Ecommerce platforms are essential for online shops. Without them, you will not be able to sell as many products online. After comparing 20 ecommerce platforms, monthly fees, transaction fees, and limitations of plans, Shopify was our top choice. Shopify supports almost every channel, business model, and skill level, with an affordable price tag that suits budgets of all sizes.
The Best Ecommerce Platform For Most
Shopify
Best for the Most
Dropshipping, in-person sales, and multi-channel sales are supported. It also includes everything you need to launch and scale your business, such as a drag-and-drop website builder, marketing tools, and shipping management solutions. It is suitable for all businesses.
Shopify has one of the best and most user-friendly eCommerce platforms. This platform is designed for ecommerce shops, but it also supports dropshipping and multi-channel sales via social media or marketplaces.
The drag-and-drop website-building tool is extremely easy to use. This makes it an ideal choice for anyone who wants to create a professional online shop.
Take a look at the Best Ecommerce Platforms
- Shopify is the most popular ecommerce platform
- Debutify The best theme for Shopify stores
- Wix is the best ecommerce platform to start with
- Bluehost is the best for WooCommerce store setups
- Squarespace Best portfolio-based Ecommerce Builder
- BigCommerce is the best for multichannel sales
- Shift4Shop – Best ecommerce platform for developers
- Ecwid Best free shopping cart extension
- WooCommerce is the best ecommerce plugin to use with WordPress
- Simple Digital Downloads Best WordPress plugin to create digital products
- Volusion – Best ecommerce platform for large stores
- Magento Best Enterprise Ecommerce Platform
When it makes sense to invest in an Ecommerce Platform
Anyone selling online needs a solid ecommerce platform. A web store can be used by new businesses to sell their products and services immediately.
There are many online selling options available at this stage. Some standard website builders offer web store functionality. Others are 360-degree ecommerce engines that go beyond the site your customers visit.
Any time is a good time to start an ecommerce platform. Any of the top options can set you up with an ecommerce store. This includes cart, checkout, shipping, and payment processing.
The best fit depends on your current business situation and your experience with website building.
Smaller businesses can save money by using a site builder that offers ecommerce functionality. An older company will benefit from more advanced features that allow for inventory management and supplier management.
An all-in-one website builder is your best friend if you don’t know how to code or are just starting. This is the fastest and easiest way to create a fully-fledged website.
You can find amazing WordPress plugins to enhance your site, whether you already love it or have special needs such as selling digital products or subscriptions.
Even if your product isn’t ready for sale, you can still set things up, drive traffic and create hype to prepare for the day when it’s ready.
#1 – Shopify The Best Ecommerce Platform For Most
Shopify
Best for the Most
Dropshipping, in-person sales and multi-channel sales are supported. It also includes everything you need to launch and scale your business, such as a drag-and-drop website builder, marketing tools, and shipping management solutions. It is suitable for all businesses.
Shopify was the top ecommerce platform. It’s packed with all the features you need to find customers and sell online. It’s used by more than 1 million businesses to sell their products online. You’ll be in good company when you sign up.
Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce platform. Shopify includes everything you need, from building your website to listing your products, marketing, shipping, and managing customer communications.
Shopify users have access to many free themes and premium themes that they can use to grow their business. You also have access to various marketing tools that will help you reach more people with your products. Plus, one intuitive dashboard allows you to manage your entire site from one place.
Sign up in just seconds and you can get started. You simply need to choose a theme and customize it using Shopify’s drag & drop editor. Add your products and you can start selling.
You get expert customer service 24/7 to assist you every step of the way.
Shopify’s representatives are responsive, friendly, and fast, so you don’t have to do it all by yourself. Shopify’s vast knowledge base will allow you to get help with just about any topic.
Shopify allows you to sell on the internet, and through social media and has its own POS software that can be used for in-person sales. You can consolidate all your selling locations into one Shopify account, allowing you to keep everything centralized in one place.
Shopify offers three pricing plans to help businesses of all sizes and shapes. Those plans include:
- Basic Shopify – $29 per Month
- Shopify – $79 per Month
- Advanced Shopify – $299 per Month
You can also embed a buy link on existing websites with the lite plan. This plan includes all management features, but it doesn’t include Shopify’s website builder. This plan is great if you already own a website and wish to make it easy to sell online.
Shopify offers an Enterprise Plan with Custom Pricing.
Get a 14-day trial and see if Shopify is right for you.
#2 – Debutify The Best Theme For Shopify Stores
Debutify
Shopify’s Best Theme
Debutify is an all-in-one solution for building a Shopify store and improving the shopping experience for visitors.
Debutify is a way to enhance Shopify’s ecommerce store.
This theme is not an ecommerce platform but a theme that can be applied to Shopify stores. It does more than just paint your storefront. It can help you increase conversions with a variety of clever features.
Debutify is designed to make your website conversions easy. You no longer need to use multiple apps or worry about one bad integration ruining your efforts.
You can easily create a stunning new Shopify store in Debutify for ecommerce, dropshipping or digital extensions to physical retailers.
Let’s take a look at some of the top Debutify features, from over 50 add-ons that you can use.
Conversion triggers are Debutify’s bread-and-butter. There are many options to choose from, including customizable products and upsell popups, express checkout (where visitors can abandon their cart), and discounts that are activated when they share your products on Facebook.
The sticky add-to-cart button is one of our favorites. This widget allows you to create a floating widget that tracks a visitor’s progress through your homepage or product pages. It gives them the ability to quickly add the product to their cart by simply clicking one button.
We love the Cart Maximizers category. You can use a cart reminder to remind visitors who have added an item to their cart but not yet made any progress toward checking out. An on-page notification can be set to display after a certain amount of seconds.
The Cart Maximizers by Debutify make it possible to do many other things. For example, you can offer free shipping when your cart total exceeds a certain amount. You can also set up products to be offered as upsells during checkout.
This is just the beginning of what this multi-purpose theme and plugin builder can do.
This is not available for all pricing plans. You can get the basics of site building but not much more.
Paid plans start from $29 per month (or 21.75 per month if you pay annually). This will allow you to access any five Debutify add-ons you choose. Pro allows you to access up to 30 addons at $79/month (or $59.25/month if you pay annually).
The Enterprise plan gives you full access to the platform, as well as three separate stores.
You may find it helpful to know that Debutify’s support costs are a little lower than the Pro plan. This is the most affordable way to get live support.
Give Debutify a chance today if your Shopify store needs help in converting customers into visitors.
#3 – WIX The Best Ecommerce Platform For Beginners
Wix
Ideal for beginners
Wix’s drag-and-drop interface is designed to make it easy for beginners and non-technical users to become web designers. Wix also includes 500+ ecommerce templates and an ADI wizard that will get you up and running in minutes. Each plan also has advanced features and commission-free sales. Prices start at $23 per month.
Wix, a great beginner-friendly website builder, is a good choice. The intuitive drag-and-drop website builder is included, along with all the tools needed to launch and scale an online store. You get everything you need, including advanced product descriptions, product variations, customizable checkout pages, and cross-channel sales.
It takes only a few minutes to start. You’ll feel comfortable enough with drag-and-drop editors in five minutes. Even better, you can build your entire site without spending a penny.
To accept online payments, however, you’ll need to upgrade to a business plan. You can’t make sales without it.
There are a few options when you sign up. Wix’s ADI wizard creates your entire website in just seconds. You can then add your products to your website and customize them.
The beauty of the AI Builder is that it handles all the technical details for you. You only need to change the images, create your content, add products and customize your colors. This is the fastest way to start your first ecommerce shop.
You can also choose from more than 500+ e-commerce-optimized or mobile-responsive templates. You can modify each section as many times as you wish.
You have complete control over your website’s look, feel, and colors.
Wix makes it easy to set up an online store.
It is simple, but it is flexible and customizable.
You also get advanced features like full design control and related product sliders. Customer wish list options are available. Gallery, product collections, and other options are also available.
This platform is not only more secure and stable than others, but it also has 24/7 monitoring. You won’t have to worry about cyber threats with full security protection including 24/7 monitoring, DDoS protection, and TLS encryption. They optimize their data centers to ensure unflagging reliability and include auto-scaling to help your site handle unexpected spikes of traffic.
Paid plans start from $23 per month All plans include unlimited bandwidth and web hosting.
All sales are exempt from commission to sweeten the deal. Wix charges a standard fee for the payment processor. However, they don’t charge any commission.
Try Wix today to test it out.
#4 – Bluehost The Best Automatic WooCommerce Store Setting up
Bluehost
Best for Automated WooCommerce Store Settings
Bluehost’s WooCommerce hosting takes the guesswork out of your life. Bluehost offers the best hosting and support, including a site builder that can be customized and included in plugins.
Bluehost was one of three hosting providers recommended by WordPress developers. They are experts in WordPress and can build websites of any size. They can offer WooCommerce hosting, a unique package for ecommerce shops, because of their expertise in this field.
This can be confusing as WooCommerce is not included in the review. Bluehost’s WooCommerce plugin adds ecommerce functionality to your WordPress site.
Without a hosting company, WooCommerce is not possible. Having said that, any host can power your WordPress website.
Bluehost is one of our top picks.
This makes it easy to set up your store. Sign up and check out to get all the extensions and plugins you need.
Bluehost provides an all-purpose package that includes a guide online store creator that will help you get up and running quickly, along with email marketing and support 24 hours a day.
Bluehost offers a sweet deal by including web-store features as part of their plans. Both the Standard and Premium tiers offer unlimited products and product design options, one-click payment processing options, customer product reviews, and discount codes.
The greatest benefit to novices is the built-in features. They reduce the amount of time spent researching, installing, and testing WooCommerce store plugins, as well as WordPress security features.
Instead of spending hours trying to figure it out yourself, the process is done for you. Bluehost experts install the most popular WooCommerce plugins and provide them free of charge in every hosting package. Some plugins are up to $200 when purchased through the WooCommerce extension shop.
Hosting your WooCommerce store on Bluehost will bring you immense value.
Bluehost’s best-in-class hosting service is available to WooCommerce-powered online shops powered by Bluehost. You’ll receive daily backups, Let’s Encrypt’s SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, and a domain free of charge for the first year.
The Premium tier also allows you to allow visitors to make appointments online through your WooCommerce shop, sell subscription-based products, services, and products, such as product customization (such as color options or different sizes of clothing) and adjustable tax calculation for local and national selling.
Bluehost’s pricing structure for WooCommerce-powered online stores is as follows:
Standard
- $12.95/month, 36-month term. (Renewable at $24.95/month at the end of the term).
- $15.95/month (also renews at $24.95/month).
- $29.95/month if you pay month-to-month
Premium
- $24.95/month, 36-month term. (Renewable at $39.95/month at the end of term).
- For a 1-year term, $32.95/month (also available to renew at $39.95/month).
- Paying month-to-month $49.95
Bluehost is the best place to start if you are new to WooCommerce ecommerce or want to use one of the most trusted names WordPress hosting offers, a customized but guided online store maker.
#5 – Squarespace Best Ecommerce Platform For Portfolios
Squarespace
Best Ecommerce Platform For Portfolios
Starting at $18 per month. Beautiful and contemporary designs have won awards. Perfect for musicians, artists, and photographers.
Squarespace is another popular website builder.
Squarespace, unlike Wix and other website builders, has ecommerce built into all its plans (except personal sites).
Squarespace is well-known for its amazing designs. These templates have been awarded and are ideal for musicians, photographers, artists, and all creatives who wish to create a portfolio website. Squarespace makes it easy to sell products from your portfolio.
Squarespace allows you to sell subscriptions, products, services, gift cards, and other items.
Squarespace’s ecommerce templates have been designed to be modern and beautiful. They are also optimized for mobile devices.
Squarespace is the perfect solution if you are looking for an easy way to create an ecommerce store.
This platform is not for you if you have extensive product catalogs or complex needs. It will be a challenge to grow your store. It’s not recommended for creative people who sell a small number of products.
Squarespace starts at $18 per Month with ecommerce capabilities. Get Squarespace for free for 14 days.
#6 – BigCommerce Best Ecommerce Platform for Multi-Channel Sales
BigCommerce
Best for Multi-Channel Sales
Starting at $29.95 per month. All-in-one ecommerce solution. Tons of native features right out of the box
BigCommerce has been a standard in the ecommerce industry. This platform has been facilitating merchant sales of over $25 billion for more than 10 years. It is used by more than 120 countries.
BigCommerce, like Shopify, is an all-in-one ecommerce solution. BigCommerce has more native features than Shopify.
You won’t use all of the features. It can sometimes be overwhelming to navigate through all of them.
BigCommerce’s most notable feature is its ability to facilitate multi-channel sales. BigCommerce supports all types of commerce: brick-and-mortar, online and social. With one login, you can switch between multiple storefronts.
BigCommerce also supports international sales and B2B businesses.
BigCommerce allows you to create a website from scratch. This makes it simple to make adjustments that optimize conversions.
BigCommerce is optimized for SEO and supports digital wallets, and facet search, and can be used for adding ecommerce features such as custom discounts. It has everything you need for success.
Pricing starts at $29.95 per Month BigCommerce also offers plans starting at $79.95 per month and $299.95 per year, respectively. These rates are almost identical to Shopify’s.
Get BigCommerce for 15 Days for a free trial and see the potential for your web store.
#7 – Shift4Shop Best Ecommerce Platform For Developers
Shift4Shop
Developers: Best
Is it possible to get a premium ecommerce solution that includes all the tools and features you need to create your online store? Shift4Shop only requires that you use the built-in payment processor, which charges industry-standard transaction fees.
Shift4Shop, formerly 3DCart, is a pioneer in the ecommerce market. This platform was founded in 1997 and has served more than 25,000 online merchants.
Shift4Shop doesn’t have the same popularity as other ecommerce options on our list. It’s not intended for everyone. This tool is for developers who are experienced.
Shopify, Wix, and BigCommerce don’t offer drag-and-drop builders. Shift4Shop is not for beginners. It requires some coding knowledge.
The best part about it is the free-forever program. This premium ecommerce platform is free to use and you won’t have to pay a monthly subscription. It’s free for life! This is a rare offer in ecommerce platforms or developer-friendly solutions.
You get unlimited bandwidth, products, user seats, and product access. This is a great deal that you won’t have to pay hundreds per month for with other providers.
It’s designed so you won’t ever outgrow it. It scales automatically alongside your online shop with no actions required and no monthly fees.
This plan has one caveat. Use Shift4 Shops integrated payment processor.
You can choose from standard monthly plans that allow you to pay with other options if you don’t want to use the built-in payment processor.
#8 – The Best Free Shopping Cart Extension
Ecwid
Best Free Ecommerce Extension
Software for shopping carts that integrates with many CMS platforms and site builders. Used by over 1.6 million websites.
Ecwid may not be the most popular ecommerce solution, but it is a great choice for anyone looking to add a shopping cart extension.
Ecwid isn’t an all-in-one, fully-featured ecommerce platform. It’s a plugin or an extension. Ecwid is similar to WooCommerce and EDD. Ecwid works with WordPress but is also compatible with other platforms. This is the main difference between Ecwid & other plugins in our list.
You can add ecommerce capabilities easily to your website with Ecwid if you are currently using Wix or Weebly, or Joomla. Tumblr. Squarespace, Adobe Muse, Adobe Muse, Squarespace, Adobe Muse, or Blogger.
Ecwid offers a free forever plan for basic business needs that you can use.
You will need to upgrade to a premium plan if you wish to be able to sell through multiple channels and access advanced features. The free plan does not allow you to use discount coupons, nor can you sell gift cards – both essential features in ecommerce.
You can only sell ten products under the free plan. It’s not realistic if you only sell a few items.
Ecwid is trusted by more than 1.6 million companies to manage an online store. Although they don’t offer a free trial, you can sign up for the free forever plan and give it a shot before you upgrade.
#9 – WooCommerce The Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugin
WooCommerce
Best WordPress Plugin for Ecommerce
Any WordPress site can be added with ecommerce functionality. It is easy to use and integrates with business tools. Download free.
WooCommerce does not offer an all-in-one eCommerce platform, like the others on this list. It is a plugin that adds ecommerce functionality to WordPress websites.
WordPress is the most widely used CMS in the world. However, it does not offer any solutions to sell online. WooCommerce is the answer.
Once you have installed the plugin, you can create your ecommerce store. You can also customize everything you want without any limitations. Everything can be managed directly from the WordPress dashboard.
WooCommerce integrates seamlessly with any WordPress or business tool you may be using like Yoast and Google Analytics. It supports multichannel sales and POS tools, such as Facebook, Stripe and PayPal, Square, and Fulfillment By Amazon.
WooCommerce’s best feature? It’s free.
Some extensions will require you to pay extra. Some extensions are completely free while others can cost up to $300.
WooCommerce offers a 30-day guarantee on all extensions purchased.
It’s much easier to install WooCommerce for those who already use WordPress than to rebuild your site elsewhere or migrate to another platform. If you are starting a new site, however, it is a better idea to choose from one of our options.
#10 – Easy digital downloads Best plugin for selling digital products on WordPress
Easy Digital Downloads
The Best Digital Products to Sell
WordPress plugin to sell digital products online. Fully integrated shopping cart. It is easy to download and install.
Easy Digital downloads is another WordPress plug-in. This plugin, unlike WooCommerce, is designed to sell digital products.
EDD is the best way to sell ebooks, files, and website tools if you already have a WordPress site.
EDD gives you complete control of your files and allows you to limit access to customers who pay. EDD includes a fully integrated shopping cart that allows you to create discount codes and valuable tracking tools and reporting tools for all purchases.
Easy Digital Downloads can be downloaded and installed for free. You can also purchase passes to enhance the functionality and features of your website.
Easy Digital Downloads can be integrated with services and tools you already use like Stripe, PayPal, and MailChimp. Zapier, AWeber, and Dropbox are all examples of integrations.
EDD offers an easy and cost-effective way to sell digital products online. It has over 2.44 Million downloads and more than 100 themes.
#11 – Volusion Best Ecommerce Platform For Extensive Product Lists
Volusion
Ideal for selling lots of products
Since 2000, we have been providing ecommerce software. Starting at $26 per month. A 14-day trial is free
Volusion has been a pioneer in ecommerce. This ecommerce platform is a one-stop shop that has been in existence for over 20 years.
It has helped facilitate more than $28 billion in sales and 185+ million orders. The platform also supports over 30,000 active users.
Volusion is an all-in-one eCommerce tool that allows you to set up an ecommerce shop, and then start selling online.
It seamlessly integrates with tools such as Constant Contact and Slack, PayPal, Amazon, and Stripe.
You can sign up for quarterly billing to get the best rate. If you don’t wish to commit to three consecutive months, month-to-month plans may be available.
Volusion is an excellent choice for ecommerce shops with thousands or hundreds of products. It is robust enough to meet your needs.
Volusion’s biggest problem is its customer service. Volusion’s customer service has declined over the years. This can be quite concerning if you have any questions or need help.
Volusion is available for free for 14 days. Volusion is free to try for 14 days without any credit card.
#12 – Magento – The Best Enterprise Ecommerce Platform
Magento
Best Ecommerce Platform For Enterprises
Ecommerce solutions tailored to specific industries. These solutions are suitable for both enterprises and B2B businesses. You can build a PWA (Progressive Web App).
Magento can be used as an ecommerce platform. It’s an Adobe product and is trusted by global businesses and B2B shops.
They provide industry-specific solutions to businesses in fashion, auto, health and beauty, food and beverage, and other industries.
Magento prices are not available online, unlike other ecommerce platforms. To request a demo, you will need to speak to their sales team.
However, Magento’s annual prices start at $20,000 if you do some digging. This alone will set them apart from the rest.
Magento is not the right platform for small businesses, boutique retailers, or those who want to open a new online shop.
Magento’s high-quality, ecommerce capabilities will be of great benefit to larger companies.
Magento offers a PWA (progressive website app) studio that will optimize your Magento shop for mobile devices. A web app can be built in conjunction with your online store.
For a free demo, contact the Magento sales team.
Methodology for Choosing the Best Ecommerce Platform
There are so many ecommerce options to choose from. How can you decide which one is best for you?
Kobe Digital has a particular method that we use to decide what is best. Let me show you how to weigh these factors and make a decision that is based on your individual needs.
Type of platform
Ecommerce platforms come in many different sizes and shapes. These options can be divided into the following categories.
- For anyone who is just starting, all-in-one solutions are the best.
- Website builders – Best if you are already using a site builder
- Extensions and plugins are best for self-hosted sites
For anyone who is just starting, all-in-one ecommerce solutions work best.
These include everything you need to start, such as a shopping cart and payment gateways, product listing, web hosting, product listing, order management, shipping tools, etc.
If you have an existing website that uses Squarespace or Wix, it’s a better idea to turn the website into an online shop by upgrading to an email-based ecommerce plan.
However, extensions and plugins are more beneficial if you have a self-hosted site like WordPress.org or Joomla.
Your Business Model
Your business model is another important factor.
A few questions that can help you gain more insight into your business model are:
- Are you selling physical, digital, or other marketing services in Miami?
- Are you able to find at least one brick-and-mortar location?
- Are you planning on drop shipping?
Different delivery methods and ecommerce features are required for physical products and digital products. Digital products, on the other hand, require fulfillment and shipping.
Services, on the other hand, may need to be scheduled and communicated extensively before money can be exchanged.
It is crucial to consolidate orders and inventory across all sales channels if you own a brick-and-mortar location. You need an ecommerce platform to integrate with your existing POS system.
Dropshipping is a great option, but it’s important to make sure the platform you choose integrates with your dropshipping software.
Transaction fees
Many moving parts are necessary to accept online payments. They allow money to move seamlessly from one bank account to another.
Some platforms offer their payment processors, while others need integration with third-party companies like Stripe and PayPal.
Shopify has its payment processor but you can also use third-party processors if that’s what you prefer. Shopify’s processor will charge you 2.4% to 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.
Shopify may take 0.5% to 2.5% of every transaction if you use a third party. This is in addition to the third-party’s transaction fee.
If you want to pay lower transaction fees, Shopify’s processor is more sensible.
Different ecommerce platforms have different transaction fees. Before you make your final decision, ensure you fully understand the transaction fees associated with each platform.
Limitations on Plans
Tiered pricing is a common feature offered by most providers. The limitations of each tier are determined by the number and type of products, annual revenue, or features that you can use.
BigCommerce allows you to have as many products and services as you like. The introductory plan limits you to $50k per year in revenue.
Wix restricts the number of tax calculations that they will perform for you. Dropshipping integrations are not allowed. Customer reviews are not permitted on the introductory plan.
Squarespace charges an additional transaction fee for the introductory plan, but there are no transaction fees for higher tiers.
Even so, Ecwid restricts the products you can list in any one plan.
No matter which platform you choose to use, it is important that you fully understand the limitations and costs of upgrading once you have outgrown them.
Shopify
Best for the Most
Dropshipping, in-person sales, and multi-channel sales are supported. It also includes everything you need to launch and scale your business, such as a drag-and-drop website builder, marketing tools, and shipping management solutions. It is suitable for all businesses.
Summary
Finding the right ecommerce platform is key to selling online. We recommend Shopify and Wix for most users. They are affordable and easy to use for all businesses.
They are not for everyone.
As you search for the right ecommerce platform, make sure you follow the steps we have discussed.
