Ecwid by Lightspeed

Ecwid by Lightspeed is a hosted commerce platform for merchants that want to sell through an online store, an existing website, social networks, marketplaces, or physical retail locations.

Merchants can use Ecwid Instant Site, embed a storefront into platforms such as WordPress and Wix, or add individual Buy Buttons to web pages. The platform centralizes products, inventory, orders, customers, payments, shipping, and promotions.

Ecwid launched in 2009 and became part of Lightspeed following Lightspeed’s announced acquisition of Ecwid in 2021. Its current product supports online retail, digital downloads, services, subscriptions, donations, and point-of-sale connections.

Ecwid includes an Instant Site builder, responsive storefronts, product catalogs, categories, checkout, domain connections, SEO controls, and embeddable commerce components.

Sales tools include Facebook and Instagram selling, TikTok connections, Amazon and eBay marketplace integrations, Buy Buttons, Linkup pages, and point-of-sale integrations. Inventory and order information can be managed from one administrative account.

Store management features include discount coupons, gift cards, abandoned-cart recovery, automated tax calculations, product reviews, subscriptions, digital goods, multilingual catalogs, staff permissions, bulk product editing, reports, and low-stock alerts.

The Ecwid App Market adds integrations for accounting, marketing, shipping, payments, marketplaces, fulfillment, and customer management. Ecwid also provides mobile management applications for Android and iOS.

Ecwid offers four plans in the United States: Starter, Venture, Business, and Unlimited. The Starter plan costs $5 per month and supports up to 10 products. Venture costs $35 per month, or $29 per month when billed annually, and supports up to 100 products.

Business costs $65 per month, or $49 per month when billed annually, and supports up to 2,500 products. Unlimited costs $149 per month, or $119 per month when billed annually, and removes the product limit.

Ecwid states that it charges no setup or transaction fees. Payment processors and third-party applications may charge separate fees. Prices exclude applicable taxes and can vary by billing country.

Pros: Ecwid can be embedded into an existing website, offers a free entry plan, supports multiple sales channels, provides mobile administration, and does not add its own transaction fee.

Cons: Product limits and several important features vary by plan. Marketplace selling, subscriptions, multilingual catalogs, advanced reporting, staff accounts, and point-of-sale capabilities require higher-tier plans or separate integrations.

Some integrations depend on third-party applications, which can introduce additional subscriptions, setup requirements, or support relationships outside Ecwid.

Shopify is a comparable hosted platform with a broader native commerce ecosystem and more extensive app coverage. BigCommerce is another hosted option aimed at larger catalogs and more complex commerce operations.

WooCommerce provides a WordPress-based alternative with extensive customization and hosting responsibility. Wix eCommerce combines website building and commerce in one interface. Square Online suits merchants that already use Square payments or point-of-sale tools.

Does Ecwid offer a free trial?
Ecwid provides a Starter plan that can be used without a recurring subscription payment. It is a free plan rather than a limited-time trial, and it supports up to 10 products.

What platforms does Ecwid support?
Ecwid operates through web browsers and can be embedded into websites built with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and other site builders. Store management applications are available for Android and iOS.

Does Ecwid provide an API?
Yes. Ecwid provides a REST API using OAuth 2.0 and JSON. The API can manage store data, products, orders, customers, discounts, payment methods, shipping methods, and storefront settings. API access requires a paid plan, except for approved development arrangements.

What integrations does Ecwid support?
Ecwid supports payment providers, shipping services, accounting applications, marketing tools, marketplaces, social networks, point-of-sale systems, and third-party App Market extensions. Named integrations include Lightspeed Retail POS, Square, Clover, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Mailchimp, Omnisend, Amazon, and eBay.

Does Ecwid charge transaction fees?
Ecwid states that it does not charge setup or transaction fees. Payment providers can still apply their own processing charges.