In a previous blog post, we discussed e-commerce and its relevance nowadays. Also, we defined the term “e-commerce platform”, a foundation for building an online store, and two of them – WooCommerce and Shopify. If you haven’t read this post, you can click here.
In this blog post, we will continue to talk about the most popular e-commerce platforms. It is especially relevant if you are planning to build an online shop – this guide is supposed to help you choose the platform according to your needs, or at least give you a better understanding.
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is a free and open-source e-commerce platform, that was launched in 2007. It has many useful features and is available in about 65 languages. There are more than 300 built-in features in PrestaShop, such as easy customization, product management, secure transactions, checkout and multiple payment options, SEO and marketing tools. Many businesses of all sizes around the world use PrestaShop for their online store.
Prestashop is easy to use as it has a WordPress-like dashboard. Also, there are many templates and themes you can choose from – pre-designed templates for PrestaShop could be a good option for both beginners and advanced users. Such advantages as open-source and mobile responsiveness make the platform a good choice for everyone, however, keep in mind that the platform has its disadvantages too, such as technical complexity in terms of management, additional costs, and compatibility issues. Our verdict is that PrestaShop is suitable if you want a store with extensive optimization options and a variety of features.
BigCommerce
As you can see from the name, BigCommerce is a platform mostly for large businesses, but small ones can use it too. The platform was launched in 2009, and it offers all the main features to build a competitive store. For example, there are many themes and templates for the platform. Pre-designed templates for BigCommerce can ease the building process. A few of the main advantages are that the platform is fully hosted, there are no transaction fees, and you can sell across various sales channels.
Besides its advantages, there are disadvantages too. For example, some businesses find it too complex to use, especially the small ones. Also, the platform is paid, and the price can be quite high. Our verdict is that BigCommerce is a great platform for big businesses that are willing to invest rather than small ones.
Adobe Commerce
Adobe Commerce is an e-commerce platform, that was previously known as Magento. It offers all the relevant and advanced features for building the store, also, there are some advanced ones for large businesses. In addition, you can use a free open-source version, and find a lot of pre-designed templates for Magento.
Adobe Commerce is a non-hosted platform. This means that you need technical skills to manage it, or you will need to hire a developer. The paid plans can be expensive. Our verdict is that Adobe Commerce is a good choice if you need higher-level features and can take care of its hosting.
OpenCart
The last platform we will discuss is OpenCart. It was designed in 2010 as a tool to create simple e-stores with easy usage. The platform is free, open-source, has a simple dashboard and relevant features, such as SEO and marketing tools. Also, it has free themes and templates, but you can also purchase pre-designed templates for OpenCart.
Although this platform is free, the extensions are paid. OpenCart can experience some performance issues, especially with large stores. Besides, it has a limited amount of advanced features and is self-hosted. Our verdict – OpenCart is suitable for small and medium-sized stores for simple use.