11 Best B2C ecommerce platforms for your online store in 2024

The WiziShop all-in-one ecommerce platform makes it easier than ever before for aspiring e-merchants to launch and run a business on the internet. Proving its worth as an online store builder since 2008, the solution is dedicated to helping users succeed in selling online. Whether you're completely new to internet commerce or want to migrate your existing business, WiziShop has got you covered!

With the WiziShop solution, there's no need to invest in additional apps or plugins for your store—everything is included in your subscription: a plethora of design templates to easily create a site that matches your brand, over 400 pre-integrated ecommerce features to boost your marketing and selling efforts, more than 50 SEO optimizations to take your website to the top of Google's rankings, personalized support from our knowledgeable team of Business Coaches to aid you in achieving your goals, access to our helpful AI chatbot Maia to answer your queries at any time of day, free training included with all subscriptions to expand your ecommerce knowledge, and more.

WiziShop also offers a wide range of AI tools developed to boost your productivity and efficiency when it comes to running your online store. Avail of our AI ecommerce innovation for generating text content to create SEO-friendly product descriptions, write articles for your blog, translate texts, produce compelling ad copy, and craft engaging hooks that can help increase consumer interest in your offerings—all in a matter of seconds!

WiziShop subscriptions start at $40 per month with transaction fees of 1.5% per sale. Sign up today and enjoy a 7-day free trial + then pay only $1 for your first month!

Serving as both a B2C and a B2B ecommerce platform, Amazon's global popularity has made it one of the top websites for selling on the web. The company was launched by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and started as an online bookstore, swiftly expanding into a diverse B2C ecommerce giant. It revolutionized how consumers shop by offering an extensive range of products at competitive prices with reliable delivery. 

For businesses, selling on Amazon provides vast exposure to millions of customers, a trusted platform for transactions, and fulfillment services through Amazon's FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). According to the company, over 60% of the sales on Amazon are generated by independent sellers, the majority of whom are small and medium-sized businesses.

However, there are disadvantages. High competition can drive down prices and margins. Amazon also charges significant fees, which can erode profits. The web marketplace controls customer data and interactions, limiting sellers’ ability to build direct relationships with their customers. Furthermore, Amazon’s own products often compete directly with third-party sellers, potentially prioritizing its goods over others.

Price: Merchants can opt for the Individual plan, paying $0.99 for every item sold, or the Professional plan for access to all the platform's features, paying $39.99 per month. In addition, Amazon charges a selling fee for every item sold, which varies depending on the product category and ranges from 3% to 45%.

Free trial: Amazon currently doesn't offer a free trial for its selling plans, but some of its optional programs for sellers come with no-cost testing periods of varying lengths.

Shopify, founded in 2006, emerged from the founders' desire to create an easy-to-use ecommerce platform after their dissatisfaction with existing options while trying to open a snowboard shop on the web. It has since grown into a leading B2C ecommerce platform, renowned for its simplicity and user-friendliness, allowing anyone to set up an online store.

Shopify offers online sellers a comprehensive suite of tools to manage products, customize storefronts, process payments, and handle inventory across multiple sales channels, including web, mobile, social media platforms, and physical locations. The platform supports sellers with various apps and integrations, analytics for tracking performance, and robust 24/7 customer support.

Shopify offers a simple, intuitive base solution for setting up an online store, but it may not have all the services necessary to help you reach your specific business goals. To fully equip a store, sellers may need to use the Shopify App Store, which hosts applications that often require a paid subscription for additional features to assist with tasks like optimizing SEO or managing invoices.

Price: Shopify subscription plans start at $29 per month with fees of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. 

Free trial: 3 days

WooCommerce, launched in 2011, is a customizable, open-source ecommerce platform built on WordPress. It was developed by WooThemes, which was eventually acquired by Automattic in 2015. As a plugin, WooCommerce seamlessly integrates with WordPress, leveraging the platform's flexibility and extensive content management capabilities, making it a popular choice for online sellers who already use WordPress.

Because WooCommerce is an open-source solution, merchants have lots of flexibility and room for customization when it comes to designing their stores. What's more, they have access to a large support community, providing assistance with themes, plugins, and troubleshooting.

While the WooCommerce plugin is free, significant costs can accumulate for customization, premium plugins, and maintenance. Users will also need to have a decent amount of technical knowledge, as setting up and customizing WooCommerce can require more technical prowess than other plug-and-play platforms.

Price: There's no cost to use the basic WooCommerce plugin, but you'll need to consider the costs of website hosting and additional features for your business.

Free trial: N/A

In 2003, Anthony Casalena founded Squarespace, which originally began as a blog hosting service and evolved into a comprehensive B2C ecommerce platform known for its design-centric approach. Its target user bases consists primarily of creative professionals and small businesses, offering tools to build aesthetically pleasing and functional websites without needing coding skills.

Squarespace provides high-quality, customizable templates that make setting up a professional-looking shop a straightforward affair. It includes hosting, domain registration, and analytics, simplifying the technical aspects of running an ecommerce business.

Despite Squarespace being easy to use, though, the customization options are limited compared to other platforms. It can also quickly get more expensive than other available solutions, especially when adding multiple features or scaling up. While adequate for small retailers, it lacks some of the advanced ecommerce functionalities that larger companies might require for extensive inventory management or complex shipping options.

Price: Squarespace pricing begins at $11 per month for merchants only selling digital products and memberships, but you'll need to upgrade to one of the site's Business plans, which start at $17 per month, if you want to sell physical products or services. Squarespace also charges transaction fees of 9% for digital goods and 3% for physical items and services.

Free trial: 14 days

Launched in 2009, BigCommerce speedily established itself as a leading B2C and B2B ecommerce platform, catering to businesses of various sizes by supplying a powerful, scalable solution that supports complex online stores--no extensive coding knowledge required!

BigCommerce is known for handling large-scale ecommerce operations, making it ideal for companies looking to grow. It offers a wide range of built-in features, including SEO tools, payment gateways, and multichannel selling. 

While feature-rich, BigCommerce's pricing can be higher compared to other platforms, especially as you scale and require more advanced features. Some customers might also find the interface and the plethora of options overwhelming, which may be challenging for beginners.

Price: Subscriptions with BigCommerce start at $29 per month, with no additional transaction fees except for certain payment methods.

Free trial: 15 days

Originally a platform aimed at simplifying website creation, Wix, which was founded in 2006, expanded into internet commerce by allowing users to build online stores through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

Wix is acclaimed for simple user experience, making it ideal for beginners to set up and manage an online store. It gives merchants a wide range of customizable templates, enhancing the visual appeal of online stores.

Although Wix is suitable for small to medium-sized businesses, larger businesses might find it less capable of handling extensive ecommerce needs compared to more specialized platforms. This can mean needing to search for third-party add-ons, many of which may cost money.

Price: Wix's ecommerce plans begin at $29 per month, with no additional transaction fees except for certain payment methods.

Free trial: While Wix doesn't offer a traditional free trial period for its paid plans, it does provide a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Etsy, launched in 2005, started off as a unique internet marketplace focused on handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. It's geared towards small artisans and crafters looking to reach a global audience who appreciates the uniqueness and personal touch of handmade goods.

Setting up a shop on Etsy is straightforward, making it accessible for beginners. One of the other big advantages of this platform is the fact that its focus on unique and artisanal products draws a dedicated customer base. In addition, it provides a supportive community and resources tailored to small, creative businesses.

Just like with Amazon, however, the competition on Etsy is fierce among merchants, with many of them offering similar items for sale. Sellers also have limited control over their shop’s appearance and branding compared to other platforms. Another drawback to using Etsy to sell on the web is that the platform charges different types of fees that can quickly eat up seller profits.

Price: Etsy doesn't charge a monthly subscription fee, but it does have numerous selling fees for merchants, including a $0.19 listing fee, a 6.25% commission fee and a 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee per sale, and a 15% Offsite Ads fee (only payable when the seller makes a sale from one of these ads). 

Free trial: N/A

PrestaShop, founded in 2007 in France, is an open-source ecommerce platform that offers businesses the ability to create customized online stores. Initially developed as a student project, it has grown into a widely used platform with a focus on providing flexible ecommerce solutions for businesses all around the globe.

As an open-source solution, PrestaShop is free to download and use, and users can tailor their stores extensively due to its modular nature and the availability of numerous plugins and themes. Sellers can also avail of a strong community on the platform and a marketplace full of modules and themes, bolstering the platform's functionality.

Keep in mind, however, that setting up and customizing PrestaShop can be complex, necessitating a decent amount of technical expertise. Furthermore, while the software is free, costs can accumulate for hosting, premium modules, and themes.

Price: Creating an ecommerce site is free with PrestaShop, but you'll need to account for the expenses associated with website hosting and any additional features your business may require.

Free trial: N/A

Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento, was originally released in 2008. It was acquired by Adobe in 2018 and rebranded, becoming part of Adobe's extensive digital experience suite. As a B2C ecommerce platform, it's known for its robustness, flexibility, and scalability, catering primarily to medium to large businesses.

Adobe Commerce provides customers with extensive customization options through a vast ecosystem of extensions and themes. It's well suited for growing businesses due to its ability to handle large product catalogs and high traffic volumes. The solution also offers easy integration with other Adobe products and third-party apps.

That being said, those new to running an ecommerce site may find the platform's rich features and customization potential to be a bit overwhelming. What's more, developing a site can require significant investment in development resources and external add-ons.

Price: Merchants should get in touch with the Adobe Commerce team for custom pricing.

Free trial: Adobe Commerce doesn't appear to offer a free trial at this time, but interested users can contact the company for a demo.

Volusion was founded in 1999 and stands as one of the earliest platforms to arrive on the online shopping scene. It's designed to provide businesses with an all-in-one ecommerce solution, focusing on ease of use and integrated features suitable for small to medium-sized enterprises.

Volusion customers will have access to a user-friendly interface that simplifies the management of online stores. The solution includes a range of built-in functionalities, such as payment processing and inventory management, without the need for additional plugins.

Note that compared to other platforms, Volusion offers fewer customization options and a smaller selection of themes. In addition, Volusion places sales-volume and product-listing limits on its less expensive plans, which means that some customers may have challenges with scaling their businesses as their online traffic and sales grow.

Price: Volusion plans begin at $35 per month, with payment gateway maintenance fees ranging from 1.25% to 0.35% for every transaction, depending on your chosen plan. However, if you opt for the platform's own payment gateway, Volusion Payments, you won't need to pay this extra fee.

Free trial: 14 days

WiziShop: The ideal platform for your ecommerce business

Choosing the right B2C ecommerce platform is crucial for the success of your online business. Each platform you read about in this article offers unique features and comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

There are many reasons why you should use an ecommerce platform, and when deciding which solution to use for your own website, consider factors like budget, technical expertise, specific business needs, and scalability. By carefully assessing each option, you'll be able to select a platform that not only aligns with your current requirements but also supports your growth and adapts to future challenges.

When you create your ecommerce website with WiziShop's AI-powered platform, you'll be able to take advantage of a plethora of tools to aid in the launch, management, and development of your business. With all these features already included in your subscription, there's no need to pay for third-party integrations—you'll have everything you need at your fingertips!

There's no time like the present... Create your WiziShop account today and get started with your ecommerce adventure!