When customers visit an online store, they’re often greeted with a sleek interface, high-resolution images, and detailed product descriptions. Like a Broadway musical, it’s a flawless production. Backstage, however, there’s an ecommerce content management system (CMS) handling and organizing all this content.
An ecommerce CMS allows you to present a well-designed, trustworthy website, integrating front-end elegance with secure back-end management. This article introduces the top CMS platforms powering successful online stores and explores the features that set the best ecommerce CMS platforms apart.
What is an ecommerce CMS?
An ecommerce CMS, or ecommerce content management system, is software enabling businesses to create and manage digital content on their online stores. That content can include multimedia web pages, product listings, blog posts, and more.
There are two primary types of CMS platforms—software as a service (SaaS) and open source:
- SaaS. These services charge a subscription fee to use a CMS hosted in the cloud, ensuring ease of use, security, and continuous updates. Shopify and Squarespace are examples of SaaS platforms.
- Open source. These CMS platforms are free to download and adapt, giving users more ways to customize them. However, they typically require technical coding expertise to operate. WordPress is an example of an open-source software.
Ecommerce CMS features
Here are a few features to look for when choosing an ecommerce CMS:
Ease of use
You probably didn’t become an ecommerce entrepreneur to spend your days tinkering with your online store. An intuitive, easy-to-use ecommerce CMS platform will cut down on time spent managing the technical aspects of running your ecommerce site, so you can focus on growing your business.
Look for an easy-to-navigate dashboard, clear settings, and a high-quality help center (to minimize the need for technical support). A free trial is a great way to find out if an ecommerce CMS’s interface is intuitive to you.
Media management
A great ecommerce CMS will make it simple to manage your digital assets by creating a library of the photos, blogs, videos, and PDFs you’ve used on your website. This organized system can help you save time creating and updating content.
Support for integrations
A robust ecommerce CMS will offer a wide range of integrations with other softwares to make for seamless ecommerce functionality and boost efficiency. For example, an ecommerce CMS might integrate with your email platform, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and inventory management software.
SEO features
A content management system with built-in search engine optimization (SEO) tools helps you optimize product descriptions, images, and other content for search engines like Google. Look for a CMS that automatically generates robots.txt and sitemap.xml files—which help search engines crawl your website—and adds canonical tags to pages to prevent duplicate content from harming your search performance.
For businesses using Shopify, implementing Shopify SEO techniques can help increase your search engine rankings. Ecommerce SEO features can also help you improve the success of your content marketing strategy with optimized meta data. Effective content marketing can help you build search engine visibility and develop audience trust.
Top ecommerce CMS platforms
Here are some of the best ecommerce CMS platforms, with their features and pricing:
Shopify
Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce CMS solution designed to help merchants easily build and manage their online businesses. Use the AI store builder to create a free store design in minutes or get started with one of many ready-built themes. Once designed, content management is easy with Shopify’s intuitive user interface (UI) and asset library. From there, Shopify’s ecommerce functionality handles all of the essential functions of an online store, from inventory management to payment processing.
Who it’s for: Shopify is built for ecommerce businesses of all sizes, from solopreneur to large enterprise.
Key features include:
- AI functionality. A suite of AI tools can help merchants do everything from draft product descriptions and generate FAQ responses to edit photographs.
- SEO tools. Shopify’s SEO tools handle the minutiae of SEO work, such as generating robots.txt and appending your brand name to meta titles, for you.
- Advanced customization and API access. Merchants can tailor their storefronts and back-end systems to meet their unique needs with extensive customization options and application programming interface (API) support. This allows you to easily integrate third-party apps.
- Omnichannel and multichannel commerce capabilities. Businesses can ensure a consistent customer experience across multiple touchpoints, such as desktop, mobile, social media, and in person retail. You can also integrate your store with third-party marketplaces and manage your inventory across them seamlessly.
Pricing: Shopify offers Basic for solo entrepreneurs ($29 per month), Grow for small teams ($79 per month), Advanced for scaling businesses ($299 per month), and Plus for more complex businesses (starting at $2,300 per month). Businesses can try the first three Shopify tiers for free.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is an “open SaaS” ecommerce platform, meaning it has SaaS functionality with an open API. BigCommerce has an enterprise grade product along with an Essentials product for small businesses.
Who it’s for: BigCommerce’s primary product is for large enterprises.
Key features include:
- Basic website builder functionality. BigCommerce’s ecommerce CMS for small businesses comes with basic website builder tools such as drag-and-drop page design and built-in mobile responsiveness.
- SEO capabilities. BigCommerce comes with SEO features like clean URLs and automatic redirects.
- Multichannel selling. Business owners can integrate their stores with social media and marketplace platforms, allowing them to sell products through these channels.
- Scalable infrastructure. BigCommerce’s enterprise product can handle high volumes of traffic and transactions.
Pricing: BigCommerce offers Standard ($29 per month), Plus ($79 per month), and Pro ($299 per month) plans, billed annually with a 15-day free trial. Contact sales for Enterprise pricing.
WordPress + WooCommerce
WordPress is an open-source content management system made for bloggers. You can use it as an ecommerce CMS with the addition of the WooCommerce plug-in, which provides ecommerce functionality like payment gateways.
Who it’s for: WordPress can be used by anyone, but it was originally built for bloggers.
Key product features include:
- Familiar UI for some. If you’re familiar with WordPress’s user interface, this allows you to use a platform you already know for managing ecommerce content.
- Customizable and extendable. WordPress has thousands of plug-ins and modifiable themes to extend the functionality of a WordPress website and help customize it. This can be a drawback for those unfamiliar with website development, as customization may require knowledge of HTML and CSS.
Pricing: WordPress and WooCommerce are free. However, there are costs associated with hosting, domain registration, themes, payment gateways, plug-ins, and more.
Drupal
Drupal is a composable, open-source CMS. It mainly works as a CMS, not an ecommerce platform, and relies on third-party integrations for ecommerce functions like payment processing.
Drupal is flexible and customizable, but as an open-source software, requires more technical expertise than ecommerce website builders.
Who it’s for: Drupal is for users with some coding skills.
Key product features include:
- Customization. With many modules and themes, and the ability to write custom modules, businesses can tailor their online presence.
- Scalability. The platform is designed to scale with the growth of a business while maintaining security standards.
Pricing: Drupal is a free open-source software. However, there are costs for hosting, domain registration, themes, payment gateways, and more.
Adobe Commerce
Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento, is an ecommerce platform that includes a CMS component, designed to enable both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) transactions. Adobe Commerce is designed for large, enterprise-level companies looking for a highly customizable platform.
Who it’s for: Adobe Commerce is geared towards enterprise businesses.
Key features include:
- B2B buying portals. Adobe Commerce allows B2B businesses to create self-serve B2B buying experiences.
- Inventory management.The platform offers inventory management to support B2C and B2B catalogs. It facilitates omnichannel sales by letting customers pick up online orders in-store.
- Enriched content. Modular capabilities allow product information and product links to be embedded in blog articles.
Pricing: Adobe Commerce offers Adobe Commerce Pro and Managed Services plans. Contact Adobe for pricing information.
OpenCart
OpenCart is an open-source ecommerce platform. Its free version requires businesses to secure their own website hosting, while its paid version called OpenCart Cloud offers managed hosting. It integrates with common payment processors and other third-party apps.
Who it’s for: OpenCart is for owners of small, simple stores.
Key features include:
- SEO functionality. OpenCart offers built-in SEO tools to help your site show up in search results.
- Multilingual and multi-currency support. The platform supports multiple languages and currencies.
- Marketplace of designs. You can find templated page designs and themes in OpenCart’s marketplace. Some are free and some are available for a fee.
Pricing: OpenCart is free. However, hosting, domain registration, themes, payment gateways, and more will cost you. For managed hosting, you can choose between Entry Cloud ($14.95 per month), Premium Cloud #1 ($29.95 per month), Premium Cloud #2 ($44.95 per month), and Premium Cloud #3 ($69.95 per month).
Wix
Wix is a website builder and CMS offering design templates and a drag-and-drop interface for site design. Wix offers some ecommerce features but isn’t purpose-built for ecommerce.
Who it’s for: Wix can be used by anyone with simple website needs.
Key product features include:
- Simple website builder. Wix’s drag-and-drop functionality lets users design their ecommerce store without coding.
- Templates. Design templates give users a head start in creating an online storefront.
- Integrated ecommerce features. Wix includes tools for inventory management, payment processing, and shipping.
Pricing: Wix offers Light ($17 per month), Core ($29 per month), Business ($36 per month), and Business Elite ($159 per month) plans. Its Enterprise plan is available for businesses with custom pricing. It extends a 14-day money-back guarantee.
HubSpot
HubSpot is a software company best known for its customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing tools, but it also offers a CMS. HubSpot’s CMS isn’t purpose-built for ecommerce, but you can add ecommerce capabilities using HubSpot payment links or by integrating an existing Shopify store.
Who it’s for: HubSpot is for businesses who rely on inbound marketing and customer relationship management.
Key features include:
- CRM-powered CMS. HubSpot’s CMS is integrated with its CRM system, which can help you enable personalized customer experiences.
- Drag-and-drop page builder. HubSpot’s drag-and-drop page builder can help you build a website without extensive technical knowledge.
- Blog maker. The platform offers a blog maker, allowing users to publish SEO-friendly content with a goal of driving traffic to their website.
Pricing: HubSpot CMS offers Free, Starter ($20 per month), Professional ($500 per month), and Enterprise ($1,500 per month) plans.
Squarespace
Squarespace is a website builder letting business owners create sites with predesigned templates. Its templated styles are both a benefit and a constraint—it's known for being minimalist and professional-looking, but also allow fewer customization options. Squarespace has integrated ecommerce capabilities as well as hosting services. It also offers additional features for content creators such as a course builder.
Who it’s for: Anyone with simple website needs can use Squarespace, and the platform has additional features for content creators.
Key features include:
- Design templates. Professionally designed templates cater to specific industries and professions, like restaurants, content creators, and photographers.
- Membership content tools. Squarespace allows you to gate specific content like blog articles behind a paywall, so it’s only available to members.
- SEO tools. Squarespace integrates with Google Search Console and has basic SEO tools like clean URLs and an auto-generated sitemap.
Pricing: Squarespace offers Basic ($16 per month), Core ($23 per month), Plus ($39 per month), and Advanced ($99 per month) plans. It also offers a free trial.
Ecommerce CMS FAQ
Is Shopify considered a CMS?
Yes. Shopify is a CMS specifically designed for ecommerce websites.
What is the easiest CMS for ecommerce?
Shopify is among the easiest CMS options for setting up and managing an ecommerce website.
What are the benefits of an ecommerce CMS?
The benefits of an ecommerce CMS include streamlined management of products and content, integrated sales and marketing tools, and the ability to create a personalized customer shopping experience.
