Best Ecommerce Software | The 5 Best Solutions
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Online sellers told us that sales tools, website features, and ease of use were crucial, so we tailored our research to suit your business’ needs.
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Looking to start selling online? The most popular route to take is to use an ecommerce website builder, such as Shopify, to build your brand online. That said, we’ve curated a list of the best ecommerce software on the market – but, be warned! Ecommerce software, especially if it’s self-hosted, generally requires a certain level of technical confidence.
We’ve split this article into two key sections: the best hosted ecommerce software and the best self-hosted ecommerce software. We recommend Shopify or BigCommerce if you’re looking for hosted solutions, whereas WooCommerce (powered by Bluehost) is our preferred option for self-hosted software.
This way, you can find the right fit for you, whether you’re a total beginner or an experienced coder.
Best Ecommerce Software
- Shopify – Best hosted ecommerce software for growing businesses
- BigCommerce – Best hosted ecommerce software for purely online businesses
- Volusion – Best hosted ecommerce software for analytics
- WooCommerce (powered by Bluehost) – Best overall self-hosted ecommerce software
- Magento (powered by SiteGround) – Best self-hosted ecommerce for larger businesses
Compare the 5 Best Ecommerce Software
Below you can compare the best ecommerce software side by side – use the arrows to scroll through the different software. You can compare key features to help you decide which software is best for you, and continue reading for detailed reviews of each one.
| Best In Test  |  |  | Best Value  |  |
| Shopify | BigCommerce | Volusion | WooCommerce | Magento |
| Hosted or self-hosted Hosted | Hosted or self-hosted Hosted | Hosted or self-hosted Hosted | Hosted or self-hosted Self-hosted | Hosted or self-hosted Self-hosted |
| Transaction fees 0% – 2% | Transaction fees 0% | Transaction fees 0% | Transaction fees 0% | Transaction fees 0% |
| No. of products on cheapest plan Unlimited | No. of products on cheapest plan Unlimited | No. of products on cheapest plan 100 | No. of products on cheapest plan Unlimited | No. of products on cheapest plan Unlimited |
| Payment processors (built-in) 100+ | Payment processors (built-in) 250+ | Payment processors (built-in) Authorize.net | Payment processors (built-in) | Payment processors (built-in) PayPal, Braintree, Authrorize.net |
| App store Excellent | App store Good | App store Good | App store Excellent | App store Good |
| Abandoned cart recovery (built-in) | Abandoned cart recovery (built-in) | Abandoned cart recovery (built-in) | Abandoned cart recovery (built-in) | Abandoned cart recovery (built-in) |
| Mobile app | Mobile app | Mobile app | Mobile app | Mobile app |
| Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site |
In an online world filled with stylish shops and stores, your business needs the best ecommerce software it can get. Choosing the right software for you will help make a real impression – and lots of money too. So, it’s time to find the right ecommerce solution for your business.
What are ecommerce solutions? An ecommerce solution is specialized software which helps you sell online. You don’t need any tech skills because it’s designed to give you all the tools you need. There are hosted and self-hosted versions depending on your store’s needs.
There’s just one tiny problem, though – how do you pick the best ecommerce software for you?
There are lots of ecommerce solutions out there, and all of them promise to make building an online store a walk in the park. Even less helpfully, they also seem to offer similar tools and features.
That’s why our experts carry out research into every ecommerce platform and builder we review. We take an in-depth look at features, pricing, design, customer support, and more. We get regular people to test out each and every one to give real insight into ease of use and customer satisfaction.
We’ve done the research, and we’ve got the results – so if you’re thinking of creating your own online store and are looking for the best ecommerce software to use, this article is for you.
You can see how our top three hosted ecommerce software solutions are rated below. If you’re ready to go, follow the links to sign up for a free trial:
What’s the difference between ecommerce software and an ecommerce solution?
In this guide, we’ve used ‘ecommerce software’ and ‘ecommerce solution’ in the same way. They both describe dedicated ecommerce tools that help you create an online store.
Ecommerce platforms, on the other hand, can include website builders that let you add ecommerce functionality. We haven’t included these builders, such as Wix and Squarespace, in this article. If you want to know more about these and ecommerce platforms on the whole, read our review of the best ecommerce platforms.
Here’s a full comparison table including Wix and other ecommerce website builders.
Do you wish there was a quicker way to find out which ecommerce software you should use? You’re in luck! Our quick and easy quiz gives you a personalized recommendation, so you’ll know exactly which one is best for your needs. Click below to get started…
Best 3 Hosted Ecommerce Solutions
Our top three choices of ecommerce software for building an online store are:
- Shopify: best ecommerce solution for larger businesses (Try For Free)
- BigCommerce: best ecommerce solution for purely online businesses (Try For Free)
- Volusion: best for analytics features (Try For Free)
These are all-in-one ecommerce solutions dedicated to helping you build an online store.
Here’s what the features listed mean, and why they’re so important.
Chart features explained:
- Premium Support
Getting premium support from your ecommerce software is like employing a full-time business mentor. While some packages offer fantastic assistance, others – such as Volusion – don’t offer phone support on their most basic plans.
- Abandoned Cart Recovery
This feature can have a huge impact on your bottom line. If a customer gives up on a purchase at the checkout, Abandoned Cart Recovery allows you to send them an email reminder so as not to forget their shopping. They’ll then be able to complete their order without filling out all the details again.
- SSL Certificate
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) allows your customers to view your site in HTTPS. An SSL certificate will verify that data passing through your store is secure. Unlike Shopify and BigCommerce, Volusion doesn’t offer an SSL certificate as standard.
With all three ecommerce solutions listed, you can:
- Build a functional online store very quickly (usually in a couple of days)
- Get help from teams of support staff through various support channels
You also won’t need to:
- Know how to code (though it can help, it’s not a necessity)
- Hire expensive developers
- Manage the technical parts of operating a store (hosting, security, coding, etc)
Let’s take a closer look at the best ecommerce software available in the market today.
More Information
- Comparison Chart of Online Store Builders: See our side-by-side comparison of all the different ecommerce builder tools
- Professional, Free Ecommerce Templates: Browse beautiful storefront designs you can use to build your store
#1. Shopify
Best ecommerce solution for larger businesses
Start selling from $29 a month
| Shopify Pros | Shopify Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy to create a powerful online store – no coding needed! | Poor for international growth |
| Powerful sales features help large stores continue to grow | Transaction fees are applied to sales unless you use Shopify’s inhouse payment gateway, Shopify Payments |
| Great server response time | Design is more restricted than other platforms |
Shopify Gallery
Click the image below to expand Shopify is one of the best ecommerce software providers in the market today.
It’s suitable for small businesses who are just starting out, but we recommend it most for larger stores that sell a range of products and manage large inventories. Shopify customers include Tesla and Penguin Books Store. This is a solution with the scalability to grow with your store as your business expands.
Here are some key Shopify highlights:
- Over 100 beautiful, professional, mobile-ready themes to help your store look great
- Roughly 6,000 apps to add to your store and extend the functionality of your business
- 24/7 anytime support (perfect if you find yourself pulling your hair out at 3am)
- Qualified/re-approved experts available to hire if you want to customize your design and functions
Shopify is a one-stop-shop for ecommerce solutions. Its drag-and-drop functionality eliminates the usual challenges of building an online store, with no coding required whatsoever.
In our research testing, Shopify scored an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars for its range and quality of sales tools. Some of these tools include:
- Multi-channel selling through Facebook, Instagram, Amazon and more
- 100+ payment options
- No limit on number of products you can sell
- Mobile app to manage your store on the go
- Customizable checkout and guest checkout options
- Automatic email notifications for customers
- Abandoned cart recovery
- In-depth analytics and insight reports
- All-round shipping support
To put it simply: Shopify is one of the very best ecommerce solutions. It’s used by brands like Red Bull and Tesla, so it must really be doing something right! It’s perfect for starting and scaling your business.
Shopify has three main price plans: Basic Shopify ($29/month), Shopify ($79/month), and Advanced Shopify ($299/month), unlocking a wider range of brilliant sales tools the more you pay.
More Information
- Shopify Review: See our detailed pros and cons discussion of Shopify
- This could be you! Check out these Ecommerce Success Stories/Case Studies and see how others have built successful ecommerce businesses using Shopify
- Got a big business? Read our review on Shopify Plus (Enterprise Level Users) – If you’re in the big leagues and your business generates 6 to 7 figures in sales per year, find out how Shopify Plus can help you grow even more
- Compare the top market leaders in our Wix vs Shopify Review
- Just starting out? Read our guide on How to Build an Online Store for essential tips on setting up your online business
#2. BigCommerce
Best ecommerce solution for purely online businesses
Start selling from $29 a month
| BigCommerce Pros | BigCommerce Cons |
|---|---|
| Has the most amount of built-in features out of all its competitors – makes it extremely scalable | Prices aren’t suitable for very small-scale sellers |
| Fantastic SEO and multi-channel integrations | Terminology can make it tricky to get to grips with |
| No transaction fees | Could do with more tooltips to help users find their way around |
BigCommerce Gallery
Click the image below to expand BigCommerce is another reputable ecommerce software option that allows you to build your store without getting tangled up in technology.
As one of the best ecommerce solutions, BigCommerce is suitable for businesses of any size. It has more in-built features than any of its competitors, so you’ll have everything you need to succeed right at your fingertips. It’s especially great for online businesses thanks to its multichannel features and SEO tools!
Heads Up: Special BigCommerce Savings
Get one month free when you sign up to a BigCommerce plan! You can claim this offer by simply starting a free trial with BigCommerce today.BigCommerce has the best sales features on the market; it scored 4.6 stars out of 5 in our research! With BigCommerce, you get:
- A comprehensive set of “out-of-the-box” ecommerce tools to help you build your store
- The chance to leverage different social channels to help you grow your sales
- Advanced tools through their app store (just like Shopify)
- 24/7 support
- A mobile app
The BigCommerce mobile app is a new addition that allows you to view performance metrics, update orders, and more while on the go. Another exciting recent update allows you to integrate your BigCommerce store with your WordPress site. This is a great option for combining the specialist ecommerce features of BigCommerce with the flexibility and customization of WordPress.
We like BigCommerce because it focuses on growing with your store. As you grow, you get access to more features and functionality to take your store to the next level. There are no limitations on whether you sell one or 100 products through your store. Plus BigCommerce gives you great analytics tools and reports to track the success of your business.
You can integrate your store with multiple social channels including Facebook, Instagram, eBay and Amazon. You can manage all your integrations from one place with the BigCommerce Channel Manager. This makes it super easy to sell across these different platforms and expand your business.
Because of the number of features and tools, BigCommerce is awesome for anyone looking to scale their business. You get the top-notch features you pay for.
BigCommerce Named a “Strong Performer” in the Ecommerce Space
In two recent reports from Forrester Research – one on B2B commerce suites and one on B2C commerce suites – BigCommerce earned the highest possible score in five total criteria: Expanded Sales Channels (B2C Wave), A/B and Multivariate Testing, Platform Architecture, Platform Integration, Delivery Model, and Technology Partners and Marketplace (B2B Wave).
The reports evaluate the most significant software providers, to help digital businesses select the right technology for their needs. The reports also use feedback from BigCommerce customers, who said that they “like the culture and responsiveness of the support experience” when using the platform.
If you’re a large store with a physical presence, you’re better off with Shopify – but if you’re an online business, BigCommerce is truly worth every cent. While it’s not quite as polished as Shopify, it’s still an excellent ecommerce solution.
More Information
- Read our BigCommerce Review to see our detailed pros and cons discussion about BigCommerce
- Read our BigCommerce vs Shopify comparison to see the major differences between Shopify and BigCommerce, and how they affect you
- Check out our review of BigCommerce Pricing Plans to find out about BigCommerce’s unique pricing strategy
- Using WordPress? Read about BigCommerce’s WordPress plugin in our BigCommerce Review to find out how you can combine these two market leaders
#3. Volusion
Best for tracking your store’s progress with analytics features
Start selling from $29 a month
| Volusion Pros | Volusion Cons |
|---|---|
| Great analytics features | No blogging tools, which can limit your marketing strategy |
| Multi-channel selling is easily managed from your dashboard | Limited bandwidth can result in unexpected fees down the line |
| Strong site speed performance | Knowledge center lacking |
Volusion Gallery
Click the image below to expand Like BigCommerce and Shopify, Volusion is a comprehensive ecommerce solution.
Key features include:
- 24/7 customer support – impressively thorough support pages and video tutorials.
- Broad range of mobile-responsive themes – whatever you want to sell online, Volusion has you covered. Its themes cover fashion, beauty, food & beverages, electronics – pretty much anything you can imagine! These themes are also mobile-optimized, meaning your customer’s experience will be smooth no matter what device they’re using. However, for sheer number of designs, Volusion can’t match Shopify (offering 45 compared to Shopify’s 100+).
- App market – you can choose from over 20 apps to bolt onto your store from Volusion’s App Marketplace.
- Ecommerce tools – add products, offer subscription billing, get automatic tax rates, and integrate with Amazon and eBay – all without touching any code.
We like the simplicity of Volusion’s design. The overall offering is not as comprehensive as Shopify or BigCommerce, but Volusion’s store editor is pretty accessible.
Volusion does not charge transaction fees on any of its plans. This means you can keep all your profits and reinvest them in your store.
Like Shopify and BigCommerce, Volusion also has a great range of analytics tools. This makes it easy to assess where your store is doing well and where it could be improved.
Volusion is especially helpful if you’re selling over multiple channels, such as Facebook and Instagram. It allows you to pull all your sales into one place, making it really easy to keep track of everything.
But beware: Volusion doesn’t have any in-house blogging tools, which is less than ideal for growing your store. Blogging can be central to your marketing efforts, so Volusion’s lack of blogging tools is a big drawback.
On the whole, though, Volusion is a more than decent ecommerce software that can get you online even if you’re not at all technical. It’s not quite up to the standard of Shopify or BigCommerce, and despite its more limited feature set, its entry plan is more expensive than that of its competitors. However, it’s still an ecommerce solution that lets you build a stylish store and sell online without coding.
More Information
- Read our Volusion Review for a full look at this popular ecommerce solution
- Torn between Volusion and Shopify? Read our Volusion vs Shopify comparison to see these two leading brands go head to head
- Still unsure? Check out our Ecommerce Comparison Chart to see these solutions ranked side by side
At this stage, it’s worth reiterating that this guide deals specifically with ecommerce solutions. If you’re starting your first online store, or getting your first business online, you may want to check out our piece on the best platforms for ecommerce. These intuitive tools are the quickest and easiest ways to begin selling online through your own website.
Best 3 Self-Hosted Ecommerce Solutions
Self-hosted ecommerce software is very flexible, but you need to be quite technical (or hire a capable developer) to help you build your store.
Before we go any further, make no mistake about it – self-hosted ecommerce software solutions will involve a far steeper learning curve than the hosted ecommerce solutions we’ve just looked at.
But if you are technologically savvy and want greater customization options, a self-hosted ecommerce solution might be of interest. The best ecommerce solutions that are open source (we’ll explain what this means in a moment) provide unrivaled customization.
In this section, we’ll introduce you to three leading self-hosted ecommerce software options:
- WordPress with WooCommerce: best overall self-hosted ecommerce software
- Magento: best self-hosted ecommerce software for large businesses
Self-hosted ecommerce software solutions are open source shopping carts. But what does that mean?
Open source shopping carts are effectively standalone programs you install into your own host (such as Bluehost). This means you’ll have to set up, configure and manage your own hosting service to power your online store.
Once you sign up to a hosting service, you’ll then need to install some shopping cart software into your hosting account.
See why we think these solutions are that much trickier than hosted ecommerce software?
Hosting services such as Bluehost usually have a one-click installation process. But there is still quite a bit of tinkering to do, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. When we tried it ourselves for the first time, it took a couple of hours and was a bit frustrating. But after you figure things out, the next installation is a lot smoother.
Once you have the shopping cart platform installed, you’ll need to install a design template. You should know that unless you are quite confident with codes, you’ll most likely need to hire a coder to help you make most design changes. The templates are not as user-friendly as drag-and-drop ecommerce software (such as the examples highlighted above).
The main benefit of using self-hosted open source software is that you can configure it to function exactly the way you want it to, meaning your store can be heavily customized.
The drawback is that it requires you to be technically experienced to install, set up and configure it to work properly. So if you’re not a techie, or if you don’t have time to learn more advanced coding functions, self-hosted shopping carts will not be the best approach for you.
That being said, open source shopping carts offer good flexibility, and have lots of advanced features that you can use and configure.
Which is why we’re going to tell you a bit more about three of the leading self-hosted ecommerce software providers…
Advice from the Experts
If hosted ecommerce software is like a finished house you can start decorating immediately, self-hosted software is like a building site. You get bricks, cement, wood and steel framing – all you need to build a beautiful property. But it’s up to you to put it together.
That being said, open source shopping carts offer good flexibility, and have lots of advanced features that you can use and configure.
Which is why we’re going to tell you a bit more about three of the leading self-hosted ecommerce software providers…
#1. WooCommerce (powered by Bluehost)
Best overall self-hosted ecommerce software
| WooCommerce (powered by Bluehost) Pros | WooCommerce (powered by Bluehost) Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy to install | Fewer multichannel integrations than other platforms |
| Excellent value for money | No built-in abandoned cart recovery feature (requires an extension) |
| Our recommended hosting provider, Bluehost, offers a 30-day money back guarantee | Extra plugins can add up over time |
WooCommerce Gallery
Click the image below to expand OK, we’re guessing you’ve heard of WordPress? After all, it’s one of the most popular platforms around.
To turn your WordPress site into an ecommerce store, you need to use extra ecommerce solutions. The best of these is WooCommerce.
How does it work? It couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is sign up to your chosen hosting provider’s WordPress-specific hosting plans, if it has them, (we strongly recommend Bluehost), and it will automatically install WooCommerce onto your computer for you.
WooCommerce also offers an ‘setup wizard’ that guides you through the process of building your store, helping you set up payments, choose currencies, and decide on shipping and tax options. It’s no wonder that WooCommerce clocked a 3.5/5 score in our ease of use research.
Why do we recommend Bluehost to power your WooCommerce store? Well, we’ve carried out some serious research into all the important areas for building online stores using self-hosted software, such as value for money, ease of use, sales features, and more.
From our findings, we can confidently say that Bluehost is head and shoulders above the rest of the hosting competitors for powering WooCommerce stores. With WooCommerce powered by Bluehost, you’ll get:
- 49+ themes costing on average just $38 (compared to $100 on Magento)
- Bluehost plans starting from just $13.99 per month (helping WooCommerce, combined with Bluehost, score a brilliant 4.4/5 in our value for money research category)
- WooCommerce extensions costing on average just $79 per year
- Translate your site into 24 languages
- Multichannel selling – sell on Amazon, eBay, and Instagram through a paid extension, and sell on Facebook for free.
- Great SEO support (SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization – the practice of boosting your site’s rankings in search engines like Google. The higher you rank, the more traffic and sales you get)
- The ability to add and customize products
- Payment options like PayPal and Visa – WooCommerce scored an impressive 4.1/5 in our ‘sales features’ category.
The great benefit of ecommerce software like WordPress + WooCommerce is personalization. You aren’t tied down to any one way of doing things, instead having the freedom to play around in the backend. For instance, you can customize everything from your check-out cart through to your confirmation emails.
But, while WooCommerce may sound simple in principle, just like Magento, it requires technical skill to run.
In our experience, add-ons that are included in Shopify and BigCommerce plans can get quite pricey with WooCommerce. If you’re looking for an alternative, check out BigCommerce’s WordPress plugin. This allows you to make the most of BigCommerce’s features along with the freedom of WordPress.
BigCommerce has more multi-channel integrations than WooCommerce, so if you want to sell through numerous social media channels or marketplaces, it’s an option worth thinking about.
More Information
- WordPress Review: Find out if this is the right choice for you
- Don’t know whether to choose hosted or self-hosted for your online store? Read our WooCommerce vs Shopify Review to find out
- Using WordPress? You’ll need hosting: read our verdict on the Best WordPress Hosting Provider to get the best out of your business
- Need a hand getting started with hosting your WordPress store? Read our guide on How to Install WordPress with Bluehost and gain a valuable head start
#2. Magento (powered by SiteGround)
Best self-hosted ecommerce software for large businesses
| Magento (powered by SiteGround) Pros | Magento (powered by SiteGround) Cons |
|---|---|
| Ideal for medium to large- sized businesses | Very technical, not beginner friendly |
| Back-end inventory has excellent built-in features e.g. multiple product variants and bulk product import | Expensive extensions for multichannel e.g. $499 to sell on eBay |
Magento Gallery
Click the image below to expand Magento is one of the most well-known ecommerce solutions on the market. It powers over 240,000 stores, so it must be doing something right!
If you know a bit of code (or are able to pay someone who does), then you have great freedom to build the store of your dreams.
But Magento’s editor just isn’t as easy to use as hosted ecommerce software. For an inexperienced store builder, there are far more potential pitfalls. For example, we found the Magento interface includes a lot of technical terms that will seem alien to a first-time user.
The more time you spend working out what they mean, the less time you spend perfecting your store. This is why we scored Magento 2.5/5 in our ‘ease of use’ research category.
One area Magento is pretty strong in is the sales features category, scoring a brilliant 4/5. With Magento, you can:
- Sell physical, downloadable, and service products
- Accept payments for WorldPay as a built-in feature (though this payment processor is only suitable for large businesses)
- Add multiple product variants
- Generate total revenue reports
- View total visitor count
The Magento community is very helpful, too, and there are lots of quality guides available. This is why, combined with SiteGround’s customer support, we scored Magento 5/5 for help and support.
As with Shopify and BigCommerce, you can purchase themes externally via Magento, while you can also access a large selection of apps and plugins. The key difference with Magento is that you need to pay for your own hosting.
How much does hosting cost? Well, we recommend using SiteGround to power your Magento store, which comes with three main price plans costing $9.95/month, $17.95/month, and $29.95/month. Overall, considering the cost of extensions and SiteGround price plans, we scored Magento 3.5/5 in our value for money testing.
More Information
- Torn between hosted and self-hosted? Read our comparison on Magento vs Shopify to find out which is the right platform for you
- Just getting started with hosting? Read our review of the Best Web Hosting Providers to choose the best option for your store
What Is Ecommerce Software?
So just how does ecommerce software work?
Ecommerce software is what we call an all-in-one solution that gives you everything you need to build and run an online store. It makes it possible for you to add and sell products, manage your inventory, accept payments, deliver orders, and sort out taxes – pretty much anything you need to sell products through your online store without switching between different services.
Imagine you’re the driver and the ecommerce software is the car. The software provides the engine, lights, steering wheel and gears. You can then pick the car’s color, number plate, and where you want to go!
There are two main types of ecommerce software you can use to build an online store:
- Hosted ecommerce software (more user-friendly). Hosted ecommerce shopping carts enable you to build an ecommerce store without learning to code. The top three are Shopify, BigCommerce and Volusion.
- Self-hosted open source ecommerce software (more advanced). Our recommendations include Magento and WordPress with WooCommerce.
Self-hosted ecommerce software like WordPress powers millions of online stores, while ecommerce solutions like Shopify and BigCommerce are used by some of America’s biggest brands.
Just check out this Shopify-powered online store from bookstore Penguin Books…
Using the best ecommerce software, you can build a stylish online store without any technical knowledge. There’s no need to worry, either – both hosted and self-hosted software will enable you to build the online store of your dreams.
How Do You Pick the Best Ecommerce Software for You?
“You’ll be surprised to hear that finding the best ecommerce software is not what you should be aiming for. Instead, focus on finding the best ecommerce software for YOU.”
Think of it as like picking clothes for your wardrobe. You don’t only pick the nicest or the most expensive clothes, do you? You want clothes that fit your body shape and are suitable for the weather outside. It’s the same with ecommerce software: you need a solution that’s the right fit for you.
So how do you pick the best ecommerce solution for your store?
There are four key questions you need to ask yourself before you pick your ecommerce software. Your answers will tell you which ecommerce solution is right for you.
Let’s dive in…
- How much time do you want to spend on technical maintenance?
- How budget-conscious are you?
- How technologically skilled are you?
- How much support do you want or need?
1. How much time do you want to spend on maintenance?
Are you not particularly technical? Do you not want to spend your time making sure your site doesn’t crash? Would you rather focus on marketing your store and making money?
In other words, do you want to worry about hosting (where your site lives on the internet), security, or any technical aspects of running your online store?
If your answer is a resounding no, you might want to consider using hosted ecommerce software.
Ecommerce solutions like Shopify, BigCommerce and Volusion take care of the essentials of building and running an online store.
Hosted ecommerce software will also make sure your site loads quickly. Load time is how long it takes for your store to appear when a customer tries to visit.
Online shoppers are impatient. The slower your site loads, the more chance your customers bail before buying. In our experience, ecommerce software that is self-hosted will load slower. Any work needed to speed up the site is up to you.
On the other hand, the best hosted ecommerce solutions will take care of all the technical upkeep for you.
Basically, hosted ecommerce software is dedicated to selling online. These solutions take care of all the technical aspects of operating a website so you don’t have to be your own IT manager. This enables you to focus on your business instead.
In the other corner are self-hosted ecommerce software tools.
These ecommerce solutions give you great flexibility to customize your store, but are much more hands-on when it comes to technical maintenance.
They regularly update their system, and it’s your job to make sure your store is up-to-date and glitch-free.
To do this, it’s likely you’ll need to work with a developer. This can get very expensive very quickly.
Which leads us on to our second question…
2.How budget-conscious are you?
Using hosted ecommerce software enables you to create a store for a set monthly fee.
From $29 a month, you can set up your online store and start selling products.
With the best ecommerce solutions, you know what your bill will be each month, and any extra apps are clearly priced.
It’s trickier to work out your website costs with self-hosted software like WordPress. This is because you may have to work with a developer to keep your site running (if you’re not a techie yourself) and make any significant changes. Developers cost money– often hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.
Furthermore, with self-hosted ecommerce software, you need to keep paying for plugins to add more functionality. This makes costing your online store with self-hosted ecommerce solutions a lot more difficult.
Cost-conscious? Worry not – some hosted ecommerce platforms offer discounts on their premium plans which make them far more affordable. For example, Shopify offers a 10% discount when you sign up for a year, and 20% if you sign up for two years!
Further Information
- How to Start an Online Store – Our complete step-by-step guide on setting up your online store
- How to Start an Online Clothing Store – A closer look at the things to consider when selling clothes online
Now you’ve worked out how important a clearly defined budget is to you, it’s time to ask yourself…
3. How technologically skilled are you?
Hosted and self-hosted ecommerce solutions require different amounts of technical skill to help you create the store you want.
Self-hosted ecommerce software is terrific for customization. WordPress, for example, is an open source platform, meaning anyone can use its codes and create personalized templates, themes and plugins. It’s also extremely powerful, so you can build a really unique store.
However, as with technical maintenance, making changes using self-hosted ecommerce software like WordPress may require a developer (unless you’re a skilled coder yourself).
On the flip side, if you want to build your store using more accessible technology that requires no coding skills, hosted ecommerce solutions are the answer.
The idea is that hosted ecommerce solutions “hide” all the code, and instead provide you with a simple and non-technical user interface for you to create your own store. At the click of a button, you can insert your content (such as images and galleries), upload your products, and connect your website to a payment processor.
You can then start selling very quickly.
All the tools you need to run an online store, including product management and payment processors, are already built-in to hosted ecommerce solutions. You don’t need to spend time adding them yourself – they all work out-of-the-box, right away. If you do get stuck, dedicated support teams are on hand to help.
Which leads us to our fourth and final question…
4. How much support do you want or need?
When launching an online store, professional support is a big help.
Good support is like having a full-time business partner. They can answer your questions and point you in the right direction when things go wrong.
The best ecommerce solutions all come with at least a decent level of support.
Generally, self-hosted ecommerce solutions leave you on your own a bit more. There are communities, resources and tutorials to help, but you may find it hard to sift through the information to find the answer to your specific problem.
In our research, we found that hosted ecommerce software like Shopify and BigCommerce provided an excellent level of support. Agents are typically available over the phone, email and LiveChat.
Now you’ve had an overview of the best hosted and self-hosted ecommerce solutions on the market, and know exactly what to look out for, you can choose the best solution for your online store.
Best Ecommerce Software: Conclusion
Let’s recap the five best hosted and self-hosted ecommerce solutions:
Best Hosted and Self-Hosted Ecommerce Software
- Shopify – best for larger businesses.
- BigCommerce – best ecommerce software for purely online businesses.
- Volusion – best ecommerce software for analytics.
- WooCommerce (powered by Bluehost) – best overall self-hosted ecommerce software.
- Magento (powered by SiteGround) – best self-hosted ecommerce software for large businesses.
Finding the best ecommerce software is not an easy task when you’re trying to figure out how to sell online.
The first step is to think about how technically confident you are. If you’re a master coder, then self-hosted solutions like Magento will give you more flexibility and you can configure the cart as you wish.
What if you are a beginner or intermediate user, not comfortable with code, or want to quickly and easily set up an online store and start selling? Hosted ecommerce solutions like Shopify are your best option.
FAQs
Self-hosted ecommerce solutions like Magento and WordPress (with WooCommerce) are more advanced. While this means they’re more flexible, it also means they’re more complicated to set up and manage. If you’re confident with code and technology, these are a great choice. If not, they can be overwhelming and expensive for you to run.
See our Ecommerce Comparison Chart for a full list of hosted ecommerce options. Or, check out our WordPress Review to find out more about self-hosted platforms.
For dedicated hosted ecommerce solutions, Shopify starts from $29 a month, and BigCommerce starts from $29 a month. Self-hosted solutions are a lot harder to calculate because hosting plans vary so much.
You can get hosting for as low as $2.95 a month from Bluehost, up to as much as $119.99 a month on a different Bluehost plan. It really depends on the size and needs of your store. Remember to include the cost of add-ons in your budget too.
Want to find out more? Read our Shopify Review for a full look at this leading ecommerce solution.
The main one is getting an SSL certificate. This stands for Secure Sockets Layer and makes your site a safe place for customers to enter their payment details and information. This means it’s essential for any online store.
Shopify and BigCommerce both include an SSL certificate for free in all their payment plans.
If you want to find out more about getting started, why not check out our guide on How to Build an Online Store.
We take great care to ensure the information we publish is reliable and accurate. However, WBE takes no responsibility for any inaccuracy in information supplied to us by users, research participants, or other entities.
Please note the insight contained within this article is for general information purposes only. We’re glad to answer any questions you may have about this article and its supporting research. For further information, please contact Website Builder Expert directly via email at info@websitebuilderexpert.com.
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