When it comes to order fulfillment, dropshipping has led to a significant change in the eCommerce industry. Online businesses have been able to redefine their operational strategy thanks to this innovative model.
Dropshipping eliminates the need for business owners to invest heavily in stocking products, unlike traditional retail models. Instead, it provides a more streamlined approach where business owners can serve as intermediaries between customers and third-party suppliers, without physically handling the products themselves.
The core of this model revolves around a straightforward but efficient process: A customer initiates an order at a dropshipping store. Instead of the store using its own inventory to fulfill the order, it buys the product from a supplier who is not directly affiliated with the store.
The product is then shipped by the supplier directly to the end customer. Essentially, the business owner acts mainly as a middleman, making the transaction easier without handling the complexities of physical inventory.
List of the best dropshipping platforms
To find the ideal ecommerce platform for startups intending to begin a dropshipping business, we will delve into the specifics. The following comparison highlights the ease of use, user support, and price of each platform.
1. WooCommerce
WooCommerce, being a free and user-friendly plugin, is installed with just one click, contributing to its popularity as the leading ecommerce platform worldwide. It holds almost 23% market share among all ecommerce stores, making it a preferred choice for both technical and non-technical users.
- User friendliness: WooCommerce comes with a simple GUI interface that any newbie can understand. It is built on WordPress, a favorite platform among bloggers, that allows users to add multiple add-ons for free. Users can easily install WooCommerce on WordPress and launch their business with just a few clicks.
- Support: WooCommerce has a widespread community of designers and developers, who are actively working to promote this platform. Users can easily find a ton of material on installation and support of this platform on the internet.
- Price: WooCommerce is completely free to use. It is a plugin of WordPress and users who have WordPress installed can easily install it as a plugin without paying anything.
- Websites hosted on it: As it hosts millions of stores online, you can easily find many famous ecommerce websites using it as an ecommerce platform. Some of them are Singer, Weber Grills, Ripley’s Believe it or not, and All Black.
2. Magento
Magento, regarded as the third most popular ecommerce platform globally, possesses considerable strength but is also intricate, making it possibly ill-suited for novices. Magento is an ecommerce platform that is friendly to developers and necessitates a minimum level of proficiency in programming. The majority of dropshippers who employ Magento as their ecommerce platform either possess expertise in Magento store development or enlist the assistance of developers for this purpose.
- User friendliness: Magento is an advanced ecommerce platform with a user-friendly design. Anyone who wants to start his drop shipping business can use it to create an ecommerce store, but they will require help in solving errors or updating Magento. So, I won’t recommend it for complete beginners.
- Support: Magento is a widely used platform. It has an official forum where Magento officials, developers, and designers are available to help newcomers. Also, it has multiple off-site channels such as Youtube channels, blogs, and forums where users can get help if they get into hurdles while developing their dropshipping stores. Magento also offers multiple plugins for dropshippers.
- Price: Magento is a completely free ecommerce platform and anyone can launch it with little help.
- Websites hosted on it: Magento hosts thousands of top ecommerce websites. Retailers and manufacturers like Selco BW, Dufry, and JCB use it to run their businesses.
3. Shopify
Shopify is without a doubt one of the most powerful ecommerce platforms for dropshipping. It boasts hosting approximately 500,000 ecommerce stores and dropshipping websites. In 2016, Shopify officially obtained Oberlo, a dropshipping plugin that streamlines the importation of products and fulfillment of orders into an effortless process. It is extensively utilized by users who lack technical expertise and knowledge in the field of ecommerce platforms.
Shopify alternatives should be considered if you desire a self-hosted platform, as Shopify is the second most popular platform, holding a 19% market share.
- User friendliness: Shopify is extremely user-friendly. Users can sign up for the platform and start adding products to it. The platform also provides pre-filled pages like About Us, Privacy Policy, Return Policy, Shipping Information, and Shipping Calculator, to easily set up the store.
- Support: Shopify offers 24/7 email, phone, and chat support. It also has its own official forum where users can ask for help. However, as Shopify is proprietary, you won’t find much help on community forums related to custom development.
- Price: Shopify is a paid ecommerce platform. It has three plans ranging from $29 to $299. Enterprises, interested in getting premium services, can opt for Advanced Shopify.
- Websites hosted on it: Shopify hosts most of the top dropshipping stores. It hosts websites such as Negative Underwear, UgMonk, Flat Spot, and Pipcorn.
4. OpenCart
OpenCart is frequently compared to platforms such as Magento and is recognized as a free, open-source e-commerce solution tailored for individuals with a moderate level of technical proficiency. Its extensive features and the ease it offers to the e-commerce industry contribute to its consistent popularity.
OpenCart is a free open-source platform that is not subject to any licensing fee.
The primary financial commitment occurs when hiring developers and designers to create a distinctive e-commerce experience, which typically takes 2 to 5 months to complete. Although the platform includes ongoing updates and support, there may still be additional expenses for customization and hosting.
OpenCart offers a wide range of powerful features that are well-suited for e-commerce businesses.
- Product Management: Allows for unlimited products and categories.
- Global Commerce: Offers multi-currency support.
- Payments and Shipping: Integrated payment gateways and diverse shipping methods.
- Marketing and Promotion: Tools for coupon creation and promotions.
- Operational Tools: Features for backups, restorations, and detailed sales reporting.
OpenCart’s clean and user-friendly interface has been designed for those familiar with website development, allowing even newcomers to navigate the system with relative ease after a short learning period.
The platform has been designed keeping e-commerce in consideration. It offers users a simple dashboard that provides them with analytics, payment information, and order volumes. Its user-friendly point-and-click system ensures a less intimidating experience for individuals who are not very tech-savvy.
OpenCart is most suitable for small and medium-sized e-commerce ventures, but those with plans for larger-scale operations may encounter limitations in terms of scalability.
OpenCart users have access to ticket-based and email support systems, which provide community-driven insights and troubleshooting solutions. Additionally, the OpenCart forum serves as a dynamic hub where members freely share their experiences and solutions.
When it comes to pricing, OpenCart stands out with its cost – it is absolutely free. Nonetheless, users must take into account expenses related to hosting and potential extensions.
OpenCart offers dropshipping functionality that can be enhanced with various extensions, available at prices starting from approximately $99. These extensions, which can be free or paid, provide additional features and customization options to OpenCart.
OpenCart is a compelling choice for those seeking a free and open-source e-commerce solution. It is particularly suitable for small to medium businesses and those with technical inclinations. Despite this, it is a worthy competitor in the e-commerce platform race due to its extensive range of features and the support provided by its community.
5. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a standout among the numerous e-commerce platforms currently available, as it artfully integrates the simplicity of a SaaS platform with the typically associated flexibility of open-source platforms.
BigCommerce provides a wide range of features to assist and simplify the dropshipping process, whether you are a dynamic startup or a successful company. BigCommerce offers a comprehensive set of e-commerce tools that are designed to aid and streamline the dropshipping process.
- Robust order and inventory management.
- Seamless product and catalog creation.
- Multiple integrated payment gateways.
- Integrated marketing tools.
- Compatibility with renowned services like ShipperHQ, ShipStation, and Avalara.
BigCommerce offers a user-friendly interface, making it a standout feature. Even individuals who are new to e-commerce can easily navigate and personalize their online store without requiring deep technical expertise.
BigCommerce offers the opportunity for your business to expand by providing flexibility. Its range of pricing plans caters to businesses of varying sizes, ensuring smooth growth and expansion. However, like other platforms, there are additional costs involved in scalability, particularly when sales volume rises.
Community and support are essential aspects of the BigCommerce experience. Similar to its rivals, it provides a variety of support options such as email, live chat, phone, and forums. Additionally, the BigCommerce Resource Center is a valuable source of guides and tutorials for self-help troubleshooting.
BigCommerce provides three pre-set pricing options – Standard, Plus, and Pro – with monthly costs varying from $29.95 to $299.95. Moreover, they offer a tailor-made enterprise solution for bigger companies, the price of which is determined upon inquiry.
Additionally, the platform offers a generous 15-day trial period. The process of setting up a BigCommerce store is effortless; just create an account, select a template, and begin customization.
BigCommerce, known for its SaaS platform, offers a wide range of dropshipping apps. These apps provide various features such as product management, access to reliable dropshipping suppliers, customizable listings, and even top-notch customer support.
BigCommerce combines the advantages of SaaS and open-source platforms, resulting in automated updates, strong support, and exceptional flexibility.
Although individuals without technical knowledge may find it challenging, businesses seeking rapid growth in the dropshipping industry should definitely consider BigCommerce as an appealing option.
