Shopgate vs Shopware (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shopware grades higher than Shopgate: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Shopware grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Shopgate
Branded shopping app and store-pickup tools for existing online shops
Shopware
Open-source commerce platform for B2B and B2C stores
Which one is for you
Pick Shopgate if
- Fits if you have a Shopify store and want your own shopping app
- Works for retailers who want click and reserve in the app
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need a store platform, as it works on top of one
- Pricey if you are small, as the cheapest plan is €299 a month excluding VAT
- Tight if you are not on Shopify, as Starter is Shopify only
- Watch out: the price rises with the number of monthly app sessions
Pick Shopware if
- Fits if you have developers or an agency and want to own the code for a B2B or B2C store
- Works for sellers who start on the free Community Edition and move to a paid plan later
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want hosted support, because Rise starts at EUR 600 a month
- Skip it if you have no developer or partner, as self-hosted stores pay for hosting and implementation separately
- Watch out: plan prices depend on sales volume, so the listed euro figures are only a starting point
- Watch out: linked shops past EUR 1 million in gross sales over 365 days need a paid plan for the Shopware Account
- Watch out: SaaS and PaaS plans go through sales; instant booking is for self-hosted stores only
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAShopgateWeak | 2.4GPAShopwareFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D€299 a month excluding VAT is far above the $20 to $59 most shop software starts at, though this is an app layer rather than a store. | DRise, the first paid plan with support and AI content tools, starts at EUR 600 a month, against $29 in the middle of online-store builders. Evolve, with B2B quotes and approvals, is EUR 2,400. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial is offered; the page does not state its length. | BThe Community Edition has no platform licence fee and includes the page builder and order management. You host it yourself, and Rise has a 30-day free trial. |
| Features | CA branded app, push messages, click and reserve, ship-from-store and returns. It does one job on top of a shop you already have. | BPage builder, B2B tools, an extensions marketplace, AI content tools, multi-language and SEO. Multi-location inventory sits on the custom Beyond plan. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect it to your shop and set up the app. | CNo store rating on record. Choosing hosting, partners and extensions is part of the work, and self-hosted stores need developers. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android, with four listed integrations and developer tools. | BWeb only, but with an extensions marketplace and integrations such as Nosto and Shopware Payments, and SaaS, PaaS or self-hosted options. |
| Best for | a branded shopping app on top of a shop | B2B and B2C stores run on open-source Shopware |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Shopgate and Shopware. How we grade
Price against what you get
Shopgate starts at about $334.04 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Shopware starts at about $670.32 a month and scores 2.7.
Shopware scores higher, and starts $336.28 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other online store builders on the chart, 10 score higher than Shopgate for less, and 4 score higher than Shopware for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Shopware is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Shopgate also covers marketing automation, app builder and inventory.
- Shopware also covers online store.
At a glance
| Shopgate | Shopware | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | €299 per month, billed monthly, excl. VAT | €600 per month, excl. VAT (Rise plan) |
| Free plan | None | Community Edition: no platform license fee, with a visual page builder, product and order management and community support. |
| Free trial | Free trial offered; the page does not state its length | Rise plan: first 30 days free. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Shopgate GmbH | Shopware |
| Price read from | shopgate.com | shopware.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Shopgate
- It is an app layer on top of an existing shop, not a store platform on its own.
- Prices are in euros, exclude VAT and rise with the number of monthly app sessions.
- The Starter plan is exclusive to Shopify; other platforms need Growth or above.
Shopware
- Plan prices are set by sales volume (GMV) and other factors; the listed euro prices are the starting point.
- Shopware Account and Store access needs a paid plan once linked shops pass €1 million in gross sales over 365 days.
- Self-hosted stores pay for hosting and implementation separately; PaaS pricing depends on infrastructure needs.
- Instant Rise booking in the account is for self-hosted stores only; SaaS and PaaS go through sales.
Key features
Shopgate
- Branded shopping app
- Your own app for iOS and Android with a theme, pages and extensions designed in the Shopgate admin.
- Push and segments
- Marketing tools include push messages, customer segments and automations aimed at app users.
- Click and reserve
- Shoppers check store availability, reserve an item online and pick it up in the store.
- Ship-from-store and returns
- Orders can ship from a store's stock, and customers can return online purchases in a store.
- Developer tools
- An SDK, APIs and documentation let developers extend the app.
Shopware
- Visual page builder
- Drag-and-drop Shopping Experiences let non-developers build and change store layouts. The page builder is included in the free Community Edition.
- Choice of hosting
- A store can run on Shopware SaaS (hosting and updates included), on Shopware PaaS with more room for custom code, or be self-hosted.
- B2B tools
- Quotes and purchasing approvals arrive with Evolve; customer-specific pricing from external systems and Digital Sales Rooms with Beyond.
- Extensions and Nexus
- Apps and plugins come from the Shopware Store. Nexus connects other systems and runs workflows, with a free monthly execution allowance per shop.
- AI tools
- Rise adds AI-assisted product content and translation. Shopware Intelligence+ includes a Copilot that carries out multi-step tasks in the store.
- Multi-language and SEO
- Storefronts can be offered in several languages, with built-in management of meta tags, canonical URLs, breadcrumbs and structured data.
Plans
Shopgate
Starter€299
per month for up to 5,000 app sessions, billed monthly, excl. VAT
Only for Shopify stores. Includes 5,000 app sessions a month; the price rises as sessions are added.
Growth€799
per month for up to 30,000 app sessions, billed monthly, excl. VAT
For Shopify Plus, Shopware and Adobe Commerce stores. Includes 30,000 app sessions a month.
Enterprise€1,499
per month and up, billed monthly, excl. VAT
For large retailers with 100,000+ sessions; the number of app sessions is set individually.
Shopware
Community Edition€0
Open-source core with source access. You choose hosting and implementation partners; community support only.
Rise€600
per month and up, excl. VAT
Adds AI-assisted content creation, product customization, returns management and direct Shopware support. First 30 days free.
Evolve€2,400
per month and up, excl. VAT
Adds B2B quotes and purchasing approvals, advanced product search, customer-group content and phone support.
BeyondCustom
Adds customer-specific pricing, multi-location inventory, Digital Sales Rooms and 24/7 priority support. Sold through sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Shopgate or Shopware?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shopgate is cheaper to start with: about $334.04 a month, against about $670.32 a month for Shopware. Shopgate starts at €299 per month, billed monthly, excl. VAT, and Shopware starts at €600 per month, excl. VAT (Rise plan).
Which has a free plan, Shopgate or Shopware?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Shopware has a free plan. Shopgate does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Shopgate and Shopware run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Shopgate lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.