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Starting an online store can be an overwhelming process. The ecommerce platform you choose will significantly impact your budget, features, design flexibility, and growth potential. In this review, we’ll compare five top solutions - Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, and Wix.
Shopify powers over 1 million online stores with an intuitive, fully-hosted platform. Choose from 70+ professional templates and sell across multiple sales channels.
Ideal for any type of ecommerce business. Extremely user-friendly with robust features. Lots of resources and support. Scales with your business growth.
Transaction fees on top of monthly subscription fees. Limited base themes and customization. Lacks built-in multilingual abilities.
Starts at $29/month for a basic shop. Mid-tier plan is $79/month. Plus 2.0% transaction fee.
Beginner to mid-sized online retailers who want an all-in-one hosted platform. Suitable for fashion, accessories, cosmetics, gear, hobby stores, and more.
Open-source WordPress plugin transforms standard sites into ecommerce stores. Currently powers 43% of online stores.
Completely free open-source foundation. Ability to fully customize site and user experience. Easier multilingual and multi-currency abilities.
Requires own WordPress hosting and setup. Steeper learning curve. Additional work for features like taxes, shipping, and POS. Potential security risks.
Free plugin. Paid extensions start at $49/year for shipping and table rate shipping.
Developers, designers, and established retailers who want control over site customization and UX. Also popular with multi-language sites.
Robust SaaS ecommerce platform combined with customizable design, themes, and features. Used by over 60,000 online stores.
Flexibility to customize and expand. Everything needed for inventory, order processing, fulfillment, and traffic/sales growth in one platform. Easier to manage than Shopify as you scale.
Monthly fees in addition to transaction fees. Less apps and support than Shopify. Limited free themes without building from code.
$29.95/month starter plan. Standard plan $79.95/month. Plus volume-based transaction fees.
Mid-market and enterprise ecommerce businesses. Suitable for any type and size of online store.
All-in-one content management and ecommerce hosting platform. Emphasis on aesthetics and design. Used by over 1 million sites.
Gorgeous modern designs and seamless user experience. Everything needed for building an aesthetically pleasing site. Active community and helpful support.
Limited design customization ability. No ability to export or migrate sites later. Fewer third-party integrations. Higher fees for advanced features.
Basic plan $12/month. Online store plan $26/month. Business plan $40/month. Transaction fees 2.5%-3.5%
Photographers, restaurants, designers, and small retail businesses who value beautiful sites with minimal effort.
Website builder with AI design tools and 500+ designer templates. Drag and drop editor makes building sites easy.
Extremely easy and intuitive even for beginners. No coding skills required. Very affordable pricing for robust all-in-one website management.
Limited support and integrations compared to advanced platforms. Transaction fees on top of subscriptions for stores. Difficult to migrate away later.
Free basic website. Premium plans from $14-49/month. Online store plans $23-49/month. Transaction fees apply.
Microbusinesses, artists, photographers, restaurants, and other small businesses with basic online needs.
Consider your technical skills, design needs, and business model when choosing between these robust ecommerce platforms. Each caters to a slightly different audience, but all provide ample tools for building successful online stores. With the right foundation, you can focus on your products, customers, and growing your business without technical limitations.
