The best ecommerce platforms for small businesses

The UK ecommerce market is one of the most mature in the world, and online shopping now accounts for around a third of retail sales and that share is rising – choosing the right platform can help sellers tap into this growth.

In 2026, the best platforms for UK ecommerce websites enable multi-channel integration, AI-driven personalization, and the ability to scale internationally as well as locally. Our guide below explores some of the top platforms to help businesses make an informed decision.

Ecommerce platforms vs marketplaces

What is the difference between hosted ecommerce websites and online stores like Amazon and Etsy? Platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce allow businesses to build and operate branded online stores on their own websites, while ecommerce marketplaces offer shopfronts on their platforms. Marketplaces provide small businesses with access to their large international customer bases, but limit control over branding, pricing, and customer data – many small businesses can use marketplaces to complement an ecommerce website.

The best ecommerce websites for small businesses in 2026

Shopify

Key features

• All-in-one hosted platform with minimal technical setup
• Built-in payments, tax tools and app marketplace for integrations
• Support for multi-channel sales, including social media

Shopify is one of the world’s biggest ecommerce platforms, handling more than $1.1 trillion of sales globally. Its all-in-one, hosted approach makes it easy for small UK businesses to set up and grow online stores quickly without needing technical skills. The Shopify Apps’ marketplace offers a range of apps and integrations across payments, marketing and logistics so that businesses can expand their use of the service as they grow.

Support for selling across the web, on social media and through marketplaces helps businesses manage their sales from one place. The balance between ease of use and advanced features makes Shopify a popular choice for growing retailers.    

SquareSpace

Key features

• Simple setup aimed at small retailers
• Design-led templates and branding tools
• Inventory and order management for small product ranges

SquareSpace is an accessible option for small businesses that prioritise design but may not have the technical skills in-house to build a polished ecommerce website from scratch. A range of stylish templates and tools help businesses create attractive online stores, which is ideal for brands that are heavy on visuals. SquareSpace offers integrated payments, basic marketing tools, and inventory management for small product catalogues, and also provides a scheduling feature to enable seamless booking for appointments-based businesses.  

WooCommerce

Key features

• WordPress integration and SEO capabilities
• Open source and highly customisable with a range of extensions and plugins
• Full control over website hosting and data

WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin that can create online stores on WordPress websites, making it well suited to businesses that already use the platform. For hands-on retailers that want to have control over their ecommerce websites, WooCommerce enables users to fully customise design and functionality to create tailored experience for customers.

Woo Commerce has an extensive library of plugins and extensions that support features such as subscriptions, memberships, and complex product offerings. The integration with WordPress enables retailers to improve content visibility through search engine optimisation (SEO).

Wix

Key features

• Easy to use for small businesses new to ecommerce
• Intuitive drag-and-drop website builder with AI tools
• Built-in payment and shipping options

Having started as a hosted website-building platform, Wix has expanded to provide support for ecommerce stores. Wix is well suited to beginners, providing free ecommerce website templates and built-in AI tools that make it easy to design and launch functional stores without coding experience. The platform offers integrated payments and scheduling for appointments, as well as events and online courses.

BigCommerce

Key features

• Built-in tools for wholesale and B2B sales
• Support for multiple storefronts and channels from a single platform
• Integrations with major ecommerce marketplaces and payment providers

Businesses with more complex operations may find BigCommerce to be more suitable than platforms like Wix, offering a combination of flexibility and scalability for growing retailers who can sell B2C or B2B from the same platform and handle large product catalogues.

BigCommerce’s platform offers a range of native features, reducing the need to integrate and manage third-party apps. Businesses can operate across the web, social media and ecommerce marketplaces, supported by built-in security and performance tools designed for a reliable customer experience.   

Adobe Commerce

Key features

• Highly scalable, with support for multi-brand B2C and B2B experiences
• Advanced pricing, inventory and customer management
• Support for high-volume and international sales

Established UK retailers with complex requirements and technical expertise or external support might consider Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento). Adobe’s API-first composable platform features AI-powered content creation, personalised customer interactions and advanced tools for design, inventory and customer management.

Small businesses can use Adobe Commerce to scale up efficiently into new markets, brands and business models including B2C, B2B, or B2B2C sales, from a single platform. Adobe’s powerful tools may be excessive for smaller operations that do not need advanced features.

Ecwid

Key features

• Embeds online stores into existing websites
• Straightforward setup requiring minimal technical knowledge
• Social media integrations

Ecwid by Lightspeed offers a simple, flexible solution for small businesses that want to open an ecommerce store without having to rebuild their website, in addition to customisable themes for businesses that do want to create new websites. Retailers can set up payments and shipping for order processing and launch promotions, such as automated ads or personalised email campaigns, to increase sales.

Ecwid is simple to set up with limited technical expertise, but the platform is also scalable and supports advanced design choices with custom code as well as connections to social media and marketplace sites.

Big Cartel

Key features

• Affordable pricing and free plan for micro-businesses
• Focused on artists, makers and small brands
• Simple integrations for social media selling

BigCartel is an independent platform built to help artists and other creatives quickly launch shopfronts to focus on selling their work. The platform offers tiered, affordable subscription plans, including a free option for stores selling up to five products, making it accessible to businesses just getting started or with limited budgets.

Integrations to sell products on social media help small retailers expand their audiences without the need for complex tools or setups, making Big Cartel well suited to small creative ventures that do not need a full website.

ShopWired

Key features

• Designed for UK-based retailers
• Integrated UK VAT and shipping tools
• Optimised for mobile commerce and SEO

ShopWired offers UK small businesses an all-in-one ecommerce platform with hosting and support based in the UK, simplifying compliance and communication for local retailers. Tools include VAT calculations to assist with tax reporting and more than 40 different UK payment integrations.

ShopWired provides customisable website themes that are optimised for mobile shopping, social commerce, and SEO. Businesses can manage their multi-channel tools, inventories, subscriptions, and wholesale pricing from a single dashboard.

EKM

Key features

• UK-hosted platform with integrated security and Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance
• Ecommerce team designs, builds and optimises stores
• Built-in payment options, including UK gateways

UK-based EKM offers small businesses a managed service at a lower cost than hiring an in-house ecommerce team. EKM’s designers, developers, marketing and ecommerce specialists work with businesses to expand online sales, continuously refining and optimising their stores to improve conversions. The platform includes built-in tools for SEO, marketing, order management, and abandoned basket recovery.

EKM’s integrated security and PCI compliance features help small businesses meet compliance requirements to protect transactions and sensitive customer data, without needing specialist expertise. EKM also offers an accessible option for UK small businesses looking for local support to manage their online sales.

FAQs

Do UK small businesses need insurance for online sales?

Online retailers may need insurance to help safeguard their business against risks, depending on how and where they sell products.

Is it better to use an ecommerce platform or build a website from scratch?

Ecommerce shopfronts offer a faster and more cost-effective way for small businesses to sell online, providing advanced design, built-in payment and security features that would otherwise require in-house technical expertise.

Ecommerce retailers can consider protection against risks to sales such as cyber incidents, customer disputes and unexpected downtime. Read about our online retailer insurance to safeguard your business.

Please note: This article provides guidance for information purposes only. It should not be relied upon wholly when making or taking important business decisions – always seek the services of an appropriately qualified professional. The views expressed by websites referred to are limited to those of the websites, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Markel Direct. Markel Direct is not affiliated with any of the brands, companies or websites mentioned in this article.