avanta vs. Shopware: A comparison of B2B e-commerce platforms

From the very beginning, avanta was developed exclusively for manufacturers, industrial companies and wholesalers-businesses with complex ERP-driven sales processes, specific pricing terms and a high proportion of after-sales service. The platform is designed for B2B scenarios and does not take a one-size-fits-all approach. Typical avanta customers are medium-sized companies with 50 to 10,000 employees in industries such as mechanical engineering, toolmaking, chemicals, plant engineering, electrical engineering and the packaging industry.

Shopware was founded in 2000 and has its roots in B2C commerce. Today, the platform caters to a wide range of businesses (from small online stores to enterprise customers) and is designed for both B2C and hybrid B2B/B2C scenarios. B2B features are not natively integrated into Shopware but are added via the B2B Suite (up to Shopware 6.7) or the newer B2B components (Shopware 6.6 and later).

Important: The B2B Suite is deprecated as of Shopware 6.8. Starting in May 2025, new installations on the Evolve plan will receive only B2B components. Anyone entering the B2B commerce space with Shopware today must plan for this transition.

Both platforms support the core functions of digital sales: customer-specific price lists, tiered pricing, quick ordering and approval workflows.

avanta natively supports these functions out of the box, without requiring any extensions or customizations. The customer master, prices and terms come directly from the ERP; the online store is an extension of the ERP.

Shopware provides core functions such as company accounts, roles, budgets, order approvals, and quote management via B2B Components. For advanced scenarios (such as deeply integrated sales processes from an Infor or abas ERP) additional customizations are required.

avanta provides a complete customer service portal right out of the box: order history, delivery status, invoices, delivery notes, order confirmations, open items, certificates, and self-service features; all sourced directly from the ERP.

Shopware offers basic portals via B2B Components that utilize company accounts and role management. A full-featured customer service portal with documents, certificates and service processes typically requires extensions or custom development.

This is one of the most significant differences between the two platforms.

avanta offers a native spare parts service: bills of materials and machine structures come directly from the ERP; customers can find spare parts via a bill of materials search or interactive exploded views. Serial numbers, maintenance history, and service requests are integrated into the customer portal.

Shopware is not designed for this use case. Spare parts catalogs, machine structures, and bills of materials require significant development effort and are not part of the standard platform.

avanta natively supports OCI PunchOut and cXML PunchOut right out of the box: no plug-ins, no custom development. Customers can switch directly from their ERP procurement system (SAP Ariba, Coupa, Jaggaer) to the avanta store and back. The PunchOut configuration can be set up by the customer’s buyer.

Shopware does not natively support OCI and cXML PunchOut. External plugins (e.g., PunchCommerce, agiqon connector) are available for this purpose, but they must be licensed and set up separately. While this is technically feasible, it is not a standard feature of the platform.

avanta follows an “ERP-first” approach: The ERP system is the primary business system. Prices, availability, customer terms, order limits, and documents are fed directly from the ERP into the online store. There is no parallel data storage and no duplicate maintenance logic. The online store complements the ERP with digital sales and service processes but does not maintain its own business logic.

Technically, avanta is API-first and headless-capable. All platform functions can be accessed via defined interfaces. The ERP-first approach is a philosophy, not a limitation of the technical architecture.

Shopware takes a "commerce-first" approach: The platform handles a significant portion of the business logic; the product catalog, pricing rules, promotions, and storefront logic are all managed within the shop. The ERP provides data but is not the leading system.

Shopware is also API-first and supports headless commerce as well as PWA front ends. Its composable architecture makes Shopware flexible for custom front-end implementations and multi-channel operations.

avanta was designed from the outset for ERP integration (ERP-first, API-first). The middleware is included in the platform at no extra charge. Companies do not need a separate integration tool or external middleware. Pre-built connectors for all common ERP systems, such as SAP, MS Dynamics, Infor, abas, Oracle, proALPHA, and others, are available out of the box; integration is achieved through configuration, not programming.

For legacy systems without up-to-date REST interfaces, avanta also supports asynchronous data exchange via CSV or XML import.

Shopware is API-first and offers comprehensive REST APIs for ERP integration. It does not include its own middleware. Companies typically rely on external middleware solutions such as Akeneo, Kellerkind, Lobster, or SAP Cloud Integrator, or on direct API connections. The cost of ERP integration ranges from 10,000 to 50,000 EUR, depending on complexity; for middleware solutions, ongoing license and operating costs are added. Synchronization is often scheduled rather than real-time.

avanta typically goes live in 6–12 weeks. The structured approach relies on configuration rather than programming: ERP data, pricing logic, and ordering processes are available as configurable standard functions. 99% of typical customer requirements are covered by the standard system. Individual custom programming or customization is the exception.

Shopware typically takes 4–8 months in a B2B environment. The commerce-first architecture offers high flexibility but requires more effort for ERP integration, agency implementation, and custom configuration. Additionally, the planned migration from the B2B Suite to the B2B components must be factored in.

avanta can be operated as SaaS, in the cloud, or on-premises. The platform is open source: companies can take ownership and are not tied to proprietary structures.

Shopware also offers SaaS (Managed Cloud), self-hosting, and on-premises options. Its extensive network of certified partner agencies facilitates operation and further development.

avanta integrates AI features as a standalone module: avaBot is an AI service bot for sales and customer service that is multilingual, integrated with ERP systems, and based on roles and access rights. It answers product questions, assists with orders, and reduces the workload on the internal sales team.

Shopware offers features for content creation and product descriptions via AI Copilot. AI-powered product recommendations can be integrated through third-party providers such as Qualimero AI. Shopware’s AI roadmap is broad in scope but does not focus primarily on B2B service processes.

avanta is consistently evolving to meet the needs of manufacturers and wholesalers. Regular releases expand functionality in the areas of ERP integration, AI, and self-service. The platform is open source: Customers can contribute their own extensions and retain full control over their code.

Shopware is investing heavily in headless commerce, composable architecture, and international growth. The transition from the B2B Suite to B2B components represents a significant strategic shift: existing customers will need to migrate, while new implementations will benefit from a cleaner architecture. Shopware is actively working on the further development of the AI ecosystem and international expansion.