The 5 Best eCommerce Platforms to Build an Online Store with Top Integrations

By Abhinav Girdhar | Last Updated on April 22nd, 2024 12:12 pm

The world of eCommerce is growing rapidly, and businesses are shifting towards online stores to reach a wider audience. With a plethora of eCommerce platforms available in the market, it can be challenging to choose the right one to elevate your online store. In this blog, we will be discussing the top 5 eCommerce platforms that are best suited to help you grow your online business. We will be exploring their features, pros and cons, and everything you need to know to make an informed decision.

Table of Content

Importance of choosing the right eCommerce platform
Criteria for selecting the best eCommerce platform
Top 5 eCommerce platforms for building an online store
Pros and cons of each eCommerce platform
Top Shopify Integrations
Top WooCommerce Integrations
Top BigCommerce Integrations
Top Magento Integrations
Top Squarespace Integrations
Conclusion

Importance of choosing the right eCommerce platform

Choosing the right e-commerce platform for your business is a crucial decision that can have a significant impact on your online success. An e-commerce platform is not just a tool to sell products online, but an entire system that supports and enhances your business operations, customer engagement, and growth objectives. Speaking of growth, the very same industry is expected to grow to nearly $10 trillion by 2027.

Here are some reasons why choosing the right eCommerce platform is important:

It affects your growth potential

The right e-commerce platform will enable you to scale your business as you grow, without compromising on performance, security, or functionality. It will also allow you to expand your reach to new markets and channels, such as social media, mobile devices, or third-party platforms.

It affects your running costs

The right e-commerce platform will fit your budget and offer you the best value for your money. It will also help you save on the development, maintenance, and hosting costs, by providing you with the features and integrations you need, without requiring extensive customization or coding.

It affects your customer engagement

The right e-commerce platform will help you create a user-friendly and attractive website that showcases your products and brand. It will also enable you to offer a seamless and convenient shopping experience to your customers, by providing them with features such as product search, reviews, recommendations, checkout, payment options, and customer service.

It affects your objectives

The right e-commerce platform will align with your business goals and vision, and help you achieve them. It will also provide you with the tools and insights to measure and optimize your performance, such as analytics, reporting, marketing, and SEO.

Criteria for selecting the best eCommerce platform

When selecting the best eCommerce platform for your business, it is important to consider various factors to ensure it aligns with your business needs.

Here are some criteria to consider when selecting the best eCommerce platform:

User-Friendliness

The platform should be user-friendly, easy to navigate and manage, and offer a simple checkout process for customers.

Design and Customization

The platform should offer design templates and customization options to help you create a unique brand experience for your customers.

Scalability

The platform should be scalable and able to handle increased traffic and sales as your business grows.

Payment Gateway Options

The platform should offer multiple payment gateway options to allow customers to choose their preferred payment method. Moreover, collaborating with skilled e-commerce website developers can significantly enhance the functionality and user experience of your online store, ensuring it meets the unique needs of your business and customers.

Security

The platform should be secure and have measures in place to protect customer data and transactions.

Marketing Tools

The platform should offer built-in marketing tools such as email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization (SEO) to help drive traffic to your store.

Integration

The platform should be able to integrate with third-party applications and tools such as accounting software, shipping and logistics, and analytics.

Top 5 eCommerce platforms for building an online store

Here are the top 5 eCommerce platforms for building an online store:

Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms, offering a user-friendly interface, easy customization, and scalability. It has a range of design templates, integrations, and built-in marketing tools to help you grow your business.

Here are some of the key Features of Shopify:

Ease of Use: Shopify is designed to be easy to use for non-technical users. It offers an intuitive user interface and a range of customizable templates that can be used to create a professional-looking online store in minutes.
Customizable Templates: Shopify offers a range of customizable templates that can be used to create a unique online store that reflects your brand identity.
Secure and Reliable: Shopify provides a secure and reliable platform for eCommerce transactions. It is PCI compliant and offers SSL encryption, fraud analysis, and 24/7 monitoring to ensure that your online store is secure.
Payment Gateway Integration: Shopify integrates with a variety of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify Payments, to enable easy and secure payment processing.
Inventory Management: Shopify offers a powerful inventory management system that enables you to track inventory levels, manage stock levels, and automate inventory alerts.
Marketing and SEO: Shopify provides users with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a powerful WordPress plugin that allows you to turn your WordPress website into an eCommerce store. It offers a range of customization options, payment gateway options, and integrations with third-party tools.

Here are some more details about WooCommerce:

Free and Open Source: WooCommerce is free to download and use, and it is open-source software, which means that the code is available for anyone to modify and customize to suit their needs. In the long run, businesses that are comfortable handling technology and seek greater control over their website may find migrating to WooCommerce preferable over staying with hosted platforms like Shopify.
Built on WordPress: WooCommerce is built on top of the WordPress platform, which is the most popular content management system in the world. This makes it easy for businesses to integrate eCommerce functionality into their existing WordPress website.
Customizable: WooCommerce is highly customizable and can be modified to suit the unique needs of any business. It offers a range of extensions and plugins that can be used to add additional functionality to the platform.
Secure and Scalable: WooCommerce is a secure and scalable platform that can handle large volumes of traffic and transactions. It provides businesses with a range of security features, such as SSL encryption and two-factor authentication, to protect their customers' data.
Payment Gateway Integration: WooCommerce integrates with a wide range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Amazon Pay, to enable secure payment processing.
Product Management: WooCommerce offers powerful product management tools, including inventory management, product variations, and shipping options.
Marketing and SEO: WooCommerce provides businesses with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a cloud-based eCommerce platform that offers enterprise-grade features such as multi-channel selling, social media integration, and marketing tools. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to enterprise-level.

Here are some more details about BigCommerce:

Customizable Templates: BigCommerce offers a range of customizable templates that can be used to create a unique online store that reflects your brand identity.
Secure and Reliable: BigCommerce provides a secure and reliable platform for eCommerce transactions. It is PCI compliant and offers SSL encryption, fraud analysis, and 24/7 monitoring to ensure that your online store is secure.
Payment Gateway Integration: BigCommerce integrates with a variety of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Square, to enable easy and secure payment processing.
Inventory Management: BigCommerce offers a powerful inventory management system that enables you to track inventory levels, manage stock levels, and automate inventory alerts.
Marketing and SEO: BigCommerce provides users with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.
Mobile Responsive: BigCommerce offers mobile-responsive themes that ensure that your online store is accessible on any device, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Scalable: BigCommerce is a scalable platform that can handle large volumes of traffic and transactions. It provides businesses with the ability to add new products, features, and integrations as they grow.

Magento

Magento is an open-source eCommerce platform that offers a range of customization options, scalability, and robust features such as advanced marketing and SEO tools. It is ideal for large businesses with complex eCommerce requirements.

Here are some more details about Magento:

Customizable: Magento is highly customizable and can be modified to suit the unique needs of any business. It offers a range of themes, templates, and extensions that can be used to create a unique online store that reflects your brand identity.
Open-Source: Magento is an open-source platform, which means that the code is available for anyone to modify and customize to suit their needs.
Secure and Scalable: Magento is a secure and scalable platform that can handle large volumes of traffic and transactions. It provides businesses with a range of security features, such as SSL encryption and two-factor authentication, to protect their customers' data.
Payment Gateway Integration: Magento integrates with a wide range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net, to enable secure payment processing.
Product Management: Magento offers powerful product management tools, including inventory management, product variations, and shipping options.
Marketing and SEO: Magento provides businesses with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.
Multi-Store Management: Magento allows businesses to manage multiple online stores from a single platform, making it easy to expand your online presence.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a website builder that also offers eCommerce functionality. It offers beautiful design templates, easy customization, and a simple checkout process. It is ideal for small businesses and those looking for a simple, elegant eCommerce solution.

Here are some more details about Squarespace:

Design Templates: Squarespace offers a range of customizable design templates that can be used to create a unique online store that reflects your brand identity.
Easy to Use: Squarespace is easy to use, even for those who have no coding or design experience. It offers a drag-and-drop interface and intuitive editing tools to make creating and updating your online store simple.
Secure and Reliable: Squarespace provides a secure and reliable platform for eCommerce transactions. It is PCI compliant and offers SSL encryption, fraud analysis, and 24/7 monitoring to ensure that your online store is secure.
Payment Gateway Integration: Squarespace integrates with a variety of payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, and Square, to enable easy and secure payment processing.
Inventory Management: Squarespace offers basic inventory management tools that enable you to track inventory levels and manage stock levels.
Marketing and SEO: Squarespace provides users with a range of marketing and SEO tools to help drive traffic and sales to their online store. This includes email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.
Mobile Responsive: Squarespace offers mobile-responsive themes that ensure that your online store is accessible on any device, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Features, Pros and cons of each eCommerce platform

Here is a more detailed table summarizing the features, pros, and cons of each eCommerce platform:

Platform	Features	Pros	Cons
Shopify	User-friendly interface, easy customization	Easy to set up and manage, large selection of themes and templates, built-in payment and shipping options, excellent customer support	Transaction fees for third-party payment gateways, limited customization for themes, limited features for large businesses
WooCommerce	Free to use, easy integration with WordPress	Free to use, integrates easily with WordPress, large selection of plugins and themes, excellent community support	Requires technical knowledge for customization, limited scalability
BigCommerce	Multi-channel selling, enterprise-grade features	Multi-channel selling, built-in marketing and SEO tools, robust feature set for enterprise businesses, good customer support	Limited customization options for checkout process, limited theme selection
Magento	Advanced marketing and SEO tools, scalability	Advanced marketing and SEO tools, high scalability, large selection of themes and templates, robust feature set for large businesses	High learning curve, expensive for small businesses, requires technical expertise for customization
Squarespace	Beautiful design templates, simple checkout	Beautiful design templates, simple checkout process, built-in payment and shipping options, excellent customer support	Limited customization options, transaction fees for third-party payment gateways, limited features for large businesses

Top Shopify Integrations

Here are some of the top Shopify integrations that can be created using Appy Pie Connect, along with a brief description of each integration and how it can benefit your business:

Integration	Description	Benefits
Shopify with Gmail	Send Shopify order details to Gmail automatically	Stay on top of order notifications, shipping updates, etc.
Shopify with QuickBooks	Sync orders and inventory data between Shopify and QB	Keep your accounting up-to-date and accurate
Shopify with Salesforce	Transfer customer data from Shopify to Salesforce CRM	Manage customer relationships more effectively
Shopify with Slack	Receive Shopify notifications in Slack channels	Keep your team informed and up-to-date on order status, etc.
Shopify with Trello	Create Trello cards automatically for new Shopify orders	Track order progress and fulfillment in Trello
Shopify with Mailchimp	Add new Shopify customers to Mailchimp email lists	Target email campaigns to customers based on their purchases
Shopify with HubSpot	Sync customer and order data between Shopify and HubSpot	Keep your sales and marketing teams aligned

Explore Shopify Integrations

Top WooCommerce Integrations

Here are some popular WooCommerce integrations using Appy Pie Connect, along with a brief description of each integration and its benefits:

Integration	Description	Benefits
WooCommerce with Mailchimp	Connect your WooCommerce store with Mailchimp to automate your email marketing campaigns.	Sync customer data and purchase history to create targeted campaigns Automate abandoned cart emails Send personalized product recommendations
WooCommerce with QuickBooks Online	Automatically sync sales, payments, and fees between your WooCommerce store and QuickBooks Online.	Eliminate manual data entry Get a real-time view of your financial data Accurately track sales and expenses
WooCommerce with Salesforce	Connect your WooCommerce store with Salesforce to manage customer relationships, sales, and marketing.	Automatically sync customer data, orders, and products Create custom reports and dashboards to track sales and marketing performance Segment your customer data to create targeted marketing campaigns
WooCommerce with HubSpot	Automate your marketing, sales, and customer service with HubSpot's powerful CRM.	Automatically sync customer data, orders, and products Create targeted marketing campaigns and lead nurturing workflows Track sales and marketing performance with custom reports and dashboards
WooCommerce with Google Sheets	Automatically export your WooCommerce sales data to Google Sheets for easy tracking and analysis.	Eliminate manual data entry Track sales and inventory in real-time Create custom reports and dashboards for your business
WooCommerce with Slack	Get real-time notifications about your WooCommerce orders, customer inquiries, and more in Slack.	Stay on top of your sales and customer support Collaborate with your team in real-time Automate routine tasks and reduce manual work

Explore WooCommerce Integrations

Top BigCommerce Integrations

Here are few popular BigCommerce integrations using Appy Pie Connect:

Integration	Description
BigCommerce with Mailchimp	Connect your BigCommerce store with Mailchimp to automate your email marketing campaigns.
BigCommerce with QuickBooks Online	Automatically sync sales, payments, and fees between your BigCommerce store and QuickBooks Online.
BigCommerce with Salesforce	Connect your BigCommerce store with Salesforce to manage customer relationships, sales, and marketing.
BigCommerce with HubSpot	Automate your marketing, sales, and customer service with HubSpot's powerful CRM.
BigCommerce with Google Sheets	Automatically export your BigCommerce sales data to Google Sheets for easy tracking and analysis.
BigCommerce with Shopify	Connect your BigCommerce store with Shopify to expand your sales channels and sell on multiple platforms.
BigCommerce with Facebook Ads	Automatically create and manage your Facebook ad campaigns based on your BigCommerce sales data.
BigCommerce with Xero	Automatically sync sales, payments, and fees between your BigCommerce store and Xero accounting software.
BigCommerce with Zendesk	Automatically create and manage support tickets in Zendesk based on customer inquiries in your BigCommerce store.
BigCommerce with Shipstation	Automatically sync your BigCommerce orders and shipments with Shipstation for streamlined order fulfillment.

Explore BigCommerce Integrations

Top Magento Integrations

Here are few popular Magento integrations using Appy Pie Connect:

Integration	Description	Benefits
Magento with Salesforce	Connect your Magento store with Salesforce to manage customer relationships, sales, and marketing.	Automatically sync customer data, orders, and products Create custom reports and dashboards to track sales and marketing performance Segment your customer data to create targeted marketing campaigns
Magento with HubSpot	Automate your marketing, sales, and customer service with HubSpot's powerful CRM.	Sync customer data, orders, and products between Magento and HubSpot Create targeted email campaigns based on customer behavior Track customer interactions across all touchpoints
Magento with Mailchimp	Connect your Magento store with Mailchimp to automate your email marketing campaigns.	Sync customer data and purchase history to create targeted campaigns Automate abandoned cart emails Send personalized product recommendations
Magento with QuickBooks Online	Automatically sync sales, payments, and fees between your Magento store and QuickBooks Online.	Eliminate manual data entry Get a real-time view of your financial data Accurately track sales and expenses
Magento with Google Sheets	Automatically export your Magento sales data to Google Sheets for easy tracking and analysis.	Create custom reports and dashboards Analyze trends and patterns in your sales data Make data-driven decisions for your business

Explore Magento Integrations

Top Squarespace Integrations

Here are few popular Squarespace integrations using Appy Pie Connect:

Integration	Description	Benefits
Squarespace with Mailchimp	Connect your Squarespace site with Mailchimp to automate your email marketing campaigns.	Sync customer data and purchase history to create targeted campaigns Automate abandoned cart emails Send personalized product recommendations
Squarespace with Google Sheets	Automatically export your Squarespace sales data to Google Sheets for easy tracking and analysis.	Create custom reports and dashboards Analyze trends and patterns in your sales data Make data-driven decisions for your business
Squarespace with HubSpot	Automate your marketing, sales, and customer service with HubSpot's powerful CRM.	Sync customer data, orders, and products between Squarespace and HubSpot Create targeted email campaigns based on customer behavior Track customer interactions across all touchpoints
Squarespace with Stripe	Connect your Squarespace site with Stripe to accept payments from customers.	Accept credit card payments from customers Automatically process refunds Track payment activity and balances
Squarespace with Zendesk	Connect your Squarespace site with Zendesk to manage customer support requests.	Automatically create support tickets from customer inquiries Assign tickets to agents for quick resolution Track response times and resolution rates

Explore Squarespace Integrations

Conclusion

Building an online store can be a daunting task, but with the right eCommerce platform and integrations, it can be a rewarding experience. The five best eCommerce platforms for building an online store are Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and Squarespace.

These platforms offer a variety of features and functionalities that can help you create a seamless shopping experience for your customers. Additionally, by integrating these platforms with other business tools and apps using Appy Pie Connect, an AI-driven integration platform, you can streamline your workflows, automate processes, and ultimately grow your business. Whether you're a small business owner or an enterprise-level corporation, these eCommerce platforms and integrations can help take your online store to the next level.

Abhinav Girdhar

Founder and CEO of Appy Pie