The Best Ecommerce Platform for Dropshipping

To learn more about these ecommerce platforms and how to use them for your dropshipping  business, read on.

What is a Dropshipping Business?

Dropshipping is a business model in which ecommerce entrepreneurs sell products without having to carry any inventory. When a store owner receives an order from a customer, they simply contact the supplier, who will then ship the product directly to the customer's door.

It is a great way to start an online business with very little up-front investment, and it's perfect for entrepreneurs who don't have the capital to invest in inventory.

Key Features of an Ecommerce Platform for Dropshipping

When choosing an ecommerce platform for dropshipping, there are certain features you should look for. These features will make it easier to manage your store, process orders, and promote your products.

Here are a few key features you should look for in an ecommerce platform if you're planning on dropshipping:

• Supplier integration: The platform should offer built-in integration with your supplier's inventory, so you can easily add products to your store without having to manually update your inventory.
• Order management: The platform should offer an easy way to manage orders from customers, including tracking information and automated order fulfillment.
• Shipping integration: The platform should offer built-in shipping integration, so you can easily calculate shipping rates and fulfill orders with just a few clicks.
• Payment processing: The platform should offer built-in payment processing, so you can accept credit cards and other payment methods without having to set up a third-party payment processor.
• Marketing tools: The platform should offer built-in marketing tools, so you can easily promote your store and products to potential customers.

Criteria for Selecting the Best Ecommerce Platform for Dropshipping

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best ecommerce platform for dropshipping. You'll need to consider the products you want to sell, the size of your business, and your budget.

Here are the key criteria to keep in mind when selecting an ecommerce platform for dropshipping:

• Product selection: The platform should offer a wide selection of products from suppliers that you can dropship.
• Store size: The platform should be able to accommodate the size of your store, whether you're just starting out or you already have an established business.
• Budget: The platform should be affordable, with plans that fit your budget.
• Ease of use: The platform should be easy to use, even if you're not a tech-savvy person.
• Customer support: The platform should offer excellent customer support if you need help.

Now that you know what to look for in an ecommerce platform for dropshipping, let's take a closer look at some of the best platforms available.

10 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Dropshipping

You have quite a few options when it comes to choosing an ecommerce platform for dropshipping. Some platforms are better suited for small businesses, while others are more suited for larger businesses.Here's a closer look at 10 of the best ecommerce platforms for dropshipping:

1. BigCommerce

It is hard to deny that BigCommerce is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms on the market. And for good reason!

BigCommerce offers a robust feature set, including built-in payment processing, shipping integration, and taxes. Plus, it has a wide range of themes and plugins to choose from, so you can easily customize your store to match your brand.

It also offers 24/7 support and a 90-day money-back guarantee, so you can be sure you're making the best decision for your dropshipping business. With its integration with Spocket, you’ll be able to set up and start your dropshipping store within a few hours.

If you're looking for a powerful ecommerce platform that offers all the features you need to start and grow your business, then BigCommerce is a great choice.

Key Features

• Easy-to-use page builder and editor (no coding knowledge required)
• Fully-customizable themes for all types of dropshipping businesses
• Frictionless checkout options
• Robust security
• Multi-storefront
• Seamless mobile optimization to make your online store mobile-ready
• 70+ native discounts and promotions to attract more sales
• SEO-friendly features to optimize URLs, metadata, and more
• Faceted search options
• Customer groups, price lists, and bulk pricing options for B2B and wholesale businesses
• Multi-currency and multi-lingual selling
• A comprehensive suite of tools from SEO to marketing to analytics

Pros

• Powerful integrations with dropshipping apps like Spocket Dropshipping, Printful, Inventory Source, AliExpress Dropshipping, and more
• 99.9% uptime
• Pre-built WordPress plugin so you can easily turn your WordPress website into a dropshipping ecommerce store
• Option to sell across marketplaces, social media, online-to-offline, etc.
• 24/7 tech support via phone, chat, and ticket with all plans

Cons

• Limits on annual sales of your ecommerce store
• May seem expensive for some dropshipping businesses

Pricing

• It offers a 15-day free trial.
• Standard plan: $29.95/month
• Plus plan: $79.95/month
• Pro plan: $299.95/month

Enterprise plan: You can request custom pricing from their sales team or by calling them at 1-866-991-0872.

2. Shopify

Shopify is the perfect platform for dropshipping businesses because it is easy to use and it has a wide range of features that make setting up and managing your store easier. It also helps you connect with suppliers from US/UK and Chinese markets.

Being one of the most popular ecommerce platforms in the market, Shopify also has a large community of users who can offer advice and support when you need it. Additionally, there are many Shopify themes and apps available that can help you improve your store’s design and functionality.

What’s more?

Shopify has a 14-day free trial so you can try it out before committing to a paid plan.However, Shopify comes with a drawback. It charges transaction fees, which may cost you a lot of money if you get a large number of orders. In that case, you may want to consider using its alternatives instead.

Key Features

• 70+ storefront themes
• Easy to start (no learning curve)
• Multiple sales channels supported
• Discount codes and gift cards to encourage shopping
• Social media marketing and social commerce
• Multi-lingual and multi-currency support
• Abandoned cart recovery functionality

Pros

• Beginner-friendly ecommerce platform
• It directly connects you to vendors who will stock and ship products for you through dropshipping apps like Spocket (US & EU Dropshipping), SuperSDS Amazon Dropshipping, etc.
• Niche-specific dropshipping apps such as Blingy for jewelry or Printful for custom-made printed products
• Integration with Oberlo app that provides insights into supplier ratings, wholesale prices, shipping methods, etc.
• 24/7 support team
• Lightning-fast website speed

Cons

• Limited SEO functionality
• Monthly fees plus transaction fees for every order completed by a payment method other than Shopify Payments

Pricing

• It offers a 14-day free trial.
• Basic plan: $29/month
• Shopify plan: $79/month
• Advanced plan: $299/month
• Shopify Plus plan: $2000/month

3. WooCommerce

If you're looking for the best ecommerce platform for dropshipping, WooCommerce could be the answer. It's free and it integrates seamlessly with WordPress, making it easy to set up and manage your store.

Plus, there are plenty of add-ons and extensions available to make WooCommerce even more powerful. Like, there is a plugin that can help you import AliExpress products with one click and another one for managing your suppliers.

Being an open-source platform, WooCommerce doesn’t have any rules about what you can sell and what not. On the other hand, platforms like Shopify restrict you from selling marijuana and hair extensions.

Key Features

• Limitless WordPress themes supported
• Local suppliers dropshipping and fulfillment
• Shipment tracking and flat shipping rate setting
• Quick product search
• Free and paid plugins and extensions to add functionality to your dropshipping store
• Automated order tracking
• Powerful built-in SEO features
• Automated tax calculations
• Quick inventory import from suppliers
• Bulk import AliExpress products

Pros

• WooCommerce Dropshipping includes AliExpress integration and Amazon Affiliate support
• Supports WooCommerce plugins to add ecommerce functionality
• Supports dropshipping plugins like Spocket, Spreadr, DropshipMe, AliDropship, WooDropship, etc.
• Endless flexibility and scalability
• Free to download and install
• Large community to get support

Cons

• WooCommerce Dropshipping plugin is comparatively expensive so you should consider installing another third-party dropshipping plugin for your WooCommerce store

Pricing

• Free to use, open-source ecommerce platform
• Pay for required paid plugins and extensions
• Pay $79/annum for WooCommerce Dropshipping that comes with 1-year extension updates, 1-year support, and 30-day money-back guarantee

Check out my comparison guides to understand where WooCommerce stands against ecommerce platforms like BigCommerce and Shopify.

4. Magento (now Adobe Commerce)

Both Magento Open Source and Magento Commerce (now, Adobe Commerce) are great choices for dropshipping.

While Magento is a bit more complex and expensive than WooCommerce, it's also more flexible and scalable. However, it requires a great learning curve and might not be suitable for beginners.

You should only consider using it if you’re a programmer yourself or you are ready to hire a developer to work on your dropshipping store. If you are not ready to handle the technicality of using Magento, check out the best alternatives.

On the other hand, if you’re ready to pay for the Adobe Commerce Pro plan (Magento Commerce), you can enjoy the ease of use that platforms like BigCommerce and Shopify offer. You will get plenty of features and options out of the box, and tons of extensions that will let you add even more functionality to your dropshipping store.

Key Features

• Configurable products from AliExpress, Amazon, etc. via dropshipping extensions (including product variations, images, and reviews)
• Intuitive backend interface
• Configurable shipping prices
• Advanced SEO features
• Adobe Commerce dropshipping extensions like Magesore, Webkul, WebShopApps, etc.
• Built-in marketing features

Pros

• Easy to scale up your dropshipping store
• Dropshipping extensions like Magento 2 Dropship extension by Webkul and Dropshipping via Amasty
• Large community and contributors who can support you in times of need
• Open Source version doesn’t cost you anything, which means you can start your dropshipping store without any additional cost

Cons

• Open-source version requires some coding expertise to set up your online store and has an extensive learning curve
• License costs money

Pricing

• Magento Open Source is completely free to use.
• Magento Commerce (now Adobe Commerce) is a premium version. Contact its team for pricing details of the Adobe Commerce Pro plan.

5. Wix

Wix is a great choice for dropshipping, especially if you're just starting out. I found it to be simple and easy to use, and it doesn't require any prior coding experience or technical knowledge.

Plus, it's free to get started, which is a great option for budget-minded entrepreneurs like myself. It also offers a wide range of templates and designs to choose from, so you can find one that fits your unique brand and style.

Wix lets you connect with the Modalyst marketplace to find and source products and ship them directly to your customers. You can explore products by brand names, product categories, and trending items when sourcing products for your online store.

It also lets you customize product images and descriptions based on your brand and website aesthetics. However, I found that it wasn’t as powerful or flexible as Magento, and it doesn't offer as many features or options.

Key Features

• 500+ professional online store templates
• Offer up to 50000 products
• Source products from the Modalyst marketplace
• Set price markups based on suppliers’ prices
• Custom product images to meet your brand’s aesthetics
• Continually update your site as per suppliers’ pricing and inventory
• Automated order confirmation, shipping, and thank you emails
• Automated taxation
• Multiple sales channels – online, mobile, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon Shops
• Multi-lingual storefront
• Fully-customizable shopping cart
• End-to-end fulfillment

Pros

• Easy to use and simple to set up
• Free to get started
• Wide range of features and options
• No prior coding experience or technical knowledge required
• 24/7 support

Cons

• Limited storage capacity
• Limited customization options

Pricing

• Business Basic plan: $24/month
• Business Unlimited plan: $36/month
• Business VIP plan: $53/month

6. Shift4Shop

Formerly called 3dcart, Shift4Shop is a great choice for dropshipping if you're looking for a robust, feature-rich platform that's specifically designed for businesses of all sizes.

It offers a wide range of features and options, such as fraud detection and prevention, A/B testing, built-in SEO tools, and abandoned cart recovery. Plus, it's easy to use and comes with 24/7 customer support, so you can always get the help you need. 

However, it's not as popular as some of the other platforms on this list, so you might have trouble finding themes and plugins specifically designed for Shift4Shop.

Key Features

• Built-in CRM for customer relationship management
• Automated emails to suppliers about new orders
• Easy order management
• Update product information on your store from the marketplace

Pros

• Affordable pricing plans
• Built-in features for dropshipping services
• No additional transaction costs
• Integrates with multiple dropshipping plugins like AliExpress, Doba, Inventory Source, Printful, etc.

Cons

• Complex to use
• Quite expensive if you don’t qualify for its free plan
• Limited themes and templates

Pricing

• Offers a free plan but you need to qualify for it. Contact its team for more details about this plan.
• Basic plan: $29/month for up to 2 staff members
• Plus plan: $79/month for up to 5 staff users
• Pro plan: $299/month for up to 15 staff users
• End-to-End Ecommerce plan: $0 (a pro-level enterprise-grade plan)

7. Volusion

Volusion is a great ecommerce platform for dropshipping because it is easy to use and I found that it was super quick and easy to get started. It offers a wide range of features, including integrated payment processing, automatic order tracking, and a built-in marketplace.

It makes it easy to integrate multiple suppliers, which makes it a great platform for dropshipping businesses of all sizes. I just had to install the Fulfillment Services app from the Integrations menu to get started.

Using this fulfillment app, you can integrate your dropshipping store with AliExpress, Doba, Alibaba, and other dropshipping platforms.

Key Features

• Mobile-friendly themes
• Customizable layouts
• Logo and favicon uploads
• Product and category pages
• Advanced search functionality
• HTML/CSS editor access that makes it a developer-friendly ecommerce platform
• Homepage slideshow to highlight discounts and products
• Abandoned cart messaging
• ROI tracking
• Coupons and discounts

Pros

• 24/7 customer support
• Powerful integrations with Amazon, PayPal, etc.
• 99.9% uptime
• Cross-selling functionality

Cons

• 1.25% platform transaction fees
• Personal plan provides limited online support only.
• Product limits if you don’t upgrade to its Business plan that costs $299/month.

Pricing

• It offers a 14-day free trial.
• Personal plan: $35/month
• Professional plan: $79/month
• Business plan: $299/month
• Prime plan: Cost varies based on (gross merchandise value) GMV

8. Squarespace

Squarespace is one of the most affordable ecommerce platforms to start your dropshipping store. It easily integrates with and lets you source and sell products through Spocket or Printful.

While Spocket lets you dropship products from US/EU-based suppliers, Printful lets you supply custom-printed products such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more.

That’s not a big deal if your target market is in the US, but if you’re looking to dropship to an international audience, then you might want a platform that gives you more control over shipping methods and taxes.

Squarespace is also a fully hosted platform, which means that you don’t have to worry about hosting fees or server maintenance. And, it has some of the best-looking themes and templates out of all the ecommerce platforms.

While Squarespace is a great platform to start a dropshipping business, there are a few downsides to using it. I found that it was not as customizable as other ecommerce platforms on this list, which might be a problem if you want to add custom functionality to your store.

Also, I found that Squarespace doesn’t have as many integrations as other dropshipping platforms, which means that you might have to use workarounds to connect your store to the apps and services you need.

Key Features

• Aesthetically-pleasing themes, designer fonts
• Sell subscriptions and digital content
• Simple payment and checkout options
• Email list building features
• Effortless order management
• Integrations with PayPal, Stripe, etc.
• Squarespace Video Studio app to help you grow your audience

Pros

• Easy for beginners to use
• Dropshipping apps available for easy integration
• Affordably priced
• Free unlimited hosting
• Top-of-the-line security
• 24/7 personalized support via email or live chat

Cons

• Limited customization options
• Limited dropshipping supplier options (just Spocket and Printful)

Pricing

• Personal plan: $23/month
• Business plan: $33/month
• Basic Commerce plan: $36/month
• Advanced Commerce plan: $65/month+

9. PrestaShop

PrestaShop is another good open-source ecommerce platform for your dropshipping business. It is known for its user-friendliness and customization options.

Though this ecommerce platform doesn’t require you to be a technical expert, I found that I still needed some coding knowledge to set up an online store. If you aren’t capable of it, it’s best to hire a developer or pick another platform on this list.

PrestaShop offers multiple built-in SEO and marketing tools to boost the performance of your dropshipping store, which will help you get more orders and revenue. You can choose from multiple one-click installation-friendly themes for your store.You will get many dropshipping modules from the PrestaShop modules store. Pick the ones that seem most reliable and you can start sourcing, organizing, and selling products online right away.

Key Features

• Import bulk products from the marketplace using Dropshipping PrestaShop Modules
• Import unlimited products
• Automatically update products on your store
• Send new order updates to suppliers
• Discounts
• Built-in SEO features
• Add-ons modules for added functionality
• Advanced statistics

Pros

• Open-source platform, which means that it is free to download and use (but you still need to pay for hosting, developer cost, and dropshipping extensions and plugins)
• Large community that can support you
• Simplified payments with PayPal, Stripe, Mailchimp, and 50+ payment gateways
• 22 PrestaShop Dropshipping modules such as Dropshipping Bigbuy, AliExpress Dropshipping, Amazon Dropshipping, Dropshipping BTSWholesaler, etc.

Cons

• Limited suppliers integration (most of them are from AliExpress)

Pricing

• Free to use
• Pay for hosting and dropshipping extensions and plugins

10. OpenCart

OpenCart is an ecommerce platform that’s perfect for dropshipping businesses. It’s easy to use, and it comes with all the features you need to run a successful online store. Plus, it’s free!

It offers multiple free and paid plugins and themes for dropshipping businesses, so you can find the perfect one for your needs. You also get 24/7 support from a team of experts via email and tickets, which will make it easy for you to get started with OpenCart.

Key Features

• 13000+ modules and themes
• Multi-store management
• Product variables addition options
• Bulk edit products and categories
• Built-in affiliate system
• Discount and coupons
• Administrative dashboard that lets you see everything in one place
• Multilingual support

Pros

• Open-source ecommerce platform
• Community support
• No monthly fees
• Dedicated technical support
• Integrates with dropshipping apps and extensions like Dropshipping/Dropshipper Management [Advanced], OpenCart Dropshipping App (AliExpress and Amazon), Opencart DHgate Dropship Management, etc.

Cons

• Spend money on essential add-ons

Pricing

• Free to use, no monthly fees

Comparison of the Best Ecommerce Platforms for Dropshipping

Platform	Pricing	Dropshipping Integrations	Other Important Features
BigCommerce	Try it for free for 15 days. Plans start at $29.95/month	Spocket Dropshipping, Printful, Inventory Source, AliExpress Dropshipping, etc.	Pre-built WordPress plugin, fully-customizable themes, great customer support, marketing tools
Shopify	Try it for free for 14 days. Plans start at $29/month	Spocket (US & EU Dropshipping), SuperSDS Amazon Dropshipping, Oberlo, etc. Niche-specific dropshipping apps such as Blingy for jewelry or Printful for custom-made printed products	An intuitive user interface, beginner-friendly, 70+ storefront themes, discount codes and gift cards, social commerce, abandoned cart recovery functionality, lightning-fast website speed
WooCommerce	Open-source platform You only pay for your domain and hosting. Free and paid extensions and plugins are available. WooCommerce Dropshipping plan for $79/year	WooCommerce Dropshipping, integrations with Spocket, Spreadr, DropshipMe, AliDropship, WooDropship, Amazon Fulfillment (MCF) for WooCommerce. AliDropship, SalesHoo, Dropified, etc.	WordPress themes, free and paid extensions and plugins, SEO features, customer support and community, and marketing tools
Magento	Magento Open Source is 100% free. Contact its sales team for the pricing of Magento Commerce (Adobe Commerce).	Configurable products from AliExpress, Amazon, etc. via dropshipping extensions (including product variations, images, and reviews) Magento 2 Dropship extension by Webkul, Dropshipping via Amasty, Aliexpress Dropshipping by CedCommerce, Magestore Dropship Module, etc.	Flexible, scalable, open-source platform, shopping cart functionality, order management, intuitive backend interface, configurable shipping prices, advanced SEO features, built-in marketing features, and large support community
Wix	Plans start at $24/month	Source products from the Modalyst marketplace, automatically set and update price markups based on suppliers’ prices and inventory	500+ online store templates, custom product images and descriptions, automated order confirmation, multiple sales channels, multi-lingual storefront
Shift4Shop	It offers a 14-day free trial. Plans start at $35/month	AliExpress, Doba, Alibaba, and other dropshipping integrations	Mobile-friendly themes, advanced search functionality, HTML/CSS editor, homepage slideshow to highlight discounts and products, abandoned cart messaging, ROI tracking, coupons and discounts, 24/7 customer support, integrations with Amazon and PayPal, cross-selling functionality, etc.
Volusion	It offers a 14-day free trial. Plans start at $35/month	AliExpress, Doba, Alibaba, and other dropshipping integrations	Mobile-friendly themes, advanced search functionality, HTML/CSS editor, homepage slideshow to highlight discounts and products, abandoned cart messaging, ROI tracking, coupons and discounts, 24/7 customer support, integrations with Amazon and PayPal, cross-selling functionality, etc.
Squarespace	Plans start at $23/month	Spocket and Printful only	Beautiful themes, designer fonts and color palettes, simple payment and checkout options, email list building features, effortless order management, Squarespace Video Studio app for promotions, free unlimited hosting, 24/7 email or live chat support
PrestaShop	Free to use	22 PrestaShop Dropshipping modules such as Dropshipping Bigbuy, AliExpress Dropshipping, Amazon Dropshipping, Dropshipping BTSWholesaler, etc.	Bulk products update, unlimited product import, automatic order notifications to suppliers, discounts, built-in SEO features, add-ons modules, large community support, integrations with PayPal, Stripe, Mailchimp, etc.
OpenCart	Free to use	Integrates with dropshipping apps and extensions like Dropshipping/Dropshipper Management [Advanced], OpenCart Dropshipping App (AliExpress and Amazon), Opencart DHgate Dropship Management, etc.	13000+ modules and themes, multi-store management, product variables addition options, bulk edit products and categories, built-in affiliate system, discount and coupons, multilingual support, open-source platform, free to use

FAQs

Are You Ready to Find Your Ideal Dropshipping Platform?

Dropshipping is a great business model for entrepreneurs who are looking to start an online business with very little up-front investment. When choosing an ecommerce platform for dropshipping, it's important to consider the size of your business, the products you want to sell, and your budget.

In this post, I discussed the key features, pros, and cons of the top 10 ecommerce platforms for dropshipping. I hope this will help you narrow down your choices and find the best platform for your business.

If you're still not sure which platform is right for you, I recommend trying one or two platforms for free and see which one you like best. BigCommerce and Shopify both offer free trials, so you can test them out without risking any money.

What are you waiting for? Start dropshipping today!