Sales funnels can make or break a business, no question about it. In fact, upsells within sales funnels account for 10-30% of eCommerce sales.
But choosing the right tool for the job can be tricky.
In 2024, ClickFunnels and SamCart are two of the most popular platforms for building high-converting funnels.
ClickFunnels is known for its all-in-one approach.
SamCart, focuses on streamlining checkout and increasing conversions.
While both platforms excel in their own ways, they cater to different types of businesses.
But if neither feels like “the one,” SureCart might just catch your eye.
It’s sleek, flexible and delivers a modern eCommerce experience.
This guide will break down what each platform brings to the table so you can choose the best for building sales funnels in 2024.
- Overview of ClickFunnels
- Overview of SamCart
- Overview of SureCart
- ClickFunnels vs. SamCart vs. SureCart: A Quick Comparison
- User Interface
- Funnel Building
- Checkout
- Email Marketing
- Memberships
- Affiliate Management
- Ease of Use
- Integrations and Addons
- Support and Documentation
- Pricing
- ClickFunnels Pros and Cons
- SamCart Pros and Cons
- SureCart Pros and Cons
- ClickFunnels vs. SamCart vs. SureCart: Which Is Best?
- ClickFunnels vs SamCart FAQs
Overview of ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels is a comprehensive sales funnel builder designed to take users from lead generation to conversion within a single platform.
It lets businesses create landing pages, automate follow-ups, and manage entire sales processes. All without needing additional tools.
Key Features and Strengths
- All-in-one funnel builder: Handles everything but the kitchen sink. Well, everything from landing pages to email marketing to CRM, at least. It’s a feature-rich option for businesses that want a fully integrated system.
- Wide range of funnel templates: Hundreds of pre-built funnel templates that can be customized to fit any business type.
- Affiliate management: Built-in affiliate management tools make it easy to set up and manage affiliate programs. This can help you boost revenue by leveraging others to promote your products.
- Super flexible: Adaptable to different sales strategies. Whether you’re selling logo templates, running real estate webinars, or building membership sites, it just works.
Overview of SamCart
SamCart is a checkout-focused platform for helping businesses increase conversions at the point of sale.
Unlike ClickFunnels, SamCart zeroes in on the checkout and optimizes it for speed and simplicity.
It’s a top choice for those who want to improve their cart experience without the need for full-blown funnel management.
Key Features and Strengths
- Optimized for checkout: Simplifies the checkout process. Reduces cart abandonment rates and improves user experience with a highly optimized flow.
- Embeddable checkout – anywhere: A main draw of SamCart is the ability to embed its checkout forms on any web platform.
- Revenue optimization tools: One-click upsells, order bumps, and subscription management maximize your revenue. And you don’t need a complex setup to do it.
- Simplified configuration: The streamlined approach means you can get up and running quickly. There’s no need for extensive customization or configuration.
Overview of SureCart
Yes, this is a comparison between ClickFunnels vs SamCart, but we believe you should know all your options.
SureCart is an easy-to-use eCommerce platform for WordPress. It focuses on selling digital products, managing subscriptions, and managing memberships.
It’s designed to be simple yet powerful, so it’s great for businesses that want flexibility without complexity.
Key Features and Strengths
- Customizable checkout process: Includes flexible checkout forms and supports multiple payment gateways.
- Physical and digital product support: You can sell pretty much anything using SureCart — physical, digital, or subscription.
- Membership and subscription management: Easy management of memberships and subscriptions, great for businesses offering recurring services.
- Scalable and user-friendly: Simple to set up and scale with your business. It’s fully workable whether you’re just starting out or growing quickly.
As you can see, each product offers similar benefits but goes about delivering them in different ways.
Let’s now dig a little deeper to find out which is best for your business.
ClickFunnels vs. SamCart vs. SureCart: A Quick Comparison
Before we get to the full ClickFunnels vs. SamCart vs. SureCart comparison, here’s a brief summary of the contenders:
Feature | ClickFunnels | SamCart | SureCart |
---|---|---|---|
UI | Drag and drop, feature-rich, complex interface | Simple, checkout-focused UI | Modern, and easy-to-use UI, made for WordPress |
Funnel building | Comprehensive funnel-building tools | Limited funnel capabilities | Can be used as a funnel builder |
Checkout | Customizable but secondary to funnel features | Optimized for conversions, with order bumps and upsells | Highly customizable checkout with upsells and order bumps |
Email marketing | Built-in with integration support | Requires external integration | Integrates with email tools like Mailchimp and several others |
Membership | Built-in membership site creation | No membership features | Supports memberships and subscriptions with SureMembers |
Affiliate management | Built-in (Backpack) | Available with higher-tier plan | Built-in affiliate support |
Ease of use | Complex due to the many features | Very simple, checkout-focused | Very easy to use |
Integrations | Many third-party integrations via Zapier and others | Integrates with payment gateways and CRMs | Wide range of integrations with WordPress plugins |
Best for | Businesses needing full sales funnel creation | Entrepreneurs focused on optimizing checkout | WordPress users needing customizable checkout and membership solution |
Now let’s get to the full feature breakdown!
User Interface
ClickFunnels has a drag and drop editor for creating sales funnels.
It makes building landing pages, setting up email sequences, and managing customer journeys simple.
You won’t need coding skills to create complex funnels either.
SamCart has a more user-friendly interface focused on creating checkout pages and product pages.
Its dashboard is simple and focused on checkout customization.
This streamlined approach gives you more time to optimize sales rather than figuring out how to use it.
But there’s no support for physical products here — just digital — which is a limiting factor.
If you’re looking for something a bit more balanced, SureCart is equally user-friendly and allows for quick setup and management of products.
The interface is very intuitive, making it easy to add products, configure pricing, and handle transactions.
If you’re familiar with WordPress, you’ll already know how to use SureCart.
This means you can get your store up and running in no time.
It also includes support for all product types and includes features that make store management easier.
Things like real-time tax calculations, built-in shipping rates, and inventory control make running a store and building a sales funnel with SureCart just plain easy.
Funnel Building
ClickFunnels lets you create multi-step funnels for lead generation, product launches, and webinars.
It’s designed for businesses that need a complete sales funnel from start to finish and you can customize each step to match your specific goals.
SamCart focuses on checkout and doesn’t provide a full sales funnel builder.
It’s ideal for businesses that want to optimize their checkout rather than create sales funnels.
You don’t get the full funnel-building capabilities, but it excels at driving conversions.
SureCart is something of a middle ground with full eCommerce features built-in.
It allows you to build effective sales funnels by incorporating one-click upsells, order bumps, and customizable checkout forms.
Unlike traditional funnel-building tools like ClickFunnels, SureCart focuses more on eCommerce flexibility.
It really shines at offering upsell funnels post-checkout and lets you create seamless payment flows for digital products and memberships.
See how easy it is to build an upsell funnel in SureCart:
Checkout
ClickFunnels includes checkout page templates, but they’re not as optimized or conversion-focused as SamCart’s.
While you can still build functional checkout pages, they lack the fine-tuned conversion tools that dedicated platforms offer.
Customization is available, but the focus remains on the entire funnel rather than checkout optimization.
SamCart mainly focuses on optimized checkout pages, with customizable designs, order bumps, and A/B testing.
It does well at driving conversions at the final step, offering tools to maximize revenue with minimal friction.
The main selling point here is that you can embed these checkout forms on any website platform you currently use. They’re hosted with SamCart, so you can place them anywhere.
Whether you’re using Webflow, Framer, Wix, or WordPress, you can embed your checkout form and start accepting orders.
You can fine-tune the experience to reduce cart abandonment and boost upsell opportunities, too.
And it offers superfast checkout options for customers in a hurry.
SureCart can also deliver an optimized checkout process. It includes fully customizable checkout forms to ensure whatever you go with works for your audience.
It also supports instant checkout pages for an even smoother user experience.
Its flexibility means you can design a checkout flow that fits your business and customer needs, without having to use third-party tools.
With support for different payment gateways, SureCart ensures a smooth transaction experience whatever you sell.
Email Marketing
ClickFunnels includes its own email marketing tool but also offers integrations.
You can manage email campaigns directly within the platform or connect it to other marketing tools.
This makes it very convenient if you want an all-in-one solution.
SamCart lacks built-in email marketing but integrates with popular tools.
You’ll need to connect it to services like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign if you want to include its features in email campaigns.
This gives you flexibility, but adds an extra step for managing emails.
SureCart doesn’t have native email marketing features, but it integrates with third-party email marketing tools.
You can easily connect it to your preferred service provider to handle automated emails and campaigns.
This keeps things simple while giving you access to the best email tools available.
Link SureCart to the SureTriggers automation platform and you can automate a lot more than email!
Memberships
ClickFunnels helps a lot if you want to create membership sites. This is great for offering online courses, exclusive content, or subscription-based services.
It includes a built-in solution for managing membership areas and delivering gated content.
This makes it ideal for creators or businesses with tiered offerings.
SamCart includes tools for managing subscriptions and recurring billing.
It’s focused more on payment management rather than building full membership sites though.
It can handle subscriptions but may need additional tools for complex membership structures (think tiers or multi-level memberships).
SureCart offers native membership features by supporting subscriptions and flexible payment options.
It works seamlessly with SureMembers to create tiered memberships and full membership websites directly within WordPress.
This integration lets you control access, manage content, and handle payments easily.
Affiliate Management
ClickFunnels comes with its own affiliate management tool, Backpack, which helps you create and manage affiliate programs.
It allows you to track affiliates, set up commissions, and manage payouts without needing third-party integrations.
This feature is particularly useful for businesses looking to expand through affiliate marketing.
SamCart doesn’t offer built-in affiliate management, so you’ll need to rely on external tools to handle programs.
While you can integrate with affiliate software, it’s an extra layer of complexity.
SureCart has built-in support, allowing you to create and manage affiliate programs within the platform.
It provides a seamless way to track referrals and manage commissions, making it ideal for businesses looking for a WordPress-based affiliate solution.
Ease of Use
ClickFunnels has a steeper learning curve because of its extensive feature set. So, it’s understandable, but could get in the way for some people.
While the drag and drop editor is user-friendly, managing the full range of funnel-building, email marketing, and integrations can be overwhelming for those new to them.
That said, once you’re familiar with its capabilities, it becomes easier to navigate. And it really is quite powerful for complex funnel setups.
However, there is some concern growing online about an increasing number of bugs in the platform:
SamCart offers a contrast here as it’s much simpler to use and quicker to set up.
With a streamlined focus on checkout and product pages, its interface is intuitive and clean and it’s easy to start selling quickly.
It also promises speedy checkout options that provide a smoother UX for customers.
SureCart is a solid option and makes for a quick and efficient setup process.
It’s built for WordPress users, so if you know WordPress, you’ll know SureCart. This allows for fast product management and checkout configurations.
SureCart’s design focuses on flexibility and ease. That means you get a clean, streamlined interface you can put to work immediately.
You can set up subscriptions or sell digital or physical products easily and without being overwhelmed.
Integrations and Addons
ClickFunnels integrates with a wide range of tools, including email providers, payment gateways, and CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot.
You can also connect ClickFunnels with third-party apps using Zapier or SureTriggers. This gives you access to hundreds of other tools to extend its functionality.
SamCart offers integration with major payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal, as well as popular email services and CRMs.
It connects with tools like Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign. So you can automate marketing and manage your customer data easily.
SureCart also supports integrations. They include Zapier, AffiliateWP, CartFlows, LearnDash, and MemberPress among many others.
This gives you the flexibility to connect SureCart with various marketing, membership, and course creation tools.
Support and Documentation
ClickFunnels provides customer support via chat and a ticketing system.
You can access support around the clock to resolve issues quickly regardless of time zone. The platform also offers an extensive knowledge base and lively community.
SamCart also offers email and chat support.
The support team is responsive and promises to get back to customers within 24 hours.
SureCart provides a knowledge base, blog, contact form, and email support.
It also offers community support through a growing Facebook group, where you can exchange ideas and get additional help from peers.
The platform’s documentation is continuously expanding too.
Pricing
No ClickFunnels vs. SamCart vs. SureCart comparison would be complete without talking about price.
Platform | Lowest tier plan | Mid-tier plan | Highest tier plan |
---|---|---|---|
ClickFunnels | $97/month | N/A | $297/month |
SamCart | $79/month | $159/month | $319/month |
SureCart | Free | $19/month | $49/month |
ClickFunnels Pricing
Here are the current pricing tiers for ClickFunnels as of 2024:
- Startup plan: $97/month. Supports three brand workspaces and three team members. It also includes unlimited funnels, courses, members, and many other aspects.
- Pro plan: $297/month. Comes with ten brand workspaces, ten team members, and unlimited funnels.
SamCart Pricing
Here are the current pricing tiers for SamCart as of 2024:
- Launch plan: $79/month. Includes essential features like one admin user, custom domains, email marketing integrations, and core tools like one-click upsells.
- Grow plan: $159/month. Adds advanced features like three admin users, more detailed reporting, cart abandonment recovery, and an affiliate center.
- Scale plan: $319/month. Designed for high-growth businesses and supports ten admin users, A/B testing, advanced CRM features, and priority customer support.
SureCart Pricing
Here are the current pricing tiers for SureCart as of 2024:
- Launch plan: Free forever and includes basic features like unlimited products, secure checkout, and integration with payment gateways. It’s perfect for small businesses or entrepreneurs who are just starting and need a cost-effective eCommerce solution.
- Grow plan: $19/month (billed annually) or $39/month (billed monthly). Includes more features like order bumps and priority email support. It’s designed for businesses that are scaling and need extra tools to drive revenue growth.
- Scale plan: $49/month (billed annually) or $69/month (billed monthly). Provides full access to all features, including unlimited team members, 10GB secure file storage, and multi-currency support.
ClickFunnels Pros and Cons
As you get closer to making a decision, let’s break down the pros and cons of ClickFunnels:
Pros
- Full sales funnel creation: Supports multi-step funnels, from lead generation to membership sites. This allows you to build complex customer journeys with minimal effort.
- Webinar and membership capabilities: With integrated tools, you can host webinars and create membership areas.
- Affiliate management: Backpack makes for easy setup of affiliate programs with detailed tracking features.
- Highly customizable templates: The drag and drop editor provides full control over your funnel designs, offering extensive customization.
Cons
- Expensive: Plans are on the pricier side, which may be prohibitive for smaller businesses.
- Largely on hold: As far as we can tell, development is on hold so new features and improvements are rare.
- Checkout limitations: It’s not as optimized for cart conversions compared to checkout-focused platforms like SamCart.
SamCart Pros and Cons
Now let’s look at some pros and cons of SamCart.
Pros
- Checkout optimization: Focuses on reducing cart abandonment with optimized checkout pages.
- Embeddable checkout forms: Being able to add your checkout form to any web platform is a real win.
- Ease of use: Simple interface is easy to navigate. Setup is quick, so you can start selling right away.
- Built–in ways to boost revenue: The platform supports one-click upsells and order bumps.
Cons
- Limited funnel creation: No full multi-step funnel creation option.
- Lacks physical product support: SamCart only does well with digital products and online courses.
- Expensive: SamCart is the most expensive option here and doesn’t offer the most features.
- Fewer integrations: While it integrates with popular tools, the number of supported apps is limited compared to competing platforms.
- No built-in email marketing: You have to rely on third-party tools for email automation.
SureCart Pros and Cons
Finally, a few pros and cons of what SureCart is bringing to the table.
Pros
- WordPress-focused: Integrates seamlessly with WordPress and popular tools.
- Supports all product types: This includes digital, physical, and subscriptions.
- Membership and subscriptions: Works with SureMembers for easy management of tiered memberships and subscriptions.
- Supports complex features: You get real-time tax calculations and shipping information without the headaches of some other platforms.
- Flexible: Integrates with tools like LearnDash, AffiliateWP, and others, giving you room to expand.
Cons
- Still evolving: As a relatively new platform, SureCart is still expanding its feature set. The features it has are great but it doesn’t have all that larger competitors do.
- Limited documentation: The knowledge base is growing but may lack the extensive support found with older platforms.
ClickFunnels vs. SamCart vs. SureCart: Which Is Best?
All three funnel builders discussed here bring unique features and positives to the table.
ClickFunnels is best for businesses that need to build and manage full-scale sales funnels. It’s a popular option for those selling multiple products or services with complex sales processes.
If your goal is to guide customers through multiple stages of the buying journey, ClickFunnels has the tools to help.
However, since many users report countless bugs, it might be a challenge to get started.
SamCart is best for businesses that prioritize checkout optimization and reducing cart abandonment.
Its streamlined checkout pages make it ideal for increasing sales through upsells and order bumps.
If you already have a site built somewhere other than WordPress, SamCart might serve you well as you can embed its checkout forms anywhere.
For businesses focused on the final step of the sales funnel, SamCart delivers excellent results.
SureCart is best for WordPress-based businesses looking for a customizable, easy-to-use eCommerce solution.
It works for selling digital products, offering memberships, selling physical products, or managing subscriptions.
Companies that need flexibility without the complexity of other platforms, can rely on SureCart to deliver.
In the end, while ClickFunnels is well-known and SamCart concentrates on digital products, SureCart offers the best balance of simplicity, customization, and power for most businesses.
Especially those using WordPress.
ClickFunnels vs SamCart FAQs
We’ve covered a lot, but here are a few more of your questions answered:
Is SamCart better than ClickFunnels?
Whether SamCart is better than ClickFunnels depends on your business needs. SamCart is better for businesses focused on optimizing the checkout process for digital products and increasing conversions at the final stage.
ClickFunnels, however, is more versatile. It suits those needing a complete funnel-building solution from lead generation to sale, for physical or digital items.
What’s better than ClickFunnels?
SureCart might be better than ClickFunnels if you need a more streamlined checkout experience. Or, if you primarily sell products through WordPress. It’s easier to use for specific tasks like checkout optimization and lacks the bugginess ClickFunnels’ users often report.
Does SamCart integrate with ClickFunnels?
SamCart and ClickFunnels do not integrate as they are separate platforms. You can use them alongside each other if you need advanced checkout optimization from SamCart and funnel-building capabilities from ClickFunnels.
Does ClickFunnels replace your website?
ClickFunnels can replace a website if your main goal is building sales funnels and guiding customers through specific journeys. However, it’s not designed to fully replace a traditional website that serves multiple functions. It won’t replace your blog or company information pages.
Abhijeet Kaldate is the co-founder and CRO of Brainstorm Force. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for getting things done, Abhijeet oversees the company's operations, managing key areas such as HR, marketing, design and finance.
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