When I started building my first online store, I got a problem right away: there are too many ecommerce platforms and site builders. I didn’t know which platform was right for my business, and it spends too much time to test them all. SaaS services, self-hosted online store builders, and headless solutions, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the wrong one can be very costly.

So I decided to test them myself — to share real, practical impressions of how these platforms work, where they shine, and where they struggle. 

My goal is simple: to help merchants and developers find the e-commerce solution that truly fits their business, instead of feeling overwhelmed by the choices.

Part 1: The All-in-One SaaS Systems

SaaS ecommerce platforms give you everything you need right out of the box: hosting, security, updates, and built-in tools. They’re fast to set up and beginner-friendly — perfect if you want to focus on selling rather than managing servers. Although it's subscription fee and service fee are not cheap for small buiness owners.

Below is a summary of the major SaaS platforms, with key features and who they work best for.

Shopify — shopify.com

Shopify is a subscription-based eCommerce platform that allows anyone to easily create an online store. Users can manage everything from website creation, hosting, and payment processing to selling both online and in physical stores using Shopify POS. Shopify is used in over 175 countries with millions of active stores.

Best for merchants who want fast deployment, strong scalability, and a rich app ecosystem. Ideal for DTC brands, subscription sellers, or anyone needing high-converting checkout tools.

BigCommerce — bigcommerce.com

BigCommerce is a leading eCommerce platform designed for both B2B and B2C businesses. It offers scalable, flexible, and open solutions that streamline operations, including quoting, invoicing, and multi-channel sales. The platform enhances the buyer experience with customizable portals, advanced functionality, and seamless integrations with partners. By supporting operational efficiency, reducing costs, and minimizing risks, BigCommerce empowers businesses to grow and adapt in competitive markets. Its robust features and adaptability make it a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to optimize online sales and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

If you’d like to get a quote for your website,  you need to submit a request on their website.

Best for mid-to-enterprise sellers with large catalogs, complex operations, or B2B needs. Perfect for businesses that want enterprise features without too many plugins.

Wix eCommerce — wix.com/ecommerce

Key Features Across All Plans

• Reliable web hosting with 99.99% uptime and advanced security
• Drag-and-drop editor for full customization of templates and layouts
• AI tools to speed up content creation, images, and marketing
• Built-in business tools: eCommerce, blogs, scheduling, and payment processing
• Advanced marketing and SEO tools to drive traffic and revenue
• Free domain registration included with select yearly plans

Weebly — squareup.com/us/en/online-store

Weebly is now a part of the Square product suite. Extremely simple, fully integrated with Square POS. Inventory syncs across online and offline stores. Supports pickup, delivery, tipping, and invoicing. Affordable with many built-in tools.

Best for restaurants, cafés, salons, and local stores using Square POS that need quick online setup.

Shift4Shop — shift4shop.com

Shift4Shop positions itself as an all-in-one, affordable enterprise-level eCommerce solution, with unlimited products, full marketing tools, and integrated payments—all without hidden fees or add-ons.Best for sellers who want maximum features at low cost. B2B businesses needing customer groups and pricing tiers.

Volusion — volusion.com

Volusion is stable and clean, focused on inventory management and analytics. It includes variant tools, SEO options, and a simple drag-and-drop editor. Not flashy, but solid fundamentals.

Best for small to mid-size merchants wanting reliable inventory tools and built-in analytics.

Ecwid by Lightspeed — ecwid.com

Ecwid adds ecommerce to any existing website — WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, Wix, and more. Its embeddable widget is lightweight. Multi-channel support covers social media and marketplaces, and it integrates deeply with Lightspeed POS.

Best for businesses with an existing website that want ecommerce without rebuilding.

Sellfy — sellfy.com

Sellfy focuses on digital creators. Offers instant digital file delivery, subscriptions, POD merchandise, email marketing, and a simple store builder. No coding required.

Best for writers, artists, musicians, and influencers selling digital goods or simple merchandise.

Shoplazza — shoplazza.com

Shoplazza focuses on global selling and cross-border commerce. Offers secure hosting, multi-currency checkout, AI marketing tools, dropshipping, and templates for international sales. Beginner-friendly.Best for cross-border sellers reaching international markets, especially first-time entrepreneurs.

Part 2: The Self-Hosted Store Builders

Self-hosted platforms let you build a store exactly the way you want — from unique product types to custom checkout logic. There are no SaaS limitations, no forced payment gateways, and no app-store dependency. This freedom is why many brands eventually move to self-hosted or hybrid setups as they grow.

WooCommerce — woocommerce.com

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, making it perfect for content-driven ecommerce sites. It has thousands of plugins and themes for payments, shipping, subscriptions, CRM, and automation. It supports multi-language, multi-currency, and simple customizations, and it’s very cost-effective for small-to-medium stores.

Pricing: WooCommerce’s business model is based on a freemium approach: the core plugin is free, providing essential features like product and order management, basic payment gateways, and inventory reporting to attract a large user base and build a strong ecosystem. Revenue comes from paid extensions that add advanced functionality, such as premium payment gateways, subscriptions, bookings, multi-currency/language support, advanced shipping and tax solutions, and marketing tools.

Best for content-heavy stores, small or mid-sized shops, and merchants already using WordPress who want an integrated ecommerce module.

OpenCart — opencart.com

OpenCart is lightweight, easy to deploy, and performs well on modest hosting. Its admin interface is simple but covers essential features like products, orders, customers, and inventory. Supports multi-store, multi-currency, and multi-language out of the box, with a large marketplace for templates and modules.

Pricing: OpenCart’s business model is primarily based on free open-source software with monetization through paid extensions and services. The core OpenCart platform is free to download and use, providing essential e-commerce features like product and order management, basic payment gateways, and themes. Revenue is generated from premium extensions, themes, and modules sold through the OpenCart marketplace, which enhance functionality such as advanced shipping, payment integrations, SEO tools, and marketing features.

Best for small-to-medium shops, businesses wanting a straightforward, low-cost self-managed site, and sellers with standard ecommerce needs.

SucShop (Lightweight)--sucshop.word-x.com

SucShop is a lightweight PHP-based online store builder. It’s compact, easy to install, and extremely fast, making it ideal for individual creators or small businesses selling digital products (like eBooks or video courses), software keys/accounts, or physical goods such as clothing and accessories.

SucShop comes with built-in support for multiple languages, automatic sitemap generation and updates, virtual product creation and management, key/code management, regional management, shipping templates, and tax templates. You don’t need to buy any paid plugins to run your own e-commerce site, and its pricing is very affordable  ($99 for the Premium version for early birds. You get permanent usage rights and one year of support).

If you’re tired of SaaS platforms with endless settings, or bulky software with complex configurations and slow performance, SucShop is definitely worth trying.

Magento (Adobe Commerce / Magento Open Source) — magento.com

Magento is an enterprise-grade platform with extensive catalog, inventory, promotion, customer segmentation, and multi-store capabilities. Highly customizable, with strong B2B features like quotes, corporate accounts, tiered pricing, and custom catalogs. Supports multi-language, multi-currency, and multi-warehouse setups for international commerce.

Magento’s business model follows a dual approach of open-source and enterprise solutions. The Magento Open Source edition is free, providing core e-commerce functionality such as product and order management, basic payment and shipping options, and customizable storefronts, allowing small and medium businesses to build online stores at no cost.

Revenue is primarily generated through Magento Commerce (Adobe Commerce), the paid enterprise version, which offers advanced features like B2B functionality, advanced marketing and analytics tools, cloud hosting, dedicated support, and scalability for large businesses. Additional revenue comes from extensions, themes, and third-party integrations available in the Magento Marketplace. Overall, Magento uses a “free open-source core + premium enterprise features and ecosystem” model, catering to both small businesses and large enterprises while monetizing advanced needs.

Best for mid-to-large merchants needing enterprise-level flexibility, large catalogs, complex logistics, and companies with a development team or long-term customization budget.

PrestaShop — prestashop.com

PrestaShop has a modular architecture with thousands of add-ons. Built-in features cover product variants, SEO, multi-store, multi-language, and order workflows. Easier to maintain than Magento, but more powerful than WooCommerce or OpenCart. Strong cross-border support and popular in Europe.

Pricing: PrestaShop’s business model is a free open-source core with revenue from paid modules, themes, and integrations via its Addons Marketplace. Additional income comes from hosted solutions, support, training, and partnerships. In short, it uses a “free core, paid extensions and services” approach to monetize advanced features.

Best for small-to-midsize businesses needing more scalability than WooCommerce/OpenCart, merchants in multilingual or cross-border markets, or those wanting strong features without enterprise-level complexity.

Shopware — shopware.com

Shopware is a self-hosted e-commerce platform, similar to OpenCart. You can install it on your own server, giving you full control over your website, data, and configurations. Shopware offers flexibility with plugin extensions, customizable themes, and advanced product and order management, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes—from small and medium enterprises to large-scale operations.

Unlike SaaS platforms such as Shopify, Shopware requires you to manage your own hosting, security, and maintenance. It is available in a free Community Edition as well as paid Professional and Enterprise Editions, providing advanced features and dedicated support.

Best for medium to large retailers wanting premium, branded ecommerce, omnichannel/multi-store businesses, and teams with developers seeking a modern, scalable platform.

nopCommerce — nopcommerce.com

A .NET-based ecommerce platform that’s stable, secure, and enterprise-friendly. Supports multi-store, multi-vendor, and multi-currency setups. Vast plugin ecosystem, especially for B2B.

Key features

• Runs on .NET 9 with MS SQL 2012+ backend.

• Cross-platform: Windows, Linux, Mac.

• Docker support for easy Linux deployment.

• Supports PostgreSQL and MySQL.

• Full web farm support.

• All methods are asynchronous.

• Built-in multi-factor authentication.

• Online developer courses available for practical skills.

Best for B2B ecommerce, wholesale catalogs, complex pricing models, and companies using Microsoft Azure, .NET, or Microsoft technology.

Bagisto — bagisto.com

Built on Laravel + Vue.js, Bagisto is modern and developer-friendly. Supports multi-store, multi-warehouse, multi-currency, and multi-language setups. Strong marketplace module, POS system, API-based and headless options.

Bagisto is an open-source, self-hosted e-commerce platform built on Laravel. Its core software is free, allowing users to create online stores without upfront costs. Revenue is generated through paid extensions, themes, and custom modules available in the Bagisto marketplace.

Best for modern ecommerce teams, marketplaces, B2B/B2C stores, and merchants needing flexibility and scalable modern front-end options.

Spree Commerce — spreecommerce.org

Ruby on Rails-based, highly customizable, and developer-focused. API-first, ideal for building custom frontends, mobile apps, or PWAs. Modular design supports complex workflows.

Best for tech teams comfortable with Ruby/Rails, businesses with complex models or unique storefronts, and companies needing a future-proof, API-first ecommerce system.

Odoo eCommerce — odoo.com

Integrated into Odoo’s all-in-one ERP/CRM suite. Tight connection with inventory, accounting, POS, CRM, and marketing automation.
Best for companies needing ERP + ecommerce in one system, medium-to-large enterprises with complex back-office workflows, and retailers wanting POS + CRM + website + ecommerce together.

Drupal Commerce — drupalcommerce.org

Seamlessly integrates with Drupal CMS (You need to have Drupal installed first). Ideal for content-rich sites combining community, blog, product, and learning features. Flexible and developer-friendly.

Best for sites already on Drupal, large content-driven ecommerce businesses, media companies, or educational platforms selling products.

VirtueMart — virtuemart.net

VirtueMart is a free, open-source e-commerce extension for Joomla, enabling users to add online store functionality to their Joomla websites. It provides a flexible platform for managing products, categories, inventory, pricing, shipping, and payment methods. VirtueMart supports multiple currencies, languages, and tax configurations, making it suitable for international commerce. Its integration with Joomla allows seamless use of Joomla templates, user management, and content management features.

CS-Cart — cs-cart.com

Strong multi-vendor marketplace capabilities. Robust admin panel for inventory, orders, suppliers, and payouts. Highly customizable, supporting B2B & B2C models.

Best for marketplace businesses, retailers needing advanced vendor/payout workflows, or companies wanting a ready-made multi-vendor system without heavy engineering.

Part 3: The Headless Ecommerce Systems

Headless commerce separates the frontend (what users see) from the backend (inventory, checkout, catalog). This gives teams full creative freedom to build fast, modern experiences using frameworks like React, Vue, and Next.js.

Headless platforms are extremely powerful but require engineering skill. They excel when you want app-like interfaces, complex multi-channel experiences, or completely custom UI. The trade-off is higher development cost, more maintenance, and a steeper learning curve.

CommerceTools — commercetools.com

One of the pioneers of MACH architecture (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless). Scalable enterprise commerce engine used by global brands. Flexible microservices let you build storefronts, apps, kiosks, marketplaces, POS, and custom experiences. Rich API coverage for carts, promotions, inventory, catalogs, search, and customer profiles. Built for multi-region, multi-language, large catalogs, and omnichannel commerce.

Best for enterprise and upper-mid-market brands needing global scale, complex multi-touchpoint experiences, and teams with strong engineering resources.

Elastic Path — elasticpath.com

Headless platform for complex catalogs and unique pricing models. Uses a “Composable Commerce” approach to assemble custom tech stacks. Flexible Product Experience Manager for bundles, subscriptions, and multi-level catalogs. Integrates with CMS, ERP, search, and custom frontends. Handles large catalogs and enterprise workloads.

Best for mid-market to enterprise brands with complex product setups, omnichannel retailers needing flexible catalog/pricing logic, and businesses building custom digital experiences.

Medusa.js — medusajs.com

Medusa is a customizable commerce platform with a framework that lets you build B2B, DTC, marketplaces, PoS, or service commerce apps without reinventing core logic. All modules are open-source and available on npm.

Medusa follows a freemium and enterprise services revenue model. Its core commerce framework and modules are open-source and free, encouraging broad adoption, while revenue comes from enterprise solutions such as custom development, consulting, and dedicated support. Additional income is generated through managed hosting or cloud services, premium plugins and integrations, and training or certification programs for developers and agencies.

Best for engineering-driven teams using Node.js, headless storefronts (Next.js, Remix, React, Vue), and subscription or custom-feature stores.

Saleor — saleor.io

Saleor is a headless, open-source e-commerce platform built with Python (Django) and GraphQL. It provides a flexible, modular framework for creating custom e-commerce solutions, including B2C, B2B, marketplaces, and subscription stores. Key features include multi-channel support, multi-currency and multi-language capabilities, customizable storefronts, and a GraphQL API that enables integration with modern frontend frameworks like React, Next.js, or Vue.js.

Saleor’s revenue model follows a freemium plus enterprise services approach. The core platform is free and open-source, encouraging developer adoption, while revenue is generated through enterprise solutions such as premium features, custom development, advanced support, and managed cloud hosting. Additional monetization comes from training, workshops, and consulting services for businesses and developers.

Fabric — fabric.inc

API-first platform built for enterprise retail. Includes PIM, OMS, Cart/Checkout, and Storefront API. Focuses on performance, scalability, and enterprise-grade operations. Integrates easily with ERP, POS, and CMS.

Best for large retail chains upgrading legacy systems, brands needing flexible APIs for multi-channel experiences, and businesses requiring robust PIM + OMS alongside headless storefronts.

Vue Storefront — vuestorefront.io

Frontend framework for building fast, modern, headless storefronts with Vue.js. Works as the storefront layer for many backends (CommerceTools, Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce, Saleor, etc.). Supports PWA features: offline mode, app-like speed, and mobile-first design. Large ecosystem with ready-made backend integrations.

Best for businesses wanting a modern frontend without replatforming, Vue.js teams needing high-performance SEO-friendly PWA, and brands wanting consistent UX across web and mobile.

Medusa.js — medusajs.com

Node.js + TypeScript headless engine. Modular architecture with plugins for payments, shipping, and workflows. Integrates with Next.js, Nuxt, Remix, React Native. Strong support for custom checkout flows, subscriptions, and multi-channel setups.

Best for engineering-driven teams, startups building unique checkout processes or mobile-first commerce apps, and modern headless storefronts needing full customization.

Saleor — saleor.io

High-performance headless platform built on Django + GraphQL. Fast APIs, clean schema, and extensible logic. Excellent for React/Next.js storefronts. Supports multi-channel, multi-language, and modern PWA architectures. Developer-friendly with strong tooling and cloud options.

Best for brands needing fast, scalable headless commerce, Python/GraphQL developer teams, and businesses building high-performance web or mobile storefronts.

Sylius — sylius.com

Sylius is a Symfony-based ecommerce framework rather than a plug-and-play platform. Extremely flexible for custom logic, unusual product types, or non-standard checkout workflows. API-first and headless-friendly, suitable for modern front-end stacks.

Best for businesses with unique ecommerce requirements, mid-to-large companies with strong development resources, or startups building custom ecommerce products or multi-service ecosystems.

Spree Commerce — spreecommerce.org

Ruby on Rails-based API-first platform. Highly customizable, suitable for complex workflows. Supports headless storefronts, mobile apps, and multi-channel sales. Modular architecture works well for custom business models. Long history with a mature open-source ecosystem.

Best for teams needing a flexible Ruby/Rails commerce engine, complex online businesses with custom logic, and companies requiring a stable, customizable headless backend with API-first support.

Ecommerce Platform Comparison

How to Choose the Right Platform

Choose SaaS if you want:

• Fast setup

• No server maintenance

• Minimal customization or special requirements

• Predictable costs

• Built-in tools

• Strong support and reliability

SaaS is perfect for small to medium-sized merchants and non-technical teams. The downside is that monthly subscription fees can be high.

Choose Self-Hosted if you want:

• Full control and customization

• Complete ownership of your store

• Freedom from marketplace restrictions

• Deep backend changes

• Flexible integrations

Self-hosted solutions are ideal for merchants with developers or technical skills. Nowadays, tools like ChatGPT make coding easier, so customization is less of a barrier. In the long run, self-hosted setups are often cheaper and faster than SaaS solutions.

Choose Headless if you want:

• Custom storefronts

• App-like performance

• Multi-device experiences (web, mobile apps, kiosks, POS)

• API-first architecture

• Long-term scalability

Headless commerce is best suited for developers or professionals building highly customized, multi-channel experiences.

Final

Some of the platforms above come with a wide range of features, but more features often mean higher costs, a complex backend, numerous fields to fill when publishing products, higher operational overhead, and slower page speeds. So having more features isn’t always an advantage. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), the core functionalities that truly matter are product and content management, payment processing, and order management.

Other features, such as marketing tools, are often unnecessary for individual sellers or SMBs with modest sales, especially in the early stages of their business. Choosing an e-commerce system shouldn’t be about how many features it offers, but about which features you actually need. Even products marketed as open-source or free often come with hidden paid “walls.”

For SMBs, if your product sells for a few hundred dollars, moving a few thousand units per year is already a significant success.