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Ecommerce platforms

Ecommerce platforms: stay, move or fix?

For a consumer brand deciding whether to stay on Shopify, move to BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Adobe Commerce or Salesforce Commerce Cloud, or fix the store it already has. Ten needs scored, from launch and checkout to POS, international selling and multiple stores.

At a glance

Overall B2C fit

A higher score means a closer fit. These are our assessments, not measured benchmarks or averages.

  1. Shopify

    A broad fit for consumer brands: quick launches, checkout, apps, POS and international sales.

    4.5 / 5
  2. BigCommerce

    Native commerce features, multiple storefronts and payment flexibility.

    4.25 / 5
  3. Adobe Commerce

    Complex enterprise catalogues, promotions and global stores.

    4.25 / 5
  4. Salesforce Commerce Cloud

    Large organisations already using Salesforce for CRM, service and personalisation.

    4.25 / 5
  5. WooCommerce

    WordPress and custom development, with control over hosting and responsibility for maintenance.

    4 / 5

Ten needs, five platforms

Scores by B2C need

Swipe to compare. The first column stays visible.

B2C ecommerce platform comparison: merchant needs by platform, shown as a score out of five with short notes.
B2C merchant needShopifyBigCommerceAdobe CommerceSalesforce Commerce CloudWooCommerce
Launch quickly
5 / 5
  • Hosted, polished admin and fast setup
4 / 5
  • Hosted with more configuration
2 / 5
  • Implementation project normally required
2 / 5
  • Enterprise implementation
3 / 5
  • WordPress, hosting and plugins to manage
Checkout and conversion
4.5 / 5
  • Excellent hosted checkout and payment options
4 / 5
  • Strong checkout with more flexibility
4.5 / 5
  • Powerful enterprise checkout
4.5 / 5
  • Strong enterprise conversion tooling
3.5 / 5
  • Very capable, but plugin quality varies
Brand and theme control
4 / 5
  • Good themes and Liquid customisation
4 / 5
  • Strong storefront control
4.5 / 5
  • Highly customisable
4 / 5
  • Strong enterprise storefront control
5 / 5
  • Maximum code and design freedom
Apps and integrations
5 / 5
  • Very large, reviewed app ecosystem
4 / 5
  • Strong ecosystem with fewer apps
4 / 5
  • Enterprise integrations available
4.5 / 5
  • Strong Salesforce ecosystem
4.5 / 5
  • Huge plugin and extension ecosystem
International selling
4.5 / 5
  • Markets, currencies, languages and domains
4.5 / 5
  • Strong multiple storefront and localisation tools
5 / 5
  • Excellent multiple site and global catalogue model
5 / 5
  • Designed for global enterprise commerce
4 / 5
  • Usually extensions and configuration
Retail, POS and omnichannel
5 / 5
  • Native Shopify POS and unified products and orders
4 / 5
  • Strong omnichannel integrations
4 / 5
  • Strong with implementation
4.5 / 5
  • Strong commerce and service ecosystem
3 / 5
  • Usually third party POS
SEO and content
4 / 5
  • Good out of the box, less open than WordPress
4.5 / 5
  • Strong built in SEO controls
4.5 / 5
  • Strong enterprise content and catalogue SEO
4 / 5
  • Strong, but usually implementation led
5 / 5
  • WordPress content and SEO flexibility
Merchandising and personalisation
4 / 5
  • Good apps and built in merchandising
4 / 5
  • Strong catalogue and promotion tools
5 / 5
  • Advanced catalogue, promotions and customer rules
5 / 5
  • Advanced personalisation and targeting
3.5 / 5
  • Usually plugins and custom work
Scaling to multiple stores or brands
4 / 5
  • Good, with Plus for more complex structures
4.5 / 5
  • Strong multiple storefront capability
5 / 5
  • Built for multiple site enterprise commerce
5 / 5
  • Built for enterprise scale
3.5 / 5
  • Possible, but more technical to operate
Merchant ownership and flexibility
3.5 / 5
  • Hosted convenience, platform rules and app dependency
4 / 5
  • More payment and storefront flexibility
4 / 5
  • Deep control, higher technical overhead
3 / 5
  • Powerful but highly vendor and implementation dependent
5 / 5
  • Open source, own hosting and data control
Overall B2C fit
4.5 / 5
4.25 / 5
4.25 / 5
4.25 / 5
4 / 5

Sources and pricing

Based on our Shopify work, including 2XU and ELK, with the other platforms assessed from vendor documentation.

Shopify in practice

The storefront, and the systems behind it

One project inside the theme, one connecting the store to dispatch and the retail system.

Work directly with Chris

Growing on Shopify, or moving off it?

Tell us about the store, the team running it and what has stopped working well. A clear starting point is enough, and Chris will reply with a next step.

Discuss your project