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Posted by Ben Rowley
Ben Rowley
166 Points

Whats the best e-commerce plugin for a website with around 100 sku's?

Im looking to build a website for a friend who would like to sell her own handbags online. I am quite familiar with Wordpress and would like to know everyones opinion on the best e-commerce plugins to use? Or should I be looking towards platforms like Shopify and Magento?

Thanks

4 Answers

Jonathan Musso
Jonathan Musso
3,760 Points
Jonathan Musso
Jonathan Musso
3,760 Points

Ben, I would personally make a decision between Shopify and Magneto. They are very powerful and established.

Ben Rowley
Ben Rowley
166 Points

Thanks Jonathan, really appreciate your opinion on this one!

Jonathan Musso
Jonathan Musso
3,760 Points

No worries Ben. Sorry I could not provide any more information. I myself have not used them, but am looking to in the near future. They have a lot of features and I hear the support is good. It all comes down to what you need, open source or paid licenses?

Regards.

Zac Gordon
STAFF
Zac Gordon
Treehouse Guest Teacher
Zac Gordon
Zac Gordon
Treehouse Guest Teacher

Well considering we have a big WooCommerce course coming out, I'm going to say WooCommerce.

I've worked with Shopify and really like it, it's really nice software and well integrated in a lot of areas. However, I found theming customization options a little limiting, although the template code is cleaner than WordPress.

Magento is pretty powerful as well, but has a very different approach to templating with a bit more of a learning curve compared to the others.

Eve L.
PLUS
Eve L.
Courses Plus Student 9,023 Points
Eve L.
Eve L.
Courses Plus Student 9,023 Points

I have used and like Woocommerce. It has a lot of great built-in functionality. Just be aware that extensions (if you need them) can be pricey.

I've also used Shopify with no complaints.

Good luck!

Gemma Weirs
Gemma Weirs
15,054 Points
Gemma Weirs
Gemma Weirs
15,054 Points

I personally would go for either WooCommerce or Shopify.

Shopify is obviously a hosted service with a great reputation, and it's ideal if you don't want to deal with servers/upgrades, etc. There is a Shopify apps store if you need extra functionality. The thing to consider: do you need a custom theme? Or are you happy to make do with a premade theme? If you want a custom theme, are you familiar enough with Shopify to be able to code one yourself? If not, then obviously you need a developer who can do that for you, which would be an additional cost.

WooCommerce is easy to get started with, backed up by a reputable company. And of course, there are plenty of addons for extra functionality. There are plenty of themes, and if you are familiar with creating WordPress themes, creating a custom theme for your store shouldn't be too difficult. Upgrading is a snap as well. My personal recommendation, server-wise, is to go with a WordPress host to save headaches on the server optimisation and maintenance front (unless you actually enjoy tinkering with servers). Try Flywheel or a similar host which offers plans at a reasonable price.