The best platform to create an online store

If you want to start your own online store, you might be wondering which is the best platform to create an online store platform to choose from. There are many options available, but not all of them are suitable for your needs and goals. In this article, we will compare some of the best platforms to create an online store, based on their features, pricing, ease of use, and customer support.

Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular and powerful platforms to create an online store. It is a hosted solution, which means you don’t have to worry about installing, updating, or maintaining any software or servers. Shopify provides everything you need to start, run, and grow your online store, such as:

  • A user-friendly interface that lets you design and customize your store with hundreds of themes and apps.
  • A secure and reliable hosting service that handles high traffic and ensures fast loading times.
  • A built-in payment gateway that accepts credit cards, PayPal, and other methods, with low transaction fees.
  • A comprehensive dashboard that shows you your sales, orders, inventory, customers, and analytics.
  • A 24/7 customer support team that can help you with any issues or questions.

Shopify offers a 14-day free trial, and then you can choose from four plans, ranging from $29 to $299 per month. You can also sell on multiple channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and eBay, with Shopify’s integration tools.

Shopify is a great platform for beginners and experts alike, as it is easy to use, flexible, and scalable. It is suitable for any type of online store, whether you sell physical products, digital products, or services.

Wix

Wix is another popular platform for creating an online store, especially if you want to have more control over the design and appearance of your store. Wix is a website builder that lets you create your store with a drag-and-drop editor, where you can add and arrange elements, such as images, text, buttons, and videos. Wix also offers:

  • A large collection of templates and features that are optimized for e-commerce, such as product galleries, shopping carts, checkout, and coupons.
  • A free domain name and SSL certificate for your store, as well as unlimited bandwidth and storage.
  • A variety of payment options, such as credit cards, PayPal, and cash on delivery, with no transaction fees.
  • A mobile app that lets you manage your store on the go, such as adding products, tracking orders, and chatting with customers.
  • A dedicated support team that is available 24/7 via phone, email, and chat.

Wix has a free plan that lets you create a basic website, but not an online store. To sell online, you need to upgrade to one of the three e-commerce plans, which start from $23 to $49 per month. You can also sell on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, with Wix’s integration tools.

Wix is a good platform for creative and artistic entrepreneurs, who want to have more freedom and flexibility in designing their store. It is suitable for small to medium-sized online stores, that sell physical or digital products.

Zyro

Zyro is a newer platform to create an online store, but it has some impressive features and advantages. Zyro is a website builder that uses artificial intelligence to help you create your store in minutes. Zyro offers:

  • A simple and intuitive interface that lets you choose a template, add your products and launch your store with a few clicks.
  • A smart AI tool that can generate your logo, slogan, domain name, and product descriptions, based on your store name and niche.
  • A fast and secure hosting service that ensures your store loads quickly and safely, with a free SSL certificate and CDN.
  • A low-cost payment solution that accepts credit cards, PayPal, and other methods, with no transaction fees.
  • A friendly and helpful support team that is available 24/7 via email and chat.

Zyro has a 30-day money-back guarantee, and then you can choose from two e-commerce plans, which cost $14.99 and $21.99 per month. You can also sell on Amazon and Facebook, with Zyro’s integration tools.

Zyro is a great platform for beginners and busy entrepreneurs, who want to create an online store quickly and easily, without any technical skills or hassle. It is suitable for small online stores, that sell physical products.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is one of the most advanced and comprehensive platforms to create an online store. It is a hosted solution, which means you don’t have to worry about installing, updating, or maintaining any software or servers. BigCommerce provides everything you need to start, run, and grow your online store, such as:

  • A powerful and flexible interface that lets you design and customize your store with thousands of themes and apps.
  • A robust and reliable hosting service that handles high traffic and ensures fast loading times, with a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
  • A complete and secure payment solution that accepts credit cards, PayPal, and other methods, with competitive transaction fees.
  • A rich and detailed dashboard that shows you your sales, orders, inventory, customers, and analytics, with built-in SEO and marketing tools.
  • A 24/7 customer support team that can help you with any issues or questions, via phone, email, and chat.

BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial, and then you can choose from four plans, ranging from $29.95 to $299.95 per month. You can also sell on multiple channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and eBay, with BigCommerce’s integration tools.

BigCommerce is a great platform for experienced and ambitious entrepreneurs, who want to have more control and functionality in their store. It is suitable for medium to large-sized online stores, that sell physical or digital products, or services.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many platforms to create an online store, but not all of them are the same. Depending on your needs, goals, budget, and skills, you can choose the best platform for you. Here is a summary of the main features and differences of the four platforms we discussed:

PlatformFeaturesPricingEase of useCustomer support
ShopifyUser-friendly, flexible, scalable, hosted, integrated$29-$299/monthEasy24/7 phone, email, chat
WixCreative, customizable, hosted, integrated, free domain and SSL$23-$49/monthEasy24/7 phone, email, chat
ZyroSimple, fast, smart, hosted, AI-powered, low-cost$14.99-$21.99/monthVery easy24/7 email, chat
BigCommercePowerful, comprehensive, hosted, integrated, robust, SEO and marketing$29.95-$299.95/monthModerate24/7 phone, email, chat

We hope this article helped you decide which platform to use to create your online store.

Sophia is passionate about Digital Marketing, E-commerce, and travel. I also like photography and writing interesting articles.