Ecommerce platforms compared: Key differences & tips for choosing the right one

You invest heavily in your business – marketing, product development, logistics. But if your technology foundation doesn’t scale with you, it will hold you back. An ecommerce platform is more than just a nice-looking storefront. It runs your entire sales process, from product management to checkout and payment.

There are countless solutions out there. Some prioritize ease of use, which can mean limitations depending on your requirements. Others offer flexibility and customization but demand technical expertise. Then comes the infrastructure question: cloud or self-hosted? A classic all-in-one solution or headless commerce? Which model best fits your business?

In this article, we compare 8 leading ecommerce platforms. You’ll discover what really matters when choosing a platform, which features are essential, and the key technology differences you need to know.

Why is the right ecommerce platform so important?

Products don’t sell themselves. You need a platform that reliably processes orders, handles payments securely, and delivers a customer experience that keeps shoppers coming back. Many merchants start with simple shop integrations or even manage orders manually. But as soon as the business grows, these systems quickly reach their limits.

Without a scalable platform, every additional order can become a burden. Inventory can’t be synchronized automatically, invoices have to be created manually, and adding new sales channels requires time-consuming adjustments. Errors in the order process cost not only time, but also customers.

A powerful platform takes this work off your hands. It automates processes, integrates multiple sales channels, and ensures your shop remains stable even during high demand. Instead of getting bogged down with technical issues, you can focus on growing your business.

Ecommerce platforms compared: Technical differences

Not every platform works the same. Some offer an all-in-one solution, while others focus on flexibility and modularity. The choice mainly depends on how customized you want your shop to be and how much you value scalability, maintenance, and extensibility.

Monolith vs. Headless Commerce

Monolithic systems are traditional all-in-one solutions. Everything – from product management to checkout – is tightly integrated. This makes them simple, but not very flexible. Headless commerce separates the frontend from the backend, allowing you to design the shopping experience independently.

Cloud vs. self-hosting

Cloud platforms take care of maintenance, updates, and scaling. You don’t have to worry about anything, but you pay ongoing fees. With self-hosted systems, you have full control over your setup – but you’re also responsible for maintenance and security.

Open source vs. licensed

Open-source platforms can be customized and extended but require technical know-how. Licensed platforms are ready to use right away but often offer less flexibility.

Core functions of an ecommerce platform

A successful online store needs more than just a product page and a checkout button. Without a solid technical foundation, orders can get lost, payments can fail, or customers may drop off. These features are the bare minimum your shop needs to run reliably:

📦 Product & order management

• Clear management of products and variants

• Automatic inventory tracking to prevent overselling

• Invoice and delivery note creation directly within the system

💳 Secure payment processing

• Integration of common payment methods (credit card, PayPal, invoice purchase)

• Automatic fraud prevention and secure transactions

• Refunds and partial refunds handled directly through the system

🚚 Shipping & delivery options

• Integration with shipping providers

• Shipping cost calculation based on weight, location, or order value

• Tracking numbers and automated shipping confirmations

🛒 Checkout & customer accounts

• Guest checkout without forced registration

• Customer accounts with order history and address management

• Mobile-optimized checkout for a smooth shopping experience

📊 Reports & analytics

• Revenue, order, and inventory analytics

• Analysis of returns and cancellations

• Export functions for accounting and tax advisors

Do you need a high-end ecommerce platform?

Keep the following points in mind and consider which of them you need now – and which you may need in the future:

2) Spryker

• Origin & concept: Spryker is a commerce solution developed in Germany.

• Technology: Spryker is built on a modular, headless, and API-first architecture. It offers flexible hosting options, including on-premise and cloud.

• Target audience: According to the company, Spryker is used by businesses with extensive requirements for customization, particularly in the B2B sector.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Spryker)

Like other providers, Spryker offers flexible pricing models. The company currently provides four packages:

• B2B Commerce

• Enterprise Marketplace

• Unified Commerce

• B2C Commerce (recently added)

Spryker does not publish specific pricing information for these packages on its website.

3) WooCommerce

• Origin & concept: WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that adds ecommerce functionality to websites.

• Technology: It is a self-hosted solution that can be extended with themes and plugins.

• Target audience: WooCommerce is primarily used by shops that already run on WordPress or want to combine content and ecommerce functions.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: WooCommerce)

Although WooCommerce itself is free as a plugin, additional costs may apply:

• Premium themes: One-time costs of around €50

• Plugins and extensions: Additional fees depending on functionality

4) Shopify

• Origin & concept: Shopify is a Canada-based cloud service (“Software as a Service”).

• Technology: Hosting is included with Shopify, and extensions can be obtained through its own app store. Custom hosting options or full data control are not provided.

• Target audience: According to the company, Shopify is used worldwide by a wide range of businesses, from small shops to larger enterprises.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Shopify)

Shopify offers three main pricing plans (monthly billing):

• Basic: €36 per month – suitable for new ecommerce businesses with basic requirements

• Shopify: €105 per month – includes additional features such as professional reports and advanced staff accounts

• Advanced Shopify: €384 per month – includes advanced reporting features and lower transaction fees

Additional costs may apply, such as:

• Transaction fees: According to Shopify, external payment providers incur transaction fees of 2%, 1%, or 0.5% per transaction

• Apps and themes: Extensions and design templates may involve extra costs

Shopify also offers a 25% discount on annual subscriptions for the Basic, Shopify, and Advanced plans.

5) Adobe Commerce

• Origin & concept: Adobe Commerce evolved from Magento and is now part of Adobe.

• Technology: According to the provider, it includes extensive B2C and B2B capabilities. Adobe Commerce offers both on-premise and cloud hosting options, giving businesses flexibility in data control. It features a modular architecture with a comprehensive API and a large marketplace for extensions.

• Target audience: The platform is designed for medium to large enterprises, according to the manufacturer.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Adobe)

Adobe Commerce is generally available in two packages: Adobe Commerce Pro and Adobe Managed Services, which Adobe states helps minimize risks and disruptions

Pricing is based on the annual gross merchandise value (GMV) and the average order value (AOV). A custom quote must be requested for exact costs.

Additional expenses beyond license fees may include:

• Extensions: Costs for additional modules and plugins

• Support & maintenance: Ongoing fees for updates and technical support

6) Commercetools

• Origin & concept: Commercetools is a Germany-based company that offers a cloud commerce platform.

• Technology: As a cloud-based platform, Commercetools is provided as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). There are no self-hosting options or choices of hosting providers. The platform follows a microservices, API-first, and headless approach.

• Target audience: According to the company, Commercetools is designed for businesses seeking scalable and highly customizable commerce solutions.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Commercetools)

Commercetools does not disclose pricing or package details on its website.

7) BigCommerce

• Origin & concept: BigCommerce is a US-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform with hosting provided by the vendor.

• Technology: As an SaaS platform, BigCommerce handles the hosting. Self-hosting options are not available. SEO and marketing features come preconfigured and vary by plan. The platform provides an open API and numerous integrations. Customization is possible, but only within the boundaries of the platform.

• Target audience: The system offers interfaces to connect with ERP and CRM tools, making it suitable for businesses needing system integrations.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: BigCommerce)

BigCommerce offers different pricing tiers (monthly billing):

• Standard: $39 per month – suitable for small businesses with basic requirements; up to $50,000 annual online sales

• Plus: $105 per month – includes advanced marketing tools and customer segmentation; up to $180,000 annual online sales

• Pro: $399 per month – for higher-volume businesses with advanced features; up to $400,000 annual online sales

• Enterprise: Custom pricing – tailored solutions for large enterprises with specific needs

8) Wix

• Origin & concept: Wix is a website builder platform that also offers ecommerce functionality.

• Technology: The provider offers drag-and-drop features and design templates on its website. As a hosted platform, Wix takes care of the hosting for all created websites.

• Target audience: Designed for individuals and businesses that want to quickly create a website with integrated shop features on their own.

Plans & pricing (as of August 2025, source: Wix)

Wix offers several packages for online stores:

• Light: Starting at €13.09 per month – suitable for individuals and basic website setup (no ecommerce features)

• Core: Starting at €26.18 per month – for small shops with essential features

• Business: Starting at €40.46 per month – includes advanced ecommerce functionality and better support

• Business Elite: Starting at €177.31 per month – includes an advanced developer platform

Additional potential costs:

• Domain: Usually €14.95 per year from the second year onward (higher for domains like “.shop” or “.store”)

• Email accounts: Wix links your domain to Google Workspace for around €72 per year

How to choose the right ecommerce platform

Selecting the right platform is a strategic decision that directly impacts your revenue, operating costs, and business growth. Instead of only considering general criteria, you should evaluate three specific factors to make the best choice:

Additional tips:

• Total operating costs are not limited to license fees. Transaction fees, hosting, and extensions also play a significant role.

• A platform without regular updates can quickly become a security risk and may cause technical limitations.

• Reliable support or an active community is essential to resolve issues quickly.

• Slow loading times directly impact conversion rates and search engine rankings. A high-performance platform is a clear advantage.

• Legal requirements such as GDPR compliance and tax regulations must be covered by the platform to avoid legal issues.

Ecommerce platforms compared – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)