1. Shopify:

Shopify is a popular platform that serves roughly over 3,25,000 active online shops. It is definitely a great option when it comes to building your own online store. It serves as an attractive and professional storefront with a wide library of apps. The Pros of Shopify are:-

• Numerous store templates to opt from
• 24/7 customer support through phone, live chat or email
• Ease-of-use for everyone even if you are not from a coding background
• One doesn’t have to pay the transaction fees
• It helps to integrate your physical and online store using a point of sale system
• There is no limit on the no. of products you can publish, except on Shopify Lite
• Option to upgrade to Shopify plus

Cons of Shopify are:-

• There are limited features in base plans
• Only 20% of the store templates are free, rest are chargeable
• Shopify uses its own templating language “Liquid” therefore you may need to hire a web development company to make modifications
• May work out a little more expensive as compared to other platforms

When should you opt for Shopify?? Shopify is the ideal option for beginners. One can opt for this platform in accordance with one’s budget. If you are looking for unique features for your eCommerce store, it might be better to search for other options.  

2. BigCommerce:

BigCommerce is a great eCommerce platform that has numerous apps to make you add more functions and applications to your store. It is often considered the best option for those who have a little or no technical knowledge. Pros of using BigCommerce:-

• No maintaining expenses
• Doesn’t charge transaction fees
• Easy to use interface
• A wide range of built-in features including newsletters, coupons, etc.
• One can integrate the store with the popular websites like Facebook, eBay
• Robust support

Cons of using BigCommerce are:-

• Lack of free themes
• A bare annual limit on sales volume with every plan

When is BigCommerce a great choice?? BigCommerce is the best eCommerce platform if you don’t want to indulge in the problems of integrating plug-ins, HTML or other codes.  

3. Magento:

Magento is an open source CMS platform designed for building eCommerce stores. It is a developer friendly system and one needs to get their own hosting when using this. It provides its users with an unmatched flexibility. Pros of adopting Magento:-

• Flexible and open source
• Easy to use and manage
• Open source platform
• Numerous plugins and extensions to scale your business
• More SEO friendly
• Highly scalable
• Extensive resource library for store management

Cons of using Magento:-

• Advanced Enterprise version is a little costly
• Bit complicated to use
• Needs sufficient server space to operate efficiently

When is Magento the right eCommerce platform?? Magento as an eCommerce platform is an optimum solution for the enterprise level merchants with the large volume of products. It is definitely not suitable for beginners.  

4. WooCommerce:

It is a WordPress plugin used for building eCommerce websites. Numerous WordPress themes have the WooCommerce functionality built-in. It works out to be cost-effective for smaller businesses as well as for those who know WordPress. Pros of using WooCommerce:-

• Easy to setup
• Don’t require powerful servers
• Large number of add-ons and themes available
• Easy integration
• Availability of advanced SEO plugins
• A great tool for increasing traffic
• Free to download
• Easy to customise
• Ideal for content marketing

Cons of opting for WooCommerce:-

• One cannot use WooCommerce without linking with WordPress
• Web hosting will be the retailer’s responsibility
• For more advanced featured one needs to install plugins

When is opting WooCommerce a good choice?? It is best for the beginners and may not work well for mid and large size businesses. If you want to customise your store, then you might need to hire a developer to assist you.  

5. OpenCart:

OpenCart is a CMS platform for eCommerce. It is considered as one of the easiest to use platform also. Pros of using OpenCart:-

• Easy to install
• Simple user interface
• No monthly or transaction fees
• Large number of plugins available

Cons:-

• OpenCart is often difficult to customise
• It is often considered not to be SEO-friendly

When is OpenCart the right eCommerce solution? It is best suited to people who have some web experience and understands basic website development. It is ideal for small-medium businesses who want a basic online store. One should perform extensive research to make the best possible choice for adopting the right platform. Picking up the right one will definitely improve your store’s functionality on all accounts. Therefore make sure you proceed through a prudent and firm selection process.