Thinking about launching an online store or expanding your current one? Well, you’ll definitely need a solid eCommerce platform to boost your business to new heights!

In this guide, we’ll dive into 25 top eCommerce platforms that could be perfect for you. There’s a lot to choose from but don’t worry—I’m here to help you pick the ideal one for your needs.

Choosing the Ideal eCommerce Platform

Starting out in the world of eCommerce can feel a bit daunting with all the different platforms available. You want something that has all the bells and whistles you need without being too complex for you and your customers.

Let’s break down three crucial features to consider before you settle on an eCommerce platform.

1. Site Design

A great eCommerce web design platform should be user-friendly right from the start. Look for platforms with a straightforward, clean interface that includes a drag-and-drop store builder. This makes setting up your site a breeze and keeps things looking sleek.

2. Security

Handling sensitive information, like customers’ credit card details, means security can’t be taken lightly. Choose a platform that provides SSL encryption to protect your site and give your shoppers peace of mind.

3. Site Storage and Bandwidth

Think about how much storage and bandwidth you’ll need as your business grows. It’s smart to start small if you’re looking to save some cash but make sure the platform you pick allows you to upgrade easily—and that upgrading won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Best eCommerce Platforms for Your Online Store

There are plenty of eCommerce platforms out there but you’re not just looking for any platform. You need the best one that fits your budget, meets the demands of your store and is simple for both you and your customers to navigate.

Here’s a rundown of 25 top eCommerce platforms we’ve scoped out. With such a variety, you’re definitely going to find the right one for your business.

1. Shopify

Shopify is pretty much the gold standard in the eCommerce space and there’s a good reason for that. It’s got everything you need all in one place: a dashboard for managing orders, shipments and payments.

Why It’s Great:

Shopify also offers tools to help launch your business. You can register your domain, design your storefront and start marketing your products right away. Plus, it’s fantastic for boosting your store’s search engine visibility.

Pricing:

There’s a free trial to get you started and then plans begin at $29 per month.

2. Shopify Plus

Think of Shopify Plus as the big sibling to Shopify, designed for large, multinational companies.

Why It’s Great:

Built on the same platform as Shopify, Shopify Plus amps up the features for enterprise-level businesses, offering more complex options and greater customization capabilities. If you’re familiar with their custom coding language, Liquid, you can tailor the platform to your exact needs.

Pricing:

To get Shopify Plus, you’ll need to chat with their sales team. Prices start at $2,000 per month.

3. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free, open-source platform that works as a WordPress plugin. It’s perfect if you already love using WordPress because it integrates directly with your site.

Customization:

One cool thing about WooCommerce is its use of extensions. These add-ons let you customize and integrate features like payment options, subscription tools and more into your store. You can pick and choose which features you want, paying only for what you need—and many extensions are totally free.

Pricing:

WooCommerce itself is free but some extensions might cost you—prices range from free to over $300.

4. BigCommerce

Whether you’re starting small or aiming big, BigCommerce is designed to scale with your business. It’s a versatile platform that can handle businesses of any size.

What’s Great About It:

BigCommerce is known for its reliable uptime and strong security features. It supports a wide range of plugins and eCommerce apps and works with all major payment gateways, giving you plenty of flexibility.

Pricing:

For starters, BigCommerce Essentials begin at $29.95 per month. If you’re looking at their Enterprise options, you’ll need to discuss a custom contract.

5. Magento

Magento is a beast in the eCommerce space, tailored for large businesses that need a robust platform. It’s incredibly powerful, supporting a vast library of over 5,000 extensions.

Considerations:

However, Magento isn’t the easiest to use if you’re new to eCommerce. It requires a good bit of technical know-how and comes with a significant cost so it’s more suited for businesses with the resources to handle it.

Pricing:

You’ll need to get a quote directly from Magento but typical costs reported by users range from $15,000 to $50,000 annually.

6. Squarespace

Squarespace is pretty much a dream come true for anyone looking to create a sleek, visually stunning website. It’s an all-in-one platform that hosts your site and lets you build it with a super user-friendly drag-and-drop interface.

What’s Great About It:

Beyond just looking good, Squarespace offers domain hosting, effective marketing tools and solid eCommerce SEO to help you get noticed. It’s not just for artists; any business can shine here.

Pricing:

You can get started with Squarespace’s eCommerce plans from $30 per month or save a bit by paying annually at $26 per month.

7. Wix

Wix is a cloud-based platform that makes setting up an eCommerce site incredibly easy, especially if you’re running a smaller operation. It’s known for its flexibility and ease of use, thanks to its drag-and-drop builder and a variety of templates.

Perks:

Wix doesn’t just help you build your site; it also equips you with built-in SEO tools and various business features like payment gateways order tracking and shipping options to streamline your operations.

Pricing:

Wix’s Business and eCommerce plans begin at $23 per month.

8. Big Cartel

Tailor-made for creatives, Big Cartel was designed “by artists, for artists.” It’s a fantastic platform if you’re into selling unique items like art, jewelry, photos or fashion. It’s a solid choice for those who might be considering a shop on Etsy but want more control.

Why It Stands Out:

It offers customizable themes, which means you can tailor your shop to reflect your style. Plus, it has handy features for tracking inventory and shipments and even integrates with Google Analytics.

Pricing:

Big Cartel has a free plan for anyone with five or fewer products. If you need more than that, paid plans start at just $9.99 per month.

9. Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Salesforce originally known for its top-notch customer relationship management (CRM) tools, has branched out into the eCommerce arena. This platform is a powerhouse for any eCommerce business that also needs robust CRM functionalities.

Ideal For:

It’s particularly suited for large companies with complex needs. Salesforce Commerce Cloud can dynamically recommend products to users, enhancing the shopping experience in real-time.

Features:

This platform packs a punch with extensive features for both B2B and B2C markets.

Pricing:

You’ll need to get in touch with Salesforce for a custom quote, as they tailor the pricing based on your business needs.

10. Volusion

Volusion shines as an eCommerce platform especially for startups and small businesses looking for a space to grow. It’s a cloud-based platform that simplifies things by including many features directly in the dashboard so you don’t have to fuss with add-ons or extensions.

What’s Great About It:

The onboarding process and support center are top-notch, ensuring you have the help you need when setting up or running into any issues.

Pricing:

Pricing begins at $29 per month but you can save a bit by paying quarterly at $26 per month. Plus, there’s a free trial to get you started without any upfront investment.

11. Yo!Kart

Yo!Kart is a self-hosted platform that stands out for its ease of setup and management. It’s particularly good for medium to large businesses that need a customizable, multi-vendor solution.

Why Pick Yo!Kart:

It’s excellent for managing your online store’s SEO. You can update meta tags, rewrite URLs for better search engine visibility, generate an XML sitemap, edit your robots.txt file and more—all of which help in optimizing your site for search engines.

Pricing:

Yo!Kart’s pricing involves a one-time fee, starting at $1,299, which means no ongoing monthly expenses.

12. WebSelf

WebSelf is a straightforward website builder that’s also equipped with eCommerce capabilities. It’s especially great if you’re just dipping your toes into the eCommerce world.

What Makes It Cool:

The setup is super quick and simple, broken down into just three steps. Plus, it includes everything you need like hosting and a domain. WebSelf also offers some basic SEO tools to help get your online store noticed by search engines.

Pricing:

You can jump into WebSelf’s eCommerce plan for $22.95 per month. Opting to pay annually drops the price to $18.45 per month.

13. OpenCart

OpenCart is a flexible, free, open-source eCommerce platform that you can integrate into your existing website. It’s ideal for businesses of all sizes that are looking for room to grow.

Features to Look Out For:

With over 13,000 plugins available, you can customize OpenCart to do just about anything you need. Whether you’re looking to add specific payment options or improve customer navigation, there’s likely a plugin that fits.

Pricing:

OpenCart itself is free to download and set up. If you’re looking into OpenCart Cloud, though, pricing can vary based on your needs.

14. PrestaShop

Much like OpenCart, PrestaShop is another free, open-source platform geared towards those who need an adaptable and scalable eCommerce solution.

Why It’s a Good Choice:

It’s user-friendly and reliable for growing your business. While the software is free, keep in mind that you’ll need to manage costs like hosting and securing your site.

Pricing:

PrestaShop is free to download. However, you’ll need to budget for additional expenses like hosting and ensuring your site is secure.

15. 3dcart

3dcart markets itself as a top choice for anyone looking to boost their store’s search engine ranking. It supports thousands of online stores with a comprehensive set of tools, covering everything from store and shopping cart design to product and order management, secure hosting and even mobile eCommerce.

Heads-Up:

It lacks a drag-and-drop builder so it might be a better fit if you have some coding skills or a developer on your team.

Pricing:

Plans start at $19 per month but you can save a bit by paying annually, which brings it down to $17.10 per month.

16. Weebly

Weebly is known for its user-friendly drag-and-drop site builder and is packed with features like online catalogs, discounts, streamlined shipping, automated merchandising, gift cards and more. It also integrates eCommerce marketing automation to make your life easier.

Something to Consider:

While Weebly is great for both newbies and seasoned pros, it’s worth noting that its SEO and inventory management features might not be the strongest out there.

Pricing:

Weebly’s eCommerce plans are priced at $29 per month, with a discount to $26 per month if you choose to bill annually.

17. Ecwid

If you’re already using WordPress and are looking for an alternative to WooCommerce, Ecwid might be your answer. It’s flexible enough to be added to any existing platform, which means you can integrate it without needing to overhaul your current site.

Pricing:

Ecwid has a free plan that’s pretty basic but it could be enough to get you started. If you need more features, paid plans begin at $15 per month or $12.50 per month with annual payment. The higher-tier plans include a handy cart saver feature, which can help boost sales by recovering abandoned carts.

18. SuiteCommerce by Oracle NetSuite

Oracle is a big name with a reputation for reliability and its SuiteCommerce platform is no exception. It’s tailored for large enterprises that operate multiple brands across different languages and countries.

What Makes It Stand Out:

SuiteCommerce integrates your eCommerce operations with every other aspect of your business, eliminating the problems that come from having disconnected systems.

Pricing:

SuiteCommerce doesn’t have a fixed price list; it’s all customized based on your specific needs. Generally, prices are said to start around $999 per month but you’ll need to get a quote for the most accurate pricing.

19. CoreCommerce

CoreCommerce is designed with larger stores in mind. It’s an all-in-one platform that includes everything from SEO and CRM to blogging capabilities. It supports multiple currencies and languages, making it a versatile choice for global sales.

Integration Perks:

This platform doesn’t just stand alone—it integrates with major marketplaces like eBay, Amazon and Facebook, enhancing your ability to sell across different channels.

Pricing:

Pricing for CoreCommerce starts at a reasonable $29 per month.

20. EKM

Based in the UK but hosting websites globally, EKM is a cloud-based platform that caters to businesses of all sizes. Every plan includes a bundle of features, such as a custom domain, no transaction fees and an SSL certificate.

Why Choose EKM:

It’s packed with free templates to help get your online shop off the ground quickly. Plus, if you want a unique look, they offer a custom design service for purchase.

Pricing:

EKM’s plans start at approximately $39.62 per month, plus VAT.

21. X-Cart

X-Cart stands out in the world of open-source eCommerce platforms by offering lifetime subscriptions. This means you pay once and own the software for life, plus they’ll even credit any previous payments towards your upgrades.

Key Features:

It’s highly customizable and comes with a variety of integrations. There are no transaction fees, which is a big plus but keep in mind that you’ll need to handle your own web hosting.

Pricing:

If you opt for hosted X-Cart, prices start at $189 per month. Alternatively, you can purchase the software outright and host it yourself for a one-time fee starting at $495.

22. PinnacleCart

PinnacleCart offers flexibility in how you host your eCommerce store—you can either use their hosting services or choose to host on your own servers. Its paid plans are pretty generous, offering unlimited products, unlimited admin accounts and no transaction fees.

Why It’s Worth Considering:

Besides its hosting flexibility, PinnacleCart supports over 30 payment gateways, includes features like cart abandonment remarketing and predictive search and has built-in, real-time shipping tools to streamline your operations.

Pricing:

Hosted solutions with PinnacleCart start at $79.95 per month. For those interested in a perpetual license to host on your own servers, you’ll need to contact them for pricing details.

23. nopCommerce

nopCommerce is another free, open-source platform known for its flexibility and scalability. It supports an unlimited number of products and includes a range of marketing tools, payment integrations and shipping options.

What Makes It Stand Out:

Its strength in SEO capabilities helps ensure that your store ranks well in search results, which is vital for drawing in traffic and increasing sales.

Pricing:

nopCommerce is completely free, which makes it an excellent option for businesses looking to keep initial costs low while still having access to powerful features.

24. Bluepark

Bluepark is a UK-based eCommerce platform that provides a full range of eCommerce services from hosting to order management and shipping. It’s a solid option if you’re looking for a platform that handles both on-site and off-site payment processing and offers robust inventory management.

Special Features:

It’s SEO-friendly, which is great for helping your store climb up in search rankings and offers unlimited bandwidth. However, the design templates might not be as flashy or modern as you’d like.

Pricing:

You can get started with Bluepark for about $30.48 per month, plus VAT.

25. IONOS by 1&1

IONOS comes from the well-known web services provider 1&1 and offers an all-encompassing eCommerce platform. It includes everything from site design to marketing, supports an unlimited number of products and offers SSL certificates. It can handle up to 10 different payment methods and includes an integrated shipping solution, which simplifies logistics significantly.

Pricing:

IONOS lets you test the waters with a three-month trial and pricing begins at $20 per month afterward.

Which eCommerce Platform is the Best?

So, after all this info, you might be wondering which eCommerce platform is the best. The real answer? It’s the one that fits your specific needs!

We’ve discussed a bunch of top-notch platforms here, each with its strengths depending on what type and size of eCommerce business you’re running. Take your time to weigh your options.

And remember, if you want to boost your online store’s visibility and ensure customers can find you easily, consider partnering with an eCommerce website design and SEO agency. They can provide the expertise you need to maximize your site’s potential in search engine rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is an eCommerce platform?

An eCommerce platform is basically software that lets you run your online shop. It helps you set up your website, list your products, handle sales and deal with customers all in one spot.

Why is choosing the right eCommerce platform important?

Picking the right eCommerce platform matters a lot because it influences how smoothly your online shop runs, how good the shopping experience is for your customers, how well you can grow in the future and how successful your store becomes. Different platforms are built for different kinds of needs, whether it’s your budget, how tech-savvy you are or the type of business you have.

What should I look for in an eCommerce platform?

You should keep an eye out for a few key things: How easy it is to use, what kind of security it offers, if it can work well with other tools and whether it can grow with your business. Don’t forget to check if it supports good SEO practices and offers enough space and speed for your needs.

Can I switch my eCommerce platform if I’m not satisfied?

Yes, you can definitely switch platforms if the one you’re using isn’t cutting it. But keep in mind, it’s not always a walk in the park—especially if you have a lot of products or data. You’ll need to move all your info and make sure nothing gets lost or messed up during the switch.

How much does it cost to use an eCommerce platform?

The cost can vary a lot depending on which platform you choose and what features you need. Some are free for basic use, while others might charge a monthly fee or even a one-time payment. Also, watch out for extra costs like transaction fees or charges for adding certain features.