The best ecommerce platforms for UK small and medium businesses are WooCommerce and Shopify, with BigCommerce, Squarespace Commerce and Wix eCommerce as good fits for particular situations. Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) is powerful but is built for larger businesses with development budgets to match.

The right choice depends on how many products you sell, how much control you want, who will run the shop day to day and what it will cost over several years, not just in month one. Below we compare the main options with 2026 pricing taken from official pages where we could confirm it, and explain where each one fits.

Start with what your shop needs to do

Before comparing platforms, write down the basics:

• Catalogue size: ten handmade products or 5,000 variations of stock items.
• Content: will blogs, guides and SEO drive sales, or will most traffic come from ads and social?
• Integrations: stock systems, accounting software such as Xero, couriers, marketplaces and email marketing.
• Selling model: retail, trade accounts, subscriptions, bookings or a mix.
• Who runs it: you, a member of staff, or an agency.

Those answers rule out options faster than any feature list.

UK ecommerce platforms compared

Prices change and introductory offers are common, so always check the final price, including VAT and renewal rates, before you commit.

Platform	Entry price	Payment and transaction fees	Best for
WooCommerce	Free plugin; you pay for hosting, domain and any paid extensions	Only your payment provider’s fees	Content-led shops, custom needs, owning your site
Shopify	Basic £19 a month billed yearly (£25 monthly); Grow £49; Advanced £259	Online cards via Shopify Payments from 2% + 25p on Basic; extra fee if you use another provider	Product-led shops that want an all-in-one setup
BigCommerce	Core from $29 a month billed yearly (listed in US dollars)	No fee with its embedded payment providers; a fee applies on lower plans if you use others	Larger catalogues, B2B and multi-channel selling
Squarespace Commerce	Plans are Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced; check the UK price at checkout	2% on product sales on Basic, 0% on higher plans, plus card processing	Design-led brands with small ranges
Wix eCommerce	Selling needs the Core plan or above; check the UK price at checkout	Card processing fees depend on provider	Small shops alongside a service or booking site
Adobe Commerce	Quote based; Magento Open Source is free to download	Depends on chosen provider	Large and complex businesses with developers

Shopify figures are from Shopify’s UK pricing page. BigCommerce publishes its prices in US dollars, and Squarespace and Wix prices vary by location, VAT and billing period, so we have not quoted pound figures we could not confirm.

Each platform has a clear sweet spot

WooCommerce gives you the most control

WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns a WordPress website into an online shop. You host it yourself (or with a hosting provider), so you own the site and can move it whenever you like. It powers everything from small craft shops to large catalogues.

• Pros: no platform subscription or platform transaction fee, full control over design and SEO, WordPress’s strength with content, and a huge range of extensions for subscriptions, bookings, trade pricing and more.
• Cons: you are responsible for hosting, updates, backups and security, and paid extensions add up. WooCommerce’s own pricing page puts extensions at roughly $29 to $299 a year each.

WooCommerce suits businesses that want a shop and a strong content site in one place, or that need features a hosted platform makes awkward. We build and look after WooCommerce shops, and our WooCommerce agency page explains how we set it up and look after it.

Shopify is the strongest all-in-one option

Shopify is a hosted platform, so hosting, security and software updates are handled for you. In the UK, Basic costs £19 a month billed yearly or £25 billed monthly, Grow £49, and Advanced £259, with Shopify Plus for high-volume brands. Online card rates with Shopify Payments start at 2% + 25p on Basic, falling to 1.7% + 25p on Grow and 1.5% + 25p on Advanced.

• Pros: quick to launch, reliable checkout, strong stock and order management, and a large app store.
• Cons: many features come from paid apps with their own monthly fees, using a payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee (2% on Basic), and you are renting rather than owning the platform.

BigCommerce suits bigger catalogues and B2B

BigCommerce is another hosted platform with more built in as standard, which can mean fewer paid apps. Its 2026 plans are Core, Growth, Scale and Performance. Annual billing starts at $29 a month for Core, with Growth at $79 and Scale at $299, and each plan has a sales threshold, so busier shops move up a tier. Prices are listed in US dollars.

• Pros: strong catalogue and B2B tools, multi-channel selling and no fee when you use its embedded payment providers.
• Cons: sales thresholds push growing shops into higher plans, and its theme and app choice is smaller than Shopify’s.

Squarespace Commerce works for small, design-led ranges

Squarespace and Wix are website builders first, with selling added on, which makes them sensible when the shop is a smaller part of the business. Squarespace has four plans: Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced. The Basic plan charges a 2% transaction fee on product sales, while Core and above charge 0%, with card processing on top. Templates are polished and consistent, which suits brands that care about looks and sell a modest range.

Wix eCommerce fits shops alongside a service business

On Wix, the Core, Business and Business Elite plans can accept payments, while the Light plan cannot. It is a good fit for a business that mainly takes bookings or enquiries but also wants to sell vouchers or a handful of products.

Related reading: The Best Alternative to Shopify for UK Online Stores in 2026

Both builders become limiting once you need complex product options, larger catalogues or detailed SEO control.

Adobe Commerce is for larger, complex businesses

Adobe Commerce, which grew out of Magento, is aimed at enterprise retailers with multiple brands, storefronts and markets, and B2B features such as company accounts with several buyers. Pricing is by quote. The free Magento Open Source version exists, but it needs specialist developers and serious hosting, so it is rarely the cheapest route for a small business once build and maintenance are counted.

Think about total cost over three years

Monthly fees are only part of the picture. When comparing platforms, add up:

1. Platform or hosting fees for three years, at renewal prices.
2. Apps and extensions, both monthly and annual.
3. Payment fees based on your expected sales, including any platform transaction fee.
4. Design and build, whether that is your time or an agency’s.
5. Ongoing maintenance, updates and support.

A platform that looks cheap at launch can cost more by year three once apps and transaction fees are added, and the reverse is also true. Running the numbers for your own expected sales is the only reliable way to compare.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best ecommerce platform for a small business in the UK?

For most, WooCommerce or Shopify. Choose WooCommerce if you want ownership, flexibility and strong content and SEO. Choose Shopify if you want an all-in-one hosted setup and are happy to pay monthly for apps.

Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?

Often, but not always. WooCommerce has no platform fee, but you pay for hosting, extensions and maintenance. Compare the full three-year cost for your own shop.

Can I move my shop to a different platform later?

Yes. Products, customers and orders can usually be migrated, although the design is normally rebuilt. Plan redirects carefully so you keep your search rankings.

Do I need a developer to set up an ecommerce platform?

Not for a simple shop on Shopify, Squarespace or Wix. For WooCommerce, BigCommerce with custom features, or Adobe Commerce, professional help usually saves time and avoids costly mistakes.

Get help choosing and building your platform

If you are not sure which platform suits your business, we will give you an honest recommendation based on your products, budget and plans. See our ecommerce web design service and WooCommerce agency page, or get in touch.