Which version of Shopware best meets the expectations of your e-commerce?

Shopware is undoubtedly one of the most popular e-commerce platforms, consistently gaining recognition worldwide. Once again, the German manufacturer outpaced the competition, winning numerous awards in the latest report published by G2, a leading review platform with over 1.7 million user reviews that help companies choose the right software and services for their businesses. A significant achievement for Shopware was securing the title of leader in e-commerce platforms in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa), which can be seen as confirmation of this software’s growing role and popularity in the industry [G2 Spring Reports 2024].

From my professional experience, Shopware offers one of the most flexible solutions on the market, tailoring its features to the specific needs of each user. Shopware offers a free Community version and three paid versions: Rise, Evolve, and Beyond. In this article, I will introduce each version and help you determine which one best meets your specific business needs while discussing key features that can support your company’s growth.

What does the community version provide?

The basic version of Shopware is often chosen by small and medium-sized companies that are developing their e-commerce activities.

The Community version provides the essential features needed to launch an online store. It also allows for customization through additional settings, creating your own or using existing third-party plugins.

Among the wide range of features, the Community version provides:

• Product Creation and Editing: You can create and edit digital products using advanced mode and bulk editing while assigning products to different categories.
• Multi-Currency Support: Allows the sale of products in various currencies.
• Advanced Filtering and Sorting Options: Help customers find products they are interested in.
• Cross-Selling: Adding related products to the main purchase increases the chance of upselling.
• Promotions and Discounts: You can create promotions (such as “3 for 2,” percentage and static discounts on products and delivery, special offers on specific product sets, pricing based on quantity or customer data) and generate promotional codes to encourage purchases.
• Order Management: Manage order statuses, payments, and deliveries.
• Customer Data Management: Create and modify customer data for better relationship management.
• Advanced Text Editor and Media Features: Include images, sliders, and videos for creating engaging product pages.
• SEO Tools: Optimize the store for search engines.
• Flow Builder and Rule Builder: Automation tools to create business rules and processes tailored to your specific needs.
• Headless Commerce: Technology that separates the front end (external website layer) from the back end.
• Multi-Channel Management: Handle different market segments and geographical locations.

The Shopware Community version provides robust e-commerce platform management tools that can be adapted to specific business needs. It offers core online store functionality and allows expansion through various plugins and extensions.

Users of this version can access Shopware’s community support and online forums but don’t receive dedicated technical support from the manufacturer. The Community version also does not include intelligent tools available in Shopware AI Copilot, which are reserved for paid open-source licenses.

Let’s now look at the additional features available in more advanced versions of Shopware.

Rise version: the next step in developing a B2C platform

Let’s start by examining what we can expect from the paid version that makes the first step toward more advanced e-commerce features.

Who is Shopware Rise for?

Shopware Rise is a good choice for B2C companies seeking an alternative to more complex solutions like Magento. Shopware Rise provides access to a comprehensive set of modules that can be easily integrated. With ready-made templates offering various configurations, you can quickly launch your store. Importantly, each module’s performance can be tested using a trial account before purchase.

The Rise version includes the “Custom Products” plugin, which allows you to collect additional product information during ordering. For instance, you can offer customers the option to add personalized text to a T-shirt, choose gift wrapping, or select specific materials. Each extra option can have its own pricing, giving you full control over the financial aspect of the sales process.

Rise also provides advanced premium templates (Premium Themes) for quickly changing the store’s look. There are five templates available: “Elle,” “Showroom,” “Shape,” “Cinema,” and “Emporium.” Each is designed to highlight brand uniqueness while adapting to modern UX/UI trends.

Additionally, Social Commerce functionality can be implemented. With a separate plugin called Social Shopping, stores can easily connect with popular social platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Instagram Marketplace, and Google Shopping. This increases the store’s reach and sales potential by exposing products where potential customers spend significant time.

In Shopware Rise, Shopware provides technical support during standard business hours (9 am to 5 pm), with a response time of up to eight hours.

Evolve version: dedicated to B2B e-commerce

Shopware Evolve is designed for companies needing more comprehensive e-commerce solutions. It is recommended for medium and large businesses looking for scalable and flexible options to expand their online stores in line with growing business needs.

The Evolve version is specifically geared toward the B2B segment, offering advanced tools and features for effective business customer relationship management and optimizing sales processes. A vital component of this version is the B2B-Suite plugin, which provides a wide range of roles and permissions configurations for users like administrators, employees, and sales representatives.

In the Evolve version, you’ll find:

• B2B Role Management:
  • Administrator: Controls purchasing processes, including order approvals.
  • Employees: Can place orders within their allocated budget.
  • Sales Representatives: Can log into clients’ accounts and perform actions within their permissions.
• Order Creation and Management: Users can create and manage orders based on assigned permissions, including order approvals, budget assignments, and quick order creation.
• Dynamic Access: Allows content to be hidden or displayed based on defined criteria, customizing the store’s view to individual user needs.
• CMS Extensions: The plugin allows easy content management through the CMS interface, improving user interaction with the store.
• Shopware Publisher: This tool lets you manage draft versions of page layouts, enabling you to plan and implement changes without directly affecting the live store. For example, you can design a layout for the holiday season and publish it at the right time for end users.

Shopware provides technical support and consulting for Evolve users, which is crucial for companies relying on continuous availability and platform performance. Support includes day-to-day store management and assistance with implementing new features. Shopware provides customer support between 7 am and 7 pm, with a response time of up to four hours.

Check out the latest report of The Forrester Wave.

Beyond version: the most advanced e-commerce platform solution

Shopware Beyond is the most advanced version of the Shopware offering, designed specifically for large enterprises and global brands.

This version stands out by enabling the creation of Digital Sales Rooms, implementing comprehensive subscription solutions, warehouse management, and customer-specific pricing, making it a suitable choice for businesses seeking sophisticated sales tools.

Key Features of the Beyond Version:

• Digital Sales Rooms: This advanced feature allows for creating personalized sales rooms tailored to individual client needs. It facilitates customer interactions by sharing presentations and scheduling meetings, significantly improving the shopping experience and enabling more effective product presentations.
• Customer-Specific Pricing: Enables customization of pricing for individual customers or customer groups, allowing precise management of pricing strategies and offering personalized promotions and discounts.
• Warehouse Management: Advanced management includes adding new warehouses and warehouse groups with visibility rules based on delivery addresses. This tool is crucial for optimizing logistics and inventory management.
• Subscriptions: The subscription feature allows customers to receive products regularly on a set schedule, perfect for items purchased cyclically. Subscriptions, including cancellation or modification, can be managed directly from the customer panel.

Shopware provides 24/7 customer support in the Beyond version, with one hour response time.

Shopware AI Copilot: intelligent support for paid versions

All three paid versions of Shopware—Rise, Evolve, and Beyond—come equipped with AI Copilot features. The German software manufacturer believes this AI-based solution will enhance daily e-commerce operations.

Julia Abuziarova, an experienced PHP developer who frequently works with this tool, shared her insights on the opportunities Shopware AI Copilot offers its users.

“Shopware AI Copilot is an AI-based tool offering a comprehensive set of features that streamline e-commerce tasks and operations. Here’s how AI can support collaboration with Shopware:

• Content for Shopping Experiences: AI Copilot simplifies the creation of store page content, significantly reducing the time needed for editing and translation.
• Export Assistant: Enables users to export data to CSV files selectively, greatly improving data analysis and decision-making.
• Customer Classification: Classifies customers based on specified criteria like their last order date or login, generating useful tags for marketing purposes.
• Image Keyword Assistant: Automatically analyzes uploaded images and assigns appropriate keywords, facilitating media searches and improving SEO.
• Product Review Summary: Creates summaries of product reviews that can be published on the store page, allowing administrators to get an overview of product opinions quickly.
• Custom Checkout Message: Generates personalized post-purchase messages tailored to the customer’s shopping cart, increasing customer loyalty.
• Product Properties: Automatically suggests product properties based on the description, simplifying the creation of product variants and providing customers with additional filtering options.
• Translation for Reviews: Translates product reviews so international customers can better understand them.
• Product Descriptions: Use keywords to generate product descriptions highlighting unique features and benefits.
• Search by Context: Enables customers to use colloquial language when searching for products, leading to more effective cross-selling.
• Search by Image: This lets customers search for products by uploading images, helping them find similar items based on visual content.

AI Copilot features are designed to reduce manual workload, improve the accuracy of data and content, and intelligently manage data.”

Check out: AI for E-commerce: Meet the new Shopware platform solution

Hosting

Collaborating with Shopware opens up a wide range of hosting possibilities for online store owners, tailored to their individual needs and expectations. All paid versions of Shopware offer three main hosting models, each designed to meet different technical and business requirements.

SaaS (Software as a Service): This is a fully managed service by the manufacturer that doesn’t require users to have programming knowledge, thanks to its no-code approach. It allows for quick changes while minimizing the total cost of ownership (TCO), which is crucial for store planning development dynamically.

PaaS (Platform as a Service): This solution is for those looking for greater flexibility and the ability to customize store functions to their needs. Shopware PaaS enables rapid deployment and scaling of business strategies. Importantly, it provides developers with access to the platform’s extensive components, allowing them to manage updates independently.

Self-hosted: An option for technologically advanced companies that prefer full control over their hosting environment. Self-hosting allows for managing one’s data and software, which is crucial for large, developed e-commerce platforms with their own IT team. This solution offers maximum personalization and independence but also requires advanced technical knowledge and resources to manage the infrastructure.

For more about Shopware: Versatile platform as a key factor influencing the e-commerce success

Summary

Shopware is a versatile platform offering many e-commerce solutions. Its advantage lies in easy integration with other systems through available plugins or its own API, which are easy to expand or modify. Thanks to headless e-commerce technology, backend processes continue to operate smoothly during interface changes.

If you need an online store tailored to the specific needs of your business, the Shopware Community version might be a good option, allowing for system customization.

However, if you prefer to work under an open-source license and benefit from the support of the Shopware team and artificial intelligence, you can choose from the Rise, Evolve, and Beyond versions, depending on your platform requirements.

Extended packages are priced individually based on the adopted assumptions, including cash flow and orders. You can find more information about subscription costs here. 

Need professional help to find the best solution for your store? I invite you to a free consultation. My team and I will be happy to help you make the best choice.

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