Shopify vs Shoptet: Complete Shipping Comparison for Czech and Slovak Stores

Are you deciding between Shopify and Shoptet for your online store? Or are you already running on Shoptet and considering a migration to Shopify? One of the key questions you are probably asking yourself concerns shipping. And rightfully so. Shipping is the heart of every e-commerce store. Without reliable connections to local carriers, without pickup points in your checkout, and without the ability to print labels directly from your admin, operations quickly become a nightmare.

In this article, we will compare both platforms from a shipping perspective. We will be fair. Shoptet has a long-standing advantage in shipping for the Czech market. But Shopify has improved significantly in recent years, and with the right app, it offers comparable or even better options, especially if you are planning international expansion.

Why Merchants Consider Switching from Shoptet to Shopify

Shoptet is the dominant e-commerce platform in the Czech Republic. It has over 40,000 active stores, and most of them thrive because of how well Shoptet understands the local market. Shipping, payments, invoicing - everything is tailored for CZ and SK.

However, growing stores hit limitations. The most common reasons why merchants start looking toward Shopify:

International expansion. Want to sell to Germany, Austria, or the entire EU? Shoptet is built primarily for the CZ/SK market. Shopify is a global platform designed for international sales from the ground up.

Storefront and design. Shopify offers hundreds of professional themes and full control over design. The Liquid templating system and headless architecture options attract brands that want to stand out.

App ecosystem. The Shopify App Store contains thousands of apps for marketing, analytics, automation, and more. Integrations with tools like Klaviyo, Gorgias, or Meta are just a few clicks away.

Checkout conversion. Shopify checkout is optimized based on data from millions of stores worldwide. Shop Pay, one of the fastest checkouts on the market, dramatically increases conversion rates.

Scalability. From your first sale to millions in revenue. Shopify grows with you without needing to switch platforms.

At the same time, switching from Shoptet to Shopify raises a question: what about shipping? Let us look at how it works on both platforms.

Shoptet: How Shipping Works Natively

Shoptet was built for the Czech market from the start, and it shows in shipping. Most shipping functions work out of the box without needing to install additional add-ons.

Built-in Connections to Czech Carriers

Shoptet has direct integration with the most popular Czech carriers. Packeta, PPL, DPD, GLS, Czech Post, Balikovna. Everything is available natively. Just enter your carrier credentials and you can start shipping.

Pickup Points Directly in Checkout

This is Shoptet's biggest advantage from a UX perspective. Customers select their pickup point directly in checkout, in the shipping selection step. They see an interactive map, can search by address, and view opening hours. Exactly where they expect it.

No workarounds needed, no showing the map only after payment. Pickup point selection is part of the standard checkout flow.

Order Export to Carrier Systems

Shoptet allows exporting orders in formats that carriers accept. For larger stores, add-ons exist for automation, including bulk label printing and automatic tracking number delivery to customers.

Cash on Delivery as a Standard Payment Method

Cash on delivery (COD) is a native payment method in Shoptet. Customers see it as one of the options at checkout, and the entire process works automatically. The COD amount transfers correctly to the carrier label.

Shoptet Summary

For merchants selling exclusively in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Shoptet offers a shipping solution that works practically out of the box. Minimal setup, intuitive controls, everything ready for the local market.

Shopify: How Shipping Works Natively

Shopify is a global platform. This means its native shipping features are designed for general use worldwide, not specifically for the Czech market. Here is what Shopify offers by default:

Shipping Zones and Rates

In Shopify, you set up shipping zones (e.g., Czech Republic, Slovakia, EU) and define shipping methods and prices for each zone. You can set:

Flat rates: e.g., "Home delivery: 99 CZK"
Weight-based rates: price changes based on order weight
Price thresholds: free shipping above a certain order value

Carrier-Calculated Rates

On higher plans (Advanced, Plus, or with annual Grow subscription), you have access to the Carrier API. This allows dynamic calculation of shipping costs based on actual carrier rates. Unfortunately, Czech carriers are not natively supported in this system - you need a third-party app.

What Shopify Does Not Have Natively

No connection to Czech carriers. Shopify has no built-in integration with Packeta, PPL, DPD, GLS, or Czech Post. Without an app, you can only set a shipping name and price, but you cannot create a shipment or generate a label.

Pickup points are not standard. On basic plans (Basic, Shopify), you cannot display pickup point selection directly in the checkout shipping step. The exception is Shopify Plus with Checkout Extensions, or using Carrier API on plans with this feature.

COD requires setup. Cash on delivery is not a native payment method in Shopify the way you know it from Shoptet. It works, but you need to set it up in a specific way.

Shopify Summary

Out of the box, Shopify falls short for the Czech market. That is a fact. But - and this is important - Shopify is a platform built on an app ecosystem. Local features are expected to be added through apps. And this is where ShipDock comes in.

Key Differences: Shoptet vs Shopify (Table)

| Feature | Shoptet | Shopify (Native) | Shopify + ShipDock | |---------|---------|------------------|-------------------| | Czech carrier integration | Yes, built-in | No | Yes (15+ carriers) | | Pickup points in checkout | Yes, directly in cart | No (Plus/Carrier API only) | Yes (3 options) | | Label printing from admin | Yes (with add-on) | No | Yes | | Cash on delivery | Yes, native | Partial | Yes, fully | | Tracking and fulfillment | Yes | Basic | Yes, automatic | | International carriers | Limited | Yes | Yes (30+ countries) | | Bulk label printing | Yes (with add-on) | No | Yes | | Supported countries | CZ, SK primarily | 175+ | 175+ |

How Shopify Matches Shoptet in Shipping

With the right app, Shopify not only matches Shoptet but surpasses it in some areas. Let us go through how ShipDock handles each key shipping function.

Pickup Points: 3 Options Based on Your Plan

ShipDock offers three ways to display pickup point selection to customers. It depends on your Shopify plan:

1. Thank You Page (Basic, Shopify)

On basic plans, the pickup point map appears after order completion on the thank you page. The customer selects their preferred pickup point, and the selection saves to the order. If the customer forgets, a reminder email with a link is sent automatically.

Not ideal UX, but it works reliably. Alternatively, the map can appear in the cart (before checkout), but this requires disabling accelerated payments like Shop Pay or Apple Pay.

2. Carrier API (Annual Grow, Advanced)

Plans with Carrier API access allow displaying the nearest pickup points directly in checkout as individual shipping methods. The customer enters their address, and the system offers, for example, the 5 nearest points (Z-BOX Andel, Packeta Tesco Smichov, etc.).

It is not an interactive map, but the selection happens before payment, which is the key point.

3. Checkout Extensions (Shopify Plus)

On Shopify Plus, you can embed a full interactive map directly in checkout using Checkout Extensibility. Customers see the map exactly where they expect it - in the shipping selection step. This is the best possible UX.

Label Printing Directly from Admin

With ShipDock, you print labels directly from Shopify. No need to log into individual carrier portals (myDPD, MyGLS, Packeta client, etc.). The workflow looks like this:

1. Orders come into Shopify 2. With one click, you create shipments for selected orders 3. You download and print labels (individually or in bulk) 4. Orders are automatically marked as fulfilled

Labels are available in A6 format for thermal printers or A4 PDF. Bulk printing handles dozens of labels at once.

Cash on Delivery Built into the App

COD in ShipDock works elegantly without an external payment app and without per-order fees.

The principle is simple: you duplicate shipping methods with a COD surcharge (e.g., "PPL COD: 129 CZK") and set a keyword in the app (e.g., "COD"). When a customer selects shipping with this word in the name, only the COD payment option displays automatically.

The COD amount transfers correctly to the carrier label. No manual order edits, no complications.

Automatic Fulfillment and Tracking

Once you create a shipment in ShipDock, the tracking number automatically saves to the Shopify order. The customer receives a notification email with a tracking link. The order is marked as fulfilled.

The entire process from order to dispatch can be automated. For larger stores, this means saving hours of work daily.

International Scalability

Here Shopify with ShipDock wins clearly. We support carriers in over 30 European countries. Selling to Germany? Connect DPD or GLS. Expanding to Hungary? Add Foxpost or Magyar Posta. Romania? Econt or Sameday.

One app, all carriers, all countries. That is the advantage of a global platform with a localized solution.

What Shopify Offers Beyond Shipping

Shipping is important, but it is not the only criterion for choosing a platform. Shopify brings many advantages that Shoptet does not offer or offers only in limited form.

Storefront and Design

Shopify has hundreds of professional themes optimized for conversions. The Liquid templating system gives full control over design. For more demanding projects, headless architecture with the Hydrogen framework is available.

Checkout Optimization

Shop Pay is one of the fastest checkouts in the world. Customers who have used it elsewhere have their details saved and can buy with one click. This dramatically increases conversion rates, especially for mobile purchases.

App Ecosystem

The Shopify App Store contains thousands of apps. Marketing (Klaviyo, Omnisend), customer support (Gorgias), reviews (Judge.me, Loox), analytics (Triple Whale, Lifetimely). Most integrations are just a few clicks away.

Marketing and Sales Channels

Native integration with Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Google, TikTok, Pinterest. Sell on marketplaces like Amazon or eBay directly from Shopify. All products and orders in one place.

International Sales

Shopify Markets allows selling to multiple countries with localized prices, currencies, and languages. Automatic calculation of duties and taxes for international shipments. Global expansion has never been easier.

B2B Features

Shopify Plus offers full B2B functionality: wholesale price lists, automatic volume discounts, self-service portal for B2B customers.

Which Platform Is Better for Whom?

Let us be honest. There is no universal answer. It depends on your priorities and plans.

Shoptet Is the Better Choice If:

You sell exclusively in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
You want a solution that works immediately without installing apps
You prefer Czech support and Czech documentation
You have a smaller store and do not plan international expansion
Price is the main criterion (basic Shoptet plans are cheaper)

Shopify Is the Better Choice If:

You plan international expansion (Germany, Austria, entire EU)
Design matters and you want to stand out
You need advanced marketing integrations
You want the fastest possible checkout (Shop Pay)
You are growing fast and need a scalable platform
You are considering B2B sales alongside B2C
You want to use headless architecture or custom development

What About Shipping?

With ShipDock, shipping on Shopify is comparable to Shoptet. Yes, it requires installing an app and initial setup. But the result is the same or better:

Pickup points work (with various options depending on your plan)
Label printing works (individually and in bulk)
Cash on delivery works (elegantly and without extra fees)
Tracking and fulfillment work (automatically)
Plus you have access to carriers in 30+ countries

Conclusion

Shoptet has a historical advantage in shipping for the Czech market. Everything works natively, without apps, without configuration. For small and medium stores focused on the CZ/SK market, it remains an excellent choice.

But if your ambitions reach further, if you plan to grow, expand abroad, or simply want to leverage the power of a global platform, Shopify is the better choice. And thanks to apps like ShipDock, it is no longer true that Shopify "cannot handle Czech shipping."

It can. It handles Packeta, PPL, DPD, GLS, Balikovna, and more. It handles pickup points. It handles label printing. It handles cash on delivery. And it can scale across all of Europe when you are ready.

The choice is yours. But whichever platform you are on, the right shipping solution is the foundation of customer satisfaction.

Switching from Shoptet to Shopify? Install ShipDock and connect your Czech carriers in minutes. Packeta, PPL, DPD, GLS, Balikovna, and more - all from one app.

Shopify vs Shoptet: Shipping Comparison for CZ/SK