There is no single best ecommerce platform in Australia for every business. The right choice depends on how much you sell, how much control you want and how much technical work you are willing to take on. This guide compares the main options Australian businesses use, explains the trade offs and gives you a checklist for choosing.
At a glance
The right choice depends on how much you sell, how much control you want and how much technical work you will take on.
The short answer: most new stores are best served by a hosted platform, and the best ecommerce platform is the one you will actually run well.
The main ecommerce platforms compared
- Shopify: a hosted, cloud based ecommerce platform. Shopify handles hosting, security and updates. It is quick to launch, has a large app store and suits most small to medium stores.
- WooCommerce: a free, open source plugin for WordPress. You choose your hosting and own everything. It suits businesses already on WordPress who want full control and strong content features.
- BigCommerce: a hosted platform with more features built in, often considered by larger catalogues and B2B sellers.
- Squarespace and similar builders: simple all in one website builders with commerce added. Good for small product ranges alongside a services site.
- Enterprise platforms such as Adobe Commerce (Magento): powerful, but usually only worth it with a large operation and a development budget.
Hosted or self hosted?
This is the biggest decision, and it matters more than any feature list.
Hosted (Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace). You pay a subscription and the platform runs the technical side. Less flexibility, but far less maintenance. Watch for app and transaction costs that add up as you grow.
Self hosted (WooCommerce). The software is free, but you pay for hosting, premium plugins and someone to keep it updated and secure. You get full control over design, checkout and URLs, and an excellent ecommerce CMS for content. Our article on website management explains what ongoing care involves.
What Australian stores should check
Before committing, check each platform for:
- Payments: support for the gateways and buy now pay later options your customers expect, as explained in our guide to choosing an ecommerce payment gateway.
- GST: prices shown including GST and correct tax invoices. The ATO explains when you must register for GST.
- Shipping: integrations with the couriers you use and accurate shipping rates at checkout.
- Speed for Australian visitors: fast pages on mobile, which also helps SEO.
- SEO controls: editable titles, URLs, redirects and structured product data.
- Total cost: subscription, apps or plugins, themes, transaction fees and developer time over two or three years, not just the monthly fee.
- Getting out: how easily you could export products, customers and orders if you move later.
Ecommerce SEO matters on any platform
All the major platforms can rank well. What matters is the work: unique product descriptions, sensible categories and fast pages. Our ecommerce website design guide explains how design affects sales.
Plan for conversion and advertising
The platform is only the shop front. Check that it lets you test checkout changes, add reviews and connect conversion tracking for your ads. Our CRO service focuses on turning more visitors into buyers, and our comparison of lead gen vs ecommerce ads explains how ecommerce advertising differs.
Which platform suits which business
- First store, small team: a hosted platform like Shopify is usually the easiest path.
- Already on WordPress, content led: WooCommerce keeps everything in one place.
- Large catalogue, B2B pricing or wholesale: compare BigCommerce, Shopify’s higher plans and WooCommerce with the right extensions.
- A few products alongside services: a website builder with commerce may be enough.
If you are weighing up a new site generally, our small business website design guide is a good place to start.
Common mistakes
- Choosing on monthly price alone and ignoring apps, plugins and developer time.
- Picking the most powerful platform when a simpler one would do.
- Ignoring ongoing maintenance on self hosted stores.
- Forgetting redirects when moving from an old platform, which can cost rankings.
- Not testing checkout on mobile before launch, including payment, shipping and confirmation emails.
Get help choosing and building your store
If you want advice on the right platform and a store built to sell, our website design team can help. Contact us or email hello@thedigitalmarketingconsultants.com.au.
