The online retail economy might be booming, but young entrepreneurs and small businesses still struggle to get off the ground. From website development to driving enough traffic to your domain, the process of running an eCommerce business can get overwhelming and frustrating quite quickly. That's why the best eCommerce website builder is an essential tool for helping you navigate all potential pitfalls, guaranteeing a smooth ride for your internet business.
1. Shopify
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
EXCELLENT
- Wide selection of industry-specific templates
- Increased website visibility
- Digital selling options
2. Weebly
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
AVERAGE
- Highly-customizable builder
- Excellent prices
- Powerful inventory management
3. Wix
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
- Fast setup process
- Stunning themes and templates
- Affordable packages with unlimited bandwidth

4. BigCommerce
AVERAGE
FAIR
EXCELLENT
- Multi-channel selling
- Feature-rich platform
- 24/7 customer support
5. Webnode
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
AVERAGE
- Beginner-friendly
- Free plan, no financial investment required
- Good inventory for small businesses
6. Squarespace
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
AVERAGE
- Individual product customization
- Social media integrations
- Appointment scheduling
7. FreeWebStore
AVERAGE
AVERAGE
EXCELLENT
- Unlimited design options
- Increased product visibility
- Free Facebook storefront
8. GoDaddy
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
- Fast store setup
- Great marketing tools
- Multi-channel listings
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Why do you need an eCommerce website builder?
The last few years have seen the emergence of a whole new market centered on self-service platforms, new technology and software solutions. These services can be used by anyone regardless of their level of experience in a particular field. The most popular platforms are eCommerce website builders. Their soaring popularity is largely attributed to the level of simplicity and powerful tools that are utilized to create lucrative online shops from scratch without the need for a website developer or the steep learning curve of WordPress. These are especially beneficial to vendors and entrepreneurs, bringing online stores one click away.
eCommerce site builders save time and money. You don't need to hire a team of IT experts and designers to create an appealing website. You can set up the architecture of the store on your own and personalize it with relatively little effort. Moreover, these builders allow you to bypass digital marketing or SEO experts because the sites are equipped with a variety of tools, features, and information that can improve rankings and boost sales. The only thing you need to do is identify your goals and pick the right platform.
How We Found the Best eCommerce Website Builder in 2022
When choosing an eCommerce builder, everyone is looking for the highest degree of functionality, the best web design and advertising options. It's all about the best offer - an unlimited number of uploaded products, lower transaction fees on sold items and flexible payment methods. Retailers also enjoy using all-in-one platforms so they don't need to worry about the online store functionality when the company grows.
Today's self-service website builders can help you create an online store from scratch and in relatively little time. But it's not always easy to find the best eCommerce website builder and hosting solution. The search can be time-consuming unless you turn to our list of the best solutions on the market.
Pricing Plans and Payments
Some of the platforms offer their services free of charge for an unlimited period of time. But if you choose these solutions, be sure that you are getting the features your store needs. For example, some of the free versions as well as the cheaper plans allow you to upload a limited number of products. This may not be much of an issue if your business is just starting out, but more scalable solutions are probably a better choice if you are planning to grow. Also, the best eCommerce sites for small business will often allow you to launch a platform with its builder but not actually sell products.
We compare only those platforms that offer plans for creating top eCommerce sites where you can sell your products or services for reasonable subscription prices. Those platforms offering their services for free are a good solution for small businesses, and clients can upgrade their free version at any time.
When it comes to payment methods, most of the platforms from our list provide a variety of solutions including tiers and subscription models. Usually, the best online store builder allows you to connect the online store with providers like Stripe and Square or to use simple PayPal services.
Ease of Use
Simplicity and usability were central features throughout our assessment of website building tools. All platforms on our list are cloud-based. As such, users are not required to download and install software, implement an API or store data on their devices. The only thing required is creating an account and accessing the platform's dashboard. The dashboards of the web store builders that we examined are all capable of supporting fast uploads of sizable batches of data, online payments and payment processing, and are extremely easy to use. Most of them have an integrated drag-and-drop module that enables faster and simpler creation. Also, these platforms have a modern interface with toolbars and features that simplify the process of creating an online store. In case you don't know how to set up an eCommerce website for your brick-and-mortar or online business, most of the platforms on our list have excellent live chat customer care services ready to answer your questions.
Customization
The next criteria on our list covers several options and tools. The first concerns how many templates or themes the platform has in its library. Usually, users can choose among a variety of templates designed for different industries. The majority of them are free, but sometimes the platform provides you with the option to purchase some premium designs. The second concerns the level of customization you can get with the platform. The eCommerce website design tools help you to personalize your online eCommerce store. This means that you can use colors, fonts, styles, various calculators as well as add logos or images. You can also insert videos for each product you want. Of course, all platforms come with basic functions for adding sections, headers and footers to your storefront.
We also examined whether these features were difficult to use and if any coding skills were required. Luckily, the platforms on our list are easy to master and give users ample freedom to design the store they want. Moreover, the designs are optimized for all devices automatically which means they're mobile device friendly.
SEO and Marketing Tools
One of the most important criteria that every business owner should have in mind when purchasing the best website builder is in-built SEO and content management system options. These tools can help you increase your store visibility on search engines. For example, some platforms provide a guide and valuable suggestions about your site's architecture and on which keywords you should use.
When it comes to marketing tools and customer insights designed to increase your conversion rates, there is a plethora of solutions that each of the platforms offers. Listed below are some of the most interesting ones:
Abandoned shopping carts recovery - an excellent tool that enables retailers to get email addresses of customers that went through almost the entire shopping process, but didn't complete the purchase. You can send them notifications designed to encourage them to make the purchases.
Social media sale - It's not enough to merely connect your inventory with a social media platform. The products should be sold by using their apps. For instance, you can integrate eCommerce stores with FacebookShop to attract more customers to your social commerce operation.
Gift card - you can sell them or give them away as presents to your customers. The cards are used to attract buyers.
Sale Features
The best and cheapest eCommerce website builder will be equipped with lots of tools and features that can help you sell products, convert customers and accelerate business growth. Again, we decided to highlight only some that each platform for building an online store should have.
Types of products - When we evaluated platforms for building eCommerce stores, we looked for those that allow users to sell both physical products and digital items. Some of them are great for freelancers. They have all the necessary features for selling services like online appointments or maps.
Inventory management - The best website builder for eCommerce on our list will have excellent tools for importing/exporting products and tracking their performances. You can organize them in categories, add short descriptions for each product and add a zoom option. Users can track the size or color of each product and add different photos.
Multichannel sales - The ability to integrate your eCommerce with the most popular marketplaces is crucial for sales. Most of the platforms integrate easily with eBay, Amazon, Etsy and Google Shopping.
Shipping Management - In order to successfully build eCommerce websites, businesses need to be mindful of delivery services and make sure their products arrive on time.
Analytics and reports - These tools can help you to learn more about sales and clients so you can boost your business.
Types of Products
When we evaluated platforms for building eCommerce stores, we looked for those that allow users to sell both physical products and digital items online. Some of them are noteworthy for freelancers. They have all the necessary features for selling services like online appointments or maps.
Inventory Management
The best website builder for eCommerce on our list will have excellent tools for product management and performance tracking. You can organize them in categories add short descriptions for each product and add a zoom option. Users can track the size or color of each product and add different photos. Depending on the type of business you run you'll need a website builder that will facilitate your business model and work with things like print-on-demand, B2B, merchandising, coupons, limited stock and quick delivery to ensure customer loyalty and brand awareness.
Multichannel Sales
The ability to integrate your eCommerce with the most popular marketplaces is the beauty of running an online business. Most of the platforms integrate easily with eBay, Amazon, Etsy and Google Shopping. It's also important to review if your platform of choice can process multiple currencies.
Shipping Management
In order to successfully build eCommerce websites, businesses need to be mindful of delivery services and make sure their products arrive on time.
Analytics and Reports
These tools can help you to learn more about sales and clients through numerous reporting systems that focus on key events in your customer's journey as well as overall brand impression and reach. This can help you track your income and allocate your business resources more efficiently.
Best eCommerce Website Builders
- Shopify
- Weebly
- Wix
- BigCommerce
- Squarespace

Reviews of the Best eCommerce Website Builders
Shopify
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
EXCELLENT
- ⦿ SEO-friendly reviews
- ⦿ On-the-go editing
- ⦿ Discount codes
Weebly
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
AVERAGE
- ⦿ Dynamic backgrounds
- ⦿ Custom gift cards
- ⦿ Great analytical tools
Wix
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
- ⦿ Personalized SEO plan
- ⦿ Advanced marketing features
- ⦿ Affordable packages

BigCommerce
BigCommerce
AVERAGE
FAIR
EXCELLENT
- ⦿ Free SSL certificate
- ⦿ No transaction fees
- ⦿ Unlimited number of users
Webnode Review
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
AVERAGE
- ⦿ Available in several languages
- ⦿ Stripe, Paypal, Wire Transfer
- ⦿ Backup and recovery features
Squarespace
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
AVERAGE
- ⦿ Shipping calculator
- ⦿ Advanced tax tools
- ⦿ Stellar customer support
FreeWebStore
AVERAGE
AVERAGE
EXCELLENT
- ⦿ Quick design change
- ⦿ Age verification feature
- ⦿ Vacation mode
GoDaddy
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
AVERAGE
- ⦿ Advanced analytics
- ⦿ PayPal support
- ⦿ ADI engine
There are so many great platforms for building eCommerce websites and choosing a single one is no easy task. There are sites specializing in the sale of physical goods while others offer the best solutions for selling digital assets. Website builders for small business are often beginner-friendly platforms that require no coding or previous programming knowledge. Ultimately, the ideal platform is the one that best suits the individual needs and goals of each business.
There is a wide range of really great, easy to use platforms for building online shops and eCommerce that are free of charge. Most of them come with a variety of features for managing your products, creating a unique online store appearance and tracking your sales. However, some of these platforms allow you to import only a limited number of products. This might pose a problem for eCommerce sites with a large number of goods. Keep in mind that some platforms also put restrictions on product sales. You can create a store and upload images of the products, but you cannot sell the items with the platform's services. The best DIY eCommerce website builder platforms that don't charge for their services are also poor with features for customization. Many also don't provide advanced tools for tracking business performances and sales, marketing and SEO tools. Instead, the platforms charge an extra fee for those services.
Yes, Wix is a cloud-based platform for building eCommerce websites free of charge. This is also a user-friendly builder, convenient for people who don't have any code skills. If you decide to use the Wix builder, you will get up to 100 templates designed for different industries like fashion, sports or health. The best thing is that users can get an unlimited number of pages, free web hosting and SSL security. If you decide to create an online store for free, we strongly recommend this platform.
Wix might be the best eCommerce platform for SEO because it has a powerful Wix SEO Wiz feature that helps users increase Google rankings effortlessly. In addition, this platform makes it possible to create a personalized SEO plan in accordance with the website's needs and sales goals. Another really good platform with a variety of SEO tools is BigCommerce, which has useful blogs and guides on how to implement SEO techniques.
It really depends on your needs and sales goals. For instance, FreeWebStore is the best website builder for small business focused on affordable but proven platforms. Although the free plan includes the listing of only 30 templates, users have the option to upgrade when their business starts growing. Moreover, the platform is SEO-friendly and offers useful tips for ranking your store on Google.
The best eCommerce website builder for beginners is often cloud-based and easy to use. But they come with different features, tools and options for customization. Apart from the functionality of the platform, users need to consider a number of other factors.
Ease of use - Modern platforms for building eCommerce stores don't require HTML or JS skills. Instead, you can rely on prebuilt themes and forms to effortlessly tailor the online shop to your needs.
Price - Try to find a reliable and affordable solution. Website builders are designed to save you money and time, so don't spend more than is necessary to achieve your goals.
Dashboard functionality and features - Dashboard features for creating and organizing a product inventory are part of our best eCommerce website builder reviews. The features to keep in mind are import/export options, inventory management, shipping tools and payment methods.
SEO tools and marketing - Don't forget that the success of your eCommerce store depends on how good you are in promoting your business and reaching customers. So, choose the platforms equipped with the latest SEO technologies and guides.
Our best eCommerce platform 2022 list guarantees a smooth ride for anyone looking to build an eCommerce website from scratch. We only selected platforms with a user-friendly interface, rich gallery of templates, excellent marketing, SEO and sales features. The first thing to do is to decide what product the business will sell, choose a brand name, the right domain and the payment options. The next step is to upload the products, organize them into categories if needed, and add descriptions and images for each product. Then, you can start to customize the eCommerce website to suit your needs. The best eCommerce website builder comes with templates tailored to specific industries that you can customize to fit your needs.