Best eCommerce Platforms for Dropshipping

With the exponential increase in eCommerce penetration, dropshipping businesses are booming, and the market is expected to be $301.11 billion by 2024. The industry is currently growing at a CAGR of 24.39%, and the ability to start with low capital, and no requirements for dedicated operational space or inventory are some of the major reasons behind its growth. 

The boom in dropshipping has also led to the emergence of a plethora of eCommerce platforms, such as Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, etc. 

With so many options to choose from, making the right choice for your dropshipping business can be daunting, especially if you have just started. 

This is why, we have compiled a list of the top eCommerce platforms for dropshipping business owners. So, let’s dig in!

Finding the Best eCommerce Platforms for Dropshipping

Before we begin listing out the most awesome eCommerce platforms for dropshipping, it is important to note that not every platform is built for every type of product. You have to identify your dropshipping needs, compare them against the features offered by the platform, and then make the choice. 

Identifying Your Dropshipping Needs

Identify the short-term and long-term business goals, like expanding into a new country, having reliable customer support, number of payment options, parcel services, etc. Then, check your current financials, like how many orders you punch daily, whether the seasonal spikes and lows are having a consequential effect on your earnings, etc. 

Further, you need to check the kind of products you are selling, the number of product categories you have, and whether you need advanced features like inventory management, shipping, analytics, etc.

Once you have a well-defined list/projection of all these factors, you can set out to compare the service portfolios of different eCommerce platforms for drop shippers and make the best choice for your business.

Also, check for helpful resources like how to get started as a dropshipper to have a thorough understanding of the ecosystem.

Essential Features for a Dropshipping Business

Ease of Use

As a drop shipper, you want to focus on selling more, grabbing more audience, and managing the core business processes. Hence, it is crucial to have an eCommerce platform that is easy to use, offers an ample amount of customization options, and allows you to function in a better way.

Opt for a platform that comes with an intuitive and integrated dashboard management interface, and built-in capabilities like marketing, promotions, analytics, etc. 

Pricing

Choosing a feature-rich platform is important but so is checking the affordability. When you have just started your dropshipping business and your monthly average revenue could be more steady, opting for an expensive platform can simply become a bleeding point. Make a list of everything you need to start your eCommerce business, in terms of features and capabilities.

Look for platforms that offer a decent suite of features, come with free versions of some advanced features, and have a flexible pricing structure. This would allow you to expand organically, without eroding your bottom lines. 

Supplier Integrations

Always check for the type and number of supplier integrations the platform offers. Having a large number of integrations will enable you to work with multiple parties, unlock a wide range of payment options, and manage everything from a single platform.

Shopify is an excellent platform in this regard as it comes with more than 6000 integrations of different types that allow you to unlock truly seamless business operations.

Scalability

As your business grows, your product categories will expand and you will also require more business-specific offerings, such as marketing analytics, customer analytics, email marketing, etc. Also, you might look for advanced online store management and expansion features. 

Hence, look for an eCommerce platform that evolves with your business and allows you to upgrade or downgrade your subscriptions and services as and when required. 

Customer Support

When you are starting out, there will be some hiccups, like online marketplace configuration, integration settings, and more. You might also find yourself stuck while customizing your online marketplace and might need some help from time to time. 

This is why having a reliable and robust customer support system matters a lot. Check the kind of customer support infrastructure the eCommerce platform for dropshipping offers and also confirm whether the query resolution process works as expected or not. Opt for the one that you feel works best for your business needs and preferences. 

Built-In Marketing Tools

With numerous options to choose from, standing out as a business is becoming tougher with each passing day. In order to have a large audience, your business needs to have a strong online presence, you have to do marketing via email, social media, and streaming platforms. 

Therefore, it becomes essential to choose a dropshipping e-commerce platform that offers built-in marketing capabilities. This way you don’t have to pay extra for dedicated marketing tools and can easily manage all the business aspects from a single interface.

The Best eCommerce Platforms for Dropshipping

Now, let’s quickly jump into the list of the best eCommerce platforms for dropshipping.

1. Shopify

Shopify is one of the best eCommerce platforms for dropshipping businesses and comes with an excellent user-friendly interface. It offers an extensive 6000+ integrations and a rich app store, which makes it perfect for dropshippers who have just started.

Outstanding Features:

• Product Catalog & listings, mobile storefront, catalog and listings, branding, etc.

• Abandoned cart recovery

• Personalized recommendations, SEO features, promotions, and discounts

Pros: 

• Easy to put inventory and products

• Easiest product management

• Analytics and customer experience management

Cons: 

• Advanced customizations might come with some learning curve, especially for non-technical users

• Might be expensive if you are starting out or have a limited budget

Pricing: 

There are four plans to choose from, and the basic plan starts at $29 monthly when billed annually.

2. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a leading dropshipping eCommerce platform that comes with advanced tools for analytics, marketing, and design. The platform offers multiple integrations with third parties, including the top payment gateways and dropshipping apps. So, if you sell core eCommerce products across different geographies, this is the best platform for you.

Outstanding Features: 

• Lower credit card rates and fully customizable checkout experiences

• Ability to manage multiple storefronts internationally from a single account

• Extensive set of integrations

• Sell retail and wholesale products via one or multiple stores (B2C and B2B selling)

Pros: 

• Stunning suite of features with easy customization

• Extremely easy to use and onboard new employees

• Amazing financial value in terms of marketplace functionalities and entry-level features

Cons:

• In terms of invoices, confirmations, and emails the platform is less flexible

• Advanced configurations, such as a drop-down menu for SKU-level selection, like dress sizes can be hard

• Clunky customer support and resolution

Pricing: 

There are three plans to choose from and the basic plan is priced at $29.95 per month. 

3. WooCommerce

It is an open-source eCommerce platform for dropshipping, developers, and merchants that comes with an amazing feature set, and is one of the best options to choose from. The platform allows you to get custom solutions for high-volume stores, and create stores for other parties and is highly extensible. 

Outstanding Features: 

• Quick setup, intuitive user interface, flexible and secure integrations with 140+ region-specific gateways to choose from, such as WooPayments, PayPal, Square, Stripe, Amazon Pay, and more.

• Responsive interface with on-the-go order management capabilities.

• Advanced features such as automated tax calculations, options to print labels at home, and live shipping rates from leading carriers.

Pros: 

• Easy to manage and effortless integrations

• Unparalleled customizations 

• Robust security and a large community

Cons:

• It only works for WordPress websites

• It comes with a slight learning curve for beginners

• It can be a bit expensive for businesses that are starting out

Pricing: 

The pricing depends on the type of features you require, such as themes, domain, hosting, etc. 

4. DSers-AliExpress Dropshipping

Nothing can beat AliExpress when it comes to product variety and community. The online retail platform features more than 100 million products, so you can sell without any reservations about any qualms about the product categories you have. 

Outstanding Features: 

• One-click supplier selection and quick bulk order mapping to multiple suppliers

• Map multiple suppliers to one variant of your products

• Automatic order status updates, stock management, and pricing. 

Pros: 

• Automated tracking and sync to PayPal

• Multiple Shopify stores under one account

• Import and edit products for free

Cons:

• No automated price updates

• As the product listings are massive, ensuring product uniqueness is tough

• The free plan doesn’t allow you to add new staff

Pricing: 

No price for up to 3,000 products, and the advanced plan starts at $19.90 per month.

5. Squarespace

Squarespace is another leading eCommerce platform for dropshipping businesses, which offers visually appealing templates intuitive user interface, and is perfect for businesses seeking aesthetic and designer storefronts. 

Outstanding Features: 

• Variety of third-party integrations, such as ShipStation, Printful, Spocket, etc.

• Site analytics, and built-in marketing features

• Perfect for everyone who wants to sell anything, ranging from courses to products

Pros: 

• Excellent predefined storefront templates

• Easy manipulation and editing of graphics, which is perfect for dropshipping businesses

• Blogging features

Cons:

• All the advanced features are paid and are not included in the basic plans.

• It can be expensive as the starting fee doesn’t include the setup fee.

• Doesn’t offer multi-currency selling.

Pricing: 

There are found plans and the basic plan starts at $25 per month.

6. SaleHoo

SaleHoo is also one of the best platforms for drop shippers that doubles as a research tool and supplier directory for wholesalers, and eCommerce stores. SaleHoo’s database comes with more than 8000 dropshipping suppliers, and wholesale distributors with a wide range of products.

Outstanding Features: 

• Easy access to Market Research Lab to get data and sales insights on your products. 

• You can check how well the products are performing across other channels, like Amazon and eBay, before you add them to your store. 

• You can easily factor in product availability as the platform lets you see how many other retailers are offering the product.

Pros: 

• No hidden fees with a 60-day money-back guarantee (no questions asked)

• Fantastic market research such as customer patterns, etc.

• Amazing brand layout, robust customer support, and training.

Cons:

• Marketplace fee for selling on third-party platforms.

• It can be pricy for businesses that are starting out.

• You have to sell across third-party marketplaces, and that is not free. 

If you plan to go ahead with SaleHoo, we recommend checking our detailed guides for selling on Amazon and selling on eBay for a more comprehensive understanding.

Pricing: 

You have to pay $67 for one-year access, while the lifetime access comes at $127.

7. Spocket

Spocket is another amazing eCommerce platform for dropshipping businesses that comes with a wide range of wholesale merchants, most of whom are based in the United States and Europe. If you have an international store, you can also find merchants from Asia, Australia, Canada, and Brazil.

Outstanding Features: 

• The Spocket app allows you to browse the merchant products.

• The Spocket app allows you to add products to your Shopify store in one click.

• The entire order process is automated and you can deliver orders at the point of purchase. 

Pros: 

• Personalized invoice generation. 

• Fast shipping times for select suppliers and customer locations.

• You can also opt for branded packaging for your orders.

Cons:

• It can be pricey for new business, especially because features such as branded invoices are available in Pro plans.

• The Pro plan offers fewer products at higher prices as compared to other platforms. 

• Lacks advanced dropshipping features like automatic tax rate assessments.

Pricing: 

There are three paid plans to choose from. The basic plan starts at $24 per month and there is a free plan as well that comes with limited features.

Setting up an LLC for Your Dropshipping Business

Before you start your dropshipping business, you have to choose a business structure for your organization. There are different types of business structures, such as LLCs, C Corporations, S Corporations, etc. LLC is a popular choice among founders these days, especially because it keeps personal assets protected from the liabilities of the business organization. 

Should I Set Up an LLC or a C Corp? 

LLCs and C Corps are two common choices for business structures but they have significant differences in terms of how they operate. An LLC is a pass-through business entity, which means the business losses, and profits are passed through the personal tax returns of the business owners. 

While this helps them avoid double taxation, they can keep their personal assets safe from any liabilities of the business. On the other hand, a C Corp is a separate business entity that calls for separate tax filing, and the shareholders have to pay double taxes – personal income taxes, and business taxes. This is so because the income from business profits has to be taxed separately. 

Further, a C Corp comes with a more complex formation and reporting structure as compared to LLCs. Hence, we recommend opting for an LLC structure for your dropshipping business, especially if you are starting out or want to operate the business in the US from some foreign country. 

If you wish to expand your business later and wish to go public, you can change your business structure to a C Corp.

How to Set Up an LLC

Setting up an LLC can be a complex process as it comes with multiple considerations, such as state of formation, selecting a name for your LLC, hiring an LLC organizer and a registered agent, filing the Articles of Organization, creating an operating agreement, getting your EIN, etc. 

As the entire process can become complicated, we recommend investing in some reputed business formation service providers, such as doola. doola is a unique business-in-a-box platform that comes with different business solutions developed for founders, such as doola Money, bookkeeping, tax filing, Total Compliance package, etc.

You can start a business in the US from anywhere in the world with doola as your partner and can put your business documentation and formalities on auto-pilot. Doola’s tax experts allow you to run your business with full freedom from anywhere in the world while ensuring that your deductions stay maximum and your business stays compliant. 

For more information, grab a free consultation with our experts now!