Hosted shopping cart solutions are popular for setting up an online store because of their ease of use, manageability, and scalability. PinnacleCart and Shopify are two of the leading hosted shopping cart platforms that offer very similar features to their customers. Both companies also provide professional services which include web design and development, digital marketing, graphic design and other web service needs of their customers.
Comparison chart
 | PinnacleCart | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | PinnacleCart is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that is built to take every startup online store to an enterprise level. It is the only shopping cart platform to be 100% scalable and customizable, all the way down to the source code. | Shopify is an e-commerce platform that enables individuals and businesses to create online stores. |
| Year founded | 2003 | 2004 |
| Services offered | Web development, marketing, web design, hosting, order management, customer service | Web development, marketing, web design, hosting, order management, 24/7 Shopify customer service |
| Entry level price | Startup $29.95/month | Basic $13/month |
| Number of Products | Unlimited (any plan) | Unlimited (any plans) |
| Unlimited Bandwidth | Yes | Yes |
| Cart Recovery Tool | Yes | Yes (for $54+ plans) |
| Multi-currency Support | Yes | No |
| Multi-language Support | Yes | No |
| Drop Shipping | Yes | No |
| Flat Rate Shipping | Yes | Yes |
| Weight Based Shipping | Yes | Yes |
| Live Rate Shipping | Yes | Yes |
| Real Time Shipping Quotes | Yes | Yes |
| Premium Service Option | Yes, Enterprise Solutions for $249 | Yes, Enterprise Solutions for $249 |
| Credit Card Fee Charge | None (any plan) | For Basic plan, 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction |
| Hosting | Level 1 PCI Compliant Data Center | Rackspace |
| Dedicated IP Address | Yes | No |
| Design | 30+ free templates, options for paid premium templates | 6 free templates; more paid options from $80 to $180 |
| Contract Required | No | No |
| Mobile Commerce Option | Yes | Yes |
| Gift Cards Option | Yes | Yes |
| Expert Help Available | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Account Creation | Yes | Yes |
| Blogging | No | Yes |
| Customer Profiles | Yes | Yes |
| Coupon and Discount Code Generator | Yes | Yes |
| Location | Phoenix, Arizona | Ottawa, Canada |
Pricing
PinnacleCart and Shopify offer different pricing plans that are based on a monthly subscription fee. Both providers boasts 0% transaction fees. However, Shopify charges a separate 2.17% fee plus $0.30 cents for each credit card transactions. PinnacleCart doesn’t charge extra percentage or transaction fees.
Shopify offers a "lite" plan for $9 that lets you sell on Facebook or add products to an existing website. But Shopify's most popular plans that include website hosting start at $29 for "Basic Shopify" to $299 for "Advanced Shopify".
PinnacleCart pricing has 4 tiers, beginning at $30 per month for their "start up" level to $150 per month for the enterprise tier.
Premium Features
Both PinnacleCart and Shopify platforms offer premium plans but when comparing the two, they vary greatly on pricing and features. PinnacleCart’s Enterprise Plan starts at $249 per month while Shopify’s Plus plan starts at $2,000 per month. Let’s see which one comes out on top by taking a look how both premium plans differ in features:
Design
Shopify offers six free, mobile-friendly templates to start with paid templates that range from $80 to $180. PinnacleCart provides 30 free, mobile-friendly templates and a selection of premium paid themes that start at $199.
Free Trial
PinnacleCart and Shopify both offer free software trials. PinnacleCart has a 14-day free trial while Shopify’s is 30-day. Neither company requires a credit card or contract to try their platforms.
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