Top 9 E-commerce platforms for startups in 2022

Starting an online business is a great way to make money and be your own boss but before you can start selling products or services, you need to choose the right e-commerce platform.

An e-commerce platform is a software application that businesses use to create and run online stores. These platforms allow businesses to manage their products, orders, and customers, as well as process payments and track sales.

When shopping online, there is an endless supply of brands and options available to suit your needs. You can find anything from fashion clothes or makeup kits at cheaper prices than in-store while still being able to enjoy all the benefits that come with avoiding long lines on discovery days

There are many different platforms to choose from, and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here are thirteen of the most popular e-commerce platforms for startups. Below, I'll be including an overview of the product, its features, and the pricing plans that they offer.

Shopify

Shopify is a versatile e-commerce platform that lets entrepreneurs create their own online stores. It’s simple to set up and easy to use, and it’s packed with features that let you run your business in your own way. It allows you to sell any product, whether it’s physical or digital, and it gives you the power to design your store exactly the way you want it.

It's best for those who want an online store with no hassle and low competition. Plus, Shopify has everything you need to start taking payments and shipping orders right away.

Features:

Shopify is a platform for businesses of all sizes to create an online store. It offers users a customizable platform, an easy-to-use checkout process, and a wide range of features.

Here is the list of features offered by Shopify that you should know about:

• Create and use the dashboard to manage orders, payments, shipping, and other transactions
• Promote products and reach more customers through sales channels
• Allows to create slogans for your brands and make logo design by using the logo marker tool
• Barcode generator to manage your products
• Make profitable ads and allows to optimize your campaign by using the CPM calculator
• Access to purchase order template and business card maker

Pricing:

Shopify is a Canadian e-commerce company that enables users to create online stores. Shopify offers a subscription-based pricing model that charges users a monthly fee in order to use the Shopify platform.

Basic – $19.00 per month (14-day free trial)

• Create an online store including a website and blog for your store
• Get unlimited products and sales channels to sell products in other online markets
• Assign 4 inventory locations where you store your products
• Allows you to send marketing automated emails
• Discount codes to offer customers discounts on their purchases
• Abandoned cart recovery to recover lost sales from customers who abandon their shopping cart
• Advanced report builder to generate reports about your store's performance
• Allows translated language for customers to have a familiar shopping experience
• Get a transaction fee of 2.0%

Shopify – $49.00 per month (14-day free trial)

• Access everything from the basic plan
• Assign 5 inventory locations where you store your products
• Automation of tasks and build workflows to help grow your business
• Get a transaction fee of 1.0%

Advanced – $299.00 per month (14-day free trial)

• Access everything from the basic plan
• Assign 8 inventory locations where you store your products
• Get calculated rates from third-party apps at checkout
• Get a transaction fee of 0.5%
• Collect duties and import taxes to give customers clear total costs

Try a 14-day free trial of Shopify by clicking the link below —

Ecwid

Ecwid is a cloud-based e-commerce platform that enables businesses to create online stores. It provides a shopping cart, payment processing, and shipping tools to help businesses sell products and services online. Ecwid also offers a wide range of features and integrations to help businesses grow their online stores.

With Ecwid, you can add products from any of your online stores, Facebook pages, and blogs with just a few clicks. You can also manage all of your shops from one central location.

Features:

Ecwid is simple to use, yet packed with features that will help you sell more. Plus, Ecwid integrates with hundreds of apps and services so you can extend its functionality to meet your unique needs.

Here is the list of features offered by Ecwid that you should know about:

• Allows you to create your own mobile app for your online store
• Access to automated marketing tools to do other tasks for you
• Generate more sales by offering promotional discounts, coupons, and volume discount
• Allows for translation into 45 different languages for your customer to shop in your store easily in their native language
• Allows you to connect your store on popular channels like Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and more

Pricing:

Ecwid is a fairly priced eCommerce platform with a variety of pricing plans and a wide range of features that can fit any business size and need. It's an affordable eCommerce platform that makes it easy to start and grow an online store. Ecwid also offers a free plan for businesses that have a limited number of products. Save 17% and get a cheaper price on their annual billing offer.

Venture – $12.50 per month

• Get an online store including Instagram and Facebook shop
• Get 25GB per file of digital goods
• Promote products from Facebook, Pinterest, Google, and Snapchat advertising
• Create 100 products and unlimited access to bandwidth
• Allows you to make gift cards and discount coupons
• Access to advanced SEO tools and customize fields at checkout
• Get chat support in handling your customers and transactions

Business – $29.17 per month

• Access everything in the venture plan
• Create an order and schedule for the pick-up plus dimensional rate shipping
• Get abandoned cart emails and create wholesale pricing groups
• Create 2500 products and unlimited access to bandwidth

Unlimited – $82.50 per month

• Access everything in the business plan
• Allows to customize shopping app
• Create an unlimited number of products and unlimited access to bandwidth
• Get chat, phone, and priority support for your customers and transactions

Squarespace

Squarespace is an easy-to-use platform that can be used for a wide variety of websites including those with e-commerce stores. It offers users a customizable website builder, hosting, domain name registration, and e-commerce tools.

With Squarespace, you can create a website in minutes, without having to learn coding or design.

It also offers users a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor to create their sites, as well as a range of templates to choose from.

Squarespace also offers e-commerce features, making it a suitable platform for businesses looking to sell products or services online and it provides users with a range of payment options. These include PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay. Squarespace also supports digital downloads, meaning businesses can sell products such as music, videos, or e-books directly through their website. They also offer built-in SEO (search engine optimization) features. This means that businesses can optimize their site for search engines such as Google, which can help them to attract more visitors.

Features:

Squarespace is a platform that allows users to create their own websites. It is simple to use and has a wide range of templates to choose from, making it a popular choice for those who want to set up an online store quickly and easily. Squarespace also offers a wide range of features for businesses, including the ability to accept payments and track orders.

Here is the list of features offered by Squarespace that you should know about:

• Make automated payments to reminders by scheduling clients and appointment booking
• Access shipping tools to manage your orders and transactions with the client
• Get access to SEO tools that will help to maximize your performance in search results
• Allows third-party extensions to optimize and expand your growing business
• Provides a variety of templates and design tools for creating your own website that fits your personal style and business needs
• Build your own online store with their e-commerce website builder that helps your business grow

Pricing:

Squarespace offers a variety of pricing plans to choose from, depending on the size of your business and the features you need. There's a plan for everyone, and you can always upgrade or downgrade your plan as your needs change. There is a 14-day free trial available, and the company also offers a discount for annual billing.

Personal – $16.00 per month (Try a 14-day free trial)

• Access 24/7 customer support and unlimited bandwidth
• Limited access to the video studio app with 30 minutes of video storage
• Allows Squarespace extensions plus website templates
• Allows 2 contributors on your website

Business – $23.00 per month (Try a 14-day free trial)

• Access all features from the personal plan
• Allows unlimited contributors on your website
• Premium integrations and apps to connect with the visitors to your website
• Sell unlimited products with gift cards
• Use pop-ups and banners to advertise promotions
• Full access to the video studio app with 30 minutes of video storage
• Get a 3% transaction fee

Basic Commerce – $27.00 per month (Try a 14-day free trial)

• Access all features from the business plan
• Allows unlimited contributors on your website
• Full access to the video studio app with 30 minutes of video storage
• Get a 0% transaction fee
• Collect and display product reviews on your product page
• Access to merchandising tools and e-commerce analytics to track your store's performance

Advanced Commerce – $49.00 per month (Try a 14-day free trial)

• Access all features from the basic commerce plan
• Control store promotions and advanced discounts
• Notify customers through automated email about their abandoned checkout process

BigCartel

BigCartel is a site that allows artists to create their own online shops. It's simple to use and has a wide range of features, making it perfect for anyone looking to sell their work online. BigCartel is a great way to get your work seen by a wider audience, and it's also a great way to make some money from your art.

Features:

Big Cartel is a user-friendly e-commerce platform that makes it easy for artists and small business owners to sell their products online.

Here is the list of features offered by Squarespace that you should know about:

• A simple checkout process that makes it easy for customers to buy products
• A wide range of products can be sold on the platform, including art, clothing, and accessories
• A customizable website theme that allows artists to create a website that reflects their brand
• The ability to sell digital products, such as music and artwork, and other physical products
• A built-in blog feature that can be used to share news and updates with customers
• Integrated social media features that make it easy to promote products on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms.

Pricing:

BigCartel is a great site for artists and creators of all types to sell their work. The pricing is simple and straightforward, and there are no listing fees or commissions. They offer freemium which is free to use with limited features and you can upgrade to other premium plans to access more features. Artists can choose from one of three pricing plans.

Golden features – $0.00

• Allows to put one image per product
• Free access to customizable themes and use of a custom domain
• Track your shipping transactions and create product option groups
• Allows you to sell online and in-person

Platinum features – $9.99 per month

• Sell 500 products for your customers
• Allows to put five images per month per product
• Access to theme code and bulk editing
• Track your shipping transactions and inventory

Diamond features – $19.99 per month

• Sell 500 products for your customers
• Allows to put five images per month per product
• Track your shipping transactions and inventory
• Access to Google Analytics and automatically calculates sales tax in your shop

UltraCart

UltraCart is a great shopping cart system that is very user-friendly. It is perfect for small businesses who are looking for a simple, yet effective shopping cart solution. UltraCart is also very affordable, which makes it a great option for businesses on a budget.

As an e-commerce platform, UltrCart enables businesses to create and manage online stores. It offers a range of features including payment processing, shipping management, and product catalogs. UltraCart also integrates with a variety of third-party services such as accounting software and marketing platforms.

Features:

UltraCart is a powerful e-commerce platform that offers a wide range of features to help you sell online. It has a ton of features that make it stand out from other carts. It can handle everything from managing orders and shipping processes to sales, inventory, and customer reports. It can also manage accounting and fulfillment through third-party logistics partners, making it a comprehensive solution for online stores.

Here is the list of features offered by UltraCart that you should know about:

• View marketing sales and data analytics in the dashboard
• Able to automate and customize customer interactions in user flows
• Promote products and sales by publishing blog posts
• Create a website for your online store without any required codes
• Automation translation of your website in 50 different languages for online shoppers
• Access to free Ultrabooks software to download sales information

Pricing:

UltraCart is a shopping cart software that helps online stores to increase their sales. It has a variety of pricing options that cater to businesses of all sizes. There is also a free trial available for those who want to try it before they buy. UltraCart offers a variety of features, such as unlimited products, discounts, coupons, and shipping options.

Small – $49.95 per month (Try a 30-day free trial)

• Make 250 products with a free SSL certificate
• Allows to calculate shipping rates and sales tax
• Get email and phone support
• Access to 250 free customers plus 2500 free emails for communication with clients
• Access to 100MB of free storage and 1GB bandwidth

Medium – $79.95 per month (Try a 30-day free trial)

• Make 1000 products with a free SSL certificate plus 5 distribution centers
• Allows to calculate shipping rates and sales tax
• Get email and phone support
• Access to 500 free customers plus 5000 free emails for communication with clients
• Access to 100MB of free storage and 3GB bandwidth

Large – $229.95 per month (Try a 30-day free trial)

• Make 10000 products with a free SSL certificate plus 15 distribution centers
• Access to 2500 free customers plus 25000 free emails for communication with clients
• Access to 100MB of free storage and 10GB bandwidth
• Get email, phone, and priority support for your clients
• Allows multi-currencies and email marketing integrations from different software

Try UltraCart a 30-day free trial by clicking the link below —

BigCommerce

Bigcommerce is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in the world. It allows businesses to create their own online stores, and to manage and sell their products through those stores. Bigcommerce is known for its ease of use, its wide range of features, and its customer support.

One of the big advantages of using Bigcommerce is that it's so easy to set up and get started with. You can have your store up and running in minutes, without having to learn any complex coding or design techniques. And because it's so widely used, you can be confident that you're choosing a platform that has been tested and proven by thousands of businesses.

Features:

The great thing about Bigcommerce is the sheer range of features it offers. You can sell anything from digital downloads to physical products, and you can ship them anywhere in the world. There are also tons of built-in features that allow you to manage your inventory, process payments, run marketing campaigns, and more. This makes Bigcommerce an incredibly comprehensive platform that can handle all your e-commerce needs.

Here is the list of features offered by BigCommerce that you should know about:

• Manage products, sales, orders, and returns through the dashboard
• Allows integration and built site on WordPress
• Create 70 native promotions, discounts, and coupons
• Digital wallets make it easier for your customer to pay
• Access to channel toolkits and save significant developer resources
• Access to page builder visual editor and get customizable themes with Javascript, HTML, and CSS

Pricing:

BigCommerce pricing is very competitive and offers a wide variety of options to fit the needs of any business. They offer a 15-day free trial for you to try out the platform and see if it is a good fit for you.

Standard – $29.95 per month (Try a 15-day free trial)

• Allows sales channels from different platforms such as Facebook and Instagram
• Access to page builder and digital wallets such as Amazon and apple pay
• Create coupons, discounts, and gift cards for your customers
• See product ratings and reviews and access to 24/7 technical support
• Unlimited access to staff accounts, products, files, and storage with no additional transaction fees

Plus – $79.95 per month (Try a 15-day free trial)

• Availability of shipping HQ and shipping rules engine
• Allows to store credit cards and access to customer groups and segmentation
• Abandoned cart saver and persistent cart
• Unlimited access to staff accounts, products, files, and storage with no additional transaction fees
• Allows sales channels from different platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google shopping

Pro – $299.95 per month (Try a 15-day free trial)

• Get Google customer reviews and customizable product filtering
• No transaction fees to use leading payments gateways
• Allows sales channels from different platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google shopping
• Unlimited access to staff accounts, products, files, and storage with no additional transaction fees

Enterprise – contact BigCommerce for prices

• Access all features offer from the Business plan
• Manage multiple storefronts in your dashboard using one account
• Unlimited access to staff accounts, products, files, and storage with no additional transaction fees plus unlimited API calls

Try a 15-day free trial of BigCommerce by clicking the link below —

Square Online

Square Online is an online payment processing company that allows businesses to accept payments from customers through a computer or mobile device. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

It allows businesses to process payments through a number of methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and ACH transfers. The company also offers a number of features to help businesses manage their finances, such as invoicing, tracking expenses, and creating reports.

 

Features:

Square Online offers a variety of features for its customers, such as the ability to process payments, view sales reports, and manage inventory.

Here is the list of features offered by Square Online that you should know about:

• Allows seamless integrations with other sales channels to reach more audience
• Access to SEO tools to allow shoppers to discover your business in search engines
• Create your own e-commerce website and sell online
• Access to the payment gateway in order for your customer to pay easily
• Build and use website templates to make your product stand out

Pricing:

Square Online offers a variety of pricing plans to its customers, depending on the size and needs of their business. There is a monthly fee for all businesses, as well as a fee for each credit or debit card transaction. They also offer a free trial so that businesses can test out the service before committing.

Free – $0.00

• Free access to websites with SEO tools
• Sell on sales channels such as Facebook and Instagram
• Allows pickup, delivery, and shipping and accepts payment from a variety of payment gateway
• Access the automated tax calculator and get an order status text alert
• Get 500MB bandwidth and storage space

Professional – $12.00 per month (Try a 30-day free trial)

• Access to all free features
• Get free one customizable domain
• Create a password to protect pages
• Get unlimited bandwidth and storage space
• Allows you to connect and customize domain

Performance – $26.00 per month (Try a 30-day free trial)

• Access to all professional features
• Accept payment from payment gateways like PayPal
• Get advanced reporting and see product reviews
• Create discounts, coupons, and promotions through gifting options

Premium – $79 per month (Try a 30-day free trial)

• Access to all performance features
• Get real-time shipping with a low processing rate
• Access to advanced e-commerce statistics

Try a 30-day free trial of Square Online by clicking the link below —

Sellfy

Sellfy is an e-commerce platform that allows users to sell digital products directly to their customers. This includes things like software, music files, and video content. Sellfy makes it easy for creators to set up shop and start selling right away.

It is a great platform for those looking to sell a variety of products. Sellfy offers a number of great tools and features that make it easy to use, including a print-on-demand system. This makes it a good option for those looking to expand their store.

Features:

Sellfy is an intuitive e-commerce software that includes all of the features you need without any extra plugins or addons. It offers a POD marketplace, customizable options for your website design, and allows you to have unlimited sales per year.

Here is the list of features offered by Sellfy that you should know about:

• Sell digital and physical products of all types
• Access store customization in order for your shop to stand out
• Link your own existing domain to strengthen your brand
• Automatic language translation for your customers depending on their location
• Notify customers of product updates and use discounts to engage customers and increase sales

Pricing:

The pricing plans offered by Sellfy are definitely worth looking into if you are considering starting an online store. You can start a 14-day trial to try a variety of features that suits your business needs before subscribing to any plans that they offer.

Free – $0.00

• Sell up to 10 products including physical products
• Allows print-on-demand products
• Customize store themes
• Gives marketing coupon codes to your customers

Starter – $19.00 per month (Try a 14-day trial)

• Access everything in free features
• Get up to $10k in sales per year
• Sell unlimited products including digital products
• Allows to connect your own domain

Business – $59.00 per month (Try a 14-day trial)

• Access everything in starter features
• Get up to $50k in sales per year
• Allows you to remove “sellfy” branding or watermark
• Store design migration plus product upselling

Premium – $119.00 per month (Try a 14-day trial)

• Access everything business features
• Get up to $200k in sales per year
• Get chat, phone, and priority support

Try a 14-day trial of Sellfy by clicking the link below —

Volusion

Volusion is a comprehensive e-commerce platform that enables businesses of all sizes to create and manage an online store. Volusion offers a wide range of features, including shopping cart software, payment processing, product catalogs, and marketing tools.

You can choose from a wide range of templates and designs, or you can create your own custom design. It also offers other features, including a built-in blog, social media integration, and a payment gateway.

Features:

Volusion is easy to use, even for beginners. You don't need any experience in web design or programming to get started because they provide features that you can use suitable for your company's needs. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to start your business.

Here is the list of features offered by Volusion that you should know about:

• A customizable store that you can make your own
• A wide selection of templates to choose from
• A robust catalog management system
• A variety of payment options, including PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net
• Built-in SEO features to help you rank higher in search results
• 24/7 support from Volusion's team of experts

Pricing:

Volusion offers four pricing plans, each with different features. You can try their 14-day trial to see if it's the right fit for you.

Personal – $31.50 per month (Try a 14-day free trial)

• Get a 1.25% platform transaction fee with 1 staff account
• Sell 100 products with unlimited access to bandwidth
• Access to site editing tools and built-in SEO tools
• Manage inventory plus social media integrations

Professional – $71.10 per month (Try a 14-day trial)

• Get a 0.65% platform transaction fee with 5 staff account
• Sell 5000 products with unlimited access to bandwidth
• Get online and phone support
• Access to site editing tools and built-in SEO tools
• See rating and product reviews

Business – $269.10 – per month (Try a 14-day trial)

• Get a 0.35% platform transaction fee with 15 staff account
• Sell unlimited products with unlimited access to bandwidth
• Get priority support
• Manage inventory and securely accept payments
• Access to API and batch order processing

Prime – contact volusion for prices

• Get unlimited staff accounts
• Sell unlimited products with unlimited access to bandwidth
• Get VIP and premium support
• Allows third-party gateways and access to advanced report builder

Try a 14-day trial of Volusion by clicking the link below —

Conclusion

E-commerce platforms are important because they enable businesses to sell products and services online. The platform you choose will determine the features offered, the ease of use, and the level of customer service you receive. It’s important to consider all of these factors when making a decision.

Now that you know all about the different types of e-commerce platforms and what to look for when choosing one, it’s time to make a decision. Consider your business needs and the features offered by each platform. Also, think about how easy or difficult it will be to use each platform. Don’t forget about customer service because a business wants a platform that offers excellent support and guides them to their growing business. Once you’ve made a decision, get started setting up your online store. It won’t be long before you’re selling products to customers all over the world.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

Question 1: What are the best e-commerce platforms for startups? There are a few e-commerce platforms that are great for startups. Shopify, BigCommerce, and Volusion are all good options. These platforms offer a wide range of features and are easy to use. They also have excellent customer service.

Question 2: What is e-commerce software? E-commerce software is a type of software that helps businesses conduct online transactions. It includes tools for managing sales, processing payments, and tracking orders.

Question 3: What are the different types of e-commerce platforms? There are three main types of e-commerce platforms: hosted, self-hosted, and open source. Hosted platforms are the easiest to use but have the least control over your store. Self-hosted platforms give you more control but are more difficult to use. Open source platforms allow you the most control but require a lot of technical knowledge.

Question 4: What should I look for when choosing an e-commerce platform? You should consider the features offered, the ease of use, and the level of customer service. It’s also important to think about your business needs and how the platform can scale as your business grows.