name8 Best eCommerce Platforms To Sell Online (2023)
Do you want to build a successful eCommerce store?
When picking a platform to create your online shop, you need to be sure it’s the right one for you. We say this because it can be really hard to switch to a different platform later.
The good thing is there are so many platforms in the market that let you sign up and create a full-fledged online store in a few hours.
The downside is that there are SO MANY platforms to choose from!
To make it easier for you, we’ve narrowed it down to the top 8 choices. We’ll give you details of what you can expect from the platform along with how much it’s going to cost you.
Top 8 eCommerce Platforms
1. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the best eCommerce platform for WordPress sites. You’ll need to install WordPress first and then install the WooCommerce plugin to set up your store.
WooCommerce is hands down the easiest platform to use. It has a simple interface so if you’re a beginner, you’ll love WooCommerce.
There’s a very small learning curve to it. And anyone can create a stunning website using one of its premade templates. There are tons of customization options too so you can build a store that matches the design you have in mind. Plus, there are plenty of free and paid extensions that you can use to expand the functionality of your store.
Coming to your product catalog, WooCommerce lets you easily create custom product pages complete with images, descriptions, pricing, discounts, and more. You can also add product blocks to any post or page that you create.
What we really love is that WooCommerce takes care of everything you need. It helps you set up your payment gateway, auto-calculate taxes, add shipping methods, manage inventory, and so much more.
Highlights
- User-friendly interface
- Unlimited product listings
- Full control over website data
- Powerful store management tools
- Multiple payment integrations
- Addons and extensions available
Pricing: It’s absolutely free! However, to get started with WooCommerce, you will need a domain and hosting plan to create a WordPress website.
This usually costs quite a bit, but we’ve worked out a deal for you with Bluehost. Our users get a 72% discount on their hosting plan + a free domain for the first year. So for just $2.75 per month, you’ll get a reliable hosting plan, domain name, SSL certificate, and CDN, plus 1-click WordPress install.
Get the Exclusive Bluehost OfferReady to get started with WooCommerce? Follow this step-by-step guide: How to Start an Online Store (Step by Step).
You might also be interested to know that Bluehost offers a hosting plan starting at $12.75 per month that’s designed specifically to handle the unique needs of WooCommerce sites. This plan comes with WordPress + WooCommerce pre-installed making it easier for you to get started. Click the link below get this plan:
Get Started with Bluehost WooCommerce
2. Web.com
Web.com helps you create any kind of website and online store. Once you sign up, there are hundreds of design layouts to choose from. You can pick the one that lets you showcase your products in the best way possible.
What’s interesting to note is that they offer domains and hosting plans along with a DIY website builder and eCommerce builder. There are also a number of SEO and marketing tools that you can use.
This means you can get everything you need to set up a website all in one place.
To top it off, Web.com also makes it easy to sell your products on popular online marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, and eBay. So you can maximize your sales all from your Web.com website.
Highlights
- Simple shipping solutions
- Easy connection to popular shopping platforms
- eCommerce reporting
- Secure payment options
- Purchase order management
Pricing: Start selling with the eCommerce Essentials plan that costs $13.95 per month.
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a popular website building platform to create a website that’s ready to scale. It even makes it easy to convert your website later into an Open SaaS business.
It has simplified tools for beginners as well as complex growth tools for advanced website owners. For instance, you can create a multi-storefront to cater to new regions and different customer segments.
BigCommerce also lets you sell and fulfill orders across 100+ platforms including Facebook, Google, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Snap, Walmart, Target, and more.
BigCommerce is best for those who want a hosted platform where the web hosting and technical aspects of website management are taken care of.
The downside here is that you’ll have limited control over how you modify your website. Plus, BigCommerce caps the sales revenue you can bring in according to the plan you’ve selected. For instance, the Standard plan lets you sell $50K per year. If you want to earn more revenue, you’ll have to upgrade your plan.
Highlights
- Optimize and advertise products
- Get valuable customer data and insights
- Integrate with powerful third-party apps
- 24-hour tech support
- No transaction fees
- Unlimited staff accounts
Pricing: BigCommerce consists of four plans. The standard plan starts at $29.95 per month. There’s a free trial for 15 days.
4. Shopify
Shopify is a fully-hosted platform that lets you build an online store in a few clicks. You can choose to sell either or both physical and digital products.
Shopify takes care of all the technical aspects of running an eCommerce site such as site speed, security, and hosting servers. All you need to do is sign up for your account and start building.
Once inside, you’ll find a drag and drop store builder and a wide range of themes to help you create a beautiful store.
This is great for beginners and non-tech-savvy folk. But if you want more developer control, then WooCommerce is a better pick.
Another downside is that many users have also faced some SEO issues because of its rigid URL structures and duplicate content issues. So you get limited options to optimize your website for better search result rankings.
Highlights
- Mobile responsive themes
- 60+ payment gateways
- Online marketplace connections
- Offline retail option
Pricing: Compared to other eCommerce store builders, it is more on the expensive side with their basic plan starting from $20/month.
5. SquareSpace
SquareSpace is beginner-friendly online store builder. It comes with beautiful website designs that you can use to really highlight your products.
The platform is easy to use and comes with tons of features that you can use to create your site. For starters, there’s a drag and drop builder to design your site the way you want it. You can also change the layout of your product pages as you wish.
With Squarespace, you get powerful built-in analytics features. This allows you to track your product sales and analyze customer behavior in your store.
One thing to keep in mind is that unless you’re subscribed to the higher-end Commerce plans, you’ll be charged a 3% transaction fee on your sales.
Highlights
- Responsive website designs
- Easy to use and maintain
- Custom colors and layouts
- Social media integrations
Pricing: Starts at $23 per month.
6. Weebly
Weebly is more of a website builder that comes with eCommerce tools to sell your products.
That said, you can list and sell both physical and digital products. You can even collect donations on your site.
A big plus for this platform is its free plan. You can get started without any cost and enjoy the basic website features.
If you want the shopping cart and payment options, then you need to subscribe to the Pro plan or higher. Weebly offers secure payment options using gateways like Square, PayPal, and Stripe.
The only disadvantage of this eCommerce platform is that it doesn’t offer inventory management features like WooCommerce.
Highlights
- Built-in blogging options
- Drag and drop website builder
- Domain and hosting services
- Reporting dashboard
Pricing: Premium plans start at $12 per month (billed annually).
7. Big Cartel
Big Cartel is an eCommerce platform that’s geared towards artists and makers.
The platform is simple to use so anyone can build an online store and start selling online. Plus, there’s no coding involved making it perfect for beginners.
You’ll also find built-in features to track and manage inventory, shipping, and sales tax.
Big Cartel deosn’t charge fees or sales commissions. There’s just one monthly price to start your online store. They also offer a free plan where you can sell up to 5 products.
Highlights
- Limited images per product
- Free customizable themes
- Sell in person and online
- Real-time stats
- Inventory and shipment tracking
- Sales tax on autopilot
Pricing: Sell up to 5 products for free. Starts at $9.99 per month for more.
8. Ecwid
Ecwid is another eCommerce platform with a forever-free plan. You can set up your account and start selling for free.
With Ecwid, you can sync your website, social media, marketplaces, and live-in person sales. You’ll also get access to marketing tools like Google and Facebook advertising.
What stands out about Ecwid is it’s centralized dashboard to manage everything from one place including your inventory, pricing, etc.
Highlights
- Easy order and inventory management
- Manage on mobile
- Marketing tools
- More tools in the Ecwid App store
- Live support
Pricing: Forever-free plan. Premium plans start at $15 per month.
Bonus: Easy eCommerce Platforms for WordPress Users
Did you know you can sell online without setting up a full-fledged eCommerce store? If you have one or just a few products, then you might find it easier to use on the tools below to start selling online:
1. Easy Digital Downloads: Designed to help you sell any digital product online. You can collect payments securely and deliver your product instantly.
Learn more » How to Sell Digital Downloads on WordPress (Beginner’s Guide).
2. WPForms: Create a product catalog to sell online without an eCommerce platform. All you need is this form plugin that lets you list products, collect online payments, and send automated emails.
Learn more » How to Sell a Product on Your WordPress Site (Without an Online Store).
That’s all we have for you today. We hope this guide helped you pick the perfect eCommerce platform to start your online store.
Up next, you’ll want to read our resources:
- How to Choose Your eCommerce Domain Name (+ Tips To Get a Free One)
- 10+ Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders (Comparison)
- 10 Best Email Marketing Software to Grow Your Business
The first post will guide you in choosing the right domain name for your eCommerce store. The last two will help you set up and grow our website.
That’s an amazing list! One more tool that I would like to bring to your notice is ShopFunnels. It’s an all-in-one eCommerce platform to help start, run, and grow an online business easily. It is a no-code e-commerce store builder that has no restrictions on the number of products and inventories.