Each of the 6 best eCommerce platforms for beginners addresses user needs in unique ways. We’ve made it simple to decide which platform best meets yours, with our comparison roundup.
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Are you ready to take your Etsy store to the next level? Are you expanding your brick and mortar into the digital space? Maybe you’re scaling your established and growing online business or beginning to sell your photography online. Whatever it is, you need an online storefront optimized to your needs. The good news is that there are plenty of eCommerce platforms on the market—whatever your business might need, they can provide.
Is There a Best eCommerce Website for All Businesses?
Of course, with great options comes difficult decisions. Every platform has something different to offer—some prioritize large-scale inventory management; others focus on omnichannel engagement; while others prioritize a sophisticated customer experience.
You may not need everything a platform has to offer, and any given platform, even it it’s one of the best eCommerce platforms for beginners, might not have everything you need. The last thing you want is to be stuck paying twice as much as you need for intricate design templates that your buyers won’t care about, or to be stuck with a platform that limits your product capacity when you’re seeking expansion.
To help you avoid those nightmares, we’ve scoured the market and pared it down to what we consider to be the best performers for each category of eCommerce business.
What Are the Best eCommerce Platforms for Beginners?
1. BigCommerce
BigCommerce has established itself as the leader in inventory management. Allowing up to 600 SKU variants and a highly functional search engine, they enable companies to effectively manage complex product organization. If your T-shirt company offers thirty colors, six sizes, and five styles per T-shirt, they’ve got you covered.
Though their inventory management system can handle complex, the system itself isn’t. Their user-friendly platform is navigable even for the less tech-savvy; and their web-builder doesn’t require a coding expert—though it enables one, offering HTML and CSS if your tech-savvy hands want to create additional customization.
While they offer some built-in tools—perhaps most notably an abandoned cart saver—their breadth of features does not meet up to that of other platforms, like WooCommerce, and while they offer a solid selection of templates, the platform’s capacity for customization is limited, compared to platforms like Wix and Squarespace.
BigCommerce is for you if:
You’re a large and/or growing retail company with a vast pool of products or complex product variations.
Your focus is on getting the job done; you don’t need additional sales support or complex design features.
Pros
- Complex inventory management
- Powerful product search engine
- User-friendly interface
- Strong SEO Performance
- Abandoned cart feature
- No transaction fee
Cons
- Limited sales features
- Limited design customization
- No customer domain name or SSL
- No cart abandonment on entry plan
- Caps on annual sales & extra fees
- Gets expensive at high-volume
2. Wix
For smaller businesses, Wix is a standout in terms of capabilities. They successfully provide a little bit of everything—shipping support, security integrations, marketing channels, and a large pool of design templates.
Their platform doesn’t support complexity in inventory management, shipping, payment options, or design customization, but this doesn’t matter for small-scale operations. Until the limits are reached, Wix offers easy and highly functional capabilities to businesses of all kinds.
Wix is for you if:
You’re a small to mid-range company that needs a little bit of everything but not a whole lot of anything.
You want design, integration, and security capabilities; but your priority is not scalability, so you don’t need extensive features in any one realm.
Pros
- Quick setup & easy design edits
- User-friendly free-form web builder
- In-app shipping capabilities
- Excellent financial security
- Included hosting, domain, and SSL
- Free templates (all)
Cons
- Limited design flexibility (Can’t switch templates)
- Limited plugins, comparatively
- Limited dropshipping integrations
- Storage limit of 50 GB at base plan
- Reports of unclear price changes
3. Shopify
Shopify is the expert in scalability. Their broad range of sales integrations, omnichannel functions, and shipping capabilities—including dropshipping—make it the ideal platform for companies who are looking to grow their sales through targeted digital marketing.
Their app store boasts 6,700 apps and plugins—3,000 of which are free—and their platform supports several currencies, payment options, and inventory locations, as well as multiple staff accounts to support your large or growing team.
While the majority of the platform is easy to navigate without advanced technological know-how, you will need a developer to take advantage of the more advanced features.
Shopify is for you if:
You’re a product-focused company looking to scale through marketing efforts.
You have some tech expertise on your team or access to a developer who can help you with the advanced features you need.
Pros
- 6,700+ apps and plugins
- Many dropshipping integrations
- Direct shopping on Instagram/TikTok
- One-click
- Fast load time
- 24/7 customer support
Cons
- Limited themes/customization
- Limited SKU variants comparative to BigCommerce
- Developer needed for some features
- High costs from multiple paid apps
- No free plan
4. Squarespace
Squarespace has set the stage for stunning visual presentation. With a diverse array of famously gorgeous themes and flexible customization, this is the platform of artists and service-focused entrepreneurs whose focus is to really sell their brand.
While it doesn’t have the breadth of capabilities that other platforms do, its affordability and easy intuitive interface make it the perfect platform for solo entrepreneurs, emerging artists, and other small businesses who are just starting out and don’t have the coding knowledge or resources for a more complex system.
Squarespace is for you if:
You’re in the service or arts industry and your primary eCommerce goal is to provide customers an elevated, on-brand experience.
You don’t have many products or high sales, and you want to be able to easily set it up yourself—even without a tech-savvy edge.
Pros
- Design flexibility & ease
- Low maintenance
- No storage limits
- Solid SEO tools
- Shipping integrations
- Free domain & SSL certificate
Cons
- Limited customization, comparatively
- Limited inventory management
- Limited extensions
- No app store
- No omnichannel selling
- No free plan
5. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an eCommerce plugin that’s built for WordPress websites, enabling a direct expansion into online selling. Because of the fully customizable nature of WordPress, the direct integration offered by WooCommerce allows for an equally as customizable online store.
WooCommerce supports all kinds of sales—product and service purchases, bookings, recurring transactions, presales, and deposits—making it an excellent option for businesses in any industry.
With the countless plugins available via WordPress, the eCommerce capabilities are nearly limitless. Of course, with complex capabilities, comes a more complex system. WordPress and WooCommerce require a developer and an investment of time and money. But, if you’re looking to scale, the development this platform supports is worth it!
WooCommerce is for you if:
Your company is currently operating on WordPress and is looking to expand its site into eCommerce;
Your company is looking to transition to or begin with a website that is sustainable, scalable, and fully customizable; and you have access to the technological expertise and resources for comprehensive web development.
Pros
- Nearly unlimited capabilities
- Advanced customization
- Excellent SEO functionality
- Vast shipping options, including dropshipping
- Many supported payment gateways
- Free to use: basic version
Cons
- Developing expertise required
- Complex troubleshooting
- Extensions necessary for simple things
- Web hosting, domain & SSL certificate, not included
- More pricey than other platforms
For more on WordPress, WooCommerce, and their pricing structure, read our blog on hosting platforms.
6. Zyro: The Up & Comer
Watch out, SquareSpace, the up-and-coming Zyro is bringing some fresh competition in terms of affordability and ease of use. Founded in 2019, this relatively new platform was designed to create seamless eCommerce for the small business.
While their features, integrations, and inventory capacity don’t match up with those of other platforms, what they do provide—which is plenty for many small-scale enterprises—is top-notch. Among these fundamental features are effective SEO tools, a drag-and-drop web builder, and optimal page loading speeds.
Zyro is for you if:
You’re a solo entrepreneur or small business owner who’s looking to start selling your products or services right away, but who doesn’t intend to host a large inventory or make high profits.
You don’t have a lot of time; you have limited or no tech expertise; and you don’t want to spend more than $15 per month.
Pros
- Easy product listing and web design
- Unlimited storage
- Marketing integrations
- SEO tools
- Fast website speeds
- Inexpensive plans
Cons
- Inventory limits (100 products at basic, 2,500 at premium)
- Limited merchandising capabilities
- Limited sales & shipping features
- Minimal integrations
- Limited design customization
Is eCommerce Still Worth It?
Yes—and choosing the right platform for your business, from the strong list of the best eCommerce platforms for beginners, is a major factor in determining your ROI. Expanding your business into eCommerce or starting an online store from scratch can be a lot of work; but, with the right platform and adequate help, it doesn’t have to be a headache.
