Compare/Commerce/Shopify vs. Centra

Shopify
vs.
Centra

Without a doubt, there's no product like Crystallize on the market today, one that seamlessly combines PIM, commerce, and CMS functionality, providing everything you need to showcase your product across all channels and screens.

Shopify

User-friendly interface
Extensive theme selection
Comprehensive App ecosystem
Can be launched without developers

Proprietary coding language
Content management limitations
Transaction fees

What is Shopify

Shopify is a cloud‐based ecommerce platform that enables businesses of all sizes to quickly set up, manage, and scale their online stores. As a SaaS solution, Shopify provides a complete suite of tools—including website design, inventory and order management, payment processing, and marketing automation—all from one easy-to-use platform.

Usecases for Shopify

Perfect for quickly deploying small to medium-sized online stores with a wide range of out-of-the-box features.

Centra

User-friendly interface and setup
Built-in B2B and DTC modules
Excellent support

Wholesale UI rigidity
Initial configuration can be “slightly more complex”
Video upload limitation

What is Centra

Centra is a cloud-native, API-first e-commerce platform designed primarily for fashion and lifestyle brands, offering both direct-to-consumer and wholesale commerce capabilities in a single, high-performance SaaS solution.

Usecases for Centra

Companies needing integrated B2B workflows—real-time inventory, bulk orders, returns and ERP sync—benefit from Centra’s unified module set.

Full

None

Partial

Integration

Shopify

Centra

Crystallize

Tech

Architecture

Monolithic / Modular

Multi-tenant SaaS

Event based architecture with horizontal scaling

Cloud infrastructure

Shopify Cloud

Fastly CDN

AWS

API coverage

REST / GraphQL

RESTful / GraphQL

GraphQL

Built with

Ruby / PHP

TypeScript / GraphQL

Security features

SSL / 2FA / PCI DSS

Enterprise-grade security and compliance

OAuth / JWT

Scalability

Maintenance

Managed

Customization level

Frontend integration

Liquid / SDKs

Framework-agnostic

Frontend agnostic

AI/Machine learning

Via apps

via open APIs

Via third-party

Multitenancy

Features

Headless commerce

Supported with APIs

Product information management (PIM)

Via Apps/Extensions

Built-in

Digital asset management (DAM)

Add-on via Extension

Built-in

Order management

Content management system (CMS)

Basic CMS

Third-party CMS

Built-in

Multichannel selling

SEO optimization tools

Built-in

Customization and theming

Internationalization

Multi-language / multi-currency

API-First Design

Ecosystem and integrations

Vast

Expanding

Checkout customization

Limited

Fully customizable via API or SDK

High flexibility

Subscription services

Built-in

CRM integration

Via API

Analytics and reporting

Marketplace

Via API

User experience

User-friendly

Intuitive, fashion-focused back-office UI

Intuitive / Dev focused

Pricing

Pricing model

Subscription tiers / Additional fees for apps

Usage-based subscription covering core modules

Subscription-based

Free Tier availability

14-day free trial

Not limited on features

Entry-level price

Starts at $29/month

Custom

Enterprise-level price

Custom

Support

Support options

24/7 Support / Community / Dedicated support (Plus and Advanced plans)

24/7 email and chat support / Slack / dedicated Customer Success Manager for enterprise

Slack / Community / Dedicated account manager (Enterprise)

Documentation quality

Comprehensive / User-friendly

Comprehensive developer docs, API reference, SDK guides and code samples

Comprehensive, well-organized

Additional resources

Help Center / API Documentation / Guides

Blog, webinars, whitepapers and migration guides

Livestream videos / API Reference / Developer guides

Community

Community and forums

Large and Active

Private customer forum and Slack workspace

Growing and Active (Slack)

Professional training

Certification programs

DISCLAIMER: The comparison pages on this website are based on publicly available information and are intended for informational purposes only. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date content , we make no representations or warranties regarding the completeness or accuracy of the information presented. Readers are advised to consult the official websites of the respective platforms for the most current details, as features and specifications are subject to change without notice.