You want to start an online shop - but which software is best suited to your business model? The choice is huge, and the decision often depends on it, how much control, flexibility and technical expertise You bring with you. In this article, we take a look at the different types of shop systems, compare the most important providers and give you an overview of the pros and cons.
Why do I need a shop system at all?
Perhaps you are wondering whether you are even a Fully-fledged shop system after all, there are other ways to sell products online. In fact must You don't necessarily have to rely on a complex system, but a shop system has clear advantages.
What a shop system does for you:
- Product management: Create, categorise, describe and manage articles
- Order processing: Automatically generate shopping basket, checkout, invoices and delivery notes
- Payment integration: Interfaces to payment providers such as PayPal, Stripe, Klarna or Shopify Payments
- Dispatch processing: Connection to Shipping service provider such as DHL, UPS or Hermes
- Legal certainty: GDPR-compliant cookie banners, cancellation notices and GTC management
- Marketing & SEO: Tools for search engine optimisation, product reviews and voucher systems
Alternatives to the classic shop system:
Of course you can also without a fully-fledged shop system sell - for example via:
- Social media (Instagram shopping, Facebook shops)
- Marketplaces (eBay, Etsy, Amazon)
- Checkout links (e.g. PayPal.me or Stripe Payment Links)
- Landing pages with payment integration (e.g. via WordPress, Leadpages or Wix)
But here you are often missing important functions such as Inventory management, automation and professional Returns portals. In addition, you often have Less control over your data and the customer experience.
SaaS / All-in-One shop systems
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) means that your shop system is delivered completely "ready-made" - including hosting, updates and support. You only have to take care of the design, products and marketing - the provider takes care of all the technical aspects.
Well-known examples:
- Shopify
- Wix eCommerce
- Jimdo
- BigCommerce
- Squarespace
✅ Advantages:
- Simple, fast start - often in just a few hours
- No server maintenance or updates necessary
- Many ready-made templates and apps
- High reliability and performance
❌ Disadvantages:
- Monthly subscription costs
- Often limited customisability
- Dependence on the provider
- Transaction fees (e.g. with Shopify if you do not use Shopify Payments)
➡️ Suitable for small to medium-sized shops, beginners and fast MVPs (Minimum Viable Products).
CMS + e-commerce extensions
A Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla or Drupal is a flexible basis that you can transform into a fully-fledged online shop with e-commerce plugins. These systems offer more control - but are also more complex to set up.
Known combinations:
- WordPress + WooCommerce
- Joomla + J2Store
- Drupal + Drupal Commerce
- Typo3 + Aimeos
✅ Advantages:
- High flexibility and control
- Full control over hosting, data & design
- Large community and plugin selection
- Ideal for content-driven brands
❌ Disadvantages:
- Technical knowledge required
- Maintenance, security & backups are up to you
- Performance depends heavily on your hosting
- More complex than modular systems or SaaS solutions
➡️ Suitable for content-heavy shops, blogs with a shop connection or brands with individual design requirements.
Open source shop systems
If you want maximum control and are prepared to lend a hand yourself (or with a developer), then Open source solutions ideal. These systems are often free of charge, but are also much more sophisticated.
Well-known examples:
- Magento Open Source
- Shopware Community Edition
- PrestaShop
- OXID eShop (Community Edition)
✅ Advantages:
- 100 % Control over code & data
- High flexibility for individual customisation
- Large developer community
- No licence fees
❌ Disadvantages:
- High technical effort
- Take responsibility for hosting, security and maintenance yourself
- Often expensive to develop
- Long set-up times
➡️ Suitable for large shops, complex B2B or D2C models and international retailers
Headless & API-based shop systems
If you are on Maximum flexibility and Perfect performance are Headless systems or API-first solutions the right thing. Here, the front end (shop interface) is separated from the back end (data, orders) - ideal for modern web apps or omnichannel concepts.
Well-known examples:
- Shopify Hydrogen
- Saleor
- Commerce.js
- Medusa.js
- BigCommerce (Headless)
✅ Advantages:
- Maximum flexibility and performance
- Freedom in design & front-end technology
- Easy integration of apps and microservices
- Future-proof and scalable
❌ Disadvantages:
- Developer expertise absolutely essential
- Complex implementation
- High initial costs
➡️ Suitable for highly customised projects, complex product catalogues or shops with a strong brand identity.
Big comparison: shop systems at a glance
| System type | Examples | Suitable for | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| SaaS / All-in-One | Shopify, Wix, BigCommerce | Beginners, small shops | Simple, fast, little technology | Subscription costs, limited flexibility |
| CMS + extension | WordPress + WooCommerce, Joomla + J2Store | Content-heavy shops | Flexible, SEO-strong, many plugins | Technical responsibility, maintenance |
| Open Source | Magento, Shopware, PrestaShop | Large shops, B2B, complex models | Full control, customisable | High set-up costs, complex |
| Headless | Shopify Hydrogen, Saleor, Commerce.js | Highly flexible, scalable shops | Max. Freedom, best performance | Developer required, high costs |
Conclusion: Which shop system is right for you?
There is no "one" best shop system - but rather the one that best suits your business model. Beginners often go with SaaS systems good, while content-driven brands tend to CMS solutions should take hold. Large or technically demanding projects benefit from Open source or headless solutions - but these require more technical expertise.
