Shopify is one of the most trusted ecommerce website platforms, powering millions of online stores worldwide. Built in Canada, it’s designed to help businesses launch quickly while still supporting long-term growth—from small startups to high-revenue brands.

What makes Shopify work for businesses:

• Professionally designed themes with easy customization
• Built-in SSL and PCI compliance for secure checkout
• Native SEO tools, blogging, and discount management
• Sales analytics with Google Analytics integration
• Omnichannel selling via POS, social media, and marketplaces
• Mobile apps for managing orders and inventory on the go
• A large app ecosystem for subscriptions, reviews, CRO, and automation

Pricing:

Shopify plans start at USD 39/month, with advanced plans for growing and enterprise businesses. Additional costs may apply for premium themes and third-party apps.

Things to consider:

Shopify is not the cheapest option long-term. App subscriptions can increase monthly costs, and performance depends on how well features are implemented.

Best for:

Businesses that want a stable, scalable, and beginner-friendly ecommerce platform that can grow into a serious online operation.

BigCommerce is a strong ecommerce website platform built for brands that are serious about scale. Often seen as Shopify’s closest competitor, it’s a fully hosted SaaS solution that works especially well for fast-growing stores.

What stands out with BigCommerce:

• No platform transaction fees, regardless of the payment gateway used
• Advanced product options, customer groups, and built in pricing rules
• Strong B2B capabilities, including bulk pricing and quote-based selling (on higher plans)
• Excellent support for headless commerce and marketplace integrations
• SEO-friendly structure with greater control over URLs and metadata
• Native multi-channel selling across marketplaces and social platforms

Pricing:

BigCommerce plans start at USD 39/month. Pricing is tied to annual sales volume, and stores are automatically upgraded as revenue grows.

Things to consider:

BigCommerce has a smaller app ecosystem compared to Shopify, and the interface can feel slightly less intuitive for first-time store owners.

Best for:

Mid-market and enterprise businesses that want a scalable ecommerce platform with powerful built-in features and zero transaction fees—especially those planning rapid growth or B2B expansion.

Squarespace is a user-friendly ecommerce website platform known for its stunning design templates and intuitive drag-and-drop editor. It’s ideal for creatives, service-based businesses, and small online stores that want to combine visual appeal with essential ecommerce functionality.

What stands out with Squarespace:

• Unlimited products and storage across all plans, so your store can grow freely
• Drag-and-drop editor and pre-designed sections for fast, attractive website creation
• Acuity Scheduling integration for service bookings and appointment management
• SEO and marketing tools, including discount codes, promotions, and social media integrations
• Mobile-optimized templates for smooth shopping on any device

Pricing:

Squarespace’s ecommerce plans start at $16/month, with the Core plan at $23/month billed annually offering 0% transaction fees, discounts, and additional sales features. Higher-tier plans go up to $99/month, which adds advanced analytics, commerce APIs, and premium support.

Best for:

Small businesses, creatives, and service providers who want a beautiful, easy-to-build online store with essential ecommerce functionality and built-in appointment management.

Wix is a beginner-friendly website builder that also supports online stores. Its main strength lies in ease of use and design flexibility. The drag-and-drop editor allows you to place elements anywhere, and with over 120 free templates, creating a visually appealing site is quick. Wix also bundles hosting, a domain, and the website builder into one package, making setup straightforward.

What stands out with Wix:

• Drag-and-drop editor with full design control
• Unlimited products on all ecommerce plans
• Built-in email marketing and cart abandonment recovery
• Dropshipping via Modalyst Optional loyalty programs through Smile.io
• 24/7 customer support via live chat and phone

Pricing:

To accept online payments, you need a Business & Ecommerce plan, starting at $27/month, with advanced features available on higher-tier plans like Business VIP. Wix Payments is included, but using external gateways may incur extra transaction fees.

Things to consider:

Wix’s ecommerce features are basic compared to Shopify or BigCommerce. It’s not ideal for large product catalogs, multi-warehouse inventory, or advanced integrations, so fast-growing stores may outgrow it.

Best for:

Perfect for small businesses, freelancers, artists, and restaurants that want a beautiful site with a simple online shop.

Square Online is the go-to ecommerce platform for brick-and-mortar businesses looking to sell online. Built by Square, the leader in POS systems, it’s ideal for restaurants, cafes, boutiques, and any business with a physical location.

What stands out with Square Online:

• Unified inventory management with Square POS
• Local delivery and pickup options for customers
• Free plan available with core ecommerce functionality
• Paid plans unlock custom domains, remove Square branding, and add advanced features
• Built-in analytics and basic marketing tools

Pricing

Free plan: functional but includes Square branding and payment processing fees

Paid plans: start at $29/month, billed annually, for additional customization and branding control

Things to consider:

Square Online requires you to use Square for payment processing, and design options are limited. The platform is best suited for physical stores looking to expand online rather than digital-only businesses.

Best for:

Retailers with existing POS operations who want seamless inventory sync and integrated local delivery or pickup services.

Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart) is a feature-rich ecommerce platform designed for businesses that want flexibility without sacrificing core functionality.

What stands out with Shift4Shop:

• Fully hosted platform with PCI-compliant checkout and SSL security
• Unlimited products, categories, and bandwidth
• Built-in marketing tools: discounts, coupons, email campaigns, and SEO optimization
• Multi-channel selling across marketplaces and social media
• Mobile-friendly storefronts and responsive themes
• Flexible shipping, tax, and inventory management options
• Headless commerce and API access for custom integrations

Pricing:

Shift4Shop offers a free plan for US merchants using its payment processing. Paid plans start at $29/month, which provides more advanced features, additional customization, and access to priority support.

Things to consider:

While Shift4Shop includes many features by default, its interface can be slightly less intuitive for beginners compared to Shopify or Wix. Some advanced tools may require technical setup, making it better suited for businesses with some ecommerce experience or development support.

Best for:

Small to mid-sized online stores that want a flexible, all-in-one platform with robust built-in features and the ability to scale without depending on excessive apps.

Big Cartel is a lightweight ecommerce platform tailored for artists, creatives, and small independent brands that want to sell online without the complexity of larger platforms.

What stands out with Big Cartel:

• Simple, easy-to-use interface for setting up a store quickly
• Customizable themes with drag-and-drop editing
• Support for unlimited products on paid plans (free plan limited to 5 products)
• Integrated payment options, including Stripe and PayPal
• Built-in order management and basic inventory tracking
• Discount codes, coupons, and promotions for marketing

Pricing:

Free plan: up to 5 products

Paid plans start at $9.99/month for 25 products and go up to $29.99/month for 500 products

Things to consider:

Big Cartel is not designed for large stores or complex inventory. Features like advanced analytics, multi-channel selling, and extensive integrations are limited compared to Shopify or BigCommerce.

Best for:

Creative entrepreneurs and small businesses that want a simple, affordable online store with minimal setup and maintenance.

WooCommerce is a free, open-source WordPress plugin that turns any WordPress site into a full-featured online store. It’s ideal for businesses that want flexibility, customization, and control over their ecommerce operations.

What stands out with WooCommerce:

• Highly customizable: Use themes, plugins, and extensions to tailor your store to any business need
• Secure and scalable: SSL encryption, two-factor authentication, and compatibility with high-traffic stores
• Payment gateway integration: Supports PayPal, Stripe, Amazon Pay, and more
• Product management: Handles inventory, product variations, shipping, and backorders
• Marketing and SEO: Built-in SEO tools, email marketing, and social media integration
• Analytics and reporting: Monitor sales, customer behavior, and performance with detailed reports

Pricing:

The WooCommerce plugin itself is free, but additional costs come from hosting, premium themes, and extensions. Hosting typically starts around $10–$30/month, and extensions range from $0 to $299/year depending on functionality.

Things to consider:

WooCommerce requires more technical management than hosted platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce. Businesses should be comfortable with updates, hosting, and some coding if they want full customization.

Best for:

Businesses that want a fully customizable, scalable ecommerce platform and are willing to manage the technical side of their WordPress store.

OpenCart is an open-source ecommerce platform designed for businesses that want a lightweight, flexible, and self-hosted solution. It’s ideal for merchants who need control over their store without being tied to a hosted SaaS platform.

What stands out with OpenCart:

• Fully customizable with themes and extensions
• Supports multiple stores, languages, and currencies from a single admin panel
• Built-in SEO tools, discount rules, and coupon management
• Advanced product management, including categories, options, and stock tracking
• Multiple payment gateways supported, including PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net
• Detailed analytics and reporting to track sales and customer behavior

Pricing:

OpenCart itself is free, but businesses need to pay for hosting, domain, and optional extensions or premium themes. Hosting typically starts around $5–$20/month, while premium themes and modules vary from $20 to $300 each.

Things to consider:

OpenCart is developer-friendly, but beginners may face a learning curve managing hosting, updates, and security. It’s better suited for businesses that want customization without subscription fees.

Best for:

Small to mid-sized businesses that need a self-hosted, customizable ecommerce platform and are comfortable managing technical aspects.

Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento, is an enterprise-level ecommerce platform built for large-scale, global businesses. It’s designed to handle complex operations, massive catalogs, and high traffic volumes, making it ideal for corporations with dedicated IT teams.

What stands out with Magento:

• Scalable and powerful: Supports hundreds of thousands of products, multiple storefronts, and high-traffic spikes
• Advanced B2B functionality: Custom pricing, bulk ordering, and multi-warehouse inventory management
• Open-source flexibility: Full control over code for custom solutions and integrations
• Global commerce-ready: Multi-currency, multi-language, and international tax handling
• Robust security: Enterprise-level compliance with PCI standards and advanced access control

Pricing:

Adobe Commerce (Managed/Enterprise): Licensing fees can run tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, plus hosting and development costs

Magento Open Source: Free to use, but businesses need high-performance hosting and skilled developers, which can still cost thousands annually

Things to consider:

Adobe Commerce is extremely powerful but complex. It requires a specialized development team and significant investment. For most small and medium businesses, it’s overkill.

Best for:

Large, global enterprises with multi-million-dollar revenue, complex operations, and a dedicated tech team. It’s the “top tier” solution for companies that need unlimited scalability and customization.

Choosing the right ecommerce website platform depends on your business size, goals, and technical needs. Shopify and BigCommerce are ideal for scalable, hosted stores, while Squarespace and Wix suit creatives and service-based businesses. WooCommerce and OpenCart provide self-hosted flexibility, and Big Cartel works well for small product catalogs. For enterprise-level operations, Adobe Commerce (Magento) offers unmatched scalability and customization. Selecting the right platform is just one part of the process—you also need to choose the right web development company to implement your vision effectively.

At CnC, we specialize in developing custom ecommerce websites tailored to your business needs, ensuring a smooth shopping experience, robust functionality, and long-term scalability. Let’s create an ecommerce solution that drives sales and delights your customers—get in touch with our team today!