Online shopping is thriving these days. People tend to buy more and more online and that is why more and more platforms are trying the fulfill the needs of the businesses which sell for customers worldwide. In this article, we are showing you the 8 best ecommerce platforms so you can easily get started if you are planning on opening an online store or you want to start dropshipping.
Nowadays there are a lot of ecommerce platforms to choose from if you want to start your online store. Finding the best for you and your business is quite a dilemma. That is why we are trying to show you the 8 best ecommerce platforms, so you can easily choose the one which you find the most outstanding.
Ecommerce Platforms
First of all, what is an ecommerce platform? It is a platform where you can create your own online store with the help of different themes and applications without hiring a developer to build a whole new website, store, ecommerce solutions. The best ecommerce platforms give you the opportunity to start your business and create the online store of your dreams.
There are two types of ecommerce platforms: hosted and self-hosted. Hosted ecommerce platforms are great opportunities for beginners and those as well who are on the market for a long time. Moreover, it is a nice option if you want to have an online store where you do not have to worry about hosting or other technical factors. No serious technical skills are needed. In this case, you will have to pay monthly fees, but it will totally worth it in the long run.
Self-hosted ecommerce platforms are a bit trickier as you have to take care of the hosting all by yourself. This can be a tough job if you do not have adequate IT knowledge for the job. In this case you have to hire someone who will do this for you which can lead you to huge expenses. It is true that in this case you will have a unique online store, but it can go wrong easier.
Finding the best ecommerce platform can be a hard job as you do not always know what would be good for your business. This requires a lot of searching and creating plans but you will eventually find the one with which you can work in the long run. Fortunately, you can try them for free in all the cases, so you can try them out and decide after.
You have to keep in mind that choosing the platform by their monthly fees is not the best option, because you can have further expenses later on or the platform will not be suitable for your business as it grows.
Dropshipping
Maybe you heard that running a dropshipping store can be a lucrative business and no capital investment is needed and this is why you are researching now for ecommerce platforms. However, it can happen that it is not completely clear to you yet what this business model is about. It is totally okay, we are here to help you. Dropshipping can be beneficial for your online store as you can sell a lot of products without spending money on storing them. During this process, your customers will order the products from your online store, and your supplier (who you choose) will pack everything together and ship them to your customers.
During this procedure, you do not even have to meet the products if you do not want to. However, you can also order the products to your doorstep and you can repackage everything and even customize them for your clients. This can come in handy if you want to have more than one supplier and you are afraid that if a customer orders more products, the packages would arrive at different times to them. Check our other article to find out more about dropshipping.
Syncee
Syncee is a B2B platform where you can find millions of products from hundreds of suppliers from the US/CA/EU/UK/AU + more. This application gives you the opportunity to fulfill your dream of becoming a dropshipping store. It is very easy to use, and you can upload products one-by-one or in bulk into your e-shop, it is up to you. You can start searching for products and suppliers in Syncee Marketplace to decide if this platform gives you enough opportunities for the start. Syncee integrates with all the best ecommerce platforms, you just have to install the app, and you can start managing products.
After the short explanation, let’s get started with the 8 best ecommerce platforms for dropshipping stores where you can integrate Syncee if you are looking for products and suppliers and would want to manage your items easily.
The 8 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Dropshipping Stores
1. Shopify
Shopify gives you a really good opportunity if you want to start an online store on this platform. The whole platform is hosted which means that you do not need to have any kind of IT expertise as it will be done for you by the platform. It is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms globally. What is more, you can always search for Shopify Experts as well if you feel like that you need someone’s help with creating the whole online store or you just have some questions in connection with this process. It is not even a question that it is on our list of the best ecommerce platforms.
Pricing
- Basic Shopify: $32/month
- Shopify: $92/month
- Advanced Shopify: $399/month
- Shopify Plus: custom pricing
Pros
- it is very easy to use Shopify, it is very beginner-friendly
- there are several themes to choose from for free
- the support is outstanding, you can get help from the team 24/7
- there are over a thousand applications to choose from for your store
- no hidden charges
- it is easy to customize
- the platform is hosted
- great marketing and SEO features, tools
- easy payment
- security and reliability
- mobile responsiveness
- no tech skills needed
- own payment gateway
- you can integrate it with Syncee
Cons
- prices are a bit high compared to other ecommerce platforms
- transaction fees after every customer
- there are some limitations in customization
2. Wix
Wix is one of the best ecommerce platforms and perfect for those who want to create something unique and want freedom for creating everything they need in their online stores. You can easily build your online presence by customizing your site with advanced features. Fortunately, you have 500 spectacular templates and free web hosting, and 24/7 customer service. Wix is totally user-friendly, you do not have to know how to code if you choose this platform to build your own online store. What is more, you can also get some inspiration from the other websites Wix has already created. With the advanced SEO tools, you will not have any kind of problems with driving traffic to your website either.
Prices
- Connect Domain: $5.50/month
- Combo: $10/month
- Unlimited: $17/month
- VIP: $29/month
Pros
- perfect for small businesses
- mobile responsiveness
- really good templates
- several applications to choose from
- secure payment methods available
- unlimited product collections
- built-in marketing tools
- create an SEO-optimized, multilingual storefront
- currency converter
- you can get started with free business tools
- 500+ beautiful and professional online store templates
- you can sell on multiple sales channels
- easy-to-use dashboard
- automated social media (Facebook, Instagram) ad campaigns
- you can integrate it with Syncee
Cons
- you cannot choose another template once you decided to use a particular one
- there might be problems with developing your online store
3. Jumpseller
Just like Shopify, Jumpseller is also one of the best ecommerce platforms for those who are trying to create their online stores without advanced IT knowledge. You can edit all of the pages without any problems and your themes will be professional by the different customization options you have with them. What is more, you can also translate your online store into different languages so your customers will be satisfied with the end result. You can use social media to get your customers to buy from your online store. Furthermore, if you want to sell digital products you have the features to do so.
Prices
- Basic: $11/month
- Plus: $21/month
- Pro: $42/month
- Premium: $84/month
Pros
- easy to use
- great for beginners
- smart cross-selling
- frequently bought together products
- predictive search
- flexible support
- no transaction fees
- mobile responsive themes
- professional themes
- multi-language feature
- select from different local payment methods
- competitive pricing
- you can integrate it with Syncee
Cons
- limited themes
- problems with customization
- simple designs
4. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an open-source platform that works with WordPress so you can start to work with it easily and quickly as well. Surely, it is one of the best ecommerce platforms. You will have the opportunity to customize everything as you wish and you can easily manage everything from the WooCommerce Mobile App. It is one of the fastest-growing platforms therefore, you will be supported throughout your journey via real people and not robots. You can start with a small business and develop it into a huge one – it is up to you. The platform will allow you to grow easily and you can change to another plan anytime you wish to do so.
Prices
- Basic Site: approximately $9.17/month
- Mid-Range Site: approximately $25+/month
- Advanced Site: approximately $125+/month
Pros
- free to use WooCommerce (you have to pay for the hosting, plugins, etc)
- you can choose from many payment gateways
- high scalability
- several plugins and applications
- fully responsive design
- great option to create unique design and storefront
- built-in blogging
- easily manageable product categories
- location customization
- great SEO optimization
- informative analytics
- highly affordable and flexible
- secure service
- you can integrate it with Syncee
Cons
- it can be a bit pricy
- the images are not always managed
- tech skills are needed
5. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a popular service globally and is among the best ecommerce platforms. It is also easy to use as the company is aiming to help with creating the best online store possible. It is great for enterprise-level businesses and beginners as well. Your customers will come back for more and more great commerce experiences. BigCommerce offers you several design tools which can be used if you wish to create the most outstanding outlook for your business. The company offers you the latest trends and out-of-the-box solutions for your online store. You will definitely like the freedom of choice here.
Prices
- Standard: $29.95/month
- Plus: $79.95/month
- Pro: $299.95/month
- Enterprise: custom pricing
Pros
- easy to use
- you can sell internationally
- 24/7 customer support
- strong SEO features
- mobile-friendly platform
- robust security
- multi-currency option
- smart solutions
- full CMS functionality
- unlimited staff accounts
- powerful analytics
- great performance
- connect with buyers across various channels
- easy to design, theme store available
- you can integrate it with Syncee
Cons
- sometimes it is hard to follow what to do
- prices are a bit high
6. Squarespace
Squarespace is again one of the best ecommerce platforms and an amazing idea if you want to start your online store. You can create everything you need with simple tools. You can have the opportunity to find different templates, fonts, and colors for your online store. With these tools, you can easily get a great audience via the different channels. The platform offers you unlimited hosting, dependable resources, and security so you can easily succeed. What is more, you can always hire an expert if you need some help with building your online store, or you just simply want to get some help in solving your problems.
Prices
- Personal: $23/month
- Business: $33/month
- Basic Commerce: $36/month
- Advanced Commerce: $65/month
Pros
- easy to use platform
- you can find stock images in the application
- mobile responsive
- you can have video backgrounds
- easy to update your online store
- many templates offered
- useful widgets
- various page types
- allows data import/export
- great analytics system
- 24/7 support
- speedy and secure
- you can integrate it with Syncee
Cons
- you cannot choose another template once you have decided on using one
- limited developments
- lack of advanced marketing tools
7. Ecwid by Lightspeed
Ecwid by Lightspeed is one of the best ecommerce platforms and perfect for you if you want to start a small-to-medium size business and create it with just some clicks. You will have a lot of opportunities with this platform as you can sell across social media, marketplaces, websites, and also in your brick-and-mortar shop. You will get live support whenever you need it. The team’s dream is that small businesses should be driven to success by Ecwid by Lightspeed. With these notions, you will surely start your online store strongly.
Prices
- Free: $0/month
- Venture: $19/month
- Business: $39/month
- Unlimited: $99/month
Pros
- it is affordable
- easy to use
- the support is available via email and live chat support
- it is very secure
- you can have a mobile app for your store
- can work as a plugin as well
- supports about 50 payment providers, payment gateways
- point of sale option
- smart tax calculations, location-based taxes
- shipping assistance, sync with shippers, calculations
- ‘Buy Now’ button on your site
- free real-time shipping tracking
- free product search and browser option
- minicart
- you can integrate it with Syncee
Cons
- not so unique designs, the customization is expensive
- sometimes it is hard to find some options
8. Shoprenter
Shoprenter is Hungarian and one of the best ecommerce platforms, where you can easily create your ideas and start selling your products. You can start your business with a free trial where you can get to know if the platform would be perfect for you. The team will be there for you if you need any kind of help and you will have a professional online store from the beginning. The platform is totally reliable and you will not have any kind of problems with the IT part of your store. What is more, you will get information about the importance of an online store.
Prices
(The prices are exchanged from HUF to USD and they are relevant in Winter 2023.)
- Bronze: $16.76/month
- Silver: $41.93/month
- Gold: $83.90/month
Pros
- several useful applications
- easy-to-use dashboard
- reliable platform
- a great option for Hungarians to use a platform in their native language
- the support is available via email, chat, and phone
- easy to customize the store and the design
- great SEO and marketing tools
- multi-channel selling
- automated updates
- you can integrate it with Syncee
Cons
- it is only available in Hungarian
- if you want to have special developments, it is hard to create them
Conclusion
All in all, you have read about the 8 best ecommerce platforms. It can be hard to decide which one to choose and you have to consider a lot of things when you want to find the best for your business. Still, we want to encourage you to get started and create your dream online store with dropshipping.
