13 Top E-commerce platforms and how to choose the best one for your business

If you’re in the market for a new e-commerce platform, then congrats! That’s a sure sign of the progress of your business. But in order to keep that progress on an uphill climb, you want to choose the best e-commerce platform for you. There are many platforms out there, each with its own strong points and weak points, and you don’t want to end up picking a platform that’s a mismatch for your business.

Not to worry! This guide to choosing the best e-commerce platform will take you through the critical questions about your business’s current status, goals, and priorities that will direct you to the right platform for your business growth. Answer the questions below and by the end of this guide, you’ll be on your way to a brand-new E-commerce website.

1. Shopify – Our #1 choice for e-commerce platforms

1. Features: Intuitive interface, diverse customization options, seamless scalability, and a rich set of features.
2. Benefits: Excellent for businesses of various sizes, strong customer support, and a large marketplace with many integrations and applications.
3. Pros: User-friendly for beginners, strong e-commerce tools, and a robust app marketplace.
4. Cons: Higher cost with additional transaction fees, limited customization capabilities without coding skills.
5. Pricing: Multiple tiers with increasing features, from basic to advanced needs. Monthly subscription plus transaction fees.
6. Comparison: Often compared favorably to other platforms for its ease of use and comprehensive features but can be more expensive.

Pricing:

WooCommerce itself is free, but associated costs such as hosting, domain registration, themes, and additional plugins can vary widely based on the choices made by the store owner.

Comparison:

WooCommerce is often compared to Shopify for its popularity and capabilities. While Shopify offers an all-in-one hosted solution, WooCommerce provides more control and customization at the potential cost of ease of use and simplicity. WooCommerce is ideal for those who prefer WordPress and need a powerful, flexible e-commerce solution integrated into their website.

3. Magento (Adobe Commerce): A Robust Platform for Large-scale E-commerce Needs

1. Features: Highly scalable, extensive customization, and a rich feature set.
2. Benefits: Suitable for large businesses with complex needs.
3. Pros: Very powerful and flexible, great for large-scale operations.
4. Cons: Expensive, requires technical expertise for setup and management.
5. Pricing: Custom pricing based on business needs and revenue.
6. Comparison: More complex and suited for larger businesses compared to Shopify and WooCommerce.

Magento, now known as Adobe Commerce, is a feature-rich, open-source e-commerce platform. It’s known for its scalability, robustness, and flexibility, making it a top choice for large businesses with complex e-commerce requirements.

Magento Features:

Magento offers an expansive set of features that cater to the intricate needs of large-scale e-commerce operations. It provides extensive customization capabilities, allowing for a high degree of tailoring in both functionality and design. Its scalability is a major strength, capable of handling large volumes of products and complex customer interactions.

Benefits:

The platform excels in creating a tailored e-commerce experience. With its powerful and diverse functionality, businesses can craft a unique online presence that stands out from competitors. Adobe Commerce also offers a high degree of control over the hosting environment, ensuring businesses can optimize for performance and security.

Pricing:

Adobe Commerce offers custom pricing tailored to each business’s needs. Magento Open Source is free, but associated costs like hosting, development, and extensions can be significant.

Comparison:

Magento stands out in the e-commerce platform market for its ability to handle complex, large-scale operations, a contrast to platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce which are more accessible to smaller businesses. Its robust feature set and scalability make it a preferred choice for large enterprises with specific requirements and the resources to invest in a powerful e-commerce solution.

4. BigCommerce: Versatile and Scalable E-commerce Platform for All Business Sizes

1. Features: User-friendly, scalable, and offers robust support and security features.
2. Benefits: Suitable for businesses of all sizes, offering comprehensive e-commerce capabilities.
3. Pros: Less reliance on third-party apps, good customer support.
4. Cons: Can be costly, some limitations on customization.
5. Pricing: Tiered pricing based on the scale of the business.
6. Comparison: Similar to Shopify in user-friendliness but with fewer app dependencies.

BigCommerce is a comprehensive e-commerce platform offering a blend of ease of use, scalability, and a wide array of features, catering to a broad spectrum of business sizes and types.

Features:

BigCommerce stands out with its user-friendly interface that makes it easy for newcomers to set up and manage their online store. It provides extensive customization options through a variety of themes and an open API for more advanced customizations. The platform is also known for its robust scalability, capable of supporting businesses as they grow from small startups to large enterprises.

Benefits:

One of the primary benefits of BigCommerce is its all-in-one nature, offering integrated hosting, security, and a wide range of e-commerce tools. It provides excellent customer support and security features, ensuring a reliable and secure online shopping experience for customers.

Pricing:

BigCommerce offers tiered pricing plans, which scale with the size and complexity of the business. Each tier offers a range of features suitable for different stages of business growth.

Comparison:

In comparison to platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce is often lauded for its native features and fewer app dependencies. However, Shopify might offer a slightly more intuitive user interface and a larger app marketplace.

5. Volusion: User-Friendly and Affordable E-commerce Solution

1. Features: Competitive pricing, customization options, mobile responsiveness, and security.
2. Benefits: A straightforward solution for small to medium businesses.
3. Pros: User-friendly, affordable.
4. Cons: Limited scalability and advanced features.
5. Pricing: Various tiers based on features and business size.
6. Comparison: More basic and affordable than Shopify and BigCommerce but with fewer features.

Volusion is an e-commerce platform known for its simplicity and effectiveness, especially suitable for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a straightforward online retail solution.

Features:

Volusion provides the essential tools needed to build and manage an online store, including a variety of templates, a user-friendly interface, and basic e-commerce functionality. It also ensures mobile responsiveness and essential security features for online transactions.

Benefits:

The platform is recognized for its competitive pricing and ease of use, making it an ideal choice for businesses just venturing into online sales. Volusion’s customer support is proficient, offering assistance to users for a smooth e-commerce experience.

Pricing:

Volusion offers various pricing tiers, each providing different levels of features and capabilities to match the size and needs of the business.

Comparison: When compared with platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, Volusion is more basic and affordable but may not offer the same level of features or scalability. It is well-suited for smaller businesses that prioritize ease of use and affordability over extensive customization and advanced features.

6. Wix: Intuitive and Visually appealing website builder with E-commerce capabilities

1. Features: User-friendly website builder with e-commerce functionality.
2. Benefits: Great for users with limited technical skills looking to create visually appealing stores.
3. Pros: Easy to use, good design options.
4. Cons: Limited e-commerce features compared to dedicated platforms.
5. Pricing: Monthly subscription with different tiers.
6. Comparison: Easier to use but less comprehensive than dedicated e-commerce platforms like Shopify.

Wix is a popular platform known primarily as a website builder but it also offers robust e-commerce functionalities. It is tailored for individuals and small businesses looking to establish a visually appealing online presence with ease.

Features:

Wix’s drag-and-drop interface is highly intuitive, making it simple for users to design and customize their websites without requiring coding knowledge. Its e-commerce functionality is integrated smoothly into its website building tools, allowing for a seamless blend of content and commerce.

Benefits:

The platform’s standout benefit is its user-friendliness, making it accessible to users with varying levels of technical skills. Wix provides a variety of beautiful templates and design options that help businesses create professional and visually striking online stores.

Pricing:

Wix operates on a subscription model with different tiers, catering to a range of needs from basic websites to more advanced e-commerce capabilities.

Comparison:

Compared to dedicated e-commerce platforms like Shopify or Magento, Wix is more suitable for smaller businesses or individuals who value ease of design and straightforward e-commerce functionality over comprehensive e-commerce tools.

7. Squarespace: Aesthetically Focused Website Builder with E-commerce Integration

1. Features: E-commerce capabilities with a focus on design.
2. Benefits: Ideal for small businesses prioritizing aesthetics.
3. Pros: Beautiful design templates, user-friendly.
4. Cons: Limited e-commerce tools compared to other platforms.
5. Pricing: Monthly subscription based on plan.
6. Comparison: Similar to Wix in ease of use and design focus but less versatile for large-scale e-commerce.

Squarespace is renowned for its design-centric approach to website building, offering e-commerce capabilities that are ideal for small businesses and creatives who prioritize aesthetics and simplicity.

Features:

Squarespace provides beautifully designed templates and a user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to create visually stunning online stores. Its e-commerce tools, though not as extensive as some other platforms, cover all the essentials needed for a functional online store.

Benefits:

The platform’s focus on design and user experience is a major benefit, allowing businesses to create websites that stand out visually. Squarespace also offers seamless integration with its website building tools, making it a convenient choice for businesses that already use or plan to use Squarespace for their website needs.

Pricing:

Squarespace offers a range of subscription plans, each with different levels of e-commerce functionality to suit various business sizes and needs.

Comparison:

Compared to platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce, Squarespace is less versatile for complex e-commerce needs but excels in providing an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly experience.

8. PrestaShop: Flexible Open-Source E-commerce Platform for Diverse Business Needs

1. Features: Open-source, customizable.
2. Benefits: Cost-effective with flexibility.
3. Pros: Highly customizable, good for technical users.
4. Cons: Requires hosting, potential extra costs for modules.
5. Pricing: Free to download, but additional costs for hosting and add-ons.
6. Comparison: More technical and customizable than WooCommerce, but with similar cost implications.

PrestaShop is an open-source e-commerce solution that offers a high degree of customization and flexibility, making it suitable for a wide range of business sizes and types.

Features:

PrestaShop’s open-source nature allows for extensive customization, with access to a wide array of themes and modules. The platform supports a multitude of payment gateways and shipping options, providing businesses with the flexibility to meet various customer needs.

Benefits:

The primary advantage of PrestaShop is its cost-effectiveness and flexibility. Being open-source, it offers the ability to tailor the platform extensively according to specific business requirements. Additionally, its active community contributes to a large pool of resources and support.

Pricing:

PrestaShop is free to download and use, but costs can arise from hosting, premium modules, and themes, as well as potential development costs for customizations.

Comparison:

Compared to more user-friendly platforms like Shopify or Wix, PrestaShop requires more technical involvement but offers greater customization potential. It is well-suited for businesses that need a highly tailored e-commerce solution and are willing to invest in the technical aspect.

9. OpenCart: User-Friendly and Customizable Open-Source E-commerce Platform

1. Features: Open-source, easy to use, and customizable.
2. Benefits: Good for basic e-commerce needs, with an active community.
3. Pros: User-friendly for basic needs, affordable.
4. Cons: Limited scalability and features for large businesses.
5. Pricing: Free, with costs for hosting, themes, and extensions.
6. Comparison: Similar to PrestaShop, suitable for small businesses, but less feature-rich.

OpenCart is an accessible open-source e-commerce platform, favored for its simplicity, customization options, and active community support.

Features:

OpenCart offers a straightforward setup and user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users with basic technical skills. It provides a solid set of e-commerce features and is highly customizable, with numerous extensions and themes available.

Benefits:

The platform’s simplicity is a significant advantage for smaller businesses or individuals who seek an easy-to-manage e-commerce solution. OpenCart also offers a degree of flexibility in terms of customization, allowing businesses to adapt the platform to their specific needs.

Pricing:

OpenCart is free to download and use. Costs may be incurred for hosting, premium themes, and extensions, as well as any custom development required.

Comparison:

Compared to platforms like Magento or WooCommerce, OpenCart is more straightforward and less resource-intensive, making it suitable for smaller businesses. However, it might not offer the same level of scalability or feature depth as these more robust platforms.

10. Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart): A Comprehensive and Cost-Effective E-commerce Solution

1. Features: Comprehensive and scalable.
2. Benefits: Unique pricing model, attractive for U.S. businesses.
3. Pros: Feature-rich, free if processing requirements are met.
4. Cons: Limited to the USA, somewhat complex.
5. Pricing: Free with processing over $500/month, otherwise tiered pricing.
6. Comparison: Unique in its pricing model, more suited to U.S.-based businesses compared to global platforms like Shopify.

Shift4Shop, previously known as 3dcart, is a robust e-commerce platform offering a range of features designed to cater to the diverse needs of online businesses. Its unique pricing model makes it an attractive option for U.S.-based businesses.

Features:

Shift4Shop provides a comprehensive set of tools for building and managing an online store, including advanced SEO capabilities, a wide array of payment gateways, and customizable design templates. The platform is known for its scalability, supporting businesses of various sizes.

Benefits:

The platform’s unique selling point is its pricing model, particularly attractive for businesses processing a significant volume of transactions. Shift4Shop offers a fully-featured e-commerce solution at an affordable cost, especially for those meeting its monthly processing requirements.

Pricing: Shift4Shop offers a unique pricing plan where the platform is free if you process more than $500 per month through it. Otherwise, it provides tiered pricing based on the features and scale of the business.

Comparison: In comparison to other platforms, Shift4Shop is notable for its cost-effectiveness, particularly for U.S. businesses meeting the transaction threshold. It offers a more comprehensive feature set out-of-the-box compared to platforms like Wix or Squarespace, which might rely more on third-party apps.

11. Ecwid: Simple and Versatile E-commerce Platform for Small to Medium Businesses

1. Features: User-friendly, scalable, SEO and mobile responsive.
2. Benefits: Transparent pricing, wide range of integrations.
3. Pros: Easy to use, good for small to medium businesses.
4. Cons: Limited customization compared to larger platforms.
5. Pricing: Free basic plan, with tiered pricing for additional features.
6. Comparison: More straightforward and affordable than Shopify, but with fewer features.

Ecwid is a user-friendly e-commerce platform designed to be accessible and scalable, making it suitable for a wide range of businesses, from small startups to growing enterprises.

Features: Ecwid stands out for its simplicity and ease of integration with existing websites, including those on WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace. It offers a decent range of e-commerce features such as a variety of payment options, mobile responsiveness, and SEO tools.

Benefits: One of Ecwid’s key benefits is its ease of use, allowing businesses to quickly set up an online store without needing extensive technical knowledge. Its transparent pricing and extensive payment gateway support are also notable advantages.

Pros: The platform is particularly appealing for its straightforward setup and operation, making it ideal for smaller businesses or those new to e-commerce. Ecwid’s ability to integrate with various website builders also makes it a versatile choice.

Cons: While Ecwid is suitable for many small to medium businesses, it may not offer the advanced customization and scalability needed by larger businesses or those with complex e-commerce requirements.

Pricing: Ecwid offers a free basic plan, which includes essential features, with tiered pricing for additional capabilities and higher volume sales.

Comparison: Compared to dedicated e-commerce platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce, Ecwid is a more straightforward, less feature-intensive option. It’s best suited for businesses that want to add simple e-commerce functionality to an existing website.

12. X-Cart: High-End E-commerce Platform for Customization and Integration

1. Features: Extensive customization, integration capabilities.
2. Benefits: Good for businesses needing bespoke solutions.
3. Pros: Highly customizable, strong for multi-vendor solutions.
4. Cons: Expensive, requires technical knowledge.
5. Pricing: High-end pricing model.
6. Comparison: More complex and expensive than most platforms, suited for specialized needs.

X-Cart is a premium e-commerce platform known for its extensive customization capabilities and integration potential, ideal for businesses requiring a high level of bespoke e-commerce solutions.

Features: X-Cart stands out with its powerful customization and integration capabilities, offering a wide range of features to create a tailored e-commerce experience. It’s particularly well-suited for creating multi-vendor marketplaces.

Benefits: The platform’s robustness in customization and integration makes it an excellent choice for businesses with unique e-commerce needs or those looking to build a comprehensive, multi-vendor marketplace.

Pros: X-Cart is highly customizable, offering businesses the ability to tailor every aspect of their e-commerce experience. Its multi-vendor capabilities are a major advantage for those looking to build marketplace-type platforms.

Cons: The complexity and cost of X-Cart can be prohibitive for smaller businesses or those without the necessary technical expertise. It requires a higher level of investment both in terms of finances and technical know-how.

Pricing: X-Cart offers a more expensive pricing model compared to many other e-commerce platforms, reflecting its advanced capabilities and customization potential.

Comparison: When compared to other e-commerce solutions, X-Cart is positioned as a higher-end option, offering extensive customization at a higher cost. It is best suited for businesses with specific, complex e-commerce requirements that cannot be met by more standard platforms.

13. nopCommerce: A Robust and Flexible Open-Source E-commerce Solution

1. Features: Open-source, customizable, scalable.
2. Benefits: Strong focus on design and robust features.
3. Pros: Highly customizable, good for tech-savvy users.
4. Cons: Requires hosting and technical expertise.
5. Pricing: Free to use, but with hosting and customization costs.
6. Comparison: Similar to Magento Open Source, but potentially less complex and costly.

nopCommerce is a feature-rich, open-source e-commerce platform known for its extensive customization capabilities and suitability for a range of business sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.

Features: nopCommerce offers a comprehensive set of e-commerce features, including a flexible shopping cart, multi-vendor functionality, and extensive catalog management. Its open-source nature allows for significant customization and integration with various third-party tools and services.

Benefits: The platform’s robust architecture is one of its key strengths, supporting complex e-commerce setups and large product catalogs. nopCommerce also places a strong emphasis on security and scalability, ensuring businesses can grow their online presence securely and efficiently.

Pros: For businesses looking for a customizable and scalable e-commerce platform, nopCommerce presents an excellent choice. It offers a rich set of features that can cater to complex e-commerce requirements. The community support and the availability of numerous plugins and themes further enhance its appeal.

Cons: However, the technical complexity of nopCommerce can be a challenge. Setting up and customizing the platform requires a good level of technical expertise, making it less accessible for beginners or small businesses without technical resources.

Pricing: As an open-source platform, nopCommerce is free to download and use. However, costs can be incurred for web hosting, premium plugins, custom development, and other add-ons.

Comparison: Compared to platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce, nopCommerce offers a higher degree of customization and control but at the cost of increased complexity and potentially higher development and maintenance costs. It is best suited for medium to large businesses or those with specific, advanced e-commerce needs.

Here is a comparison chart of the 13 e-commerce platforms, providing a clear overview of their key characteristics:

Comparison chart:

Platform	User-Friendliness	Customization	Scalability	Pricing	Best For	Open Source
Shopify	High	High	High	$$$	All sizes	No
WooCommerce	Medium	High	High	$	WordPress Users	Yes
Magento (Adobe Commerce)	Low	Very High	Very High	$$$$	Large Businesses	Yes (Open Source Version)
BigCommerce	High	High	High	$$	All sizes	No
Volusion	High	Medium	Medium	$	Small to Medium	No
Wix	High	Medium	Medium	$	Small Businesses	No
Squarespace	High	Medium	Medium	$$	Small Businesses	No
PrestaShop	Medium	High	High	$	Varied Sizes	Yes
OpenCart	Medium	High	Medium	$	Small Businesses	Yes
Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart)	Medium	High	High	$$	US Businesses	No
Ecwid	High	Medium	Medium	$	Small to Medium	No
X-Cart	Low	Very High	High	$$$$	Large / Specialized	No
nopCommerce	Medium	High	High	$	Medium to Large	Yes

This chart helps to compare the user-friendliness, customization capabilities, scalability, pricing structure, ideal business size, and open-source availability across different platforms. Each platform has its unique strengths, making them suitable for different business needs and preferences. ​​

Following are questions you should ask yourself before choosing an E-commerce platform

Question #1: How “hands-on” do you want to be with your e-commerce site upkeep?

Do you have a developer (or qualify as one yourself), or do you need a made-for-non-techies solution? What’s more important to you: lower cost of website hosting and maintenance, or less involvement in website hosting and maintenance?

If you don’t want to deal with website hosting and maintenance, including data backups and security, then a hosted e-commerce solution is probably the best for you:

• Shopify
• Volusion
• BigCommerce
• Wix
• Squarespace
• Ecwid
• Shift4Shop
• X-Cart

are all fully hosted e-commerce solutions? The e-commerce provider shoulders the burden of regular maintenance and also fixing any problems that might arise, leaving you free to work on your business. 

If, however, you want to keep firm control over your online store and its costs, and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty with dev, it’s worth looking into the open-source, free e-commerce platforms that are out there.

Such as:

• Magento Open Source
• PrestaShop
• OpenCart
• nopCommerce 

The above 4 are all robust, open-source cart software platforms – and therefore absolutely free for the taking.

A bit about WooCommerce

Similarly, WooCommerce is a free e-commerce plugin for WordPress sites. While it may be a little easier to set up and manage than open-source software (especially if you’re already familiar with the WordPress system), it too may often require paid add-ons to get the exact functionality you’re looking for. 

When it comes to cost, open-source solutions usually win on cost flexibility, but hosted solutions win on cost transparency and predictability: at the end of the month, you know how much you’re going to pay, even if it’s higher.

Question #2: What level of design customization do you need?

Do you need an online store that integrates with your existing website, or do you need to build a website plus a store from scratch?

Website builders like Wix and Squarespace that offer e-commerce functionality can provide a seamless design experience if you create everything through their platforms. 

Other e-commerce platforms offer customization of many design elements, such as colors, elements, and fonts, so that you can match your existing website’s design as closely as possible in your online storefront.

In that category are:

• Volusion
• Shift4Cart
• Ecwid
• nopCommerce

If you really want to double down on customization, you’ll need your e-commerce platform to support custom CSS/HTML.

Examples include: 

• Shopify
• WooCommerce
• BigCommerce
• Ecwid
• PrestaShop
• OpenCart
• Shift4Shop
• X-Cart

Question #3: What payment gateways do you need/want to offer?

Imagine a customer eagerly holding out money – and you shaking your head and saying, “Sorry, I can’t take it right now.” 

That’s what you’re saying when you don’t have the payment gateway that your customer prefers to use. Make sure that the e-commerce platform you choose offers payment gateways popular with your customer base.

Popular gateways include:

• PayPal
• Stripe
• Authorize.Net
• Square
• Apple Pay

Question #4: What e-commerce marketing tools do you want/expect?

E-commerce success can’t be achieved just by selling to your die-hard customers. You need tools to reach new leads, persuade prospects on the fence, and turn a one-off buyer into a repeat customer. Your e-commerce platform should provide you with the essential tools to encourage more sales. Possible tools include:

• Abandoned cart recovery
• Promotional campaigns
• Discount codes
• Gift cards
• Customer reviews
• Personalization for specific customer segments

When evaluating an e-commerce platform, check if the marketing tool you want is available.

Question #5: What services do you need/want to integrate with?

In a brick-and-mortar store, if you have to leave your storefront and go to another office building to take care of your marketing, accounting, inventory management, and customer support, something is wrong with your business’s efficiency. It’s no different for your online store. Ideally, you should be able to integrate and manage all the business services you need with your e-commerce platform, including:

• Social media
• Email marketing
• Marketing automation
• Inventory management
• Customer support
• Shipping providers
• CRM software
• ERP systems
• Accounting software
• Analytics tools
• POS

In addition to any out-of-the-box integrations, if the platform you’re considering offers an API, that opens the door to customized integrations. Some platforms that offer an API include:

• Squarespace Commerce Advanced
• X-Cart
• Ecwid
• Shopify

Question #6: How fast are you planning on scaling – and in what areas?

When your business grows, you want your e-commerce platform to grow along with you. Moving a house when you have thousands of products is just no fun at all. So when you are choosing an e-commerce platform, think ahead: does this platform have the potential to scale well with your growth?

But a word to the wise: not all growth is treated equally by e-commerce platforms. For example, you might see your business scale in its:

• Products
• Inventory locations
• Staff members
• Revenue
• Vendors

Compare the following plans to see how three different e-commerce platforms offer very different accommodations for scalability:

• Shopify’s $39 plan supports unlimited products, 1000 inventory locations, 2 user accounts, and unlimited revenue.
• Volusion’s $35 plan supports 100 products, 1 user account, and 50K revenue. (Inventory locations aren’t mentioned.)
• BigCommerce’s $39 plan supports unlimited products, 4 inventory locations, unlimited user accounts, and 50K revenue.

That’s a tremendous difference! 

Before you settle on an e-commerce platform, it pays to think about your (at least) short-term growth goals. Are you more likely to add more products, add more revenue or add more employees who will need access to your platform? Compare your platform options in the areas where you are likely to grow, and see what best meets your needs now, and is likely to continue to do so in the future. 

Also, check transaction fees (if there are any) and calculate how that will impact your profits now, and as you grow.