Starting your own online business may seem very exciting and daunting at the same time. Here are the 10 best eCommerce software that can make it easier to get started.
There is no doubt that people have effectively shifted towards shopping online, making the eCommerce business model very profitable.
However, this also means that the competition is very high, with a new online store popping up almost every day.
As of 2022, it is estimated that there are around 12 million to 24 million online stores globally. With every passing day, this number is growing rapidly.
In these competitive market conditions, if you want to start an online business, then you should choose an eCommerce software that adds a lot of value and functionality to your eCommerce website.
If you are hearing the term ‘eCommerce Software’ for the first time, this article will clear everything out for you. So, read on!
Contents
What is an eCommerce Software?
eCommerce software is your one-stop solution to build and manage your online store.
It makes it possible to handle all the functions involved in running an online business, like managing orders, handling inventory, shipping products, accepting payments, and much more.
You can add the eCommerce functionality to your website through a paid plugin or extension.
However, it is very hard for you to run your business efficiently with this option. You will have to invest in more add-ons and extensions for every additional functionality that you want to add to your website.
With eCommerce software, you will be able to access your entire business through a single comprehensive dashboard. This way, you will have better control over your business and more branding options.
You can choose an eCommerce software based on your technical expertise and your business needs.
Some software offers an all-in-one platform for your online store. Building your store on these platforms is easy, even without any technical expertise. This software come at higher subscription costs.
For those of you who have some technical expertise and would like to take full control of your online store, you can choose one of the open-source softwares.
Read on to find out more about your options and how they all fare against each other.
10 Best eCommerce Software to Try in 2023
1. Dukaan
Best for an all-in-one eCommerce software
Pricing starts from $11.99 per month. (14 days free trial)
Dukaan is an eCommerce software that is taking the world by storm with its simple-to-use platform and a huge library of plugins and free tools.
If you want to set up an online store in under a minute without the complications of coding, Dukaan is the way to go for you!
Features
Dukaan is a very feature-rich platform, you will have no complaints in that department. You can access and manage your business on both your laptop and phone.
Their library of 40+ plugins has everything you will need to add extra functionality to your store. Other features like order management, inventory management, logistics, payments, etc. are up to mark too.
Design
Creating a completely personalized store on Dukaan is as simple as it gets. If you can picture it in your head, you can design your store exactly like it.
There is a range of store banner templates to add some excitement and retain your customers. You can also easily incorporate branding elements like colors, logos, slogans, etc. into your store.
See it in action:
Pricing
Dukaan offers a 14-day free trial period during which you can start an online store and test run all their features. Following the trial period, you can subscribe to one of their paid plans.
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneur | $14.99 | $149.99 |
| Agency | $49.99 | $499.99 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Ease of Use
Dukaan is the easiest to use eCommerce software in the market. You do not need any technical expertise or coding skills to create your online store.
It is simple to add products, manage orders, handle inventory, personalize your store, promote it on social media, and so much more.
You can add a lot of credibility to your store through Dukaan plugins like live chat, product reviews, and ratings, trusted badges, etc. They also have some really useful free tools that can help you run your business efficiently.
2. Wix
Best for budget-friendly eCommerce builder
Pricing starts from $14 per month
Wix is an eCommerce software that is well known for its WYSIWYG type website building tool and fully aesthetic website themes.
It is very easy to build your eCommerce website on this platform and you do not need any coding skills or design skills to create an aesthetic storefront.
Features
Wix is a website builder that comes with built-in blogging functionality. eCommerce features can be added to your Wix website using the POWR plugin.
The SEO features on the platform are very strong and it also offers a range of marketing tools like email marketing, live chat, social media integrations, etc.
Apart from this, the website created on the platform is completely mobile responsive and loads quickly.
Design
Wix uses ADI or Artificial Design Intelligence to help build an aesthetically pleasing website that best represents your business. All you have to do is answer a few questions and follow the steps to land at a website in a matter of minutes.
This website is, of course, fully customizable. However, if you like to start from scratch and build a website on your own, you can do that too. Their pre-designed theme library is pretty extensive.
See it in action:
Pricing
Wix offers a range of useful eCommerce features and a lot of value-added tools. Considering this, their paid plans are quite affordable.
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Combo | $23/month | $16/month |
| Unlimited | $29/month | $22/month |
| Pro | $34/month | $27/month |
| VIP | $49/month | $45/month |
| Business Basic | $34/month | $27/month |
| Business Unlimited | $38/month | $32/month |
| Business VIP | $64/month | $59/month |
Ease of Use
When it comes to building and designing the eCommerce website, Wix has their AI-driven technology to make things easy.
Running a business on the platform is also quite simple. You can use their tools for marketing and promotions. You should know that as you scale your business, Wix may not be enough.
3. Volusion
Best for businesses that do not scale constantly
Pricing starts from $29 per month
Volusion is an eCommerce software that has been around since 1999. It has really powerful features that support eCommerce business.
It can be considered as one of the legacy platforms which has kept evolving with the changing eCommerce needs. To date, it has a loyal customer base who are successfully running their online business on the platform.
Features
One of the most powerful features of Volusion is its highly accurate and useful analytics and sales data. This helps sellers to constantly improve their business to increase sales and conversion.
Apart from this, Volusion has strong eCommerce features and also allows you to add videos to your product page for better retention.
Design
Volusion sure has a range of well-designed and modern templates that can be customized for a completely aesthetic storefront. However, it is more eCommerce focused than design-focused.
They have limited themes and templates that are completely responsive, clean, and sleek.
See it in action:
Pricing
Volusion’s paid plans are a little on the pricey side. Here is the pricing breakdown:
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $35.00 | $31.50 |
| Professional | $79.00 | $71.10 |
| Business | $299.00 | $269.10 |
| Prime | Based on GMV | Based on GMV |
Ease of Use
For designing your website, Volusion has in-house website designers whose services can be hired. This makes it easy for you to arrive at a beautifully designed eCommerce store.
The eCommerce side of the platform is very simple and straightforward. The dashboard is quite comprehensive, making it easy to handle your business.
4. BigCommerce
Best for medium to large-scale business
Pricing starts from $29.95 per month
BigCommerce is the eCommerce software to choose if your business is going to be constantly scaling. Its features are very powerful and can fast-track the growth of your business.
It provides a fully hosted platform for businesses of all sizes. However, for a startup or a small business, it might seem hard to find your way on the platform.
Features
BigCommerce has all the important and useful eCommerce features like abandoned cart recovery, multi-channel selling, multiple payment gateways, etc. It also has an in-build blogging platform.
The platform offers powerful analytics and data to help you grow your business more effectively.
Design
BigCommerce has a range of customizable themes to make your store look sleek and professional. However, the pre-designed themes are on the limited side.
You can use their drag-and-drop design tool to customize your online store and branding elements to it.
See it in action:
Pricing
Here is a complete breakdown of BigCommerce pricing plans:
| Plan | Monthly (when billed monthly) | Monthly (when billed yearly) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $29.95 | $29.95 |
| Plus | $79.95 | $71.95 |
| Pro | $299.95 | $269.96 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Ease of Use
BigCommerce is very easy to use on the eCommerce side of things. It has a range of features and tools to help you run your business efficiently.
When it comes to the design and maintenance of your site, you may need some technical help. While handling a large business, it is always smart to have a dedicated tech person for site management.
5. Shopify
Best for small to medium-size businesses
Pricing starts from $9 per month +commission charge
Shopify is one of the eCommerce software that brought about the revolution in the eCommerce industry. With a self-hosted platform that comes with a range of eCommerce features, Shopify is a worthy option to consider.
Features
Shopify has some of the best eCommerce features that support running your online business effectively. From order management to processing payments, everything can be taken care of on the platform.
It also has very strong security features and every store is provided with an SSL certificate.
Design
The theme library on Shopify is well stocked with a range of pre-designed templates. These templates are very eCommerce friendly and focused on highlighting the best features of a business.
However, if you are trying to change the themes once it is applied, the layout breaks and needs some coding skills to reformat the layout.
See it in action:
Pricing
Shopify has a good range of paid plans that applies to all budgets. Here is the pricing table for your reference:
| Plan | Monthly | Transaction Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Starter | $5 | - |
| Shopify Lite | $9 | 2.7% per in-person transaction |
| Basic Shopify | $29 | 2.9% + 30 cents per online transaction; 2.7% per in-person transaction |
| Standard Shopify | $79 | 2.6% + 30 cents per online transaction; 2.5% per in-person transaction |
| Advanced Shopify | $299 | 2.4% + 30 cents per online transaction; 2.4% per in-person transaction |
| Shopify Plus | Starting at $2000 | 0.15% per transaction (for third-party payment processors only) |
Ease of Use
You can set up your online store very quickly and easily on Shopify. It does not need any technical expertise or coding skills.
When it comes to customizing your store and site maintenance, technical skills are necessary if you want to adapt quickly. If not, the learning curve is very steep and takes time.
6. Squarespace
Best for highly aesthetic storefronts
Pricing starts from $19 per month
When it comes to fully customized and aesthetically pleasing websites, most people prefer Squarespace over any other software. With this eCommerce software, you can design a unique and visually appealing storefront.
Features
Squarespace is an all-in-one software that offers everything you need to start and run your online business. From domain and hosting to plugins and SEO tools, you have access to it all with their paid plans.
Apart from the eCommerce features, Squarespace also has a strong blogging platform to help you with branding and visibility.
Design
Squarespace has a large library of well-designed themes and templates that can be used to create your online store. These templates can be easily customized to include your brand elements.
It uses the simple drag-and-drop tool to build an eCommerce website that is both functional and aesthetic-looking.
See it in action:
Pricing
Everything that Squarespace has to offer comes with one of its priced plans only. So here are your choices:
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Plan | $23 | $16 |
| Business Plan | $33 | $23 |
| Ecommerce Basic Plan | $36 | $27 |
| Ecommerce Advanced Plan | $65 | $49 |
Ease of Use
Squarespace is easier to use compared to a lot of other softwares that offer this level of customization. Its drag-and-drop functionality makes it very simple to edit your website.
Creating your eCommerce website and managing your store with Squarespace is completely easy and does not require any technical knowledge.
7. Shift4Shop
Best for mid to large size businesses
Pricing starts from $29 per month
Shift4Shop is an eCommerce software that is packed with powerful features and provides a complete solution for anyone looking to start an online business.
It offers a lot of room for your business to grow and scale. Though it is a better-suited solution for medium to large businesses, even smaller businesses can give it a go.
Features
Shift4Shop offers a very clean and intuitive interface with an amazing backend and high security. Your store will automatically have a built-in SSL certificate, live chat feature, and a range of other tools.
Shift4Shop has the best order management and inventory management features to help you handle both online and offline businesses effectively.
Design
Shift4Shop has a relatively lower number of pre-designed themes. However, since it offers complete control over the customization, you can arrive at a unique and well-designed storefront.
Of course, it requires some amount of technical knowledge to handle the customization. Else, you will have to stick to the themes and limited customization.
See it in action:
Pricing
Shift4Shop has a free plan available to US citizens alone. Their paid plans are as follows:
| Plan | Monthly Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Store | $29.00 | All the essential features |
| Plus Store | $79.00 | Complete marketing suite |
| Pro Store | $229.00 | eCommerce automation |
Ease of Use
Shift4Shop provides a comprehensive dashboard that allows sellers to view and manage all aspects of their business, like orders, inventory, shipping, payments, returns, etc.
While the backend is taken care of, it still requires technical expertise for you to handle the visual part of the eCommerce website.
8. Adobe Commerce (Magento)
Best for quick scaling businesses
Pricing starts from $6000
Adobe Commerce, also known as Magento, is a very well-known open-source eCommerce software that allows complete control over your online store and provides room for scalability.
It is one of the popular choices for small businesses that are constantly growing and scaling. The software comes with a range of plugins and add-ons that support businesses to grow.
Features
Magento is open-source software that is free to download and offers complete control of the customization of your online store. You can find a tool or an extension that allows you to add any kind of functionality required for your eCommerce store.
The software optimizes your eCommerce website for both mobile and desktop so that you can manage your business on the go.
Design
When it comes to pre-designed themes and templates, Magento may not have a lot of them in the library. However, they do have a range of tools, features, and design elements that can be incorporated into your eCommerce website.
You will need to have the technical expertise and some coding skills to handle the customization with this software.
See it in action:
Pricing
Magento may be free software. However, every add-on and every extension comes at an additional cost. Which makes it a very expensive eCommerce software:
| Plans | Yearly |
|---|---|
| Open Source | $12,000 to $57,000+ |
| Magento Commerce | $43,000 to $1,89,000+ |
| Magento Commerce Cloud | $60,000 to $2,47,000+ |
Ease of Use
Magento can be used only by those with good technical expertise. Be it to customize the eCommerce website or for site maintenance as your business grows.
You can hire someone with the required technical skills to build and manage your website while you can focus on running your business.
9. WooCommerce
Best for businesses with a WordPress site
It is a free plugin to down and install
WooCommerce is a very specific eCommerce software because it works only with an existing WordPress site. It is free to download and install software that adds the eCommerce functionality to your WordPress website.
With WordPress platform, you will have access to a range of themes, plugins, extensions, etc. that helps you create and manage your online store efficiently.
Features
WooCommerce software is rich with a range of eCommerce features like order management, inventory management, multiple payment gateways, coupons, discount generator, etc.
There is an extensive library of extensions and add-ons which has everything that you will ever need to add more functionality to your eCommerce website.
Design
Since WooCommerce is associated with WordPress, it automatically has the upper hand when it comes to design factors. WordPress has over 35000 pre-designed themes and templates to choose from.
However, you need to find a theme that is compatible with the WooCommerce software.
See it in action:
Pricing
WooCommerce comes with a range of additional costs and hidden charges, even though it is a free plugin.
| Low Pricing Range: | High Pricing Range: | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | $6.95/month | $12.95/month |
| Domain Name | $15/year | $25/year |
| Theme | Free WooCommerce theme | $35-129 professional theme |
| Plugins | Free | $100-150/year |
| Security | $10/year | $150-450/year |
| Dev Fees | Free | $1,000-6,000 |
Ease of Use
One thing about WooCommerce that cannot be overlooked is that it is not beginner-friendly at all. Customization and finding your way around the platform is as tough as it gets for anyone with no technical background.
10. Zyro
Best for a range of AI tools at low costs
Pricing starts from $4.90 per month
When choosing an eCommerce software, the two things that people look for is the affordability and loading speed. From these two considerations, Zyro is the best eCommerce software in the market.
With the lowest plans starting at $2.61 per month for a website and $4.90 for an eCommerce site, Zyro also has proven high loading speeds.
Features
Zyro has some cool features like an AI-powered heat map that pulls your business analytics and helps you improve sales.
It also has strong SEO features and third-party marketing tools that can be added to your eCommerce website. However, you should note that most of Zyro’s eCommerce features and blogging features are still under development.
Design
Zyro uses AI for website building, which generates a suitable website based on answers to a few questions regarding your business. This website can further be customized as you wish.
Zyro provides you with the option to start the website building from a blank canvas too.
See it in action:
Pricing
As mentioned above, Zyro is very budget friendly. Here are it’s pricing plans:
| Plans | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Website | $8.99 | $4.90 |
| Business | $11.49 | $6.90 |
| Online Store | $15.90 | $10.90 |
| Advanced Store | $25.90 | $18.90 |
Ease of Use
As Zyro uses AI for most of its functions like generating a website, business analytics, sales data, etc. it is very easy to use the platform and you can run your business very efficiently.
Since some of the important features like inventory management, coupon generation, etc. are still under development, this may affect the ease of use to an extent.
Things to Consider Before Choosing eCommerce Software
Now that you have taken a look at some of the best eCommerce software in the market, we hope you are one step closer to choosing the right one for your business needs.
If you are still not sure about which is the best eCommerce software for your business, this section can help you conclude.
There are a few factors that you need to consider while choosing the eCommerce software. It is almost like a checklist and if an eCommerce software checks all the points in the list, then it is the right one for you.
1. Pricing and Budget
We are sure you will agree that pricing plays an important role when choosing an eCommerce software.
Some software is open-source and free to download. However, they do not come with domain, hosting, security, etc. These factors all come at additional costs, increasing the overall cost of the software.
Unless you have the technical expertise needed, it is always smart to go for eCommerce software that has all the features included and comes at an affordable subscription.
2. Technical Expertise
Technical expertise plays a significant role when you want to build a unique and customized eCommerce website.
Even though there is a range of pre-designed templates available with almost every eCommerce software, some sellers prefer to have more control over the design elements and their placements.
However, if you do not have a technical background, then it gets radically hard for you to use the open-source software.
In such a case, you will have to hire a developer to build your eCommerce website and handle the site maintenance.
Alternatively, if you do not have the budget for a developer, you can go for the hosted platforms that need little to no technical expertise.
3. Features and Tools
Running a business is very hard, be it a brick-and-mortar store or an online store. There are a lot of aspects that go into running a successful business.
You have to be on top of things at all times. From bringing in potential customers to retaining the customers you have, everything needs to be handled by you.
Hence, when you choose an eCommerce software, it is very important to see to it that the software allows for automation of at least a few of the actions.
Most eCommerce software comes with built-in features that help with order management, inventory management, payment processing, handling returns, refunds, etc.
There are also a lot of useful tools for SEO, customer satisfaction, and customer retention. If the software does not have these tools built-in, you can still find these in third-party tools which will cost extra.
Weigh all your options when it comes to these features and add-ons before you choose the eCommerce software for you.
4. Room to Scale
There is a lot of eCommerce software that allows you to get started on your store pretty quickly and easily. However, as your business grows, handling it on the platform gets tougher.
Scaling your business using some of the software may lead to a decrease in the quality and efficiency of your eCommerce website.
If you believe that you are building a business that is going to be growing and scaling constantly, then choose the software that has very strong eCommerce features and allows you to scale.
Open-source software may be of huge help when it comes to constantly scale businesses. However, as mentioned above, you will need a dedicated tech person to handle the technical side of your eCommerce website.
5. Tech/seller Support
However easy an eCommerce software can make it for you to start your online store and manage it, the existence of a strong support team is sometimes a must.
This support system makes you feel like you have a larger team that is helping you run your business effectively and efficiently.
The platforms that require no coding skills can help you set up your store and start adding products to it. However, if you face any issue on the platform with order management, logistics, or payment, the support team will have your back.
Open source platforms usually leave you out there on your own, mostly. They have a community of users who usually help each other out. However, there is no dedicated support that you can reach out to.
If you are someone who prefers to have a dedicated support team to help you out whenever you feel lost, then consider this feature when choosing an eCommerce software.
So there you have it. Some tips that can guide you while choosing the right eCommerce software for your business.
Conclusion
So there you go. This article must have given you an understanding of what an eCommerce software is all about and what are the best ones out there.
We hope we have simplified the process of choosing the right eCommerce software for your business needs.
The right eCommerce software does make a lot of difference while you are starting with your business.
There are so many variables to deal with when starting a business and your eCommerce software should make it easier for you to deal with them.
Watch this video to learn more about getting started on your online store quickly and easily:
FAQ’s
1. What are the types of eCommerce?There are 4 major types of eCommerce models. B2B or Business to Business, B2C or Business to Customers, C2C or Customers to Customers and D2C or Direct to Customers.
2. What is eCommerce software?
eCommerce software is your all-in-one solution for creating an online business and managing it effectively. It has all the features and tools to help you handle all aspects of online business on a single platform.
3. What is the best software for eCommerce?
Dukaan is the best eCommerce software, which makes it very easy to get started with your online business. There is no coding involved in setting up your store. Wix also makes up for great eCommerce software, as it is rich with features and has a range of pre-designed themes for an aesthetically pleasing storefront.
4. Which eCommerce software is best for B2C businesses?
Dukaan is your best option for a B2C business. Followed by Wix, Volusion, BigCommerce, and Shopify.
5. What is the best free eCommerce software for an online store?
WooCommerce is a free eCommerce software that can be added to your WordPress website to turn it into an eCommerce site. However, it has a lot of additional costs involved, so do your research before choosing it.
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