Is your business comparatively small and you want it grow?
Or
Are you a huge business looking for new options, opportunities and quick growth?
Definitely,
It is not easy peasy decision to choose the right ecommerce platform for your online store.
Possibly, you’re researching options, and perhaps, you came up with big names: Magento, Shopify and Woomerce. These are of course big fish in the ocean of Ecommerce.
Doesn’t it make sense to do side-by-side comparisons of these three major players in the game?
It does make sense.
Because they make up a big percentage of the market share. Along the way, they have adapted to a changing industry.
Follow this blog till the end to see which options distinguish them and which could be the best Ecommerce platform for your business.
Below is an infographic showing comparison to ease up fact-checking. In order to make selection of an Ecommerce CMS easier, we are providing important questions that you must ask to developer before choosing an ecommerce platform right below this infographic.
Let’s begin!
Pricing packages for an ecommerce platform may help you clearly define your possibilities. Because not all CMS for ecommerce stores are equally prices because some are easy-to-afford than others.
Therefore, while you’re deciding, be certain that you’re not just considering initial cost of setting up the system- keep maintenance, security, hosting in mind, and finding helpful CMS will be easy.
Magento: Expensive
The cost to license Magento software varies depending on what product you want to use. Since, Magento is an open-source platform. It can be downloaded from Magento’s website for free.
But, don’t forget – still, you’ll have to spend money on hosting, security, design and development.
Additionally, Magento Enterprise edition is significantly expensive. It can vary depending on the size and complexity of your business.
It also offers Cloud-Hosted Magento edition as well. It is built on Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model which not all but some of the advantages of Software as a Service(SaaS). Alike, Enterprise edition, Cloud edition is expensive and it can range from $40,000 to $125,000 per year.
Shopify: Affordable.
Shopify offers a variety of pricing models as per business needs. A Basic Shopify plan starts at $29 per month, but barely provides many features. Well, if you want to get more features then you’ll have to use Advanced plans that are ranging from $79 to $299 per month.
Likewise, if you’re a large enterprise, then Shopify Plus is a package for you which starts around $1500 to $2000.
Keep in mind: Shopify lacks some fundamental native features which can drive up your total cost. Be clear first-hand as what added features will you need. This will help you in budgeting while picking right ecommerce platform for your webstore.
WooCommerce: Reasonable
WooCommerce costs is really reasonable and it depends upon you. If you are literally tight on your budget, you can create a high-functioning WooCommerce online store for as little as $55 or as big as $662 monthly.
Or, if you want customization as per your requirements, you will have to spend considerably more from $1,000 – $1, 200 per month.
Question 2- Which is the Easiest-to-use Ecommerce CMS?
It’s important to find out how easy the CMS platform will be for your teams to use. You will need to understand how to execute system’s features, make full use of the platform and will have to familiarize that either this platform will fit right to business size and structure.
Magento: Highly Complex.
Magento is not easy-to-use. Expecting to get on-site developers from this CMS who will come out to help you while you’re developing your ecommerce website is folly.
Therefore, you’ll need a team of developers to ease up website building process for you. Also, it will assist you in finding a reliable hosting company.
One more thing: Setting up online store on Magneto doesn’t mean – You’re done successfully as it has always a steep learning curve.
Magento is highly complex and users need to be programming literate to make most of it. Or, at least have a team at their disposal to make each process easier.
Shopify: Easy-to-Use
Shopify is easy-to-use. If you don’t have prior experience in coding and programming, this is the CMS for you. It has drag-and-drop features which will help you make your online shop fairly easily.
That’s why; if you’re going to open your new online business. Just follow the simple steps and get your webstore up and running at warp speed. However, for more advanced features, you will require additional applications and will have to employ custom coding.
WooCommerce: Easy-to-Use
WooCommerce has a clean and friendly user-experience which simplifies website building process even if you’ve not done it ever before.
Once you’re done with setting up, WooCommerce is easy-to-use. In fact, WooCommerce is an open-source plugin which converts WordPress sites into Ecommerce stores.
Finally, it is useful and user-friendly CMS for your ecommerce store. You don’t need to be tech geek to use it. Anybody can use this platform to make ideas-on-paper go Digital.
Question 3- Which CMS offers most features for creating an Ecommerce Website?
Features play a crucial role when it comes to choosing an Ecommerce platform. Certainly, they are part and parcel of a Content Management System (CMS). These are the features that make or break your reputation online as an Online store or an ecommerce website.
Let’s say, you’re doing B2B sales with clientele that’s totally professional. You’ve big opportunities ahead of you to win big, boost your storefront revenue and take your efficiency to the next-level.
But,
Does your CMS show sign such as slowdown in speed at the onset of traffic spike, or unfriendliness in terms of intuitiveness and customer and you are on the brink of losing money-making corporate clients?
It shows that you need to shift now to better CMS that could cater your needs and can help you in customization of your Ecommerce website with ease. At the same time, helping your clientele enjoy timely solutions of your problems – effectively and reliably.
Following is a quick rundown of the CMS with best features:
Shopify: Most Features
Shopify is the powerhouse of some of the best features as a Top-Ranked CMS (Content Management System) in the USA. Creating your online store on Shopify will take you to new heights of business success.
One expression is enough to describe your experience with Shopify: You can create your online store hassle-freely.
You don’t need to be an expert programmer to set up your store. Using Shopify to build your online shop is as easy as A-B-C.
It is rich in native features to enable you create and customize your online store. This ecommerce platform contains 70+ professional themes, integration support with over 100 payment gateways, and ease of dropshipping.
Likewise, its abandoned check-out recovery feature helps online retailers retrieve lost sales by sending an automatic email to customers encouraging them to complete purchase.
Marketing an online store is not an easy thing. But, with Shopify you won’t have to hassle because it is search engine optimized and very rich in native features.
Magento: Limited Features
Magento is another good CMS which ticks all boxes to take your online business idea from nowhere to everywhere.
Even though, it has integrated features such as B2B functionality to drive growth with quick and hassle-free purchasing process and result-oriented AWS-based environment so that an online shop owner could deliver the best experience to its customers and so much more.
Still, it’s offering limited features to the end-users. Undoubtedly, it pacing fast to optimize its features and functionalities. But, when will Magento outrun Shopify in race of features is still a question.
On the other hand, this Ecommerce platform enables you to connect the dots with relevant insights. It comes with tools to personalize shopping experience, that too in real-time. An online webstore can create customized dashboards and business reporting easily with Magento.
WooCommerce: Limited Features
A thing which sets this CMS apart is that you can sell and do anything with WooCommerce.
Yes. It is true.
But, don’t believe blindly on WooCommerce, because it contains limited features. So, if you want to your business-specific needs, you’ve you to try paid WooCommerce extensions to fulfill your technical and logistical needs.
Long story short, if you want to build an online store where sale starts long before a client clicks ‘Buy’, WooCommerce is that platform. It is easy-to-use and integrates seamlessly with WordPress.
Alike, most of the CMS are considered to be ‘One-Stop Shop’ for physical products that can be bought and digital products that can be downloaded. But, WooCommerce has taken this experience to the next-level – You can sell memberships and subscriptions easily from your store.
Question 4- Which is the Best Ecommerce CMS for Hosting?
Hosting is one of the major difference-makers. That’s why; it’s an important question to ask to developer before selecting an Ecommerce CMS: Will my CMS hosted on-premise or Is it cloud-based?
Magento: Average Recommended
Magento provides different options when it comes to hosting. It can be hosted on-premise, in the cloud or through a third-party. Its hosting capabilities are dependent on how do you use this platform.
Magento is a PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), not a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). So, you will have to do lots of things on your own.
Shopify: Highly Recommended
Shopify is cloud-based. Plus, hosting is included with subscription. It means that you will not have to look for third-party hosting services and waste your valuable time dealing with technical glitches. Shopify will manage itself for you.
WooCommerce: Average Recommended
WooCommerce is cloud-based but it is hosted via third-party. Unlike Shopify, it doesn’t include hosting within subscription. Therefore, you need to be careful when looking for hosting solution for WooCommerce-powered online store.
Question 5- Which Ecommerce CMS Provides High Security?
Ecommerce website can’t compromise on the security. Because numerous transactions will be taking place in a single day. A single vulnerability will lead to destruction of your brand image and nobody will come to buy online from your eStore.
It is understood that sizes of ecommerce stores vary. Therefore, it depends up your team and your understanding with best security practices that how much security burden you can put up with.
Magento: Secure
Magento’s security is totally dependent on you. It is as secure as you or your developers’ team can make it. You will have to be really careful even for small things – SSL, certificates and upkeep.
As far as Magento’s reputation as a secure Ecommerce platform concerns, it is good but it is up to your team to keep your ecommerce store updated and protected from potential threats.
Shopify: Highly Secure
Since Shopify works on SaaS model, it has flawless security included. Plus, this world’s best Ecommerce CMS is Level 1 PCI compliant with SSL security included on their hosted ecommerce websites.
WooCommerce: Secure
WooCommerce is not PCI-DSS certified. However, this does not prevent your site from becoming PCI compliant. But, it doesn’t prevent any ecommerce website from becoming PCI compliant.
It depends upon you and your team how fairly you keep this ecommerce platform secure.
Therefore, if you want to make WooCommerce protected, you’ll have to work yourself, or get a team of developers onboard to safeguard your Ecommerce website from potential threats.
Which Ecommerce Platform Works for Who
The key is to find the platform that is the right fit for you now…and in the future. You don’t want to hitch your brand’s wagon to a platform that ends up limiting your growth — you need one that will grow with you as you continue to grow.
Keep in mind: There’s no One-Size-Fits-all ecommerce platform. Although, some CMS work for large enterprises and some are suitable for small online stores. The key is to find the right platform for you now and in the future.
Magento:
If you’re an online business with a large budget to invest in ecommerce and a team of developers to keep your online site up and maintained, then Magento is the right choice for you. It will help you customize site as per your specifications.
Well, you should bear in mind that there are a limited number of qualified Magento developers out there, so make sure that you’ve time, technical resources and money to complete your project within specified timeline.
Shopify:
Are you new to Ecommerce? Shopify is offering great features for small and medium-sized ecommerce website that are not experienced enough to build online storefronts. Actually, it’s really easy-to-use and it lets you build online storefronts in few clicks.
It is a good choice for online stores that want to take their businesses to the next-level.
We recommend Shopify because it is highly secure, affordable, and contains most features.
Rest assured: You will be able to take your online store from nowhere to everywhere with ease.
WooCommerce:
WooCommerce is an incredible Ecommerce CMS for all sizes. Especially, if you are webstore that wants to grow. This platform offers world’s best features, top-notch uptime, and matchless customer support.
Plus, WooCommerce offers endless opportunities for customization while you’re leveraging your current tech stack.
Conclusion- Important that You must ask before Selecting your Ecommerce CMS
There is no shortage of ecommerce platforms to choose from. When you will ask important questions to your developer about which platform to choose. Definitely, he will come up with three big names: a) Shopify, b) Magento, and c) WooCommerce. It’s no secret that Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce are big names in the domain of Ecommerce CMS.
But, Shopify is the game-changer. We recommend Shopify as it lets its users take their digital and physical products to the threshold of clients with iron-clad security, matchless features, easy-to-afford pricing plans and hassle-free hosting.
Rest assured, this guide will help you to understand core differences between best Ecommerce platform and will help you find the right fit for your ecommerce store.
