Most ecommerce platforms ban fireworks. Industry POS tools weren't built for online sales. PyroApex combines deep fireworks industry expertise with 30 years of ecommerce engineering.
Built by fireworks people who build ecommerce platforms.
Before comparing features and pricing, there's something most platforms won't tell you upfront.
Fireworks are prohibited. Accounts terminated without warning. Cannot use Shopify Payments.
Restricts weapons, explosives, and age-restricted products sold online.
Lightspeed Payments explicitly restricts fireworks alongside vape and CBD.
Open-source, but Stripe and WooPayments ban fireworks. Requires a high-risk payment processor.
Allows fireworks, but nothing is built in — age verification, firework carrier shipping, wholesale all require third-party apps you assemble yourself.
Purpose-built for fireworks businesses with integrated, fireworks-approved payment processing.
Feature-by-feature — for the platforms that even allow fireworks.
| PyroApex | Shopify | BigCommerce | Square Online | WooCommerce | Ecwid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allows Fireworks? | Built for it | Banned | With add-ons | Restricted | Restricted | Banned |
| Payment Processing | ValorPay (built in) | Banned | Standard (no fireworks features) | Restricted | High-risk only | Banned |
| Free Tier | $0/mo | No ($5 Starter) | No | $0/mo | Free (self-hosted) | $5/mo |
| Entry Price | $79/mo | $39/mo | $39/mo | $49/mo | ~$30/mo | $25/mo |
| Mid Price | $249/mo | $105/mo | $105/mo | $149/mo | ~$100/mo | $55/mo |
| High Price | $499+/mo | $399/mo | $399/mo | N/A | ~$300/mo | Custom |
| Platform Txn Fee | 0.5–2.5% | 0.6–2% | None | 2.6–3.3% + $0.30 | Varies | None |
| Fireworks-Specific | Yes | N/A — Banned | No | N/A — Restricted | No | N/A — Banned |
| Age Verification | Built in | N/A | App required | N/A | Plugin required | N/A |
| Firework Shipping Carriers | Built in | N/A | App required | N/A | Plugin required | N/A |
| Wholesale + Retail | Built in | N/A | App required | N/A | Plugin required | N/A |
| Counter Sales / POS | Built in | N/A | App required | N/A | Plugin required | N/A |
| Seasonal Billing | Free tier = $0 off-season | N/A | Monthly always | Free tier available | Hosting costs remain | N/A |
Actually Allows Fireworks
Shopify, Ecwid, and Square ban or restrict fireworks sales. Your store won't get shut down overnight on PyroApex — we exist to serve this industry.
Fireworks-Approved Payment Processing
Integrated ValorPay processing built for regulated industries. No scrambling for a high-risk merchant account or worrying about Stripe freezing your funds.
Fireworks Product Data Model
Case/pack/unit hierarchies, DOT weight tracking, product effect categories, manufacturer/importer associations. Not possible with generic product fields.
Wholesale + Retail in One Platform
Resale certificate verification, net terms, customer price list memberships, and wholesale storefront pricing are built in. Most generic platforms are B2C only and require separate apps for B2B.
Seasonal Business Model
Free tier means $0 during the off-season. Shopify and BigCommerce charge monthly year-round regardless of sales volume.
Firework Shipping Carriers
Firework Shipping carrier support is built into checkout so fireworks orders can use industry-specific shipping workflows instead of generic parcel-only defaults.
BigCommerce & WooCommerce Can Work
BigCommerce allows fireworks and WooCommerce can work with a high-risk payment processor. But neither has fireworks features built in — you'll assemble age verification, firework carrier shipping, and wholesale from third-party apps.
App Ecosystem
Shopify has 13,000+ apps (if they'd let you use them). BigCommerce has a strong app marketplace. PyroApex is purpose-built, so most aren't needed — but the ecosystem is there.
Multi-Channel Selling
Amazon, eBay, and social media shop integrations. PyroApex is online storefront-focused initially.
International Selling
Multi-currency and multi-language support. PyroApex is US-only — but fireworks are heavily regulated by jurisdiction anyway.
How PyroApex compares to industry-specific solutions.
| PyroApex | Pyromart | CerTek Artisan | Pomodo | RMH POS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Full platform | Retail + wholesale | Retail POS | Retail + wholesale POS | General retail POS |
| Pricing | $0–499+/mo | Annual license | From $89.99/mo | ~$68/mo | Varies |
| Online Storefront | Full storefront | E-commerce included | No | Integrated cart | Requires separate |
| Inventory | Multi-location | Passthrough | FIFO, multi-vendor | Case/pack/unit | Standard retail |
| POS | Built-in | Built-in | Desktop + portable | Built-in | Built-in |
| Wholesale | Built-in | Wholesale module | Limited | Built-in | Generic |
| Cloud-Native | Yes | Legacy web | Desktop | Desktop | Desktop |
| Free Tier | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| AI Features | Planned | No | No | No | No |
| Multi-Tenant | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Offline Mode | Coming soon | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Yes |
Modern Cloud-Native Platform
Most industry tools are desktop-based or legacy web. PyroApex is fully cloud with real-time sync — no server to maintain, access from anywhere.
Ecommerce-First Architecture
CerTek and RMH are POS-first with no native ecommerce. Pomodo recently added an online cart. PyroApex was built ecommerce-first — sell online from day one with a full branded storefront.
Tenant-Isolated Cloud Platform
Each merchant gets isolated tenant data, branding, and storefront configuration. Industry tools are typically single-install.
Wholesale Price List Controls
Retail and wholesale price lists, customer memberships, net terms, and resale certificate enforcement are managed inside the same platform.
Counter Sales Included
Barcode scanning, cashier sessions, ring-up workflow, stock movements, and label printing are built for in-person selling.
$0 to Start
Pyromart and CerTek have upfront costs. PyroApex lets merchants start selling for free and scale when ready.
In-Person POS Maturity
CerTek and Pomodo have years of POS refinement across receipt printers, cash drawers, and offline mode. PyroApex counter sales are built, while deeper hardware workflows remain roadmap items.
Offline Operation
CerTek supports offline mode with sync — critical for tent and stand operations with poor connectivity. PyroApex is cloud-first.
Hardware Integration
Portable data terminals, receipt printers, barcode scanners. PyroApex has ValorPay terminal integration planned.
Established Customer Base
These tools have existing market share and word-of-mouth in the fireworks industry. PyroApex is newer — but built by people who know both fireworks and ecommerce.
Built by fireworks people with 30 years of ecommerce engineering experience. Not a generic platform, not a bolt-on.
No monthly fees, no credit card. Pay only when you sell. Perfect for seasonal businesses.
Cloud-native and real-time. No desktop software to install or maintain.