SendOwl vs. SamCart (+ dealbreakers) – decide in 7 minutes

Truth be told, the SamCart vs. SendOwl comparison is a tough one as the market is flooded with multiple online checkout solutions (plus, each claiming itself as the best choice).

But no need to fret, we’ve done all the work for you!

As both solutions are pretty similar (though not quite the same), we’re not going to waste your time by scrutinizing every little feature they offer. Instead, we’ll get right down to what makes each solution stand out.

So if you’re planning to use either SendOwl or SamCart for selling digital products, we recommend you read this first.

Quick breakdown: SamCart vs. SendOwl

Both SendOwl and SamCart work as web-based checkout solutions. In other words, it’s an online sales tool that allows you to sell digital downloads and online courses by integrating a shopping cart into your website or sharing product links.

When compared to SamCart, SendOwl is certainly a much more affordable solution. Apart from that, its elementary setup process won’t take up more than a few minutes of your time. However, SendOwl certainly loses points if we compare its list of built-in features to SamCart’s.

Moreover, SamCart’s checkout page templates are more conversion-optimized. Plus, there’s a possibility to create a long landing page for your product, in case you don’t have a website yet.

While both SendOwl and SamCart allow you to start selling products from an existing website, the main issue is that you won’t be able to create a complete online storefront. That’s why we’re going to include a third platform for comparison — Sellfy. Just so you can clearly see how these checkout solutions not only compare to each other, but also to an all-in-one eCommerce platform.

SendOwl and SamCart are similar (in a way)

As I’ve already mentioned, both platforms provide a basic set of tools to build a checkout page and then either integrate it into your website or as a shareable product link. 

The setup process is pretty similar and straightforward for both SendOwl and SamCart. All you need to do is upload your products, choose a template and configure your checkout page, add available checkout functionality like coupon codes or upselling, and connect your payment gateways.

Sounds like they are pretty similar, right?

Not so fast.

We have a bit more to unpack here before you can make your final choice.

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Why would you choose SendOwl over SamCart?

Even though at first SendOwl does not appear to be as feature-rich as SamCart, it is still worth considering for those looking to start an online business.

Here’s why:

1. Reasonable and straightforward pricing

One of the biggest benefits that SendOwl has over SamCart is its affordable pricing.

There are just two subscription plans and one of them is free:

• The Free account comes with a 5% transaction fee, unlimited subscriptions, a standard checkout page, and marketing tools to help you boost sales.
• The Growth Plan ($19/month) comes offers more features including standard usage, checkout customization, and, most importantly, 0% transaction fees.

Plus, you get instant access to earnings and the possibility to accept payments from all over the world through payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal or Apple Pay, etc.

2. A five-minute checkout page

In essence, both SendOwl and SamCart serve the same purpose — to provide an integrative checkout page for selling digital products and online courses. Only, in the case of SendOwl, it’s much easier to configure thanks to the simple interface and lack of complicated functionality.

Uploading your products and configuring a conversion-optimized checkout module will take no more than a few minutes. From there, you can choose whether you want to sell from your own website, social media accounts, or any other platform.

So if you’re looking to build a simple checkout page and start selling right now, you should definitely check out SendOwl. Though, you should always keep in mind that you can’t build a complete online store through this solution.

3. Minimalist and conversion-optimized checkout design

The first thing you notice about SendOwl’s checkout page templates is their minimalist design. But at the same time, the tools offer a decent package of features to improve conversion. For example:

• Upselling
• Cart abandonment
• Discounts, coupon codes, and vouchers
• Freebies
• Pay what you want pricing
• Affiliate center

Moreover, if you are willing to sell more than one product, SendOwl’s bundle feature can help you categorize all related products. Plus, you’ll be able to bundle your digital products.

The main disadvantage of SendOwl

While SendOwl is a much cheaper alternative to SamCart, it’s far from being the best shopping cart software out there.

1. Don’t have a website? You can forget about SendOwl

Anyone who’s looking to sell digital products from your own website or blog can skip this one.

For all the rest, I have some bad news:

SendOwl isn’t for you.

Even though SamCart works mainly as a shopping cart software, there’s still a possibility to build a separate landing page for your product (which we’ll cover further. However, in order to use SendOwl, you need to be an established online creator, preferably with a large social media following, a successful blog, or something in between. 

That’s why I wouldn’t recommend SendOwl for beginners, despite its ease of use.

2. The list of built-in tools won’t impress you

This goes without saying, but when compared to SamCart, SendOwl’s feature list doesn’t look impressive.

Sure, SendOwl ensures that you have a basic toolkit when you just start an online business. But you shouldn’t expect any advanced functionality like A/B testing, product pre-ordering, in-depth checkout page customization, the possibility to create landing pages, etc.

On the other hand, it’s only fair that you can’t get SamCart’s functionality for the price of a SendOwl subscription.

3. Customer support may disappoint you

Unfortunately, built-in functionality is not the only thing you have to sacrifice if you go with a cheaper solution like SendOwl.

With SendOwl, you really don’t want anything to “break” anything. And if something does break eventually — you’re on your own.

Because the technical support that SendOwl offers is mostly just an online Help Center, with FAQs about the most common issues.

Sure, you can reach out to them via email. But a lot of user reviews online claim that communication with them is a bit on the slow side.

4. There are just four checkout templates

As I’ve mentioned before, the design of SendOwl’s checkout templates is quite minimalistic. Though it has its advantages, it leaves little room for creativity.

And when it comes to checkout page customization…

With SedOwl, you can hardly customize anything at all. All you can do is choose one among four available templates that look almost the same.

Why would you choose SamCart over SendOwl?

When it comes to choosing a web-based checkout solution, SamCart is one of the biggest competitors to SendOwl. 

And here’s why:

1. You can create a long sales page for your product

What sets SamCart apart from other checkout solutions is that even if you don’t have a website, it allows you to build professional landing pages for your products.

So, if you want to sell just one product and looking for a way to fully showcase it on a single page, SamCart gives you that option.

All you need to do is choose one of the pre-designed product page templates and work your way through it adjusting the content to your needs. But you must remember that it’s primarily a check, so you shouldn’t expect too much freedom when it comes to customization.

2. An impressive range of built-in marketing features

Sure, SamCart isn’t a cheap solution, but at least it compensates with a nice list of features that can help you sell more.

For example:

• Сheckout optimization features such as checkout page A/B testing, one-click upsells, pre-purchase order bumps, pay-what-you-want pricing, sales analytics, and more.
• eCommerce features like third-party app integration, all major payment gateways, calculating digital sales tax, refund management, etc.
• Additional features like cart abandonment, subscription saver, and affiliate center.

3. 6x more checkout templates

This one kind of speaks for itself.

When compared to SendOwl, SamCart offers six times more checkout templates.

That’s right, you get access to 18 customizable templates, all of which you can customize thanks to the drag-and-drop editor. 

But the best part is that you don’t really need to spend a lot of time on customizing. SamCart claims that all of their checkout templates were tested by professional marketers and have proven to work great.

Plus, if you upgrade to a more expensive plan, you’ll be able to add a custom domain.

4. You can run a split test on your checkout page

This is, perhaps, one of the coolest features offered by SamCart. 

With SamCart, you’ll be able to check which checkout design, coupon code, or upsell offer drives more sales.

It might sound a bit complicated, but it really isn’t. Once you have your variations created, SamCart will automatically split-test both of them. All you have to do is wait for the results and make your conclusions.

It’s important to note, however, that you won’t be able to split-test product pricing. For that, you’ll have to create two different products and run a test between them.

The main disadvantage of SamCart

1. Lack of customization options

Without a doubt, SamCart’s checkout customization options look more advanced when compared to SendOwl.

But if we take a closer look, the only real difference is in the number of pre-designed templates. Even when we’re talking about creating a landing page for your product, your customization options mostly depend on the layout of the chosen template.

In contrast, an all-in-one eCommerce platform like Sellfy gives you much more flexibility when it comes to customization for half the price SamCart asks you to pay.

2. Not everyone can afford to use SamCart

SamCart is ridiculously expensive. Not only compared to SendOwl but in general.

Currently, there are three subscription plans:

• The Launch plan for $59/month comes with all core features and one admin user.
• The Grow plan for $119/month comes with all of the Launch plans features, three admin users, faster technical support, and more promotional features.
• The Scale plan for $299/month allows you to add up to 10 admin users, ensures emergency support, and has all of the coolest features like A/B testing, cart abandonment, etc.

Needless to say that hardly any beginner will be able to afford SamCart to start an online business.

3. No the best option for selling multiple products

The main issue with SamCart is that it’s nothing more than a web-based checkout solution. It means that you can only build a basic product page instead of a complete online storefront. 

Unfortunately, this doesn’t put SamCart as the first choice for someone who’s looking to sell various digital products at the same time.

The question isn’t SamCart vs. SendOwl — it’s why not Sellfy?

That’s it, we’ve given you all information you need to get a full picture of what both platforms are really capable of. 

To sum up:

If you’re looking to build a wallet-friendly and minimal checkout page for a couple of digital products, SendOwl is worth considering. But, if you are in for much richer functionality in exchange for a hefty price tag, SamCart could be the better option.

Wait, there’s one more thing:

Both platforms come with some serious dealbreakers, that’s why I’d like to make one final case for choosing Sellfy over SendOwl or SamCart.

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You get much more than just a checkout page

You can’t forget that neither SelndOwl nor SamCart allow you to build your own online store. You can only use it as a shopping cart and checkout solution on an existing website. 

On the other hand, Sellfy is an all-in-one platform. It means that you get everything you need to start, run, and grow your online business — hosting, online storefront, customization possibilities, built-in marketing tools, multiple payment options, etc.

You get to choose how to sell your products — from a brand-new online store or by integrating a Sellfy storefront into an existing website.

Sellfy has an effortless setup process

Although SamCart and SendOwls (especially SendOwl) are pretty easy to use, you’d still be amazed at how quickly you can create a complete online store with Sellfy.

To start selling right away, all you need to do is upload your products, set prices, and add your images and descriptions. A piece of cake, indeed!

You can always count on Sellfy’s customer support

There’s nothing more valuable than a helping hand when you’re just starting your journey as a creative entrepreneur.

Sellfy’s customer support is always there for you to guide you through the whole process. They are quick to respond, thorough, and really helpful.

You get more built features for half the price

Sellfy has every eCommerce tool you need to launch and grow your business such as email marketing, discounts, discount codes, upselling, cart abandonment, pay-what-you-want pricing, store and Google analytics, multiple payment gateways, and other advanced features.

Considering how much Sellfy has to offer, its pricing structure is super affordable and all plans are reasonably priced. Overall, there are three paid plans starting at $22/mo — it’s half the price of SamCart’s basic plan.