Best eCommerce Platform for Your Business in 2025

eCommerce is rapidly growing and welcoming newcomers looking to start their businesses. Online sales are expected to grow even more in the upcoming years. So, the opportunity to sell online is as attractive as ever.

Merchants prefer online sales for ease of use, flexibility, and global reach. With the best eCommerce platforms available out there, your own online store is just a few clicks away.

The platform has a crucial impact on your further development and success. So, whether you want to start a store in Magento, Shopify or Wix, you have to be really thorough with your decision.

In this guide, we'll try to make it easier by reviewing the best eCommerce platforms for your business. You'll learn key features of the platforms, pricing, rating, pros, cons, and more.

So, let's get right to it!

Best eCommerce Platforms

Logo	Platform Name	Starting Cost	Hosting	G2 Rating
	Magento	$0	Self-hosted	4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
	Shopify	$24	Hosted	4.4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
	BigCommerce	$29	Hosted	4.2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
	Shift4Shop	$0	Hosted	3.9 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
	Squarespace	$16	Hosted	4.4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
	WooCommerce	$0	Self-hosted	4.4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
	Ecwid	$0	Hosted	4.7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
	Wix	$9	Hosted	4.2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
	Big Cartel	$0	Hosted	4.2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
	OpenCart	$0	Self-hosted	4.3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

1. Magento

Magento is an open-source eCommerce platform for creating and managing online stores. It has been in the industry for a while, so you've definitely heard of it.

Since the transition of Magento to Adobe, we distinguish the Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce. These are the free and paid plans respectively which you can opt for depending on your business scale.

Highlights

Magento covers everything from order and customer management to SEO and payment gateways. However, due to its feature-rich nature, it may be quite complex for newcomers.

In Magento, you can manage various product types and customer groups. Besides, it has a powerful content management system and marketing tools, such as cart price rules, special prices, coupon codes, etc.

The platform offers payment and shipping integrations out of the box. But it's not it. You can also incorporate more options thanks to the open-source nature of Magento.

(Magento payment methods — source Magento Open Source)

At the same time, Magento relies heavily on coding. Thus, you'll need to hire a developer to get your store up and running unless you can handle this part yourself.

Yet, there are lots of Magento 2 extensions that extend and improve the default functionality. In most cases, they are enough to cover all crucial areas without code editing.

One of the best things about Magento is its community. You'll find dozens of forums across the web with lively discussions and effective tips. If you are facing any difficulties,  be sure to find answers in one of the many free Magento user guides.

 

2. Shopify

Shopify is a cloud-based hosted solution with extensive functionality. Many people build their websites on Shopify thanks to the intuitive interface and little to no coding required.

Speaking of pricing, Shopify offers various plans depending on your business size and the capacity you’re looking for. There are also custom pricing options you can discuss with Shopify representatives if none of the plans meets your needs.

Highlights

Shopify is a fully-featured solution with all the instruments to build a successful store. It has a powerful and effective checkout that can satisfy your initial needs. At the same time, you can integrate other payment options but with transaction fees.

This platform is a great option if you also manage a brick-and-mortar store. It has a native POS solution to synchronize your online and offline sales. Thus, you don't need to figure out complex software since you get the necessary tools out of the box. 

Besides, you have lots of Shopify apps at your disposal. With free and paid options, you will certainly find something for your store. Moreover, various themes and templates allow you to manage the look and feel of your website without coding.

(Shopify app store — source Shopify)

Shopify implements market functionality that enables you to target specific customer groups. It also allows you to connect your store with other selling channels like Google, Instagram, TikTok, and others.

The interface of this platform is quite user-friendly. You can use the drag-and-drop editor to build your store incredibly fast. This is why many beginners usually choose Shopify — a soft launch and easy management is always attractive.

3. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a hosted eCommerce platform with advanced selling and shipping capabilities. It is a go-to solution for large enterprises and rapidly growing businesses. This is not surprising since the scalability of BigCommerce is one of the best in the industry.

BigCommerce offers multiple pricing plans for all business sizes. There are ready-made plans for the smaller companies. At the same time, the price for enterprise-level businesses is quote-based.

Highlights

BigCommerce does wonders for large catalogs as it allows you to manage and process millions of products. It does not impose transaction fees and comes with a one-page checkout solution.

This platform uses handy page builder functionality. You can use the pre-made elements and widgets, and create unique designs. There’s no need to edit code per se. However, you do have a chance to manage HTML and CSS for a more precise look.

(Creating a product page via page builder — source BigCommerce)

At the same time, BigCommerce features a vast range of themes. Thus, you can find the best option that matches your vision and is as user-friendly as possible.

BigCommerce offers cross-channel promotion and grows together with your business. You can start with one plan and switch to the other one as you go. Besides, you have a chance to use headless and React solutions for your store optimization.

All of this can be quite overwhelming for small businesses, especially those that are new to eCommerce. This is why BigCommerce is a platform of choice for larger businesses. 

 

4. Shift4Shop

Another eCommerce platform on our list is Shift4Shop. It is a hosted website builder with an intuitive interface. Thus, creating your own store is extremely easy with the multitude of available free and pro tools.

Shif4Shop can be free for you if you process at least $1,000 monthly in your store. Otherwise, there are pricing plans to choose from and match your business needs.

Highlights

Shift4shop offers a handy website builder with a variety of pre-made templates. You can edit them, adjust HTML/CSS, and create a best-matching design. All the themes are responsive and speed-optimized, adapting perfectly to various devices.

One of the best features of this platform is the advanced checkout. It integrates multiple payment processors, has one-page and multiple-page modes, and follows all security standards.

(A list of available payment options — source Shift4Shop)

The product management tools are no less effective. You can create an unlimited number of products and their variations. Then, the new product pages will inherit the general store’s design. Similarly, you can create other pages to make a customer journey easier.

Shift4shop takes care of all the main processes in your store. It ensures flawless order processing and an excellent purchasing experience. 

 

5. Squarespace

Squrespace is a versatile platform for eCommerce with advanced features for online store management. It offers a drag-and-drop website builder, templates, SEO, and marketing tools, and more. 

This platform has four pricing plans, so you will certainly find the best option for your budget. Besides, you can request a free trial and see if Squarespace is a good match.

Highlights

Just like the eCommerce platforms we’ve reviewed above, Squarespace ensures easy store creation and management. You can use a handy editor, and pre-made templates, and save your time on building everything from scratch.

This platform allows you to sell any kind of product. Yet, it’s specifically great for subscriptions, tickets, and downloadable products. Its powerful engine and calendar syncing automate the processes profoundly. 

(Example of an online course page — source Squarespace)

Squarespace also comes with the built-in analytics tools. Thus, you can track your website performance, see what areas require improvement, and implement the best approaches. For even better results, you can use various available apps.

Additionally, this platform offers AI tools to improve the quality of your store. You can use them to generate website copies, blog posts, product descriptions, and email templates. Just imagine how much time it can save you!

 

6. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free, open-source platform for WordPress-based websites. It helps to manage a fully-featured store alongside your existing blog and benefit from both channels.

You don’t have to pay anything to start using WooCommerce. You can take your time and install the additional extensions as your business grows. The choice is quite vast with both free and paid options.

Highlights

If you have a successful WordPress blog and want to try your hand at online sales, WooCommerce is exactly what you need. It works as an add-on to your main WordPress website and creates a functional online store.

This solution is free, so you don’t have to invest money if you are just getting started with eCommerce. Then, you can tailor the functionality to your specific needs by installing the preferred extensions.

(WooCommerce extensions and themes — source WooCommerce)

WooCommerce offers improved product management and order processing. It doesn’t limit the number or kind of products to sell, so catalogs of all sizes are welcome. This is a highly adaptable eCommerce platform that will grow as your business does.

Here, you can also implement various marketing campaigns and SEO strategies. The analytics tools will give insight into the effectiveness of your efforts and the overall store performance.

 

7. Ecwid

Ecwid is another great platform for eCommerce to consider. You can either create a new website or connect the existing one to Ecwid — this platform covers both cases. You have all the chances to create an outstanding shopping experience with an extensive set of tools.

You can start your journey with the free plan to get a taste of the platform’s workflow. Then, you can switch to a higher plan to access pro features.

Highlights

Ecwid leaves complicated store management in the past and implements an intuitive website builder instead. You don’t need any technical knowledge to create and launch your store. Besides, there are more than 100 free themes you can use to match your brand’s vibe.

This platform allows you to target multiple selling channels such as Google, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, etc. It also utilizes the Facebook pixel to track how effective your campaigns are.

(Store catalog synchronization with Instagram — source Ecwid)

On Ecwid, you can use advanced discounts, and coupons, and implement pre-orders for better customer engagement. It is also possible to create a multi-lingual catalog and track the inventory. Besides, you can customize the checkout to make it more intuitive.

This platform has its own app for IOS and Android. Thus, you can manage your store from any location and at any time. This is the boundless eCommerce at its finest!

 

8. Wix

Wix is a perfect solution if you’d like to soft launch your business without coding. It features an advanced website builder, SEO tools, marketing solutions, and dozens of apps to make the functionality even more versatile.

This eCommerce platform has reasonable pricing plans where you can upgrade at any time. A tight budget is not a problem with Wix since it doesn’t require a fortune to get your store up and running.

Highlights

Wix’s website editor is simple so you can just drag and drop the elements. At the same time, you can go the easy path and use the AI builder to create the website design based on your prompts. Or choose one of the free themes that can adapt to your niche perfectly.

This platform allows you to sell not only products but also services. Thus, you can create and distribute subscriptions, courses, tickets, and more. Wix has all the necessary tools to set up such product types.

(A list of available product types — source Wix)

Surely, regular eCommerce purchases work here as well. You can monitor your sales thanks to the numerous reports, manage customer accounts, and create interactive product pages. The built-in tips will help you make them SEO-optimized, too.

Wix boosts social media marketing, helps to create Facebook, Instagram, and Google campaigns, and incorporates AI email marketing tools. As you can see, this platform covers all your bases and ensures consistent store development.

 

9. Big Cartel

Next up, we have a perfect option for small and first-time businesses — Big Cartel. This eCommerce platform features simple tools to set up and start an online store. It’s committed to supporting artists in promoting their works and building their community.

This is also reflected in the pricing plans Big Cartel offers. They are affordable with enough instruments to launch your store smoothly. Besides, you can opt for a free plan to get a sample of the platform’s capabilities.

Highlights

The Big Cartel platform makes store creation easy and intuitive. It comes with a bunch of free themes you can choose from and a handy editor to change colors, fonts, and other elements if needed.

The sales management process is uncomplicated, too. You can create product listings, connect payment methods, track inventory, and perform bulk editing. There is also a mobile app you can install and manage your store from any location.

(Example of the express checkout — source Big Cartel)

All Big Cartel templates are SEO-optimized which is certainly a great advantage. Also, this platform supports Google and Facebook ads. So you can promote your products via multiple channels.

As we’ve mentioned, Big Cartel is a great starting point for smaller businesses. It’s somewhat limited in the number of products it can handle, so large corporations may find it difficult to manage their catalogs here.

Yet, first-time sellers have all the tools to thrive on this intuitive platform.

 

10. OpenCart

OpenCart is an open-source free eCommerce platform. It doesn’t offer hosting in the free plan yet you can use the software for as long as you like. Its module-based nature resembles the Magento one where you can use extensions for more advanced functionality.

At the same time, you can opt for the OpenCart Cloud edition. It saves you from the self-hosting hassle and doesn’t impose any transaction fees. The Cloud edition has a free trial option for you to see if the platform meets your needs before paying.

Highlights

OpenCart allows you to create an unlimited number of products and manage them within an advanced dashboard. It supports the multi-store setup, as well as various languages and currencies.

Here, you can manage users effectively by creating customer groups and sharing targeted content. It’s possible to create product attributes and variations for a versatile and organized catalog. Besides, you can offer discounts, coupons, and special offers for better engagement.

(Product grid in the admin panel — source OpenCart)

OpenCart comes with multiple payment gateways and shipping methods, so you have plenty of options to choose from. You can also set recurring payments if you plan on using a subscription model in your store.

This platform’s templates are responsive across all devices which is a great advantage for mobile sales. You can also optimize your content with meta titles and descriptions to improve SEO and implement the marketing tools to manage your campaigns efficiently.

 

How to Choose a Platform for eCommerce?

The eCommerce field offers all kinds of platforms. More of them appear each year while the well-established ones keep their ground and continue growing. Now, the question is: how do you choose the best eCommerce platform?

There is no universal answer and it will vary greatly from merchant to merchant. Everything depends on your resources, capabilities, preferences, and the goal you set for your business.

So, to make a sound choice, try to consider a few aspects.

Business size

The size of your business plays a crucial role when choosing the eCommerce platform. It has to be capable enough to handle your catalog, sales, and customers ensuring a seamless experience for all parties involved.

If you are only getting started, there may be no point in investing in large website builders. There are great platforms for smaller businesses with simple setups and effective functionality.

Thus, make sure the chosen platform corresponds to your business size needs.

Available budget

Estimating your budget is another essential aspect, especially if you're only getting started. On this note, don't forget that a platform subscription is not the only payment. You'll likely need to pay for hosting, domain, additional apps or extensions, transaction fees, etc.

Once you calculate the amount you can allocate for these services, you'll have a clearer picture of the platforms that fit into your budget.

Hosting

Moving on, you should also consider hosting opportunities. Do you want to take care of the server yourself? Or would it be better if a platform does it for you?

Answer these questions and see what various platforms have to offer. Fortunately, there are both hosted and self-hosted options, so you'll find something for you.

Technical/development component

You have probably noticed that the listed platforms have different degrees of technical management. In other words, some of them do not require any coding while others rely on it heavily.

Thus, you should also decide if you can handle the coding yourself or if you need a team of developers. The latter will certainly require additional expenses.

But you can avoid the coding part altogether thanks to the intuitive website builders. So, the choice is all yours.

Platform's scalability

As a business owner, you need to look ahead and anticipate your store's development. If you want to expand your resources and cover more markets in the future, then the eCommerce platform has to be scalable enough to handle that.

Some platforms for eCommerce are ready to grow as your business does. Yet, others may be better for small businesses that are planning to stay in that lane. 

This is why you need to review this aspect beforehand to prevent any unexpected surprises.

Tools and features

Together with all other aspects, you need to make sure that the platform has enough tools and features to meet your needs. It shouldn't necessarily be something fancy. A flexible toolkit with the essential features is enough to do the job. 

At the same time, take into account that you may need to install some apps and extensions. So, don't forget to explore what the platform's marketplaces have to offer.

Platform's prospects

When choosing the eCommerce platform, you make a choice for the years to come. Thus, the platform should be active, regularly improved, and have long-term potential.

It's difficult to say what the future holds for various eCommerce environments. Still, you can consider the platform's trends, forecasts, usage stats, and overall tendencies to understand its state.

(Source — Built With Technology Lookup)

You can also review the platform's stats over the years to understand what it is moving towards. Risk analysis is what shouldn't be neglected if you want to ensure consistent business development.

Choosing the best platform for eCommerce is not a simple task. There's a lot to consider and think through to ensure you make the right choice. Hopefully, this list will make it easier for you.

To dig further, you can skim through comparison guides that explore Magento and Shopify, Wix and Squarespace, and other pairs of the best eCommerce platforms. They will help you see how these platforms are different and how they can enhance your business.