fabric
fabric is a modular commerce platform providing enterprise-grade APIs and orchestration tools to help retailers scale online operations, manage complex orders, and deliver consistent shopping experiences across all digital channels.
Swell
Swell is a headless ecommerce platform providing highly customizable API-first commerce solutions for modern brands and developers to build unique shopping experiences across any digital storefront or device.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | fabric | Swell |
|---|---|---|
| Website | fabric.inc | swell.is |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Freemium |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2017 | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Bellevue, USA | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
fabric
fabric provides you with a modular, headless commerce infrastructure designed to replace restrictive legacy systems. Instead of dealing with a rigid all-in-one platform, you can pick and choose the specific services you need—like product information management, global inventory tracking, or complex order orchestration—to build a custom tech stack that fits your unique business requirements.
You can launch new shopping experiences faster by using their robust API-first architecture. The platform handles the heavy lifting of backend commerce logic, allowing your developers to focus on creating high-converting frontends. It is specifically built for mid-market and enterprise retailers who have outgrown basic platforms and need the flexibility to scale without the traditional overhead of maintaining homegrown systems.
Swell
Swell is a headless ecommerce platform designed to give you total creative control over your online store. Unlike traditional all-in-one builders, it separates your backend commerce logic from your frontend design, allowing you to build unique shopping experiences using any framework or device. You can manage complex product catalogs, process payments, and handle global shipping through a centralized dashboard while maintaining a lightning-fast storefront.
The platform is built for growing brands, developers, and mid-market retailers who have outgrown rigid templates. Whether you are launching a subscription-based service or a high-volume marketplace, you can scale your operations without the technical debt of legacy systems. It provides the infrastructure to handle everything from localized pricing to advanced inventory management while you focus on your brand's unique identity.
Overview
fabric Features
- Product Information Management Centralize your product data and rich media in one place to ensure consistent information across every sales channel.
- Distributed Order Management Route orders intelligently from multiple warehouses or stores to reduce shipping costs and speed up delivery times.
- Global Inventory Visibility Track your stock levels in real-time across all locations to prevent overselling and manage safety stock effectively.
- Dropship Management Expand your product catalog without holding inventory by connecting directly with third-party suppliers and automating fulfillment.
- XM Storefront Builder Create and manage digital shopping experiences with a headless CMS that gives you total design freedom.
- Member & Loyalty Tools Build deeper customer relationships with integrated identity management, tiered loyalty programs, and personalized promotional offers.
Swell Features
- Headless Architecture. Connect any frontend framework to a powerful commerce backend to create truly unique and fast shopping experiences.
- Subscription Engine. Launch and manage recurring revenue models with built-in tools for flexible billing cycles and automated customer renewals.
- Native Checkout. Use a fully customizable, PCI-compliant checkout that works across any device to increase your conversion rates.
- Global Commerce. Sell to customers worldwide with multi-currency support, localized pricing, and automated tax calculations for different regions.
- Advanced Product Modeling. Create complex product structures with unlimited options, variants, and custom attributes to fit your specific inventory needs.
- Visual Dashboard. Manage your orders, customers, and products through an intuitive admin interface designed for non-technical team members.
Pricing Comparison
fabric Pricing
Swell Pricing
- Unlimited products
- Unlimited users
- Headless storefronts
- 2% transaction fee
- Community support
- Everything in Community, plus:
- Lower transaction fees (check terms)
- Advanced subscription features
- Priority email support
- Advanced API access
- Custom checkout domains
Pros & Cons
fabric
Pros
- Modular architecture allows for gradual migration from legacy systems
- High-performance APIs ensure fast page loads and checkout experiences
- Excellent support for complex multi-channel inventory requirements
- Flexible data models adapt to unique product catalog needs
Cons
- Requires significant technical expertise for initial implementation
- Documentation can be dense for non-technical business users
- Custom pricing makes it difficult to estimate costs quickly
Swell
Pros
- Extremely flexible API allows for total creative freedom
- Native subscription features eliminate the need for third-party apps
- Clean and modern admin dashboard is easy to navigate
- Generous free tier is perfect for development and testing
Cons
- Requires developer knowledge to set up the frontend
- Documentation can be sparse for complex edge cases
- Smaller app ecosystem compared to legacy ecommerce platforms