Pergola software comparison

Configurix vs ShadeFX: two different jobs.

ShadeFX is presented publicly as a retractable-shade product company. Configurix is a configurable-product sales platform. This comparison helps pergola installers, dealers and manufacturers decide whether they need a product supplier, a catalog-driven sales system, or both.

Research reviewed 18 August 2026

Configurix

Software for your configurable-product catalogue

Configurix models the products a business is authorised to sell, then connects guided 3D selection with pricing, quotes, lead data and project outputs under an agreed scope.

Designed for brands, manufacturers, dealers and installers
Supports multiple product families and market-specific catalogues
Commercial rules and customer output stay connected to the configuration

ShadeFX

A specialist retractable-shade product range

ShadeFX official brochures document retractable canopies, retractable roofs, pergola kits and custom structures, with product dimensions, fabrics and ordering information.

Focused on physical shade and canopy systems
Official guides include specifications and order-related information
Current dealer software and integrations should be confirmed with ShadeFX

Capability comparison

Compare the workflow, not only the feature names.

“Available” can mean a native workflow, a separate module, an extension or a custom implementation. Confirm the exact scope against a working system before choosing.

Decision area	Configurix	ShadeFX	What to verify
Primary job	Configure, price, quote and manage the commercial record for made-to-measure products.	Supply retractable canopy, retractable roof, pergola-kit and custom shade products.	Decide whether the immediate need is product supply, sales software or both.
Catalogue ownership	The approved seller or manufacturer catalogue is modeled during implementation.	Official public material documents ShadeFX-branded systems and parameters.	Confirm rights to use supplier models, specifications, pricing and brand assets.
3D configuration	A guided browser experience can expose permitted sizes, finishes and compatible options.	The official sources reviewed focus on product brochures, specifications and order forms.	Ask ShadeFX to demonstrate any current customer or dealer visualizer directly.
Pricing and quotes	Product formulas, price lists, taxes, installation charges and branded documents can be scoped together.	Public product guides include price-list or order information for documented ShadeFX products.	Compare the full path from dimensions to a customer-ready commercial document.
Multiple brands	Separate catalogues, brands, regions and user permissions can be defined in the implementation scope.	Public sources reviewed describe the ShadeFX product range.	Use a real two-brand project to test catalog separation and pricing control.
White-label experience	Brand, domain, language, customer journey and documents can be configured for the agreed deployment.	No conclusion is made from the public product guides reviewed.	Request a live example for the exact dealer, market and domain requirements.
Post-quote workflow	Lead, project, quote, revision and handoff information can remain attached to one configuration.	Confirm current dealer workflow, CRM connections and order tools with ShadeFX.	Trace a revision after the first quote and identify every manual re-entry point.

Decision guide

Start with the business model.

A supplier comparison and a software comparison answer different questions. Define who owns the product rules, who controls the selling price and whose brand the customer sees before assessing features.

Product-led relationship

If the business is standardising on a ShadeFX system, evaluate the product specifications, installation method, fabric choices, ordering process, training and dealer support supplied with that range.

Platform-led relationship

If the business sells several pergola or outdoor-living ranges, evaluate how Configurix would keep each catalogue, price list, user group and customer document controlled.

Combined workflow

A dealer may need both a physical product supplier and an independent sales layer. Confirm data rights, update ownership and order-format compatibility before connecting the two.

Manufacturer workflow

Manufacturers should test dealer permissions, regional price lists, product releases, multilingual output and the data returned after a customer or dealer submits a configuration.

Decision guide

Compare the complete project record.

The largest workflow differences usually appear after the visual design. Follow the configuration through price approval, quote revisions, survey, order and installation instead of stopping at the first 3D screen.

Rules and exceptions

Test maximum spans, slopes, drive positions, fabric or louver compatibility, mounting conditions and exceptions that need engineering or supplier approval.

Price governance

Check where supplier cost, dealer margin, labour, delivery, tax, controlled discounts and validity dates are stored—and who can change each value.

Revision control

Change the dimensions after the first quote. Verify whether the 3D design, price, document, customer history and downstream order data update together.

Operational handoff

Ask what the surveyor, buyer, supplier and installation team receive. A polished visual is not enough if the project must be rebuilt manually before ordering.

Before you decide

Run the same real project in both systems.

A controlled evaluation is more useful than a feature checklist. Use the same product, dimensions, options, price rules and customer output for both demonstrations.

01Configure one typical retractable or bioclimatic pergola from exact dimensions.
02Trigger one invalid size or incompatible option and inspect the guidance.
03Apply the correct price list, tax, installation and controlled discount rules.
04Produce the customer-facing design, quote and approval experience.
05Revise the product after the first quote without rebuilding the project.
06Export or hand off the approved information needed by supplier and installer.
07Identify catalogue updates, ownership, training and ongoing support responsibilities.
08Record every capability that depends on another system or custom development.

Frequently asked questions

Clear answers for a fair comparison.

Are Configurix and ShadeFX direct alternatives?: Not in the usual sense. ShadeFX public materials describe retractable canopies, retractable roofs, pergola kits and custom shade structures. Configurix is software for turning a seller's own configurable-product catalog into a guided 3D, pricing and quoting workflow. A business can therefore evaluate them for different jobs, or potentially use product data from a shade supplier inside a broader sales system when commercial and technical permissions allow it.
Which option fits a multi-brand pergola installer?: A multi-brand installer generally needs catalog governance, product-specific rules, price lists, quote output and lead follow-up across more than one supplier. That is the type of workflow Configurix is designed to scope. ShadeFX's official public documents focus on ShadeFX products and their specification, ordering and installation requirements. Confirm any dealer software supplied by ShadeFX directly with the vendor.
Can Configurix model retractable canopies as well as bioclimatic pergolas?: Configurix can be scoped for bioclimatic pergolas, retractable roofs, fabric canopies, fixed roofs and related outdoor-living systems when the required geometry, compatibility rules, prices and output data are available. The accepted catalog and working build determine the final supported range.
Does this comparison prove that a capability is unavailable in ShadeFX?: No. The comparison distinguishes capabilities documented in the official public sources reviewed from items that require direct vendor confirmation. A missing public page is not proof that a private dealer tool, service or integration does not exist.
How should an installer compare the two fairly?: Use one representative project. Ask each vendor to show product selection, size limits, compatible options, price calculation, customer presentation, quote output, revisions, ordering data and post-sale handoff. Record which steps are native, which require another system and which depend on custom implementation.

Continue your research

Explore the complete pergola workflow.

Pergola configurator

Core product

Bring one real product to the demo.

We will show how its options, constraints, pricing and customer output can fit a Configurix workflow. Final scope is confirmed against the working build.

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