The decisions you make for your online shop can lead to either success or failure in today’s digital world. As there are an endless number of them, choosing which platform is right for your business can be daunting. We simplify this decision by comparing the eight most popular e-commerce platforms, examining their pricing, features, and the types of businesses they are best for. This overview will help you make an informed choice, whether you’re starting your first store or updating one that already exists.
Platforms covered in this guide:
- WooCommerce
- Shopify
- BigCommerce
- Wix eCommerce
- Squarespace Commerce
- Magento (Adobe Commerce)
- Ecwid
- OpenCart
WooCommerce
Pricing per month:
- Free to install.
- Hosting can be anywhere from about £3–£25/month depending on the provider.
- You can incur costs for themes and extensions.
Fees:
- No WooCommerce transaction fees
- Payment gateway fee (fees by the provider such as PayPal or Stripe)
Features:
- Instant integration with WordPress.
- Very extensive library of plugins and themes.
- Free, open source and extremely customisable
- Integrated analytics and reporting tools.
- Supports multiple currencies and payment gateways.
- SEO-friendly structure.
Description:
WooCommerce is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms, especially for businesses already using WordPress. This free plug-in that makes your WordPress site a full-fledged online store, is ideal for companies that want to add e-commerce to an existing website. One of the best features of WooCommerce is its flexibility, giving users the ability to choose from thousands of themes and plugins to customise the look and function of their store.
It provides physical and digital products, subscriptions, and a solid backend for its users. Its scalability ensures good usability for small startups as well as expanding businesses. On the other hand, managing a WooCommerce store requires certain technical skills, especially for customising themes and troubleshooting. Those who have never used WordPress before will have a learning curve.
Since WooCommerce is open-source, business owners have complete control over the look and feel of their store and how it operates. This also means the pricing model is flexible: you pay for only those features you need. WooCommerce includes everything you need to run an e-commerce business, from inventory management to tax configuration.
Best for:
WooCommerce is great for small to medium-sized businesses, especially businesses that are already using WordPress or are looking to create a content-based site alongside their store. It’s also a solid choice for businesses with specific customisation requirements.
Not ideal for:
Because WooCommerce requires separate hosting, it is not a good fit for large-scale enterprises or users who are looking for an all-in-one solution and regular maintenance. It may also be difficult for users with no technical expertise to configure and handle.
Shopify
Pricing per month:
- Basic Plan: £25/month
- Shopify Plan: £65/month
- Advanced Plan: £344/month
- Enterprise pricing customised to your needs via Shopify Plus
Fees:
- Transaction fees: 2% for Basic, 1% for Shopify Plan and 0.5% for Advanced Plan ( waivered for Shopify Payments).
- There are extra costs for premium themes and apps.
Features:
- Drag and drop store builder with ease of use
- A fully hosted solution equipped with inbuilt security.
- Comes with multiple payment gateways: Shopify Payments, etc.
- Complete analytics and reporting tools.
- Well-defined app store for extended functionality.
- Includes integrated marketing tools like SEO, email marketing, etc.
Description:
Shopify is a popular eCommerce platform that provides ease of use and extensive features. Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform that works for companies of all sizes and enables users to build and run an online store with no technical knowledge necessary. And its hosting and security services mean users can focus on their business instead of running a website.
The platform also allows seamless integration with a variety of payment gateways for customers across the globe. For businesses where price is the deciding factor, the fact that Shopify Payments has no transaction fees is attractive. Its wide-ranging Shopify App Store allows users to add apps for inventory management, customer service, marketing, and more to their store.
Shopify scales well, which is why many growing businesses swear by it. Shopify Plus is the enterprise-level software that gives you all the features of Shopify but more for your high-volume stores. Moreover, this platform comes with built-in analytics and marketing tools around SEO optimisation and abandoned cart recovery, providing insights to drive sales.
However, Shopify’s pricing can get expensive as users add premium apps or scale to higher-tier plans. Additionally, the fees charged by third-party payment gateways may discourage some users. Shopify also offers an all-in-one solution that simplifies e-commerce management, making it the preferred option for many businesses despite these drawbacks.
Best for:
You can use Shopify to sell anything, and it is suitable for businesses of any size in search of an all-in-one eCommerce solution. Its straightforwardness attracts those new to the field, and its scalability and cutting-edge features draw in the big guns
Not ideal for:
This is not a fit for every level of business, as the costs can get extensive as you add apps or premium themes. Also, store owners who want complete control over customisation might find Shopify more limited than open-source platforms such as WooComerce.
BigCommerce
Pricing per month:
- Standard Plan: £25/month
- Plus Plan: £66/month
- Pro Plan: £257/month
- High-volume businesses can contact them for enterprise pricing.
Fees:
- No transaction fees.
- Depending on your payment gateway provider, fees apply.
Features:
- A fully hosted solution with powerful built-in functionalities
- Allows you to sell through multiple sales channels like Amazon, eBay, and social media.
- Extensive SEO tools and sophisticated analytics.
- Unlimited listings.
- Default payment gateways and multi-currency support.
- Themes with customisable templates and mobile responsive designs.
Description:
BigCommerce is a robust e-commerce platform that excels in built-in functionality and scalability. It is also robust yet easy to use, making it suited to businesses of any size and eliminating the need to use other apps or plugins for many commonly used functions. This means if you are a merchant seeking a no-frills solution, BigCommerce is a great option without any hidden fees.
BigCommerce offers some of the most attractive multichannel selling features. Plus, users can connect their online store to the likes of Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram to help them reach a wider audience and increase sales. Also, because the platform does support unlimited product listings, businesses can grow without worrying that they will hit a wall.
BigCommerce shines in SEO: Its advanced options help stores rank higher. Its powerful analytics and reporting capabilities provide businesses with valuable insights into customer behaviour and sales performance, enabling data-driven decision-making.
BigCommerce has a lot of built-in capabilities, however it lacks the degree of design customisation options that open-source solutions, like WooCommerce, provide. Themes customisation needs HTML or CSS expertise, which might make the users who don’t have sound technical expertise feel a little diversion. Moreover, BigCommerce has annual sales limits per plan, which might force some businesses to upgrade to higher-tier plans earlier than anticipated.
Best for:
BigCommerce is perfect for medium to large businesses that require a scalable platform with built-in tools for managing inventory, marketing and multichannel sales. It’s fun, but it’s also a great option for businesses that want to expand their online presence to multiple marketplaces and social channels.
Not ideal for:
Because its pricing can float higher than other platforms, it may not be the best option for small businesses or startups on a shoestring budget. Also, people who want a lot of design flexibility but do not have technical skills may struggle to customise.
Wix eCommerce
Pricing per month:
- Business Basic Plan: £15/month
- Business Unlimited Plan: £20/month
- Business VIP Plan: £30/month
Fees:
- No transaction fees from Wix.
- A fee for payment gateway applies (i.e. Stripe or PayPal rates).
Features:
- Codeless drag-and-drop site builder.
- Includes hosting and an SSL certificate.
- Highly flexible mobile and responsive templates.
- Payment gateway integrations, support for multiple currencies
- Advanced marketing tools, email campaigns, and SEO.
- Native abandoned cart recovery and subscription tools.
Description:
Wix eCommerce is a widely used beginner-friendly, all-around platform with an easy-to-use interface but rich in features. The perfect e-commerce platform for small and medium businesses enables users to create beautiful-looking online stores with its simple drag-and-drop editor. Even people with no technical expertise can create a website that looks professional and is mobile responsive by simply choosing from one of Wix’s customisable templates.
Key features of the platform include e-commerce tools like inventory management, payment processing, and shipping options. The app market on Wix includes additional features that allow businesses to add to their activities. The platform offers tools and integrations that allow businesses to optimise their SEO and marketing strategies, making it easier to attract and retain customers.
One of the most distinguishing factors of Wix eCommerce is its subscription model support for businesses that provide recurring products or services. The multi-language feature of the platform also helps businesses to access world customers. Plus, users can view sales, traffic, and customer behaviour right from the dashboard with built-in analytics to optimise their store for success.
But Wix eCommerce is not perfect. It provides flexibility in design but is less scalable than Shopify or BigCommerce. Businesses that are growing quickly might outgrow Wix. In addition, although the platform offers a range of tools, certain advanced functions will require third-party applications, which become costly.
Best for:
Small to medium businesses, entrepreneurs and hobbyists looking for an easy platform with beautiful templates. It is also perfect for those who want to quickly start their online store in a cost-effective way.
Not ideal for:
Wix may not be suited to larger businesses or businesses with complex e-commerce needs. The scalability is not so wide, which makes it challenging for high-volume stores or advanced functionalities when compared with accustomed platforms such as BigCommerce or Magento.
Squarespace Commerce
Pricing per month:
- Business Plan: £20/month
- Basic Commerce Plan: £25/month
- Advanced Commerce Plan: £37/month
Fees:
- 3% transaction fee on the Business Plan (no fees on commerce plans).
- Payment gateway fees depend on the provider (Stripe or PayPal).
Features:
- Chic, design-led templates.
- Includes all-in-one hosting and SSL certificate.
- Stripe and PayPal integration for payment processing.
- Tools to manage inventory, orders, and taxes.
- Inbuilt marketing tools like email campaigns and SEO.
- Subscription-based products support.
Description:
With its visually appealing templates and easy-to-use interface, Squarespace Commerce is a popular choice for creative professionals and design-oriented businesses. Its drag-and-drop website builder makes it easy for users to create a beautiful and professional-looking online store without needing advanced technical skills.
The platform’s beauty is not at the cost of function. Squarespace Commerce provides basic e-commerce features, including inventory tracking, secure checkout, and payment processing. It also accommodates subscription-based products and digital downloads to support a broad range of business models.
Squarespace’s marketing tools are top-notch; they come with email campaigns, built-in SEO optimisation, and social media integration. These functionalities also enable businesses to gain and retain customers. Moreover, the platform’s analytics offer insights into sales, traffic, and customer behaviour, allowing for data-driven decision-making.
To give you a deeper understanding, although Squarespace Commerce is an extremely powerful tool for small to medium-sized businesses, there are some limitations to what it can do. It does not provide the same level of customisation flexibility as open-source options such as WooCommerce or Magento. Note that those looking for more advanced features will likely go through third-party integrations that will increase the total cost at the end of the day. Furthermore, although Squarespace’s templates look good, they aren’t as customisable as those that competitors like Wix or Shopify provide.
Best for:
Squarespace is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, artists, and makers if design and branding are important. It is ideal for any business selling creative products, digital goods, or for those looking to create a visually stunning online store with easy-to-navigate e-commerce functionality.
Not ideal for:
It may not work for large companies or those needing complex customisations or advanced functionalities. Its Business Plan transaction fees can also be a turn-off for the cost-conscious, making it less attractive to tight-budget users.
Magento (Adobe Commerce)
Pricing per month:
- Open-source equivalent: Free (self-hosted: hosting costs from £15/month)
- Adobe Commerce (enterprise version): Custom pricing, from £15,000/year.
Fees:
- No fees for the platform itself.
- Payment gateway fees vary by provider (PayPal, Stripe, etc.)
- Hosting, exports and dev costs vary tremendously.
Features:
- Very flexible, comes as an open-source.
- Unlimited products, stores and currencies.
- Advanced SEO tools and integrations for marketing.
- Strong analytics and reporting features.
- A wide range of extensions and themes.
- Enterprise-grade scalability and performance.
Description:
Magento (Adobe Commerce) is a strong platform for complex and large-scale e-commerce businesses. Permitting a business to create a store according to their needs, the most significant advantage of Magento is its superior customizability. It features multi-store, multi-language, and multi-currency support, making it a perfect option for VAT international commerce.
The open-source version of Magento is free, but businesses will have to pay for hosting, development, and other services, all of which add up fast. Adobe Commerce offers a powerful, fully-hosted enterprise solution with rich features such as AI-powered personalisation, business intelligence, and improved security.
Scalability is one of the standout features of Magento. It is scalable enough to supply unlimited inventory and a lot of traffic without performance degradation. It also provides robust SEO tools and marketing integrations, enabling businesses to draw customers in and turn them into buyers.
On the other hand, Magento’s high learning curve and resource-intensive configuration might not be ideal for small plans and novice users. Pro managing and customising a Magento store usually requires some technical knowledge or hiring someone who has, which increases the total cost. Despite these disadvantages, Magento is still a go-to platform for enterprises focused on control and scalability.
Best for:
Magento is ideal for medium to large enterprises, especially those with complex product catalogues, international operations, or specific customisation needs. It’s particularly suitable for businesses planning to scale quickly and requiring advanced functionality.
Not ideal for:
Magento may not be the best choice for small businesses or startups with limited budgets or technical expertise. Its resource-intensive nature and high development costs make it a less practical option for users seeking an out-of-the-box solution.
Ecwid
Pricing per month:
- Free Plan: £0/month (limited features).
- Venture Plan: £13/month.
- Business Plan: £35/month.
- Unlimited Plan: £82/month.
Fees:
- No transaction fees in Ecwid.
- Payment processor fees vary based on the provider used (PayPal, Stripe, etc.).
Features:
- Seamless integration with your existing website.
- Supports multichannel selling, including Facebook, Instagram, and marketplaces like Amazon.
- Responsive design — mobile-friendly.
- Tax calculations are automated, and shipping rates are real-time.
- Dispersing coupons and recovering abandoned carts
- SEO tools and built-in analytics.
Description:
Ecwid (short for “E-commerce Widget”) is a powerful, versatile platform with a unique angle. Rather than developing a standalone e-commerce platform, Ecwid enables users to grace existing platforms like WordPress, Wix and even bespoke websites with an e-commerce function. From here, once you type in a product, they will use some basic coding tools to generate a link for you to follow to complete the process.
Multichannel selling is one of Ecwid’s strong suits. It allows users to sync their inventory across Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and other platforms, giving them access to a wider audience. Meanwhile, the platform contains much-needed tools such as real-time shipping rate calculation, tax automation, as well as abandoned cart recovery, making it an all-in-one solution top for small and medium-sized businesses.
The free plan is especially attractive for small businesses or newcomers to e-commerce. It has a free plan that supports creating up to 10 listings. Also, for stoic businesses, they can upgrade to paid plans to avail of more features like unlimited product listings, abandoned cart emails, priority support, etc.
But Ecwid does have its limitations, too. It works great for businesses that want to improve their already-existing sites, though it’s not really a full-fledged website builder such as Shopify or Squarespace. Ecwid might be a touch limited for users looking to have complete control when it comes to design and functionality. However, larger enterprises could outgrow its features and functionalities, particularly if they require highly customised capabilities.
Best for:
Ecwid is a great option for small businesses or individual entrepreneurs who already have a website and want to add e-commerce. It’s also perfect for those looking to sell through multiple channels without having to manage separate inventories.
Not ideal for:
Ecwid is not ideal for those who require a separate online store or extensive customisation. Larger businesses with intricate e-commerce requirements may see the platform as lacking scalability when compared to powerful platforms like BigCommerce or Magento.
OpenCart
Pricing per month:
- A self-hosted solution (uploading is free, hosting from £10/month).
- You need to pay for premium themes, extensions, and custom development.
Fees:
- No platform transaction fees.
- Payment gateways: Prices vary according to the provider (e.g., PayPal, Stripe)
- Optional technical support contracts from £70/m.
Features:
- Fully customisable open-source platform.
- Doesn’t limit the number of your products, categories, and subcategories.
- Integrated multi-store functionality.
- There are a wide range of extensions and themes.
- Integration with SEO tools and analytics.
- Support for multiple currencies and languages.
Description:
OpenCart is a congested, open-source electronic commerce platform that is designed to be robust and affordable. It has become popular with small to medium-sized businesses and enables users to easily build and manage online stores without having to worry about recurring subscription fees. Built as a free-to-use platform, OpenCart allows businesses to manage their costs while providing an array of features for growth.
It is very versatile and has a big collection of extensions and themes in the marketplace to improve performance and theme. Its built-in multi-store management feature enables businesses to operate multiple online stores from a single admin interface, a practicality for those managing diverse product lines or brands.
Complete with all the necessary e-commerce tools such as inventory management, SEO optimisation, and analytics. Its multi-language and multi-currency support ensure its use for international businesses, while its intuitive dashboard and easy-to-use platform are relatively easy to manage for beginners with basic tech literacy.
Nonetheless, OpenCart does present certain weaknesses. The basic platform is free, but businesses can spend money on premium themes, extensions, or developer services to make advanced customisations. Beyond that, the platform’s technical support is restricted to community forums unless customers pay for a technical support plan. For companies without in-house experience, getting to the bottom of it can be tough.
Best for:
OpenCart is great for small to medium-sized businesses needing an affordable, customisable platform. It’s especially ideal for developers or those with development resources who want complete control over the functionality and design of their store.
Not ideal for:
Businesses looking for an out-of-the-box solution (i.e., those that do not have a developer) should probably steer clear of OpenCart. Large businesses with complex requirements may find the platform’s functions comparatively weak when stacked against serious options like Magento or BigCommerce.
Our verdict: Which e-commerce platform is best?
The best e-commerce platform depends on your business’s size, budget, and specific needs. For large, scalable operations, BigCommerce and Magento (Adobe Commerce) are excellent choices with advanced features and extensive customisation. Shopify offers a balanced solution for most businesses, while WooCommerce is great for WordPress users who want flexibility.
For visually appealing designs, Wix and Squarespace excel, especially for smaller businesses. OpenCart is a budget-friendly, customisable option for those with technical expertise, while Ecwid is perfect for businesses looking to sell across multiple platforms with ease. Choose the platform that aligns best with your goals and resources.
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