Wholesale comparison
Crate vs Locksmith
Real wholesale prices and ordering, where Locksmith only hides products and prices.
By the Crate teamUpdated
The short answer
- Locksmith hides products, pages and prices in your Shopify store, and it does it well, but it does not set a wholesale price: its own guide says you make a second version of each product.
- Crate gives every account its own prices and its own catalog in a branded wholesale portal synced with Shopify, with terms, minimums and buyer approval from $50/month.
Why pick Crate
- Wholesale prices without duplicate products. Locksmith's price tier guide says Locksmith itself does not create the alternate versions, and its wholesale tutorial asks for two versions of each product in your Shopify admin. Crate keeps one synced product and gives each account its own price list or customer prices. Source 1 Source 2
- Hidden means not orderable. Locksmith's own FAQ says a locked product can still reach checkout through cart links, Buy Now links, cart requests and other sales channels, because hiding a price changes what the page shows. In Crate the same rule decides what a buyer sees and what an order can contain, so a product outside their catalog is refused at checkout. Source
- Terms, minimums and invoices on the account. Locksmith's wholesale guide offers Net 30 by showing a payment method only to tagged customers. Crate keeps terms on each account, from prepaid and COD to Net 7 through Net 90, sets minimum quantities and case packs per product, and on Growth at $80/month sends the invoice when you confirm the order. Source
- Square and Clover too, not only the Online Store. Locksmith restricts content only inside Shopify's Online Store sales channel. Crate runs your wholesale portal on a Square, Shopify or Clover catalog, so you are not tied to one storefront. Source
Where Locksmith may still fit: if you sell one price list from your Shopify store and only need to hide pages, products or prices from the public, such as a members area, a passcode launch or a trade page.
What it costs on two Shopify plans
| Your Shopify plan | Crate | Locksmith |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic | Starter: $50/month for up to 20 active buyers, whatever your Shopify plan | $12/month suggested price, plus a second version of each product for wholesale prices. |
| Shopify Advanced | The same Starter price at $50/month; Growth at $80/month adds standing orders and invoicing for up to 50 active buyers | $99/month suggested price; every feature is on every plan, so a bigger Shopify plan does not add wholesale pricing. |
Crate and Locksmith, side by side
| Topic | Crate | Locksmith |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Starter $50/month, Growth $80/month, Plus $150/month. | Suggested $12/month on Shopify Basic, $29 on Grow, $99 on Advanced, $199 on Plus, every feature on every plan, 15-day trial. Source |
| Wholesale prices | Price lists and customer prices on the same synced product. | Hides prices but does not create them; wholesale prices need a second version of each product or variant. Source 1 Source 2 |
| Hidden products | A product outside the buyer's catalog is refused at checkout. | Locked products can still reach checkout through cart links, Buy Now links, cart requests and other channels. Source |
| Where buyers order | A separate branded portal on your own domain. | Your Shopify Online Store; Locksmith restricts only that sales channel. Source |
| Shopify B2B | Not needed; works on any Shopify plan. | Does not use Shopify B2B companies or catalogs or the Shopify Wholesale channel. Source |
| Pay later | Terms on the account, from prepaid and COD to Net 7 through Net 90; Growth sends the invoice when you confirm the order. | Shows a Net 30 or invoice payment method only to tagged customers. Source |
Keep the catalog you already have
Crate brings in your Square, Clover or Shopify catalog, so there is no second product list. Invoice through Square, Shopify, QuickBooks Online or Crate.
Questions
- How much does Locksmith cost?
- The Shopify App Store listing shows $12/month on Shopify Basic, $29 on Grow, $99 on Advanced and $199 on Plus, with every feature on every plan and a 15-day free trial. Locksmith calls these suggested prices and says it will try to meet a price that works for you.
- Can Locksmith set wholesale prices per customer?
- No. Locksmith can hide prices from people without access, but its own price tier guide says Locksmith does not create the alternate versions: you set up duplicate products or variant tiers. Crate gives each account its own price list or customer prices on one synced product.
- Can someone still buy a product Locksmith hides?
- Locksmith's FAQ says yes in some cases: cart links, Buy Now links, cart requests and other sales channels can reach checkout, and checkout validation needs buyers with customer accounts and works with tags only. In Crate a buyer can only order products in their own catalog.
Sources
Published by Crate from Locksmith's published information, not a hands-on test. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
- Locksmith on the Shopify App Store
- Locksmith: wholesale on Shopify
- Locksmith guide: price tiers
- Locksmith guide: wholesale with Locksmith
- Locksmith FAQ: someone bought a locked product
- Locksmith guide: quick start
Other comparisons
See Crate with your catalog
Connect Square, Shopify or Clover, set each account's prices and send buyers their login. Plans start at $50/month.
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