The best ecommerce platforms for your DTC brand

If you’re running a growing DTC brand, chances are your current ecommerce platform is starting to show its limits. Maybe your tech stack’s getting messy, you’re struggling with slow site speeds, or customising your storefront has turned into a headache. Whatever the case, you’re starting to wonder: is there a better platform out there for us?

You’re not alone. As brands grow, they often hit a point where their existing setup needs a rethink. You want something that scales with you, supports your marketing goals, and doesn’t hold you back when it comes to launching campaigns or managing your product catalogue.

So, how do you know if it's time to switch? And which platform will actually support your next stage of growth?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the key things to consider when evaluating your options and highlight a few ecommerce platforms that might be a better fit for where your brand is headed.

What is an ecommerce platform? 

An ecommerce platform is a tool (or suite of tools) that you can use to set up and manage an online shop. With it, you can:

• Build a digital storefront where customers browse items, add them to a cart, and checkout.
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• Accept payments through different methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and digital wallets.
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• Manage your inventory so you always know what’s in stock.
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• Handle logistics like shipping and tracking orders.

All these features make it easy to sell online and expand your business. Instead of being limited to people nearby, you can offer your products to anyone, anywhere — whether they’re across town or on the other side of the world. Choosing the best ecommerce platform can support your business growth and cater to diverse requirements.

What are the two types of ecommerce platforms?

There are different types of ecommerce platforms out there, and the best one for you depends on how much control you want and how comfortable you are with tech. The two main types are:

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Hosted (cloud) ecommerce platforms

These are managed for you by a provider, and they come with everything you need to run an online store. Examples include Shopify, BigCommerce, and Wix. They're great if you want something simple and reliable.

Why they’re popular:

• Easy to use: Most hosted platforms are designed to be beginner-friendly. They often include drag-and-drop tools, so you don’t need to know how to code.
  
  
• They grow with you: As your business grows, these platforms can handle more traffic and sales without much extra work from you.
  
  
• Built-in security: These platforms take care of things like data protection and software updates, so your store stays safe.
  
  
• Good support: Many hosted platforms offer 24/7 help via live chat, email or phone—handy if you run into any issues.

Self-hosted ecommerce platforms

With these, you install the software yourself and manage your own website. Examples include WooCommerce, Magento, and OpenCart. These are better if you want more flexibility and have some technical knowledge (or access to a developer).

Why you might choose this option:

• More flexibility: You can change the design and features of your store to suit your brand exactly how you want.
  
  
• Full control: You get to pick where your website is hosted and how everything is set up.
  
  
• Can save money long term: While setup may cost more upfront, self-hosted platforms often don’t charge ongoing fees or take a cut of your sales—making them more cost-effective as your business grows.

What are the qualities of a good ecommerce platform?

A good ecommerce platform provides a seamless experience for you and your customers. It’s easy to set up and manage and, at the same time, makes it super simple for people to find and buy items from your store. 

Here are the must-have ecommerce features that make that possible: 

1. User-friendly storefront and customisation

A great ecommerce platform should make shopping effortless. Customers should be able to browse, find products, and checkout without frustration. A cluttered or confusing storefront leads to lost sales.

But it’s not just about customers. As a store owner, you should have the freedom to make your shop feel like yours. Sure, pre-made themes are great for getting started, but a solid ecommerce website builder should let you tweak layouts, colours, and features to match your brand.

Take Shopify, for example. It comes with ready-to-use themes, but if you want to take things up a notch, you can customise your store (it just requires a bit of coding knowledge) That means you’re not stuck with a store that looks like everyone else’s — you can build something that truly represents your business.

2. Flexible pricing 

A good ecommerce platform offers different pricing tiers, so you can start small and scale up when you’re ready.

Maybe you’re testing the waters with a handful of products and don’t need all the bells and whistles yet. Or maybe your business is booming, and you need advanced features like multi-store management, custom integrations, or priority support. The best ecommerce sites let you switch plans as your needs change.

Open-source ecommerce platforms, like WooCommerce and OpenCart, take it a step further. WooCommerce, for example, has no pricing plans. Instead, you pay for a domain, hosting, themes and plugins, depending on your choice. This allows you to build a cost-effective store as a small business and scale things as your business grows.

3. Integrations 

Your ecommerce platform shouldn’t operate in a vacuum. It needs to play nicely with the tools you’re already using, including your existing website. Whether it’s your CRM, email marketing platform, inventory management system, or shipping provider, integrations make it easier to connect everything and keep your operations running smoothly.

But it goes beyond just the basics. The best ecommerce platforms offer API access or custom integrations so you can connect it to your own in-house tools. For example, instead of uploading product images manually, you connect your platform with Dash — and automatically drop product shots into your store’s backend. That way, you can set up and update your product catalogue faster.

4. Multiple payment and checkout options

About 11% of shoppers will abandon their shopping cart if an ecommerce website doesn’t offer enough payment options.

Let’s do the math. Say your store gets 50 shoppers a day; that means about seven of them will drop off because they cannot pay. In a year, you could lose 84 customers — that’s a tangible loss for something that’s well within your control.

That’s why you need an ecommerce platform that supports multiple payment options and bonus points if it lets people pay in their local currencies. At the very least, customers should be able to pay using their credit and debit cards, bank transfers, and even Buy Now, Pay Later options.

5. Search engine optimisation (SEO)

Your store might be the best thing since sliced bread. But that won’t matter much if people cannot find it online. Search engine optimisation features ensure that when people search for your store or items you sell, you show up in the search results. In other words, SEO connects you with potential customers. 

When it comes to ecommerce SEO, there are tons of features out there, but some are absolute must-haves. You’ll want control over your URLs, meta descriptions, and title tags so you can optimise product and category pages for search engines. Alt text for images is another big one, as it helps search engines understand what’s in your product photos, which can boost your visibility in image searches.

A strong platform should also have blogging capabilities. Regular blog content can drive organic traffic by helping you rank for more keywords beyond your product listings. 

And let’s not forget site speed and mobile-friendliness — both are key ranking factors, and a sluggish or clunky mobile experience will hurt your chances of showing up in search results.

The top 6 ecommerce platforms for your DTC brand 

Shopping for a new ecommerce platform? Here are the top five choices to consider depending on your business needs. 

1. Shopify: For ecommerce businesses looking for managed hosting

Customers: Forthglade and La Rosée

If you want to avoid the hassle of complicated store setups and endless plugin choices, Shopify might be the perfect ecommerce platform for your business.

It offers managed hosting, so you don’t need to worry about buying domains or renewing hosting each year. Simply subscribe to your preferred Shopify plan and start building your storefront using one of the ready-made design templates.

You can drop product images into your Shopify catalogue using Dash, connect the apps for receiving payments, and complete other setups to help you sell online effectively. Sure, it still requires some work, but it’s far simpler than building everything from scratch.

Shopify is a great choice if you’re:

• Looking for a plug-and-play ecommerce solution without complex coding or technical headaches
  
  
• Selling across multiple channels, like ecommerce marketplaces and social commerce platforms
  
  
• Keen to have access to 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone (unlike WooCommerce, which relies more on community forums and paid ticket support)
  
  
• Just getting started and want a platform that grows with you
  
  

Review: What Shopify customers are saying

“The best part about using Shopify is that I don't have to rely on software developers to make changes to my website. Most changes can be implemented easily with little research and videos from Shopify. It's super easy to use even for a non-technical person like me. It's easy to integrate payment gateways using Shopify Payments. I am a small business owner, so I use it frequently.” — G2 Review

Shopify pricing

Shopify offers three main pricing plans, starting at $39 per month. Each plan gives you access to an online store, abandoned cart recovery, and support for multiple sales channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Amazon.

2. Shopify Plus: For high-growth and enterprise-level ecommerce brands

As your business grows, you might find standard Shopify plans a little limiting. That’s where Shopify Plus comes in — a premium solution built for scale and packed with advanced features designed for fast-growing brands and enterprise teams.

Standout features include:

• Customisable checkout: Use Shopify Scripts to tweak discounts, shipping rules, and product recommendations — all without relying on extra apps.
  
  
• Multiple storefronts: Run up to 10 localised storefronts for different countries, regions, or customer segments.
  
  
• Automation tools: Automate tasks like tagging VIP customers or launching sales campaigns with tools like Shopify Flow and Launchpad.
  
  
• Priority support: Gain access to a dedicated Launch Manager and Shopify’s Merchant Success Program for hands-on support.
  
  

Shopify Plus is ideal if you’re:

• Scaling quickly and need a platform that can handle high traffic volumes without slowing down
  
  
• Launching into new markets with localised shopping experiences
  
  
• Customising your checkout experience for higher conversion rates
  
  
• Managing multiple brands or regions under one ecommerce setup
  

Shopify Plus pricing

Shopify Plus starts at around $2,300 per month, with a three-year commitment. Pricing is tailored depending on your sales volume and specific business requirements, and includes access to advanced features and priority support.

Review: What Shopify Plus customers are saying

“Switching to Shopify Plus has been one of the best decisions for our business. As we grew, we needed a platform that could keep up with our increasing demands, and Shopify Plus has exceeded our expectations. The scalability of the platform has allowed us to handle high volumes of traffic, especially during peak sales periods, without any hiccups. The advanced customization options have been invaluable, enabling us to create a unique shopping experience that resonates with our brand and customers.” — G2 Review

Shopify pricing

Shopify offers three pricing plans, starting at $39 per month. For larger businesses, Shopify Plus starts at around $2,300 per month (with a three-year commitment) and includes advanced features, customisation options, and priority support.

Want to dive deeper? Check out our detailed Shopify vs Shopify Plus comparison.

3. WooCommerce: For ecommerce businesses that use WordPress

Customers: Universal Yums and Brodo

WooCommerce isn’t your typical ecommerce platform — like Shopify or BigCommerce (which I’ll talk about in a bit). Instead, it’s an ecommerce plugin you can install on your WordPress website to convert it into an online store for free. 

After that, you'll be able to add any features you want using plugins and extensions. For example, you can add your preferred payment processors, product bundling apps, or even subscriptions. This gives you the freedom to set up your store as you want, but also takes up a lot of time — both for the initial setup and ongoing maintenance. 

In terms of features, WooCommerce offers: 

• A native payments processor (WooPayments) 

• Woo Marketplace, where you can find thousands of extensions and plugins 

• Built-in content management system (WordPress)
• Integrate with Dash, our digital asset management tool to quickly update product listings  

Overall, WooCommerce’s biggest advantage is cost-effective scalability. You can scale your store up or down without moving from one pricing tier to another — as is the case with Shopify. Check out my WooCommerce vs Shopify article if you’d like to learn more about how these platforms differ. 

When to choose WooCommerce for your ecommerce business

WooCommerce might be the right ecommerce platform for your business if: 

• You already use WordPress and want to skip the learning curve of a new platform. 

• You have the time and technical expertise to handle your store’s setup and maintenance (or the budget to hire help)

• You’re starting a small ecommerce store but looking to scale quickly in a few months. 

WooCommerce pricing 

WooCommerce is free (kind of). While there are no monthly subscription fees, you’ll still need to pay for hosting and your domain, which cost around $120 and $15 per year, respectively. Many WooCommerce themes and plugins also charge monthly or annual usage fees. 

Review: What WooCommerce customers are saying

“Woocommerce is easy to integrate, easy to use, and simple to learn. Is such a great service to help keep track of products on your storefront and to manage your sales. The best part is it's a breeze to upload your product catalogs. No matter where you need to integrate Woocommerce there's a good chance it is available and easily integratable. Facebook, WordPress,Mailchimp and Salesforce are just a few that all work seamlessly with Woo.” — G2 Review.

4. BigCommerce: For built-in multi-storefront management

Customers: Ollie and Bulk Nutrients

Are you running an online business and selling to customers in different locations? BigCommerce might just be the ecommerce platform for you.

It lets you create local shopping experiences for everywhere you sell. Customers can see prices and pay for items using their local currency. They can also browse through your store in their preferred language.

Beyond that, BigCommerce also offers features like:

• Multi-storefronts tailored to different locations, customers or brands.
• Personalised store checkout
• WordPress integration

BigCommerce is a great option if you need more flexibility than most out-of-the-box platforms offer. It’s ideal for brands managing multiple storefronts, lots of product types, or different customer groups. While Shopify and Shopify Plus can also handle growth, BigCommerce gives you more built-in features from the start — like multi-storefront management and B2B tools. If your store setup is a bit more complex and you want extra control without relying on lots of third-party apps, BigCommerce could be a better fit.

When to use BigCommerce for your online store 

BigCommerce works best if: 

• You run a high-volume business. BigCommerce handles large product catalogues and high traffic without slowing down, making it ideal for growing or enterprise-level stores.

• You need advanced customisation. With flexible APIs and headless commerce, BigCommerce gives more control over your store’s design and functionality.

• You’re selling in multiple locations. BigCommerce is perfect if you need multi-currency support, automatic tax calculations, and localised storefronts.

Review: What BigCommerce customers are saying

“Ease of use, ever expanding app marketplace. If there's something you want to do that BigCommerce doesn't do out of the box, there is probably an app that does it. Customer support is absolutely top notch. Always friendly and very knowledgeable. Implementation was handled by our developer but it has been a breeze to use ever since” — G2 Review. 

BigCommerce pricing

BigCommerce has three pricing plans for growing ecommerce businesses — starting at $39 per month. There's also an Enterprise package for larger stores, but you'll have to contact them for a custom quote based on your needs. 

5. Adobe Commerce (Magento): for hybrid retail and wholesale brands

Customers: Barilla and Lexmark

Formerly known as Magento, Adobe Commerce is an ecommerce platform designed for enterprise businesses. As one of the leading ecommerce website builders, it allows you to sell to customers in different locations through multiple storefronts. What sets it apart is its ability to integrate wholesale and retail commerce into one platform.

For example, you can set up purchase approval workflows to enforce spending limits for wholesale shoppers, so they stay within budget. On the retail side, you can personalise the shopping experience with features like custom checkouts and unique product recommendations.

Other Adobe Commerce features include:

• Headless commerce
• Integration with other Adobe tools, including Adobe DAM
• Enterprise catalogue management

When to use Adobe Commerce for your online store

Adobe Commerce is a great choice if: 

• You already use Adobe tools like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, or Adobe DAM. 

• You’re a retail store expanding into wholesale commerce (and vice versa) 

• You want to sell across multiple platforms and devices. 

Review: What Adobe Commerce customers are saying 

• “Adobe Commerce is highly customisable and easy to use. I love that you can easily create multiple online stores and manage them differently.” — G2 Review. 

Adobe Commerce pricing 

Adobe isn't upfront about its pricing, so you'll have to contact them for a quote. However, the website shows that they offer separate pricing tiers for Adobe Commerce Pro and Managed Services. 

6. OpenCart: for open-source ecommerce 

Customers: PetShop18 and Bizarre Food

OpenCart is a WooCommerce alternative for ecommerce stores that are not built on WordPress, and it stands out among website builders for its flexibility and customization options. It’s free and open-source, giving you 100% control and ownership over your store’s setup, design, and functionality.

However, like WooCommerce, you’ll have to cover the costs of hosting and maintaining your online store’s technical aspects. There are also paid themes and extensions that help you customise your store further.

With OpenCart, you’ll get features like:

• Multi-store admin interface
• Unlimited products and store categories
• OpenCart extensions and app marketplace

When to use OpenCart for your ecommerce store 

Think of OpenCart as WooCommerce’s no-frills cousin — simpler, straightforward, and perfect if you want to get up and running fast. It’s a great pick for businesses that: 

• Want a straightforward setup and aren’t planning to manage thousands of products. 

• Have access to the technical expertise for managing and maintaining the store’s setup.

• Lack the budget for a fully-managed ecommerce solution like Shopify or BigCommerce. 

Review: What OpenCart customers are saying

• No need for extensions as it works straight out of the box — unlike Adobe Commerce. So far I haven't purchased any extensions and my ecommerce store works great. However, if you need extensions many of them come for less than $20 and the support system of extensions is excellent. I’m so happy I found Opencart and I love the interface. The support on forums is awesome too — G2 Review. 

OpenCart pricing 

As I mentioned earlier, OpenCart is completely free to use, but there are still some costs to consider. You'll need to pay for deployment, hosting, and maintenance. Plus, if you want to customise your store with premium plugins and extensions, those will cost extra.

What to consider when choosing an ecommerce platform

The features you prioritise depend on your business needs. 

If you want maximum control over how your store looks and functions, go for a platform that gives you full design freedom and flexibility. Self-hosted platforms like WooCommerce or OpenCart are ideal here. They let you customise every part of your store, from layout to checkout — perfect if you have development resources or want to build something truly bespoke.

If your business is more complex — maybe you’re running multiple storefronts or serving both retail and wholesale customers — you’ll want a platform that can handle advanced operations out of the box. BigCommerce is a great fit, offering native multi-storefront management, B2B features, and strong multi-currency support without relying heavily on plugins.

Here are some questions to ask yourself while looking for an ecommerce platform.

• What stage of growth is your business in? Say you’re just starting out. In that case, you need a simple and affordable platform to get up and running quickly. But if your business is already established, you may need a more advanced platform with complex features to support your growth.
• Where and how are you selling? Are you selling only through your website, or do you plan to sell on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay or social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook? If you’re selling on several channels, look for a platform with multi-channel integration to streamline the process.
• What level of technical expertise do you have? Do you or someone on your team have the technical know-how to handle complex store setup and maintenance? If not, consider a platform with simpler, out-of-the-box options requiring less customisation.
• What about integrations? Look for an ecommerce platform that connects with the other tools you need to run your online store, including email marketing tools and digital asset management software like Dash. That way, you can update product images, manage marketing, and handle other tasks in one place. It saves time and makes running your store a whole lot easier.

How to set up your ecommerce store quickly with Dash

Whether you choose Shopify, BigCommerce, or some other platform on our list, you’ll be able to get images into your store with Dash when the time comes. 

As an ecommerce digital asset management system, Dash helps you organise and store all your visual assets so you can find and use them whenever you need them.

Take Forthglade, one of our clients, for example. They were moving from Shopify to Shopify Plus and needed to organise their images. Rather than wasting hours sifting through disorganised folders, they organised all their visual content in Dash. 

With our Shopify integration, they could access and drop product shots right into different categories for their new store. This process saved a lot of time and helped them complete the migration in only 18 weeks. 

Even if you’re not using Shopify, organising your images and videos in Dash will save you so much time and hassle — no matter what platform you choose. Dash makes it easy to get everything in order, so your store can be up and running quickly.

Ready to skip the migration headaches? Try Dash for free for 14 days.