Ecommerce has taken the world by storm and companies such as Amazon and Alibaba are raking in billions in profits. However, these companies are often criticized for the predatory practices they employ in their marketplace to give them an unfair advantage over their competition. They make it easy for shoppers to find and buy whatever they want, but they take advantage of their customers by offering prices that are much higher than similar products sold on other platforms.
In the midst of a disruptive shift in the way people buy products, the way retailers sell their products, and the way people search for products, ecommerce platforms have developed into invaluable tools for merchants. They can now compete with the big boys and still make a profit in the process. To help you out, we’ve rounded up the top ecommerce platforms you should consider using in 2023.
As online shopping becomes more and more popular, the number of ecommerce sites is growing rapidly. I don’t know about you, but I have become increasingly frustrated with the amount of shopping carts I see on the internet. All of them have barely any information about the products they sell, and most of the time it is a bunch of text that is not even about the product itself.. Read more about best ecommerce platforms 2023 and let us know what you think.
Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means we may receive a commission if you click on some of our links.What would you do with an extra $1,500 a day?
With a little work and choosing the right e-commerce platform, you can create an online store that generates this kind of revenue (and more).
Shilpi Yadav is a perfect example. She quit her job to start an online clothing business based on her Indian heritage.
Despite all the risks, the brand now earns more than half a million dollars a year (or an average of about $1,500 a day).
She created her online store using Shopify, one of the best e-commerce platforms on the market. However, there are many different options to choose from depending on your needs.
And the main thing standing in the way of your own $500,000 success is deciding which e-commerce platform is best for your new store.
In this article, I will discuss the most important aspects to consider when choosing the right platform for your current situation. Next, we look in detail at the seven best options available today.
#1 – Wix review – the best in flexibility and customization
Wix is a great option if you are looking for an affordable and flexible e-commerce platform. It is famous for its drag-and-drop interface that offers total design freedom, allowing you to create anything you can imagine.
Instead of writing code, you can use visual building tools to make your website look exactly the way you want it to.
With Wix, you also have access to over 500 ready-made website templates and many customization options. You can also create pages from scratch, with full control over the design.
The Wix template selection is really useful to launch a new online store. Instead of tinkering with settings, you can link your products to a frame that always looks good.
People visiting your store will think it took you days to create that professional look, but with Wix it takes you almost no time at all.
They also have a robust mobile app that allows you to make changes and manage your store from anywhere in the world.
Wix also includes a wide range of marketing features, such as emailing, Facebook ads, and social media posts directly from your account dashboard. You can even sell directly through social media.
Their e-commerce plans include powerful features such as:
- Support for more than 90 languages and local currencies
- More than 250 applications that add functionality to your website
- No additional transaction fees
- Custom product pages
- Worldwide shipping and taxes
- Coupons and discounts
- Advanced sorting and filtering
- Product Collections
- Customizable cash register
- Recurring payments
Even if you already use Wix, you can switch to an e-commerce plan with a few clicks in your account dashboard.
Wix offers four e-commerce plans for online stores of various sizes, including:
- Business Basic – $23/month
- Unlimited Business – $27/month
- Business VIP – $49/month
- Company – individual price
This is a good option if you have a small business or special design needs. However, if you expect a large number of orders and a wide range of products, then BigCommerce or Shopify is a better choice.
Try Wix today for free.
#2 – Overview of Squarespace – the best e-commerce platform for creatives
Squarespace is primarily known as a website builder, but its top-level plans also include e-commerce features.
The design templates are simple enough to use, but you shouldn’t just draw within the lines – there’s a lot of potential here to create a unique shopping experience for your customers.
Some of the other user-friendly platforms are a bit limited in their capabilities. Squarespace gives you much more creative freedom.
Install several templates at once and customize them to see which one you like best. And switching from one model to another is a matter of a few mouse clicks.
In addition to great templates, Squarespace offers many e-commerce features, including:
- Subscriptions, digital products and face-to-face interoperability
- Integrated control instruments for automatic tax calculation
- Discount codes and gift vouchers
- Retrieval of abandoned baskets
- Checkout optimized for mobile devices
- Mobile warehouse management
- Extended product lists
- Quick view
- Warehouse management
- Real-time delivery evaluation
Squarespace also integrates with most email and social media marketing platforms, so you can sell and promote your products like a pro.
And they have a fantastic 24/7/365 customer support department ready to answer your questions and help you set everything up the way you want it.
Squarespace offers three e-commerce packages:
- Business – $18 per month + 3% transaction fee
- Basic Trade – $26 per month + 0% transaction fee
- Advanced trading – $40 per month + 0% transaction fees
If you look at the pricing options, you will see a staffing plan for $12 per month. This is a good option if you want to create a website, but it doesn’t have e-commerce features, so it won’t work if you want to create an online store.
They also offer a business plan with a dedicated account manager, SEO advice and priority technical support.
And while the Business plan offers e-commerce features, I recommend the Basic Commerce plan to start. This is the least expensive package with no transaction fees and other important features such as accounts receivable and e-commerce analytics.
Learn more and get started on Squarespace.
#3 – Bluehost Review – the best for creating a WooCommerce store with your own hands
I really like WooCommerce. And fortunately, I know WordPress well enough to install, configure and manage the WooCommerce plugin and the additional plugins that really make it shine on my own WordPress sites.
But I know many people who would rather not take on this responsibility, whether it’s due to a lack of familiarity with WordPress plugins or simply a lack of time to manage WooCommerce themselves.
Bluehost understands this too, which is why they have developed a simple, out-of-the-box solution to get your WooCommerce store up and running quickly for any user.
With Bluehost’s WooCommerce based e-commerce package, you get a user-friendly store builder, plus. :
- Integrated SSL and Jetpack for security
- Unlimited product lists
- Processing of payments
- Testimonials from customers
- Coupon Codes
- Manually create orders
- One year free use of CodeGuard Backup Basic for daily website backup.
And all of this is included in the standard plan. The built-in SSL certificate is really useful because it encrypts the information customers enter on your site (like credit card numbers or login information) and protects everyone from hackers. With Bluehost, all you have to do is click a button and you’re done. This can be much more difficult if the hosting company does not manage SSL certificates for you.
But most conveniently, in my opinion, Bluehost has a pre-selection of the top 20 plugins your WooCommerce store needs. This not only saves you from searching for and installing plugins, but they are included at no extra cost.
This is very important. Some of these plugins cost around $200 to install.
When you upgrade to a Premium plan, you also receive
- On-line programming
- Subscription-based e-commerce
- Advanced product customization
- Local tax management
- Free domain privacy
- CodeGuard Backup Basic, included for free
The price is based on your first commitment. Choose between a monthly payment, an annual contract or a three-year contract.
The standard plan costs $12.95 per month with a three-year commitment, and the premium plan costs $24.95 per month.
Upon expiration, both plans will renew at the standard monthly rate of $29.95 per month for Standard and $49.95 per month for Premium.
So, if you want to get your own WooCommerce store in no time and without any hassle, head over to Bluehost today.
#4 – BigCommerce Review – the best for medium and large stores
BigCommerce is a versatile e-commerce website builder specifically designed for large online stores. It contains more advanced e-commerce features, suitable for managing large volumes and a large number of products.
With a customer base of over 100,000 stores, including big names like Ben & Jerry’s and SkullCandy, they are a small player in the industry.
But that doesn’t make the platform any less powerful.
BigCommerce plans include access to powerful, industry-leading features, including:
- Customer accounts for faster checkout
- Checkout optimized for mobile devices
- Retrieval of abandoned baskets
- Google AMP and Akamai
- Advanced product filters
- Coupons and discount codes
- Advanced stock management
- Customer groups for personalised purchases
- More than 65 payment gateways without additional transaction fees
- Integrated supply management
In addition, all plans include unlimited products, file storage, bandwidth and employee accounts.
You can choose from 12 free mobile responsive design templates, or a paid template to make your online store stand out from the rest without touching a single line of code.
BigCommerce offers four paid plans (with a 15-day free trial), including:
- Standard – $29.95/month with an annual revenue limit of $50,000.
- Plus – $79.95/month with an annual income limit of $180,000.
- Pro – $299.95/month with an annual income limit of $400,000.
- Company – individual price
If you are just starting out, BigCommerce is an overhead for your online store. However, if you have an established business or plan to sell large quantities, this is a good choice.
#5 – Shopify Review – The best all-in-one e-commerce platform
Shopify is a versatile e-commerce site builder with over a million online stores, making it one of the most popular options on this list.
However, it is not as customizable as Wix. However, it offers more advanced e-commerce features as it is specially designed for hosting online stores. It is also easy to use and has the necessary flexibility.
It’s also incredibly versatile and can work with micro and large stores, as well as everything in between. Shopify plans include access to an incredible array of e-commerce features, including:
- Point of sale for the stationary trade
- Real time delivery
- Restore a cancelled case
- 100 different payment gateways
- Automatic tax calculation
- Customer accounts and profiles
- Filling centers
- Advanced stock management
- Unlimited food
- In-depth analysis
And with over 70 professional themes (nine of which are free) and more than 4,100 apps, you can create a beautiful and highly functional e-commerce store without having to start from scratch. Or write a line of code.
Add to that award-winning 24/7/365 customer support, and you have a great e-commerce platform.
Shopify offers five pricing plans for businesses of all sizes, including:
- Shopify Lite – $9 per month
- Shopify Basic – $29/month
- Shopify – $79/month
- Shopify Advanced – $299/month
- Shopify Plus – individual price
Shopify Lite is a great option if you want to integrate products and buy buttons into your existing website. However, it does not come with an all-inclusive website builder.
Note that Shopify has its own payment processor. They charge 2.4% – 2.9% + $0.30 depending on the plan you choose. They also charge an additional fee (0.5% to 2%) if you use a separate payment processor like PayPal or Square.
#6 – WooCommerce Review – the best for WordPress sites
Currently, it is recommended to use an all-in-one website builder. WooCommerce, on the other hand, is not. This is a WordPress plugin designed to add e-commerce functionality to existing WordPress websites.
WooCommerce is the engine of about 30% of online stores today. With over 80 million downloads, it is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on this list.
Message: If you don’t have a WordPress site yet, I don’t recommend following this path. Instead, opt for an all-in-one e-commerce platform.
WooCommerce is a lightweight plugin that adds e-commerce features such as accepting online payments, customizable shipping options, product listings, etc. But you have to have an existing website to use it. So this is a great option if you already use WordPress.
It includes powerful e-commerce features such as:
- Plugin extensions to increase functionality
- Rest API for developers to create their own platforms
- Comprehensive training manuals and documentation
- 140 region-specific payment gateways
- Support for subscriptions and deposits
- Automated tax calculations
- Real time delivery
- Mobile applications for iOS and Android
- Physical and digital product capabilities
- Endless product possibilities
- Public Support Forum
And the best part? It can be downloaded, installed and used for free. Forever.
However, some of these extensions are not free, so be careful when you start poking around.
Thanks to the power of WordPress, your customization options are limited only by what you can imagine. So, with WooCommerce, the sky is the legal limit.
Still, it’s not the easiest or most intuitive e-commerce platform to use. So I don’t recommend it unless you already use WordPress and are 100% familiar with it.
#7 – OpenCart Review – the best for selling digital products
OpenCart is another open source e-commerce platform, just like WooCommerce. However, it is not limited to WordPress sites. But you have to have an existing website to use it.
More than 300,000 webshops use OpenCart to sell products of all shapes and sizes securely online. Plus, most hosting companies offer one-click installation or install it for free, making it incredibly easy to set up.
Message: I only recommend this route if you already have a completed website.
While you can sell any type of product, the no-frills interface (and free price) makes it a great option for selling digital products to make more money in your online business.
And all this without any additional monthly costs, because it’s 100% free forever.
OpenCart offers a number of powerful e-commerce features, including:
- One central administrator dashboard
- Advanced user roles and access control
- Manage multiple stores from one dashboard
- Unlimited options and product variations
- Integrated partner management and reward system
- Discounts and vouchers
- Unlimited food
- Digital downloads with one click
- Product reviews and evaluations
- 36 integrated payment methods
- Recurring payments
And with 13,000 modules and themes on the market, you can add any feature you can think of, including services integration, conversion modules, email marketing and more.
Note that not all OpenCart extensions are free. You may have to pay for advanced features.
They also do not currently offer free support.
If you don’t find what you are looking for in their community forum, you will have to pay for specialized help. Dedicated support starts at $99 per site per month or $99 for a one-time repair.
#8 – Ecwid review – the best for integration with your current platform
Like OpenCart and WooCommerce, Ecwid is an e-commerce platform that you can integrate with your current platform, no matter what you’re already using.
It integrates with platforms like Weebly, Wix, WordPress, Squarespace and others. So if you already have a website and want to add e-commerce functionality, Ecwid is a good choice.
However, they also offer an all-in-one e-commerce site builder if you want to start from scratch. However, there are better website builders out there.
So I only recommend Ecwid if you want to integrate e-commerce into an existing website.
This e-commerce platform includes a wide range of features, such as:
- Sell through multiple channels (social media, sales platforms, in-person meetings, etc.).
- Integrated email marketing and advertising capabilities
- Centralized stock and order management
- No transaction fees
- Fully responsive designs
- Point of sale integration
- Customer accounts to simplify the purchasing process
- Real-time delivery rate calculator
- Product options
- Digital product capabilities
- 40 payment options
The biggest drawback is that you cannot manage your store from your website’s account panel. Instead, you must register with Ecwid. So you have to manage two separate accounts.
But the good news is that you can start with a free limited lifetime plan to try before making any investments.
The free plan allows you to use only ten products. If you need more, you should switch to a new plan. Ecwid also offers three paid plans, including:
- Venture – $15/month (up to 100 products)
- Business – $35/month (up to 2,500 items)
- Unlimited – $99/month (unlimited products)
This is the price if you pay per month. If you are willing to sign a one-year contract, the price will be slightly lower.
As a standalone store creator, it’s best to opt for other options (like Wix and Shopify).
But if you already have a website and want to add an ecommerce store, Ecwid is a great alternative to WooCommerce and OpenCart.
What I was looking for to find the best e-commerce platform
Choosing the best e-commerce platform for your business depends on several factors, including. B. your level of experience, your customization needs, and the type of products you wish to sell.
But choosing the right platform can seem overwhelming because the options are endless.
It may be helpful to start with a list of the requirements and features you need. You can then refine your selection using the following criteria.
Physical and digital products
Digital assets are a booming market. Online courses, music, art, and podcasts are just a few of the digital products that are making new companies a lot of money.
But selling and delivering digital products is not the same as delivering a physical product to your door.
If you want to sell digital goods, Shopify is a great option, but some e-commerce systems don’t support digital goods at all. Therefore, it is important to know what type of product you want to sell before making a decision.
Possible uses
What does it take to set up an e-commerce platform?
There are several ways to use the platform, depending on where you start and what you want to accomplish.
If you already have a website, it’s best to integrate your online store instead of creating an entirely new website on a new platform. That way you build on what you’ve already done. OpenCart is perfect for this case.
For those with a WordPress site, you can add e-commerce functionality with the WooCommerce plugin. It is very simple to set up and easy to manage.
If you are starting from scratch, you will need a website builder and other resources to help you develop a platform.
In this case, using solutions like Wix and Squarespace is very useful. They offer everything you need to get started at a very reasonable price.
Daily management
Order management, product creation, order tracking and dashboard navigation are important factors in the daily management of e-commerce.
Choose a platform that is easy to use and manage on a daily basis. Creating new products, checking the status of orders or updating your website pages doesn’t have to be a daunting task.
It’s about finding the right balance between flexibility, adaptability and ease of use. The more things a platform can do, the harder it is to manage.
You can simplify your workload by choosing a platform that offers sufficient flexibility without going beyond your specific requirements.
Design options
Some e-commerce site builders (like Wix) really work on a drag-and-drop basis, which means endless customization possibilities. If you can imagine it, you can build it. But this freedom also makes the platform harder to use.
Other platforms integrate with your current website and take on its look and functionality with very little customization. For some users, this is ideal.
But others may want more control.
If you are just starting out, simple design and ease of use are more important than design flexibility.
However, if you already have a physical store or an established brand, design is more important to create a consistent aesthetic from one touch point to the next.
Enhanced e-commerce functions
Do you want to be able to give discounts or accept payments through different payment processors? You can send an email to visitors to remind them that they have left your site with an item in their cart.
You may be interested in customer profiling and advanced analytics.
Other advanced e-commerce features include
- Email marketing integration
- Membership and recurring payments
- Gift cards and discount codes
- Partial payments or payment plans
- Management of deliveries and processing of orders
- Product options
- Product categories
Think carefully about what you need and what you would like to have. You can then use your list of requirements to narrow down the list of options.
Summary
Finding an e-commerce platform that meets your exact needs is a breath of fresh air. Having used dozens of different options over the years, I’m convinced I’ve chosen the best options available:
- Wix – the best of flexibility and adaptability
- Squarespace – the best e-commerce platform for creatives
- Bluehost – the best for setting up a WooCommerce store in complete freedom.
- BigCommerce – best suited to medium-sized and large stores
- Shopify is the best all-in-one e-commerce platform
- WooCommerce is the best for WordPress websites
- OpenCart – the best for selling digital products
- Ecwid – best suited for integration with your current platform
My first recommendation for most users is Wix. It is suitable for users of all experience levels. It is also simple to use, easy to set up and affordable. But if Wix is too customizable for you, Squarespace is a great alternative.
For larger stores, I recommend BigCommerce or Shopify.
However, if you already have a website, WooCommerce, OpenCart and Ecwid are great options depending on your needs.
If you have a WordPress website and are looking for an easier way to set up a WooCommerce store, you can’t go wrong with WooCommerce Online Stores from Bluehost.
- SEO – Unlocks a large amount of SEO traffic. To see real results.
- Content marketing – our team creates epic content that gets shared, attracting links and traffic.
- Paid media – effective paid strategies with a clear return on investment.
For many businesses, choosing the right ecommerce platform is a daunting task. There are so many to choose from, which should you choose and how do you even know you are making the right choice? That’s why we thought we’d give you the top five ecommerce platforms for your business in the year 2023.. Read more about best ecommerce platform for startups and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best ecommerce platform 2023?
The best ecommerce platform is Amazon.
What ecommerce platform is used the most?
The most popular ecommerce platform is Amazon.
What is the best ecommerce platform to choose?
The best ecommerce platform to choose is Shopify.
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