The 8 best ecommerce platforms to create your online store in 2020

It takes a lot of work to have an online store. Payments need to be processed, customers deal with and inventory managed. However, the first hurdle to deal with is choosing which platform to use. If you choose the best ecommerce platform, managing inventory and processing payments should be much easier. In this article we will analyze the characteristics that you should look to find the best ecommerce platform. We will also look at the best options, which include:

8 best ecommerce platforms to create your online store

1. WooCommerce

2. PrestaShop

3. Magento

4. OpenCart

5. AbanteCart

6. osCommerce

7. CubeCart

8. Open Real Estate

What characteristics to look for in an ecommerce platform?

E-commerce is a great way to make money online. It refers to online stores and the fact of selling products or services on the internet. It doesn't matter if you sell subscriptions, physical products, or even virtual items, as it all falls into the realm of e-commerce. Any ecommerce platform worth mentioning should include inventory management options, allow payment processing, and provide sales reports. However, that's just the basics when it comes to ecommerce. Here are some other features to consider when looking for the best ecommerce platform: The ability to configure product categories. If you sell more than one type of item, you need to keep things organized. Product page customization options. You should be able to create unique pages for each product that contain complete information and look great. Promotions and discounts functionality. Customers love promotions and they are a great way to make additional sales. Support for multiple payment processors. Many people like to use their preferred payment processors, so offering multiple options is a great idea. Analytical information. The more you know about your customers, the more you can optimize your store to increase conversions. Currently it is easier than ever to create an online store, but that does not mean that all e-commerce platforms are the same. For example, the best ecommerce platform for startups might not be ideal for a one-person business. With this in mind, it is important that you investigate which is the best ecommerce platform, which is what we will see next. Comparison of the 8 best ecommerce platforms. We have a lot of ground to cover here. There are many options, each with its own pros and cons. In this section, we will help you choose the best ecommerce platform taking into account your unique needs. Finally, remember that these are all self-hosted ecommerce platforms, so you will also have to find a hosting provider.

1. WooCommerce

Unlike the rest of the options that we will see, WooCommerce is not an independent ecommerce platform. It is a plugin that runs on WordPress, the world's most popular content management system (CMS). WooCommerce does a fantastic job of adding ecommerce functionality to the platform. It is one of our favourite eCommerce options because the WordPress desktop is intuitive enough for beginners to understand quickly. Add to that an extensive, easy-to-use e-commerce functionality and you will have a winner in your hands. WooCommerce can handle all the basics, from publishing items for sale to processing payments. In addition, you can increase the functionality of the plugin through dedicated extensions, of which there are hundreds available. For example, there are options to integrate almost all available payment processors and other types of platforms.

Pros:

Use the WordPress CMS to launch your online store. Customize your store using dedicated WooCommerce themes and extensions. Get support from the huge community of WordPress users.

Cons:

Adding advanced features generally requires multiple extensions. If you want to create a simple online store, it is difficult to overcome the ease of use of WooCommerce. However, growing the platform to scale may require several extensions.

2. PrestaShop

Unlike WooCommerce, PrestaShop is a dedicated e-commerce platform. Their goal is to allow you to set up a beautiful online store as quickly as possible, and it does.

In addition to being easy to use, PrestaShop includes an amazing number of functions. It includes powerful product management functionality, multiple payment options, customizable payment pages, and more. It even allows you to record taxes.

In addition to its built-in functionalities, you can also extend the platform through plugins and themes. However, in our experience, the platform pretty much includes everything you need by default. It even includes analytics and customer support without the need for additional modules.

Pros:

Advanced product management settings.

Multiple payment processing options.

Customize your checkout experience.

Use analytics to obtain information about the behavior of your clients.

Take care of support queries directly on the platform.

Monitor your product taxes.

Cons:

There is a learning curve, although not very large, to understand the many characteristics.

As you may have noticed, we are big fans of PrestaShop. We would go so far as to say that it is the best ecommerce platform for beginners if you do not use WordPress. However, they provide two very different experiences, so it's worth trying them out to see which one you prefer.

3. Magento

Magento is another name that is often heard when people talk about finding the best ecommerce platform. Unlike our previous options, Magento is primarily aimed at larger-scale companies. When it comes to flexibility, Magento has a great advantage over competition in the ecommerce field. It is a powerful platform that allows you to create small and large online stores. However, you do need to have some web development experience if you want to use it. The platform is not the easiest to use. However, it makes up for it with its wealth of features. For example, it is designed with SEO in mind, it is highly secure and it also allows you to use themes and plugins.

Pros:

Incredibly scalable ecommerce platform, perfect for large online stores.

Created with SEO and security in mind.

Supports multiple currencies and tax rates.

It integrates with almost any payment processor you want.

Cons:

The platform has a steep learning curve.

It can be difficult to use if you don't have web development experience.

In our opinion, Magento is the best ecommerce platform for startups. It offers a lot of flexibility, all the e-commerce functions you need, and is ideal for companies that have in-house developers. However, it is not a good option for beginners or if you want to set up a simple tent.

4. OpenCart

The best way to describe OpenCart is to say that it is between WooCommerce and PrestaShop in terms of power. It offers many more ecommerce features than the first, but lags slightly behind the second.

Where OpenCart shines is in the dashboard experience. It's intuitive, modern-looking, and provides all the information you need to stay on top of your store's performance at a glance.

In addition, the customization of your OpenCart store is easy thanks to the platform's module system. It's not as intuitive as modern page builders, but it's pretty easy to understand even if you've never created an online store before.

Pros:

Very easy to use compared to other platforms like PrestaShop and Magento.

Built-in SEO functions.

Supports extensions and themes.

Cons:

It doesn't offer as many built-in features as other platforms.

Many OpenCart themes look a bit dated.

OpenCart is an excellent option if you are looking for a platform that is easy to use and that simplifies the process of creating pages. It may not have as many features as other ecommerce platforms, but it's more than enough for a small business to prosper.

5. AbanteCart

AbanteCart is a little-known e-commerce platform that offers many great features. It is not the most striking option when it comes to interfaces, but it is very easy to understand for absolute beginners.

One of our favorite aspects of AbanteCart is how easy it is to add new products to the store using its panel. It's a two-step process that only takes a few minutes, and the platform provides helpful tips to help you through each step.

This open source platform also supports themes and extensions. Its collections aren't particularly large, but they offer decent options, even if the platform could take advantage of more modern themes.

Pros:

Set up an online store quickly thanks to an intuitive dashboard.

Add new products in minutes.

Built-in SEO functionality.

Supports plugins and themes.

Cons:

The AbanteCart community is quite small.

The number of themes and plugins is a bit limited.

If you are looking for an easy to use ecommerce platform, AbanteCart is an excellent option. Despite its lack of variety when it comes to themes, there are some decent options to choose from, which wouldn't look out of place in a modern online store.

6. osCommerce

osCommerce shares many similarities with other ecommerce platforms that we have reviewed so far. It is easy to configure and you do not have to have experience with ecommerce platforms to launch your first store.

The first time you start osCommerce, you will notice that its dashboard looks a bit dated. Despite that, it contains a large number of standard and advanced functionalities, more or less on the same level as AbanteCart.

osCommerce also has the clear advantage of having a very active community, with thousands of free extensions and themes. That gives you an advantage when it comes to customizing your store.

Pros:

Setting up an online store with osCommerce is very simple.

The platform has thousands of extensions and free themes.

There is a huge community of users ready to help in case you find any bugs.

Cons:

The platform does not allow growth at scale as well as we would like, so it is not a good choice for department stores.

The board looks somewhat out of date.

In our experience, osCommerce works wonders for small businesses. However, it begins to decline its performance when you have an extensive catalog of products. In some cases, this may be due to poor web hosting performance, but it seems to be a common theme on the platform.

Leaving that aside, osCommerce is one of the best ecommerce platforms if you are looking to set up a small online store.

7. CubeCart

CubeCart proves that appearances are deceiving. The first time you log into the platform dashboard, it looks pretty simple. However, you have many options to work with. The platform offers all the necessary functions to operate a successful ecommerce store, from product management to sales tracking. However, it does not stop there; You can use CubeCart to send basic email campaigns to your customers, which is a great way to get more sales. It's the little details like these that make CubeCart such a great platform. Another notable example is the basic image editing tools that you can use from the administration panel. It's not Photoshop or anything like that, but cropping and resizing images can help you improve your product pages. CubeCart also supports plugins and themes. There are not as many options available, but the platform is good enough for small and medium-sized stores.

Pros:

Easy to use platform with many additional functions.

Mail newsletters to your clients. Edit your images from the administration screen. Get access to extensions to customize your store.

Cons:

Selecting extensions is no big deal. In the end we ended up pleasantly surprised with CubeCart.

This ecommerce platform offers many quality features that other similar programs do not offer.

However, since it doesn't provide as many extensions, we recommend it primarily for small businesses.

8. Open Real Estate

And the last position on our list of the best ecommerce platforms is a little different from the others we've covered so far. As its name suggests, Open Real Estate is made to create a real estate website. With Open Real Estate, you can add properties for rent or sale in multiple currencies. Additionally, the platform includes powerful search functionality that allows potential clients to order properties. As expected, you can extend the functionality of the platform using modules and themes. While most modules are premium, there are plenty of options available for free, professional-looking themes.

Pros:

Create your own real estate website.

List properties for sale or rent in multiple currencies.

Set up individual product pages for each property.

Includes a search function to allow visitors to view your listings. Use modules and themes to personalize your website.

Cons:

Most of the module options are not free.

It is a very specialized platform, so it only works for real estate websites.

Real estate ecommerce platforms are a rarity and hiring someone to create a website that bundles all the features we mentioned above would cost a fortune.

With this in mind, using this platform is an easy option if you want to try your luck in the real estate sector.

Conclusion:

These days, creating an online store is much easier than ever. The best ecommerce platforms will allow you to have a functional online store in a matter of hours. In our opinion, WooCommerce is the best ecommerce platform for small businesses, but there are many other options depending on your needs. Be sure to check out the other options discussed to find the best ecommerce platform for you. What do you think is the best ecommerce platform today? Share your experiences with us in the comment section below!