Who this comparison is for
OrderFlow highlights
- Headless HMAC Bridge for carts & checkout (any head)
- B2B quotes with approval thresholds & convert-to-order
- Returns/RMA flow with disposition + refunds (tokenized)
Shopify (Native Orders) highlights
- Tight native coupling to Shopify storefront & apps
- Simple order capture for typical D2C flows
Capability matrix
| Capability | OrderFlow | Shopify (Native Orders) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headless carts & checkout (HMAC) | Full | Add-on | Shopify supports custom apps; OrderFlow provides native HMAC bridge |
| Guest checkout → account claim | Full | Full | Supported natively in Shopify |
| B2B quotes & approvals | Full | Partial | OrderFlow full; Shopify via B2B features or apps |
| Partial shipments (split by line/qty) | Full | Partial | OrderFlow full multi-warehouse splits |
| Returns & RMAs with dispositions | Full | Partial | OrderFlow full RMA workflow + refunds via Payments |
| Order timeline (diffs, payments, tracking) | Full | Partial | OrderFlow has unified audit timeline |
| Abandoned-cart recovery triggers | via_integration | Full | OrderFlow via Email app integration |
| Payment reconciliation (auth/capture/refund) | via_integration | Partial | OrderFlow listens to payment webhooks for recon |
| Channel orders ingestion (marketplaces) | via_integration | Add-on | OrderFlow via orderflow integration |
| Exports & analytics (hourly rollups) | Full | Partial | OrderFlow ships KPI rollups + exports |
| RBAC & audit logging | Full | Partial | OrderFlow AccessGuard-style routing |
- This comparison focuses on order capture/ops workflows, not storefront CMS or theme features.
- Matrix tokens: full/partial/none/native/addon/via_integration/plan-based.
Total cost of ownership
Keep Shopify as your storefront. Layer OrderFlow for advanced ops (B2B quotes, RMAs, partials) to avoid stitching multiple apps. The combined stack reduces manual work and ticket volume as order complexity grows.
Assumptions
- D2C store on Shopify + B2B channel
- 10k–50k orders/mo with 12% returns
Migration plan
From Shopify Orders · Connect storefront → backfill orders → enable advanced ops progressively
-
1
Connect Shopify and import historical orders for support & analytics
-
2
Enable split shipments and RMAs in OrderFlow
-
3
Adopt quotes/approvals and headless bridge as needed
Security
- AES-256 at rest; TLS 1.2+ in transit
- HMAC bridge with 60s replay window & IP allow-lists
- No PAN stored; refunds via Payments app
Evidence & sources
| Claim | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| HMAC headless bridge | Single endpoint /bridge/{clientId}/{action} |
product_docs
Signed requests & scopes
|
| RMAs & refunds | End-to-end RMA flow |
product_docs
Refund via Payments events
|
About OrderFlow
OrderFlow is the operational heart of your store. Create and manage carts and orders, handle quotes/RFQs with approvals for B2B, and orchestrate shipments and returns. Keep teams aligned with timelines, status tracking and fast analytics rollups.
Recovery flows detect abandoned carts and trigger emails. Deep integrations connect ProductCatalog, Access Guard, Payments and ChannelBridge so OrderFlow stays in sync without storing card data. Export/import CSV or JSON, publish webhooks, and automate downstream processes with a secure Bridges layer.