Best E-Commerce Platforms 2026
Pricing and features last verified April 2026
Choosing an e-commerce platform is a high-stakes decision. Migrating an active store — products, customer data, order history, SEO rankings — is painful and expensive. We evaluated Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix eCommerce, and Squarespace Commerce across pricing, features, scalability, and total cost of ownership to help you pick the right foundation for your online store.
Quick Comparison
| Platform | Price | Transaction Fee | Best For | Our Take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | $39/mo | 0% (Shopify Pay) | Most online stores | The industry standard for a reason. 8,000+ apps, best multichannel. |
| WooCommerce | Free + hosting | Processor only | WordPress + full control | Free, infinitely customizable, but you manage everything yourself. |
| BigCommerce | $39/mo | 0% all plans | High-volume + B2B | Enterprise features without enterprise pricing. 0% fees on every plan. |
| Wix eCommerce | $27/mo | 0% | Small stores + websites | Beautiful website with a shop built in. Best for small, simple stores. |
| Squarespace | $27–$49/mo | 3% / 0% | Design-focused brands | Best-looking product pages. For brands where aesthetics drive sales. |
What Actually Matters When Choosing
Total cost of ownership, not monthly price. Shopify at $39/month seems expensive until you realize WooCommerce's "free" plugin requires $20-50/month in hosting, plus paid extensions for features Shopify includes. BigCommerce's 0% transaction fees save money at volume. Compare total annual cost including hosting, apps, transaction fees, and extensions — not just the sticker price.
App ecosystem determines your ceiling. Shopify's 8,000+ apps mean you can add almost any feature imaginable — subscription billing, print-on-demand, loyalty programs, advanced analytics. WooCommerce's 60,000+ WordPress plugins offer similar breadth. BigCommerce includes more features natively so you need fewer apps. Wix and Squarespace have smaller ecosystems, which limits growth options.
The hosted vs self-hosted decision is fundamental. Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, and Squarespace handle hosting, security, and updates for you. WooCommerce requires you to manage your own hosting, security patches, and backups. Hosted platforms are easier. Self-hosted gives more control. This isn't a feature comparison — it's a lifestyle choice.
Our Take on Each Platform
Shopify powers over 4 million stores for good reason. The setup is fast, the app ecosystem is massive, and multichannel selling (Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, POS) is the most integrated of any platform. Shopify Payments eliminates transaction fees. Shopify Shipping offers discounted carrier rates. The trade-off is cost — between the monthly fee and paid apps, a well-equipped Shopify store often costs $80-150/month. But for most merchants, it's the path of least resistance to a professional online store.
WooCommerce powers 23% of all online stores, mostly because it's free and runs on WordPress. If you already have a WordPress site, adding WooCommerce is a no-brainer. The 60,000+ extension library means unlimited customization. The trade-off is responsibility — you manage hosting, security, updates, and troubleshooting. WooCommerce is best for technical users, developers, and businesses that need deep customization. It's the cheapest option long-term but the most demanding of your time.
BigCommerce is the enterprise-ready option at small business pricing. Multi-storefront support, headless commerce API, B2B edition, and most importantly, 0% transaction fees on every plan. That last point adds up fast — a store doing $50K/month saves $1,000/month vs Shopify's 2% non-Shopify-Payments fee. The app ecosystem is smaller than Shopify's but BigCommerce includes more features natively. Best for growing stores, B2B, and high-volume merchants.
Wix eCommerce is for people who need a great website that also has a shop. The drag-and-drop builder is the easiest in e-commerce, and the 900+ templates produce good-looking stores with minimal effort. At $27/month with 0% transaction fees, it's the cheapest hosted option. The limitation is scale — Wix works for stores with under 100 products and straightforward needs. It lacks the depth for complex e-commerce.
Squarespace Commerce has the best-looking product pages of any platform. If you sell fashion, food, art, or anything where visual presentation drives purchasing decisions, Squarespace is hard to beat. Built-in email campaigns and SEO handle basic marketing. The Basic Commerce plan ($27/month) charges 3% transaction fees; the Advanced plan ($49/month) drops them to 0%. Less powerful than Shopify for complex stores, but unmatched in design quality.
Not sure? Take the quiz for a personalized recommendation →Head-to-Head Comparisons
Best By Use Case
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best e-commerce platform?
Shopify for most stores. WooCommerce for WordPress users who want full control. BigCommerce for high-volume and B2B. Take our quiz for a personalized recommendation.
Shopify vs WooCommerce?
Shopify is easier and fully managed. WooCommerce is free and more customizable but requires WordPress hosting and self-management. Read the full comparison.
Can I start an online store for free?
WooCommerce is free (pay only for hosting). Shopify offers $1/month trials. Wix lets you build your store design for free and only charges when you start selling.
What's the cheapest way to sell online?
WooCommerce with budget hosting ($10-15/month total) is the cheapest ongoing cost. Wix at $27/month is the cheapest fully hosted option. Factor in transaction fees — BigCommerce charges 0% on all plans, which saves significant money at volume.