The 9 Best Ecommerce Website Builders
So, you want to start an online store? That’s great! We’re here to help you succeed – and the first step is to find you the perfect ecommerce website builder. We carry out hours of in-depth research and user testing, examining everything from ease of use to value for money, all so we can bring you the very best recommendations.
We won’t keep you in suspense – our testing revealed nine top ecommerce builders. Here’s a quick look…
9 Best Ecommerce Builders of 2020
- Wix – Best overall ecommerce website builder.
- Shopify – Best ecommerce builder for large stores.
- BigCommerce – Best for fast-growing businesses.
- Squarespace – Best for brand-focused stores.
- Square Online – Best for sellers on a budget.
- Weebly – Best for entrepreneurs.
- Volusion – Best for tracking performance.
- 3dcart – Best for payment options.
- Big Cartel – Best for hobby stores.
Wix, Shopify, and BigCommerce took the top three spots in our list. But just how good are they? Check out how they scored in our research below before jumping into the full review:
Wix combines creative freedom with plenty of selling tools, while Shopify wows with an incredible range of apps and inventory management. BigCommerce has more built-in features than any other ecommerce builder, making it perfect for ambitious, fast-growing businesses. Ready to find your perfect ecommerce builder? Let’s go!
We’re glad you asked! We’re pretty proud of our research here at Website Builder Expert, because not many sites can say they’ve carried out such in-depth testing before making recommendations. Here’s how our in-house research team go about finding the best website builders on the market.
Every single builder goes through our thorough research process. We investigate important areas such as:
- Ease of use
- Design flexibility
- Value for money
- Feature quality
- Help and support
- Customer satisfaction
This helps us rate and compare the builders fairly, focusing on important factors that users have told us matter most.
We even get groups of everyday people to test the builders out and give us feedback, which we then analyze. This helps us:
- understand exactly how easy (or difficult) beginners find the builder
- uncover any issues within the builder
- judge customer satisfaction
We’ve applied this process to over 50 website builders so far – all so we can bring you the most accurate results and recommendations!
Still got questions? Read our report on How We Conduct Our Ecommerce Website Builder Research for a more detailed explanation.
Best Ecommerce Builders Comparison Chart
In a rush? Here’s a quick look at how our top ecommerce builders compare on key areas:
Starting Price | Free Trial | Transaction Fees | |
---|---|---|---|
Wix | $23 | ✔️ | ❌ |
Shopify | $29 | ✔️ | 0.5% - 2% |
BigCommerce | $29.95 | ✔️ | ❌ |
Squarespace | $18 | ✔️ | 0% - 3% |
Square Online | $0 | ✔️ | 2.9% + $0.30 |
Weebly | $0 | ✔️ | 0% - 3% |
Volusion | $29 | ✔️ | ❌ |
3DCart | $9.50 | ✔️ | ❌ |
Big Cartel | $0 | ✔️ | ❌ |
Find out more
- Do you like our comparison chart? We’ve got an even bigger and better Online Store Comparison Chart if you want a more in-depth side-by-side look at the top builders.
Best Ecommerce Website Builders: Recap
Now you know the nine best ecommerce builders on the market today! But which one will you choose? Wix is the best overall builder, combining easy customization with a great set of sales tools. Shopify is best for you if you’re running a large store – we recommend its free trial if you’re selling more than 10 products.
Let’s have a quick recap of the top ecommerce builders and what sets them apart!
9 Best Ecommerce Website Builders: Quick Refresh
- Wix – Awesome customization combined with scalable sales tools.
- Shopify – Impressive ecommerce features, plus a huge app store.
- BigCommerce – The most built-in features of any ecommerce builder.
- Squarespace – Beautiful templates, perfect for creating a stylish brand.
- Square Online – Great value for money, and for sellers already using Square POS.
- Weebly – Generous free plan with helpful tools for entrepreneurs.
- Volusion – Best for sellers who prefer data over design.
- 3dcart – Plenty of payment gateways and affordable pricing.
- Big Cartel – Not the most powerful, but great for a small product range.
We set out to help you find the perfect ecommerce builder for you, and now you’re ready to take the next step in your journey. Every ecommerce builder in our list comes with either a free plan or a free trial, so your next step is simple: try your favorite builder for yourself for free!
FAQs
Yes! On our list of the best ecommerce builders, there are three that let you sell for free: Square Online, Weebly, and Big Cartel. Out of those, we rated Square Online the best in our research – just be aware that you’ll have adverts displayed on your store if you choose a free plan.
We would recommend Wix – it’s our top rated ecommerce builder and is suitable for small stores. Its customization tools mean you can have a beautifully branded store, even if you’re just selling a few products!
Alternatively, check out Square Online – it’s another good choice for small stores because it provides great value for money, and even has a free plan to help you get started.
We highly recommend Shopify for large stores, because it has an impressive range of features to help support your store. Its app store means you can add any extra features you might need, making it easy to scale up and support your business’ growth.
BigCommerce is another top choice for large businesses – check out its free trial if you have big, ambitious plans for your online store.
An ecommerce website builder is designed to help you create your store. It gives you your own professional website, which is much better for creating a brand than simply selling through social media, for example. You can also sell across multiple channels, using your store as a “hub” to maximize your online presence.
We’re glad you asked! WordPress is an immensely powerful building tool – but it’s not a website builder, which is why it doesn’t appear on this list. You can still use it to create an online store, though – it’s best for sellers who want a powerful, flexible, and highly customized store. It can be a lot more hands-on and technical than the builders on this list. If this appeals, check out our guide on How to Make a WordPress Ecommerce Website!
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