By Rebekah Carter
Shopify vs Looka: Which platform do you need?
At first, they may seem like completely different solutions. Shopify is a leader in the ecommerce industry, while Looka is best-known for its intuitive logo design tools. However, there is some overlap between the two options.
Shopify actually does have its own logo design tool (Hatchful), and users can build a website with Looka (although it doesn’t support ecommerce).
I took a closer look at both options, to provide you with this simple comparison guide.
Looka vs Shopify: Quick Verdict
- Choose Shopify: If you want a comprehensive ecommerce platform packed with tools for business management and omnichannel selling.
- Choose Looka: If you need a user-friendly design platform, suitable for creating branded assets (like logos), and simple websites.
Shopify Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Comprehensive ecommerce functionality with omnichannel selling capabilities
- Extensive app marketplace for additional features and integrations
- Built-in business management tools (inventory, orders, shipping)
- Robust analytics and reporting features
- Multiple payment processing options
- Point of sale (POS) integration
- Built-in marketing and CRM tools
- Free logo maker (Hatchful) included
Cons:
- Higher monthly costs starting at $39/month
- Additional transaction fees when not using Shopify Payments
- Steeper learning curve due to extensive features
- More complex setup process
- Can be expensive for small businesses when adding multiple apps
Looka Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Intuitive AI-powered logo and design tools
- Cost-effective one-time purchase options for logos
- Comprehensive brand kit creation
- Easy-to-use mockup generation
- Simple website builder for basic sites
- Straightforward drag-and-drop interface
- Extensive design resources and guides
- Lower entry price point for basic needs
Cons:
- No ecommerce capabilities
- Limited website functionality
- Website builder only available on highest tier plan
- Annual subscription required for brand kit access
- More basic customer support options
- Smaller community compared to Shopify
Looka vs Shopify: Pricing
Let’s start by looking at pricing. Perhaps unsurprisingly, since both platforms target very different audiences, their approach to pricing is very different too.
You can experiment with Looka’s design tools, like the logo builder, for free, but you’ll need to pay if you want to download and use your assets.
The cheapest option is to simply buy a low-res version of your logo for $20. Alternatively, you can purchase a “Premium” logo package, with multiple color options, high-res file types, and full ownership rights for $65.
If you want to access a wider range of templates for things like invoices, business cards, letterheads, and social posts, you’ll need a Brand Kit plan, priced at $96 per year.
To add a website, you’ll need the Web Brand Kit subscription, for $129 per year.
While there’s no “free plan” for Shopify, you can access a free trial for 3 days. There’s also the option to use Shopify to sell through social media with a Starter plan which costs $5 per month.
The core plans for Shopify include the Basic Shopify plan ($39 per month), Shopify ($105 per month), and Advanced Shopify ($399 per month).
There’s also an enterprise plan available (Shopify Plus), with pricing starting at $2,300 per month. Notably, with Shopify you will need to pay extra transaction fees if you don’t use Shopify Payments (the company’s proprietary payment processor).
Looka vs Shopify: Feature Comparison
While I could look at each of the features offered by both platforms in depth here, I’m going to keep things simple for this particular comparison.
Make sure you check out our more comprehensive reviews if you want more detail on what Looka and Shopify can do.
Website Design and Ecommerce
First, as I mentioned above, both Looka and Shopify allow users to create websites, but you’ll be a lot more limited in what you can design with Looka.
Looka’s website design tools, included on the most expensive plan, allow you to use AI to create a basic branded website.
You can use this site to as a portfolio for your work, and even boost your marketing with content and blogging.
However, Looka doesn’t support ecommerce, so if you’re looking to develop your own online store, you’ll be out of luck.
Shopify, on the other hand is a comprehensive website builder and ecommerce platform. It gives you the tools to create a far more engaging online experience for customers, with SEO-friendly elements, unique themes, and the option to add your own domain name.
Plus, it supports omnichannel ecommerce, with options for selling directly through your site (with a simple one-click checkout), via marketplaces, or on social media channels. You can even use Shopify POS to sell products in-person.
Branding Tools and Asset Creation
Where Shopify stands out as a leading commerce solution, Looka thrives in the web-based graphic design landscape.
Notably, you can create branded assets with Shopify’s free resources, like Hatchful for logo creation.
However, Looka’s logo design tools are a little more impressive in my opinion. They give you a lot more control over your colors, shapes, fonts, images, and more.
The system is very easy to use too, with a drag-and-drop editor, and handy AI features that can generate images for you in a matter of seconds.
You can also go beyond simply creating a logo with Looka. The platform includes resources for designing entire kits of branded assets, from business cards, to branded merchandise, social media content, flyers, posters, and brochures.
One slight issue I encountered with Looka, however, is that although you can create mockups of branded shirts, pens, and other products, the company doesn’t offer a print on demand service.
That means you’ll need to work with another company like Printful or Printify to create your merch.
Marketing Capabilities
Both Shopify and Looka can help to elevate the results of your marketing campaigns, but they do so in very different ways.
For instance, with Looka, you can create the assets you need to boost your marketing strategy, such as social media posts, flyers, and email templates. However, you can’t run automated marketing campaigns from the platform directly.
Shopify’s built-in marketing tools are relatively basic. You can create a SEO-friendly website, produce blogs for content marketing, and even communicate with customers through Shopify Email, or Live Chat.
You can also run promotional campaigns and sales with discounts and voucher codes.
However, if you want to run more comprehensive marketing campaigns, you may need to take advantage of integrations with the Shopify platform.
The good news is that unlike Looka, which only integrates with a handful of platforms Shopify offers thousands of integrations to choose from for all kinds of marketing tools, from Instagram, to Mailchimp, and beyond.
AI Capabilities
Finally, one thing both Looka and Shopify do have in common, is access to AI-powered tools.
Personally, I found Looka’s AI capabilities a little simplistic compared to the ones you get on other web-based design platforms. Canva’s AI solutions, for instance, are a lot more advanced.
However, Looka does allow you to leverage AI to create custom logos and branded assets a lot faster with basic text prompts.
I just wish there were more AI editing tools, such as an intelligent background removal, or a generative AI image creation tool.
Shopify’s AI solutions are more focused on the world of commerce. Shopify Magic, for instance, makes it easy to create unique product pages by removing image backgrounds, or generate descriptions and titles.
It can create answers for your FAQ page, elevate your email marketing strategy, and turn live chat interactions into checkout experiences.
Shopify Sidekick, on the other hand, allows you to use AI to enhance your business management strategy. It can help you set up tailored shipping strategies, keep track of your inventory, or optimize your reports with in-depth analytics and suggestions.
A Few Other Areas Where Shopify Stands Out
Before we discuss customer support, and ease of use, it’s worth noting that there are a few other areas where I think Shopify stands out and delivers a better experience to Looka overall.
Looka might be a great tool for basic design generation, but Shopify gives you countless resources to help you run and manage your business.
Since it’s intended for ecommerce vendors, Shopify includes a range of business management tools, including inventory management solutions, product, order, and shipping management, and access to customer relationship management tools.
Shopify also makes it easy to keep track of your company’s growth, with in-depth reports and analytics that help you identify your most popular products, evaluate customer behavior and more. You can’t really access any analytical tools with Looka.
Shopify vs Looka: Ease of Use and Customer Support
Both Looka and Shopify are extremely user-friendly platforms. You don’t need any coding or design experience to use either solution.
The website design and logo design tools offered by both companies are very straightforward and great for beginners.
However, it’s worth noting that Shopify might have a slightly higher learning curve than Looka overall. The platform is a lot more comprehensive with a wider range of tools to discover and experiment with.
Alternatively, Looka is intended mainly for basic design requirements, and doesn’t have any ecommerce tools, inventory management capabilities, or the ability to create marketing campaigns.
I’d probably recommend giving yourself a little more time to get used to all the functionality offered by Shopify, particularly if you’re a beginner in the ecommerce space.
In terms of customer support, Looka and Shopify both offer access to comprehensive resources, such as guides and FAQs.
However, Shopify has a more robust community for extra guidance, as well as videos and valuable blogs you can access for more information.
For direct support, you can contact Looka via live chat and email. Shopify offers chat, email, and phone support, although the speed with which you’ll access responses to your questions can vary depending on the plan you choose.
Shopify vs Looka: Verdict
Ultimately, Shopify and Looka are both excellent platforms, but they’re intended for very different purposes.
Looka is great if you’re searching for a cost-effective and convenient way to create branded assets like logos, business cards and social media templates.
Shopify, on the other hand, is the best option if you’re searching for a comprehensive ecommerce solution which allows you to sell through a range of channels.
Keep in mind, while both platforms offer logo design tools and website builders, Shopify is the only solution (in this comparison), that can support ecommerce.
