Wix is a strong pick for visual brands that want to get online quickly without writing code. It offers full design freedom using a drag-and-drop editor and includes eCommerce features out of the box.
Why it works for custom brands
Wix gives you tight control over layout and design, so creating an eCommerce store that matches your aesthetic is effortless. It’s especially useful for artists, designers, or product-focused brands that want a polished look without hiring a developer.
Print on Demand support
Wix supports Printful and other POD integrations, though its app marketplace isn’t as deep as Shopify’s.
What to watch for
Performance can dip on heavily customized pages, and scaling is more limited than on bigger platforms.
Price
Wix has three paid plans that support accepting payments:
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Squarespace is great for brands that want a clean, well-designed eCommerce store with minimal fuss. The eCommerce platform is intuitive and visually appealing, and it works well for businesses with smaller product lines.
Why it works for custom brands
It’s easy to create a cohesive brand experience using built-in design tools. Squarespace themes are sharp and mobile-friendly, with good font and image controls.
Print on Demand support
Connect Printful and a few other print-on-demand tools through extensions, but the options are more limited than on Shopify.
What to watch for
Customization is more rigid. If your store grows beyond a certain size or needs custom features, Squarespace might feel restrictive.
Price
Squarespace offers four eCommerce-enabled plans:
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Basic: $25/month
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Core: $36/month
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Plus: $56/month
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Advanced: $139/month
Read more: Wix vs. Squarespace: Which website builder is best for you?
If you’re building a store that doesn’t fit into a template, or you want full control over how everything works, these platforms give you the flexibility to create something from the ground up. They take more time to set up but give you complete ownership over the experience.
WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns any WordPress site into a full-featured online store. It’s an open-source eCommerce platform, which means you can control nearly every aspect of your site, from layout to checkout flow to backend logic.
Why it works for custom brands
If you already use WordPress or want full control over your site’s design and functionality, WooCommerce allows you to build whatever you need. It’s ideal for brands with unique product types, niche features, or complex site structures.
Print on Demand support
WooCommerce works well with Printful and other print-on-demand plugins, giving you a flexible setup that runs inside your WordPress environment.
What to watch for
Setup and maintenance require more time and technical knowledge. You’ll also need to handle hosting, security, and plugin updates yourself or through a developer.
Price
While WooCommerce itself is free, running a fully functional online store involves various costs:
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Hosting: ~$20/month
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Domain name: $15-$200/year
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Premium themes: $50-$150/year
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Premium plugins: $200-$500/year for added features
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Payment gateway fees: ~3% per transaction
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Website development and maintenance: Optional setup or ongoing help may cost $500-$2,000+
These expenses vary based on your specific requirements and the scale of your own online store.
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Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) is built for large eCommerce operations with complex product catalogs, multi-store setups, or custom backend requirements.
It’s powerful and flexible, but not made for beginners. Since coding knowledge is required, most brands use it with developers or full-service agencies to manage builds and updates.
Why it works for custom brands
Adobe Commerce is ideal for high-volume stores, international brands, and businesses with specialized workflows. You can customize everything from design to data handling, and it supports advanced features like customer segmentation, B2B pricing, and multi-language sites.
Print on Demand support
You can integrate Printful and other print-on-demand tools, though you’ll likely need a developer to set it up correctly within your custom environment.
What to watch for
It’s resource-heavy and expensive to maintain. To keep performance and security in check, you’ll need a solid development team or agency. Unless you require deep customization at scale, it may be more than you need.
Pricing
Adobe Commerce offers paid editions starting around $22,000 for on-premises or $40,000 annually for the Cloud version.
If your brand is growing fast or managing a large product catalog, these platforms are built to keep up. They offer tools for multi-location inventory, advanced search engine optimization (SEO), and integrations that support more complex operations.
BigCommerce is designed for growth. It’s packed with built-in features that support scaling, including multi-channel selling, headless commerce setups, and strong inventory management. Unlike other platforms, many of these tools come standard instead of through paid add-ons.
Why it works for custom brands
It’s a good fit for brands that have outgrown beginner platforms and need more control without moving into enterprise-level territory. BigCommerce also works well for teams managing multiple storefronts or international customers.
Print on Demand support
You can connect Printful and other providers through the app marketplace. Setup is straightforward, and the backend handles large product catalogs well.
What to watch for
The design tools aren’t as flexible as Shopify or Wix, and you might need developer help for advanced customizations or headless builds.
Price
BigCommerce offers four pricing plans:
Note: BigCommerce enforces annual sales thresholds ($50,000 for Standard, $180,000 for Plus, $400,000 for Pro), exceeding caps bump merchants into a higher plan.
Read more: WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce: The ultimate comparison for online sellers
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Shift4Shop is a lesser-known but surprisingly powerful option for stores that need strong SEO tools, built-in features, and scalability without high monthly costs. It offers a lot right out of the box, including tools for B2B, digital products, and recurring orders.
Why it works for custom brands
Shift4Shop includes many features that other platforms charge extra for. This makes it a solid choice for growing brands that want flexibility without relying heavily on third-party apps.
Print on Demand support
It supports print-on-demand integrations like Printful, though the ecosystem isn’t as large as Shopify’s or BigCommerce’s.
What to watch for
The interface feels dated, and design customization isn’t as intuitive. You may need time or help to get your online store looking exactly how you want it.
Pricing
Shift4Shop offers a free plan if you use Shift4 payment processing (US merchants only). Otherwise, $39/month for other payment gateways.
Not every brand needs a full-featured eCommerce suite. These platforms are better for side projects, small catalogs, subscription-based models, or selling custom products online through existing websites. They’re simple, budget-friendly, and often easier to manage.
Ecwid is a plug-and-play eCommerce tool that adds selling functionality to any existing eCommerce website. It’s ideal for brands that already have a site and just want to start selling products without migrating or rebuilding their design. You can drop the Ecwid storefront into WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or custom-coded pages.
Why it works for custom brands
You maintain full control over your website’s look and feel while adding eCommerce exactly where you need it. It’s great for single-product brands, creators with portfolios, or small online stores that don’t need a full eCommerce stack.
Print on Demand support
Ecwid supports Printful and several other print-on-demand services. Integrations are available, but depending on your hosting environment, they sometimes require manual setup or third-party workarounds.
What to watch for
Ecwid is best for light use. It doesn’t scale well for complex catalogs, advanced SEO, or online stores with lots of automation. If you outgrow it, you’ll need to replatform.
Price
Ecwid has four pricing plans:
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Starter: $5/month
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Venture: $25/month
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Business: $45/month
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Unlimited: $105/month
Square Online is a natural extension of Square’s POS system, built for merchants selling in person. It allows you to start selling online with minimal setup while syncing with your in-store inventory and payments.
Why it works for custom brands
If you already use Square at your physical location, Square Online helps you build a consistent brand experience across channels. It’s easy to manage, mobile-friendly, and good for small retail businesses adding eCommerce for the first time.
Print on Demand support
Square Online supports Printful and other POD services through third-party apps, though these integrations are more limited than those of Shopify or WooCommerce.
What to watch for:
Design options are fairly rigid, and the eCommerce platform doesn’t offer deep customization or advanced eCommerce features. It’s great for simplicity, but not ideal for brands that need flexibility or scale.
Price
Square Online offers three pricing plans:
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Free plan
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Plus: $29/month
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Premium: $79/month
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Hostinger has folded Zyro’s user-friendly AI tools into its main Website Builder. Now it’s a single solution for building, hosting, and managing eCommerce, all in one dashboard.
Why it works for custom brands
You get everything bundled: AI-assisted site setup, domain, hosting, SSL, email, and basic eCommerce tools. Great for creative founders who want speed, simplicity, and a polished look without juggling multiple services.
Print on Demand support
Hostinger Website Builder includes native Printful integration, so you can design, list, and sell custom products directly from your online store. The process syncs products and fulfills orders automatically.
What to watch for
Online store customization is limited compared to more advanced platforms. There’s no app marketplace, and the eCommerce features are basic – great for simple stores, less ideal if you need scalability or complex tools.
Price
Hostinger has three pricing plans:
Read more: Start your Hostinger print-on-demand business
These regional or category-specific platforms cater to niche sellers. Shopline is popular in Asia and supports region-specific logistics and payment methods. Kajabi focuses on digital products, coaching, and membership models.
Why they work for custom brands
Each eCommerce platform is built around a unique type of business. Kajabi, for example, is ideal for educational brands or creators selling gated content. Shopline suits businesses operating in APAC markets with local shipping needs and customer behavior.
Print on Demand support
Support varies by platform. Kajabi doesn’t offer native POD tools, and Shopline may require third-party connectors. These platforms aren’t built for Print on Demand first, but workarounds exist.
What to watch for
These platforms tend to be more limited in global support and may not scale well outside their core use case. Before committing, make sure they meet your technical needs and are stable in your region.
Pricing
Shopline has three pricing plans:
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Starter: $29/month
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Essential: $79/month
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Premium: $269/month
Kajabi has four pricing plans:
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Kickstarter: $89/month
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Basic plan: $179/month
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Growth: $249/month
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Pro: $499/month
