Introduction: Which e-commerce platform is best for your business?
Starting an e-commerce business requires choosing the right sales platform. Should you bet on off-the-shelf SaaS solutions such as Shopify, Shoper, IdoSell or SkyShop, or would the flexibility of PrestaShop, WooCommerce or AtomStore be a better option? In this article, we compare the most popular e-commerce platforms in 2024, analyzing their advantages, disadvantages, functionalities and who they are best for.
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1. what factors to consider when choosing an e-commerce platform?
Before choosing the right system to run an online store, it is worth noting a few key aspects:
✅ Ease of use - Is the platform intuitive for beginners?
✅ Costs - What are the monthly fees and additional costs associated with store development?
✅ Expansion capabilities - Does the platform allow integration with marketplaces, payment systems and vendors?
✅ Marketing features - Does the platform support SEO, advertising and email campaigns?
✅ Technical support - How quickly and efficiently can you get help?
✅ Security and scalability - How does the platform handle increasing traffic and large numbers of orders?
Below you will find a detailed comparison of the most popular e-commerce platforms in Poland and around the world.
2. SaaS platforms - turnkey e-commerce solutions
SaaS (Software as a Service) platforms are subscription-based solutions that do not require installation on your own server. They are easy to use, but have some limitations in terms of customizing the functions and appearance of the store.
<highlight-white>Shopify – światowy lider w e-commerce<highlight-white>
Shopify is one of the world's most popular e-commerce solutions, ideal for companies planning international and omnichannel sales. The platform offers a smart sales management system, built-in marketing tools and a wide selection of apps in the Shopify App Store. It is often chosen by dropshipping entrepreneurs, thanks to its ready-to-use integrations with suppliers. Shopify allows you to scale your business quickly and automate key processes, making it a popular choice among startups and growing e-commerce businesses. One of its biggest strengths is its support for multi-channel sales, integrating with Amazon, eBay, Facebook and Instagram. It's a platform especially valued by stores betting on overseas expansion and modern technology.
✅ S hopify advantages:
- Intuitive interface and quick store launch
- Shopify Markets - selling on different markets
- More than 13,000 applications to extend functionality
- Dropshipping support
❌ S hopify disadvantages:
- Commission on sales when using external payments
- Limited customization compared to open-source
📌 Shopify price: From $24/month to $2,300/month for large companies.
<highlight-white>Shoper – najpopularniejsza polska platforma SaaS<highlight-white>
Shoper is one of the most popular e-commerce solutions in Poland, ideal for small and medium-sized businesses. With ready-made integrations with Allegro, Empik, Ceneo and Amazon, it makes it easy to start multi-channel sales. The platform provides simple management of products, payments and deliveries, making it a convenient tool for sellers without e-commerce experience. The intuitive interface allows you to get your store up and running quickly, and the rich catalog of apps in the Shoper App Store allows for growth. In addition to the basic version, there is also a Shoper Premium option, aimed at more demanding users. It's a great solution for companies that want to grow in the Polish e-commerce ecosystem, taking advantage of local integrations and support.
✅ S hoper advantages:
- Integrations with Allegro, Amazon, eBay
- A rich catalog of apps in the Shoper App Store
- Ready-made responsive templates
❌ S hoper disadvantages:
- Limited flexibility compared to open-source
- Additional charges for some features
📌 Shoper price: from 25 PLN/month to 100 PLN/month . (Shoper Premium from 400 zł/month).
<highlight-white>IdoSell – dla średnich i dużych sklepów<highlight-white>
IdoSell is an advanced e-commerce platform aimed at medium and large online stores that handle a large number of orders per month. It offers a wide range of integrations with ERP systems, marketplaces and logistics management tools. It is one of the best solutions for B2B and B2C companies, thanks to its built-in features of offer personalization, multi-channel sales and advanced sales reports. The platform enables full automation of business processes, which makes it perfect for e-commerce with high transaction volumes. With dedicated SEO solutions and marketing campaigns, it makes it easier to reach customers and optimize conversions. It's a great option for companies looking for a stable, scalable and technologically advanced e-commerce platform.
✅ Advantages of IdoSell:
- Extensive integrations with marketplaces and ERP systems
- Ability to fully automate sales
- Support for B2B sales
❌ IdoSell Disadvantages:
- High monthly fees
- Procurement fee model
📌 IdoSell price: from £249/month. (for small stores) to 2,000+ PLN/month for larger companies.
<highlight-white>SkyShop – idealna dla dropshippingu<highlight-white>
SkyShop is a Polish e-commerce platform designed for dropshipping and multi-channel sales. The system offers ready integrations with wholesalers and marketplaces, allowing you to sell without having your own warehouse. It's a great solution for budding entrepreneurs who want to start selling online with minimal investment. The platform features automatic inventory synchronization and dynamic price management, which streamlines the management of a large assortment. SkyShop also provides support for selling on Allegro, Amazon and eBay, allowing you to reach a wide range of customers. Thanks to integration with payment systems and courier companies, it enables fast and convenient order processing, and ready-made templates make it easy to create a visually appealing online store.
✅ S kyShop Advantages:
- Ready-made integrations with wholesalers
- Flex SEO module
- Built-in tools for Allegro
❌ S kyShop Disadvantages:
- Limited scalability for large companies
- Lack of sophisticated analytical tools
📌 SkyShop price: From £19/month to £299/month .
<highlight-white>Selly – rozwiązanie dla sklepów wymagających indywidualnych modyfikacji<highlight-white>
Selly is a platform designed for medium and large online stores that need advanced features and flexible customization to meet their needs. Unlike many SaaS systems, Selly allows you to modify your code and implement custom features, making it a good choice for companies that don't want to be limited by off-the-shelf solutions. Selly also provides advanced customization options for the store's UX and interface, allowing it to be tailored to a specific industry. Built-in features for managing returns, discounts and data analysis make the platform a good fit for B2B and e-commerce models with large product assortments. With the ability to scale and customize, Selly is a good choice for companies that want full control over their online store.
✅ S elly advantages:
- Ability to customize the store for individual needs
- Integrations with Subiekt, WF-Mag and ERP
- Scalability for medium and large stores
❌ S elly disadvantages:
- The cost of implementation can be high
- Requires more technical knowledge
📌 Selly price: from £159/month to £4,000+/month .
<highlight-white>AtomStore – zaawansowana platforma dla dużych e-commerce i B2B<highlight-white>
AtomStore is an advanced e-commerce platform dedicated to medium and large online stores and B2B companies. It offers a wide range of functionalities , such as multi-warehouse, management of multiple stores in one panel (multistore) and flexible discount and promotion systems. It's a great solution for companies handling high order volume, as the platform is designed to scale the business and can handle up to 150,000 orders per month. AtomStore provides advanced reporting and offer personalization tools, making it a frequent choice for companies looking to automate sales and marketing processes. With integrations with ERP, CRM and marketplaces, the platform allows optimizing logistics and managing sales across channels. It is mainly aimed at large e-commerce companies and businesses planning international expansion.
✅ Advantages of AtomStore:
- Scalability of up to 150,000 orders per month
- Support for multiple stores in one panel
- Extensive integrations with ERP and marketing automation systems
❌ AtomStore disadvantages:
- High price for smaller companies
- Focus mainly on medium and large stores
📌 AtomStore price: From £1,500/month to £20,000/month .
<highlight-white>_Stores od CyberFolks – budżetowe rozwiązanie dla początkujących<highlight-white>
_Stores is a simple and affordable e-commerce platform designed for novice sellers and micro-entrepreneurs who want to start selling online at a low cost. With easy setup and ready-made templates, it allows you to quickly launch an online store without any coding knowledge. The platform offers integration with SellRocket, which allows you to manage sales on Allegro, Amazon and other marketplaces. It is mainly aimed at companies that are just testing online sales, as _Stores has limited scaling and personalization capabilities compared to more advanced platforms. The system allows payment processing, integration with couriers and basic marketing functions, which is sufficient for smaller businesses. For growing businesses that plan to expand and need more advanced features, it may be necessary to move to other platforms, such as Shoper or WooCommerce.
✅ Advantages of _Stores:
- Low start-up cost
- Simple store builder
- Integration with BaseLinker
❌ Disadvantages _Stores:
- Limited scalability
- Fewer features than competing platforms
📌 Price _Stores: From £19/month to £49/month .
3. open source platforms - tailor-made stores
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<highlight-white>PrestaShop – Skalowalne rozwiązanie open-source dla średnich i dużych firm<highlight-white>
PrestaShop is one of the most popular open-source platforms, used by companies around the world to build and manage online stores. It is an ideal solution for entrepreneurs who want full control over the appearance and functionality of their store, without the limitations inherent in SaaS platforms. Thanks to its open source code, PrestaShop allows for any modifications, integrations with ERP, CRM and marketplaces, making it a great choice for growing e-commerce. The platform offers a wide range of modules and plug-ins that can be customized to suit a store's individual needs, but some of them are paid. PrestaShop also provides extensive SEO and marketing options, making it easy to position your store in Google search results. Unlike SaaS systems, users must manage hosting, updates and security on their own, which can be a challenge for novice sellers. It is a platform dedicated to medium and large companies that want to develop their online store in a fully flexible way, without the limitations imposed by subscription-based SaaS systems.
✅ PrestaShop Advantages:
- No subscription - free system, one-time implementation and maintenance costs.
- Full customization - access to the source code allows for any modifications.
- Advanced SEO and marketing tools - a wide range of modules for sales optimization.
- Support for multiple currencies and languages - ideal for international sales.
❌ PrestaShop Disadvantages:
- Requires technical knowledge - necessary configuration of hosting, server and updates.
- Additional costs for modules and plug-ins - some features require the purchase of paid extensions.
- Lack of technical support in the standard version - users must use the community or deployment agencies.
📌 PrestaShop Price: Free, but implementation costs can range from £15,000 - £50,000 depending on the level of customization and business requirements.
<highlight-white>WooCommerce – Elastyczna platforma e-commerce dla stron na WordPressie<highlight-white>
WooCommerce is the most popular open-source e-commerce platform, mainly used by stores running on WordPress. Thanks to a huge number of free and paid plug-ins, users can customize their store without the limitations inherent in SaaS solutions. WooCommerce is an ideal choice for companies that already have a website and want to expand it with sales functionality. Thanks to the platform's flexibility, integration with accounting systems, ERP, marketplaces and marketing solutions is possible. Built-in SEO features , optimization for mobile devices and integrations with Google Ads and Facebook Ads make WooCommerce an excellent choice for businesses focused on long-term growth and scaling online sales.
✅ WooCommerce Advantages:
- Free platform - no monthly subscription fees.
- Flexibility and modifiability - open-source gives you full control over your store.
- Integration with WordPress - the ability to link the store to a blog or company website.
- Extensive plugin ecosystem - thousands of extensions for marketing, SEO, payments and logistics.
- Good support for SEO - WordPress has great tools for SEO.
❌ WooCommerce Disadvantages:
- Requires performance optimization - larger stores may need better hosting and specialized configuration.
- Technical configuration - basic knowledge of WordPress and servers is needed.
- Cost of paid extensions - the basic version of WooCommerce is free, but some key features require paid plug-ins.
📌 WooCommerce Price: Free, but the cost of maintenance (hosting, paid modules, optimization) can be several hundred zloty per month or more for larger stores.
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4. which platform will be best for you?
✅ For beginner sellers, the best choice would be Shoper or _Stores from CyberFolks, as they offer easy startup, low initial costs and ready integrations with Polish marketplaces.
✅ For companies developing sales and needing more flexibility, consider SkyShop (if you plan dropshipping), IdoSell (for medium and large companies) or Selly (for stores that require custom modifications).
✅ For large stores and B2B sales, the best solution will be AtomStore or IdoSell, which support multi-warehousing, multi-store, and order and logistics automation.
✅ For those who want full control and no monthly fees, PrestaShop and WooCommerce are great choices. PrestaShop will work well for companies planning a large e-commerce expansion, while WooCommerce will be ideal for those running a site on WordPress and looking to add an online store.
5. SaaS or open-source?
🔹 S aaS platforms (Shoper, Shopify, IdoSell, SkyShop, Selly, AtomStore, _Stores) - ideal for businesses that want to get a store up and running quickly, without worrying about hosting, upgrades and technical issues. The downside is monthly fees and limitations on customization.
🔹 O pen-source platforms (PrestaShop, WooCommerce) - offer full control and scalability, but require technical expertise or cooperation with an implementation agency. No subscription, but higher implementation costs.
