HUSTLR Awards for
Best eCommerce Platforms
Have you always wanted to start an eCommerce business? The emergence of eCommerce platforms has made it easier than ever to build an online store in any niche. However, the overwhelming options available on the internet will leave you spoilt for choice. It is, therefore, essential to select the right eCommerce platform according to your niche and end goals.
That’s why we’ve picked the top eCommerce platforms for different users to help you make an informed decision.
Here’s how we shortlisted the top contenders and selected the winners in each subcategory:
BEST FOR SMALL BRANDS
Are you looking for a scalable eCommerce solution that lets you sell products through other channels as well? BigCommerce is the right choice for you. It’s a powerful, easy-to-use, and secure eCommerce platform that is perfect for small and growing businesses.
BigCommerce lets you integrate your online store with your social media profiles. You can even create, build and manage storefronts on other websites such as Amazon and eBay. It’s also known for its round-the-clock customer support, powerful SEO features, and a wide array of responsive templates.
- Intuitive drag-and-drop page builder
- No transaction fee
- Supports popular payment gateways including PayPal
- Support integration with social media and other storefronts (like Amazon and eBay)
- Advanced SEO features including 301 redirects and sitemaps
- 24×7 customer support
- 15-day free trial
- Each plan is restricted with an annual sales threshold
- Creating a multilingual store can be difficult
HUSTLR reviewed more than 10 eCommerce platforms. Our team analyzed various factors including interface, SEO features, payment gateway integration, scalability, versatility, and affordability. We also looked into specific aspects such as customer support, marketing tools, and analytics.
We selected BigCommerce as the winner because it provides the full range of essential features at an affordable starting price. It’s easy to set up your store and integrate it with other channels. This makes it the perfect scalable solution for small businesses.
Apart from ratings, our team considered how well an eCommerce platform worked for online stores in different niches. We also looked into user reviews on various online platforms. Additionally, our team consulted several entrepreneurs, developers, and webmasters who have the first-hand experience of using these platforms.
BEST VALUE
Weebly is one of the most popular and easy-to-use website builders on the internet. Its eCommerce platform offers all the essential features you need to create an online store for physical as well as digital products. You get access to a plethora of awesome-looking responsive themes and storefronts.
Moreover, Weebly provides you with useful tools to manage your inventory and track your sales. You can easily start a blog and create password-protected pages as well. While the free plan offers all the basic features, paid plans start at $12 per month (billed annually).
- Powerful website builder
- Professional themes and store templates
- Offers a feature-rich free plan
- Built-in inventory and shipping management
- Suitable for physical and digital products as well as services
- Beginner-friendly
- Responsive multi-channel customer support
- Limited payment gateway integration (PayPal is available on the most expensive plan only)
- Doesn’t integrate with other platforms and storefronts
- Doesn’t support offline payments
Hustle reviewed more than 15 eCommerce platforms. Our team evaluated various factors including interface, features, add-ons, scalability, support, and pricing. We also analyzed the quality of free trials/plans offered by these platforms.
We selected Weebly as the winner because it offers a feature-packed free plan and affordable paid plans. However, it doesn’t compromise on features and functionality to cut costs. It’s easy to build and manage your store. Moreover, you get access to powerful analytics to track your revenue.
Apart from ratings, our team also considered how well an eCommerce platform will adapt to the growing needs of a user. We also looked into user reviews on various online platforms. Additionally, we consulted real-life users of these platforms including entrepreneurs, developers, and webmasters.
BEST FOR BEGINNERS
Do you want to build a spectacular online store in just a few clicks? Wix eCommerce is just what you’re looking for. Its robust drag-and-drop website builder gives you complete creative control of your website. Moreover, you can choose from more than 500 mobile-responsive templates.
You can easily set up multiple payment options and even add product videos to your website. The best part is that you don’t need any prior knowledge of web programming to create your online store.
Hustle reviewed more than 10 eCommerce platforms. Our team analyzed various factors including ease-of-use, features, versatility, integrations, scalability, support, and pricing.
We selected Wix eCommerce as the winner because it boasts one of the most user-friendly website builders. It doesn’t require you to possess impeccable coding or design skills. Moreover, it offers all these amazing features at extremely affordable rates.
Apart from ratings, our team considered how well an eCommerce platform catered to the needs of different users. We also looked into user reviews on various online platforms. Additionally, our team interacted with eCommerce marketers, developers, and webmasters who have the first-hand experience of using these platforms.
BEST FOR ENTERPRISES
Useful plugins, extensive third-party integrations, awesome-looking themes, and affordable rates – that’s Shopify for you. It’s a feature-rich fully-hosted eCommerce platform that’s been designed for new-age enterprises. The best part is that it’s easy to set up and use.
Shopify supports all major payment gateways, currencies, and languages. Moreover, you can choose from more than 1,500 apps to improve your website’s functionality and performance. It also integrates with commonly used CRM platforms.
- User-friendly interface
- Reliable, secure, and fully-hosted
- Round-the-clock customer support
- Excellent built-in themes and third-party apps
- Integrates with common CRM platforms
- Supports a wide range of payment gateways
- Affordable pricing plans
- Limited creative control
- Plugin costs can quickly add up
HUSTLR reviewed more than 5 eCommerce platforms that have been built for enterprises. Our team evaluated various factors including features, third-party integrations, interface, customer support, scalability, and pricing. We also analyzed specific aspects such as support for multiple currencies, languages, and payment gateways.
We selected Shopify as the winner because it’s a reliable, user-friendly, and affordable enterprise eCommerce solution. It provides you with the right tools to manage large sales volumes and product catalogs. Moreover, you can use various plugins and apps to automate routine tasks and improve your website.
Apart from ratings, our team analyzed how well an eCommerce platform fulfilled the needs of different types of businesses. We also looked into user reviews on various online platforms. Additionally, our team interacted with business owners, eCommerce marketers, and web developers who have the first-hand experience of using these platforms.
Conclusion
Choosing the right eCommerce platform is a crucial part of building an online store. You need a platform that’s user-friendly, reliable, secure, and the right fit for your needs. We’ve reviewed more than 30 eCommerce platforms to curate the top ones in each subcategory.
Our team evaluated the features, pricing plans, performance, and user reviews of each shortlisted platform. In addition to ratings, we analyzed how well a platform fulfilled the needs of different users and adapted to their growing needs. We also interacted with various real-life users including entrepreneurs, marketers, developers, and webmasters.
Jeremy has been running several online businesses behind his laptop for the past 5 years and he has worked as a freelance web developer previously. A trained marketer by profession, he also has Ruby on Rails and web development knowledge. His forte lies in eCommerce, SEO and content marketing. He’s been featured on Vice, Thrive Global, YFS Magazine, Forbes and several other publications. He prefers to connect with people on LinkedIn.