Choosing an e-commerce Platform

[Donna_Kx]

If you want to sell items from your website, you'll need to either have e-commerce features in the platform (website software) you use, or find a separate solution. Here are some popular e-commerce options:

Shopify:

    User-friendly interface.
    Offers numerous themes and plugins.
    Great for small to medium-sized businesses.
    Provides robust customer support.

WooCommerce:

    Built on WordPress, making it highly customizable.
    Offers a wide range of themes and plugins.
    Suitable for businesses that are already using WordPress.
    Requires some technical knowledge for setup and customization.

Magento:

    Highly scalable and customizable.
    Ideal for large businesses with complex requirements.
    Offers a wide range of features out of the box.
    Requires more technical expertise to set up and manage.

BigCommerce:

    Suitable for businesses of all sizes.
    Offers built-in features like SEO tools, analytics, and multi-channel selling.
    User-friendly interface with good customer support.

Squarespace:

    Great for businesses looking for a visually appealing online store.
    Easy to use with beautiful templates.
    Suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.

Wix eCommerce:

    User-friendly with drag-and-drop functionality.
    Offers a variety of templates and customization options.
    Ideal for small businesses and beginners.

PrestaShop:

    Open-source and highly customizable.
    Suitable for businesses of all sizes.
    Offers a wide range of features and integrations.
    Requires some technical knowledge for setup and customization.

OpenCart:

    Open-source and customizable.
    Suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.
    Offers a wide range of extensions and themes.
    Requires some technical expertise to set up and manage.

Various platforms offer very basic marketplaces, but those are generally just for classified ad type of listings and not full featured. For example, most don't have a shopping cart, shipping options, invoices, etc. Your needs will dictate what you can use. If you just want a "Craig's List" sort of marketplace, the marketplace in your platform can work out fairly well. If you need a shopping cart and want a store with more features, you'll want to either get a plugin for your platform, or use one of the options listed above. Note that if you do choose to use a plugin for your platform, be careful as plugins can open up issues on your site for upgrading, security, bugs, etc.

[Tiffany_Kx]

This is the BEST list I've seen, all in one place, discussing different e-commerce websites.  I've been familiar with Shopify, Squarespace, WooCommerce and Wix, however some of your other listed e-commerce platforms are new for me to take a look at.

Thanks also for adding their differences and features.  I also liked reading how each e-commerce website compares to another in a quick view style as you've created.

[Lexi_Kx]

This is a great list! I appreciate how you listed some of their main pros and/or cons as well. I've heard of Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix, but this was my first introduction to some of the others. Thank you for this info!