Shopware review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Shopware suits small businesses and enterprise teams that want a store builder with a free plan and a listed transaction fee of 0.15% to 2.99% on top of its plan price. Buyers on a tight launch budget should weigh that plan price against far cheaper store options such as Shopify.
Key facts
- Best for
- Small businesses wanting a store builder with a free plan and a listed transaction fee.
- Price from
- €600 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- E-commerce plan price
- €600 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Transaction fee
- 0.15% to 2.99% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Builder type
- Store (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- shopware AG (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Germany (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Audience
- Small business, Enterprise
- Pricing model
- Free plan
- Official website
- shopware.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- A free plan is available, so a store can be set up before any spend.
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre, covering email, phone, a help centre and a community.
- It is aimed at both small businesses and enterprise buyers, per small business and enterprise.
Cons
- The e-commerce plan price of €600 is far above the entry price of cheaper store platforms.
- With an entry point of €600, Shopware asks for more budget up front than Ko-fi at $12 or Shopify at $39.
- Budgets have to cover the plan price as well as the transaction fee of 0.15% to 2.99%.
Who it suits
- Small businesses that want to launch on a free plan and move to a paid store later.
- Enterprise teams that need a full store platform with the email and phone routes in email, phone and help centre.
Who should look elsewhere
- Shopify, where a first store can start from $39 rather than €600.
- Ko-fi, whose $12 entry point suits sellers who want to keep the commitment small.
- ClickFunnels, whose $97 entry point is far below what Shopware charges to start.
The company behind it
Shopware is run by shopware AG, headquartered in Germany and founded in 2000. Support reaches buyers through email, phone and help centre, which spans email, phone, a help centre and a community. The legal entity and the operating history matter to buyers weighing vendor stability over a platform's lifetime.
How Shopware compares
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.2- 9.2 vs 9.1
- 9.2 vs 9.3
9.2 vs 8.6- 9.2 vs 9.4
- 9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.2- 9.2 vs 9.1
- 9.2 vs 9.2
- 9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.3
9.2 vs 9.5
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.3- 9.2 vs 9.3
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.0
Where Shopware is available
- Available
- Austria, Germany
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does Shopware cost to start?+
Pricing starts at €600, and the e-commerce plan price is the same figure at €600. That is higher than the entry points of Ko-fi at $12 and Shopify at $39, so a tight budget starts on the free plan.
Is there a transaction fee on Shopware?+
A transaction fee of 0.15% to 2.99% is listed, and it sits alongside the plan price rather than replacing it. Total spend therefore tracks trading volume, so a slow start costs less in fees than a busy season would.
Does Shopware have a free plan?+
Yes, a free plan is available and the model is listed as free-plan, per free plan. It gives sellers a way to open a store and test a product before committing to the €600 entry point, which is the point where the decision gets expensive.
Who is Shopware built for?+
The audience covers small business and enterprise, so a growing shop and a large operation are both in scope. Buyers should still check that the €600 plan price and the 0.15% to 2.99% transaction fee match their sales volume before committing.
What kind of product is Shopware?+
Shopware is a store builder rather than a general site builder, per store. It is aimed at small business and enterprise, so the buying and selling parts matter more than brochure pages, which is why the plan price and the transaction fee are the figures to weigh.
How does Shopware support customers?+
Support runs on email, phone and help centre, covering email, phone, a help centre and a community. Email and phone are the direct routes, while the community adds a slower self-serve option for common store questions.
How does Shopware compare with Shopify and ClickFunnels on price?+
Shopify starts from $39 and ClickFunnels from $97, both well under the €600 Shopware entry point. The higher outlay buys a free plan to start and a listed transaction fee of 0.15% to 2.99% that scales with sales.
How does Shopware rank on cost?+
On cost, Shopware scores 0.2, and it places 157 of 160 on e-commerce plan price. The typical e-commerce plan price across the site is €14, so Shopware sits well above the middle.
Sources
- shopware.com/en checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Builder type, Founded, Headquarters, Legal entity, Pricing model
“Shopware is a trendsetting ecommerce platform for building and customizing a fully responsive online store”
- shopware.com/en/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Audience, E-commerce plan price, Free plan, Price from, Support channels
“Rise For growing businesses ready to scale. ... Evolve For ambitious brands expanding into B2B and B2C.”
- shopware.com/en/pricing/shopware-payments checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Transaction fee
“Shopware Payments follows a transaction-based pricing model, where fees are applied per successful transaction.”
Compiled from 3 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Related by the facts
Shopware
Small businesses wanting a store builder with a free plan and a listed transaction fee.