Best Ecommerce Platforms for Small Businesses (Compared)

So you’re starting a small ecommerce business or thinking about switching platforms and the internet has blessed you with 47 different opinions about where to build your store.

One says Shopify is the holy grail. Another swears by WooCommerce. Someone throws in Squarespace “if you’re artsy,” and then there’s a whole Wix vs. BigCommerce showdown happening in the next tab.

It’s overwhelming, fast.

This guide is here to cut through the noise and actually help. Whether you’re launching your very first product line or finally ready to ditch the clunky system you outgrew last year, we’ll walk you through what each platform does well, what it doesn’t, and which one makes the most sense for you.

Not the most popular. Not the trendiest. The one that fits your goals, budget, and how much tech tinkering you’re actually willing to do.

Let’s dive in!

How to Choose the Right Ecommerce Platform for Your Small Business

Before we get into the platform-by-platform breakdown, let’s get clear on something: The “best” ecommerce platform doesn’t exist. At least not in a one-size-fits-all way.

What actually matters is which platform fits your business. Your products. Your workflow. Your bandwidth. Your tolerance for messing with plugins at midnight because something broke.

So before you commit, take a minute to think through a few key questions:

What Are You Selling?

• Physical products (like apparel, home goods, or handmade items) need inventory management, shipping tools, and maybe multi-channel selling.
• Digital products (like ebooks, courses, or templates) need secure file delivery, licensing options, and simple checkout flows.
• Services (like coaching, consulting, or photography) need booking tools, client portals, and flexibility.

Some platforms are built for all three, but most lean in one direction. If you’re still figuring out how to start an ecommerce business, getting clear on your product type and fulfillment model will make this decision much easier.

What’s Your Tech Comfort Level?

If the thought of installing a plugin makes your palms sweat, you’ll want something plug-and-play. If you’re the type who gets excited about customizing every line of CSS, you’ll need more flexibility.

What’s Your Budget—Now and Later?

Some platforms look cheap but get pricey once you add apps, themes, or upgraded plans. Others may cost more upfront but include everything out of the box.

Budget isn’t just about what you can pay today—it’s about what it’ll cost once you’re growing. Be sure to check:

• Transaction fees
• Plugin costs
• Paid extensions
• Hosting

How Fast Are You Planning to Grow?

If this is a side hustle and you’re selling five products a month, you don’t need enterprise-level anything. But if you’re gunning for growth or already have traction, make sure your platform won’t hold you back.

Look for:

• Multi-channel selling (Amazon, eBay, social)
• International shipping tools
• Scalability without jumping through hoops

TL;DR: If This Sounds Like You, Choose This Platform

If you want the fastest, easiest way to launch an online store without touching code → Shopify

If you’re already using WordPress and want full control over design, features, and SEO → WooCommerce

If your priority is a visually polished website that reflects your brand’s aesthetic → Squarespace

If you’re working with a small budget and just need something that works → Wix

If you’re planning to scale your store quickly and want to sell on Amazon, eBay, and other channels → BigCommerce

If you already have a website and want to add ecommerce without rebuilding anything → Ecwid

If you want a platform that handles all the tech—hosting, security, and updates—without your involvement → Shopify or Squarespace

If your business is centered around content, blogging, or SEO-first traffic → WooCommerce

If you’re running a service-based business that needs bookings, scheduling, or digital delivery → Squarespace or Wix

If you’re not ready to commit to a paid plan and want to test ecommerce risk-free → Ecwid

 

Comparison Table: Quick Overview of Each Platform

Here’s how the top ecommerce platforms stack up for small businesses, rated across the things that actually matter when you’re building your store.

Platform	Ease of Use (1–5)	Customization (1–5)	Starting Price	Transaction Fees	Free Plan	Multichannel Selling	SEO Strength (1–5)
Shopify	5	4	$19/mo	2.9% + 30¢ (Shopify Payments) or more	3-day trial	Yes (via apps)	4
WooCommerce	3	5	Free + Hosting	None (depends on gateway)	No	Yes (plugins)	5
Squarespace	4	3	$28/mo	3% (Business), 0% (Commerce plans)	14-day trial	Limited	3
Wix	5	4	$29/mo	0%	No	Basic	3
BigCommerce	4	4	$29/mo	0% (only processor fees)	15-day trial	Built-in	4
Ecwid	5	2	$19/mo	0% (only processor fees)	No	Limited	3

Full Breakdown of the Best Ecommerce Platforms

Now that you’ve thought through what you’re selling, your budget, your comfort with tech, and how fast you’re planning to grow, it’s time to get into the platforms themselves. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the top ecommerce options for small businesses: what each one does best, where it might fall short, and what it actually costs to run after you’ve been live for a few months.

1. Shopify – The All-In-One Favorite for a Reason

Best For:

• First-time store owners
• DTC brands with physical products
• Founders who’d rather sell than tinker
• Dropshippers and print-on-demand sellers

If you’ve ever googled “best ecommerce platform,” you’ve seen Shopify’s name come up—probably a lot. And for good reason.

Shopify makes it ridiculously easy to go from idea to live store in a weekend. Its drag-and-drop builder, clean themes, and plug-and-play features mean you don’t need to touch a single line of code (unless you want to). It handles payments, inventory, shipping, taxes, and even abandoned cart emails—straight out of the box.

But here’s the catch: it’s not the cheapest. While the base plan is reasonable, many sellers end up adding paid apps to unlock more advanced functionality. That can add up fast. Still, the ease of use, 24/7 support, and sheer reliability make it a top choice—especially for small businesses that just want to get going.

Pros:

• Easy to set up, even if you’ve never built a website before
• Modern, mobile-optimized themes that make your store look professional
• Huge app store with tools for everything from subscriptions to upsells
• Takes care of payments, shipping, inventory, and taxes right out of the box
• Responsive support available 24/7

Cons:

• Costs can climb quickly once you start adding paid apps and features
• Limited flexibility unless you’re comfortable working with code or upgrading your plan
• Transaction fees apply unless you use Shopify Payments

Pricing:

• Basic: $19/month (billed yearly) – For solo entrepreneurs
• Grow: $54/month (billed yearly) – For small teams
• Advanced: $299/month (billed yearly) – For scaling businesses
• 3-day free trial, then $1/month for first 3 months on select plans
• Additional app/plugin costs vary
• 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (with Shopify Payments)

What You’ll Actually Pay After 3 Months:

Shopify currently offers $1/month for the first 3 months, but after that, pricing resets to standard rates. Most small businesses stick with Basic or Grow. Add 2–4 apps ($5–30/month each) and potentially a premium theme ($150–350 one-time), and you’re realistically spending around $50–100/month, depending on your setup and tools.

When to Avoid:

• You’re on a tight budget and can’t afford recurring app/plugin costs
• You need full backend control or custom database integrations
• You’re building a content-heavy site (like a blog-first business)

Example Use Case:

Samantha, a solo skincare founder in Austin, wanted to launch her brand without spending months building her site. She chose Shopify, used a pre-made theme, and got her store live in 48 hours. As her business grew, she upgraded her plan and added email automation and subscription tools—all without needing a developer.

2. WooCommerce – Full Control, If You Can Handle It

Best For:

• WordPress users and bloggers expanding into ecommerce
• Sellers with niche or complex product setups
• Brands that need full design freedom
• Digital product creators who want tight SEO control

WooCommerce is like the self-hosted, open-source cousin to Shopify—more flexible, more customizable, and… more work.

It’s a free plugin for WordPress, which means if you already have a WordPress site (or know your way around one), WooCommerce can feel like a natural extension. You get full control over your store’s functionality, design, and integrations—and it plays especially well with content-heavy businesses and SEO-driven brands.

But with great power comes great responsibility. You’ll need to handle your own hosting, security, updates, and backups. And if something breaks? You’re the tech support (or you’re hiring it).

WooCommerce is ideal for folks who want that level of control—or who already have the infrastructure in place. If you’re comfortable under the hood, it’s one of the most powerful platforms out there.

Pros:

• Fully customizable if you want to control every detail of your store
• No monthly fee for the platform itself
• Works seamlessly with WordPress—great if you’re already using it
• Huge library of plugins and extensions with ecommerce personalization options
• Strong SEO capabilities, especially for content-driven businesses

Cons:

• You’ll need to handle your own hosting, updates, and security
• Can get technical fast if you’re not comfortable troubleshooting
• Costs can creep up depending on which extensions and themes you use

Pricing:

• Core Plugin: Free
• Hosting: ~$10–30/month (depends on provider and performance)
• Domain + SSL: Often bundled with hosting, but can add ~$10–20/year
• Premium Themes: Many free, paid options range from $50–100 one-time
• Extensions: Most essential add-ons cost between $59–129/year

What You’ll Actually Pay After 3 Months:

If you’re running a lean store with one or two paid extensions, your setup might cost $30–60/month including hosting. Add more advanced features (subscriptions, bulk discounts, multi-currency), and it could push closer to $80–100/month—still cheaper than Shopify for many, but with more self-management involved.

When to Avoid:

• If you’re not familiar with WordPress
• If you don’t want to manage tech updates or troubleshoot errors
• If you’re on a tight timeline and want fast setup without a learning curve

Example Use Case:

Derek, a nutritionist and long-time WordPress blogger, added WooCommerce to sell his custom meal plans and recipe eBooks. He already had traffic and a newsletter list—so the tight integration made it easy to convert readers into customers without switching platforms.

3. Squarespace – For Brands That Need to Look Good Fast

Best For:

• Creatives, designers, and service providers
• Small stores selling a few products alongside content or services
• Founders who value aesthetics and ease over complexity

Squarespace is the go-to choice for anyone who wants their store to look like it was designed by a professional—without actually hiring one.

It’s best known for its beautifully crafted templates and ultra-clean design system, which makes it a favorite among photographers, artists, designers, and other visual-first brands. The interface is intuitive and elegant, and it comes with built-in tools for ecommerce, email marketing, and even appointment scheduling.

But Squarespace does have limits. While it covers the basics well, it doesn’t offer the same depth of customization or plugin ecosystem as Shopify or WooCommerce. So if you need advanced shipping rules, product bundles, or heavy backend features, you might hit a ceiling.

Still, if design is your priority and you want a quick, all-in-one setup—this one’s hard to beat.

Pros:

• Beautiful, professional-looking templates right out of the box, perfect for high-converting landing pages
• Simple drag-and-drop builder—no design skills required
• All-in-one platform with built-in tools for email, analytics, and scheduling
• Great option for service-based businesses or product + content combos
• Hosting, security, and updates are all handled for you

Cons:

• Limited flexibility if you need advanced ecommerce features
• Smaller app ecosystem compared to Shopify or WooCommerce
• Not ideal for large product catalogs or stores with complex backend needs

Pricing:

• Personal: $16/month (billed annually) – Great for content-first websites, but lacks full ecommerce functionality
• Business: $23/month (billed annually) – Can accept payments and sell products/services with a 3% transaction fee
• Commerce Basic: $28/month (billed annually) – Full online store features, 0% transaction fees
• Commerce Advanced: $52/month (billed annually) – Adds subscriptions, advanced shipping, and discount tools
• Transaction Fees:
  • 3% on Business plan (online sales)
  • 0% on both Commerce plans
  • 0% on invoices across all plans

What You’ll Actually Pay After 3 Months:

Most small ecommerce businesses land on Commerce Basic at $28/month if selling is a focus. Add email marketing ($5–10/month) or upgraded templates (optional), and you’re realistically spending $30–40/month. If you need subscriptions or advanced discounting, Commerce Advanced may be worth the jump to $52/month.

When to Avoid:

• If you plan to scale aggressively or sell across multiple channels
• If you need advanced inventory, fulfillment, or backend automation
• If you want deep customization or integrations beyond Squarespace’s ecosystem

Example Use Case:

Elle, a wedding photographer in Toronto, used Squarespace to showcase her portfolio and offer preset packs and print orders. With just a few tweaks, she turned her site into a seamless blend of gallery, store, and booking tool—no developer needed.

4. Wix – Simple, Friendly, and Surprisingly Capable

Best For:

• First-time founders testing a new product
• Local businesses or service providers adding ecommerce
• Budget-conscious sellers who want something that “just works”

Wix has earned its place as one of the most beginner-friendly website builders out there—and yes, that includes ecommerce. If you’re looking for a quick, no-fuss way to start selling online, Wix makes it easy. Like really easy.

Its drag-and-drop builder is intuitive, and it comes loaded with modern templates, essential store features, and built-in marketing tools. For many small shops—especially service-based or low-inventory businesses—it does the job beautifully.

But while Wix is great for getting started, it’s not built for scale. Its app ecosystem isn’t as robust as Shopify’s, and large or complex stores might find the backend limiting. Still, for testing an idea or launching a small store on a budget, it’s one of the best out-of-the-box options.

Pros:

• Extremely beginner-friendly with an intuitive drag-and-drop editor
• Plenty of sleek, customizable templates to choose from
• Built-in tools for SEO, email marketing, and basic ecommerce
• Affordable starting point for small or local businesses
• Hosting and security are included, so there’s less to manage

Cons:

• Limited flexibility if you want to scale or sell across multiple channels
• App ecosystem isn’t as deep as Shopify or WooCommerce
• Can feel restrictive if you’re managing lots of SKUs or need custom features

Pricing:

• Light: $17/month – Basic features, limited storage, no ecommerce
• Core: $29/month – Basic ecommerce, 50 GB storage, 5 collaborators
• Business (Recommended): $36/month – Standard ecommerce, more marketing tools, 10 collaborators

All plans include hosting, templates, and built-in tools. No transaction fees.

What You’ll Actually Pay After 3 Months:

Most small businesses land on the Core or Business plan depending on how many products or collaborators they need. Add 1–2 apps at ~$5–10/month, and you’re realistically spending $35–50/month unless you’re scaling aggressively.

When to Avoid:

• If you plan to scale quickly or need multichannel selling
• If you want highly customized functionality or app integrations
• If you’re managing a high volume of SKUs or international orders

Example Use Case:

Ren, a local baker in London, used Wix to offer online cake orders and pickup scheduling. He launched in a few days, promoted through Instagram, and processed over 200 orders in his first month—without touching a single plugin.

5. BigCommerce – Built for Growing Small Businesses with Big Plans

Best For:

• Small businesses already seeing steady sales
• Founders who want multi-channel selling without duct-taping apps together
• Brands planning for scale and international reach

BigCommerce isn’t usually the first platform that comes up in small business circles but for founders thinking a few steps ahead, it’s worth a serious look.

It comes packed with features you’d usually have to piece together through third-party apps: strong SEO tools, multi-currency support, built-in analytics, and native integrations with Amazon, eBay, and Google Shopping. No transaction fees. No plugin scavenger hunt. Just a clean setup that scales with you.

That said, BigCommerce can feel like a lot if you’re just starting out. The dashboard has more bells and whistles than most beginner-friendly platforms, and the pricing grows with your revenue. If you’re launching your very first store and want something super lightweight, this may not be the best fit (yet). But for small businesses already making sales—or planning to scale up fast—it’s a powerful, all-in-one foundation.

Pros:

• Built-in tools for SEO, multichannel selling, and analytics—no extra plugins required
• No transaction fees, no matter how you process payments
• Scales easily as your business grows
• Native integrations with Amazon, eBay, Meta, and more
• Great for stores planning to expand fast or sell internationally

Cons:

• More features means a steeper learning curve upfront
• Can feel like overkill if you’re just starting out or keeping things small
• Pricing increases automatically once your revenue hits certain thresholds

Pricing:

• Standard: $29/month (billed annually) – Up to $50K in online sales
• Plus: $79/month (billed annually) – Up to $180K in online sales
• Pro: $299/month (billed annually) – Up to $400K in online sales; +$150/month for each additional $200K in revenue
• Enterprise: Custom pricing – For $1M+ in sales, with priority support and full flexibility
• Transaction Fees: 0% from BigCommerce (you only pay credit card/payment processing fees—typically ~2.89% + 30¢ per transaction)

What You’ll Actually Pay After 3 Months:

BigCommerce includes most ecommerce features natively (think: SEO, product filtering, abandoned cart, multichannel tools), so you’ll likely spend less on apps. If you’re on Standard or Plus, expect to pay $29–79/month as advertised. Add optional email tools or a premium theme (~$150–300 one-time), and you’re realistically looking at $35–90/month for a growing small store.

If you grow quickly and cross the revenue threshold (e.g., $180K/year), the platform auto-upgrades you to the next tier—so plan for higher costs only if your sales are growing accordingly.

When to Avoid:

• If you’re building your first-ever store and want something ultra simple
• If you’re running a one-product shop or side hustle
• If you’re not planning to sell through multiple channels just yet

Example Use Case:

Franko and Mirco, co-founders of a sustainable toothbrush brand, launched their store with BigCommerce after outgrowing their basic setup on Wix. Within a few months, they expanded to Amazon and eBay using the built-in channel integrations—no complicated migrations or costly plugins required.

6. Ecwid – Add Ecommerce to Your Existing Website (Without Rebuilding)

Best For:

• Brick-and-mortar shops adding online orders
• Creators or bloggers with an existing site
• Businesses that want ecommerce without a full redesign

If you already have a website you love—whether it’s on WordPress, Wix, Weebly, or even a custom HTML site—Ecwid lets you add ecommerce functionality without starting over.

It’s a lightweight, embeddable store that plugs into your existing setup. You get a product catalog, shopping cart, payment processing, and even integrations with social platforms and marketplaces. No need to replatform or redesign your site. For small businesses that want to dip a toe into selling online, this is one of the easiest (and lowest-risk) ways to do it.

That said, Ecwid isn’t ideal if ecommerce is your main focus. It’s better as a bolt-on than a full standalone store builder. But for brick-and-mortar shops, local service providers, or creators with existing websites, it can be a perfect fit.

Pros:

• Easily adds ecommerce to an existing site—no need to start from scratch
• Fast setup with minimal tech required
• Free plan available for very small stores
• Supports selling on social platforms and marketplaces
• Great for local shops or creators who already have an online presence

Cons:

• Limited customization compared to full ecommerce platforms
• Smaller app ecosystem and fewer advanced features
• Not ideal if you plan to scale or need a standalone storefront

Pricing:

• Starter: $5/month – Sell up to 5 products with basic site templates and a default domain
• Venture: $25/month – Up to 100 products, social selling, mobile app, and access to the App Market
• Business: $45/month – Up to 2,500 products, subscriptions, marketplace integrations, and staff accounts
• Unlimited: $105/month – Unlimited products, POS support, unlimited staff, and priority support

What You’ll Actually Pay After 3 Months:

Most small businesses start with the Venture plan at $25/month for social selling and access to essential tools. Add-ons are minimal, so what you see is usually what you pay. Expect to spend around $25–45/month unless you’re adding advanced features or moving into marketplace selling.

When to Avoid:

• If you’re building a brand-new store from scratch
• If you want deep customization or full ecommerce control
• If you’re planning to scale aggressively online

Example Use Case:

Matilda, a boutique florist in Melbourne, added Ecwid to her existing Squarespace website to offer local delivery and pre-orders. She didn’t have to rebuild a thing—and started getting orders the same week.

Conclusion

You’ve seen the breakdowns. You’ve looked at the real costs, the pros and cons, and which platforms make sense for which kinds of stores.

Here’s the thing: you don’t need the most powerful platform. You need the one that fits how you work right now.

If you’re launching for the first time, prioritize ease. If you’re growing, prioritize scalability. If you already have a site, don’t rebuild—just add what’s missing.

No platform will do it all for you. But the right one will take fewer things off your plate so you can focus on selling, improving, and staying in motion.

You can always upgrade later. The most important part is starting.