Make the Big Leap: The Best eCommerce Platforms for Small Businesses

Looking for the best eCommerce platform for your small business? Explore our comprehensive list of the leading eCommerce platforms in 2023.

Are you a small business looking for the best eCommerce platform to help you grow your business? We have compiled a list of the best small business eCommerce platforms that will help you get started and make the most of your online presence.

In this article, we will discuss the features and benefits of each platform, as well as their pricing plans and customer support. With these platforms, you can easily set up an online store and start selling your products in no time! So let’s get started!

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List of Best eCommerce platforms for small businesses

Setting up an online store for your small business can be a daunting task. With so many eCommerce platforms available, it can be difficult to decide which one is the best fit for your business.

Fortunately, there are some great eCommerce platforms that are designed specifically for small businesses. These platforms offer features such as easy setup, customizable templates, and secure payment processing. So let’s take a look at the best eCommerce platforms for small businesses and discuss their features and benefits.

Shopify

Let’s kick off our list of the best eCommerce platforms for small businesses with Shopify! It is a powerhouse eCommerce platform that’s trusted by millions of entrepreneurs worldwide. With its user-friendly interface and a comprehensive suite of tools, Shopify makes it easy for small businesses to sell their products and services online.  Furthermore, its pricing plans are affordable and scalable, making it a great option for businesses of all sizes.

Here’s what sets Shopify apart from the rest:

• User friendly interface with drag-and-drop website builder
• Customizable themes and templates
• Multi-channel sales integrations (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Amazon)
• Payment processing and shipping integrations
• Inventory management and order tracking
• Analytics and reporting
• Mobile app for managing your store on-the-go
• 24/7 customer support

Pricing:

Shopify offers a range of pricing plans, including:

• Basic Shopify: $29/month
• Shopify: $79/month
• Advanced Shopify: $299/month
• Shopify Plus: Custom pricing

Pros:

One of the key benefits of using BigCommerce as your eCommerce platform is its ease of use. Even if you’re a beginner, you can set up your online store with ease making it one of the best B2B eCommerce platforms. It also offers robust features and integrations to help you sell more effectively. The payment processing is secure and reliable, so you can rest assured that your transactions are safe. Additionally, it provides 24/7 customer support, so you can easily get help whenever and wherever you need it.

Cons:

While Shopify is an excellent eCommerce platform, it does have a few drawbacks to consider. One is the additional fees for using third-party payment gateways. This can add up quickly and impact your profit margin. Additionally, some templates may have limited customization options, which can be frustrating for businesses looking for more control over their store’s appearance. Finally, there are transaction fees for using external payment processors, unless you use Shopify Payments. This can be a significant expense, particularly for businesses with high sales volume

Magento

Magento, now known as Adobe Commerce, is one the leading eCommerce platforms for established businesses. But it can also be the eCommerce platform for small businesses that are looking to take a big leap forward. It is an open-source platform that offers advanced features and an insane amount of personalization.

Key features:

• Customizable themes and templates
• Multi-store management
• Advanced SEO tools
• Robust inventory management and order tracking
• Payment processing and shipping integrations
• Extensive reporting and analytics
• Mobile app for managing your store on-the-go
• Scalable for businesses of all sizes

Pricing:

Magento offers two editions: Magento Open Source (formerly known as Community Edition) which is free, and Magento Commerce (formerly known as Enterprise Edition) which starts at $1,600/month.

Pros:

Magento is highly customizable and flexible making it the best eCommerce platform for small businesses that are looking to build personalized web store pages. By utilizing Magento consulting services, you can maximize the platform’s potential, ensuring your store operates smoothly and efficiently. It will allow you to integrate features you want and provide an excellent shopping experience to your customers.

Cons:

Magento is an expensive eCommerce software for small businesses. Although it offers a lot more control you will require technical expertise to set up and customize. You can hire outside help such as specialized developers which will be costly. Additionally, you’ll have to pay for additional resources such as hosting and maintenance.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the world’s  leading eCommerce platform with more than 38% market share. It is a functional and accessible eCommerce solution built on the WordPress Content Management System. It is extremely flexible and allows customization but does need some technical knowledge to make the most of the features offered.

Features: 

• Open source
• Built-in blogging
• Option to take unlimited orders
• Help and support through the WordPress system
• Plugins to showcase WooCommerce on your website
• Extensions tool for customization

Pros
WooCommerce has a number of unique features for instance unlimited products and orders, wide range of customizable features and no limitations on sales. It is also affordable, though you need to pay for your own hosting, and is built on WordPress which makes it easy to connect with other websites.

Cons
There are certain drawbacks with WooCommerce the primary being the requirement of some technical knowledge to be able to fully utilize the platform. The site also has a third-party payment gateway which is not ideal.

Price
WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce solution so is technically free to use. However charges are applied for your hosting and payment gateways.

X-Cart

We also have a very unique small business eCommerce platform in our list. X-Cart is an open source platform that is designed to streamline all your online selling needs. What makes it unique is that you can acquire X-Cart with just a one-time payment.  And it still possesses all the features you seek in an eCommerce platform for small business which allows you to grow your online business. There are no monthly subscriptions or any other fees charged to you except if you opt for the hosting solution.

Features:

• Open source platform so you can build your website without limitations and constraints.
• Intuitive Drag and Drop Interface
• Mobile optimized web design
• Marketing and SEO tools
• Integrated analytical tools
• International payment gateways such as Paypal, Google pay, Opaya and more.

Pros

X-Cart is hands down one of the best eCommerce platforms for small business if you’re planning to expand your operations globally. You get free control over the website and have access to 120+ payment processing providers around the world.

Cons

If you don’t choose X-Cart hosting, you’ll have to look for one elsewhere. Additionally, the pricing can vary and you’ll have to pay extra for the customer service.

Pricing

You can find out about the pricing after creating a free accou

Wix

If you’re a small business looking to make a splash in the world of online sales, Wix is the perfect partner in crime! As a website builder with eCommerce functionality, Wix is a popular choice for businesses looking to create stunning online stores in a snap. It provides an affordable and user-friendly eCommerce solution for small businesses.

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop website builder
• Customizable themes and templates
• Multiple payment processing and shipping integrations options
• Ability to calculate shipping and taxation on the backend
• Mobile optimized

Pricing:

Wix offers a range of pricing plans, including:

• Business Basic: $23/month
• Business Unlimited: $27/month
• Business VIP: $49/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Pros:

Wix offers a plethora of pros for small businesses looking to create an online store. Firstly, it provides an excellent range of high-quality themes to customize your site, making it easy to create a visually appealing storefront. Additionally, Wix offers multiple secure payment options for your customers, ensuring a smooth checkout process. The platform also offers a large selection of apps and plugins to enhance your store’s functionality. Another benefit is that businesses can start out for free and upgrade to premium plans as their business grows. Lastly, Wix provides plenty of coupon and discount options to help businesses attract and retain customers.

Cons:

Despite its strengths, there are a few downsides to using Wix for eCommerce. It has limited customization options for some templates and imposes additional transaction fees for using external payment processors. Additionally, SEO consultants typically say that it may not be as strong in terms of SEO capabilities compared to dedicated eCommerce platforms. And when looking at the pros and cons of Wix’s recurring payment system, we found that it falls short on flexibility and has limited options for billing cycles.

While exploring the myriad of eCommerce platforms, small business owners looking to enhance their online presence should not overlook innovative solutions like easy to use no-code app builders that enable entrepreneurs with any skill level to create functional apps for their businesses seamlessly in 2024.

BigCommerce

The next platform is ideal for small businesses that want to take their eCommerce game to the next level. BigCommerce is a cloud-based eCommerce platform that allows you to build an online store that is scalable. It provides a range of features and integrations that make it easy for small businesses to sell their products online. Furthermore, its pricing plans are scalable and affordable, and it provides robust marketing and SEO tools to help businesses grow.

Here are some of its key features:

• Customizable themes and templates
• Multi-channel sales integrations (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Amazon)
• Payment processing and shipping integrations
• Inventory management and order tracking
• Marketing and SEO tools
• Analytics and reporting
• Mobile app for managing your store on-the-go
• 24/7 customer support

Pricing:

BigCommerce offers a range of pricing plans, including:

• Standard: $29.95/month
• Plus: $79.95/month
• Pro: $299.95/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Pros:

Its in-built visual merchandising tool is a standout feature that allows merchants to create a visually appealing storefront. Additionally, the platform does not charge transaction fees, offers unlimited products, storage, and bandwidth, and provides product rating and review options. BigCommerce also offers a large selection of free applications to choose from, making it easy for businesses to extend their store’s functionality. Lastly, the platform is ideal for businesses selling across multiple channels, making it a great option for those looking to expand their reach.

Cons:

pricing can be a little difficult to understand, and the platform may not be as easy to set up as some other tools. Additionally, there are only limited free themes available, which may limit customization options for some businesses.

Squarespace

If you’re looking for more creative control over your store page, Squarespace is the perfect fit for you. It is a website builder that offers eCommerce functionality, similar to Wix. However, it allows you to create personalized web store pages.

Key features:

• Pre-build and customizable themes and templates
• Easy to switch website styles
• Free domain hosting
• SSL security protected
• Social media platform integration

Pricing:

Squarespace offers a range of pricing plans, including:

• Personal: $16/month
• Business: $26/month
• Basic Commerce: $30/month
• Advanced Commerce: $46/month

Pros:

Squarespace is one of the best eCommerce platforms for small businesses because it’s budget friendly and affordable. It offers beautiful and customizable templates at a cheaper price compared to the other platforms. The site’s functionalities can further be extended using Squarespace plugins.

Cons:

However, it may not be the best option for businesses that require advanced integrations or SEO capabilities. Furthermore, you will have limited payment options and huge transaction fees.

Square Online

If you already have access to Square point of sale system you can benefit from Square Online. This online web builder will allow you to create your own website for free. It is backed by weebly so will get similar customization features.

Key features:

• AI based website builder.
• Advanced Inventory management and order tracking
• Integration with Square POS (point of sale) system
• 24/7 customer support

Pricing:

Square Online offers a range of pricing plans, including:

• Free: $0/month
• Professional: $12/month
• Performance: $26/month

Pros:

Overall, Square Online is a powerful eCommerce platform that integrates seamlessly with Square’s payment processing and POS system, making it the best eCommerce platform for small businesses that need to manage both in-person and online sales. Its website builder is easy to use, and its pricing plans are scalable and affordable

Cons:

However, customization options may be limited for some templates, and it may not offer as many payment processing options as dedicated eCommerce platforms.

Weebly

Next we’ve the new kid on the block. In a world of large and intimidating eCommerce platforms, Weebly shines as a rising star for small business owners. With its user-friendly interface and beginner-friendly website building tools, Weebly makes it easy for anyone to create a professional-looking website without the need for extensive technical skills or a lot of free time. And the best part? Weebly won’t break the bank, with extremely affordable starter prices that are perfect for businesses on a tight budget.

Key features:

• Customizable website builder with drag-and-drop functionality
• Responsive themes
• Marketing and promotion tools
• Analytics and reporting tools
• 24/7 customer support

Pricing:

Weebly offers a range of pricing plans, including:

Free: $0/month

Pro: $12/month

Business: $25/month

Business Plus: $38/month

Pros:

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to upgrade your online presence, Weebly is a reliable and budget-friendly option that’s worth considering.

Plus, with its growing popularity, you can be sure that Weebly will continue to innovate and improve, making it an excellent investment for the future of your business.

Cons:

One area where it falls short is in its design options, especially when it comes to the checkout page. If you’re looking for a highly customizable and unique checkout experience, Weebly may not be the best choice for you. Additionally, if you plan on operating an international website, you may encounter some difficulties with Weebly’s limited capabilities in that area.

Ecwid

Ecwid is an eCommerce platform that works as a central hub for all your online business sellings. It enables businesses to create and manage online stores on their own website or through various channels, such as social media, marketplaces, and mobile apps.

Here are some of its key features:

• Seamless integration with various website builders and CMS platforms
• Multiple options for payment processing
• Supports multiple storefronts and channels
• Multilingual storefront and checkout options

Pricing:

Ecwid offers a range of pricing plans, including:

• Free: $0/month
• Venture: $15/month
• Business: $35/month
• Unlimited: $99/month

Pros:

Ecwid is a flexible and user-friendly option to merge and sync your online business. The wide range of integration options and features will help you to boost your sales. Furthore, its multilingual options will allow you to expand globally.

Cons:

However, you might require technical expertise to manage its advanced features. This could be a major drawback if you opt for the lower plan which offers a limited amount of customer support.

Sellfy

Sellfy is an eCommerce platform that is popular for selling digital products such as eBooks, music, video courses, and graphics. It’s designed to make it easy for content creators to sell their products directly to their audience. Sellfy stands out from the eCommerce platforms because of its pricing model. Its subscription based pricing makes it easier for young and new businesses to increase their profit margins.

Key features:

• Customizable storefront and product pages
• Payment processing and secure delivery of digital products
• Integration with email marketing and social media
• Affiliate program and discount codes
• Real-time sales tracking and analytics
• Automatic VAT handling for EU-based businesses

Pricing:

Sellfy offers a range of pricing plans, including:

• Starter: $0/month
• Business: $29/month
• Premium: $89/month

Pros:

Sellfy is the best eCommerce platform for small businesses that specialize in digital products. It supports the sale of print-on-demand, digital, and physical products. Furthermore, it includes built-in marketing and analytics tools to help you optimize your online sales. With multiple customer payment options, including popular digital wallets like Stripe and PayPal, Sellfy offers a secure and flexible platform for businesses of all sizes.

Cons:

Sellfy doesn’t offer a free plan, which could be a disadvantage for you if you’re on a tight budget. Another potential drawback is that it will automatically upgrade your plan when your sales surpass the sales limit.

Zyro

Zyro is a sleek, convenient and well-known website builder which gained acclaim initially as a product by Hostinger and then evolved into this new platform. The website builder does not require any coding or design skills and is extremely user friendly allowing one to create a website very quickly

Features

• Design Templates
• Drag and drop builder with an intuitive grid function
• High-speed performance on all devices (Web browsers, mobiles, tablets, etc)
• AI content creator tool

Pros

Zyro is easy to use, responsive and excellent for creating speedy website. The drag-and-drop builder with grid is convenient and makes the process seamless. Other pros include the AI content creator and the designer-crafted templates. The website also comes with a free domain for a year, a free SSL certificate and unlimited storage on all paid plans.

Cons

The website does not have a live customer support feature which is unfortunate. It also has no option for editing code and limits design customization. Moreover, there are not a lot of blogging features which makes it not ideal for cross website integration.

Price

Zyro comes with a free plan to get started which includes 500 MB of bandwidth and storage each. The Online Store is available for $8.90 with unlimited bandwidth and storage and allows you to remove ads and get the domain for free for a year. There is also a Website plan for $2.90 per month, a Business plan for $4.90 and an Advanced store plan for $15.90.

VetrinaLive

VetrinaLive is a European tool with its origins in Italy that aims to cater to beginners. It is a relatively new eCommerce platform developer but has quickly grown due to it’s intuitive interface, modern dashboard and language options in English, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. VetrinaLive also facilitates

Currently it is limited in terms of the features it offers but that can be contrasted with the $0 transaction fee free plan that is offered.

Features:

• Integration with third party apps such as Shippy Pro, Webhooks and Zapier
• Various shop themes
• Multiple payment process methods such as Paypal, Stripe and Razoray
• Promotional tools
• Performance tracking and analysis

Pros

VetrinaLive makes it easy for small businesses to switch platforms and fulfills all the requirements on eCommerce migration checklist. It allows you to test out its services with its free plan, which is a must have in a small business eCommerce platform. Furthermore, it doesn’t require a lot of time to set up and doesn’t charge any transaction fee.

Cons

The only major downside of VetrinaLive is it lacks customization options compared to its counterparts.

Pricing

• Free Plan: 10 max products
• Vetrina: limited plan of 50 products for 9.08 euros per month
• Store: limited plan of 300 products for 17.41 euros per month
• Megastore: unlimited plan for 29.08 euros per month

nopCommerce

nopCommerce is a completely free multi-feature platform useful for both medium and small businesses looking to expand. It is entirely customizable and is used worldwide. The website allows you to run multiple stores from a single noCommerce installation thereby helping you operate different websites across several domains from one panel. The website also allows for SEO integrated with Google Analytics and has an extremely expansive community of web developers. The terminology, however, is somewhat complex and may be difficult for new users to grasp.

Features

• Unlimited product listings
• Unlimited product modifications (colour, size, price, availability)
  Mobile-friendly platform
• Multiple payment options (PayPal, Stripe, Braintree)
• Allows user to set up multiple stores

Pros
nopCommerce is ideal for seasoned web developers and those with basic technical knowledge. It is entirely free, open-source and has built-in SEO features. The website also allows for unlimited product listings and product modifications and has a multi-store feature with integrations available.

Cons
The website itself is technical and not written in a user-friendly language. It isn’t aimed at small businesses and requires technical knowledge for usage. Additionally the premium customer support is expensive.

Price
nopCommerce is free to use. However, there is a fee for premium customer support (within 24 hours) around $83.25 a month or $999 annual.

GoDaddy

As one of the most popular platforms, Go Daddy has a lot to offer. It uses ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) to simplify the process of building your store making it easy to use and suitable for your specific niche. It is also relatively low priced and provides support for its users. The service does not have a lot of range in terms of features but is the best eCommerce platform for small businesses looking for convenience and reliability.

Key Features:

• AI backed website builder
• Click and drag interface
• Supports responsive web design

Pros

GoDaddy is beginner friendly which makes it a perfect as an eCommerce platform for small businesses. The artificial intelligence design support will help you set up the site within a couple of hours. Additionally, it provides hosting capability so you don’t have to look outside for it.

Cons

However, you will have to make compromises for the speed you will getting. GoDaddy offers less personalization and control. Furthermore, you’ll have to give up on advanced features that you can find in other small business eCommerce platforms.

Pricing

You can get a free one month trial and the starting price for Online store is $19.99.

Volusion

Volusion is one of the high ranking eCommerce platforms ideal for businesses looking to expand its reach. It is best-suited for those expecting scalability in the future and offers fantastic tools including an SEO feature. What makes Volusion stand out as a small business eCommerce platform is its ability to provide in-depth data reports which allows business owners to track their site and product’s performance and to improve accordingly.

Features:

• Customizable website layouts
• Marketing tools
• SEO optimization
• Various product display options

Pros

The major benefit a small business can gain from Volusion is its built in SEO tools which will allow you to reach a larger audience and increase your sales. Additionally, its CSS styling options can allow you to stand out from your competitors and attract more customers.

Cons

You can rack up some expenses when customizing a webpage because it offers limited free pre-built themes. Something that other small business eCommerce platforms offer for free. Additionally, there’s a bandwidth cap depending on the plan you choose.

Pricing

You can acquire Volusion at $29 per month and you can receive a 10% discount if you opt for a yearly subscription.

Shift4Shop

Shift4Shop previously known as 3dcart is one of the best eCommerce platforms for small business. Whether you’re in dropshipping business or deal with digital products, it will enable you to build, market and sell with just one software. Shift4 Shop also has the ability to boost customer reach with its marketing and SEO tools.

Features:

• Powerful and easy to use website builder
• Customizable themes
• Marketing and SEO tools
• Secure hosting as well as fraud protection
• Order and product management
• Optimized for Mobile eCommerce
• Multiple payment processing options

Pros 

Shift4Shop has a lot of things going for it. It offers you plenty of customization even at a low pricing plan,  point of sale capabilities for offline selling, and your bandwidth usage and products are not capped.

Cons

Even with all its customization Shift4Shop themes might feel outdated. There are better small business eCommerce platforms that provide fresh visuals with their themes. Furthermore, all its major features are only available in the paid version.

Pricing

The basic plan starts at 29$ per month.

Big Cartel

Big Cartel is best-suited for bigger companies looking to build a significant online presence. The service does require coding language as the pre-built themes and designs are pretty basic. But for creative companies with technical knowledge of CSS HTML and JavaScript the site offers a lot of potential to create customized eCommerce websites. The downside is that there is no built-in blogging tools or design support which may not be ideal for beginners.

Features:

• Free customizable themes
• Real-time stats
• Sales tax autopilot
• Inventory and shipment tracking
• Marketing and discount tools

Pros

BigCartel is an affordable eCommerce platform for small businesses operating in a creative industry. You can start with the free plan and easily build your online web store. Its pricing model is convenient for small businesses as well, you only have to pay a flat subscription and they don’t even charge you any fee on the listings.

Cons

The major drawback of BigCartel is that it offers limited payment processing options which hinders you to target audiences in different regions. Also, you need some coding skills if you want to personalize your webstore.

Pricing

Gold plan: Free plan for 5 products with limited features

Diamond plan: Paid plan for 50 products at $9.99/month

Platinum plan: Paid plan for 500 products at $19.99/month

EKM

Last, we’ve EKM which is similar to Shopify in style but not as popular. This small business eCommerce platform came out of the UK to compete with the giants of the industry. It offers its unique features as well that are mostly catered to the UK market.

Key Features:

• Responsive web design
• 70+ customizable themes
• Advanced theme editor with HTML and CSS
• Logo builder
• Secure hosting
• Smooth shopping experience with soft add to cart feature

Pros

EKM is all in one package designed for small business needs. It offers a vast range of features with free domain and SSL certification. Furthermore, it doesn’t charge you transaction fees.

Cons

The major concern about EKM is that customer support is UK based unlike the other eCommerce platform for small businesses that offer 24/7 service. Also, it is relatively expensive and charges VAT which can be a burden on your profits.

Pricing

EKM basic plan starts at 19.99 pounds per month + VAT and the most advanced plan costs around 209.99 pounds + VAT.

Choose the right eCommerce platform for your small business

Every small business is striving to identify the best eCommerce platform that can help them increase sales and grow their business. With so many options out there, it can be difficult to find the best one for your needs. Hopefully after extensive research and analysis, you’ll be able to identify the best eCommerce platform for your small business.

By leveraging the right platform and Sellbery’s multi channel capabilities, you will be able to take your online eCommerce operations to a whole new level.