Find the best platform for an ecommerce website in 2025

With global retail ecommerce sales projected to hit an astounding $6.9 trillion in 2024, the digital marketplace has never been more vibrant or accessible for independent creators. This explosive growth, as documented by Statista, represents a monumental opportunity for artists, designers, and entrepreneurs to turn their passion into a sustainable business. But with countless options available, the first critical step is choosing a foundation for your digital storefront.

Selecting the best platform for an ecommerce website isn't just a technical choice; it's a strategic decision that will shape your brand's potential, scalability, and connection with customers. This guide is designed specifically for creators. We'll move beyond generic feature lists to explore which platforms truly empower you to build a brand, sell your unique products, and grow a loyal community in 2025 and beyond.

Main takeaways

Here’s what you need to know to make an informed decision about your ecommerce platform:

• Shopify is the market leader for a reason. For the majority of creators, its ease of use, vast app ecosystem, and scalability make it the top choice. It currently holds a 27% market share among the top one million ecommerce sites.

• WooCommerce offers unparalleled flexibility. If you have a strong vision, value complete creative control, and are comfortable with a more hands-on technical approach, WooCommerce on WordPress is a powerful, open-source alternative.

• User experience is non-negotiable. Top-performing stores excel at creating a seamless mobile experience and a frictionless checkout process. Your platform choice directly impacts these critical areas.

• Integration is your superpower. The best platforms connect seamlessly with essential tools for production on demand, marketing, and analytics. Connecting a partner like Gelato automates fulfillment, letting you focus on creation.

• Content and commerce are merging. A successful strategy leverages valuable content like blogs and videos to attract an audience before guiding them to purchase. Platforms built on content management systems (like WordPress with WooCommerce) excel here.

• Success is measurable. Beyond sales, you must track key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rate, average order value (AOV), and customer acquisition cost (CAC) to make data-driven decisions.

Understanding the ecommerce platform landscape

Why choosing the right platform is your first major business decision

At its core, an ecommerce platform is the operating system for your online business. It provides the essential tools to build a storefront, list products, accept payments, manage orders, and handle shipping. But a modern platform does so much more. It’s your marketing hub, your customer relationship manager, and your brand’s digital home.

The stakes are high. In the United States alone, ecommerce accounted for 15.6% of all retail sales in the third quarter of 2024, a figure that continues its steady climb, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Choosing a platform that can’t scale with your vision or that creates a clunky customer experience can stop your growth before it starts. The decision largely comes down to two main models: SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) like Shopify, which provides an all-in-one hosted solution for a monthly fee, and open-source platforms like WooCommerce, which is a free plugin that gives you full control but requires you to manage your own hosting and security. For a deeper dive into getting started, check out this complete guide to launching an ecommerce business.

Deep dive into the top ecommerce platforms for creators

Shopify: The all-in-one powerhouse for creative brands

Holding a commanding 27% market share among the top million ecommerce sites in 2025, Shopify has cemented its position as the go-to platform for entrepreneurs, from startups to global brands. Its core philosophy, as stated by President Harley Finkelstein, is to "provide entrepreneurs with the best tools to succeed," a mission that resonates deeply with creators (Shopify Q3 2024 Earnings Call).

Why creators love Shopify

The platform’s primary appeal is its fusion of power and simplicity. You don’t need to be a developer to build a beautiful, professional-grade store. Its intuitive drag-and-drop editor, extensive theme marketplace, and world-class app store allow you to customize your site and add powerful functionality with just a few clicks.

This ecosystem is where Shopify truly shines for creators. Success stories like the beauty brand Topicals, which scaled to an 8-figure revenue by focusing on community and brand storytelling, demonstrate the platform’s potential (Shopify).

Integrating your creative products

For creators using a production on demand model, Shopify’s app store is a game-changer. The Gelato integration, for example, is seamless. An artist can upload a design, and with a few clicks, turn your art into high-quality posters or sell custom printed mugs and drinkware without ever touching inventory or managing shipping. This automated workflow is perfect for artists seeking practical tips for turning your artwork into products they can sell to a global audience.

WooCommerce: The flexible framework for custom visions

While Shopify leads in market share, WooCommerce is a formidable contender, powering 16% of the top ecommerce sites, as per BuiltWith data for 2025. As a plugin for WordPress, the world's most popular website builder, WooCommerce offers a level of customization and control that is unmatched by SaaS platforms.

The power of WordPress and open-source

Because WooCommerce is open-source, the core software is free. Your main costs will be web hosting, a domain name, and any premium themes or plugins you choose. This model gives you complete ownership of your data and the freedom to modify every aspect of your site’s code.

When WooCommerce is the right choice for a creator

WooCommerce is the ideal choice for creators who already have an established presence on WordPress or those who plan to build a business heavily reliant on a content-to-commerce model. Imagine a travel photographer with a popular blog. With WooCommerce, they can seamlessly integrate a store to sell prints and merchandise directly within their existing content, creating a powerful synergy between their art and their business. A fashion blogger could write about emerging trends and then directly sell their own line of apparel, giving customers a chance to design personalized hoodies for your store.

Other notable platforms for specific niches

While Shopify and WooCommerce dominate, other platforms serve specific needs. BigCommerce is known for its powerful built-in features and is a leader in the growing trend of headless commerce, which allows brands to create unique front-end experiences while using a powerful back-end system (BigCommerce). For creators who want to sell on a marketplace alongside their own site, understanding how to connect with platforms like Etsy is key; you can find the best print-on-demand partner for Etsy to streamline your operations.

Beyond the platform: Essential strategies for growth in 2025

Choosing the best platform for an ecommerce website is only the beginning. True success comes from optimizing your store and marketing strategies to meet modern consumer expectations.

Mastering the user experience

Research from the Baymard Institute consistently shows that world-class ecommerce performance hinges on a superior mobile experience and a simplified checkout process. Your platform must offer responsive themes and a streamlined payment flow. A major hurdle for all online stores is cart abandonment, with a staggering average rate of 70.19%. To combat this, implement strategies like guest checkout, transparent shipping costs upfront, and multiple payment options (Baymard Institute).

Leveraging content and social commerce

The "content-to-commerce" model is becoming a dominant strategy for brands that want to build an authentic connection with their audience (Forbes). Use blogs, tutorials, and social media to provide value and tell your brand’s story.

This ties directly into the explosive growth of social commerce. With U.S. sales projected to reach $80.57 billion in 2024, creators must leverage tools that allow customers to purchase directly from platforms like Instagram and TikTok (eMarketer). Modern ecommerce platforms offer deep integrations with these channels, allowing you to promote and add custom tote bags to your product catalog right where your audience spends their time.