eCommerce Platforms
Top Rated Products
(1-2 of 2)
SAP Commerce Cloud (formerly Hybris) is designed to help businesses sell more goods, services, and digital content through every touchpoint, channel, and device through their multichannel ecommerce and order management solution, available as a SaaS or on-premise.
BigCommerce is a SaaS platform that allows SMBs to develop eCommerce sites. Features include the capabilities to design the storefront, configure products, manage payments, generate traffic, and optimize conversion.
All Products
(176-200 of 794)
e-comDrive is an eCommerce solution with capabilities such as order management, warehouse management, and web marketplace integration.
Explore recently added products
eCommerce Platforms TrustMap
TrustMaps are two-dimensional charts that compare products based on trScore and research frequency by prospective buyers. Products must have 10 or more ratings to appear on this TrustMap.
Learn More About eCommerce Platforms
What are eCommerce Platforms?
eCommerce software allows merchants to display a product catalog and conduct transactions online. Most eCommerce transactions are B2C (business-to-consumer). Some also support more complex B2B (business-to-business) transactions with contract negotiation features, for example.
There are two general types of eCommerce platforms: hosted and self-hosted open source:
- Hosted eCommerce solutions, which are cloud-based and billed monthly, tend to be more stable and user-friendly.
- Self-hosted eCommerce solutions are more advanced, customizable, and free.
eCommerce Websites
eCommerce websites, usually referred to as online storefronts, allow shoppers to browse through the merchant's product catalog and purchase products online.
Hosted eCommerce platforms include a set of pre-made templates and themes for storefront design. The best eCommerce software for your online business depends on your use cases. There are many different aspects of an online storefront that different eCommerce products may focus on:
- Managing larger inventories
- Displaying multiple versions (e.g., colors and sizes) of the same item
- Managing multiple stores
- Representing digital versus physical products
Scalability is also a major consideration when evaluating product catalog options and features.
Online Shopping Cart
An online shopping cart allows eCommerce website visitors to accumulate a list of products in a virtual "shopping cart" before checkout. In addition to accumulating the list, shopping cart software also calculates the total cost, including shipping and taxes.
Some platforms offer other shopping cart-related features, like abandoned cart tools. These save unfinished orders and/or email customers to remind them that there are still items in their cart. Abandoned cart functionality often costs extra or is available only with higher-tier packages.
Another additional functionality some eCommerce products include is the ability to suggest products for customers to view. This is typically based on individual customer’s shopping behavior along with information about what products other customers have been viewing and buying.
Online Payment System
Some solutions include in-house payment processing. Others integrate to a third party payment gateway. Vendors that offer in-house payment processing often charge a transaction fee. Since payment systems need to handle sensitive customer information, most eCommerce platforms have standard security measures in place.
eCommerce Platforms Features & Capabilities
- Online storefront
- Product catalog
- Online shopping cart
- Online payment system or integration with a payment gateway
- Order fulfillment and shipping management
- Merchant interface/dashboard
- eCommerce marketing tools
- eCommerce business management
- Customer behavior analytics and reporting
- Integrations (e.g. CRM, ERP, email marketing, payment gateway, etc)
eCommerce Software Comparison
There are a few key things buyers should consider to help them more easily compare eCommerce products:
1. Technical expertise required: Will the person or team managing your eCommerce website have technical/coding knowledge? Some eCommerce platforms are especially user-friendly for individuals with little to no coding experience, while others offer advanced customization that can be achieved through coding. Consider whether you’ll have access to a developer or other administrator with coding experience to help customize your eCommerce platform. If not, platforms that include a wide range of eCommerce website themes, or a WYSIWYG editor, may be a better for your business.
2. Open source vs. paid software: Are you looking for a free eCommerce platform to start out with, or a more advanced software that has all the bells and whistles? Especially if you or your team have experience with web design, an open source platform can be a great way to start building your online store. Popular open source platforms include Magento Open Source, Drupal, and Joomla. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an eCommerce platform that comes with access to customer support and a wide variety of pre-built website themes and templates, a paid platform will likely be a better bet.
3. B2B vs. B2C (or both): Do you sell to primarily a B2B or B2C market? Or both? There are a few main differences between B2B and B2C selling that, in part, determine what your eCommerce platform needs to have. For example, eCommerce businesses selling primarily to other businesses will need the ability to segment customer groups and to set up customizable pricing and configuration options. Some must-have features for B2C companies include built-in store themes, abandoned cart recovery, and compatibility with multiple payment gateways. Some ecommerce platforms are better designed for B2B, or B2C.
Pricing Information
Monthly subscriptions for hosted products vary widely depending on features and scalability. Monthly charges range from zero to over $1,000 at the very high end.
It’s a good idea to clearly understand requirements and to choose an ecommerce platform based on current and anticipated needs, rather than just focusing on cost. In the long-term, picking the ecommerce platform that is the best for your eCommerce business's needs will present cost savings that may not be immediately apparent in the startup phase.
More Resources
- eCommerce 101: What is eCommerce?
- Looking for a new eCommerce Platform? We've Got a Guide for That
- Key Differences Between B2B and B2C Ecommerce
- Top 5 Ecommerce Platforms for Small Businesses
- Top 10 Current eCommerce Statistics for 2021
Other eCommerce Products
Related Categories
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences between B2C and B2B eCommerce software?
There are a few main differences between businessto-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) selling that, in part, dictate what your next ecommerce software should include.
Key dimensions where B2B and B2C sales differ include:
- buying motivations
- what the market looks like
- the importance of brand reputation
- how much long-term value vs. immediate cost matters
- what the buying process looks like
What are some key features B2B eCommerce software should have?
If your company primarily sells to other businesses (B2B), ensure that your ecommerce platform includes:
- Customizable pricing, payment, and ordering options
- Deep personalization capabilities for your online storefront (e.g. branding, site search and navigation)
- Options for customers to easily reorder the same items and quantities > Discounted bulk ordering
- The ability to set a minimum order quantity (MQO)
- The ability to restrict access to certain groups (e.g. allowing only registered customers to view products)
- The ability to segment customers into groups, or integrate with the user’s CRM or ERP software
- A wide range of payment options and a highly secure checkout experience
What are some key features B2C eCommerce software should have?
If your business primarily sells to consumers (B2C), ensure that your ecommerce platform includes:
- > Built-in online storefront themes or templates
- The ability to customize product listings and have multiple product variants
- Abandoned cart recovery capabilities
- Promotion and discount code tools
- Built-in SEO tools
- Content management capabilities and a blog section
- Built-in email marketing capabilities, or integration with email marketing platforms
- Secure check-out experiences with multiple payment options