Large brands are looking for ways to add value to both their teams and their customers by exploring different ecommerce platforms. If you’re one of them, consider choosing a platform that’s able to sell, innovate, scale, and automate with you as you navigate the market. That said, we understand that these features all come at a cost.
Committing to the wrong ecommerce platform can get pricey, complex, and time-consuming to manage, often causing delays and even added fees that you initially didn’t expect.
If you’re looking to transform the way your enterprise brand does business—this ecommerce platform comparison is for you.
What makes an ecommerce platform the best?
The TCO of an ecommerce platform
Understanding the total cost of ownership (TCO) of each platform helps you answer the big question: 'Which one is the best fit for me, my team, and our budget?” To help you pick the best ecommerce platform for your business, we’re sharing research conducted by a leading independent consulting firm focusing on five ecommerce platforms available on the market in North America today: Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Adobe Commerce (Magento), WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. We'll dissect each platform’s TCO to shed light on how it can directly impact your bottom line.
The speed of an ecommerce platform
In addition to TCO, we'll dive into details on the site and server speeds of platforms like Shopify, Salesforce, Adobe Commerce, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce—but let's break down what that means. Time To First Byte (TTFB), or server speed, measures how quickly a server responds to a browser request, indicating the quality of the server's infrastructure. First Contentful Paint (FCP), or site speed, is how fast the first content appears to a visitor, impacting their initial impression of the site's speed.
The conversion rate of an ecommerce platform
More brands are finding that making their store’s checkout process smoother can actually bump up their conversion rates. But how do you identify the best converting ecommerce platform? Well, it comes down to how innovative the platform really is. For instance, just by using Shop Pay, a feature within Shopify's checkout system, a leading global consulting company found that you could lift conversion by up to 50% higher compared to guest checkout. And advanced features like Shop Pay Installments and Shop Cash within Shopify’s identity wallet only further enhances the customer’s experience, making the checkout process not only user-friendly but also deeply integrated with innovative financial services and loyalty programs.
What goes into calculating the cost of an ecommerce platform?
Think of figuring out the TCO of an ecommerce platform as if you’re a detective that has to dig deeper than what’s on the surface. It's not just about the upfront costs of setting up and starting on a new platform. You also have to uncover the yearly fees, maintenance costs, the use of third-party services, and those unexpected extra charges that can pop up.
Luckily, we’ve outlined an easy way for you to find out. How to calculate TCO depends on the following factors:
- Implementation and setup costs: These are the initial costs associated with setting up your ecommerce store, including the cost of customization, integration of third-party applications, and plugins.
- Platform fees and ecommerce stack costs: These are the ongoing costs of using the platform, including subscription fees, transaction fees, and costs associated with third-party applications.
- Operational and support costs: These costs include hosting, security, maintenance, and support services.
- Gained or lost conversion: This is the potential revenue you could gain or lose based on the platform's conversion rate.
What goes into measuring the speed of an ecommerce platform?
Both the speed of sites and servers can be calculated using Core Web Vitals. This data is collectedfrom actual users and measures the loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability of the pages they’re visiting on the web.
These are well-known benchmarks that help us understand how websites perform. You can find this data for any website out there, either by visiting this publicly available page or by using an API.
Four top ecommerce platform price and site speed comparisons
In this assessment, we’re putting ourselves to the test too. Let’s dive into a detailed comparison of Shopify with WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Adobe, and Salesforce Commerce Cloud to find out how we line up against each when it comes to TCO and site speed.
All TCO information in this article is according to research commissioned by Shopify from a leading independent consulting firm to study TCO across major platforms in North America and understand Shopify’s relative positioning based on objective research methods.
All conversion data is from a study completed in partnership with a Big Three global management consulting company.
All speed data is from Google Core Web Vitals, collected for a representative sample of sites on Shopify and its competitors—covering 200,000 sites across a sampling of all revenue bands and all major commerce platforms.
Shopify vs. WooCommerce: TCO, conversion, and site speed comparison
Platform fees and ecommerce stack costs
Shopify users reported the lowest platform costs on average, with WooCommerce users experiencing 32% higher costs on average due to increased support needs and frequent version upgrades.
Operational and support costs
Shopify's operational simplicity and reduced developer support needs result in the lowest operating costs. In contrast, WooCommerce can incur additional infrastructure costs, such as hosting, leading to 41% higher operating costs on average.
Implementation costs
A WooCommerce implementation will cost your business 49% more on average than if you were to implement and set up on Shopify. Shopify's simplicity and developer-friendly back-end system make it less costly to implement than WooCommerce, which can require significant customization and integration of third-party applications.
Setup costs
Shopify allows you to start a new storefront 41% faster than if you did on WooCommerce. On average, the time to launch on WooCommerce is 70% slower compared to Shopify.
Conversion
Assuming a 10% margin on goods sold, Shopify's checkout converts 17% better than WooCommerce, translating to a roughly 1.7% TCO offset when expressed as a percent of TCO.
Storefront speed
A faster website provides a smoother shopping experience from beginning to end, which can lead to higher conversion rates. In fact, Shopify data indicates that even a half-second improvement to your site speed can significantly lower bounce rates and increase conversion. So, how does WooCommerce’s site speed stack up to Shopify’s? 93% of Shopify stores are fast versus only 34% of WooCommerce stores, and Shopify stores render 2.4x faster than WooCommerce stores.
Server speed
All Shopify plans are fully hosted by our servers, which have proven to be fast and reliable enough for some of the biggest retailers on the planet. That’s why Shopify’s server speed is 3.9x faster on average than WooCommerce.
Get more details:
- View the full Shopify versus WooCommerce TCO comparison report
- View the full Shopify versus WooCommerce site speed comparison report
- View the checkout conversion blog post on Shopify versus WooCommerce
Shopify vs. BigCommerce: TCO, conversion, and site speed comparison
Platform fees and ecommerce stack costs
Shopify users again reported the lowest platform costs on average, with BigCommerce users experiencing 32% higher costs on average due to limited native enterprise capabilities.
Operational and support costs
Shopify has the lowest operating costs in comparison to BigCommerce's—which comes in higher with 21% more on average. The difference shows in BigCommerce’s limited native enterprise functionality, which can significantly increase operational costs.
Implementation costs
Shopify's simplicity and developer-friendly back-end system make it less costly to implement than BigCommerce. In fact, BigCommerce's implementation costs are 88% higher than Shopify's, on average.
Setup costs
Shopify enables you to launch a new storefront 36% faster than BigCommerce. In contrast, the average setup and launch time on BigCommerce is 56% slower in comparison to Shopify.
Conversion
Assuming a 10% margin on goods sold, Shopify's checkout converts 12% better than BigCommerce, translating to a roughly 1.2% TCO offset when expressed as a percent of TCO.
Storefront speed
A faster website provides a smoother shopping experience from beginning to end, which can lead to higher conversion rates. In fact, Shopify data indicates that even a half-second improvement to your site speed can significantly lower bounce rates and increase conversion. So, how does BigCommerce’s site speed stack up to Shopify’s? 93% of Shopify stores are fast versus only 80% of BigCommerce stores, and Shopify stores render 1.4x faster than BigCommerce stores.
Server speed
All Shopify plans are fully hosted by our servers, which have proven to be fast and reliable enough for some of the biggest retailers on the planet.. That’s why Shopify’s server speed is 1.9x faster on average than BigCommerce.
Get more details:
- View the full Shopify versus BigCommerce TCO comparison report
- View the full Shopify versus BigCommerce site speed comparison report
- View the checkout conversion blog post on Shopify versus BigCommerce
Shopify vs. Adobe Commerce: TCO, conversion, and site speed comparison
Platform fees and ecommerce stack costs
Shopify users reported the lowest platform costs on average, with Adobe Commerce users experiencing 42% higher costs on average due to less flexible pricing.
Operational and support costs
On average, there’s a 24% higher operational and support cost on Adobe Commerce than on Shopify. This is mainly due to Adobe’s complex legacy commerce platform which can require more internal IT resources or partners for ongoing updates and enhancements.
Implementation costs
Shopify's simplicity and user-friendly back-end system make it less costly and 40% faster to implement on average than Adobe Commerce.
Setup costs
Setting up and launching a new storefront on Shopify is 40% faster than on Adobe, whereas Adobe Commerce takes 66% more time for the same process compared to Shopify.
Conversion
Assuming a 10% margin on goods sold, Shopify's checkout converts 5% better than Adobe Commerce, translating to a roughly 0.5% TCO offset when expressed as a percent of TCO.
Storefront speed
A faster website provides a smoother shopping experience from beginning to end, which can lead to higher conversion rates. In fact, Shopify data indicates that even a half-second improvement to your site speed can significantly lower bounce rates and increase conversion. So, how does Adobe’s site speed stack up to Shopify’s? 93% of Shopify stores are fast versus only 53% of Adobe Commerce stores, and Shopify stores render 2x faster than Adobe stores..
Server speed
All Shopify plans are fully hosted by our servers, which have proven to be fast and reliable enough for some of the biggest retailers on the planet. That’s why Shopify’s server speed is 3.4x faster on average than Adobe Commerce.
Get more details:
- View the full Shopify versus Adobe Commerce TCO comparison report
- View the full Shopify versus Adobe Commerce site speed comparison report
- View the checkout conversion blog post on Shopify versus Adobe Commerce
Shopify vs. Salesforce Commerce Cloud: TCO, conversion, and site speed comparison
Platform fees and ecommerce stack costs
Shopify users reported the lowest platform costs on average, with Salesforce users experiencing 14% higher costs on average due to less flexible pricing.
Operational and support costs
Shopify comes in at a lower cost in operations and support in contrast to Salesforce’s 6% increase on average. This is mainly due to Salesforce’s complex legacy platform requiring more internal IT resources or partners for ongoing updates and enhancements.
Implementation costs
Shopify's simplicity and user-friendly back-end system make it less costly. In contrast, Salesforce’s implementation fees are 16% higher than Shopify’s, on average.
Setup costs
You can launch a new storefront on Shopify 28% faster than Salesforce. In contrast, launching a new storefront is 38% slower on Salesforce than on Shopify, on average.
Conversion
Assuming a 10% margin on goods sold, Shopify's checkout converts 36% better than Salesforce, translating to a roughly 3.6% TCO offset when expressed as a percent of TCO.
Storefront speed
A faster website provides a smoother shopping experience from beginning to end, which can lead to higher conversion rates. In fact, Shopify data indicates that even a half-second improvement to your site speed can significantly lower bounce rates and increase conversion. So, how does Salesforce’s site speed stack up to Shopify’s? 93% of Shopify stores are fast versus only 65% of Salesforce stores, and Shopify stores render 1.5x faster than Salesforce stores.
Server speed
All Shopify plans are fully hosted by our servers, which have proven to be fast and reliable enough for some of the biggest retailers on the planet. That’s why Shopify’s server speed is 2.2x faster on average than Salesforce.
Get more details:
- View the full Shopify versus Salesforce Commerce Cloud TCO comparison report
- View the full Shopify versus Salesforce Commerce Cloud site speed comparison report
- View the checkout conversion blog post on Shopify versus Salesforce Commerce Cloud
The clear winner: Shopify
Not only are our customers getting the perks of an innovative, agile, and secure platform, but they’re getting the best in TCO. Shopify’s TCO is up to 36% better than its competitors, and 33% on average—and this research shows our platform consistently outperforms others in terms of cost, ease of use, and conversion rates. It's the clear winner for businesses looking to maximize their ecommerce potential while minimizing costs.
And when it comes to speed, Shopify is unmatched. A prime example of this is Transformer Table. The company not only boosted their site speed by 67% but also grew their annual sales to over $100 million after switching to Shopify. Transformer Table and thousands of brands currently on Shopify get to experience the fastest site speeds in commerce, thanks to our top-notch infrastructure.
Based on the site speed data we’ve gathered, 93% of businesses on Shopify have a fast store, more than any other major commerce platform—proving Shopify sites are quick right out of the gate, no matter where your customers are browsing from. We've seen plenty of brands who've jumped over to Shopify that have noticed their sites became faster, almost overnight. If you're thinking about making the move, know that Shopify isn't just about getting you online quickly—it's about helping you make money faster and scaling up to the dream business you've always wanted.
Whether you're wanting to get your own custom TCO calculation or test your site speed, we've got you covered.
View the full report and request your custom TCO calculation | Visit Shopify.com/TCO
Get the full site speed report and try out our Site Speed Audit | Visit Shopify.com/SiteSpeed
FAQ on ecommerce platform comparison
What goes into measuring TCO and site speed?
Businesses use the total cost of ownership (TCO) to figure out all the costs, both direct and indirect, that come with buying or using a platform. Our TCO assessments give a full picture of all the costs a business might face, from the moment they buy an ecommerce platform to the regular costs of keeping it running. We based our research and analysis on three main factors that drive TCO: *Platform Fees and ecommerce stack costs *Operational and support costs *Implementation and setup costs Site speed (FCP) and server speed (TTFB) can be measured using Core Web Vitals (CWV). Google CWV uses data collected from real users to measure the speed of websites and servers, which is then shared publicly through the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX), the official dataset of the Web Vitals program. These metrics serve as well-known benchmarks to assess website performance. Anyone interested can access this data for any website via a specific Google page or through an API.
What is the least expensive ecommerce platform?
Based on research by a leading independent consulting firm that compared the total cost of ownership of Shopify and four other popular ecommerce platforms across North America—including factors like implementation, setup, platform fees, and operational costs—Shopify emerges as the best-value ecommerce platform, on average.
What research informed these TCO and site speed calculations?
Between December 2023 and January 2024, Shopify engaged an independent top-tier consulting firm to conduct a study on the total cost of ownership (TCO) across prominent ecommerce platforms. The research methodology involved gathering data through an executive survey, comprehensive executive interviews, and secondary research, which included market and industry reports as well as review boards. Additionally, global subject matter advisors (SMAs) with extensive knowledge in ecommerce were consulted during the research process. Site and server speed data for both Shopify and our competitors was retrieved using the Google CWV. We collected data for a representative sample of sites on Shopify and its competitors across all revenue bands. Our conclusion that we're faster than the competition is also supported by this third party report from HTTPArchive.
Who participated in the research?
Data for the TCO research was gathered from a survey involving 250 enterprises operating on various major ecommerce platforms, with respondents located in the US and Canada. Included were businesses in a variety of sizes, industries, and revenue brackets, with all surveyed businesses generating revenues of $10M or more. The research process also included expert interviews with enterprise leaders who are in charge of managing ecommerce platforms and making related investment decisions. Throughout the research, consultations were also held with Global SMAs who possess expertise in ecommerce platforms and enterprise pricing. The site speed information is from the Core Web Vitals data collected for 200,000 sites across all revenue bands and major commerce platforms.
Which platform is best for ecommerce?
While the "best" platform can depend on specific business needs and circumstances, Shopify is known for our commerce-first approach, providing customers with the latest innovations, faster site and server speeds, lower TCO, more ease of use, and higher conversion rates. If you’re looking for a balance of affordability, functionality, and a user-friendly design, Shopify is an excellent choice for your business—no matter the size.
How much does it cost to have a Shopify store?
Shopify offers several pricing plans that cater to different business sizes and needs. As of now, the Basic Shopify plan costs US$29 per month billed annually, the Shopify plan is $79 per month billed annually, the Advanced Shopify plan is $299 per month billed annually, and the Plus Shopify plan, specifically for our enterprise customers, starts at $2,300 per per month for three-year term. These costs don’t include any additional expenses for third-party apps or premium themes.
What is the world's leading ecommerce platform?
Shopify is considered one of the world's leading ecommerce platforms due to its ease of use, scalability, and robust features. It powers over a million businesses in more than 175 countries and is renowned for its high-converting checkout process, with a capacity of over 40,000 checkouts per minute.
