Building a professional and user-friendly ecommerce site is essential for any business looking to sell products online. With numerous ecommerce site builders available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. The best platform for your store will depend on your technical expertise, design preferences, and business goals. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of the Top 10 Best Ecommerce Site Builders, each offering unique features to help you create, manage, and grow your online store.
1. Shopify
Overview: Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce site builders, known for its ease of use and scalability. It’s suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises, offering a range of tools to create an online store quickly.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop store builder
- Extensive theme library with customizable options
- Powerful inventory management and product categorization
- Integrated payment gateway (Shopify Payments)
- 24/7 customer support
- App marketplace with over 3,000 apps to extend functionality
- Mobile-responsive design for on-the-go sales
Pricing: Basic plan starts at $39/month, with higher-tier plans offering additional features.
Why It’s Great: Shopify’s user-friendly interface and robust feature set make it perfect for beginners and seasoned ecommerce entrepreneurs alike. It offers everything you need to start selling online, from payment processing to marketing tools.
2. BigCommerce
Overview: BigCommerce is a powerful ecommerce platform designed for businesses looking to scale. With built-in advanced features, it’s perfect for companies with growing product catalogs and increasing sales volume.
Key Features:
- Highly customizable templates
- Unlimited product listings and bandwidth
- Advanced SEO features for higher search engine rankings
- Built-in multi-channel selling (eBay, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram)
- Robust reporting tools and analytics
- Strong integration with various payment gateways
Pricing: Plans start at $39/month, with enterprise-level solutions available for larger businesses.
Why It’s Great: BigCommerce’s focus on scalability and advanced features make it ideal for growing businesses. Its powerful integration capabilities allow you to manage sales across multiple platforms seamlessly.
3. Wix Ecommerce
Overview: Wix is a website builder that has become a popular choice for creating ecommerce stores due to its simplicity and drag-and-drop functionality. It’s a great option for those who want a visually appealing store without needing technical expertise.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop website builder
- Hundreds of professional, customizable templates
- Payment gateway integrations (PayPal, Stripe, etc.)
- SEO tools to improve site visibility
- Mobile-optimized designs
- Scalable ecommerce plans for businesses of all sizes
Pricing: Plans start at $27/month for the Business Basic plan, with higher-tier plans offering additional features.
Why It’s Great: Wix offers a user-friendly interface with a visual editor, making it a great choice for those who want a custom, professional-looking ecommerce store without needing coding skills.
4. Squarespace
Overview: Squarespace is known for its beautiful, mobile-responsive designs, making it a popular choice for creative entrepreneurs and small businesses. It offers a simple, all-in-one solution for building an ecommerce site.
Key Features:
- Stylish and responsive templates tailored for ecommerce
- Built-in payment processing with Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay
- Inventory management and product categorization
- Powerful SEO and marketing tools
- Blogging and content creation features
- Excellent customer support
Pricing: Ecommerce plans start at $33/month, with higher-tier plans offering more advanced features.
Why It’s Great: Squarespace is perfect for businesses that prioritize aesthetics. Its stunning templates are ideal for brands looking to create a visually-driven online store.
5. WooCommerce (WordPress)
Overview: WooCommerce is an open-source ecommerce plugin designed for WordPress. It’s the go-to choice for those who already have a WordPress site and want to add ecommerce functionality.
Key Features:
- Seamless integration with WordPress
- Highly customizable with thousands of themes and plugins
- Support for a wide range of payment gateways
- Advanced inventory management tools
- Scalability for growing businesses
- Strong SEO capabilities for better rankings
Pricing: The plugin is free, but additional costs may come from premium themes, extensions, and hosting.
Why It’s Great: WooCommerce is ideal for WordPress users who want to add ecommerce functionality to their site. It offers flexibility, scalability, and a large community of developers and resources.
6. Weebly (Square)
Overview: Weebly, now part of Square, is a beginner-friendly ecommerce platform designed for small businesses and individuals. It’s an excellent choice for those who want an easy-to-use site builder with integrated payment solutions.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop store builder
- Integrated Square payment processing
- Inventory management and shipping tools
- Mobile-optimized templates
- Customizable store themes
- Marketing tools including email campaigns and SEO features
Pricing: Plans start at $12/month for the Business plan, with higher-tier plans offering additional features.
Why It’s Great: Weebly is known for its simplicity and ease of use. It’s perfect for small businesses that want an affordable and straightforward ecommerce solution with integrated payment processing.
7. Volusion
Overview: Volusion is a cloud-based ecommerce platform with a strong focus on helping businesses build their online stores quickly. It provides a wide range of tools and integrations to help businesses grow.
Key Features:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
- Customizable templates
- Integrated payment processing
- Inventory and order management tools
- Built-in SEO and marketing tools
- Mobile-friendly designs
Pricing: Plans start at $29/month, with enterprise-level plans available.
Why It’s Great: Volusion’s user-friendly interface, combined with its robust ecommerce tools, makes it a great choice for businesses looking to sell online without complexity.
8. Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart)
Overview: Shift4Shop is a full-featured ecommerce platform that offers a variety of tools to create and manage an online store. It’s suitable for businesses that need a flexible solution to sell online.
Key Features:
- Wide range of customizable templates
- Built-in payment gateway (Shift4)
- Inventory management and order tracking
- Multi-channel selling (eBay, Amazon, Facebook)
- SEO and marketing tools
- Advanced security features
Pricing: Plans start at $19/month for the Basic plan, with additional features available at higher tiers.
Why It’s Great: Shift4Shop is an excellent ecommerce platform for businesses seeking flexibility and scalability. Its affordable pricing structure and built-in payment gateway make it ideal for businesses of all sizes.
9. Magento (Adobe Commerce)
Overview: Magento is a powerful and flexible open-source ecommerce platform, now owned by Adobe. It’s designed for developers and large businesses looking for complete control over their online store.
Key Features:
- Open-source and highly customizable
- Scalable for large enterprises
- Advanced SEO and marketing tools
- Extensive third-party integrations
- Multi-store capabilities
- Mobile-optimized designs
Pricing: Magento offers both free and paid versions (Adobe Commerce), with pricing for Adobe Commerce available upon request.
Why It’s Great: Magento is perfect for large businesses or those with advanced technical needs. Its customization options allow businesses to create highly tailored ecommerce experiences.
10. SiteGround
Overview: SiteGround is a web hosting provider that also offers ecommerce solutions, particularly through WordPress and WooCommerce. It’s known for fast and secure hosting options.
Key Features:
- WooCommerce hosting with one-click installation
- Free daily backups and SSL encryption
- 24/7 customer support
- Performance optimization tools
- Secure payment gateways and multi-channel selling options
Pricing: Plans start at $3.99/month for WooCommerce hosting, with higher-tier plans offering additional features.
Why It’s Great: SiteGround is perfect for businesses looking for fast, secure hosting with built-in ecommerce tools. It’s an excellent choice for WooCommerce users who need reliable and high-performance hosting.
Conclusion
Choosing the right ecommerce site builder is essential for the success of your online store. Whether you need an easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder, a customizable solution, or a powerful platform for scaling, there’s an ecommerce builder that fits your needs. Here’s a quick recap:
- Shopify and BigCommerce are excellent for growing businesses with complex needs.
- Wix and Squarespace are ideal for visually appealing and simple ecommerce sites.
- WooCommerce is the best option for WordPress users who want flexibility.
- Weebly and Shift4Shop are great for beginners and small businesses looking for affordable solutions.
With the right platform, you can build an attractive, functional online store that drives sales and grows your business.