Shopify vs Gomag: How do these two ecommerce platforms compare? If you’ve ever considered selling products online before, you’re probably familiar with Shopify. After all, it supports around 5.23 million stores worldwide.
Gomag is probably a platform you know a little less about – unless you’re based in Romania. This is a slightly newer competitor to Shopify, but it’s started grabbing a lot of attention recently, thanks to its cost-effective packages, multi-channel sales tools, and integrated marketing tools.
But can this lesser-known platform really compete with Shopify (arguably my favorite Shopify platform of all?) I put both solutions to the test to find out.
We conduct hands-on reviews of all the products showcased in our comparison guides. Learn more about our research methodology here.
Shopify vs Gomag: TL; DR Verdict
Ultimately, I think Shopify is a more robust, powerful, and flexible platform than Gomag overall. Gomag is a great option for merchants in search of a straightforward multi-channel selling solution, and it can help reduce the costs of running your store (and managing fulfillment).
However, Shopify is easier to navigate, offers more powerful ecommerce features, better themes, and better scalability overall.
Shopify Pros and Cons
Pros 👍
- Easy to use interface for beginners and advanced users
- Exceptional themes and reliable web design tools
- Flexible payment processing
- Extensive inventory management capabilities
- Advanced omnichannel support (with an integrated PO system)
- Powerful AI, sales, and marketing tools
Cons 👎
- More expensive monthly fees
- Transaction fees for third-party gateways
- Limited implementation support
Gomag Pros and Cons
Pros 👍
- Affordable pricing for smaller businesses
- Excellent consultancy and migration support
- Support for various apps and integrations
- Advanced marketing and sales features (like cross-selling)
- Omnichannel support (including access to a marketplace)
- Options to sell customizable products
Cons 👎
- Slightly higher learning curve for non-Romanian users
- Plans limit the number of products you can sell
- Less scalability for larger companies
What the Two Platforms Do Best
Gomag and Shopify are both ecommerce platforms, but the merchants they serve best differ significantly.
Shopify is, in my opinion, the best ecommerce platform for all kinds of ecommerce companies, enabling access to exceptional website design, inventory management, and countless sales channels. It’s great for omnichannel sales (with a native point of sale solution), and it’s exceptionally easy to use if you have no technical knowledge.
Gomag seems to be best for smaller businesses with limited needs. You don’t get a particularly advanced solution for web design here.
However, you can still sell on various channels, such as the eMAG marketplace, and Facebook. This platform could also be a good choice if you want to sell customizable, digital, and subscription-based products without relying on extra apps.
How to get Shopify for $1 per month for the first 3 months?
Shopify has begun offering a special deal for sellers who sign up for a new Shopify plan. That deal?
Pay Shopify $1/month for the first 3 months of full access to the platform!
This offer is is now available on all standard plans: Starter, Basic, Shopify, and Advanced.
Shopify vs Gomag: The Core Features
I was actually quite surprised at how much Shopify and Gomag have in common from a features perspective. They both have integrated marketing tools, customizable themes for store design, and even tools for creating automated workflows.
Here’s a quick insight into the core features of both platforms, and the key differences I noticed during my tests.
Website Design Features
Shopify definitely has an edge over Gomag from a design perspective. There are hundreds of themes you can choose from for your store (although many incur an extra fee). You can also customize your store in a wide range of different ways with Shopify’s intuitive visual editor.
If you have design skills, you can dive into CSS and JavaScript. Plus, you can use Shopify apps to create all kinds of landing pages, banners, pop-ups and more.
Gomag is a little more restrictive. You get about 19 basic (but responsive themes) to choose from, which you can edit with the store builder’s visual editor. Like with Shopify, you can also customize CSS and JavaScript. Plus, you don’t have to rely on external apps to create landing pages, banners, hello bars, and pop-ups – all of the tools for those assets are already built-in.
However, not only are the Gomag themes not as feature rich as the ones you get on Shopify, but they’re a lot harder to customize to suit your specific needs. I found working with this platform a lot trickier than using Shopify.
If you really want to make your store unique to you, the best option is to work with Gomag’s development team on a turnkey design. Unfortunately – that’s only an option for people who pay for the Enterprise plan.
Ecommerce and Sales Features
In regards to sales features, Shopify has everything you need to sell virtually any kind of product, anywhere. You can sell any number of products (no matter which plan you choose), and connect your store with social media platforms, marketplaces, and more.
There’s even the Shopify POS for selling offline. Plus, you’ll get access to a world-class checkout with Shopify, an integrated payment processor (or the ability to connect your own), tools for creating invoices and solutions for cross-selling and upselling.
Shopify can even help you with shipping and fulfillment services, and integrates directly with a range of dropshipping and print on demand platforms.
Gomag is also a “multi-channel” option for sellers, with a few more limitations. It doesn’t have a native POS, but it does provide direct access to the eMAG marketplace, so you can access 9 million active customers immediately, without advertising.
You can sell products on social media too with Gomag, but I couldn’t find any options for things like Amazon and Ebay integrations. On the plus side, you don’t necessarily need integrations to sell different types of products on Gomag. You can sell digital products, subscriptions (on some plans), customizable products with print-on-demand, and physical products.
However, you will be limited in the number of products you can sell. Only Enterprise users can list unlimited products on their stores.
Marketing and Business Growth
Both Gomag and Shopify have a lot of value to offer from a marketing perspective. As I mentioned above, Gomag allows users to create Hello Bars, Pop-ups, landing pages, and banners to promote products. Plus, you can create custom lead capture forms and send automated marketing messages to your audience via email and SMS.
The platform is also optimized for global and local SEO, and offers access to robust SEO rules you can customize based on your specific needs. There’s even the option to set up custom rules for personalized product discounts.
Plus, on more expensive plans, you’ll gain access to abandoned cart recovery tools. On top of that, Gomag supports upselling and cross-selling capabilities, loyalty programs, and product reviews.
Shopify supports most of the same marketing capabilities as Gomag. The platform is also SEO-friendly, and offers apps to help you create any type of marketing assets. You also get a built-in email and chat inbox system, but I’d recommend using add-ons for the best experience.
What gives Shopify an edge in my opinion, is its AI tools, which help companies to rapidly optimize their marketing strategies. You can use Shopify Magic to create content for SEO-optimized product descriptions, ads, FAQ pages, and email campaigns. Plus, there are tools for altering photo backgrounds and creating visual assets too.
It’s also a little easier to create product bundles and offers with Shopify than it is to do the same on Gomag – but again, that’s really just an issue with the platform’s overall usability.
Business Management, Integrations, Automation
One thing that really stood out to me when I was experimenting with Gomag, is how impressive it can be from an automation perspective. Companies can create “Gobots” to automate repetitive tasks, like generating invoices, or organizing their product portfolio.
You can do similar things with Shopify, but again, you’ll need add-ons or integrations, or the “Shopify Flow” system to set up robust automation workflows.
Both platforms offer excellent tools for inventory management and order fulfillment tracking. However, I think Shopify’s inventory, account, and employee management tools are a lot easier to use, and more advanced.
Plus, Shopify is certainly more flexible from an integration perspective. Although there are about 80 different free and premium apps you can connect with GoMag, the Shopify marketplace is home to thousands of add-ons. You can use as many apps and integrations as you like too, whereas Gomag limits your integration options based on your plan.
Shopify vs Gomag: Pricing and Fees
I mentioned above that Gomag has risen in popularity in recent years because it’s extremely cost-effective, and that’s true. You can get started with a Basic plan for as little as 1€ per month for your first three months.
Gomag’s pricing options include range from 7€ per month (after your first three months) for the Basic plan to 68€ per month for the Elite plan. There’s also a custom-priced enterprise plan available for larger companies.
The trouble is, all of the plans, other than the Enterprise option limit the number of products you can sell. For instance, you’re capped at 200 products on the Basic plan.
Shopify’s core plans are a little more expensive, starting at $39 per month for the Basic plan, $105 per month for the mid-tier Shopify plan, and $399 per month for Shopify Advanced. If you want an Enterprise plan, prices start at around $2,300 per month.
Plus, with Shopify, there are extra fees to consider if you want to use third-party payment processors on your site. However, there are no caps on how many products you can sell.
Shopify vs Gomag: The Verdict
Gomag has some unique advantages for today’s sellers, like a cost-effective price structure, access to tools for selling any kind of product, and a fantastic marketplace to boost your sales potential. However, it still can’t compete with Shopify in my opinion.
Overall, Shopify is easier to use, more feature rich (particularly from a website design and customization perspective), and a lot more scalable. If you’re looking for the best omnichannel sales platform, with the most cutting-edge capabilities, Shopify is definitely the better choice.
Comments 0 Responses