Facebook Pixel comparison - Shopify vs Vitals
The main difference is that Shopify only allows you to add one single pixel to your store by installing the Facebook Pixel app, which also needs to be configured. In contrast, the Vitals Facebook Pixels app allows you to add multiple pixels (as many as you want) and the ability to choose where the pixels are active; or have a backup pixel, and the setup process is quick and straightforward.
The other difference is that the Shopify pixel is the one firing all the checkout events. No apps can run on the checkout page, starting from the end of 2018, so excepting the Initiate checkout event and the Purchase event, other checkout events such as Add payment info cannot be fired. The pixel added in Shopify is the only one that can fire those events.
When it comes to using FB Pixels, there are a few main differences between the pixel you add in Shopify and the one(s) you add in the Vitals Facebook Pixels app.
While there are certainly advantages to using the Vitals Facebook Pixels app over the single Shopify pixel, there are a few limitations as well, which you can see below:
| Shopify Pixel | Vitals Pixel |
|---|---|
| only one pixel allowed | multiple (unlimited) pixels allowed |
| the pixel is active globally on the store (all pages) | the pixels can be active on the entire store, specific Collection, or Tags |
| the pixel might be compatible with some Ajax Carts / Cart Drawers or other 3rd Party Upsell apps | the pixels will not be able to capture events from Cart Drawers or other 3rd Party Upsell apps |
| the pixel will run on the Checkout page and capture the AddPaymentInfo event. It also fires the Purchase event on the Thank You page. | the pixels cannot fire on the Checkout page (Shopify apps cannot run there), but it fires the Purchase event on the Thank You page. |
| has the option to push a product catalog (useful for dynamic remarketing - read more here) + has integrated Facebook's Conversion API | no catalog is attached to our pixels, but this feature is on our roadmap and should be launched in 2021 |
As you can see, there are a few differences between the pixel you add in Shopify and the ones you add in Vitals. Therefore it is best to understand the limitations of each and plan your strategy accordingly.
The main benefit of having additional pixels added to Vitals is that you can target specific collections or products. This will help you collect more specific data, which will help you better understand your audiences. This particular data will help create look-alike audiences and improve your ad targeting. You can find an in-depth guide here.
Please keep in mind that we advise using the main pixel in Shopify with additional pixels added to Vitals. Your main pixel from Shopify will be able to collect all major events from your store, with additional pixels added to Vitals being able to collect extra data from specific Collections/Product Tag or serve as a backup pixel.