The Australian eCommerce world is continually evolving alongside the constant emergence of technological solutions. As a result, there is an increasing and diverse range of choices for eCommerce platforms. 

This presents both an advantage and a challenge for businesses, as selecting the right platform for building an eCommerce website is a crucial first step.

Below are the top 5 leading eCommerce platforms in Australia.

Learn more: Top 10 most-visited eCommerce websites in Australia

Magento

Magento is a globally popular open-source platform, and its prevalence extends to Australia as well.  According to BuiltWith, there are currently more than 4000 live websites in Australia utilizing the platform.

With its high flexibility, businesses can effortlessly tailor features and scale the system according to their unique business requirements.

Presently, Magento provides businesses with two versions: Open Source (Free) and Adobe Commerce (Paid).

Pros:

• Best for large businesses with complex customization needs and high-budget investments.
• High customization and scalability capabilities.
• Rich built-in features and advanced functionalities compared to SaaS platforms.
• No limit on sales volume.
• Diverse range of extensions available.
• Large user community.

Cons:

• Requires a high level of technical expertise.
• Deployment time is relatively long.
• Initial costs are high.

Core feature:

• Multi-brand solution
• Inventory management
• Headless Commerce implementation
• Loyalty program development
• Advanced search
• High-security measures
• Progressive Web Apps (PWA)
• Advanced SEO

Pricing:

• The cost to implement Magento Open Source is approximately $20,000 – $50,000 per project in the first year and the time to go live ranges from 3 to 6 months depending on the project’s complexity.
• The estimated cost to implement Adobe Commerce is around $100,000 – $150,000 per project in the first year, with the time to go live ranging from 6 months to 1 year depending on the project’s complexity.

Learn more: Top Magento eCommerce websites in Australia

Shopify

Shopify is a popular SaaS platform with over 4.8 million active websites. In Australia alone, over 150 thousand online stores are operating on the platform.

Recently, the premium version of Shopify, ‘Plus,’ has garnered attention from businesses across various sectors in Australia.

These businesses may have previously deployed different eCommerce platforms and later switched to the Plus to seek a superior solution. Some businesses initially launched websites with core plans and later upgraded to ‘Plus’ to optimize their operations.

Learn more: Top eCommerce websites upgrade to Shopify Plus 

Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Provides drag-and-drop builder
• High scalability and customizability, especially with the ‘Plus’ package
• Diverse range of unique themes suitable for various industries
• Extensive app store 
• Supports multiple local payment gateways
• 24/7 customer support
• Rich learning resources
• Large user community

Cons:

• On-going costs increase over time 
• Limited customizability and scalability in core Shopify plans
• The eCommerce system relies on Shopify

Core feature:

• Point-Of-Sale (POS)
• Email Marketing
• Blogging
• SEO
• Multi-marketplace selling
• Automation (for Plus merchants)
• Headless Commerce (for Plus merchants)
• Composable Commerce (for Plus merchants)
• Omnichannel (for Plus merchants)

Pricing

Here are Shopify pricing plans:

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is another popular SaaS platform worldwide, with over 43 thousand active websites. In Australia, there are more than 2 thousand active BigCommerce websites.

The standout feature of this SaaS platform is its integrated features, enabling businesses of all sizes and technical expertise to deploy eCommerce websites quickly. In addition to standard solution packages, BigCommerce offers an ‘Enterprise’ version tailored for large businesses with custom pricing.

Learn more: Top 10 eCommerce websites using BigCommerce 

Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Best for businesses of all sizes
• Rich integrated features
• 24/7 customer support
• Diverse affordable pricing plans
• No transaction fee
• More than 65 popular payment gateways
• Variety of themes and extensions

Cons:

• Limited online sales volumes
• On-going costs increase over time
• Limited customizability
• The eCommerce system relies on BigCommerce

Core feature:

• Point-Of-Sales (POS)
• Blogging
• SEO
• In-depth analytics and reporting
• Multi-marketplace selling
• Headless Commerce (Best for ‘Enterprise’ businesses)
• Automation (Best for ‘Enterprise’ businesses)
• Omnichannel (Best for ‘Enterprise’ businesses)

Pricing

Here are BigCommerce pricing plans:

WooCommerce

WooCommerce, a free and open-source WordPress plugin, enables brands to integrate eCommerce functionality into their existing WordPress websites.

With just a few clicks, the WooCommerce plugin helps convert a standard WordPress site into a fully-featured eCommerce platform, complete with essential features and easy customization.

Learn more: 20 websites using WooCommerce

Pros:

• Free and open-source
• Seamless integration with WordPress
• User-friendly interface
• Large user community
• In-depth analytics and reporting
• Support for various products and payment methods

Cons:

• Lack of support for technical and security issues
• Some integrations demand advanced technical skills
• Relies on the WordPress system
• Multilingual deployment may sometimes have limitations.
• Potential costs may accrue over time

Core feature:

• Multi-marketplace selling
• Selling a diverse range of products
• Remote operation with a mobile app
• Customization and expansion
• Blogging
• SEO

Pricing: Free to use. However, some integrations with other plugins may incur charges.

OpenCart

OpenCart is a globally popular open-source platform, powering over 900 thousand active websites worldwide. In Australia, it has gained popularity with more than 2 thousand active OpenCart websites, establishing itself as a favored open-source platform in the country, following Magento.

Founded by Daniel Kerr in 1998, OpenCart operates as open-source software, utilizing the PHP programming language. It currently offers two versions: Free (Free-to-use version) and Cloud Store (Paid version).

Learn more: Top OpenCart websites

Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Extensive library of themes and apps
• Flexible customizability and scalability
• No transaction fees

Cons:

• Requires strong technical skills
• Lacks advanced extension features
• Many hidden costs

Core feature:

• Diverse payment and delivery methods
• Multilingual capabilities
• Multi-marketplace selling
• Seamless management of products, orders, and inventory
• Headless Commerce deployment
• Blogging
• SEO

Pricing:

Free for the Free version. For the Cloud Store version, the specific costs are as follows:

On Final Words

Above are 10 eCommerce platforms preferred by businesses in Australia when establishing their online stores. Each business will make its decision based on factors like scale, business model, and specific deployment requirements. 

With over 10 years of experience collaborating with various Australian businesses such as Laybyland, RodShop, Trentham Estate, Jasnor, etc., to build eCommerce websites, SECOMM now possesses a team of highly skilled technical experts and a deep understanding of the Australian market.

For personalized advice on the best-suited platforms for your business, contact us or call the hotline (+84)28 7108 9908 today!