Choosing the right platform is crucial to the success of any ecommerce business. And it’s not just about your current needs – it’s about scalability and growth.

Two notable options are Visualsoft and Shopify. But over recent years, we’ve witnessed an undeniable trend: more and more ecommerce brands are migrating from Visualsoft to Shopify. 

While both platforms offer a variety of features and benefits, it seems that only one is the superior choice. In this blog post, we’ll compare Shopify and Visualsoft, examine the pros and cons of each, and explain why Shopify has become the preferred platform for so many ecommerce businesses.

At a glance

Shopify

Shopify is a big-name in ecommerce, and for good reason. It’s a specialist ecommerce platform, designed to make the process of building an online store as simple as possible. It’s an all-in-one solution allowing merchants to start, run and grow an online business, all from one user-friendly dashboard. Shopify’s POS system also makes running an omni-channel commerce business a lot simpler by streamlining online and in-store processes. 

Active stores: 4.5 million (BuiltWith)

Notable users: Gymshark, Kylie Cosmetics & Heinz

Key features:

  • Dedicated app store
  • User-friendly interface
  • Fully hosted
  • 24/7 customer support

Visualsoft

Visualsoft is a comprehensive ecommerce platform that provides a full-service solution for ecommerce businesses, offering bespoke design, development, and marketing services. With its all-in-one approach, Visualsoft caters to businesses looking for a hands-on, managed solution, though it tends to be more complex and costly compared to more user-friendly and flexible platforms like Shopify.

Active stores: 957 (Store Leads)

Notable users: Charles Clinkard, Sofas by Saxon, Moshulu

Key features:

  • All-in-one platform
  • Bespoke design & development
  • Ongoing support & maintenance
  • The backing of a full-service agency

Shopify: the pros

Ease of use

Shopify is renowned for its user-friendly interface. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a small business owner with no technical expertise, Shopify’s drag-and-drop builder makes it easy to create and manage your online store.

Customisability

With a vast library of themes and the ability to customise with HTML and CSS, Shopify offers unparalleled flexibility. The Shopify App Store further enhances this by providing thousands of plugins to extend your store’s functionality. Many of these integrations can streamline internal business processes, too. For brands seeking an even deeper level of customisation, Shopify’s open source template language, Liquid, can be used to add dynamic content to pages and to create custom web templates.

Scalability

Shopify is designed to grow with your business. From small startups to large enterprises, Shopify Plus provides enterprise-level solutions that ensure your store can handle high traffic volumes and complex operations. For brands wanting to expand overseas, Shopify simplifies international selling with features like multiple currencies, languages, integrated tax calculators, and shipping options, making it easier for businesses to tap into global markets.

Robust support

24/7 customer support through live chat, phone, and email ensures that help is always available. Additionally, Shopify’s extensive help guides and active community forums provide invaluable resources for troubleshooting and tips.

Integrated payment options

Shopify Payments streamlines the checkout process, reducing transaction fees and providing a seamless experience for customers. It also supports multiple payment gateways for added flexibility, including Klarna, PayPal and Opayo.

SEO and marketing tools

Shopify comes with built-in SEO features and marketing tools, including blogging capabilities, email marketing integrations with Klaviyo and Mailchimp, and social media connectivity, helping you drive traffic to your website and increase sales.

Shopify: the cons

Transaction fees

Unless you use Shopify Payments, you’ll incur transaction fees, which can add up, especially for high-volume stores.

Limited customisation for checkout

Shopify’s checkout process is standardised, which limits customisation options unless you’re on Shopify Plus. Although we list this as a con, Shopify spend a significant amount of time on testing, tweaking and upgrading their checkout and Shop Pay experience and, out of the box, it is arguably one of the highest converting checkout experiences worldwide.

Visualsoft: the pros

All-in-one solution

Visualsoft offers a comprehensive suite of services, including design, development, marketing, and support, making it a one-stop-shop for businesses looking to outsource their ecommerce operations.

Custom development

Visualsoft provides bespoke design and development services, ensuring that your store can be tailored to your specific needs and brand identity.

Marketing services

With dedicated marketing support, Visualsoft helps businesses implement SEO, PPC, and social media strategies to drive traffic and sales.

Visualsoft: the cons

Complexity

While extensive, Visualsoft’s platform can be overwhelming for users without technical expertise. The need for ongoing support and development services can also make it less accessible for small businesses. It’s not recommended for beginners, meaning you’re leaning heavily on the Visualsoft team to make even small changes to your online store.

Cost

Visualsoft’s bespoke solutions come with a higher price tag. The ongoing costs for design and marketing services can be substantial, making it less budget-friendly than Shopify. Plus, when you have to rely on Visualsoft to make changes and updates, additional development costs are bound to rack up over time.

Flexibility

Unlike Shopify, Visualsoft does not offer the same level of flexibility with third-party integrations and plugins. While they do offer a range of features aimed at increasing functionality and streamlining backend processes, their tech ecosystem does not compete with the thousands of apps you’ll find in the Shopify app store. 

Support limitations

While Visualsoft offers dedicated support, it may not be as readily accessible as Shopify’s 24/7 customer service. This can be a significant drawback for businesses needing immediate assistance, as you could be left waiting hours to resolve issues that are costing your business sales and revenue.

Why are so many brands migrating to Shopify?

Undeniably, both Shopify and Visualsoft have their merits. But why are so many brands making the switch to Shopify? 

While both platforms are marketed as an “all in one” solution, Shopify boasts the largest tech ecosystem of any ecommerce platform thanks to its extensive app store and software integrations. This resolves a lot of the limitations faced by Visualsoft users, as this ecosystem offers unparalleled functionality, making Shopify stores infinitely more scalable. This, with the tiered pricing system, means you’ve got a platform that’s built to grow with your business. Visualsoft, on the other hand, may be harder to customise, making even simple changes difficult to achieve. 

With a simple user interface, beginner-friendly page builder and its own coding language for more extensive customisation, there’s no ecommerce business that Shopify doesn’t cater to. Whether you’re a start-up with limited technical expertise or an enterprise level business, Shopify has you covered.

Thinking about making the move to Shopify? We’ve helped a number of businesses make the switch from Visualsoft, Magento and more. Send us a message to get started.