons | More than 12,000 | Approx. 360 |
| API available from | Basic | Premium |
| Localization options (currency, language) | Support for multiple currencies and languages | CZK (limited localization options) |
| ERP Integration | Native connectors e.g. for MS Business Central and SAP | Basic integration options via add-ons |
| Marketing tools and SEO | Advanced SEO, marketing integrations with global platforms | Basic SEO, local marketing integrations |
| Foreign expansion support | Yes (including Shopify Markets for easy expansion) | Limited options for international expansion |
| Investment in R&D | $1.7 billion in R&D (2023) | Limited investment in R&D |
| Nonstop support | Yes (24/7) | No |
| Growth and development cost (TCO) | Advantageous for long-term growth | Suitable for smaller local players |
For a detailed comparison of the basic Shopify and Shoptet plans see this article.
When and why to migrate from Shoptet to Shopify is described here.
Shopify Plus vs. Shoptet Premium: Platforms for the big players
Moving on to the more advanced versions of the two platforms – Shopify Plus and Shoptet Premium – the differences deepen, especially in the areas of scalability, international expansion and technical support.
Enterprise level
Shopify Plus is designed for large e-commerce players who need a robust platform with high levels of personalization and integration with ERP systems, CRM and other applications. It offers a custom API and cutting-edge tools that allow for tremendous flexibility.
Shoptet Premium tries to compete, but lacks robustness and scale.
Technological innovation
Shopify Plus boasts a strong investment in innovation. It invests in technologies such as artificial intelligence to help personalize the customer experience, and automation tools to optimize the operations of large e-commerce stores.
Shoptet Premium, although constantly evolving, does not have the financial capital to develop new technologies. This limits its ability to provide such a high level of service excellence.
Support and services
Shopify Plus offers 24/7 support, dedicated account managers, and a full range of consulting services. There is a Solution Architect, Success Manager and Launch team. This support is often crucial for large enterprises that need to solve complex problems in real-time.
Shoptet Premium also offers premium support, but often doesn’t achieve the same level of personalization and flexibility.
Platform comparison
| Shopify Plus | Shoptet Premium | |
| Platform | Global (for larger stores operating in multiple markets) | Local (for larger players on the CZ/SK market) |
| Number of add-ons | More than 12,000 with priority support | Approx. 360 with wider integration options |
| API available from | Basic | Premium |
| Localization options (currency, language) | Advanced localization options | Basic localization options |
| ERP Integration | Full support for ERP systems, API customization | Extended support for integrations (custom development needed) |
| Marketing tools and SEO | Cutting-edge automation and AI tools | Advanced SEO and basic marketing tools |
| Foreign expansion support | Yes, including multi-store and localization feature | Limited expansion, needs customization |
| Investment in R&D | Industry-leading investment in technology and innovation | Lower investment in development |
| Nonstop support | Yes (dedicated 24/7 support) | Yes (limited support) |
| Growth and development cost (TCO) | Highly optimized for demanding e-commerce | Higher customization costs for expansion |
Is Shopify a better choice?
While Shoptet is catching up to Shopify in some areas, there’s still a major difference. With its massive investment in development, research and innovation, Shopify offers a stable and flexible platform that allows medium and large e-commerce stores to grow quickly and expand into new markets. Billions of dollars in R&D investment demonstrates Shopify’s commitment to being a leader in e-commerce. Shopify’s Total Cost of Ownership delivers a higher return on investment by continuously improving functionality and technology.
For medium and large e-commerce stores planning for growth and international expansion, Shopify is the obvious choice. Shoptet, while a great platform for smaller local players, lags behind in scalability, innovation and support that large e-commerce stores need.
If you want to create a Shopify or Shopify Plus online store or are interested in discussing anything about this platform, book your consultation here.