We tested the UK's leading ecommerce platforms on real stores, comparing fees, features, and value for small businesses. Every ranking is based on hands-on research, with renewal pricing shown upfront.
Every platform in our rankings has been tested by our team on a live store, not just a trial account. We build real product pages, go through checkout flows, test shipping rules, and check how the admin handles a return. If we wouldn't use it ourselves, it doesn't make the list.
We weight our scores heavily on total cost of ownership, not just the intro price. That means renewal rates, transaction fees, and the cost of apps you'll inevitably need are all factored in. A platform that looks cheap at sign-up can easily cost twice as much by year two, and we flag that wherever it applies.
No platform pays to appear in our rankings. Positions are determined entirely by review score. Where we have a commercial relationship with a platform, that's disclosed separately and has no bearing on its ranking or the content of its review.
An ecommerce platform is software that lets you build an online store, list products, take payments, and manage orders. It handles the technical infrastructure so you can focus on running your business. Most platforms are hosted, meaning they look after servers, security, and updates for a monthly fee.
Website builders are designed to create informational or marketing sites and may include basic selling as an add-on. Ecommerce platforms are built around selling first — with inventory management, order tracking, shipping rules, and payment processing at their core. Some tools like Wix and Squarespace do both well enough for smaller stores, but dedicated platforms like Shopify scale better as your product range and order volume grows.
For most UK beginners, Shopify or Wix are the clearest starting points. Shopify is purpose-built for selling and handles VAT, shipping, and payment processing reliably out of the box. Wix is a better fit if you want a polished website alongside a small store. Both have free trials so you can test before committing.
Entry-level plans start from around £3 to £15 per month on intro pricing. However, renewal rates are often significantly higher — sometimes double the first-year price — and transaction fees can add up quickly if you’re processing volume. Always check the renewal price and whether the platform charges its own transaction fee on top of your payment processor’s fee.
It depends on the platform. Shopify charges 0.5–2% transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments. GoDaddy, IONOS, Wix, and Squarespace all charge 0% platform fees. Hostinger’s Business plan also has no transaction fee. Always check the fine print, as some platforms add fees on lower-tier plans.
Yes, all the major platforms support international selling to some degree. Shopify and Wix offer the strongest multi-currency and localisation tools. IONOS and GoDaddy can handle international orders but have fewer built-in localisation options. If you’re selling to EU customers post-Brexit, check how each platform handles VAT on cross-border sales.
Most platforms include integrated payment processing. Shopify Payments, Wix Payments, and Squarespace Payments are all built in and avoid extra transaction fees. Alternatively, you can connect third-party providers like Stripe or PayPal on most platforms, though some charge a small fee for this. You don’t need a separate merchant account to get started.
Shopify handles large catalogues the most reliably, with no product limits on paid plans and a broad app ecosystem for inventory management. IONOS ecommerce supports up to unlimited products on its Expert plan. Wix and Squarespace work well up to a few hundred products but can feel slower to manage at scale.
Need a site to showcase your business rather than sell products? Our website builder rankings cover the best options for UK small businesses, tested and ranked by our team.
Compare website builders
