peterindia.netE-Commerce Development Platforms
Platforms for building and running an online store: hosted SaaS, open-source and self-hosted software, headless and composable engines, and website builders with commerce built in.
Hosted commerce platform that handles the storefront, checkout, payments and store management, with an app store and developer tools.
Best for: Merchants who want to launch fast without running servers.
Visit Shopify →SaaS commerce platform with built-in features and open APIs, aimed at growing and B2B merchants.
Best for: Mid-size stores that need built-in features and APIs.
Visit BigCommerce →Hosted ecommerce software with built-in store, marketing and payment tools.
Best for: Small and medium stores wanting an all-in-one SaaS.
Visit Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart) →Simple hosted online stores aimed at artists, makers and small businesses.
Best for: Creators with small catalogues.
Visit Big Cartel →Adds an online store to an existing website or social channel, or builds a new one, with no technical skills needed.
Best for: Adding a store to a site you already have.
Visit Ecwid →Adobe's commerce platform for B2B and B2C, with developer documentation for customising and extending it. Grew out of Magento.
Best for: Large catalogues and heavy customisation.
Visit Adobe Commerce (Magento) →Open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress, extensible with themes and extensions.
Best for: WordPress sites that want to sell.
Visit WooCommerce →Open-source ecommerce platform for building and customising an online shop.
Best for: Self-hosted stores with a module ecosystem.
Visit PrestaShop →Open-source shopping cart software for self-hosted online stores.
Best for: Lightweight self-hosted stores.
Visit OpenCart →Long-running free, open-source shopping cart that can be extended with apps and custom development.
Best for: Teams maintaining or extending a classic cart.
Visit osCommerce →Commerce framework for Drupal sites, for stores that need custom content and workflows.
Best for: Content-rich sites built on Drupal.
Visit Drupal Commerce →Open-source ecommerce website builder inside the Odoo suite, tied to order, inventory and marketing tools.
Best for: Stores that want ERP-style back office in one suite.
Visit Odoo eCommerce →Ecommerce platform for building and customising responsive online stores, available as open source and as a hosted service.
Best for: European and B2B merchants wanting flexibility.
Visit Shopware →Open-source commerce platform for developers, built for flexibility and agent-driven commerce.
Best for: JavaScript teams building custom commerce.
Visit Medusa →Headless, open-source, GraphQL-first ecommerce platform with an API-first design.
Best for: Composable stacks built on GraphQL.
Visit Saleor →Open-source headless ecommerce platform for mid-market and enterprise brands needing custom solutions.
Best for: PHP and Symfony teams.
Visit Sylius →Adaptable ecommerce platform aimed at complex B2B commerce, designed to work with the systems a business already runs.
Best for: Complex B2B catalogues and pricing.
Visit Vendure →Website builder with templates for selling products, services or content online.
Best for: Design-led small shops.
Visit Squarespace Commerce →All-in-one ecommerce site builder that lets you start free and upgrade to sell across channels.
Best for: Non-technical owners building a store.
Visit Wix eCommerce →No-code platform to design, sell and scale ecommerce sites with full design control.
Best for: Designers who want custom visuals without code.
Visit Webflow Ecommerce →Match your requirement to a starting point, then compare vendors.
| Launch quickly, little tech skill | A hosted SaaS such as Shopify, BigCommerce or Ecwid |
|---|---|
| Own the code and hosting | Open source such as WooCommerce, PrestaShop or Shopware |
| Custom front end, API first | A headless engine such as Medusa, Saleor, Sylius or Vendure |
| Already on WordPress or Drupal | WooCommerce or Drupal Commerce |
| Small creative shop | Big Cartel, Squarespace, Wix or Webflow |
| Large enterprise catalogue | See Digital Commerce Platforms for enterprise suites |
Neighbouring directories and hubs.
Quick answers.
It is the software used to build and run an online store: catalogue, cart, checkout, payments, orders and the tools around them. Options range from hosted services to code you host and change yourself.
Hosted SaaS is quicker to launch and needs less maintenance, with monthly fees and some limits on customisation. Open source gives control over code and hosting, but you handle hosting, security and updates.
The back end that handles products, carts and orders is separated from the front end, and they talk through APIs. That lets teams build any storefront, app or channel on the same engine.
Check total cost including fees and extensions, how far it can be customised, whether it scales with products and traffic, payment gateway support, built-in marketing and SEO tools, mobile behaviour, support, and security and compliance.
That page covers enterprise commerce suites. This page covers the platforms most teams use to build and launch a store, from builders to open-source and headless engines.
It starts from a platform comparison published by Alea IT Solutions, extended with extra headless and builder options. Every link was checked on 6 October 2026 and descriptions are paraphrased from each vendor's own site.