21 Best eCommerce Website Builders to Increase Your Sales (Updated July 2021)

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

The ace up Shopify’s sleeve is its passionate community of users. Although the Shopify platform is well-engineered, operating costs can spiral out of control if you are not careful.

If you are new to eCommerce, immersing yourself in Shopify’s online courses can teach you how to best succeed with eCommerce. There’s even a series of local Meetups where Shopify users come together to network and share their knowledge.

If you want an online store and be a part of an eCommerce community, Shopify could be your best eCommerce website builder solution.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 9 out of 10

The two big draw cards for BigCommerce are value for money and no additional transaction fees.

When you are selling at high volume, transaction fees can burn your gross profit margins. This becomes an even bigger problem selling low gross margin products.

BigCommerce does come with a slight learning curve so it may not be as good for those who are new to eCommerce. But if you are comfortable with the builder and want the most bang for your buck, BigCommerce may be the best eCommerce platform for you.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

Square Online stands out with its slick and seamless integration with the Square POS suite.

Although the website builder is not as powerful as other platforms, it is a cost-effective solution for small business owners.

If you plan to use Square POS and have a simple online store, then Square Online may be the best eCommerce website builder for you.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

Shift4Shop traded as 3dcart until it was acquired and rebranded in November 2020.

3dcart was one of the original eCommerce platforms tracing back its roots to 1997. That means Shift4Shop has benefitted from decades of ongoing product development.

Shift4Shop’s free plan is the most comprehensive free eCommerce tool available right now. The only catch is you need to be living in the United States and use Shift4 Payments to quality for the free plan.

If you qualify for the free plan and have zero budget then Shift4Shop may be the best eCommerce solution for you.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 7 out of 10

Volusion is one of the simplest and easiest to use eCommerce platforms out there. However, it may be too simple.

When compared to other platforms within the price range, Volusion comes short of the mark when it comes to options and integrations. If you feel that other eCommerce tools are too overwhelming, then Volusion’s stripped-back and simple nature may be your saviour.

The limited theme customization options mean you’ll need to make sure the theme designs meet your needs before diving in. If you find a theme that nails your design needs and you like the simplicity of the platform, then Volusion may be right for you.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 6 out of 10

PinnacleCart has been around for almost two decades, making it one of the oldest eCommerce website builders. However, its features have recently started to lag behind other more modern platforms.

What makes PinnacleCart different is you can engage them for marketing services. Although I haven’t dealt with the service team, having your software and service team combined could be advantageous.

So if PinnacleCart’s features pique your interest and you are wanting someone else to set up your eCommerce store, consider dropping them a line.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 6 out of 10

Sellfy is a simple and easy-to-use eCommerce platform with a few trick features. It’s one of the few eCommerce platforms to offer its inbuilt email marketing tool.

However, Sellfy is almost too simple, lacking the power and features of other eCommerce website builders within the price range. For example, the lack of different themes and design modules makes it near impossible to achieve a unique design.

But, If you appreciate the simple and stripped-back nature of Sellfy and what it comes with out of the box, then it may be a good choice for you.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

ShopBase is a niche eCommerce platform designed for print-on-demand, white-label and dropshipping businesses. If you do not plan to create an online store around any of these niches, you should look elsewhere.

One of ShopBase’s biggest drawcards is its native integration AliExpress. This makes it easier and more efficient when it comes to running a dropshipping business.

So, if you are wanting to get into dropshipping, print-on-demand, or white labelling then you should consider ShopBase.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 7 out of 10

The number one thing that separates Squarespace from the rest is its beautiful design templates. If you are starting an eCommerce store in an industry where aesthetics are important, you should consider Squarespace.

With that said, Squarespace eCommerce is not as robust as other dedicated eCommerce platforms.

If your requirements are simple, Squarespace eCommerce may be the right fit for you.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

Two big things make Wix stand out from the rest: versatility and value for money. Wix is one of the cheapest eCommerce platforms out there.

It also offers a wide range of eCommerce features that competing platforms charge a lot more for.

So if you are wanting to start selling online in a wide variety of different ways while not spending a fortune, consider giving Wix eCommerce a try.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

The biggest feature Weebly holds over the rest is its in-depth integration with Square. Since Square acquired Weebly back in 2018, the tool has progressively become all about eCommerce.

If you sell predominately online but want to use Square as your POS, Weebly may be the best eCommerce platform to build your online store.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 7 out of 10

There’s a reason why so many designers advocate for Webflow.

It’s the only eCommerce platform that has been designed for designers. So, if you’re a designer needing to achieve a completely custom eCommerce store design, Webflow may be the best eCommerce option for you.

Webflow is still lacking some important eCommerce features such as subscription and POS support. But if you only need to sell physical or digital goods, Webflow eCommerce can meet your needs.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 6 out of 10

Ucraft is one of the cheapest website-building platforms that support eCommerce. The tool isn’t as polished when compared to the other eCommerce platforms.

However, it does offer a decent amount of features, designs and eCommerce functionality.

With that said, if cost is your biggest concern, Ucraft may be the best eCommerce store tool for you.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

What separates Zyro from the other eCommerce builders is its AI creation tools.

Being a relatively new tool, Zyro has been designed to use a large amount of AI to help you set up your online store. For example, the tool can generate several website design templates that you can choose from based on your goals, style and industry.

The tool has only been recently expanded to include eCommerce. With that said, you can only sell once-off physical products in the tool’s current state.

If you are looking for an affordable and modern eCommerce solution for simple product sales, consider giving Zyro ago.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 9 out of 10

WooCommerce is the Swiss Army Knife of eCommerce. It works great for simple product sales and can be extended to support the most complex eCommerce requirements.

The key to having a successful WooCommerce store is choosing the right WordPress theme and website hosting combo. Although I am not currently using WooCommerce on my website, I am using WP Engine to host my website and StudioPress as my theme.

This is a combo that I swear by so if you are looking to set up a WooCommerce store, consider using WP Engine & StudioPress.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 9 out of 10

Easy Digital Downloads is my favourite way to sell digital products online.

The plugins are well coded, fast and trouble-free. You can pull off some trick features such as limiting downloads to IPs which helps curb piracy and illegal downloads.

Even without the paid extensions, Easy Digital Downloads is the best way to sell digital products with WordPress. Although you’ll most likely need paid extensions to get the most out of it, it will still cost less than most eCommerce website builders.

If you are wanting to sell digital downloadables online, look no further than Easy Digital Downloads and WordPress.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

ThriveCart is one of the best eCommerce solutions if you want to build serious upsell and down-sell cart sequences on WordPress. Typically, this eCommerce style works best for businesses with a catalog of digital products and courses.

If you are looking for a more traditional eCommerce cart for WordPress, go with WooCommerce. But if you want the best value-for-money upsell cart system for WordPress, go with ThriveCart.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

The closest eCommerce tool that I could compare CartFlows with is ClickFunnels. The top advantage CartFlows has over ClickFunnels is it costs a lot less while offering similar features.

With that said, it is not as fast to get up and running as ClickFunnels is. You need to have a decent understanding of how WordPress works to get the most out of it.

In conclusion, if you are comfortable with WordPress and you want the features of ClickFunnels, CartFlows is your best eCommerce bet.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 8 out of 10

Although mostly known as a tool that you use to add eCommerce to a non-eCommerce platform,

Ecwid has expanded to include its online store builder. This makes it one of the only ‘free’ eCommerce solutions on the market. With most website builders providing in-built eCommerce, Ecwid’s viability in today’s world is limited.

But, if your budget to launch your online store is zero dollars, Ecwid may be your only option!

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 7 out of 10

Samcart was one of the most dominant cart add-on tools for digital product businesses since it launched in 2014.

Since then, more sophisticated competitors have entered the market offering better value. Samcart still is a solid eCommerce platform, particularly if you sell digital products and courses.

I recommend signing up for a free trial and taking it for a spin to see if you think it is worth it.

My Score & Recommendation

Score: 7 out of 10

SendOwl made its name as being a simple and easy-to-use eCommerce checkout platform for selling digital products. Unfortunately, the brand has been tarnished with counterfeit software and game sellers.

This is a shame as SendOwl is an excellent piece of software. However, some customers may be suspicious of using SendOwl due to the number of fraudulent sellers that have used it in the past.

If you are looking for a simple and easy-to-use add-on eCommerce cart then give SendOwl’s free trial a spin.