best e-commerce builder for small business
A practical, neutral comparison of Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace Commerce, Wix and professional managed options so you can choose with confidence.
Choosing the right e-commerce builder affects costs, speed to market, SEO performance and how much time you spend running your site. This guide breaks down strengths, limitations and which builders suit common small business needs.
Side-by-side: Popular E-commerce Builders (2025)
The table below highlights typical costs, time-to-launch, strengths and limitations for small businesses. Use it to match features to your priorities: speed, price, flexibility or SEO.
| Platform | Monthly Cost* | Setup Time | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | $29–299 | Hours to 1–3 days | Strong payments, app store, fast hosting, great for standard retail stores. | Platform fees & transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments; limited deep customisation without apps; costs add up with many apps. |
| WooCommerce (WordPress) | $5–50+ (hosting) + plugins | Days to weeks | Highly customisable, owner-controlled hosting/data, huge plugin ecosystem. | Requires maintenance (updates, security), can be complex for non-technical users; performance depends on hosting. |
| BigCommerce | $39–249 | Hours to days | Scales well, good built-in features, lower dependency on third-party apps. | Pricing tiers based on revenue; design ecosystem smaller than Shopify; learning curve for advanced features. |
| Squarespace Commerce | $23–49 | Hours | Elegant templates, easy to use, good for small catalogues & creators. | Limited e-commerce depth for large inventories; payment options and integrations are fewer than Shopify. |
| Wix (Ecommerce) | $23–99 | Hours | Beginner-friendly editor, attractive templates, fast to launch for small shops. | Less flexible for advanced store features; migrating off Wix can be more work. |
| Managed Professional Service (example) | $30–49/month (all-in) | Minutes to 24 hours | Done-for-you setup, hosting, domain, local SEO & unlimited updates included — built for busy owners. | Monthly subscription model (predictable ongoing cost) — less suited for businesses preferring large upfront ownership. |
*Costs shown are typical published starting ranges in 2025 and do not include third-party app/plugin fees or premium themes.
Platform deep dives — who each platform suits
Shopify — quick to scale
Best for small stores that expect to scale and want a reliable hosted solution with a large app ecosystem.
- Excellent payments and checkout experience
- Large marketplace of apps for features
- Apps and themes can create ongoing added costs
- Less control over backend and hosting compared to self-hosted options
WooCommerce — maximum control
Ideal if you need deep customisation, control of hosting/data, or complex integrations.
- Open ecosystem and nearly limitless plugins
- Good for content-led commerce
- Requires ongoing maintenance, security updates and capable hosting
BigCommerce — built for growth
Strong out-of-the-box features and fewer app dependencies make BigCommerce a practical choice for merchants expecting growth.
- Robust native features
- Pricing tiers that increase with revenue
Squarespace Commerce — creators & small catalogues
Beautiful templates and a simple editor make Squarespace a good match for boutique shops and creators with small inventories.
- Fast design-forward launch
- Limited advanced commerce features
Wix Ecommerce — easiest to use
Wix prioritises drag-and-drop editing and speed to market, suited to owners who want low friction setup and straightforward stores.
- Beginner-friendly, many templates
- Less flexible for complex inventory or migrations
Costs, transaction fees and real-world budget planning
The sticker price is only the start. Factor in apps/plugins, theme costs, payment gateway fees and the time or labour to maintain the site.
Typical ongoing costs to budget for
- Platform subscription or hosting ($5–299/mo)
- Payment processing fees (typically 1.5%–3.5% + fixed cents)
- Apps/plugins and premium integrations ($0–200+/mo)
- Design or developer hours for custom changes ($80–200/hr if outsourced)
SEO, speed and conversions — what matters most
Google ranks pages based on content quality, page experience (speed, mobile), structured data and backlinks. Platform choice affects some of these factors, but not all.
What the platform controls
- Hosting performance & CDN (hosted platforms often perform well out-of-the-box)
- Automatic HTTPS and basic security
- Easy on-page SEO fields (titles, metas)
What you control
- Content quality, product descriptions and keyword strategy
- Images optimisation and structured data for products
- Local SEO signals (business profile, local schema)
Bottom line: choose a platform that makes it easy to implement good SEO and fast performance. For small businesses that want expert SEO done without the learning curve, a managed web + SEO service can both build a fast site and optimise it for the local searches that drive customers.
Migration, extensibility and long-term ownership
Plan for future needs. Migrating between platforms is possible but varies in difficulty — moving content is easier than preserving custom workflows or exact theme behaviour.
Key migration considerations
- Product and order export/import options
- SEO (URL structure, redirects)
- Payment gateway continuity
- Custom integrations and apps
If migration matters to you, prioritise platforms with robust export tools and APIs — and consider a managed partner that handles redirects, preserves SEO and minimises downtime.
Managed web + SEO service vs building it yourself
Both approaches are valid. The right choice depends on who will run the store, how quickly you need it live, and whether you prefer predictable costs or full ownership.
Build it yourself (using Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.)
- Maximum platform choice and ownership
- Potential for lower ongoing fees if you manage updates
- Requires time, or developer costs for setup and ongoing changes
Managed service (design, hosting, SEO & updates included)
- Fast launch and predictable monthly cost
- Professional design, ongoing SEO and unlimited updates (no hourly bills)
- Monthly subscription instead of large upfront ownership fee
How to choose the best e-commerce builder for your small business
- Define your priorities: speed-to-market, monthly cost, custom features, or complete control over data.
- Estimate catalog size: Small catalog (under 50 SKUs) suits Squarespace/Wix; growing catalog suits Shopify/BigCommerce/WooCommerce.
- Calculate total monthly cost: include apps, payment fees and likely developer time for changes.
- Consider long-term SEO: is local search important? Will you need product schema and structured data? These are manageable on all major platforms, but need attention.
- Plan for changes: How easy is it to update product info, prices and promotions? If frequent updates are needed, consider a service with unlimited updates.
Frequently asked questions
Which platform is best for a small product range?
Will a managed service help my SEO?
How hard is it to switch platforms later?
Do managed subscriptions lock me in?
Still deciding? Try a quick demo
If you're unsure which platform is the best fit, a short demo can help you visualise choices. Managed services can also show how a fully optimised, local SEO-ready store performs without the setup overhead.
Neutral note: there is no single "best" platform for every business. Match platform strengths to your priorities — speed, cost, customisation or SEO — and consider a managed partner if you want predictable results without technical overhead.
Real-world setup example
A local retailer with 50 SKUs launched on a managed subscription: domain, hosting, product pages, schema and local SEO configured. Launch time: under 24 hours. Result: measurable local search traffic within weeks.
Which should you pick?
- If you want the easiest path and time is your most valuable resource: consider a managed subscription that includes hosting, local SEO and unlimited updates.
- If you want full control and custom features: WooCommerce or a developer-backed Shopify/WooCommerce build may be best.
- If you have a small catalogue and want beautiful templates quickly: Squarespace or Wix can be the fastest way to get online.
