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Online storefronts give everyone the opportunity and ability to sell digital and physical goods or services to consumers. The best e-commerce platforms deliver a seamless shopping experience, allowing retailers to customize nearly every aspect, from exclusive discounts to marketing emails.

For our guide to the best e-commerce platforms, we compared 37 subscriptions from 14 online vendors. We based our rating on over 50 data points and spent dozens of hours speaking with customer service reps and business software users. Our assessment considered monthly fees and transaction costs, online store functionality, inventory and customer management features.

Best e-commerce platforms

  • Wix: Best for e-commerce site customization.
  • Shift4Shop: Best for businesses processing $500 or more monthly.
  • Shopify: Best for solopreneurs looking to scale.
  • Weebly: Best for quick setup and ease of use.
  • Ecwid: Best for upgrading an existing site.
  • WooCommerce: Best for unlimited accounts.
  • Squarespace: Best for selling custom merchandise.
  • OpenCart: Best for PayPal users.
  • Square Online: Best for selling products online.
  • BigCommerce: Best for marketing and SEO.

Why trust our small business experts

Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of business products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.

  • 15 companies reviewed.
  • 39 products reviewed.
  • 2,028 data points analyzed.

Best e-commerce platforms comparison

 STORAGE LIMIT ON BASIC PLANPRODUCT LIMIT ON BASIC PLANABANDONED CART RECOVERYAUTOMATED TAX CALCULATION
Wix
2 GB
N/A
Yes, on higher plans
Yes, on higher plans
Shift4Shop
Unlimited
Unlimited
Yes
Yes
Shopify
Unlimited
Unlimited
Yes
Yes
Weebly
N/A
N/A
Yes, on highest plan
Yes
Ecwid
Unlimited
5
Yes, on higher plans
Yes, on higher plans
WooCommerce
50 GB
Unlimited
Yes, on highest plan
Yes
Squarespace
N/A
10,000
Yes, in highest plan
Yes
OpenCart
N/A
Unlimited
Yes through extension
Yes through extension
Square Online
N/A
Unlimited
Yes
Yes
BigCommerce
Unlimited
Unlimited
Yes, on higher plans
Yes through third party

Methodology

We extensively research the key competitors within an industry to determine the best products and services for your business. Our experts identify the factors that matter most to business owners, including pricing, features and customer support, to ensure that our recommendations offer well-rounded products that will meet the needs of various small businesses.

We collect extensive data to narrow our best list to reputable, easy-to-use products with stand-out features at a reasonable price point. And we look at user reviews to ensure that business owners like you are satisfied with our top picks’ services. We use the same rubric to assess companies within a particular space so you can confidently follow our blueprint to the best e-commerce platform.

The best e-commerce platform has positive user reviews on customer review sites. E-commerce platforms should provide customers with fast and reliable support. Using a combination of phone support, live chat and knowledge bases, customers should be able to quickly resolve issues 24/7.

E-commerce platforms should provide businesses with the necessary tools to effectively run an online business. Platforms should be affordable compared to competitors. Expanding on easy-to-use website building tools, e-commerce platforms should combine payment processing capabilities with a robust set of online sales features.

All e-commerce platforms should allow online businesses to manage inventory, sell physical and digital products and offer services to customers. A network of integrations should be offered to integrate accounting, client relationship management (CRM), dropshipping services and omnichannel selling tools. Built-in tax and shipping calculators should be provided along with abandoned cart recovery tools to ensure a smooth checkout experience for customers. And mobile apps should make it easy for business owners to view transactions, reports and analytics. Finally, email marketing tools and social media integrations should be provided to help businesses capture prospects and turn them into sales.

What is an e-commerce platform and how does it work?

An e-commerce platform is an online software program that enables online sales. It’s a digital storefront controlled by a business owner or individual and differs from a marketplace, which is run by a third party. Most e-commerce solutions provide inventory management, online payment and shipping tools.

Benefits of e-commerce platforms

There are many benefits to having an e-commerce platform, like the ability to sell products online. In many ways, having an e-commerce platform will allow your business to bring in more profit. Here are some of the benefits:

  • Online store. One big benefit to having an e-commerce platform is the ability to take your business online. Many people enjoy shopping online nowadays, so it is good to have that option for your customers.
  • Analytics. Typically, e-commerce platforms will give you analytics that you can use to improve your sales tactics. This can include information on popular products, spending trends and things like abandoned shopping carts.
  • Traffic. If your business has an online presence, especially an online store, you could make more in sales each year. This can also give customers the ability to shop with your business even if they live far away from your brick-and-mortar store.

How to choose the best e-commerce platform for your business

Online website builders are all different, and when picking an e-commerce solution, it should meet your specific needs and goals. Decide what you want and how an exemplary service will help you succeed.

Key features to look for

The key features to look for in an e-commerce platform can vary based on your business type. However, some things, like pricing and security features, should always be prioritized. Here are a few features to look out for: 

  • Pricing. You will need to consider your business’ budget. Do you need to find a company that offers a free plan? Can you afford a higher-tier plan that will give you more features? You will also want to consider the price for a domain name, maintenance fees, add-ons, web hosting and transaction fees.
  • Security features. If you have an online business, you will have customers entering sensitive information into your system, like credit card numbers and addresses. You will want to make sure that you have an e-commerce platform that will keep all of this information secure. 
  • Inventory management features. If your business has a lot of different products, inventory management can be extremely important. Ideally, your e-commerce platform will have a place for inventory management within the same system, so everything is more streamlined.
  • Built-in features. You will also need to think about other features you might need that could also be built into the platform. This includes payment management features, integrations with other apps and SEO optimization tools.

Software integrations

You will want an e-commerce platform that offers a wide variety of software integrations. You can use these integrations for accounting features, analytics, payments, shipping protection, checkout features and product sourcing.

Some platforms, like BigCommerce, will have free and paid integrations that can include Mailchimp, QuickBooks Online, ShipStation and Smile.io.

How much does an e-commerce platform cost?

 STARTING MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION COSTFREE TRIAL PERIOD LENGTHGENERAL ONLINE CREDIT CARD RATES
Wix
$16
14-day money-back guarantee
2.9% plus $0.30
Shift4Shop
$0*
None
No transaction fees; can use your preferred provider
Shopify
$39
3 days
2.9% plus $0.30
Weebly
$0
Free plan available
Not specified; can use Square or PayPal
Ecwid
$0
Free plan available
No transaction fees
WooCommerce
$39
14 days
2.9% plus $0.30
Squarespace
$23
14 days
2.9% plus $0.30
OpenCart
$59
7 days
Not specified; partnered with PayPal
Square Online
$0
Free plan available
2.9% plus $0.30
BigCommerce
$39
15 days
None

*Shift4Shop is free if you process $500 or more monthly.

E-commerce platform paid subscriptions range from $0 to $59 for basic plans. Shift4Shop has a free version for online retailers who process $500 or more monthly. Business owners who purchase the Shopify subscription and pay for one year upfront receive a $26 monthly discount, totaling $312 in yearly savings.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Shopify Basic is Shopify’s entry-tier plan and the best e-commerce platform. It earned five stars in our rating of more than 50 data points. Shopify Basic comes with unlimited products and storage. With built-in tax liability, fraud monitoring and automation tools, Shopify Basic is an exceptional out-of-the-box solution for new and established retailers.

Weebly Professional offers the lowest monthly subscription price, regardless of sales volume. It costs $16 monthly for unlimited storage and products. Weebly doesn’t charge transaction fees. Instead, retailers can use Stripe or Square for payment processing. Stripe and Square charge 2.9% plus 30¢ per online transaction.

However, companies processing $500 or more monthly can use Shift4Shop for free, making it cheaper than Weebly Professional. Credit card transaction fees may be less expensive since you can choose your payment processor with Shift4Shop.

Yes, you can transfer some or all of your online store (products, design elements and customer data) from one platform to another. The process and what you can migrate differ depending on the e-commerce site you currently use and the one that you are moving to. 

For instance, Shopify provides an importer app to transfer items, order history and customers, whereas you’d have to pay a fee for the Cart2Cart app to migrate to Wix. Squarespace lets users import some content but not fonts, designs or a site’s layout.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Jessica Elliott is a business writer specializing in technology, marketing, and operations. She dissects complex topics and empowers leaders to make informed decisions. Her work appears in Business News Daily, U.S News & World Report's 360 Reviews, and Investopedia.

Alana Rudder

BLUEPRINT

Alana is the deputy editor for USA Today Blueprint's small business team. She has served as a technology and marketing SME for countless businesses, from startups to leading tech firms — including Adobe and Workfusion. She has zealously shared her expertise with small businesses — including via Forbes Advisor and Fit Small Business — to help them compete for market share. She covers technologies pertaining to payroll and payment processing, online security, customer relationship management, accounting, human resources, marketing, project management, resource planning, customer data management and how small businesses can use process automation, AI and ML to more easily meet their goals. Alana has an MBA from Excelsior University.