Ecwid Reviews 2024: Pricing, Key Features, The Good & Bad

Although not as big of a name as Shopify, Ecwid is still one of the most popular eCommerce platforms to date! To give you a clearer sense of whether it's the right place for your business, we have put together our comprehensive Ecwid reviews, which cover:

• Pricing
• Ease of use
• Themes & design
• eCommerce features
• Internalization
• Integration & embedding
• Apps & extensions
• SEO & marketing features
• Security
• Customer support

Without further ado, let’s explore Ecwid features!

About Ecwid

We know you can't wait to read our Ecwid reviews, but hold on. Before going there, let us take a moment to introduce you to what Ecwid is and how it works first!

What is Ecwid by Lightspeed?

Founded in 2009, Ecwid is an all-in-one platform designed to help users (both experienced and fresh beginners) easily build and manage their online stores. There are a range of flexible pricing plans to suit different business needs (we will return to that later).

Plus, what sets Ecwid apart is its seamless integration with existing websites. Instead of having to build a new store from the ground up, you can simply embed Ecwid’s store code into your current site (if you have one) and start selling right away.

In 2021, Ecwid was acquired by Lightspeed, a prominent provider of point-of-sale (POS) and commerce solutions for retail, restaurant, and hospitality businesses. The platform has only seen consistent growth ever since and now boasts an impressive community of over 1.6 million store owners as of this writing.

How does Ecwid work?

Before you get started, Ecwid will require you to create an account (totally free, no strings attached). Once you're set-up, you can stick with the free plan or choose a paid plan. From there, Ecwid will walk you through the process of:

• Adding products
• Changing the store's address
• Picking and personalize the store's theme and design
• Setting up shipping and payment options
• Just like that, your store is ready to launch!

And what if you want to integrate your store into an existing site? In that case, Ecwid has step-by-step guides to help you copy and paste the store's code directly into the website's source code.

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Ecwid Pros and Cons

Now that you’ve got a solid overview of what Ecwid can bring to your business, the next big question is: Is Ecwid legit?

The short answer is yes — though, like any platform, it comes with its own set of challenges. Before we go further into our Ecwid reviews, here’s a quick glance at all the key advantages and drawbacks:

Ecwid Reviews: A Closer Look Into 10 Key Features

Now that you’ve got a solid grasp of Ecwid, it’s time to look closer into the standout Ecwid features. Our team has built an online clothing store using Ecwid’s platform to give you real insights, and here’s what we discovered from firsthand experience:

1. Pricing plans (4.7/5)

Is Ecwid free? Not really. As of our writing, Ecwid offers four pricing plans: Free ($0/month), Venture ($25/month), Business ($45/month), and Unlimited ($105/month). All four plans share a solid foundation of essential Ecwid features, which include:

• Adding a store to any website
• Selling simultaneously on multiple sites
• Instant site builder (which helps you create a standalone store quickly if you don’t already have a website)
• Over 30 free design themes
• Mobile-responsive carts
• Advertising on major platforms like Facebook, Google, Snapchat, and Pinterest

Nevertheless, these four plans have different pricing for a reason. The following table will highlight the additional Ecwid features and capabilities offered by each:

Overall, these subscription plans (other Ecwid prices not yet included) are quite budget-friendly for both large and small businesses. Even the highest-level plan (Unlimited) can be considered affordable, especially when compared to other platforms where prices can soar to $200-$300!

The best part is that despite its reasonable cost, each plan is still very feature-rich (except for the Free plan). Hence, finding the right package for your business goals without breaking the bank is rather simple. You can check out our Ecwid pricing review for more in-depth information.

2. Ease of use (4.8/5)

At the start, there's no need to wrangle with long forms or make immediate decisions about pricing plans. In fact, you can use your Apple, Google, or Facebook account to create a free account with just a few clicks.

Once you're in, you'll land on a sleek, well-organized dashboard that feels easy to navigate immediately. Since everything you need is neatly tucked into a menu on the left, whatever settings you need to adjust will be right there at your fingertips.

For example, when you click on “Catalog,” all the main attributes will be laid out in a simple horizontal tab (see image below). All it takes is a click on the attribute you want to edit and experiment with the options until you're satisfied with the results.

Overall, the entire process (from creating an account to getting your store up and running) is incredibly beginner-friendly. Even first-timers will likely have all Ecwid features and settings set up in no time, with only a few minor bumps along the way.

3. Themes and design (4/5)

From our own experience, Ecwid offers 43 free templates and several built-in settings to allow certain design adjustments without coding. You can use them to:

• Tweak the product card details layout
• Choose to enable or disable storefront elements (e.g., the “Sign in” link)
• Adjust product SKU numbers, breadcrumbs (category paths), and product quantity fields.

However, for more advanced customization (such as changing button colors, font sizes, or hiding elements on certain pages), you will need to add custom CSS code. Another alternative is to turn to Ecwid's app selection (42 options), ranging from $0 to $11.99 per month.

Overall, Ecwid caters pretty well to seasoned coders, but they could have done a better job investing in more built-in design features. Also, both the theme and design app collections are fairly limited compared to other platforms (43 themes and 42 apps).

4. eCommerce features (4.3/5)

Another crucial aspect we can't overlook in our Ecwid reviews is its eCommerce features; we are talking about an eCommerce platform, after all! In this section, we will examine how it handles essential elements like inventory management, payment gateways, shipping options, POS (point-of-sale), and dropshipping.

Inventory management (4.7/5)

In general, we're impressed with Ecwid's powerful inventory management. With just a few clicks in the “Catalog” > “Products” section, you have full control over key settings as below:

• Stock tracking: This feature automatically adjusts product quantities as orders come in. Whenever an order is marked as “Paid” or “Awaiting Payment,” the system reduces the stock in real-time. And once the product runs out, it's instantly marked as “Out of stock” in your admin dashboard.
• Low-stock alerts: To prevent running out unexpectedly, Ecwid provides these handy notifications to let you know when it's time to restock. As a result, you're never caught off guard and can keep the products flowing smoothly.
  Out-of-stock products: When stock hits zero, Ecwid gives you three options: you can keep them visible to customers, hide them entirely, or even offer them for pre-order.
• Mass update and editor: For larger inventories, Ecwid's Mass Update feature lets you update stock levels across multiple products in one go, saving time and effort. And if you need to adjust SKUs, availability, price, dimensions, etc., for hundreds of items at once, the Bulk Product Editor is your go-to tool.

Payment gateways (4.7/5)

All in all, one can say Ecwid truly shines with one of the most versatile and inclusive payment gateway systems in the eCommerce world.

Right from the start, you can easily process credit card payments using PayPal, with no extra fees apart from PayPal's standard commission. Even better, the platform offers integrations with 81 additional payment gateways to ensure you have all the flexibility you need! Keep in mind, though, that some of these gateways are region-specific, so what's available will depend on where you're based.

To take things even further, Ecwid's parent company, Lightspeed, has released Lightspeed Payments to automatically record transactions across all channels and help you minimize human errors. Unfortunately, it's only available in Belgium, Australia, Ireland, Canada, the Netherlands, the U.S., and the U.K. for now.

Shipping options (4.5/5)

In recent years, the platform has offered an impressive array of flexible shipping options to suit your needs, including free delivery, calculation based on weight, flat rate, and more! There's also a smart integration with top carriers to ensure real-time shipping rates at checkout, including trusted names like:

• USPS
• FedEx
• UPS
• Canada Post
• Royal Mail
• Australia Post
• EMS Russian Post
• DHL Express
• Droppa
• Sendle.

The best part? Real-time shipping quotes based on weight are available across all paid Ecwid plans – far more comprehensive than many eCommerce platforms.

Nevertheless, note that if you want the ultimate accuracy (shipping rates based on both weight and package dimensions), you'll have to opt for the Business or Unlimited plans.

Dropshipping (3.7/5)

Currently, Ecwid can connect your store to 5 dropshipping platforms: Syncee, Alibaba, Spocket, Wholesale2B, and Printful.

5 options are definitely much fewer than what many other eCommerce platforms offer. However, the great news is that they are all leading names in the dropshipping market. You can trust your business to run smoothly with solid, reputed partners.

What's even better is that you might test the waters and choose the platform that fits your business best without upfront costs:

• Wholesale2B offers a free 7-day trial
• Printful lets you set up an account for free
• Alibaba, Syncee, and Spocket all have free plans.

POS (4/5)

Overall, Ecwid's POS solution is a pretty good bridge that connects your physical store with your online business, thanks to its integration with Lightspeed Retail POS. This all-in-one system makes it easy to manage both online and in-person sales while offering payment processing, inventory management, and retail analytics under one platform.

Plus, for those who take their sales on the road, Ecwid's “Sell on the Go” app is a great choice. It allows you to sell effortlessly at fairs, conferences, and even for cash-on-delivery (COD) orders! Nevertheless, keep in mind that this app is available only for iOS users and subscribers of Ecwid paid plans.

And what if you're looking for an even more robust POS setup than Lightspeed Retail or Sell on the Go? In that case, Ecwid offers integration with the following third-party POS systems:

• Clover
• Square
• Dinex
• Hike POS
• Alice POS

These systems let you use a variety of hardware like card readers, tablet stands, receipt printers, and cash drawers for more complex setups. But again, remember that these Ecwid features are not available for all plans; you must upgrade to the Unlimited plan to access this type of POS flexibility.

Verdict

Ecwid stands out with its powerful inventory management and shipping settings (plus over 81 payment gateways). However, there's still room for improvement since Ecwid only supports five dropshipping platforms. Its iOS-exclusive POS system also leaves many Android users searching for alternatives.

5. Internalization (4.7/5)

The next part of our Ecwid reviews is to look into the platform's internalization power. From our research, if you're on the Business or Unlimited plan, your storefront can be translated into 36 different languages, a considerable advantage compared to many other platforms.

Plus, Ecwid will automatically detect visitors' language settings through their browser or IP address and display the store in their preferred language. You don't even need a third-party app to activate this process! As a result, creating multiple stores for different countries or regions will be a breeze, even for beginners.

The currency internalization, on the other hand, isn't as advanced as the language translation. You still need to install a Currency Converter app to automatically display products in the visitor's local currency.

All in all, although there's some room for further improvement, Ecwid's performance in this area has been very impressive. It will be an excellent platform for any brand and business looking to elevate their global presence.

6. Integration and embedding (4.9/5)

Next, let's jump into one of Ecwid's highlighted features: its embedding capabilities. It’s worth noting that we have successfully connected our trial store with popular social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

Take TikTok, for example: with just a few clicks, you can go from your Ecwid dashboard to the “Sales Channels” section, find TikTok, and hit “Connect.” From there, you can monitor your TikTok business smoothly – even managing ads through TikTok's Ad Manager – all without leaving the Ecwid admin panel.

Beyond social media, Ecwid also allows you to embed your store on custom websites, as we already mentioned. All it takes is pasting the store's code into the site's source code; your store will be live on the website in an instant, ready for customers to browse! This design is especially handy if you want to draw traffic from other sites directly to your Ecwid store.

In short, Ecwid totally nails these integration and embedding features. And unlike some other platforms that require technical skills or third-party services for such processes, Ecwid makes it incredibly easy even for non-tech-savvy users.

7. Apps and extensions (3.9/5)

Now, let's discuss Ecwid's app market in our Ecwid shopping cart reviews!

With around 330 apps available, it may seem modest compared to giants like Magento (4,200 apps) or Shopify's massive 13,000. But on the plus side, affordability is one of the standout perks: 48 apps are completely free, and the rest cost between $20 and $50 on average.

Not to mention, many come with free trials or operate on a freemium model (meaning you can access basic features at no cost). Hence, it's easy to experiment with different tools all at once without being locked into any hefty commitment.

Overall, Ecwid's app marketplace may not be the largest or most diverse compared to other platforms. But it still strikes a pretty good balance between affordability and flexibility, giving you plenty of options to optimize your store.

8. SEO & Marketing features (3.9/5)

Our Ecwid reviews will explore the platform's SEO and marketing features next.

Regarding SEO, Ecwid is a bit underwhelming here. Sure, you can easily tweak your page titles and meta descriptions, but that's where the control ends. The platform will automatically generate alt text for your images and even product URLs; there's basically no room to customize them. Worse, once a URL is created, you're stuck with it and cannot set up URL redirects later on.

On the other hand, Ecwid more than makes up for the SEO features with its excellent marketing toolkit! As mentioned above, Ecwid can seamlessly integrate and create automatic ads on different social media platforms (like Facebook or TikTok) and track performance via reputed tools like Google Ads.

Sending mass marketing emails using Ecwid features is also a breeze. Plus, you may automate abandoned cart emails to remind customers of their unfinished purchases and recover lost sales. And don't forget that there are 92 marketing apps (ranging from free to just $50/month) to supercharge your campaigns.

All in all, Ecwid's marketing features and tools are a clear highlight of this eCommerce platform. Nevertheless, its SEO capabilities leave a lot to be desired, particularly for users who want more control over their URLs and redirects.

9. Security (5/5)

Security is also a crucial aspect we must mention in our Ecwid by Lightspeed reviews. So, is Ecwid safe?

Backed by Lightspeed, Ecwid adopts a powerful, multi-layered defense system that aligns with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2). It also offers multiple security features you can utilize, such as:

• Data encryption to protect sensitive information
• Round-the-clock system monitoring to catch unusual activities
• Vulnerability assessments that help prevent potential threats
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adding an extra layer of security for account access.

On top of that, Ecwid pushes out regular updates (roughly one per month, much more frequent than other platforms). As a result, security flaws or vulnerabilities are extremely rare.

Overall, Ecwid is extremely secure; in fact, based on our research, this platform hasn't seen any big scandals involving data breaches or private information leaks. So, if you're looking for peace of mind while building your online store, Ecwid is a platform you can trust.

10. Customer support (4.5/5)

Lastly, we will conclude our Ecwid reviews by discussing the platform's customer support options – which vary depending on the plan you choose:

• Ecwid Free plan: Only live chat support for the first 30 days (After that, you have to rely on forums and help documentation to resolve any issues)
• Ecwid Venture plan: Both email and live chat support
  Ecwid Business plan: All in the Venture plan, plus phone support
  Ecwid Unlimited plan: Priority support along with phone, email, and live chat.

These customer services are available in seven languages: English, German, Dutch, Italian, French, Russian, and Spanish. Furthermore, for those who want to go the extra mile to master the platform, consider turning to Ecwid Academy – a huge library of courses, webinars, tutorials, and more.

Overall, Ecwid's customer support holds up well compared to other eCommerce platforms, though we do wish it could expand its language support to more than just seven.

10 Ecwid Alternatives To Consider

After our in-depth Ecwid reviews, you should now have a clear sense of whether Ecwid features align with your business needs. And if you're thinking about exploring other options than Ecwid, don't worry; we've also got you covered there! Check out some of these promising alternatives:

Want a close look? After checking out our Ecwid.com reviews, you can take a moment to explore a complete list of top Ecwid alternatives right here.

Ecwid Product Reviews: FAQs

Conclusion

Our Ecwid reviews have discussed all the platform's key features, all based on hands-on testing and trials. While there's always room for growth, Ecwid's affordability and feature-packed system truly set it apart as one of the top eCommerce solutions out there.

And if you are thinking of migrating your business to Ecwid now, no worries; LitExtension can help you here. With over 12 years of experience and a proven track record of 300,000+ successful migrations, our team has more than enough expertise to handle any custom request. We'll ensure your Ecwid migration is smooth and hassle-free from start to finish!

For more information, check out our Ecwid guides and join our Facebook Community.