Best SaaS Ecommerce Platforms: 2026 Buyer's Guide

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) ecommerce platforms are supporting retail ecommerce growth, with sales projected to reach almost $8 trillion by 2028.

With SaaS, users pay for access to a cloud-based ecommerce platform in exchange for services, apps, and customer service, and the software provider handles the security, source code, and maintenance.

You can build an eye-catching, powerful online store for your ecommerce business quickly by using ecommerce SaaS solutions. 

Here’s what you need to know to choose the right platform. 

What is SaaS ecommerce?

A software-as-a-service ecommerce model lets ecommerce businesses sell products online by distributing their software over the internet rather than having their customers download it. Typically, SaaS companies own their own software, host it themselves, and license others to use it.

How does SaaS ecommerce work?

SaaS ecommerce software providers typically charge a monthly fee for platform use, and pricing often depends on features needed or the number of users that have access to the account.

At its most basic, SaaS ecommerce providers own a piece of software that they typically license to users for a fixed subscription or membership rate. Many providers offer different membership tiers to meet the needs of businesses of different sizes and at different stages of growth. 

They may offer a basic plan suitable for small businesses with fairly straightforward needs, a mid-tier plan that offers increased customization options and more support, and an enterprise plan designed to power large businesses.

Benefits of SaaS ecommerce

The SaaS market is expected to be worth more than $428 billion in 2025. Choosing a SaaS ecommerce platform has many benefits, including: 

• Lower upfront costs
• Ease of use
• Scalability
• Automatic updates
• Accessed anywhere
• Integrated payment and security features
• Data analytics and insights
• API-first architecture

Lower upfront costs

In traditional ecommerce, you’ll have to pay a lot upfront for software, hosting, and hardware. SaaS solutions, like Shopify, charge a monthly or annual fee. This is much more affordable for small businesses and startups. With a SaaS platform, for instance, a small boutique can launch an online store with minimal upfront costs instead of investing thousands in a custom website.

Easy to use

SaaS ecommerce platforms offer drag-and-drop interfaces so you can design your online store without technical know-how. For instance, platforms like Shopify let you pick from a template library and customize from there. Because it’s so easy to use, you can go live with your online store much faster than if you had to develop it yourself.

Scalability 

Your business can grow easily with SaaS solutions. These platforms can automatically handle increased demand, like during holiday sales, without any manual work. During peak times, your site stays operational and efficient, so you don’t have to worry about resource allocation beforehand.

Automatic updates

When you use an ecommerce SaaS platform, the service provider handles all the updates. For example, if a new payment gateway becomes popular, Shopify can integrate it right into its platform. With automatic updates, your ecommerce site stays up to date with the latest security standards and features, so you can keep your customers happy and comply with data protection rules.

Accessed anywhere

Managing your online store from anywhere is one of the key benefits of SaaS ecommerce platforms. This is great for people who travel a lot or work remotely. For example, whether you’re sitting at a co-working office in New York or at an Airbnb in Bangkok, you can track orders, manage inventory, and see sales performance, anytime and anywhere. 

Integrated payment and security features

Businesses have a lot of worries about security, especially in regard to customer data and payments. SaaS platforms typically come with built-in security features such as SSL certificates, secure payment gateways, and PCI DSS compliance. A tool like Shop Pay, for example, comes with your Shopify store, which makes it easy for customers to make a purchase by providing a secure and smooth payment process.

Data analytics and insights

SaaS ecommerce platforms commonly include built-in analytics that let store owners monitor performance metrics like sales and traffic. On Shopify, for example, you get dashboards and reports that break down customer behavior, order flows, and visitor sources, all from a unified admin interface. 

API-first architecture

Ecommerce companies that choose SaaS ecommerce platforms benefit from an API-first architecture. API-first architecture means that the platform treats its APIs (application programming interfaces) as central components. Instead of building features first and then wrapping APIs around them, a SaaS ecommerce solution designs its core functions so they’re fully accessible via API from day one. 

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SaaS vs. open-source ecommerce

The main alternative to SaaS ecommerce is open-source ecommerce. Unlike SaaS platforms, open-source ecommerce platforms let users download the software’s source code. Users are then responsible for using the code to build and maintain an online store. 

These two ecommerce models provide different customization options and cost structures, and require different degrees of technical knowledge to use.

Cost

Whether you use an open-source platform or a SaaS platform, setting up and running an online store costs money.

SaaS service providers charge a subscription fee to use their software. Open-source software is typically free to download and use. Adding apps and integrations to an open-source platform, however, often costs money, and web hosting and web development costs are also not included.

Display

Both platform types allow users to customize displays, and many providers let business owners choose between a variety of pre-built themes, which is essentially a public-facing web design template.

SaaS ecommerce software is often designed so that users with minimal technical knowledge can customize displays, although options may be limited by theme parameters. Open-source platform display is fully customizable for users with knowledge of the platform’s scripting, or programming, language.

Customization

Both platform types allow customizations.

Open-source ecommerce solutions are highly customizable. Because they grant full access to software’s source code, a web developer can manipulate the code as needed to customize the site. SaaS platforms, however, are designed to allow users without web development experience to manage customizations through built-in options, extensions, and integrations.

Security

Both platform types can provide options for encrypting and securing customer data, giving customers a secure shopping experience.

Under a SaaS model, the service provider takes responsibility for monitoring and ensuring site security. SaaS platforms frequently include PCI compliance, which verifies that the platform meets security standards for handling credit card information. Open-source platforms, on the other hand, require the users to monitor site security and provide updates as needed.

8 best SaaS ecommerce platforms

1. Shopify
2. BigCommerce
3. Volusion
4. Adobe Commerce
5. Salesforce Commerce Cloud
6. Wix ecommerce
7. Square Online
8. Squarespace Commerce

There are many service providers on the SaaS market. These five platforms are popular with small businesses for their flexibility and range of features.

1. Shopify

Shopify is the best ecommerce SaaS platform, powering millions of online stores. Affordable plans, beautiful designs, and powerful selling features make Shopify the most reliable, easy way to start an online store. 

Each Shopify store comes with unlimited product listings, the world’s best-converting checkout, shipping and fulfillment tools, robust analytics, access to more than 8,000 apps, and 24/7 customer support. Use the AI store builder to create a free store design in minutes and get started with one of many ready-built themes or go headless. 

Easily optimize your online store, sell on social media, or try out popular ecommerce models like dropshipping.

Who it’s for

Perfect for solopreneurs, large enterprises, and anyone in between, Shopify is purpose-built for ecommerce. Sell online, in person, on social media, on marketplaces, and anywhere else you can dream up. 

Features

• AI tools. Use Shopify Magic to streamline your store design process and create landing pages and product listings, then tap Sidekick as your always-on business consultant.
• Integrated payment processing. Shopify Payments is an integrated payment gateway that accepts all major payment methods. Plus, it’s compatible with more than 100 third-party payment providers.
• Extensive app store. Access the Shopify App Store for more than 8,000 integrations and many free Shopify apps. 
• Customizable checkout. Offer customers a variety of payment options, including express checkout, in-store pickup, discount codes, and Shop Pay—the internet’s highest-converting checkout option.
• Shipping and fulfillment. Built-in order, inventory, and shipping tools generate labels, collect import taxes, provide tracking information, manage returns, and more.
• Abandoned cart recovery. Boost sales with automated tools for recovering abandoned shopping carts.
• Advanced analytics. Track sales, customer behavior, and other essential ecommerce metrics with analytics and reporting features.
• Advanced customization and API access. While coding isn’t required, you can tailor your storefront and back-end systems to meet your unique needs with extensive customization options and API support.
• Unified commerce capabilities. Ensure a consistent customer experience and manage inventory seamlessly across desktop, mobile, social media, marketplace, and in-person retail.
• 24/7 customer support. Enjoy round-the-clock support via email, live chat, and phone.
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4 

Plans and pricing

Shopify offers a wide range of plans to support businesses of all sizes:

• Starter: $5 per month
• Basic: $29 per month
• Grow: $79 per month
• Advanced: $299 per month 

Start your Shopify free trial, no credit card required. Get three days free, then the first three months for $1 per month.

2. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an enterprise-level ecommerce platform. It supports global sales, SEO, social commerce, and marketplace integrations, though smaller merchants may find its full capabilities more than what they need. While the platform supports customization and extensibility, certain theme-level or advanced changes may require extra development or higher-tier plans.

Who it’s for

BigCommerce is a large ecommerce SaaS provider that supports enterprise-level businesses.

Features

• Site design tools. Most BigCommerce plans include drag-and-drop editing and mobile-responsive templates, with deeper customization available through HTML/CSS.
• Built-in SEO. Features include SEO-friendly URLs, metadata controls, and redirect management tools.
• Omnichannel selling. Merchants can list products on marketplaces and connect to comparison shopping engines through product feeds or apps.
• Enterprise-grade scalability. BigCommerce’s infrastructure is built to support high traffic and transaction volumes, with advanced features available in upper-tier plans.
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.2

Plans and pricing

BigCommerce paid plans range from $29 to $299 per month, billed annually. Contact BigCommerce directly for enterprise pricing. Card rates start at 2.89% plus 29¢ and decrease to 2.35% plus 49¢ with the Plus and Pro tiers.

Learn more: 6 Challenges Forcing Brands to Explore Alternatives to BigCommerce

3. Volusion

Volusion is a hosted ecommerce platform that covers the basics for getting an online store up and running. Hosting is included, but you’ll need to buy your domain separately. Merchants get core features like order management, inventory tracking, subscription billing, customer accounts, tax settings, and simple promotions.

Where Volusion shows its limits is in design flexibility and growth potential. Template changes can be rigid, and every plan comes with annual gross merchandise volume (GMV) sales caps: $50,000 on Personal, $100,000 on Professional, and $400,000 on Business (with custom pricing for their Prime tier). That means many fast-growing merchants eventually move to a platform with more room to scale.

Who it’s for

Volusion is a SaaS ecommerce provider that targets small and medium-sized business clients looking for simple ecommerce features. 

Features

• Customer management. Stay organized with customer management tools, such as a customer relationship management (CRM) system. 
• Store themes. Choose from mobile-responsive templates designed for online retail.
• Inventory and orders. Monitor stock levels, manage returns, and keep track of customer order history.
• Payments. Built-in checkout supports secure payment processing right from your store.
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 3.2

Plans and pricing

Volusion offers a 14-day trial. Then, paid plans range from $35 to $299 per month, with additional transaction fees for those not on a preferred payment gateway or if you use additional services. Contact Volusion directly for pricing on their highest tier. 

4. Adobe Commerce

In 2018, software company Adobe acquired Magento and launched Adobe Commerce, a full-service SaaS ecommerce platform based on Magento’s open-source software.

Adobe Commerce requires third-party hosting and a solid level of technical know-how to set up and manage. It’s not the best fit for merchants looking to sell across many channels, since integrating marketplaces, social platforms, and international payments can be more complex than with other platforms on this list.

Who it’s for

Adobe Commerce is for small businesses and enterprise brands that have the resources to maintain an online store.

Features

• B2B storefronts and company accounts. Supports self-service portals for business buyers, with structures for multiple users, roles, pricing tiers, and company-level catalogs.
• Advanced inventory and order tools. Manages single or multisource stock, handles order processing (including returns), and supports complex catalog setups suited to B2C and B2B.
• Content-commerce integration. Lets you embed product links, images, and data directly into site content such as blog posts or editorial pages.
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.0

Plans and pricing

Contact Adobe directly for pricing. 

5. Salesforce Commerce Cloud 

Salesforce maintains multiple SaaS software products with a major focus on sales and customer management tools. Salesforce Commerce Cloud is the company’s ecommerce SaaS solution. Plan options include Salesforce B2B Commerce, Salesforce B2C Commerce, and a unified solution. 

Who it’s for

Salesforce Commerce Cloud is for larger businesses who need a robust solution, or those who are already deeply integrated with Salesforce’s other products. 

Features

• Unified commerce management. Handle online, in-store, and mobile sales in one system with shared order and inventory tools.
• Headless and composable support. Build custom storefronts using APIs while separating front-end experiences from back-end systems. 
• AI-driven personalization. Improve search, promotions, and checkout with embedded artificial intelligence. 
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.3 (B2C); 4.4 (B2B)

Plans and pricing

Contact Salesforce directly for pricing. 

Learn more: Top Salesforce Commerce Cloud Alternatives and Competitors

6. Wix ecommerce

Wix is best known as a drag-and-drop website builder, with optional ecommerce tools for selling online. While it covers the basics—like product listings, checkout, and payment processing—it falls short on advanced features. For example, Shopify offers low-stock alerts to help prevent stockouts, a capability Wix doesn’t provide. As a result, businesses with larger or more complex inventories may find Wix too limited for long-term growth.

Who it’s for

Wix is for those with simple ecommerce needs looking for an ecommerce solution with a drag-and-drop website builder. 

Features

• Visual store editor. Wix’s drag-and-drop builder lets you design your storefront layout without touching code.
• Template library. Choose from a range of pre-designed, mobile-responsive templates to launch your store quickly.
• Core ecommerce tools. Manage inventory, accept payments, and set up shipping options directly within Wix Stores.
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.2 

Plans and pricing

Wix offers a free plan. Then, paid plans range from $17 to $159 per month. 

7. Square Online

Square Online uses technology based on Weebly, the website builder Square acquired in 2018. After setup, your inventory, orders, and customer data sync automatically with Square’s point-of-sale system. The platform supports features like product drops, gift cards, flexible fulfillment options, and customer accounts out of the box. However, its customization is limited compared to more advanced ecommerce platforms.

Who it’s for

Beginners who need a simple ecommerce solution or retail-first shops who want to unify online and offline sales. 

Features

• Customer data management in sync. Your in-store and online orders, sales, and inventory update automatically in one system.
• Built-in subscriptions. Sell recurring products or memberships without extra apps.
• Flexible fulfillment. Offer shipping, curbside pickup, or local delivery.
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.2 

Plans and pricing

Free version with in-person processing fees of 2.6% plus 15¢ and online processing fees of 3.3% plus 30¢. Paid plans offer lower processing fees and start at $29 per month and go up to $79 per month, per location. 

8. Squarespace Commerce

Squarespace is a drag-and-drop website builder best known for its design-forward templates. Its minimalist, professional layouts make it popular among creators, small businesses, and service providers who want a polished online presence without heavy customization.

The platform includes hosting and built-in ecommerce functionality, but because it is a general website builder—not a dedicated ecommerce solution—it has limitations. For example, Squarespace offers fewer advanced selling tools compared to platforms like Shopify. 

Who it’s for

Squarespace Commerce is for those looking to build a simple, design-forward website with ecommerce functionality. 

Features

• Professional templates. Squarespace offers polished, industry-specific designs tailored for creators, restaurants, photographers, and more.
• Membership tools. Content like blog posts or resources can be gated behind a paywall, making it accessible only to subscribers or members.
• SEO support. Built-in tools include clean URLs, auto-generated sitemaps, and integration with Google Search Console.
• Inventory management. Track stock levels, with the option to add subscriptions on higher-tier plans.
• G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4

Plans and pricing

Squarespace commerce is free for 14 days. Then, paid plans range from $14 to $28 per month when billed annually. You’ll pay transaction fees and credit card processing fees as well, which get lower with higher-tier plans. 

How to choose the best SaaS ecommerce platform

Below, we’ll walk you through a structured decision process to decide on the best SaaS ecommerce solution for your business. 

Evaluation criteria

Every business has different needs, but the SaaS ecommerce platform you choose should have these core features:

Business size considerations

Ideally, the platform provider you go with will be able to grow with you from being a solopreneur to a growing small business to running an enterprise-level operation. While it might be tempting to go with a simple solution at the beginning and migrate to an enterprise-focused platform later on, you’ll have to go through the headache of replatforming. 

Industry-specific needs

You’ll also want to ensure that any vertical-specific needs are met. For example, if you’re a B2B seller, you’ll want to ensure your ecommerce technology offers company accounts and custom pricing. If you’re a subscription brand, you’ll rely on recurring billing, and digital-first businesses need a simple way to deliver products. 

Shopify covers all of these with built-in tools and app integrations, from wholesale channels and subscription apps to digital product delivery, making it a flexible choice across industries.