Best eCommerce Platform For Startups – List of Top 9

If you are planning to launch a startup in 2022, here is a list of the 9 best eCommerce platform for startups. We have compared the features, pricing, pros, and cons of each platform.

Starting up your own business can be both exciting and intimidating at the same time. You will have to deal with a lot of factors like capital, competitors, choosing a niche, etc.

That said, setting up a traditional brick-and-mortar store would only add to your woes. The initial investment and overhead charges are high, it takes a longer time to set up the store and bring in foot traffic!

These issues can be tackled better by creating an online store. You can get started quickly and easily, with a fraction of the investment. You can basically start selling on the very same day, provided, you choose the right eCommerce software!

Here is a list of some of the best eCommerce platforms, compared and reviewed to make things easier for you to choose the right one for your startup.

9 Best eCommerce Platform For Startups

Without further ado, here is a list of the best eCommerce platform for startups in 2022.

1. Dukaan

Best for creating online store with no coding skills

Paid plans start from $11.99 per month

Dukaan is the first eCommerce platform on this list because it is absolutely simple and straightforward.

Any startup that is focused on eCommerce can blindly choose Dukaan to set up your online store and you will be surprised at all the functionalities you get at competitive prices.

Features:

When you create your online store on Dukaan, you are provided with a custom domain and an app for your business. You can register and activate your domain on your own in under an hour.

The platform has completely simplified all aspects of running your business like order management, inventory management, uploading products, accepting payments, etc.

Design:

You do not need to be a design expert to customize your online store on Dukaan. You can choose any theme from the Dukaan theme library (for free of cost) and customize it with your brand elements.

Dukaan also offers a range of customizable templates for social media, WhatsApp stories, store banners, etc.

Pricing:

Dukaan’s pricing plans are also very simple. They offer a 14-days free trial, post which you can choose a plan that suits your startup needs from the following.:

Ease of use:

Dukaan is built with the intention to make it easily accessible for everyone, irrespective of their technical knowledge or coding skills. Hence, it is very easy to get started on the platform.

The other features on the platform are also very easy to understand and use. For everything else, there is exceptional seller support that will get things sorted quickly.

2. Shopify

Best for eCommerce-focused startups

Paid plans start from $29 per month

Shopify is the best choice for you if you are a quickly growing eCommerce startup. They are a very eCommerce-focused platform, however; it is also the most expensive platform on this list!

If you are planning to set up your online store on Shopify, ensure that your startup needs all the extra functionalities and you have a budget to accommodate it.

Features:

As mentioned above, Shopify leaves no stone unturned when it comes to its eCommerce functionalities. They have all the basic features like a shopping cart, payment gateways, logistics partners, etc.

Advanced features like abandoned cart recovery mail, tracking shipment, etc. You can use this eCommerce platform as a content management system too.

Design:

Shopify has quite a wide range of themes and templates that can be used to build and customize your storefront on the platform. Though some of these themes are paid ones, you can always choose a free theme (from a handful) and customize it.

Its themes are all quite modern and sleek. They are also very responsive across multiple devices. However, the slow loading time could pose an issue as your business grows.

Pricing:

This is the detailed view of the paid plans on Shopify:

Ease of use:

Shopify is easy to use in terms of website building as it uses the drag-and-drop interface. However, figuring out other aspects of the platform may take a lot of time and effort, especially if you do not have the technical expertise.

It is a perfect eCommerce platform for a startup that has a small catalog and wants to get started quickly.

3. Ecwid

Best for startups with less than 10 products

Paid plans start from $12.40 per month

Ecwid is a perfect eCommerce platform for startups that have an existing business website and want to add eCommerce functionality to it.

It is more of an eCommerce software that allows you to sell online. It offers a good value for startups with fewer products to sell.

Features:

Ecwid can be integrated with an existing site on any platform like WordPress, Go Daddy, Squarespace, etc. It allows you to sell on social media platforms as well as other marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.

However, most of their advanced eCommerce features are available only on their higher-paid plans. It also integrates with over 80 payment gateways and does not charge transaction fees.

Design:

Ecwid has a wide range of website themes that you can choose from. The themes are all free of cost, mobile responsive, and uncluttered.

However, the themes do not allow for a lot of customization. You can only customize on a very basic level. Ecwid does offer free customization on its advanced paid plans.

Pricing:

Ecwid has a forever-free plan that offers all the basic eCommerce functionalities but is limited to only 10 products. Here is the detailed pricing plan:

Ease of use:

You can get started with Ecwid’s free plan very easily. It is ‌a straightforward eCommerce platform. The dashboard is very intuitive and easy to navigate. It also outlines the steps to follow before you can launch your eCommerce store.

However, there is no access to customer support with the free plan. You will have to rely on the help center alone. Priority customer support is offered on premium plans only.

4. Wix

Best for easy customization of online store

Paid plans start from $14 per month

Wix is a website builder that also offers eCommerce functionality. It is a very design-focused platform where you can easily build the most unique and aesthetic-looking eCommerce website.

It is the best eCommerce platforms for startups, small businesses, artisans, and online restaurants.

Features:

Wix is one of the best eCommerce platforms that offer both eCommerce and blogging features under one roof. You can sell both physical and digital products on Wix.

All the necessary features like shopping cart, inventory management, order management, order tracking, etc. are available. It also supports multi-channel selling with integrations to the Amazon marketplace, social media platforms, etc.

Design:

You can have the most customized and aesthetically pleasing storefront on Wix. it uses the drag-and-drop feature to build the website easily.

Wix has over 800 free website templates that you can choose from. On the other hand, you can also try its famous ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) to build a website for your startup.

Pricing:

Wix is not necessarily the most affordable eCommerce platform, however, it surely is value packed! Checkout their paid plans:

Ease of use:

Wix is very easy to use in all aspects, from building the website to running a business successfully. Its drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to build and customize your store.

It also has an app market that can be used to add extra features like a photo gallery, live support, event calendar, etc. Wix also offers good customer support.

5. Squarespace

Best for aesthetically pleasing storefront

Paid plans start from $14 per month

Squarespace is also a very intuitive website builder that allows you to set up the most aesthetically pleasing eCommerce site for your startup.

It is especially suitable for smaller startups, bloggers, photographers, artists, etc. who want an attractive website to display their products/ work.

Features:

Unlike Wix, Squarespace is not supported by an app market that helps add a lot of extra functionality. Its features are limited but high in quality.

Squarespace offers a custom domain that is free for a year. It has strong SEO and marketing features too. For extra features like inventory management, sales, and marketing, you can find relevant plugins on this eCommerce platform.

Design:

Squarespace excels all expectations when it comes to design and aesthetics. It has just over 100 well-designed templates which are lesser when compared to WordPress or Wix theme library.

However, the themes are all very professionally designed, modern, clean, intuitive, and very aesthetically pleasing. Its design panel makes customization very simple.

Pricing:

Here is a detailed breakdown of Squarespace subscription plans:

Ease of use:

Over the years, Squarespace has made a lot of improvements in its UI/ UX interface. It is very easy to navigate around for both beginners and advanced users.

It offers a detailed tutorial on how to get started, along with a handy checklist that is easy to follow. The drag-and-drop website builder makes it easy to build a website that you are completely satisfied with.

6. Weebly

Best for a very basic startup store

Paid plans start from $12 per month

Weebly is a website builder that is an excellent option for startups that need a business website quickly. It also has a very generous free plan that allows you to build and launch your website.

For the best eCommerce functionalities, however, you will have to subscribe to one of their priced plans.

Features:

Weebly is very basic when it comes to its features. It has a strong blogging integration and SEO guides. It also has a diverse app market that allows you to add extra features to your website.

Through apps, you can expand your eCommerce website without technical expertise. The eCommerce-specific features include a quick shop, inventory management, product reviews, payment integrations, etc.

Design:

Weebly’s features and design are only designed for small businesses and small-scale startups. Its theme library is very small, with a minimal number of simple and clean themes.

You get little room for customization too. However, you can easily change themes without breaking the website design. Choose Weebly only if you are not too keen on a well-designed and aesthetic store.

Pricing:

Weebly is a very affordable eCommerce platform compared to many legacy eCommerce platforms. Here is a list of their subscription plans:

Ease of use:

Weebly scores all the cookie points when it comes to ease of use. Since it is very basic, you can find your way around quickly and easily. Using its drag-and-drop feature, you can easily design your website.

There surely is a lot of room for improvement, but for a basic eCommerce website, Weebly surely makes the cut.

7. Zyro

Best for access to a range of AI tools

Paid plans start from $4.90 per month

Zyro is a very simple and basic website builder that shows high potential. Especially with really low pricing plans, Zyro offers AI-based website building and other advanced features.

It is the best eCommerce platform with enough room for scaling up when you need it.

Features:

At its core, Zyro is a website builder that also provides eCommerce functionality as an add-on.

Zyro has a range of AI tools to help with various aspects. It has an AI writer to help with generating text, titles, etc. Its AI heatmap can analyze images to identify the focus point. It also has an AI logo generator for branding‌.

Design:

Zyro has over 100 well-designed templates that are categorized for regular websites and eCommerce websites.

You can use these templates as it is or play around with the design elements to make them your own. Its grid-based editor helps you lock design elements and align them when customizing the templates.

Pricing:

Even the lowest paid plan allows you to list 100 products, which is more than enough for a startup. Here is the detailed breakdown of their plans:

Ease of use:

Zyro is basically designed to make it easy for beginners who have less to no technical expertise. It is a very simple and straightforward eCommerce platform for startups.

Its drag-and-drop website builder makes it easy to build a website from scratch. The grid editor helps keep your customization on track. And its range of AI tools makes a lot of tasks easier.

8. WooCommerce

Best for open-source eCommerce platform

Free plugin, lot of additional costs involved

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that is free to download and install on your WordPress website. By adding this plugin, you can convert your website into an eCommerce store.

WooCommerce also belongs to the Automatic company, just like WordPress, and hence integrates well with WordPress websites.

Features:

By downloading the WooCommerce plugin, you can manage orders, track shipments, handle inventory, sort your taxes and do much more under one roof- which is your WordPress website.

With WooCommerce, you can also access a wide range of tools, plugins, and extensions. However, it is important to know that not all of them are free to use and you also may need technical expertise to make the most out of them.

Design:

WooCommerce clearly has the upper hand when it comes to design as you will have access to the extensive theme library of WordPress and you also have the option to upload your own theme.

Again, when it comes to customization, having coding and computing skills can make things a lot easier. Else you may have to hire a developer to set things up for you!

Pricing:

Though WooCommerce is a free plugin, there are a lot of additional costs and hidden charges that end up costing a lot more than expected. Here is a gist of all the costs involved:

Ease of use:

As mentioned above, WooCommerce is not exactly beginner friendly, especially if you lack the necessary knowledge. But if you do, then you can start your online store via WooCommerce with minimal time and investment.

When it comes to integrating blogging, there is no better eCommerce platform.

9. Volusion

Best for small-scale startup businesses

Paid plans start from $26 per month

Volusion is one of the oldest eCommerce platforms that is created with a focus on sales and nothing else.

It is the platform for startups that do not want to waste time or money on all the fluff. If you want to get started quickly on your eCommerce store where you can sell products and make money, then choose Volusion!

Features:

As mentioned above, Volusion is very eCommerce focused and hence has a power-packed range of sales features. You can add product videos along with their images. Visual cues help a lot in increasing sales.

It also comes with a ‘suggested products’ feature which keeps the customers browsing for more and even purchasing. The only feature it lacks is selling digital products.

Design:

Do not choose Volusion if you are looking for an aesthetically pleasing storefront. They do have a range of well-designed templates. However, the customization is difficult, and it is also very limited.

The front end is known to be too hard to navigate. Hence, you cannot achieve very minute-level customization of the themes.

Pricing:

Volusion is one of the eCommerce platforms that come under the ‘expensive’ category. Here is the list of paid pricing plans:

Ease of use:

If you are not too particular about the looks and aesthetics of your eCommerce store, then Volusion is very easy to use. But if you do, then you should have the technical expertise needed or hire a developer.

Their analytics feature helps you find out what products are selling and what aren’t. This will help you improve your sales.

Posts you may like to read… 📚

Conclusion

Choosing the right eCommerce platform is like fueling up your startup to reach all your business goals quickly and efficiently.

There is a lot riding on this decision, hence collect all the information and weigh all your options before choosing your platform.

If you are single-handedly running your startup, or have a very less workforce supporting you, then a platform like Dukaan can work wonders for your startup.

Their range of plugins can add a lot of important eCommerce functionalities to your online store. From welcome pop-up messages to automating email marketing, Dukaan has it all.

Watch this video to learn more about getting started on Dukaan: