Ecwid by Lightspeed vs Shift4Shop
A side-by-side look at Ecwid by Lightspeed and Shift4Shop. On our scoring, Ecwid by Lightspeed comes out ahead — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
| Platform | Ecwid by LightspeedAll-in-one | Shift4ShopAll-in-one |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| SellingScene score | 4.2/5 | 3.8/5 |
| User rating | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| Reviews | 1,080 | 540 |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | free plan + paid tiers | free in the US with Shift4 Payments |
| Transaction fees | 0% (processing applies) | 0% with Shift4 Payments |
| Hosting & setup | ||
| Hosting type | Embeddable widget | Fully hosted (SaaS) |
| Free trial | Free plan available | Free with Shift4 Payments |
| Staff accounts | By plan | By plan |
| Product limit | 5 free; unlimited on paid | Unlimited |
| Payments & security | ||
| Payment gateways | 70+ payment providers | Shift4 + 100+ gateways |
| SSL included | Yes | Yes |
| PCI compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Gift cards | Yes | Yes |
| Catalog & content | ||
| Themes / templates | Inherits host site design | 100+ themes |
| App marketplace | App market & integrations | App store & integrations |
| Multi-currency | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-language | Yes | Yes |
| POS included | Yes | Yes |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in blog | No | Yes |
| Tools & flexibility | ||
| Drag-and-drop editor | No | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | No |
| Support channels | Email, chat, phone (higher tiers) | 24/7 phone, chat, email (US) |
| Actions | Read review | Read review |
Why pick Ecwid by Lightspeed?
Ecwid is the easiest way to bolt a real store onto a site you already own, syncing one catalog across web, social, and marketplaces. It is not meant to be your primary site builder, so design control stays limited.
Best for: Adding a cart to a site you already have
Read the full Ecwid by Lightspeed reviewWhy pick Shift4Shop?
Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart) offers a deep, feature-rich platform that becomes free if you process payments through Shift4. That bargain comes with dated interfaces and a payment lock-in that does not suit everyone.
Best for: US sellers who will use Shift4 payment processing
Read the full Shift4Shop review