Swell.is

What is Swell

Swell is a headless, API-first ecommerce platform designed for businesses that need high levels of customization and flexibility. Its main purpose is to give developers and brands the tools to build unique shopping experiences, separate from the constraints of traditional, template-based platforms. The core of Swell is its powerful API, which allows the backend (product management, orders, customers) to be completely separate from the frontend (the website or app the customer sees). This means you can use any modern technology like Next.js, Svelte, or Vue to build your store's interface. Swell was built to handle complex business models, including subscriptions, B2B sales, and marketplaces, making it a scalable solution for growing companies.

Swell Features

Swell offers a range of features focused on flexibility and developer control.

• API-First Architecture: The platform is built around a comprehensive API, giving developers full control to create custom storefronts and applications. It works well with JAMstack and modern web frameworks.
• Flexible Data Models: You can add custom fields to standard ecommerce models like products, customers, and orders. You can also create entirely new data models to store any kind of content or business data, similar to a content management system (CMS).
• Advanced Product Configuration: Swell supports complex product setups. You can create unlimited product options and variants, build configurable product bundles where each item is tracked individually, and manage inventory and pricing for each variant separately.
• Built-in Subscriptions: Manage recurring orders for physical and digital products directly within the platform. You can create, edit, and pause subscriptions from the admin dashboard.
• Intuitive Admin Dashboard: A user-friendly interface for non-technical team members to manage daily operations. This includes processing orders, viewing customer history, updating products, creating discounts, and generating reports.
• Multi-Currency and Multi-Language: The platform is designed to support international sales with features for handling different currencies and languages.
• Integrations: Connect your store with many third-party services for payments, shipping, marketing automation, and more through pre-built integrations or the API.

Swell Pricing Plans

Swell typically offers several pricing tiers to fit different business sizes and needs. The plans are structured to scale with your business growth.

• Basic Plan: Aimed at startups and small businesses launching their first custom store. This plan usually includes all core ecommerce features, support for a certain amount of sales volume, and access to the API.
• Advanced Plan: For growing businesses with higher sales volume. This tier often includes more advanced features, such as custom data models, and higher API rate limits.
• Enterprise Plan: Designed for large-scale operations and enterprises with complex requirements. It offers custom pricing, dedicated support, unlimited sales volume, and advanced features for B2B or marketplace models.

Swell Free Plan

Swell offers a free development plan that allows you to build and test your store without any cost. You can access all the core features, set up your products, and use the API to develop your frontend. This plan is fully functional for development purposes. You only need to upgrade to a paid plan when you are ready to start processing live payments and launch your store to the public. There are no time limits on the free development plan.

How to use Swell

Getting started with Swell involves a few key steps, primarily for a developer or a team with technical skills.

1. Sign Up: Create a free developer account on the Swell website.
2. Configure the Backend: In the Swell dashboard, start by adding your products. Define their attributes, prices, images, and any custom fields you need. Set up product variants and subscription options if needed.
3. Set Up Store Settings: Configure your store's basic settings, such as currency, payment gateways (like Stripe), and shipping rules.
4. Choose a Frontend Framework: Select a technology for your storefront, such as Next.js, Gatsby, or Nuxt.js.
5. Connect via API: Use the Swell JavaScript SDK or GraphQL API to fetch data from your Swell backend. You will find your API keys in the developer settings of your dashboard.
6. Build Your Storefront: Create pages to display products, manage the shopping cart, and handle the checkout process using Swell's API endpoints.
7. Deploy and Launch: Once your custom storefront is built and tested, deploy it to a hosting service. Upgrade your Swell account to a paid plan to begin accepting live orders.

Pros and Cons of Swell

Pros

• High Flexibility: The API-first approach allows for complete creative control over the user experience.
• Developer-Friendly: Extensive documentation, modern SDKs, and a GraphQL API make it easy for developers to work with.
• Scalable: The architecture is built to handle growth and complex business models like subscriptions and B2B.
• Integrated Features: Core features like subscriptions and complex product options are built-in, not expensive add-ons.
• No Transaction Fees: Swell does not charge transaction fees on top of what your payment processor charges.

Cons

• Requires Technical Expertise: It is not a suitable platform for users without development skills who want an out-of-the-box solution.
• Smaller App Ecosystem: Compared to platforms like Shopify, Swell has a smaller number of pre-built third-party apps.
• Steeper Learning Curve: The headless nature and extensive customization options can be complex for those new to this type of architecture.

Swell integrations

Swell connects with various third-party applications to extend its functionality. Integrations are managed through the dashboard or by using the API.

• Stripe Integration: For processing payments securely.
• PayPal Integration: Offers another popular payment option for customers.
• Klaviyo Integration: For email marketing automation and customer communication.
• Algolia Integration: To implement powerful and fast search functionality on your storefront.
• ShipStation Integration: To manage order fulfillment and shipping.
• TaxJar Integration: For automated sales tax calculations.
• Next.js, Gatsby, Svelte: These are not direct integrations but frontend frameworks that Swell is designed to work with seamlessly.

Swell Alternatives

• Shopify Plus: A popular choice for large businesses, but it is less flexible in its core architecture than Swell. It has a very large app ecosystem but can be more restrictive for deep customizations.
• BigCommerce: A strong competitor that also offers headless commerce capabilities. It provides a good balance between ease of use and flexibility, with strong built-in features.
• Commercetools: A direct competitor in the API-first commerce space. It is also highly flexible and aimed at enterprise clients who want to build custom solutions from the ground up.
• Saleor: An open-source headless ecommerce platform. It offers great flexibility and has no licensing fees, but requires more self-hosting and maintenance effort.

Swell API

Yes, Swell provides a comprehensive API. In fact, the entire platform is built on it. Developers can use a REST API, a GraphQL API, and a JavaScript SDK to interact with the platform. The API gives you access to all data models, including products, orders, customers, and carts, allowing for full control over the shopping experience.

To get your API keys, you need to sign up for a Swell account. Inside the dashboard, navigate to the Developer section in the settings to find your public and secret keys.

Here is an example of using the Swell JS client in a Next.js application to fetch a product:

import swell from './utils/client.js'

export default function ProductPage({ product }) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{product.name}</h1>
      <p>{product.description}</p>
      <span>{swell.currency.format(product.price)}</span>
    </div>
  )
}

export async function getStaticProps({ params }) {
  const product = await swell.products.get(params.slug)
  return { 
    props: { product }
  }
}

Swell Affiliate program

Swell has a Partner Program rather than a traditional affiliate program. This program is designed for agencies, developers, and technology companies that build ecommerce solutions for clients. Partners can receive benefits like revenue sharing, co-marketing opportunities, and dedicated support. To join, you typically need to apply through the 'Partners' section on their website and demonstrate your experience in building ecommerce sites. If you are an influencer or content creator, it is best to contact their marketing or partnerships team directly to discuss potential collaboration opportunities.