Cartvero vs Shopify
Cartvero vs Shopify, honestly.
Shopify is a great product with an enormous ecosystem. This page isn’t here to pretend otherwise — it’s here to show where an EU-first platform wins on the things European merchants actually pay for.
| What matters | Cartvero | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Multilingual storefronts | Six languages in core: localised URLs, hreflang, translated emails | Via Translate & Adapt or third-party apps; hreflang and URL control vary by theme |
| Multi-currency & local pricing | ECB rates, per-market overrides, all plans | Shopify Markets; advanced control tied to higher plans |
| Transaction fees | 0% on native payments (Growth/Scale); you use your own Stripe | 0.5–2% extra unless you use Shopify Payments |
| Payment relationship | Your own Stripe account; payouts direct to you | Shopify Payments account, managed within Shopify |
| EU VAT (OSS, VIES, reverse charge) | Built into checkout and invoicing | Base rates included; VIES/B2B flows typically need apps |
| Data residency & export | EU-resident, isolated per shop, nightly full export | Global infrastructure; CSV/API export |
| Storefront performance | Prerendered static pages, zero JS by default, CWV green by design | Theme- and app-dependent; app scripts often drag Core Web Vitals |
| Technical SEO | Structured data, hreflang sitemaps and migration redirects in core | Solid base; internationalisation SEO often app/theme work |
| Agency model | White-label workspace, recurring margin, code escape hatch | Partner programme; storefronts white-label, admin stays Shopify |
| App ecosystem & POS | Deliberately small: core does the job of the top-20 apps | Unmatched: 10,000+ apps, mature POS hardware |
When you should pick Shopify
- You need point-of-sale hardware in physical stores today
- Your operation depends on specific apps from the Shopify ecosystem
- You sell primarily outside Europe and EU compliance isn’t a driver
For everyone else selling seriously across European markets: the basics shouldn’t be an app subscription.
Switching is a project. We treat it like one.
Migration assistance on Growth and Scale includes catalogue and customer import, a redirect map that preserves every ranking, and a side-by-side sandbox so you cut over when you’re ready — not when a countdown says so.
Start your migration assessmentReady to sell without the clutter?
Join the founding group and get your multilingual shop live in days — with pricing that never punishes your growth.