SamCart and ThriveCart are popular shopping cart software programs that help vendors sell their digital and physical products. If you are looking for a comparison of SamCart Vs ThriveCart, you found the right blog!
In this blog post, I will compare SamCart Vs ThriveCart in detail, and after reading this post, you will know which software is the best option for your business.
An online business requires strategic planning and tactics to manage operations and stay ahead of the competition.
You need a well-designed sales funnel. Selling products or services is the last stage of your sales funnel, which will require shopping cart software to achieve your goal.
Online shopping carts are like physical shopping carts and serve the same purpose. They store a buyer’s selected products until the checkout process is completed.
These online carts are built using specialized shopping cart software that lets you create and customize the checkout pages according to your preferences.
SamCart vs ThriveCart
SamCart and ThriveCart are two powerful shopping cart platforms in the market that provide the best checkout experience.
Though they offer many similar functions, in some respects, they are different.
Let us begin with a brief overview of the two software programs.
SamCart
Scott and Brian Moran, two brothers, founded SamCart in 2013. They developed this software as they needed an efficient shopping cart tool for their business.
It is one of the oldest shopping cart software and is the first choice of thousands of businesses.
SamCart offers a 7-day trial period. After the trial period, you can subscribe to one of three pricing plans:
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Launch |
Grow |
Scale |
|---|---|---|
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|
|
Read my SamCart review.
Key Features of SamCart
- Checkout pop-ups
- Checkout templates
- Payment processing
- Free SSL certificate
- Coupons codes and discounts
- Custom domains
- Advanced subscriptions
- Smart pixel tracking
- Digital product deliverability
- Drag and drop template builder
- Free 14-day trial
Click here to Try SamCart for free.
ThriveCart
Josh Bartlett founded ThriveCart in 2016 as he wanted a simple, hassle-free checkout solution for his business. Initially, he kept this software for his business, but later on, it became a success when he released the software to the general public.
ThriveCart is one of the cheapest shopping cart software platforms available on the market.
Read my ThriveCart review.
Key Features of ThriveCart
- One-time fee
- Multiple payment plans (split-pay)
- Subscriptions
- Name your price
- Mobile payments
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Limited product quantity
- External analytics
- Detailed reporting
- Automatic sales tax calculation
- Supports twenty-two different currencies
- Dunning (pro account)
- JV Contracts & Revenue Sharing
Common Features of SamCart and ThriveCart
- Both tools provide numerous integrations
- You can do split testing for your products
- Both have a subscription saver (Dunning)
- Both let you create an effective sales funnel
SamCart vs. ThriveCart: Pricing Plans
Let us compare the price of these two platforms.
SamCart Pricing
SamCart has three pricing plans:
- Launch: SamCart’s basic plan comes at a monthly recurring fee of 59 USD.
- Grow: The monthly recurring price of the Grow plan is 119 USD. It has features like custom checkout fields, multiple payment options, customer management, order bump collection, and post-purchase upsells.
- Scale: This premium plan is priced at 299 USD per month. This has exclusive features to recover cart abandonment, Built-in A/B Testing, an affiliate center, and a subscription saver (Dunning).
You can get a 33% to 47% discount with a yearly payment on all plans.
ThriveCart Pricing
ThriveCart offers one pricing plan with a one-time payment of 495 USD. You can also upgrade to the Pro account for a one-time fee of 195 USD.
ThriveCart’s one-time payment deal is a special offer that is only valid for a certain period. The price might not stay the same for a long time.
By the way, I have seen ThriveCart use this pricing for over two years now.
You may think lifetime access for a one-time fee is a great offer, but there could be drawbacks. I have seen a lot of software platforms offering one-time fees to lure customers but fail to provide good support for their products.
They do not maintain the software, and finally, users are left alone.
Also, notice that ThriveCart’s lifetime pricing for the current software version means you will not get access to the next version when it comes out.
Every software needs revision and new features to be relevant in the market. However, with the ThriveCart lifetime plan, you will be locked in with the same features for life and cannot grow or maintain the business after a few months or years as you will not get access to the new version.
Verdict
I consider SamCart the winning platform for this category because it has stable pricing and solid customer support.
Payment Processor Integrations
Setting up payment gateways is vital for any business as it allows them to receive payments in exchange for selling products. Both SamCart and ThriveCart seamlessly integrate with many payment platforms.
Let me give you some detailed insight into these features.
SamCart
SamCart offers the following payment processors:
- Stripe
- SamPay
- PayPal
- Digital Wallets
- Authorize.net
- Braintree
- Easy Pay Direct
SamPay is a native SamCart payment processor that does not require any integration.
ThriveCart
ThriveCart integrates with Stripe, Authorize.net, and PayPal. It has fewer direct integrations than SamCart but allows you to accept payment via Apple Pay and Google Pay.
ThriveCart allows you to link multiple accounts with your payment processors. If you have more Stripe accounts, you can connect them with ThriveCart.
It is the same process for other payment gateways.
Verdict
SamCart wins this round because it offers more payment integrations and includes a native payment processor, SamPay.
Membership Platforms
If you have a membership site (online course platform), you can integrate your membership site with the shopping cart platform for a better checkout experience.
SamCart
SamCart supports the following membership sites:
- Thinkific
- Post Affiliate Pro
- WishList Member
- Digital Access Pass
- Optimize Member
- MemberMouse
ThriveCart
Besides supporting the same platforms as SamCart, ThriveCart also supports:
- Teachable
- MemberPress
- Thrive Apprentice
- LifterLMS
- MemberSonic
- EverLesson
- ProductDyno
- WPEP Content Sales Engine
- LearnDash
- MasterClassPlugin
- Podia
Verdict
ThriveCart wins the round for membership platforms because it offers more integration platforms than SamCart.
Email Marketing Providers
Not having a proper mailing list will cause a business lose a lot of money. Adding email marketing services to your shopping tool is a necessity.
SamCart
For SamCart, you can choose from the following email marketing providers:
- MailChimp
- GetResponse
- Constant Contact
- ConvertKit
- Drip
- AWeber
- HubSpot
- ActiveCampaign
- iContact
- Infusionsoft
- Klaviyo
- Maropost
- Ontraport
ThriveCart
ThriveCart lets you integrate with:
- ActiveCampaign
- AWeber
- ConvertKit
- Drip
- GetResponse
- HubSpot
- Infusionsoft
- MailChimp
- MailerLite
- Moosend
- Ontraport
- Sendy
Verdict
There is a tie for email marketing providers as both platforms offer similar mailing integrations.
Webinar Platforms
If hosting webinars is a part of your business’s marketing strategy, you will be highly disappointed. If you use ThriveCart, you can only integrate with one webinar hosting platform, Demio. SamCart has no such option, although, with Zapier integration, you can work with most webinar hosting sites.
Verdict
Both ThriveCart and SamCart should offer more webinar platform integration. During the current pandemic, webinars and video conferences have increased. Thus, integration with a webinar hosting platform would help vendors sell more products.
Fulfillment Platforms
SamCart
SamCart integrates with one fulfillment platform, ShipStation. However, with Zapier, you can link with other fulfillment platforms according to your business needs.
ThriveCart
On the other hand, ThriveCart integrates with many fulfillment platforms including:
- Disk.com
- Kunaki
- Lulu
- Printful
- Shippo
- Shipstation
- Shopify
- Vervante
- Google Sheets
Verdict
ThriveCart has more options for fulfillment platform integrations, so, it is the winner of this category.
Checkout Templates
Checkout pages are vital to the sales funnel process. They are the key element to converting your visitors into customers.
SamCart
Regarding checkout pages, no other SamCart alternative can rival SamCart. This platform offers a wide range of template designs. It also has the drag-and-drop builder, which lets you customize your sales funnel and product pages. You can even optimize the page for your mobile devices.
SamCart has many widgets, such as FAQs, Testimonials, Countdown Timer, Progress Bar, and more. You can add a call-to-action button, testimonials, guarantees, etc., to your checkout page.
ThriveCart
ThriveCart allows you to build a checkout page within a few minutes. You can choose either a one-page checkout or a two-page checkout. Just like SamCart, you can embed it in your website.
It is quite similar to SamCart, minus some additional elements and plug-ins. However, it allows you to customize your cart page, but ThriveCart only offers four design templates, which is the only downside.
Verdict
SamCart hands-down wins for checkout templates.
Compared to ThriveCart, SamCart is more flexible in this aspect.
ThriveCart continues to update its platform, and I am sure it will eventually add more modern templates than its current outdated ones.
Affiliate Management
Affiliates marketing helps boost sales. Both SamCart and ThriveCart have a strong built-in affiliate program. Their powerful affiliate management system allows you to easily enlist and manage your affiliates.
SamCart
SamCart allows you to create as many affiliates as you want. Its dashboard contains a lot of data to help you analyze an affiliate’s performance. It provides deep insight into this program, which helps promote your business for success.
ThriveCart
The built-in affiliate management feature is one of the high selling points of ThriveCart. It sticks to its easy-to-use concept and offers a user-friendly experience by providing an easy-to-navigate dashboard.
ThriveCart does a good job of keeping their affiliate management dashboard clean and clear. You can also:
- Customize the commissions for your affiliates
- Set payment options for your affiliates’ affiliates if they make any sales
- Have more control over your affiliates
- Let your affiliates know all transactions, payments, and more details
ThriveCart’s affiliate dashboard is better than SamCart’s dashboard.
Verdict
ThriveCart wins this category for many reasons, as you can see.
Product Listings
An optimized product listing page funnels your visitors and brings them closer to conversion. The process of listing products in SamCart and ThriveCart is pretty much the same.
SamCart
After creating a product, you need to fill in details like a product name, price, description, and other necessary information. You can set payment options, discounts, coupons, etc.
ThriveCart
You can create either a digital or a physical product. After creating the product, you can give it a name and add the checkout page URL. You can even choose to change the status of your product from disabled, test mode, or live.
For pricing, other than one-time payment or split pay, you can set up any payment gateway and accept mobile payments. You can also set order bumps and affiliates.
Verdict
SamCart wins the product listing category. Although ThriveCart has decent product listing features, SamCart is much better because it is simple and neatly arranged.
Reporting and Analysis
Reporting and analysis are important when choosing a shopping cart tool. Such features will help you know your sales patterns and in-depth information about your customers.
SamCart
SamCart offers detailed and easy-to-read analytic reports. It provides insight into metrics like conversion rates, trials, cancellations, affiliate orders, commissions, and more. You can also track and analyze your sales reports by charges, subscriptions, and traffic. SamCart also lets you filter your report according to funnels, which is not possible with ThriveCart. It also lets you export the reports easily.
ThriveCart
ThriveCart provides a clean dashboard and displays many things, like sales, recurring subscriptions, cancellations, and refunds. With ThriveCart, you can also compare products by checking the detailed reports. You can also disable the statistics you do not require.
Verdict
It is a tie between ThriveCart and SamCart for reporting and analysis. It is difficult to determine which is better since they have different features and may appeal to different people.
Other Differences
Tax Calculations:
Both platforms offer tax calculations on the checkout pages.
While ThriveCart has a built-in tax calculator, SamCart uses a third-party tool for its sales tax calculations. ThriveCart offers better service here.
Interface:
Providing a good interface is necessary for understanding the platform’s functioning, especially if one is a beginner.
SamCart is well known for its user-friendly and easy-to-navigate interface. Also, it is more advanced than ThriveCart.
ThriveCart lags in this department because the interface is outdated, less elaborate, and more complex than SamCart.
SamCart wins when it comes to interface.
Tech Support:
No matter how good your products are, if you cannot provide proper support when your customer has an issue with a product, they will certainly be disappointed.
SamCart is more popular than ThriveCart and has a bigger customer base as it offers responsive customer support.
ThriveCart also offers responsive support. With the support team working round the clock, customers get timely solutions to their issues.
It is a tie again.
Checkout Page Builder
Both platforms provide features to design checkout pages. Now we will discuss the design and customization features of SamCart and ThriveCart.
ThriveCart
ThriveCart provides a drag-and-drop builder to design checkout pages, but the page builder is outdated. It is not so smooth, but it gets the job done, and you can design the page based on your tastes.
ThriveCart provides different elements to design the converting checkout pages, especially the guarantee seals. These seals boost the credibility of your checkout page.
SamCart
SamCart has a modern and user-friendly page builder that helps you design a page using many available widgets and elements, such as:
- Calls to Action (CTA)
- Testimonials
- Guarantee seals
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Countdown timer
Verdict
SamCart is the winner for this category As it has a better page builder and more elements to design checkout page.
Membership Site
SamCart
Since 2021, SamCart has added a feature to create a membership site and sell an online course. You can create unlimited courses through unlimited membership sites and sell them to your students.
If you have an online course or an educator, you can use SamCart for your online school to educate your audience.
ThriveCart
ThriveCart does not provide such a feature. You cannot create a membership site with this platform
Verdict
Clearly SamCart wins this category.
Which ways is SamCart better than ThriveCart?
SamCart has been in the market longer than ThriveCart. It has a better understanding of a good checkout process, and in some ways, it is better than ThriveCart.
- It has more checkout page template designs than ThriveCart
- It has a modern and user-friendly interface
- It offers a trial period
- Anyone can join an affiliate program
Which ways is ThriveCart better than SamCart?
ThriveCart is comparatively new, but it has established itself as a reliable player in the market. It has fewer checkout templates, but besides that, it also has many advanced features such as:
- More integrations
- One-time payment
- Mobile payments
Who is SamCart good for?
SamCart is an effective platform best suited for those who sell products, especially membership sites.
If you are not a technical expert, SamCart is for you. It has a user-friendly interface that helps you easily create and operate the platform. You can create sales funnels and checkout pages easily with SamCart, as it is less complex than ThriveCart.
SamCart allows you to add many products on one page and pay for them all at once. If you do not want to repeat the purchase process when customers buy different products, SamCart is a good choice.
If you want more templates, SamCart also offers that feature. Currently, it offers eighteen customizable templates.
If your business needs basic integrations, SamCart could be the right choice. It offers integration with the most popular platforms, so if you do not require numerous integrations, this platform does the job.
Lastly, SamCart is good if you are up for a recurring charging plan.
Who is ThriveCart good for?
ThriveCart is suitable for all business owners, regardless of what product they are selling. Although it is not as supportive of physical products as non-physical products, it does get the job done. Also, ThriveCart is not recommended for products with variations.
ThriveCart might not be suitable if your business sells physical products.
Unlike a traditional shopping cart, customers cannot select and pay for several products simultaneously during checkout.
However, you do not need to worry about currency conversion if you have global customers. ThriveCart currently supports twenty-two currencies, making it easier for you to sell your products out of the country you are based in. You can sell your products on a global level with no issues.
If your business needs you to integrate with multiple platforms, ThriveCart is a good option for you because it connects with all the platforms you might need.
If you have multiple accounts for your payment processors and want to connect all of them with your checkout page, ThriveCart gets the job done. You can also enable mobile payment.
SamCart Vs ThriveCart at a Glance
|
Product |
SamCart |
ThriveCart |
|---|---|---|
|
Plan & Pricing |
Grow 99 USDScale 199 USD |
Standard 495 USDPro 695 USD |
|
Charges |
Monthly |
Once in Life |
|
Membership |
One membership per person |
Unlimited membership |
|
Free Trial |
14-day trial |
No |
|
Money-back guarantee |
No |
30-Day |
|
Platform |
Digital shopping cart |
Web-based platform |
|
User Interface |
Good |
Easy but not that good |
|
Payment Gateway |
Stripe, PayPal, Braintree |
Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net |
|
Integrations |
Integrates with comparatively fewer sites |
Integrates with countless sites |
|
Affiliate Program |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Webinar platforms |
None |
Demio |
|
Supported formats |
Doesn’t support video formats | Can insert videos in your checkout, thank you, and upsell pages |
|
Built-in templates |
A number of templates |
Fewer templates |
|
Tax Calculation |
In-built tax calculation |
Requires third-party tool integration |
|
Two-step Checkout |
Doesn’t offer a two-step checkout |
Offers two-step checkout |
|
Card Abandonment |
Only in premium account |
Yes |
|
Pixel Data Tracking |
Yes |
Yes |
SamCart vs. ThriveCart: Which one is the best shopping cart software?
Competition between SamCart and ThriveCart is not difficult. Considering the wins and losses, SamCart wins this race of comparisons overall.
SamCart or ThriveCart: Which one shall you choose?
I recommend that you choose SamCart, which is a stable, more popular, user-friendly, and modern platform. It is the most feature-rich platform among all shopping cart solutions and is available at affordable prices.
However, before you subscribe to any of these tools, I recommend thorough research and choosing what suits you the best.
FAQs.
Q1: Is SamCart worth it?
SamCart is a popular and robust platform to help you sell physical and digital products. It is an affordable, modern, and user-friendly platform.
Q2: Is ThriveCart better than SamCart?
ThriveCart offers similar features to SamCart, and in some cases, it can be better than SamCart. Overall, it is not as robust as SamCart.
Q3: Does SamCart offer a native payment processor?
Yes, SamCart offers a native payment gateway called SamPay. You do not need to integrate it with any other payment gateway to sell your products. However, if you wish to use a third-party payment processor, like stripe, you can connect with SamCart easily.
Q4: Does SamCart provide templates to build checkout pages?
SamCart provides many professionally designed-to-build conversion focused and optimized checkout pages. You can use these templates and build your checkout pages with minimal customization.
Q5: Does ThriveCart offer a free trial?
No, ThriveCart does not offer a free trial. However, it provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you do not like the platform, you can ask for a refund within 30 days of the purchase.
Q6: Does SamCart offer a free trial?
Yes, SamCart provides a 7-day free trial. It also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you do not like the platform, you can ask for a refund within 30 days of the purchase.
Q7: Can I start a blog on ThriveCart or SamCart?
No, both platforms do not offer a blogging feature. To attach a blog, you will need a third-party integration, such as WordPress.
ThriveCart vs. SamCart: Pros & Cons
The following are the pros and cons of ThriveCart and SamCart.
ThriveCart Pros
- Robust affiliate management
- Easy upsell page creation
- Lifetime access with one single payment
- Support for sixteen different currencies on checkout page
- Auto follow-up and link tracking feature
ThriveCart Cons
- Limited checkout page templates
- Outdated page builder
- Steep learning curve
- Poor customer support complaints
- No mobile device optimization
SamCart Pros
- Membership site feature
- Professionally designed checkout page templates
- Native payment processor
- More integration than ThriveCart
- Mobile device optimization
SamCart Cons
- Some complaints of poor customer support
Summary: SamCart Vs ThriveCart
SamCart and ThriveCart are both robust shopping cart platforms and provide all the features you will need to sell your products. However, SamCart provides more features and is a more modern and user-friendly platform. If you are looking for a stable, intuitive platform, I recommend you go with SamCart.
Click here to open a free account with SamCart.
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