Shopware
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you're a mid-market or enterprise merchant with developers and budget for a deeply customized store.
Comparison
Shopware vs Shopify
Shopware lands on Depends, and Shopify lands on Worth it.
Shopify
Worth it
Confidence: High
Buy it if you are serious about selling online . fastest setup, largest app ecosystem, top-rated by reviewers.
| Compare | Shopware | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Worth it |
| Best for | Mid-market and enterprise retailers | Serious DTC sellers |
| Who it's not for | Solo sellers wanting a simple hosted store | Hobby sellers who can't stomach $39/mo plus fees |
| Privacy | Active CVE history . XSS, privilege escalation, admin takeover . all patched, but self-hosters must stay current.⁶ | Managed, hardened core platform . but recurring XSS CVEs and a third-party app breach affecting 4,180+ stores. |
| Support quality | No usable evidence in sources reviewed | No direct evidence in sources reviewed |
| Public sentiment | Reviewers consistently praise Shopware's flexibility and feature depth but frequently flag high, cost-intensive pricing.¹ | Reviews praise fast setup and breadth, while merchants repeatedly complain about transaction fees, runaway app costs, and beginner overwhelm.13 |
| Biggest gotcha | License is only the start: hosting, agency, and maintenance costs drive real TCO.⁸ | Paid apps stack monthly on top of your plan; merchants call pricing 'out of control' |
Pick Shopware when
- Mid-market and enterprise retailers
- B2C+B2B merchants needing deep customization
- Headless builds with in-house developers
- European-market shops
When Shopware is not a fit
- Solo sellers wanting a simple hosted store
- Teams without developers or agency budget
- Buyers needing transparent all-in pricing
- Anyone migrating off Shopware 5 without a project budget
Pick Shopify when
- Serious DTC sellers
- Non-technical founders
- Online + in-person (POS) retail
- Teams wanting a big app ecosystem
When Shopify is not a fit
- Hobby sellers who can't stomach $39/mo plus fees
- Developers wanting full code control . use WooCommerce
- Anyone allergic to per-app subscription stacking
- Tiny catalogs . a free storefront does the job
Sources
review
- Shopware Pricing 2026 . Capterracapterra.comreview
news
- Shopware 6 GitHub repositorygithub.comofficial
- Shopware Plans & Pricingshopware.comofficial
security
- CVE-2026-48008 . SentinelOnesentinelone.comsecurity
review
review
review
- Shopify Review 2026: Is It the Best for Selling Online?websitebuilderexpert.comreview
- Shopify Reviews | Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- Shopify Pricing 2026 - Real Costs and Hidden Feessherocommerce.comreview
- Shopify Pricing Plans (official)shopify.comofficial
- Shopify Capital (official)shopify.comofficial
