SamCart Vs Shopify: Comparing These Powerful Platforms

So who should you use when it comes to SamCart vs Shopify?

I’ve got the quick information that you need.

Keep reading on as I’ll talk about the best option in the next section below.

Shopify Vs SamCart: The Biggest Differences

shopify vs samcart

Shopify Vs SamCart comparison. Both are considered eCommerce platforms, where Shopify offers more features and SamCart is solely a shopping cart for selling products.

I wanted to be able to give you the details of this comparison as quickly as possible.

So I also created a video when it comes to SamCart vs Shopify.

Feel free to watch the video below if you’d like the quick cliff notes for this topic:

There’s no doubt that both of these software tools come with many benefits.

But if I only had to pick one tool to use?

You can see the best option and get started with a trial for free down below:

So I hope that the video above helped you get a good idea of what these tools offer.

You can also keep reading on if you’d like even more information.

Let’s start with SamCart first and how they can help your business.

A Look At SamCart: Features, Benefits, And Cost

website for selling products online

Let’s start by talking a little bit about what SamCart is in the first place.

After all, knowing what this software does is going to be more than half the battle.

If you look at the screenshot above, you’ll notice that their tagline is:

Sell your product, not the store.

Right off the bat, we have our first big SamCart vs Shopify difference:

  • SamCart focuses on selling one product at a time.
  • Shopify focuses on selling many products at a time by using a store.

Aside from the tagline above, here’s the best way to describe this software tool:

SamCart is the first (and only) direct-to-consumer eCommerce platform.

Don’t let the eCommerce part fool you though.

The SamCart platform also works for many other individuals such as:

  • Authors.
  • Influencers.
  • Non-profits.
  • Course creators.
  • Product inventors.
  • Amazon and Etsy sellers.

SamCart also works for digital marketers who sell digital products (and many more).

In fact, SamCart is highly recommended for any type of digital marketer.

Before we talk about that, it’s good to know that SamCart offers a trial for free as well.

You can click the link down below to try SamCart for free.

So that’s a little bit of what SamCart does and who they work for overall.

Now we can take a look at some of their biggest and best features.

Let’s start by talking about checkout pages and selling products online.

SamCart Products, Checkout Sales Pages, And Unique Perks

products online selling

You’ll be glad to know that when it comes to using SamCart, it’s a simple process.

In fact, I’ll quickly walk you through the process so that you know what to expect.

First, you’ll be adding the important details for the product that you’d like to sell.

The details are basic, but important, and include things such as:

  • The name of your product.
  • The price tag of your product.
  • And don’t forget about your product description.

SamCart’s checkout pages are also beneficial because of the payment frequencies.

This allows you to get paid in quite a few different ways, which includes:

  • One time.
  • Recurring weekly.
  • Recurring monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
  • You can even set your payments for a custom amount of days.

Nice Benefit: You can also create an unlimited amount of products to sell with SamCart.

Back to the quick setup details though.

After your quickly run throw the details of your product, you can choose a template.

So I want to make sure that you know what to expect when it comes to SamCart.

Your pages are mostly going to be in the form of:

  • Some type of sales pages with a checkout form on them (and/or).
  • A stand-a-lone checkout page for selling your product.

I added an example down below of a sales page.

You can’t see it, but further down the pages is where the checkout form is located:

custom checkout templates

If you have a quick look at the image above, there is a button that says:

Claim Your Book.

When clicking on it, you get taken to the checkout page at the bottom.

That’s how a standalone checkout page works (in case you were wondering).

SamCart’s ease of use certainly shines when putting together your pages.

In fact, SamCart even features a drag and drop editor for creating your pages.

I added another screenshot below that shows a few shopping cart features/perks.

There are quite a few widgets that can be added when selling your product:

menu samcart

The picture above showcases a countdown timer being added to the shopping cart.

It’s easy to do too, simply drag what you want and drop it in the appropriate spot.

SamCart also offers a few more widgets which include:

  • FAQs.
  • Html.
  • Guarantees.
  • Testimonials.
  • Progress bars.

You can also use pre-made collections that can be dragged and dropped on your page.

When it comes to selling, you’re going to want to get paid.

Aside from the payment plans, you can collect payment in a few ways including:

  1. Stripe.
  2. PayPal.
  3. Braintree.
  4. Authorize.net.

This is only scratching the surface when it comes to what SamCart offers overall.

What’s also great about them is that they really focus on increasing your sales.

So if you want to sell digital products, eCommerce products, or much more?

Be sure to keep reading on as here is where it gets even better.

SamCart And Increasing Your Sales

sell digital products by credit card

This is a section of SamCart that you’re certainly going to like.

After all, these are the tools that will allow you to make many more sales.

The first big SamCart feature is going to be what they refer to as an order bump.

So what is an order bump anyway?

It’s an extra offer that your customers can purchase on your checkout page.

Even better, all they have to do is checkoff a box in order to purchase it.

This is such a popular feature that it’s been seen on many business platforms.

Down below are two examples from ClickFunnels and Kartra.

If you look at the screenshot above, you can see an example of Brian’s order bump.

I used that specific example because according to Brian:

On average, these simple add-ons increase revenue by up to 42%.

So this is a pretty easy way to make more sales and increase your profits.

Heck, the first time I used an order bump I got a 33% conversion (not bad).

This is definitely a feature that you’ll want to test if choosing to use SamCart.

Here is another fantastic feature for increasing your sales even more:

similar to a sales funnel platform

A one-click upsell is exactly what it sounds like.

Your customers can make an extra purchase with one-click of their mouse.

Note: One-click upsells are on a separate page after the original purchase is made.

So when each customer arrives on your upsell page, they have three options:

  • They can make a purchase that only takes one click of their mouse.
  • They can decline to make a purchase which also takes only one click.
  • They can kick back, relax, and watch Saved By The Bell reruns all day long.

Alright, maybe they won’t do the last one but it’s still wishful thinking 😛

Brian Moran, the creator of SamCart, also had to say this about upsells:

On average, these simple upsell offers increase revenue by 61%

So here is what I want you to get out of this specific section:

These two features by themselves can really increase your sales.

SamCart also features more tools to help you increase your sales even more.

For example, SamCart also offers:

  • A B split testing.
  • Letting your customers pay whatever they want.

You can also get access to quite a few more powerful tools on this platform.

However, it’s going to depend on the pricing plan that you pick (that’s up next).

SamCart also allows you the ability to:

  • Protect your subscriptions with their subscription saver feature.
  • Recover lost sales with the cart abandonment feature.
  • Leverage affiliates to make even more sales.

Those perks above are the ones that come with the bigger plans.

But all in all, this was a quick overview of what you can expect from SamCart.

Sound like a platform that’s got your name written all over it?

Right now you might be wondering how much SamCart is going to cost.

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the pricing plans of SamCart.

How Much Is SamCart?

business prices

SamCart is pretty straightforward when it comes to their pricing options.

As shown in the picture that I added above, there are three pricing plans:

  • SamCart Launch plan is $49 per month.
  • SamCart Grow plan costs $99 per month.
  • SamCart Scale plan comes out to $199 per month.

The Launch plan is ideal for anyone looking to launch their business online.

However, a lot of the magic is going to start with the SamCart Grow plan.

Let’s talk a little about both the Grow and Scale plans.

SamCart Grow Plan Perks

  • Post-purchase upsells.
  • Pre-purchase add-ons.
  • Multiple payment options.

Please keep in mind that there are many more features with this plan.

I mention these features because you can’t get them with the Launch plan.

And here are the biggest perks that come with the SamCart Scale plan.

SamCart Scale Plan Perks

  • Affiliate center.
  • AB split-testing.
  • Cart abandonment.
  • Post-purchase upsells.
  • Pre-purchase add-ons.
  • Subscription saver feature.
  • Multiple payment options.

At the end of the day, SamCart comes with a wide variety of:

  • Perks.
  • Features.
  • Checkout tools.
  • And even third-party integrations.

I’ll add a related post down below when it comes to the pricing of SamCart.

That post will cover everything that you need to know about that topic.

Highly Related: SamCart pricing information.

So now you have quite a lot of information about SamCart and what it offers.

Now we can flip the SamCart vs Shopify script and talk about the other side.

Let’s dive into Shopify and what this eCommerce store platform offers.

A Look At Shopify: Features, Benefits, And Cost

shopify samcart comparison

First things first, I want to make sure that you can exactly what Shopify is.

And more importantly, what Shopify is capable of helping you with.

As always, I added a screenshot of Shopify’s website which says:

Start a business, with everything you need all in one place.

Shopify has certainly helped tons of people start a business online.

However, I would have to say that they are mostly focused on eCommerce businesses.

So for the sakes of comparison, their tagline could also easily be:

Start an eCommerce business, with everything you need all in one place.

After all, both of these platforms offer many different eCommerce features.

However, I want to make this distinction clear one more time:

  • SamCart focuses on selling one product at a time.
  • Shopify focuses on selling many products at a time by using a store.

I’ll talk more about that at the end of the article though.

Similar to SamCart, Shopify also comes along with a trial that is free as well.

I’ll add that link for you down below where you can try Shopify:

Note: Shopify doesn’t even require a credit card for getting your trial.

Now, I mentioned a good amount of information when it comes to SamCart.

So I’m going to keep the Shopify section a little shorter in order to preserve time.

Then at the end, I’ll fill in all of the important details

Either way, let’s talk a little bit about Shopify and their eCommerce store feature.

Shopify Online Store Feature

easy to use online store

Shopify Vs SamCart: Shopify offers you the ability to create stores to sell your products. SamCart focuses on selling one product.

Based on the statement above, Shopify gets the upper hand when creating stores.

In other words, that allows you to showcase and sell a ton of products all at once.

With Shopify, you get plenty of pro-looking themes/templates for your online store.

When it comes to these themes/templates, you can choose from:

  • Paid themes/templates.
  • Free themes/templates.

In my opinion, it would be great if they offered more free themes to choose from.

Anyway, we understand that Shopify is great for online stores and selling products.

That’s what Shopify is mostly known for.

However, many people don’t realize what Shopify stores can help you with exactly.

Let’s talk a little bit more about that now, along with an example of a theme/template.

Down below you can see one of the popular Shopify themes/templates:

shopify checkout templates

So how many themes/templates can you expect to see on the inside of Shopify?

I counted them all for you too.

It wasn’t the most exciting minute of my life but I came back with a total of 70.

Who knows, Shopify might even have more themes/templates right around now.

Either way, Shopify also allows you to connect your online store with a custom domain.

This is standard procedure but it’s also a very common Shopify question.

Here’s what else you can expect when creating a Shopify store:

  • There’s the option to use HTML and CSS (not my favorite).
  • Your Shopify stores will be mobile-optimized (that’s a standard nowadays).
  • Your Shopify stores also come with a web-based builder and a blogging platform.

Not to rain on Shopify’s parade, but I wouldn’t recommend them for blogging.

Helpful Note: That’s what WordPress is for (and what I am currently using).

At least you can sell Shopify products by using a WordPress plugin.

So that’s a nice perk if you’re already blogging with your WordPress website.

Either way, I did say that I wanted to keep the Shopify section a little shorter.

Let’s continue onto a big part of the SamCart vs Shopify comparison.

Shopify Checkout Pages

shopify website content

If you want to sell your products, then you’re going to need a checkout page.

Fortunately enough, Shopify also comes with checkout pages for selling:

  • Physical products.
  • Digital products.

And whatever else it is that you’ve got on your mind for selling.

Helpful Note: I still think that Shopify is best for physical products.

Here are a few great perks that you can get from these specific checkout pages:

  • Free SSL certificate (which is pretty standard).
  • There’s the option to use discounts and promotions.
  • There’s a cart abandonment feature just like SamCart has.
  • Shopify accepts credit cards as well as more than 100 payment gateways.

SamCart Vs Shopify: Shopify offers many more payment gateways.

Shopify also states that their checkout experience is 60% faster.

That statement is in reference to accelerate conversions with Shop Pay.

It’s always a good thing to know that customers can have a pride checkout process.

In fact, a few big benefits off the top of my head include:

  • Having your customers purchase and not back out because it’s too slow.
  • In combination with that, you’ll be able to increase your sales.

Anyway, I haven’t seen any type of slow loading times from SamCart.

That’s something that you’ll have to keep in mind with each checkout page.

So Shopify has a ton more features for online selling.

There are even plenty of apps that you can use with Shopify in general.

For example, Shopify even allows you to use gift cards with your online selling.

I don’t think SamCart offers gift cards at the time.

Either way, I’ll leave a link down below where you can learn more about their features:

So Shopify comes with a trial for free but you are going to have to pay to use them.

After all, they didn’t become one of the biggest eCommerce companies in any other way.

So let’s have a look at what the pricing is going to be for this platform.

How Much Is Shopify?

shopify platform prices

So when it comes to SamCart and Shopify, we have yet another similarity.

Both of these platforms come with three total pricing plans.

I’ll list the three Shopify pricing plans down below for you as well:

  • Basic Shopify is $29 per month.
  • Shopify plan costs $79 per month.
  • Advanced Shopify is going to cost $299 per month.

So as a quick reminder, here are both of the platforms and their pricing:

  • Shopify is $29, $79, or $299 per month.
  • SamCart is $49, $99, or $199 per month.

It’s funny because there is a lot of flip-flop when it comes to the pricing plans.

Shopify starts at a lower price and then is ultimately the most expensive.

On the other hand, SamCart is slightly more then becomes cheaper at the end.

Please keep in mind that each Shopify pricing plan comes with different perks.

To save a ton of time, you can learn more about this by visiting their website below:

So now we’ve come to the end when it comes to the battle of SamCart and Shopify.

Which of these platforms is going to be the best for your online business?

Be sure to keep reading on now as I help you choose the best possible tool.

SamCart Vs Shopify Conclusion: Who Should You Use?

samcart vs shopify

SamCart Vs Shopify summary. SamCart is meant for selling your product and not your store, while Shopify is mostly used for creating an eCommerce business and selling with a store.

This comparison ended up being much easier than I originally thought it would be.

So when it comes to SamCart vs Shopify, they are each ideal for specific scenarios.

Let’s talk about SamCart first and the reasons why you’d want to use them.

Use SamCart If:

  • You just want a shopping cart to help sell your product.
  • You’re a digital marketer, blogger, course creator, author, influencer, etc.

All in all, SamCart is going to be great for more than just eCommerce marketers.

Its ability to focus on helping you sell one main product simply can’t be overlooked.

And it’s very beneficial that SamCart comes with order bumps and one-click upsells.

This makes them great for selling digital products, eComm products, and much more.

So if you want to sell one or a few products and you don’t need an entire store?

Then SamCart is going to be a great fit for you.

You can get started by using the link that I added down below:

SamCart would also be my recommended tool overall in terms of SamCart vs Shopify.

So those are the main reasons why you’d want to use this online business platform.

Here are the main reasons why you’d want to use Shopify.

Use Shopify If:

  • You’re 100% doing eCommerce and want a store for selling.
  • You want more than just a shopping cart for selling eCommerce products.

It’s pretty easy to see the differences when it comes to these two tools.

Aside from the two bullet points above, Shopify also offers many more features.

This is simply for the fact that they are a much bigger platform.

So if you’re looking to create a store for your eCommerce needs?

Then be sure to get started with Shopify using the link that I added down below for you:

Reminder: You don’t even need a credit card for your free Shopify trial.

So that concludes the battle of SamCart vs Shopify.

I hope that this article helped you make the best decision for your online selling.

Thanks for taking the time to learn about SamCart vs Shopify and happy marketing.

James Canzanella
 

A former personal trainer who went from unemployment to online business success. He's been marketing since 2012 and (still) enjoys lifting weights, listening to rock music, and relentlessly quoting movie lines.

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