Got stuck between the two shopping cart solutions: SamCart Vs ThriveCart. Choosing software that provides similar features and services could confuse.
Therefore, I am writing this article to discuss the two platforms, their best features, their pricing, and the quality of service they provide. I will also give you more clarity on both SamCart Vs ThriveCart so you can make an informed decision.
Let’s get started.
SamCart Vs ThriveCart
First,t we will review the SamCart.
What is SamCart?
SamCart is a 2014-founded shopping cart solution created to help creators who want to sell online. It is the brainchild of Brian and Scott Moran, who are the co-founders of this popular cart platform and are also brothers.
This eCommerce platform will help you sell digital and physical products. You can sell digital products, courses, and coaching, and you can also sell physical products with no issues.
SamCart is an eCommerce platform that will assist you in selling and scaling your business.
Many creators have benefited from SamCart. Since its launch, SamCart has powered over 75,000 businesses and helped them sell over 9 million products, generating over 2.8 billion dollars in revenue.
What is ThriveCart?
Our other contender is not behind in numbers either. ThriveCart has helped its customers convert their carts and sell over 16 million products, bringing in 2.6 billion in revenues.
Josh Bartlett founded ThriveCart in 2016, and it is a powerful cart solution available on the market.
Features: SamCart Vs ThriveCart
SamCart
Landing Page
SamCart lets you create an optimized landing page for your users with little effort.
To simplify your job, SamCart gives you tons of done-for-you templates that you can further edit and customize according to your needs with the easy drag-and-drop editor. Not only can you create a stunning page, but you can also A/B test two pages to know which is better performing.
Unlimited Products
One of the good things about SamCart that I like is that they let you create unlimited pages and sell unlimited products without charging you any transaction fees. You have this offer no matter which paid plan level you are on.
Digital Wallets
Checkouts are their specialty, and they do this better than anything else. To help make the conversion, they have language support and various currencies in the cart, so your cart does not look alien to a customer shopping on your site from any region.
SamCart also allows your customers to pay through digital wallets like Google Pay, Microsoft Pay, and Apple Pay, along with traditional payments like credit cards.
They also auto-apply tax based on your customer’s location and add it to their checkout page.
Additional Sales
SamCart allows you to sell more products by enabling you to sell other products while your customer is about to proceed to the checkout page with their existing order. They let you add order bumps and upsells to ensure you can close more sales.
Pay What You Want
I like this feature a lot. With this feature, you let your customers decide how much they pay for your product or service. Usually, non-profit organizations use this feature for donations.
Subscription Saver
With this feature, when your subscribed customer’s due date is near, and the system detects that the card saved has expired or cannot complete the transaction for any reason, SamCart will let your customer know via email and ask them to change their payment methods so the subscription can be renewed without fail.
Courses Creation
SamCart recently added this feature in June 2021. SamCart has provided course creation features like auto-enrollment, easy checkout pages, content tier plan bundling, and easy course creation.
Integrations
No tool is enough for you, and that’s true no matter how good a tool is. And that’s why being able to use other tools is important. That’s what integration does. SamCart lets you connect 5,000+ applications through Zapier. You can connect SamCart with your favorite tools like HubSpot, MailChimp, WordPress, etc.
Native Payment Processor
SamCart offers a native payment processor, “SamPay.” With it, you won’t need to integrate third-party payment processors such as Stripe to collect the payment.
Creating an account with SamCart is enough; with no hassle, you can start collecting the payment immediately.
Membership Site
Since 2021, SamCart has allowed the creation of a membership site. If you have a course to sell or want to create a membership area, you can do so with SamCart.
SamCart provides many templates for designing membership sites.
ThriveCart
Profit Boosters
You can create checkout pages in ThriveCart and add one-click upselling products and order bumps to make extra sales every time your customers check out on your products. You can also offer trial or subscription-based plans to your customers to give them more convenience.
Insights
Data is important for any business to grow. And therefore, ThriveCart provides a reporting dashboard where you can view real-time data on your cart conversions and daily revenue information, which helps you forecast your business performance.
Tax Calculator
Like in SamCart, ThriveCart also gives you an auto sales tax calculator that determines tax considering the location and product type, which gives you one less task to worry about.
JV Contract
This feature will be helpful for joint-venture businesses. ThriveCart lets you create partner profiles, create contracts, and distribute revenue from the business. Your business profits will be shared automatically as per your partner’s share unless otherwise agreed upon.
Embeddable Carts
Like in SamCart, you can’t create landing pages here, but you can create embeddable carts, lead pop-ups and embed them on any platform.
Pricing Models
ThriveCart lets you create different payment plans for your customers. You can offer them free trials, flexible subscriptions, split payments, and even the “pay what you want facility.
Subscription Saver
Like with SamCart, with ThriveCart, you can send notifications to your customers when their payment is due.
Cart abandonment
ThriveCart also lets you save sales from customers who have abandoned the cart. You can set up automated follow-up emails to your customers and control and manage revised affiliate commissions when you offer customers a discount to complete the purchase.
Affiliate Dashboard
You also get an affiliate center in ThriveCart, where you can manage your affiliate marketers, see where sales came from, and decide how much to pay them. Everything can be managed in ThriveCart’s affiliate dashboard.
Integration
Like in SamCart, you can connect with various third-party tools in ThriveCart. Like Google Pay, Infusionsoft, Thinkific, PayPal, etc.
Winner
Though both platforms offer useful and robust features, SamCart is the winner of this comparison because:
- It has a more modern and simple interface than ThriveCart. ThriveCart has an outdated interface.
- SamCart offers a native payment processor called SamPay. ThriveCart does not offer any native payment processor; you must integrate a third-party application to collect the payment.
- SamCart lets you create a membership site and sell online courses. ThriveCart does not offer this feature.
Plans and Pricing: SamCart Vs ThriveCart
SamCart
SamCart has three plans: launch, grow, and scale. Their monthly rates for the plans are 59, 119, and 299. If you subscribe to their yearly plans, the monthly rates will be reduced to 39, 79, and 199.
In all the plans, you get core features that include:
- Drag-and-drop page builder
- Templates library
- Unlimited products and pages
- Unlimited courses
- Unlimited memberships
- Unlimited video uploads
- Student quizzes
- No transaction fees
To access advanced features, you can upgrade to a plan based on your needs.
SamCart has low rates as compared to its competitors in its domain, but we will know if they are lower than the rates of ThriveCart when discussing the prices for ThriveCart.
ThriveCart
ThriveCart is different in pricing. Why so? Because it offers no monthly or yearly pricing plans. It offers a lifetime account where you need to pay just 495 USD to avail of all its features except for the following:
- Custom domain function
- JV Contracts
- Simple Sales Tax Functionality
- Affiliate Centre
- Subscription Saver Functionality
- Business Projections
- Client Usage Rights
And to have all the features mentioned above, you need to upgrade to the Pro plan, which will require you to pay 195 USD more.
So you get the entire ThriveCart platform for 690 USD, and you won’t need to pay again.
Winner
You might think ThriveCart is the winner in this pricing evaluation, but it is not.
Though you get lifetime access to ThriveCart for a one-time payment, note that you are locked with the same version of the software you have purchased. You won’t get any major future upgrades.
You must use the old and outdated software for the rest of your life.
With SamCart, you will always have access to the latest version of the platform.
I have also noticed that customer support is poor for such a platform that offers a lifetime plan because they don’t have the incentive to serve you. Initially, they will respond to you, but later they may not care about your concerns.
However, the opposite is true with the subscription-based system. They must keep their users happy so they can continue paying for the service.
So, SamCart is the winner for this section
Support: SamCart Vs ThriveCart
SamCart
SamCart provides many resources for your references, such as blogs, tutorials, and guides. You will need to head to their knowledge base page for this.
Speaking about customer support, their support team is available Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. CT time. You can email their customer support address, [email protected], and they will get back to you in 24 hours. The response also depends on your plan.
If you are on the base plan, you will have to wait for 24 hours or more from them, and if you are on the highest plan, you will get priority support.
They also have live chat support, and the timing of their availability is the same as the emails.
ThriveCart
ThriveCart gives you full support with their reading materials, be it their general FAQs on getting started, creating your products, or tips suggested by them as blogs. You will probably find a blog for each section of features they provide.
For customer support, you can write on their website or email [email protected], and they will get back to you.
Winner
Both provide similar support to their customers. It’s a tie.
Similarities between SamCart and ThriveCart
- Both provide a subscription-saving feature.
- Both SamCart and ThriveCart have affiliate centers.
- Both SamCart and ThriveCart provide sales booster tools like upsells and order bumps.
- Both let you create unlimited checkout pages.
- Both provide you with a good range of third-party tools to integrate with.
- Both have an auto-sales tax calculator.
- Both SamCart and ThriveCart let you sell digital and physical products.
Difference between SamCart and ThriveCart
- The difference in pricing is one major difference.
- Both provide templates, but SamCart has better options.
- You get a 7-day trial on SamCart, but ThriveCart makes no such offer.
- SamCart provides digital wallets on its platform, but with ThriveCart, you must use them via integrations.
What do I like about SamCart?
- There are more good-looking templates in SamCart.
- It has a smoother interface.
- SamCart charges no processing fee.
- Features like the subscription saver, pay what you want, and affiliate center are helpful.
- They offer a free trial, which will be helpful for people who want to test first before purchasing.
- SamCart has a 99.9% uptime.
What do I not like about SamCart?
- It does not have a free plan.
- They have put some of the best features on the highest plan.
What do I like about ThriveCart?
- Pay once and use the platform forever.
- Its two carts, affiliate center, dunning, and joint venture features are some of its best features.
- It has zero transaction fees.
- It has a 99% uptime record.
What do I not like about ThriveCart?
- ThriveCart does not have a free plan.
- It also does not have a free trial.
- Digital payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay must be integrated before they can be used.
SamCart Vs ThriveCart: FAQs
Q1: What is SamCart?
SamCart is an eCommerce and Online Course platform that allows you to sell your products, services, and courses online. It provides customizable checkout pages, one-click upsells, order bumps, and integrations with many third-party tools.
Q2: What is ThriveCart?
ThriveCart is an eCommerce platform offering similar features to SamCart, including customizable checkout pages, one-click upsells, and order bumps. It also integrates with various third-party tools.
Q3: How do SamCart and ThriveCart compare in terms of features?
Both platforms offer similar features, but SamCart has more integrations with third-party tools, including email marketing services and payment gateways. SamCart provides more detailed analytics and reporting, while ThriveCart has limited reporting capabilities. SamCart offers a native payment gateway, while ThriveCart does not. SamCart also offers you to create a membership site, while ThriveCart does not.
Q4: Which platform is more user-friendly?
SamCart has a more user-friendly interface, making setting up and managing your online store easier. ThriveCart’s interface can be overwhelming for some users, especially those unfamiliar with eCommerce platforms.
Q5: How is the customer support for SamCart and ThriveCart?
SamCart has a 24/7 live chat feature, providing immediate help. ThriveCart only offers support during specific hours, making getting help outside of those hours more challenging.
Q6: Can I use SamCart and ThriveCart for physical and digital products?
Both platforms allow you to sell physical and digital products. You can also create subscription products and payment plans.
Q7: Do SamCart and ThriveCart offer any trial or demo options?
SamCart offers a 14-day trial for users to test the platform before committing to a subscription. ThriveCart offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing users to try the platform risk-free.
Q8: Can I use SamCart and ThriveCart with my existing website?
Both platforms allow you to integrate their checkout pages with your existing website. You can also use them as standalone platforms if you don’t have a website.
Q9: Which is better: SamCart or ThriveCart?
SamCart and ThriveCart provide similar features; however, SamCart is modern and constantly updated software. It provides better and more responsive support.
Q10: Which platform has a better interface?
SamCart has a better interface and a better-looking dashboard than ThriveCart. Aesthetics are secondary, but ease of use is always primary. SamCart outperforms ThriveCart in both of them.
Summary
SamCart and ThriveCart, are both robust platforms, but SamCart has a more user-friendly interface and offers more third-party integrations. SamCart offers 24X7 live chat support, while ThriveCart only offers support during specific hours.
SamCart also provides more detailed analytics and reporting, making tracking sales and performance easier.
That’s a wrap for this comparison article between SamCart Vs ThriveCart.
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Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase after clicking. Please understand that I recommend these resources because they are useful, not just because of my commissions. Please do not purchase unless you need the materials to achieve your goals. Read the disclaimer.
I am Mohammad Fahad Usmani, B.E. PMP, PMI-RMP. I have been blogging on project management topics since 2011. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources.
