As you are all aware, during this pandemic, people frequently use ecommerce sites to purchase anything. With the touch of a single button, you can access all options for selling or buying, so we can say that an eCommerce platform has achieved great heights in terms of daily visitors coming for purchasing different products, which create and streamline a customer base, attract new customers, begin engaging the target audience, and set off an in-depth track.

But first and foremost, you’ll need to find the best authentication system for your company. And this is where it’s important to understand the consistent position of the industry’s giants – Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Magento vs BigCommerce.

Before I go into detail about the various ecommerce platforms, you should take a look at the table below to understand the key differences between them.

MAGENTO

Magneto has a number of features that can be used to create good eCommerce web designs. Various built-in functions can help you create an advanced eCommerce website. Magneto comes in two flavours: open-source and Magneto Commerce.

• Magento Open source is a free CMS that can be used to build self-hosted e-stores (domain and web hosting required), whereas Magento Commerce is a platform as a service platform that includes hosting and domain.
• It enables users to easily change currency and languages, generate reports, add coupons, apply loyalty discounts, and leave reviews, ratings, and much more.
• Developers can create a sitemap that includes links to all web pages, allowing search engines to easily crawl the site’s content.
• It enables developers to create multiple online stores that can be managed through a single administrative panel.
• It’s a little code-heavy, so it’s less intuitive for new users.

Shopify

Shopify is an excellent eCommerce platform for creating unique eCommerce websites without the need for coding or technical knowledge. If you want to add a personalised touch to your website, you should learn how to code.

• Shopify is a CMS similar to WordPress that is simple to manage for both programmers and non-programmers. It only takes 15 minutes to set up a functional online store and get started with this platform.
• With Shopify, you can easily customise your eCommerce website by choosing from a variety of templates.
• In the basic plan, Shopify provides unlimited file storage, 24/7 support, discount coupons, unlimited merchandise creation, two accounts for staff members, and much more.

The primary benefits are as follows:

• A great option for new store owners; lots of built-in features and all the necessary extra capabilities are available in the Shopify App Store.
• Shopify is a cloud-based platform that eliminates the need for hosting.
• Over 60 themes are available (both freeware and paid, with prices ranging from $140 to $180).
• There are no performance issues because the Shopify team is in charge of hosting support and load balancing.
• Shopify has a plethora of SEO features by default, as well as additional features available in the store Shopify currently supports over 70 different payment gateways, including PayPal, Amazon Payments, and others; the platform has over 3,000 apps.

BigCommerce

It is an easy-to-use eCommerce platform that positions itself as a competitor in the eCommerce space. Many major brands have built their websites on this platform.

• It is a CMS as well as a subscription-based eCommerce platform.
• It includes features such as analytics, reporting, domains, hosting, SEO tools, and much more. As a result, there is no need for the software to be updated or maintained.
• It includes unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage, unlimited products, 24/7 support, and the ability to accept money via PayPal payment gateway and credit cards without incurring any transaction fees.
• There are many training videos and knowledge bases available to help beginners set up an online store quickly and easily.

BigCommerce’s key features are as follows:

• BigCommerce offers approximately 140 paid-for themes ranging in price from $150 to $300, as well as 9 completely free themes.
• BigCommerce has an out-of-the-box payment gateway option – Paypal.
• A comprehensive set of reports is available
• 250 product options.
• An official Mailchimp integration.
• The platform offers four pricing plans ranging in price from $29.95 per month to $299.95 per month).

BigCommerce has some drawbacks as well:

• BigCommerce is not as customizable as Magento and WooCommerce – you only have a limited number of themes available with certain customizations.
•  The cost of using the engine directly depends on the number of sales, so you cannot accurately calculate the long-term budget for a store (so, if you must choose between BigCommerce and Shopify, choose the latter). 
• A monthly recurring fee is required.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the most extensive platform in terms of sales and ubiquity, so it serves well for eCommerce businesses.

• It is not a full-fledged CMS like other eCommerce systems as it is just a plugin for WordPress websites.  Still, it is a more powerful eCommerce platform than the other ones.
• It is an open-source eCommerce platform completely free of charge.
• The company offers a wide selection of integrated features such as geolocation, shopping and fiscal calculators, shipping charts, discount coupons, SEO optimization, Google analytics, etc.
• With the paid variation of the plug-in, users can enjoy more advanced features.
• It lists products on eCommerce platforms from third parties such as Amazon, eBay and numerous others.

Here’s what you’ll get if you use this popular WordPress plugin for your project:

• This platform has thousands of fully customizable themes that can be optimised using a graphic editor or custom CSS, HTML, or PHP coding.
• There are numerous flexible configuration tools available, including simple product listing, bulk email, multiple store inventories, analytics, many marketing features, and more.
• WooCommerce also includes a plethora of SEO features by default.
• You also have a plethora of payment gateway options to choose from.

As a result, the platform’s drawbacks are as follows:

• Too many plugins and extensions connected results in slower loading speeds and overall performance.
• Many extensions are paid (based either on a one-time or monthly plan).

If we talk about security, we hope you get all of the information you need. SSL certificates are used by Shopify and BigCommerce to secure user data. This feature is not available in WooCommerce, and it must be enabled manually in Magento, which may be a hassle you don’t want to deal with.