10 Best eCommerce Platforms in Australia: Pros and Cons, Pricing, Best Practices

What are eCommerce Platforms?

An eCommerce platform is a content management system (CMS) and commerce engine that websites use to manage product catalogs, process purchases, and handle customer relationships with online retailers.

Whether your business is large or small, B2B or B2C, selling physical products or offering remote services, meeting customers where they are is crucial for increasing sales. Today’s consumers increasingly prefer to connect and shop online.

To meet these demands, successful companies integrate the best eCommerce platforms into their business operations.

Top 10 Best eCommerce Platforms

If you’re exploring the best eCommerce platforms, there are several popular ones to consider. What specific features or criteria are you focusing on for your eCommerce platform? Let’s delve into more details to find the best fit for your needs.

Shopify 

Shopify is an excellent, flexible, all-in-one, and one of the best eCommerce platforms with many unique features. Thousands of companies use this SaaS headless commerce platform for their operations worldwide.

The online website builder resource ‘websitebuilderexpert.com’ gives this platform a rating of 4.6 out of 5. The Shopify pricing starts at $29 per month and can go up to $299 monthly.

Pros:

• Ease of Use: Shopify is renowned for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for anyone to set up and manage an online store without technical expertise.
• Extensive App Store: The Shopify App Store offers numerous apps that can add functionalities such as email marketing, inventory management, and social media integration.
• 24/7 Customer Support: Shopify provides round-the-clock customer support through live chat, email, and phone, ensuring help is always available.
• Mobile-Friendly Themes: Shopify offers a wide range of responsive and professional themes, ensuring your store looks great on all devices.

Cons:

• Limited Customization: While Shopify is highly flexible, some advanced customizations require knowledge of Liquid, Shopify’s templating language.
• Transaction Fees: Unless you use Shopify Payments, you’ll incur transaction fees on top of payment gateway fees.
• Theme Costs: Premium themes and some apps come at an additional cost.
• App Dependencies: To access certain features, you may need to install multiple apps, which can add to the overall cost.

Pricing:

• Basic Shopify: $29/month
• Shopify: $79/month
• Advanced Shopify: $299/month

Best Practices:

• SEO Optimization: Utilize Shopify’s built-in SEO tools to optimize your store’s visibility in search engines. This includes editing meta tags, alt texts, and URLs.
• High-Quality Product Images: Use high-resolution images and provide multiple views of your products to enhance the customer experience.
• Abandoned Cart Recovery: Implement abandoned cart recovery emails to convert potential sales.
• Social Media Integration: Integrate your store with social media platforms to reach a broader audience and drive traffic.

Wix

This solution is one of the best eCommerce platforms suited for businesses with few commodities that wish to quickly build an eCommerce platform without needing coding skills. It allows site owners to include eCommerce functionality when needed. 

Wix is ideal for small business owners who want to add eCommerce to their websites without extensive technical knowledge. Pricing starts at $17 per month and can go up to $35.

Pros:

• Drag-and-Drop Interface: Wix’s intuitive drag-and-drop builder makes it easy for anyone to create a professional-looking store without coding skills.
• Affordable Pricing: Wix offers competitive pricing, making it accessible for small businesses and startups.
• Template Variety: With over 500 templates, Wix provides a wide range of design options.
• Third-Party Integrations: Easily integrate with popular third-party apps and services to extend your store’s functionality.

Cons:

• Limited Customization: While easy to use, Wix offers less flexibility for advanced customizations compared to other platforms.
• Scalability Issues: Wix may not be suitable for large businesses with extensive product catalogs and high traffic volumes.
• Feature Restrictions: Some features and functionalities are only available on higher-tier plans.

Pricing:

• Business Basic: $17/month
• Business Unlimited: $25/month
• Business VIP: $35/month

Best Practices:

• Keep It Simple: Opt for a clean and straightforward design to ensure a smooth user experience.
• Mobile Optimization: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly to cater to the increasing number of mobile shoppers.
• Utilize SEO Tools: Use Wix’s SEO tools to optimize your site’s visibility on search engines.
• Engage with Customers: Use Wix’s integrated marketing tools to run promotions and engage with your customers.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is recognized as one of the  SaaS and best eCommerce platforms that aids businesses in creating, managing, and maintaining their online stores. It offers exceptional scalability and sophisticated SEO, along with integration with multiple channels. Pricing starts at $29.95 per month and can go up to $299.95 monthly. Custom pricing is also available for enterprises.

Pros:

• Scalability: BigCommerce is designed to grow with your business, making it suitable for both small and large enterprises.
• Built-In SEO Features: Advanced SEO tools help improve your store’s search engine rankings.
• No Transaction Fees: BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees, even if you use third-party payment gateways.
• Multi-Channel Selling: Easily sell on multiple channels such as Amazon, eBay, and social media.

Cons:

• Limited Themes: Compared to competitors, BigCommerce offers fewer themes, which can limit design options.
• Higher Pricing: The advanced features come with a higher price tag, which may not be suitable for all budgets.
• Complex Interface: The platform can be overwhelming for beginners due to its extensive features and options.

Pricing:

• Standard: $29.95/month
• Plus: $79.95/month
• Pro: $299.95/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Best Practices:

• Leverage Multi-Channel Selling: Use BigCommerce’s multi-channel capabilities to reach a broader audience.
• Optimize for SEO: Take advantage of the built-in SEO tools to improve your site’s search engine visibility.
• Use Analytics: Regularly monitor your store’s performance using BigCommerce’s analytics tools to make informed decisions.
• Customer Experience: Focus on providing a seamless and engaging customer experience to increase sales and retention.

Watch more: Top 10 BigCommerce Agencies: Your Path to eCommerce Excellence

Squarespace

Squarespace is a beginner-friendly and popular SaaS platform that enables almost anyone to develop a stunning and effective online business site. The eCommerce market share of Squarespace increased from 0.2% in 2011 to 3.0% in 2022, solidifying its position among the best eCommerce platforms. 

Squarespace offers essential eCommerce services, including social media solutions, email marketing, logo creation tools, etc. Pricing ranges from $26 to $40 per month.

Pros:

• Beautiful Templates: Squarespace is known for its visually stunning and professionally designed templates.
• Integrated Blogging and Social Media Tools: Built-in tools make it easy to manage content and connect with your audience.
• All-in-One Platform: Squarespace provides everything you need to build and run an online store, from website building to hosting and eCommerce features.

Cons:

• Limited Customization: Squarespace offers less flexibility for advanced customizations compared to other platforms.
• Higher Pricing: The cost can be higher for eCommerce features, especially for small businesses.
• No Phone Support: Customer support is available via live chat and email but not over the phone.

Pricing:

• Business: $26/month
• Basic Commerce: $35/month
• Advanced Commerce: $40/month

Best Practices:

• Utilize High-Quality Visuals: Make the most of Squarespace’s beautiful templates by using high-quality images and videos.
• Leverage Built-In Marketing Tools: Use email marketing and social media tools to promote your store.
• SEO Optimization: Optimize your site’s content and structure to improve search engine rankings.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure your site looks and functions well on all devices to provide a great user experience.

Big Cartel

Big Cartel is one of the best eCommerce platforms tailored specifically for artists and small creators, offering a user-friendly platform to transform creative endeavors into thriving online businesses. It simplifies the setup and management of stores while providing customizable storefronts to showcase each brand’s unique identity.

Pros:

• Tailored for Artists: Big Cartel understands and caters to the needs of individual creators and small businesses, making it an ideal choice for artists and makers.
• Effortless Setup: The platform offers a straightforward setup process, allowing creators to focus on their products rather than dealing with technical complexities.
• Free Plan: Big Cartel’s free plan lets users list up to 5 products without any upfront costs or the need to enter credit card details, making it perfect for testing the waters and establishing an online presence.
• Customizable Storefronts: Creators can express their brand identity through Big Cartel’s customizable storefronts, creating visually appealing online spaces that reflect their artistic vision.
• Supportive Community: Big Cartel fosters a supportive community of creators, offering valuable resources and connections that facilitate learning, growth, and collaboration among creative entrepreneurs.

Cons:

• Limited Built-in Features: Compared to other platforms, Big Cartel offers a smaller range of built-in features. It lacks functionalities such as abandoned cart recovery, advanced product filtering, and extensive marketing tools.
• Product Listing Restrictions: Even on the highest-tier paid plan, Big Cartel limits the number of products you can list to 500, which may not be sufficient for businesses with larger inventories.
• Payment Gateway Limitations: Big Cartel currently integrates with only two payment gateways, PayPal and Stripe, potentially limiting payment options for customers.
• Basic SEO Functionality: While Big Cartel provides basic SEO tools, it lacks advanced features like keyword suggestions and on-page SEO optimization, which may impact organic search engine rankings.
• Design Customization Limitations: Although Big Cartel offers customizable storefronts, it has fewer themes and less flexible design customization options compared to some other platforms.

Price:

• Free Plan: Allows up to 5 product listings.
• Paid Plans: Start at $9.99 per month for up to 50 listings. Plans costing $19.99 per month are available for businesses needing more than 50 listings.
• Payment Processing Fees: Using Stripe incurs a fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, while PayPal charges 2.59% + $0.49 per transaction.

Big Cartel is most suitable for independent artists and small businesses seeking to establish an online store without the complexity and costs associated with larger eCommerce platforms. It offers affordability, simplicity, and a supportive community for creative entrepreneurs looking to showcase and sell their work online.

WooCommerce

In the field of best eCommerce platforms, WooCommerce is a versatile and powerful eCommerce plugin for WordPress, transforming any WordPress website into a fully functional online store with ease. Here’s a detailed overview of its features, pros, cons, pricing, and suitability:

Pros:

• High Customizability: WooCommerce offers extensive customization options, allowing businesses to tailor their online stores to match specific needs and preferences. This flexibility helps businesses differentiate themselves and build a unique brand identity.
• WordPress Integration: Seamlessly integrates with existing WordPress websites, enabling businesses to add eCommerce capabilities without starting from scratch. This integration saves time and resources, streamlining the management of both website and store from a single platform.
• Large Plugin Ecosystem: Access to a vast array of WordPress plugins and themes enhances store functionality and appearance. This ecosystem allows businesses to add features, improve performance, and create visually appealing storefronts that attract and retain customers.
• No Initial Costs: Being a free plugin, WooCommerce is accessible for businesses starting out without upfront expenses. This is particularly advantageous for startups and small businesses that can allocate resources to other critical aspects of their operations.

Cons:

• Steep Learning Curve: Due to its complexity, WooCommerce may require a learning curve, especially for users unfamiliar with WordPress or eCommerce platforms. Mastery of its features and functionalities may take time.
• High Maintenance: As a self-hosted platform, WooCommerce necessitates regular maintenance to ensure smooth operation. This includes updates, backups, and implementing security measures to safeguard the online store from vulnerabilities.
• Additional Costs: While WooCommerce itself is free, running a store on the platform incurs costs such as web hosting, payment processing fees, and expenses for additional plugins or themes to enhance functionality and aesthetics.
• Limited Official Support: While there’s a supportive community of developers and users, WooCommerce lacks official support, which may pose challenges for businesses requiring dedicated technical assistance.
• Customization Challenges: While highly customizable, making advanced customizations may be daunting for non-technical users without developer assistance, potentially limiting flexibility in design and functionality.

Price:

• WooCommerce Plugin: Free to download and use.
• Additional Costs: Incurred for web hosting, security measures, payment gateways, and premium plugins or themes based on business needs.
• Woo Express: A hosting platform by WooCommerce tailored for online stores, enhancing security and performance. Plans start at $39 per month, with a trial offer of $1 for the first 3 months.

Watch more: WooCommerce Vs. BigCommerce: A Quick Comparison

Magento (Adobe Commerce)

Magento, acquired by Adobe in 2018, is a widely-used eCommerce platform supporting approximately 260,000 shops globally. It offers robust solutions through both an Open Source version and a paid Commerce version tailored for enterprises.

Pricing:

• Open Source: Free
• Magento Commerce: $22,000–125,000/year

Pros

• Multi-language and currency support: Facilitates global expansion by accommodating diverse market needs.
• Fast-loading, secure, and user-friendly: Provides a seamless shopping experience while prioritizing security.
• Easy upgrades: Regular updates ensure access to the latest features and security patches.

Cons:

• Steep learning curve: Requires substantial time and resources for users unfamiliar with its complexities.
• Expensive: The Commerce version can be cost-prohibitive for smaller businesses or startups.
• Requires hosting: Users must manage hosting arrangements, adding to operational complexity.

Best Practices:

• Invest in professional training for the team: Ensure staff proficiency to maximize platform capabilities.
• Leverage Magento’s scalability for business growth: Utilize its robust infrastructure to expand operations seamlessly.
• Regularly update and maintain the platform: Ensure ongoing security and performance enhancements to protect customer data and improve user experience.

Ecwid

Ecwid is one of the best eCommerce platforms that is ideal for business owners seeking to add an online store to their existing website, offering flexibility, global reach, and cost-efficiency for various eCommerce needs.

Pros:

• Easy Integration: Ecwid seamlessly integrates with popular website builders like WordPress and Wix, as well as social media platforms and online marketplaces such as Amazon. This integration leverages existing audiences and expands your reach effortlessly.
• Mobile Management: With the Ecwid mobile app, you can manage your print-on-demand (POD) business from anywhere. It allows you to add and edit products, monitor orders, track sales, and respond to customer inquiries directly from your mobile device, enhancing flexibility and efficiency.
• Global Reach: Ecwid supports multiple languages and currencies, enabling you to display products and accept payments in various currencies. This feature simplifies the buying process for international customers, potentially boosting your global sales.
• No Transaction Fees: Unlike many other platforms, Ecwid offers plans with zero transaction fees. This is particularly advantageous for POD businesses with tight profit margins, helping to maintain profitability with each sale.

Cons:

• Limited Design Options: While Ecwid is user-friendly, its design options may be somewhat restrictive compared to other platforms. This limitation could impact your ability to fully customize your store’s appearance to align with your brand identity.
• Feature Limitations on Lower Plans: Free and lower-tier plans come with limited features. Advanced functionalities such as abandoned cart recovery, extensive product variations, and advanced analytics require upgrading to higher-priced plans, potentially increasing overall costs.
• Dependency on Host Platform: Ecwid functions as an add-on to your existing website, relying on the capabilities of the host platform. If your website has limited features, it may restrict Ecwid’s capabilities and hinder your online store’s potential.
• SEO Customization: While Ecwid provides basic SEO tools, it may not offer the same level of customization and control over SEO as other platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. This could affect your store’s organic visibility in search results.

Pricing:

Ecwid offers several plans tailored to different business needs:

• Venture Plan: $19/month (USD)
• Business Plan: $39/month (USD)
• Unlimited Plan: $99/month (USD)

Prices may vary outside the US.

Best Practices:

• Optimize Integration: Leverage Ecwid’s integration capabilities to maximize reach across platforms and marketplaces.
• Upgrade Strategically: Evaluate your business needs and upgrade to higher plans as your store grows to access advanced features.
• Enhance Mobile Presence: Utilize the Ecwid mobile app for efficient management and responsiveness to customer needs on the go.
• SEO Focus: Despite limitations, optimize SEO within Ecwid and your host platform to enhance online visibility and attract organic traffic.

Square Online

Square Online is a relatively new player in the eCommerce platform space, launched in 2019 following Weebly’s acquisition by Square. Here’s an overview of its pros, cons, pricing, and best use cases:

Pros:

• Ease of Setup: Known for its intuitive, user-friendly interface that requires no coding knowledge. The drag-and-drop website builder allows anyone to create a professional-looking store quickly.
• Integration with Print-on-Demand: Easily integrates with various print-on-demand platforms, streamlining product listing and order fulfillment processes.
• Built-in Marketing Tools: Includes robust marketing features such as email marketing, social media integration, and SEO tools, making it easier to promote products and engage with customers across different channels.

Cons:

• Design Flexibility: Limited compared to more customizable platforms, which may restrict options for advanced design changes.
• Feature Limitations: Lacks advanced features like abandoned cart recovery and multi-currency support, which larger businesses might require for scalability.
• Transaction Fees: The best transaction rates are for Square Payments users; businesses using other payment processors may face higher fees.

Pricing:

• Free Plan: Ideal for testing the platform without financial commitment. Includes basic features but charges a 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction fee.
• Plus Plan: Offers more advanced eCommerce features and accepts additional payment methods. Charges a 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction fee.
• Premium Plan: Includes enhanced features, reduced transaction fees (2.6% + $0.30 per transaction), and more themes to choose from.

Best Practices:

Square Online is one of the best eCommerce platforms which is best suited for businesses engaged in omnichannel commerce and those already integrated into the Square ecosystem. It’s particularly advantageous for:

• Small Businesses and Startups: Due to its ease of use and cost-effective entry point with the Free Plan.
• Retailers in the Square Ecosystem: Businesses leveraging Square Payments can benefit from lower transaction fees and seamless integration.
• Print-on-Demand Sellers: Integration with print-on-demand services simplifies product management and order fulfillment.

Volusion

Volusion is a cloud-based eCommerce platform designed primarily for small businesses looking for an integrated solution to manage online sales effectively. Approximately 0.02% of eCommerce websites use Volusion, highlighting its niche position in the market of best eCommerce platforms.

Pros:

• Beginner-friendly: Intuitive interface and comprehensive customer support cater to users with limited technical knowledge.
• Good customer support: Dedicated support channels to assist users with platform-related issues and queries.

Cons

• Expensive: Higher-tier plans may be costly for small businesses, particularly those just starting.
• Product limits on lower-tier plans: Restrictions on the number of products that can be listed may limit scalability.

Pricing:

• Personal: $29/month
• Professional: $79/month
• Business: $299/month

Best Practices:

• Start with the right plan: Choose a plan that aligns with current business needs and upgrade as the business grows.
• Utilize customer support: Take advantage of Volusion’s support resources to resolve issues promptly and optimize platform usage.
• Expand reach through integrations: Leverage integrations with eBay, Amazon, and other platforms to increase market reach and sales opportunities.

Conclusion

Now you are equipped to choose the optimal best eCommerce platforms for your store, remember that the definition of “best” is subjective and hinges on your specific circumstances. Consider your budget, technical skills, target audience, desired features, and business requirements to make the right decision.

At SmartOSC, we specialize in digital commerce solutions for leading brands, offering strategy, design, development, marketing, and analytics services. With expertise in Magento, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce Cloud, SAP Commerce Cloud, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and Sitecore Experience Commerce, SmartOSC brings over 17 years of experience and 1000+ successful projects to the table. 

For further insights, please contact us to address any remaining queries.