Establishing a new online store can be an exciting new venture. However, there are a lot of options when it comes to the components of that store. Both ClickFunnels and Shopify are popular options that can be used. In this article, we’ll review the features of both and highlight the differences that you’ll find with them. The goal is to help you make an informed decision on which platform is best for your new business.
ClickFunnels vs. Shopify: At a Glance
ClickFunnels is used by entrepreneurs to help launch a product on the web. It allows you to use predesigned templates that walk customers through the sales pitch, creating a funnel to the buying process. ClickFunnels is best used with limited products as it is designed to guide consumers from the information-gathering phase to the buying phase. Those building the funnel can offer upsells in the process, encouraging consumers to buy more or a bigger product before the sale is complete.
On the other hand, Shopify is designed to be a web store for many products. Templates allow you to add photos, descriptions and prices to anywhere from one to 100 or more products. The template displays the store items and allows consumers to search for what they are looking for. Shopify isn’t designed to give a pitch, but instead to display what you are selling in an easy-to-view format. Consumers can shop the items much the same way they’d shop the aisles in the brick-and-mortar store, reviewing each and making a buying decision. Overall, Shopify is a much less expensive option for an entrepreneur on a budget.
How ClickFunnels and Shopify Stack Up
ClickFunnels and Shopify are really designed for two different types of online stores. Where ClickFunnels is designed to take a few products or services and walk the consumer through the sales pitch, Shopify is designed to be a store where people can peruse different products as they “stroll” through the store.
ClickFunnels | Shopify | |
---|---|---|
Starting Price | $127 per month | $29 per month |
Free Trial | 14 days | Three days |
Customer Support | Limited email and chat | 24/7 chat, phone and email |
Social Media Integrations | Yes, unlimited | Yes, unlimited |
Storage Limit | No limit | No limit |
Drag-and-Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
Learn More | ‘- | |
Read Reviews | ‘- |
Starting Price
Both ClickFunnels and Shopify have free trials for you to test the product functionality and ease of use prior to making a commitment for the long term. ClickFunnels has a better trial period, spanning 14 days, compared to Shopify’s three days. Both offer monthly and annual billing options where you get a discount for committing to a long-term contract of a year.
ClickFunnels is considerably more expensive than Shopify. It starts at $127 per month when billed annually. This is approximately four times more expensive than Shopify, which is only $29 per month when billed annually.
Free Trial
Free trials allow you to test the product out before making a commitment to buy. Both ClickFunnels and Shopify have a free trial period. ClickFunnels’ free trial period is 14 days, while Shopify’s is only three days. The free trial is good for all tiers of the plan, so you can test the maximum platform to see if it works for you with all its features. Since Shopify has such a limited free trial, you’ll want to make sure that you are ready to build a store right when you sign up. Otherwise, the trial will expire, and you’ll be paying to see if the platform is for you.
Customer Support
Customer support is important because you want to be able to trust that you’ll get help when you need it. Shopify is definitely the leader between the two when it comes to support. It offers 24/7 support options through chat, phone and email. This means you can get your help on weekends or evenings if you are building your site while holding down a full-time job. With ClickFunnels, on the other hand, you’re limited. There is email and chat support, but you should expect responses to be limited to regular business hours.
Social Media Integrations
Being able to link your store to social media is important so that you have the right avenues to market your products and services. With both ClickFunnels and Shopify, you get unlimited integrations. This means that you can push specials and promotions to places such as Facebook and Instagram. Both platforms are equal in this aspect.
Storage Limit
Neither ClickFunnels nor Shopify have storage limits. This means that you can save as much data as you need to regarding your products and services, and the system will hold it. Some platforms on the market limit storage, and this can cause stores to crash when the storage limit is hit.
Drag-and-Drop Editor
One of the nice things about both of these platforms is that they both use a drag-and-drop editor. This makes building your store easy as you can simply pull items you want, and they will load properly. Utilize drag-and-drop boxes when setting your store up and getting ready to run your first promotion.
Learn more: Read ClickFunnels Review
Cost of ClickFunnels vs. Shopify
Minimum Plan* | Medium Plan* | Upgraded Plan* | |
---|---|---|---|
ClickFunnels | $127 per month | $157 per month | $208 per month |
Shopify | $29 per month | $79 per month | $299 per month |
Customer Reviews and Reputation
Forbes Advisor looks at popular review websites to see what real consumers have to say about the products and services we are looking at. On the popular review website, G2, ClickFunnels has a 4.6-star rating out of five stars from nearly 390 reviews. Customers like that ClickFunnels is a funnel builder that is more than just a website builder. It has templates to move consumers from page to page and leads them into the buying process. You don’t need to be very computer-savvy to use ClickFunnels, and the learning curve is easy. Consumers also like that the platform integrates with a lot of other products, making it work for your business. What people don’t like about it is the cost.
Many consider it to be pricey for a website builder. The G2 profile for Shopify suggests that it is used more than ClickFunnels. It has a 4.4-star rating out of five with more than 4,400 reviews. Consumers like that you can quickly launch a store and be operational in a day in many cases. Templates can be customized, and the themes are mobile responsive, which is important in today’s internet marketplace. The platform makes it easy to optimize your store for search engine optimization (SEO), helping you rank in the search engines to be found by consumers. What people don’t like about the platform is the requirement to use Shopify Payments or pay a higher fee for a third-party processor. Consumers also don’t like the inability to blog on the platform.
Top ClickFunnels and Shopify Alternatives
Both ClickFunnels and Shopify are popular website builders for entrepreneurs who have specific stores and sales processes they are using. However, neither made it into the Forbes Best Website Builders list because they are designed for specific use cases and not general website building.
Free Trial | Customer Support | Drag-and-Drop Editor | Starting Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Square | No | Limited chat, phone and email | Yes | Free, $29 per month |
Wix | No | 24/7 phone support | Yes | $16 per month |
Weebly | No | Limited chat and email | Yes | Free, $10 per month |
Bottom Line
Both ClickFunnels and Shopify are good platforms to build your website depending on what your store goal is. Each has a specific use scenario that makes it attractive to certain types of entrepreneurs.
ClickFunnels is best for:
- Entrepreneurs looking to create a sales pitch for a product or service with the ability to upsell and cross-sell the product. Each product uses its own funnel.
Shopify is best for:
- Entrepreneurs who want to build a store with rows or pages of products. It comes complete with a shopping cart and credit card processor, making it a one-stop shop for many e-commerce stores.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which is the best website builder?
According to Forbes Advisor’s comparisons, Wix is the best website builder on the market. Other platforms you should consider include Web.com and Squarespace.
Is Wix or WordPress better?
Wix is considered the best website builder according to Forbes Advisor’s Best Website Builders list. WordPress is a good platform to build certain websites, such as blogs.
Is it worth paying someone to build a website?
Many website builders make it easy to build a simple website on your own. However, if you need more complex site building skills, it is best to pay someone to build the website for you.
How do I set up a Shopify store?
To set up a Shopify store, sign up for a free three-day trial with Shopify. Once you’ve opened your account, Shopify will guide you through each step of setting up your online store.