Which eCommerce Engine Is Right For You?

Do you want your webstore engine to have pre-built features or customizable options? Would you rather have lower upfront costs or go all-in with your investment?

If these questions sound familiar, a new infographic from cloud software provider Brightpearl entitled “Which eCommerce Platform Is Right For Me?” may help you choose the right webstore for your needs. In a new release, Brightpearl breaks down the pros and cons of Bigcommerce, Shopify and Magento, three of the industry’s biggest names when it comes to allowing entrepreneurs and webpreneurs the ability to build and manage their own online store.

Add-ons, Features and Fees

Cost will be a big question for many businesses upfront, but not all the charges associated with these tools can be easily assessed. For example, Brightpearl says that with Shopify, you’ll likely need to buy some additional features and pay transaction fees. By comparison, Magento is hands-off after the purchase, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your needs.

Customization

According to the experts at Brightpearl, Bigcommerce and Shopify are the clear choices for tech novices, those who want to customize templates with access to CSS and html but who aren’t well-versed in platform codes. On the other hand, Magento came away as the organization’s top pick for those who can invest in a developer or are technical maestros themselves.

Open Source

How important is owning your webstore?

Those who want the flexibility of full ownership may be better off selecting Magento, the source says, as they won’t be locked into a development cycle. Shopify and Bigcommerce work differently. These software-as-a-service (SaaS) apps “develop, maintain and support” their customers’ software. This means they’ll make improvements on your behalf, but you won’t be able to play an active role in this decision-making.

Which Choice Is Right For You?

To help you decide, the infographic prompts you with easy questions in the form of a flow chart. By providing answers and working your way toward a solution, you’ll have a top choice you can use to begin your search. That being said, the source is clear that this resource is only meant to be a rough guide. As such, you should perform additional due diligence before selecting one of these webstore providers or an alternative.

To see more from Brightpearl, view the complete infographic below.