The best ecommerce platforms for dropshipping provide business owners with all of the essential tools they need to start selling online with minimal upfront investment. In todayโs evolving ecommerce world, dropshipping can be an easy and low-risk way to launch your own store.
In fact, dropshipping has become so popular, the market is expected to reach a value of $931.9 billion by 2030. However, while starting a dropshipping store can seem simple enough, there are still caveats.
To run a successful store, you need a flexible ecommerce platform that combines all the tools you need to sell, with integrations to dropshipping solutions.
We examined some of the best solutions available today, to bring you this comprehensive review.
Best Ecommerce Platforms for Dropshipping
- Shopify – Best User Friendly Platform
- Wix – Best customizable platform
- Squarespace – Best for stunning templates
- Square Online
- WooCommerce
- BigCommerce
- Sellfy
Table of contents:
What is Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a convenient business model that allows online store owners to sell products without holding or creating those items themselves.
With dropshipping, business owners donโt need to worry about producing their own products, packaging items, or shipping them to customers. Instead, you simply source existing items from suppliers around the world, and list them on your store.
When a customer places an order, the fulfillment process is handled by your dropshipping supplier, freeing you from the hassles of managing inventory and logistics.
Partnering with a supplier means you never have to touch the products you sell yourself. However, the process of tracking orders and coordinating with your dropshipping suppliers can be complex without the right ecommerce solution.
Thatโs why itโs so important to find a user-friendly platform, with the right dropshipping apps, integrations, or extensions.
What to Look for in an Ecommerce Platform for Dropshipping?
When looking for an ecommerce platform specifically tailored to dropshippers, there are two things to consider: the ecommerce features of your solution, and their ability to support dropshipping.
First, youโll need to ensure your ecommerce solution is suited to building your online presence.
The most popular ecommerce platforms are easy to use, and packed with useful features, such as templates for design, secure payment gateways, marketing tools, and inventory management. For dropshippers, these platforms also need to make it simple to import products, and leverage automation so you can quickly connect and collaborate with suppliers.
Key features to look for include:
- Dropshipping connections: First, itโs important to ensure your solution has plugins, dropshipping apps, integrations, or extensions that allow you to connect with your suppliers. This ensures you can automate the order fulfilment process and manage orders.
- Ease of use: Even if you have some experience running an ecommerce business, choosing a platform thatโs easy to use will save you time and effort. You may want to avoid an open-source platform that requires a lot of coding or programming knowledge.
- Affordability: One of the best things about selling dropshipping products is the operating costs of your store are usually quite low. A high monthly fee for your ecommerce platform can eat into your products, so make sure you choose something affordable.
You may also want to think about the customer support offered by the ecommerce platform, the features of the website builder, and what kind of marketing tools you can access. Solutions for search engine optimization and automated email or social media marketing can help your business grow.
While many ecommerce platforms can support dropshipping, only a handful make it extremely easy to build your business, and start growing your profit margins. For this list, we looked at the most appealing platforms for entrepreneurs in search of simplicity, affordability, and innovation.
What are the Best Ecommerce Platforms for Dropshipping?
1. Shopify
Shopifyย is easily the most straightforward and convenient platform for beginners in the dropshipping world.
The website builder included with the platform is intuitive and brimming with templates to choose from. Plus, store owners can manage every aspect of their ecommerce site using a simple backend, with tools for order, inventory, and marketing management.
Shopify also has some of the best sales features available for users, with multi-channel integration options for selling across a variety of platforms like Facebook, Amazon, and Instagram.
There are even sales analytics tools for insights into customer behavior. Top features include:
- Unlimited inventory for all kinds of products
- Impressive website builder with customization tools
- In-depth analytics and revenue reports
- Comprehensive security and fraud detection
- Powerful Shopify app market
- SEO features and marketing tools
Shopify also offers a wide variety of apps and integrations for dropshipping. Though the original dropshipping app, Oberlo, is no longer available, there are still options. Popular apps include DSers, the official AliExpress dropshipping app, CJDropshipping, Zendrop, and many others.
Pricing
Pricing for a full Shopify store starts at $39 per month, though you can access the plan for $1 per month for the first 3 months.
Pros ๐
- Huge app store brimming with integrations
- Very easy to use for beginners
- Fantastic range of sales channels
- Great tools for managing orders and inventory
- Customizable shopping cart
Cons ๐
- Some crucial functions require third-party apps
- Transaction fees can be expensive
Further reading ๐
2. Wix
Wix is another of the top SaaS hosted platforms on this list, ideal for beginners who donโt want to worry about implementing their own payment processing and web hosting features.
Itโs ideal for small business owners in search of a low learning curve and advanced features.
With Wix, you can design a website in no time, and even leverage AI tools to help customize your store. The platform comes with automatic inventory synchronization, and allows users to sell across various marketplaces, and social media platforms. Wix also has abandoned cart recovery tools, exceptional marketing features, and great design solutions too. Features include:
- Automatic inventory syncing across all platforms
- Print-on-demand and dropshipping integrations
- SEO features and email marketing tools
- Secure payment processing
- User-friendly website builder with AI support
Wix offers a range of integrations with POD and dropshipping platforms. It supports one of the most popular dropshipping tools, Modalyst, as well as Spocket, CJDropshipping and many others.
Pricing
While you can get started with Wix for free, youโll need one of the business plans offered by the company to start selling products. Pricing starts at $27 per month for Business Basic.
Pros ๐
- Very easy to use for beginners
- Excellent SEO features for marketing
- Automatic inventory updates and syncing
- Integrations with some of the leading tools on the market
- Support for selling all kinds of products
Cons ๐
- No option to change website templates
- Some apps cost extra to install and use
3. Squarespace
Squarespace is one of the most popular CMS platforms around, particularly for creators who want to showcase their creative nature online.
The solution comes with some of the best templates around, making it easy to create visually appealing sites for a range of purposes.
Squarespace does offer some scalability, but itโs mostly intended for smaller business owners, and startups. The SaaS platform supports a range of credit card and debit card payment options, and comes with access to powerful tools for sales, including in-built booking forms. There are even SEO features and marketing tools to help you grow your ecommerce store. Features include:
- Attractive templates for beginners
- Fantastic payment processing tools
- Support for selling a range of different products
- Analytics and reports for growth
- Built-in marketing and sales features
Squarespace supports a variety of dropshipping plugins and third-party fulfillment tools. Options range from Printful and Printify for print on demand to Spocket, SPOD, and Syncee for dropshipping.
Pricing
Squarespace plans start at $12 per month, but youโll need either a Business plan starting at $18 per month, or a Commerce plan starting at $26 per month to sell online.
Pros ๐
- Attractive templates for a stunning website
- Easy to set up for beginners
- No additional fees on commerce plans
- Support for various kinds of sales
- Excellent backend environment
Cons ๐
- Limited payment gateway options
- Small number of dropshipping integrations
Further reading ๐
4. Square Online
If you already have a brick and mortar (physical) store, or youโre planning on hosting pop-up shops from time to time, Square Online could be the perfect platform for you.
Offered by the Square payment processing company, this convenient site builder is great for beginners.
Though the templates are a little limited, there are still plenty of dynamic themes to choose from, and many are designed to suit companies from different industries. Youโll also gain full access to Squareโs stack of tools and services, such as scheduling apps, and POS device integrations. Plus, you benefit from one of the most secure payment processing tools on the market. Features include:
- Straightforward multi-location synchronization
- Staff management tools for teams
- Integrations with point of sale tools
- Back-end order and customer management
- Dynamic themes for a range of industries
Square doesnโt have quite as many integrations as some of the other solutions on this list, but it does make it easy to sell with connections to Spocket, Printful, Doba, and other market leaders.
Pricing
Users can get started with Square Online for free, and gain full access to its website builder, SEO tools, and synchronization services. With this plan, you only pay a transaction fee when you make a sale.
Pros ๐
- Free option for beginners
- Excellent synchronization tools for multiple channels
- Various payment methods supported
- Pickup and delivery options
- Easy to use for beginners
Cons ๐
- Limited templates and themes
- Not suitable for some parts of the world
Further reading ๐
5. WooCommerce
If you want a platform that gives you absolute control over your storeโs appearance, functionality, and performance, then WooCommerce may be the right solution for you.
One of the most popular WordPress plugins around, WooCommerce makes it easy to start selling anywhere.
The simple interface ensures you donโt have to be a coding expert to transform your ecommerce website, customize your checkout, and build a unique online business. WooCommerce even makes order fulfillment easy to manage on the backend, and offers access to all of the marketing and SEO tools of WordPress. Features of this WordPress plugin include:
- Support for multiple payment methods
- Flexible customization options
- Mobile app for running your store on the go
- Real-time dashboards and analytics
- Great security and privacy features
WooCommerce integrates with a variety of tools designed to enhance the performance of your WordPress website. Through โWooCommerce extensionsโ, you can connect to solutions like AliExpress, and start running your dropshipping business instantly.
Pricing
As an open-source solution, WooCommerce is free to use. However, that doesnโt mean you wonโt have fees to pay. Youโll still need to pay for hosting for your WordPress site, payment processing tools, security features, and some apps.
Pros ๐
- Free plan for beginners
- Flexible backend powered by WordPress
- Support for multiple payment methods
- Great range of customization options
- Multiple add-ons and extensions available for free
Cons ๐
- May require users to be more tech-savvy
- Some apps and extensions have an extra fee
Further reading ๐
6. BigCommerce
If youโre already running a store, and you want a solution to help your business grow, BigCommerce could be the perfect option.
The platform excels when it comes to in-built sales features and tools, offering access to a range of multi-channel selling features.
BigCommerce comes with most of the solutions you need to market and sell your products already built-in, so you donโt have to rely as heavily on integrations and extensions. There are no transaction fees to worry about. Plus, the platform has some of the most advanced SEO features on the market, boosting your chances of visibility with your target audience. Features include:
- Exceptional multichannel and omnichannel selling
- Automatic synchronization for products and orders
- Built-in search engine optimization tools
- Marketing features for email and social media
- Support for a range of payment processing tools
BigCommerce also integrates with a variety of dropshipping plugins, including Spocket, AliExpress, and Modalyst. You can also use the platform to sell your dropshipping products across various marketplaces, like Ebay and Amazon.
Pricing
Pricing for BigCommerce starts at around $29 per month, with no transaction fees to worry about, making it one of the more affordable tools on this list.
Pros ๐
- No transaction fees on ecommerce plans
- Excellent SEO and marketing tools
- No product limit on any plan
- Stock and inventory management tools
- Powerful analytics and reports
Cons ๐
- Sales caps can limit scalability
- Some limitations on dropshipping apps
7. Sellfy
Sellfy is an interesting ecommerce platform, designed to combine all the tools you need to sell online, with an integrated print on demand solution.
Created for beginners, Sellfy doesnโt require any coding or programming knowledge to get started, and there are no transaction fees either.
With Sellfy, you can set up custom billing schedules and subscriptions, accept payments in a range of different forms, and leverage a host of marketing features. There are options for selling all kinds of different products, and the website builder comes with a range of customization tools. Plus, you get a shopping cart optimized for mobile devices. Features include:
- Convenient website builder with included shopping cart
- Email marketing and upselling tools
- Buy now buttons and product links
- World-class security and reliable payment processing
- Subscription and POD tools
Sellfy has a print on demand service already built into the platform, so you donโt need to integrate with anything to start dropshipping customized products. Unfortunately, there are no integrations with specific dropshipping vendors available.
Pricing
Prices for Sellfy start at $19 per month, with no transaction fees. However, there are limitations on how much you can sell with each plan.
Pros ๐
- Excellent access to a range of sales options
- Integrated print on demand solution
- Convenient subscription options
- High levels of encryption and security
- Email marketing and social media tools
Cons ๐
- Limited integration options
- Restrictions on sales and profits
The Best Ecommerce Dropshipping Platforms – Conclusion
There are tons of great tools that allow business owners to launch their own dropshipping store with minimal effort today. The right option for you will depend on your business model, your budget, and the features you need to grow your brand. However, all of the options above offer an easy way to find trending products, and sell them with minimal effort.
If none of the options above appeal to you, there are still various other solutions out there, including Adobe Commerce (previously Magento), Shift4Shop, and many others. Donโt be afraid to shop around and compare the market before you dive in.
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