The world of eCommerce in 2025 is anything but one-size-fits-all. Whether you're a solo founder spinning up your first online shop or a global brand managing dozens of storefronts, the platform you choose can make or break your momentum. With dozens of contenders on the market—some promising simplicity, others flexibility, and a few trying to deliver both—it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
This guide cuts through the noise. We’ve put the top eCommerce platforms under the microscope and compared them across the criteria that actually matter:
- Ease of Use
- Scalability
- Pricing
- Available Integrations
- International Support
- Platform Type (Open-Source vs Hosted)
Along the way, we’ll also touch on how some of these platforms are embracing headless commerce—a powerful but complex trend redefining the way online stores are built. Whether you're building your brand from scratch or future-proofing an enterprise operation, you’ll find a platform that fits not just where you are now, but where you’re going next.
Top Platforms for Small to Mid-Sized Businesses
Not every business starts with a boardroom and a budget. Sometimes, it begins with a single product idea, a weekend of inspiration, or a vision to serve a niche no one else is covering. For entrepreneurs and small teams, the right eCommerce solution isn’t just about features—it’s about momentum. You need something that lets you launch fast, grow steadily, and avoid technical landmines.
This section dives into the platforms that strike that balance: user-friendly, affordable, and powerful enough to grow with you. From drag-and-drop builders to WordPress-integrated tools, here’s how today’s top small business solutions stack up:
|
Platform |
Ease of Use & Setup |
Scalability & Growth |
Pricing Model |
Integrations & Extensions |
International Support |
Open-Source or Hosted? |
|
Very intuitive; code-free store setup with drag-and-drop themes. Non-technical users can launch a basic store in minutes. |
High – Supports small stores to enterprises. Fast to market for growing brands. Handles high traffic and sales volume with robust infrastructure. |
Subscription plans from €25 (Basic) to €289 (Advanced) per month, plus Shopify Plus for enterprises (~€2,300+/mo). Transaction fees 0.5% – 2% (waived if using Shopify Payments). |
8,000+ apps and integrations available via the Shopify App Store. Rich ecosystem of plugins for marketing, fulfillment, ERP, etc. APIs enable custom integrations. |
Multi-currency and multi-language support (on advanced/Plus plans) for global selling. Local payment gateways and tax tools available. |
Hosted SaaS (closed-source platform managed by Shopify). |
|
|
Wix eCommerce |
Extremely beginner-friendly site builder. 500+ templates and visual drag‑and‑drop editor make design easy. No coding required; quick setup in a few clicks. |
Low–Mid – Suitable for small catalogs and moderate traffic. Less suited for very large or complex stores (primarily aimed at SMBs). Offers tiered plans to incrementally support growth. |
€13.09 – €177.31/mo across Business plans (tiers for storage/products). No transaction fees (uses Stripe/PayPal etc.), domain included on higher tiers. |
App Market offers dozens of plugins (marketing, forms, live chat, etc.), but a smaller ecosystem than Shopify. Supports dropshipping and multichannel via built-in tools. |
Supports selling in multiple currencies and multilingual sites – good for basic international needs, though not as robust as enterprise platforms. |
Hosted SaaS (proprietary website builder hosted by Wix). |
|
Squarespace Commerce |
Very easy to use with award-winning templates and a user-friendly drag‑and‑drop builder. Great for creatives and small boutiques. Limited technical skills needed. |
Low–Mid – Ideal for small businesses with simpler needs. Can handle moderate traffic, but not intended for very large-scale operations. No native multi-store feature (one site = one store). |
€11 – €36/mo for plans (Personal to Advanced Commerce). All plans include hosting; no transaction fees on Commerce plans. |
Dozens of built-in integrations (email marketing, social selling, etc.) and third-party extensions for shipping, bookkeeping, etc. Smaller extension marketplace relative to Shopify/WooCommerce. |
Multi-language support via a built-in translation feature; multi-currency checkout available on higher-tier plans. Suitable for selling in a few countries with basic localization. |
Hosted SaaS (closed-source, hosted by Squarespace). |
|
BigCommerce (Standard) |
Moderately easy SaaS platform with a modern UI. Slightly more technical than Shopify/Wix, but still no coding needed for standard setup. Provides a visual theme editor and pre-built themes. |
High – “Open SaaS” architecture scales from SMB to large enterprise. Supports large product catalogs and high volumes; offers BigCommerce Enterprise upgrade as businesses grow. |
$29 – $299/mo on standard plans; enterprise pricing is custom. No transaction fees on any plan. Sales volume caps apply per plan (must upgrade as revenue grows). |
1,000+ apps in the BigCommerce Marketplace; strong built-in features (SEO, multi-channel listings) reduce need for many apps. Open APIs (90%+ platform coverage) for custom integrations. |
Multi-currency and multi-language features built-in. Natively supports multiple storefronts for different regions from one account. |
Hosted SaaS (proprietary platform; offers “Open SaaS” flexibility but not open-source code). |
|
WooCommerce |
Moderate – Requires managing a WordPress site. Familiar for WordPress users but setup can be technical (hosting, ssL, etc.). Huge flexibility but a learning curve for non-tech users. |
Mid–High – Capable of scaling to mid-market or lower enterprise with proper hosting and optimization. Performance depends on server infrastructure; can handle large catalogs with tuning. |
Free core plugin (open-source). Hosting ~$10–$50/mo and extensions may add costs. No platform transaction fees (payment gateways may have fees). Development and maintenance costs for customizations. |
Extensive: 6,000+ plugins/extensions available covering every feature (SEO, marketing, shipping, B2B, etc.). Seamless WordPress integration for content; REST API for any custom integration. |
Multi-language and multi-currency via plugins (e.g. WPML, WooCommerce Multilingual). Not out-of-box, but highly achievable with extensions. Can support global stores with proper configuration. |
Open-Source software (plugin for WordPress). Self-hosted (or hosted by WordPress VIP for enterprise). Full code access and ownership. |
|
Square Online (Weebly) |
Very easy to start, geared toward brick-and-mortar merchants going online. Offers a simple site builder; no coding needed. Guided setup is quick and straightforward. |
Low–Mid – Best for small catalogs and local businesses. Scales to moderate online sales volumes. Tightly integrated with Square POS for unified online/offline inventory (great for growing omnichannel small businesses). |
Free tier (with Square ads on site); paid plans at $29 and $79/mo. No transaction fees besides payment processing. Using Square’s payment system is seamless (fees per transaction ~2.9%+30¢). |
Limited add-ons. Native integration with Square’s ecosystem (POS, appointments, etc.) and basic plugins for shipping, social media, etc. Not as extensible as other platforms (focuses on core selling needs). |
Supports selling in multiple channels (online, Instagram, in-person) easily. Currency and regional settings available, but depth of international features is basic (best for domestic or single-region businesses). |
Hosted SaaS (closed-source, provided by Square/Block via Weebly platform). |
Top Platforms for Enterprises and Large Businesses
Of course, not every brand fits the startup mold. Some are scaling fast; others are already global. Once your storefront becomes a central hub for complex operations—handling thousands of SKUs, cross-border logistics, or intricate B2B pricing structures—you’re playing a different game. And you need a different class of tools.
This section is for the brands that need more than a storefront. Whether you're scaling a multinational operation, managing B2B complexity, or building out a custom digital ecosystem, the platforms below offer serious muscle for modern enterprise commerce. We also highlight how each supports headless architecture—critical for teams seeking total freedom over design and omnichannel delivery.
Here's how the top enterprise platforms compare:
|
Platform |
Ease of Use & Development |
Scalability & Performance |
Pricing Model |
Integrations & Ecosystem |
International & B2B Support |
Open-Source or Hosted? |
|
Shopify Plus |
Very easy to manage relative to most enterprise platforms. Turnkey cloud infrastructure – merchants avoid low-level IT. Non-technical staff can handle everyday tasks via a clean UI. However, backend code customization is limited. |
High – Handles massive traffic bursts (hosted on Shopify’s globally distributed platform). Fast page loads and checkouts due to optimized infrastructure. Scales to multi-million dollar sales volumes. |
Starting at €2,300+ per month, typically with a multi-year contract. No revenue share. Transaction fees are waived if using Shopify Payments. Pricing includes hosting, security, and support. |
Extensive app ecosystem and exclusive APIs for Plus clients. Thousands of third-party apps for ERP, OMS, marketing, plus Shopify Flow automation and other enterprise features are built-in. Headless commerce supported by Shopify’s Hydrogen framework for custom storefronts. |
Strong multi-store and international features: multi-currency, multi-language, and localized storefronts are supported. Native B2B suite (customer accounts, wholesale pricing. added in Plus) is available, though some features are still evolving. |
Hosted SaaS (Shopify’s cloud). Closed source – cannot host independently, but no infrastructure management needed. Regular updates rolled out by Shopify. |
|
BigCommerce Enterprise |
Moderate – Still a SaaS platform, so easier than self-hosted solutions, but more technical flexibility than Shopify. Offers a rich admin panel and some code customization. Non-developers can manage most store functions; developers can use open APIs for advanced custom work. |
High – Open SaaS architecture built to scale without merchants managing servers. Handles high traffic and large catalogs (up to tens of thousands of SKUs) with strong performance. Backend can scale horizontally; also supports multi-storefront from one account for efficiency. |
Custom pricing based on volume and requirements . Typically a monthly SaaS fee with no transaction fees on any plan. More transparent cost than revenue-share models. |
Robust integration capabilities: Open API (REST) covers ~90% of platform functionality for connecting to external systems. Pre-built integrations for popular CMS (WordPress), frontend frameworks (Next.js), and headless deployments. Slightly smaller third-party app marketplace than Shopify, but many native features (SEO tools, B2B features) reduce need for apps. |
Built-in support for B2B (price lists, customer groups, quotes) and advanced SEO capabilities. Multi-currency and multi-language ready. Can manage multiple regional storefronts natively. Well-suited for mid-market manufacturers, wholesalers, and brands operating globally without wanting to manage on-prem servers. |
Hosted SaaS Not open-source, but data and functionality are accessible via APIs. Merchants don’t touch underlying infrastructure, yet have freedom in front-end/headless implementations. |
|
Adobe Commerce (Magento) |
Low – Highly flexible but complex. Requires a dedicated development team to build and maintain. Steep learning curve for the platform’s architecture and codebase. Features like the Page Builder provide some no-code page design, but most customization require significant technical work. |
Very High – Proven to handle large-scale, complex catalogs and high traffic if properly optimized. Supports multi-thousand SKU catalogs, multi-site setups, and heavy B2B operations. Performance tuning and robust hosting (or Adobe’s cloud hosting) are necessary to achieve optimal scalability. |
License/Subscription model. The open-source core (Magento Open Source) is free, but Adobe Commerce enterprise version is paid (custom quote) with costs based on gross merchandise volume (GMV). Total cost of ownership can be high once hosting and development are included. |
Extensive ecosystem: Over 4,000 extensions available for everything from payment and CRM integration to advanced marketing. Deep integration with Adobe’s suite (Analytics, Experience Manager, etc.) for those in that ecosystem. Robust APIs (REST and GraphQL) enable headless implementations and custom front-ends. |
Best-in-class international capabilities: one installation can run multiple stores for different countries, each with localized content, currency, and tax settings. Strong native B2B features (custom catalogs, negotiated pricing, requisition lists) built in. Supports both B2C and complex B2B/B2C hybrid models. |
Open-Source core (Magento). Can be self-hosted or run on Adobe’s managed cloud. Full code access means unlimited customization, but also responsibility for maintenance, security patches (if self-hosting), and optimizations. |
|
Salesforce Commerce Cloud |
Low–Moderate – A fully managed enterprise SaaS with a polished admin interface, but implementation requires expertise. Often delivered via certified integration partners. Business users can manage products and content once set up, but the initial setup and customizations are developer-intensive (using Salesforce’s frameworks). |
Very High – Built for enterprise scale with Salesforce’s cloud reliability. Can handle very high traffic (e.g. major flash sales) due to auto-scaling cloud infrastructure. Known for stability and uptime. Performance is strong, though highly customized interactions may need optimization. |
Revenue-based pricing: typically 1–2% of GMV (sales) for licensing, plus any additional Salesforce Cloud services. This can be expensive for high-revenue businesses. Often requires multi-year contracts. Includes hosting and full support. |
Deeply integrated with Salesforce ecosystem – native connections to Salesforce CRM, Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud for 360° customer data. Robust set of APIs and headless Commerce SDK available. Third-party integrations are available (payment, tax, etc.), but emphasis is on using Salesforce’s comprehensive platform. |
Excellent omnichannel and international support: multi-currency, multi-language, and region-specific storefronts are standard. Designed for global brands, with built-in localization and an OMS (Order Management) for complex fulfillment. Strong personalization via Salesforce Einstein AI and powerful promotional tools. B2B commerce is offered through a separate Salesforce B2B platform or unified B2B2C solutions. |
Hosted SaaS (part of Salesforce Cloud). Closed source. All infrastructure managed by Salesforce. Customizations are done via Salesforce’s script languages and frameworks, not by altering source code. High vendor lock-in but also high reliability. |
|
SAP Commerce Cloud (Hybris) |
Low – A very complex enterprise platform, usually requiring a specialized SI (System Integrator) to implement. Geared toward companies with strong IT departments. Features like “SmartEdit” CMS ease some content changes, but overall technical proficiency is needed for development and maintenance. |
Very High – Enterprise-grade scalability for large catalogs, multi-brand, multi-region operations. Can handle huge B2B transaction volumes and complex product structures. High reliability and performance, especially when integrated with SAP’s cloud infrastructure. Often used by global enterprises with millions in revenue. |
Custom licensing (contact SAP). Typically entails a significant annual license or subscription fee, plus hosting costs if using SAP’s cloud, and integration costs. TCO is high – suitable for organizations already investing in SAP’s ecosystem. |
Native integration with SAP ERP and CX systems is a key strength. Comes with built-in PIM (Product Info Management) and modules for ERP, CRM, fulfillment. Third-party integrations are possible but the platform favors an all-SAP stack. Has a modular architecture and some extension marketplace, but community is smaller than Magento’s. |
Exceptional for international and B2B: supports multi-catalog, multi-country, multi-brand setups in one platform. Handles complex B2B scenarios (company accounts, tiered pricing, partner channels) out-of-the-box. Multi-language and multi-currency are first-class features. Also provides robust personalization and segmentation tools for different customer groups. |
Hosted Cloud or On-Premise: SAP Commerce Cloud is offered as a cloud service (on SAP’s infrastructure) with modern containerized deployment. Underlying software is proprietary (not open-source). Some large clients still run “Hybris” on-premises. Highly customizable via Java code, but requires SAP-certified developers. |
A Note on Headless Commerce
Headless commerce is no longer just a buzzword. For many enterprise teams, it's the architectural foundation for delivering fast, flexible, and future-proof digital experiences.
- Shopify Plus offers its Hydrogen/Oxygen framework for building custom storefronts detached from its traditional theme engine.
- BigCommerce Enterprise brings extensive API coverage and built-in support for headless frontends like Next.js and custom CMS integrations.
- Adobe Commerce supports both REST and GraphQL APIs for complete frontend-backend decoupling, enabling composable commerce setups.
- Salesforce Commerce Cloud and SAP Commerce Cloud allow for headless deployments through SDKs and custom development layers, but typically require a robust dev team and system integrators to manage complexity.
The takeaway? Headless unlocks enormous flexibility—especially for brands delivering content-rich, personalized, or omnichannel experiences—but it also comes with a steeper development curve. If you’ve got the team and vision, these platforms can support headless out of the box or through native tooling.
Ready to Build Smarter?
Choosing the right platform is only the beginning. Whether you need help evaluating the right tech stack, building custom headless storefronts, or integrating with your existing systems, W4 can help.
We specialize in crafting tailored eCommerce solutions that scale with your ambition—whether you're launching globally, optimizing performance, or embracing composable commerce.
Shaping the Future of eCommerce Platforms
Before you choose a platform, it helps to know where the industry is headed. The eCommerce landscape is evolving quickly—and today’s platform decision could impact how future-proof your store really is. Here are a few key trends shaping platform development and merchant expectations in 2025 and beyond:
1. AI-Powered Personalization
From dynamic pricing to on-site product recommendations, AI is playing a major role in shaping customer experience. Platforms that integrate machine learning natively or support third-party AI tools will be increasingly valuable.
2. Composable Commerce Architecture
Headless is just the beginning. More merchants are embracing "composable" architecture—using modular services (like best-in-class search, checkout, PIM) and stitching them together via APIs. Flexibility is replacing full-stack convenience in many enterprise builds.
3. Green Commerce & Sustainability Tools
Expect growing demand for platforms that support carbon tracking, eco-friendly shipping options, and sustainable supply chain integrations. Brands are being held accountable—and platforms are stepping up.
4. Marketplace & Multi-Channel Expansion
It’s not just about your store. More platforms are enabling seamless sales across marketplaces (Amazon, Etsy), social commerce (TikTok Shop, Instagram), and live shopping experiences.
5. Security & Compliance-as-a-Service
GDPR, CCPA, PCI-Dss, local tax laws—compliance is getting tougher. Platforms that offer robust, built-in compliance tooling are saving brands time and risk.
As you evaluate your platform options, keep an eye on these trends—and don’t just choose for today. Choose where your business is going.
Choosing the right eCommerce platform is a strategic one. The best fit depends on your size, your team’s capabilities, your customer expectations, and your future plans.
Whether you’re launching a small shop, scaling an enterprise brand, or reimagining your storefront with headless architecture, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer—but there is a right one for you.
At W4, we help businesses unlock the full potential of their eCommerce investments.We’re here to guide your next bold move.
