Shopify vs Looka 2024: Which Solution Do You Need?

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.

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.

Looka’s Core Features

• Website design: Looka’s website design tools are only available for users on the most expensive plan. However, if you choose this plan, you’ll be able to use AI to build a custom website, which features all of your brand assets.
• Logo maker: Simple, but effective, Looka’s logo maker includes plenty of resources, from colors and fonts, to graphics, to help you design a professional-looking logo in minutes. The system is very easy to use, with drag-and-drop functionality.
• AI tools: Although Looka’s AI tools aren’t as advanced as some of the others I’ve seen from companies like Canva, they do simply the process of making branded assets, allowing you to generate designs by simply entering a few key details about your business.
• Brand kits: Looka’s brand kits are comprehensive collections of branded assets you can use for all kinds of promotion. You can create social media assets, business cards, letterheads, presentations, flyers, posters, brochures, and more.
• Resources: To help beginners, Looka offers access to countless useful resources, including step-by-step guides, and collections of logo ideas, similar to our website inspiration guides listed on Ecomm.Design.
• Mockups: One thing I do love about Looka is how easy it is to create mockups that showcase your logo in a range of formats. You can even see what your logo will look like on branded merchandise like t-shirts (although there’s no print on demand service).

Shopify’s Core Features

• Website builder: Shopify offers a much more comprehensive website builder than Looka, complete with SEO-friendly elements, a blog, unique themes, the option to add your own domain name, and ecommerce features (such as payment processing).
• Omnichannel selling: Aside from allowing you to sell through a custom website, Shopify also enables companies to sell through integrations with marketplaces and social media channels. There’s also a built-in point of sale solution.
• Free resources: Shopify offers a range of free resources for beginners, including a logo maker (Hatchful), which allows you to create branded assets, similar to what you can accomplish with Looka.
• Business management: 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.
• Marketing capabilities: Although you’ll need to use integrations for more advanced marketing capabilities, Shopify does have some built-in marketing tools, such as email tools, live chat capabilities, and solutions for running website promotions.
• Reporting and analytics: Shopify 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.
• Apps and integrations: One of the things I love about Shopify is how flexible it can be. You can integrate your store with thousands of different apps for marketing, sales, web design, accounting, and more, through the Shopify App marketplace.

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.