Shopware 5 or 6 - Which version is better for your store?

If your store system is already outdated or you are just starting out in e-commerce and are looking for a suitable solution, Shopware is definitely the best option. However, you need to find out more about the features of Shopware 5 and 6 in advance in order to choose the right software. To make the decision easier for you, we point out the most important differences between Shopware 5 and 6. A detailed comparison shows which software offers better conditions and more extensive functions. In our article, we highlight the key moments to give you a deep insight into the special features of each version.

Detailed comparison of Shopware 5 and 6

Both versions are perfect for running an online store. Both Shopware 5 and Shopware 6 are based on the same PHP framework (Symfony 4). However, a comparison reveals differences in several aspects. Let's take a closer look at what we are talking about.

Shopware 5 vs 6 - Setting tax rates for products per country

The e-commerce platform offers you the option of defining tax rates for products (tax rule). In Shopware 5, they are configured in the basic settings of the backend and set manually. Shopware 6 has a powerful Rule Builder tool that can be used to create rules for different customer groups. This puts you one step ahead of the competition. Great flexibility and speed are also guaranteed.

The tax rate depends on the country from which the customer orders the goods. That's why you have to maintain it correctly. Go to three points and click on "Edit". There you will find the standard tax rates for the relevant countries. There are 4 setting options:

1. Tax rate for the country.
2. Whether it applies to the whole country or just a specific federal state.
3. The percentage.
4. When the changes take effect.

If a country is missing in the tax settings to which you should sell, this is simply added.

If a tax rate has been changed and you still see the standard tax rate, you should clear the cache. If this problem still exists, it can be solved with the help of our Shopware 6 agency.

Comparison of Shopware versions: Possibilities of shopping worlds and worlds of experience

Shopping worlds

Shopping worlds is a great option for Shopware 5. This tool can be used to create appealing websites (landing pages, category pages). The Shopping Worlds module can be found in the backend under "Marketing". If a new shopping world needs to be created, click on "Add". A designer will then open with the grid where your page will be created and the sidebar with various setting options. Let's take a closer look at the most important settings:

• Basic settings: Name the created shopping world. You must also specify whether only one or several shopping worlds need to be created, whether it is immediately active or not, whether it is a landing page or category page.
• Display settings: Define categories. You can assign the shopping world to several categories. The same shopping world then appears in several categories of the store at the same time. This also applies to the categories in the subshop. It is also possible to set the visibility in categories. This means that the shopping world can be displayed on the start page or the next page of the category or on both.
• Device settings: Specify on which end devices the shopping world should be displayed.
• Customer streams: Determine for which customer group the created shopping world is visible.
• Time settings: Define the start and end time for the shopping world. If desired, this marketing measure can be displayed for a limited time. Please note that such a time limit is not compatible with the standard http cache.

There are other options with which various settings can be made:

• Activation and deactivation of the shopping worlds (preview).
• Dissolve the linked shopping worlds (remove all links).
• Problem displaying the viewport of the shopping world in the frontend (warning).
• Customization of the shopping world for the corresponding viewport (viewports).
• Display of hidden elements (hidden elements).
• Linking viewports (concatenation) so that the settings apply to the linked viewports.
• Indicator for layout shows the maximum size of the shopping world in the corresponding viewport (viewport range).
• Placing, moving and editing the elements (Designer).

Layout

EIt is necessary to customize the layout of the shopping world. You can choose from several modes to determine the behavior of the elements on different screen sizes.in fluid mode, the shopping mode is displayed on all end devices, because the width of the elements is adapted to different screens.the recise mode displays the elements as they have been set up. Depending on the screen size, elements are displayed smaller and larger.line mode is suitable for content pages. The line height is adjusted to the highest element in the line.there is a standard template that can be maintained by individual templates created by the developer.

Elemente

You need various elements to design a shopping world. You simply drag elements with the mouse to place them. If you click on the pencil icon, the element can be edited. Images can be uploaded and texts can be created according to a template. You can also add HTML code.

Landing page design

The landing pages can be technically more flexible if the concept of master and slave landing pages is implemented. The slave landing page can be loaded in the corresponding viewport. If the landing pages are too complicated, the loading time can be saved. In this case, only the elements for the corresponding viewports are displayed on cross-device landing pages. All elements are loaded in the background. The master concept provides for the loading of a corresponding landing page for certain viewports, which also generates less traffic.

Worlds of experience

As a result of the further development of Shopware, shopping worlds have become worlds of experience. This tool combines the system with a content management system (CMS) and enables very simple operation. This allows landing pages, category and store pages to be managed centrally. Content is created and customized using drag-and-drop. In Shopware 6, experience worlds can be found under "Content". Several elements (texts, images) are combined in blocks. Sections are created from several blocks. The sections are combined into layouts that are, among other things, much better adapted to mobile devices, and the layout for the specific page type is selected under "Create new layout". You should then set up the section of the layout. Use the sidebar to place category navigation, filters and other sections. The layout to be created should be named. A layout editor then opens. Here you can create new layouts or customize existing ones.

Select from various blocks under "Blocks". To add a block, drag & drop it and place it in the desired position. The content of the element can be defined within a block. You can also replace the element, e.g. text with an image. The texts can be adapted using a text editor. To create a category or product page, you can assign a standard layout for new pages with just a few clicks. The changeable elements can be replaced specifically for each corresponding product.the experience worlds in Shopware 6 offer the possibility to create store, product, category pages and landing pages quickly and without programming knowledge. So you can only benefit from Shopware 6. If you are interested in migrating from Shopware 5 to 6, please contact Kenner Soft Service GmbH.

Blog feature: What is the difference between Shopware 5 and 6?

Shopware 5 has a blog module that is integrated directly into the backend. This allows blog articles to be created and categorized. Under "Blog/Content" you get an overview of all articles. A new article can be created via "Add blog article". Existing articles can be edited, deleted and duplicated. You should enter the title of the article, select an author from the backend users, enter a short description and enter the blog text. Under Settings, you can select a template and specify the display date and time. You can also select a blog category and add tags. The blog articles can be easily linked to products and categories.

Shopware 6 does not have an integrated blog module. That's why you have to use the plugins. There are now 11 plugins for this version in the Shopware Store. Let's take the Blog incl. Shopping Experiences plugin as an example. It is used to create a large number of blog articles and supports multilingualism, among other things. There are other plugins from third-party providers. You can create your own plugin if you wish. Depending on the selected plugin, new functions may appear. Shopware 6 can then better meet the store's needs. It is therefore worth thinking about switching to Shopware 6.

Creation of multiple stores: Shopware 5 vs 6

In order to acquire customers from different countries, a multistore is set up in Shopware. The multishop functionality is available in both versions. However, there are some differences between Shopware 5 and 6: With Shopware 5, several subshops and language stores are created and managed within one installation. Subshops can be configured individually. They can have different domains and designs, offer currencies, languages and content. Subshops are created on the basis of a main store. The latter can be configured independently. Language stores are stores with content in multiple languages. The same design and domain are used as for the main store.Shopware 6 no longer offers subshops, but provides for the connection of different sales channels. They are controlled centrally. Thanks to the API-first approach, they can be connected to social media platforms and marketplaces. The functions of Shopware 6 contribute to the creation of multiple stores in the back end. Sales channels are displayed simultaneously in the front store. These stores can be set up in different languages and can be managed through a single admin panel. It is done in a related domain, which is of course a great advantage, and the merchant receives the orders in his account and is fully responsible for order management. Payments are checked by the merchant account administrator and transferred to the seller's account.

Store setup in the backend

You should select "Sales channel" on the dashboard. There are two options:

• A sales channel with the HTML storefront (headless sales channel) is created under "Headless". It only provides the API sales channel.
• Under "Shop" you create a sales channel without an API interface.

A new sales channel is created by clicking on the plus symbol. You can also edit it at any time. If you click on "Add sales channel" in the storefront, a new page opens. The new sales channel can be set under "General settings" and you must name the store, specify an entry point for the main navigation, select a point for the service navigation and a starting point for the footer navigation. It is necessary to specify a customer group. Then select the payment and shipping method as well as the country, currency and language, and under "Domain" you can create several domains for the sales channel. Click on "Add domain". A new page will then open where you can enter a virtual URL and select the currency, language and snippet set. You can create several languages for the store and generate the API access key under "Options". This allows systems such as merchandise management systems to be connected. The Kenner Soft team can help you with this. Our specialists can also connect Shopware to ERP systems. To create a new API key, click on "API key" and it will be generated. It is also possible to assign a theme to the sales channel by clicking on "Change theme thumbnail / theme" To check that the new store has been created, go to Shopware Backend → Dashboard → Sales Channel. After clicking on "New sales channel/test", a new page opens. Then go to the domain, copy the URL and open the URL on the new search page.The migration to Shopware 6 is recommended, because with the new version, companies offer an enhanced shopping experience across multiple sales channels. You can sell your own products both via the classic web store and via other channels (marketplaces, social media platforms). This makes it possible to reach the target group.

Differences in the configuration of product variants in Shopware 5 and 6

The product variants can be created for both the older and the newer version. However, there are some differences in the management of product variants.

Shopware 5

The combinations of product properties serve as the basis for product variants. The values of these properties are combined and form product variants. You can configure the product properties and their values in the admin panel. Product variants are managed using tables with combinations of properties. If there are several variants, this is not practical. For each variant, prices, color, size, stock, images can be set separately, which can be difficult for users, and product variants are synchronized via API, but there are limitations. To activate many functions for managing product variants, additional plugins must be installed. A large number of product variants leads to performance degradation.As for the display of product variants on the website in the browser, it can also seem a bit outdated. Drop-down lists and radio buttons are used to switch product variants. Loading times and responsiveness can be increased with a large number of variants. Problems can occur on different end devices and screen sizes. Additional plugins are required to improve display options.

Shopware 6

The product variants are also created on the basis of properties. Compared to Shopware 5, Shopware 6 offers flexible and convenient administration. Product variants can be configured via an intuitive admin panel under "Catalogs". The properties can be grouped and assigned to different products, which makes the administration more flexible and the product variants can be created and edited more easily and quickly. There are tools for mass editing and managing property combinations. There are customization options for each variant (price, images, attributes). Many functions for managing product variants are already integrated into the system. This means that no additional plugins are required.

Professional support for the migration from Shopware 5 to Shopware 6

Are you still running a Shopware 5 store in 2024 and reaching your own limits? Is a simple update no longer enough? We, the experts at Kenner Soft Service GmbH, will find the right solution for you. We take care of the migration to the new, improved version. After careful analysis and planning, we carry out the data transfer and the necessary configurations. If it is not possible to transfer everything automatically, we will maintain it manually, and the Kenner Soft team will set up the required settings, implement additional plugins and ensure Shopware Performance Optimization so that your store functions excellently and without errors. If required, we will take care of the desired integrations and develop customized solutions. Our agency guarantees a smooth process and convinces you of the highest quality of service. At Kenner Soft, you get the best comprehensive service from a single source. If you need professional help or are interested in any topics, such as Shopware 6 Export or anything else, you will find the answers to all your questions and support with us.