Top e commerce platforms: According to experts, if the current trends continue, the global e-commerce business is projected to reach $7.3 trillion in 2025.[1] After reading this, you should have a better understanding of the potential profit margins for an online store.
With all that promise, though, it is of paramount importance to establish a solid foundation—the selection of an e-commerce platform—to guarantee a fruitful launch. This decision could make or break your business from the start.
Different alternatives are available, each with its own set of features that may be tailored to meet the specific needs of businesses. These can be anything from free alternatives like WooCommerce to paid ones like BigCommerce and Shopify, among countless more.
To help you make an educated decision, this article will compare the top e-commerce platforms of 2025 and give information about each one, such as features, pricing, user reviews, and more.
Market Share of Top E commerce Platforms (2025)
By analyzing a handful of the most widely used platforms, we may get a sense of which ones are most widely used. The graph below shows the usage of the main e-commerce platforms in 2024 on the top 1 million sites. Data is collected by means of BuiltWith.[2]
Shopify (with 24%) and WooCommerce Checkout (14%), among the top one million sites in 2025, will hold the highest shares, respectively, according to the graph. Only three percent of the top one million websites utilise Presta Shop, whereas six percent use Shoppify Plus.
The “Other” category comprises 45 percent of the market, including platforms like SquareSpace, Ecwid, OpenCart, and BigCommerce.
Reviewing the Top E-commerce Platforms
If your business is dependent on a single e-commerce platform, making a decision could be difficult.
The list is down below. Features, pricing, user reviews, and cons of the best e-commerce systems are listed here.
1. Shopify
Shopify is a front-runner in the e-commerce space, powering over 4.8 million online retailers that have generated nearly $1 trillion in sales worldwide. From accepting payments and shipments to managing your email marketing, this platform has you covered for your entire online business.
The numerous dropshipping interfaces it provides allow you to sell without keeping inventory.
With the free trial and more than a hundred themes to choose from, setting up your business is a piece of cake, even if you’re not technically savvy. A plethora of internet tools are at your fingertips with Shopify, allowing you to promote your products and services efficiently.
Since it is a self-hosted platform, Shopify alternatives may be worth considering for those seeking more customization possibilities.
Pros:
- Includes over ten thousand apps and integrations that can be utilized to enhance its utility.
- 215 themes (13 free themes + 202 paid themes for all budgets)
- Shipping discounts up to 88%
- So easy to use that even a complete novice can do it in no time.
Cons:
- There will be extra costs if you don’t use Shopify’s payment methods.
- Not the most effective method of contacting business clients.
- Multiple storefronts are not feasible.
- There isn’t much room for personalization on product and content pages.
Price:
Shopify offers a range of plans, each with its own price tag. With a three-year commitment, prices start at $19/month for the Basic plan, $299/month for the Advanced plan, and $2,300/month for the Plus plan, which is ideal for more complex businesses. Those who sign up for the free trial can get the first month for just $1.
Review and Rating:
Shopify has received an average rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 from 4,549 reviews, with the majority of consumers giving it a 5-star rating.
2. WooCommerce
One of the most well-known e-commerce systems, WooCommerce is seeing exponential growth in its user base.
With 7+ million active installs, WooCommerce is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the digital world today.
The fact that it is a straightforward and cost-free WordPress plugin is one explanation behind this. The capacity to exhibit products, collect consumer feedback, and offer many checkout alternatives may be achieved with the help of a simple WordPress site.
Additional functionality, like theme customization, custom fields, security enhancements, and more, can be added to WooCommerce with plugins.
Also, if you want to expand your online business to accommodate more clients, the WooCommerce platform makes it easy to do so.
Pros:
- A less costly approach to starting an online store.
- Various add-ons and themes to pick from.
- Takes a long list of payment options.
- Solid support from the neighborhood.
Cons:
- You must take care of your own domain, hosting, and SSL.
- It can be challenging for first-time users, especially with WordPress.
- You might have to buy plugins and themes if you want more features.
Price:
While WooCommerce is a free plugin in and of itself, there are paid add-ons you can purchase to give your business even more power.
Review and Rating:
WooCommerce has over 4,349 successful reviews.
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a popular SaaS ecommerce platform that facilitates the development, launch, and growth of online shops.
From humble beginnings in 2009, they have developed into an e-commerce market behemoth, sustaining over 43,568 establishments.
With connections like Google, Walmart, Amazon, and more, BigCommerce is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for an easy-to-use platform to grow and manage their online business. It also includes an e-commerce web server, security, and payment processing. Their platform’s scalability characteristics make it perfect for businesses of all sizes.
Moreover, BigCommerce offers more features for free. Tools for optimizing listings in marketplaces and search engines (SEO) are just two examples. It warrants consideration.
Pros:
- It offers a drag-and-drop page builder that is compatible with mobile devices and comes with a number of different themes.
- Optimizations for alternatives to one-page and one-click checkout are also included.
- The following payment methods are compatible: PayPal, Apple Pay, Stripe, and Amazon Payments.
- Considered relevant for B2B Edition, BOPIS, and Multi-Storefront.
- Includes over 70 unique types of editable promotions.
- Gives tools like Feedonomics and Channel Manager for handling sales and advertising feeds.
Cons:
- Challenging for small businesses with minimal needs.
- It could be expensive for businesses that decide not to use all of its capabilities.
- Our theme options are more limited than those of some of our rivals.
Price:
Bigcommerce offers custom plans tailored to the needs of the customers. With its flexible pricing, you can check it out for 15 days without any risk. Starting at $29/month, the plan is affordable for startups with yearly revenue below $1 million. Larger organizations can discuss a price that suits their needs.
Review and Rating:
The average rating for BigCommerce is 4.2 stars, derived from 522 reviews.
4. Wix
Wix is another platform that can assist your business to grow. Along with its user-friendly drag-and-drop builder, Wix also provides a logo maker and AI technology.
Online payment processing, order monitoring, and channel management are just a few of the e-commerce tools offered by Wix. Some other features include basic omnichannel selling tools, the ability to drop ship products, and the capacity to retrieve abandoned carts.
However, Wix is deficient in some crucial areas that product-based businesses depend on. In order to sell on social media and compensate for the lack of inventory management tools (such as low-stock alerts), you will need to utilize third-party apps.
Pros:
- Because the platform takes care of hosting, you won’t need to lift a finger.
- The basic plan does not cost anything.
- The site editor’s intuitive interface makes it ideal for those who lack experience in web design.
- A single payment will take care of all your hosting, domain, and SSL certificate requirements.
- When you build your site, you can choose from several free themes.
- The items you sell can be anything you want it to be.
Cons:
- To access the analytics and tracking features, you must purchase a plan.
- Transferring websites built on this platform to an alternative service is not an option.
- For inventory management, it lacks advanced features.
- The most basic e-commerce plan comes with 50 GB of storage space.
Price:
With Wix’s Light plan, which begins at $17/month, you may receive a free domain name for a year. At $159/month, you have access to Business Elite, the highest tier, which includes unlimited storage and loads of e-commerce features.
Review and Rating:
Wix has an average rating of 4.2 stars based on 1,672 reviews.
5. OpenCart
One open-source e-commerce platform that is user-friendly, free, and available is OpenCart with significant success.
From a single dashboard, users can oversee all of their online stores, and they also get a bird’s-eye perspective of customer data and sales. More than 13,000 modules and free themes are available on the site, giving users a lot of options for customization and integrating tools.
Since there is no ongoing subscription fee with OpenCart, it is a more economical option for maintaining several custom stores.
Pros:
- Using the platform is completely free of charge, and you are also allowed to make whatever changes you like to the code.
- When it comes to extensions that could make your store more efficient, you have a lot of choices.
- Offers a myriad of options for personalization.
Cons:
- Does not have many of the elements that are required for advanced marketing and sales.
- You are solely responsible for hosting and server maintenance.
Price:
Use OpenCart at no cost. There is no upfront cost to use the platform.
Review and Rating:
On average, 104 reviewers have given OpenCart 4.3 stars. People are pleased with it, as it has 64 five-star ratings and 32 four-star ratings.
6. Adobe Commerce (Magento)
Several well-known brands including Jaguar Land Rover, Coca-Cola, and Ford use Adobe Commerce as an e-commerce platform.
Adobe Commerce stands out with its drag-and-drop page builder. This technology streamlines the design process to the point that developers are no longer needed for every revision.
It integrates with other Adobe products such as Analytics, Real-Time CDP, and Experience Manager, allowing for even more sophisticated customization and a unified digital experience.
Regardless, there are some issues with Adobe Commerce. Social commerce and marketplace selling are made more complicated by the lack of integrated capabilities that allow for a fluid multichannel strategy. Handling transactions on a worldwide scale may also need extra work.
Whatever the case may be, it is still a fantastic platform for e-commerce sites.
Pros:
- It works well with several Adobe products, such as Adobe Experience Manager and Adobe Stock.
- Adaptable to meet the unique needs of your business.
- Makes it easier to oversee multiple stores from a central location.
- The user has access to a network of associates who can offer additional support.
- Includes features designed to make business-to-business transactions flow more smoothly.
Cons:
- Managing and applying any required security fixes is entirely on you.
- You will require a team of IT and development experts to handle setup and management.
- Even for the simplest of stores, there can be significant setup and ongoing maintenance expenditures.
- Thorough technical support is lacking.
Price:
We can only offer personalized pricing. What you should aim for is a personalized quote that takes into account all of your unique requirements.
Review and Rating:
Adobe Commerce has received 4.0 stars out of 5 from 506 reviewers.
7. SquareSpace
The popularity of SquareSpace has increased dramatically throughout the years.
It comes with a ton of customizable features and themes, and its drag-and-drop website builder becomes even better with a premium membership. With the upgrade, your site will have the same payment options as any other online store, including Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Afterpay.
It includes things like selling subscription products, making shipping labels, and monitoring inventory.
The lack of a free plan and the fact that it is a hosted platform mean, among other things, that there are limited options for customization and that moving to a different host can be a hassle.
Pros:
- Plans begin at $23/month and provide excellent value with a plethora of features.
- It is helpful for beginners as it does not necessitate knowledge of web design.
- Includes a free domain name and an SSL certificate.
- There is an infinite amount of storage and bandwidth.
- Provides premium templates for free.
Cons:
- There is no free version available.
- Not compatible with platforms that allow multiple sales.
- Does not come with any inventory management software.
- The ability to recover abandoned carts is not enabled by default.
Price:
You can try Squarespace for free for 14 days. From $16 for the Personal plan to $52 for the Commerce Advanced plan, there is a wide range of monthly costs to choose from. Annual billing offers discounts, and costs vary by feature and payment method.
Review and Rating:
Squarespace has an average rating of 4.4 stars out of 1,064 reviews.
8. Salesforce Commerce Cloud
Salesforce is a household name in this industry. Salesforce Commerce Cloud lets you construct a variety of cloud-based e-commerce sites with customizable features for sales, marketing, order processing, customer feedback, and more.
Thanks to the platform, everything is made easier. It does everything you could want from an e-commerce platform, including building your shop and managing sales across all customer touchpoints. Plus, its AI functions are excellent.
Conversely, Salesforce Commerce Cloud can be fairly costly due to its substantial licensing fees.
Pros:
- Advocates for companies that deal in B2B, B2C, and D2C transactions.
- Offers updates automatically so business may continue as usual.
- Uses AI to provide extensive data.
Cons:
- The implementation cost can be around $250,000.
- It is advised against using features that are not integrated with Salesforce.
- New users may find it challenging and time-consuming to grasp the system due to its intricacy.
Price:
Including six shops, the cost of Commerce Cloud Growth is one percent of GMV per annum. With Commerce Cloud Advanced, you may run 10 stores and earn two percent of your annual gross merchandise value. There is a long range of Salesforce solution pricing tailored to fit businesses of all sizes and industries, which you can explore or enquire about.
Rating & Reviews:
An overwhelming majority of reviewers (415 to be exact) gave Salesforce Commerce for B2C 4.3 stars.
9. Ecwid
Ecwid provides a platform that is similar to Shopify, however it is free. The fact that it only charges fees for handling credit card transactions seems reasonable to me.
One of the best things about Ecwid is how easy it is to integrate custom code. Developing the code from scratch is superfluous. You may add an Ecwid store to any page you want by either integrating it with your CMS or by copying and pasting the given code. Even those without a background in computer science should have no trouble grasping this.
Taken as a whole, it works wonderfully in place of Shopify.
Pros:
- Purchases are not subject to any hidden fees.
- Handles special orders with efficiency.
- All of the plans save the free one include features for managing inventories.
- It allows you to sell through a plethora of channels on subscription plans.
Cons:
- The free plan has a product limit of five.
- You can’t make changes or place custom orders with the free plan.
- Offers limited personalization options.
- Comes with a limited set of SEO tools.
Price:
With Ecwid, you can choose between a free plan that includes key features and an unlimited subscription that costs $89/month or a venture plan that costs $21/month.
Rating & Reviews:
Based on 398 reviews, Ecwid boasts an impressive 4.7 out of 5 rating.
10. Volusion
Volusion has been around for almost 25 years, making it one of the first e-commerce platforms. It streamlines the process of establishing an online presence for small businesses by connecting with over 30 payment channels.
There is no free plan available on Volusion, and the platform does not support digital items like ebooks or music. Its affordable price point starts at $35/month and it integrates with well-known e-commerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce.
The platform’s simple website builder and lack of transaction fees are appealing features for sellers who are on a tight budget.
Pros:
- Responds to consumer inquiries at all hours.
- Easy website creator.
Cons:
- The most basic plan is pricey and lacking in features.
- Obtaining SSL security will cost you.
Price:
Plans for individuals start at $35/month, professionals at $79/month, and businesses at $299/month. To find out how much Prime costs, you need to contact the sales team.
Review and Rating:
Volusion has 65 reviews with an average rating of 3.2 stars.
11. Square Online
Square Online was once known as Weebly before it was acquired by Square. Save money and express your creativity with Square Online’s new offerings. Although creating an account is free of charge, an e-commerce plan is required if you wish to use a custom domain and remove in-app adverts.
In its quality selections, online retailers can find what they need even on a short budget.
Weebly is still helpful for smaller online businesses, but Square Online is ideal for larger ones. Integrated marketing tools and a dashboard displaying all the critical data quickly are included in everything you need.
Pros:
- Provides an open-source, free plan.
- Prices for plans begin at $10 per month on an annual basis.
- Sell digital and physical goods to generate unlimited income.
- Facilitate easy recurring payments for your clients.
- Have your shipping and tax charges computed for you automatically.
Cons:
- Regrettably, custom domains are not supported by the free plan.
- It seems like some of the themes may use some polishing.
Price:
You can begin using Square Online’s basic services for free per month, with a 2.9% + 30¢ fee added to each transaction. For $79 a month, you can upgrade to the Premium plan, which offers more features and reduced transaction rates.
Review and Rating:
Considering that it was originally known as Weebly, Square Online has 458 reviews and an acceptable 4.2/5 stars, with most reviewers awarding it 5 stars.
What Is the Estimated Cost of an E-commerce Platform?
An e-commerce platform’s price tag could change dramatically based on your specific requirements. The monthly cost of a platform might range from $10 for a basic one to over $500 for a premium one. The sums involved can reach thousands of dollars for major corporations.
A few things that influence the cost are these:
- Number of Products: Platforms like Shopify Plus, which manage extensive inventory, may be more expensive than alternatives tailored to smaller catalogs.
- Size of Store: A more expensive platform with powerful functionality, like Magento Commerce, may be necessary for a large and complex business.
- Payment Methods: There may be a difference in price between platforms that accept fewer payment methods and those that accept many, such as WooCommerce.
- Payment Processing: Typically, there are transaction costs, such as 2.9% plus 30¢ per transaction, when using a platform’s integrated payment provider, like Square Online.
- SEO Features: Platforms like BigCommerce that include built-in SEO tools could charge more for them or include them in higher-tier plans for free.
- Web Design: A substantial amount, anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, can be added on for custom design services, like the ones given by Wix’s premium plans.
- Migration:There may be fees associated with moving to a new platform, such as Shopify from Magento, and these fees are calculated according to the complexity of the migration.
Other expenses, such as hosting, also exist. To get a good idea of what web hosting could cost you in comparison to the competition, try out our free pricing calculator.
How to Choose the Best Ecommerce Platform?
Because each platform has its own set of capabilities, it’s important to choose an e-commerce platform that fits your demands. Pay attention to this:
- Pricing: Ignore the monthly costs as well. The better course of action is to investigate processing fees and their correlation to sales volume. As an example, a platform may offer cheap monthly rates but charge a premium for processing.
- Ease of Use: The goal of a solid platform is to make e-commerce and website creation easier. Try to choose integrations that are simple and have user-friendly interfaces.
- Features: Find out what you require, such as an SSL certificate, drop shipping tools, or a free domain name.
- Capabilities: Whether you’re selling digital products, managing subscriptions, or offering online classes, make sure the platform can handle your unique requirements.
- Design and Personalization: See if the platform has any premade themes and personalization choices.
Assistance for Customers: Having good assistance is crucial. Look for a service that provides prompt, dependable help and Learn more 5 powerful tips to boost your e-commerce success.
FAQS
Q1. Which e-commerce platform is most used?
In terms of market share, Shopify is ahead of WooCommerce Checkout as of 2024.
Q2. How long does it take to launch your ecommerce store?
Depending on the platform and the amount of customisation you require, launching a basic e-commerce store can take anything from a few days to a few weeks.
Q3. What are some potential challenges I could face?
Issues with payment processing, site security, platform limits, and scaling are just a few of the potential problems that could arise as your organization expands.
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