Best E-commerce Platforms for US Market Expansion in 2026 Beyond WooCommerce and Shopify

Streaming and social media platforms are packed with content educating on how to launch your online store. Side-hustles or seriousness, tech-savvy users and businesses alike are eager to jump on this gravy train. Why?

A study by Shopify showed that global e-commerce sales are forecast to grow from $6.42 trillion in 2025 to $7.89 trillion by 2028.

There is a visible shift among U.S. shoppers from offline to online shopping. Convenience, price point, and time savings, among other factors, all contribute to the surge in online shopping.

But how do you choose a platform that perfectly caters to your product and your unique business requirements? Beyond the undocumented duopoly of WooCommerce and Shopify, the American market is cluttered with multiple platforms screaming for your attention. Selecting something that checks all your boxes might require research and careful consideration.

To solve this problem, we are listing down 7 more functional platforms for you to choose from.

What are some of the Shopify and WooCommerce alternatives?

Our key is consistency. We have worked with US e-commerce trends for eons and have studied how new and old platforms cope with emerging market trends. The Content Management Systems (CMS) listed here consider multiple factors that align your business with buyers.

This is our curated list.

A quick e-commerce platform comparison for the US market expansion

Platform	Best for	Starting Price	Ease of Use	Scalability	Best Features	Transaction Fees
BigCommerce	Growing and scaling businesses	$39/ month	Moderate	Excellent	Powerful built-in commerce features	None
Adobe Commerce (Magento)	Large enterprises with dev teams	$22000+/ year (commerce cloud)	Complex	Enterprise grade	Extreme customization flexibility	Depends on the payment gateway
Salesforce Commerce Cloud	Global enterprises	Custom pricing	Complex	Enterprise grade	AI-driven personalization (Einstein)	Custom per contract
Wix E-commerce	Small creative businesses	$27/ month	Very easy	Suitable for small and mid-sized businesses	Drag and drop editor	None on paid plans
Commercetools	Modern headless commerce teams	Custom pricing	Technical (API-first)	Enterprise level	MACH architecture e-commerce (API-first, headless, cloud-native)	Depends on the payment provider
Squarespace Commerce	Visual brands, creatives, small shops	$36/ month	Easy	Good for small and mid-sized businesses	Best-in-class design templates	None
Square Online	Brick-and-mortar stores expanding to online	Free plan available	Very easy	Good for small and mid-sized businesses	Seamless POS sync	2.9% + 30¢ (on free plan)

The comparison underscores that each e-commerce platform brings a very different strength to the table. The right choice depends on where your business is today and where you expect it to be once you scale in the US market.

What orgs can leverage which e-commerce platforms for US market expansion?

Startups or individuals, SMBs or enterprises, these 7 platforms we chose cater to a specific audience type. Please see the drill-down below.

E-commerce platforms by business size

Business Size	Platforms	Key Fit Reasons
Individuals / Startups	Shopify, Wix e-commerce	Easy onboarding, low cost, templates for solo or early-stage launches
SMBs	WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Square Online	Custom dev, mid-scale tools, payment integration for growing operations
Enterprises	Adobe Commerce (Magento), Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Commercetools	Headless scalability, API depth, high-volume customization

Current market share of top e-commerce platforms

Now that you are aware of the best CMS for online stores in the US and what organization size they cater to, see below for statistics on their market share.

US e-commerce platform market shares (2025)

Platform	Market Share (%)	Notes
Shopify	27-30	Top in-store volume and SaaS scalability; ~2.8 M US sites
WooCommerce	16-20	WordPress-powered; strong custom dev adoption
BigCommerce	0.5-3	Mid-market focus; limited broad penetration
Adobe Commerce (Magento)	0.5-9	Enterprise-leader; higher in revenue metrics
Salesforce Commerce Cloud	2-3	Big brand usage (e.g., top 10K sites)
Wix E-commerce	18-23	SMB-friendly; ~1.8 M sites
Squarespace Commerce	14-20	Design-led SMB e-commerce; ~0.35 M – 0.40 M live stores, heavily US-centric
Square Online	1-2	Integrated with Square payments; growing SMB segment
Commercetools	<1	Headless niche; low volume in the US

Already convinced which platform is the best for you?

If you want to know the attributes of the aforementioned tools, read on. 

What to consider for the best e-commerce platforms (USA) in 2026?

The US market is large, regulation-heavy, fast-moving, and highly competitive. And that means your e-commerce platform should do more than just “support transactions.” In 2026, cross-border e-commerce solutions should support scale, reliability, and velocity.

Look at these critical factors before investing:

1. Performance and infrastructure

You should consider:

• US-based hosting options
• Low-latency delivery
• Predictable performance under high traffic
• Edge networks

Why? Well, because peak-season failures are unforgivable in this market.

2. Compliance and risk management

US sales tax is complex. ADA accessibility is enforced. And, data privacy rules vary among platforms. You should consider robust e-commerce platform features and frictionless integrations to stay compliant without building everything in-house.

3. Scalability and multi-store capability

If you’re running multiple storefronts, selling across regions, or managing a large number of SKUs, you should consider the platform’s scalability. It must scale horizontally without constant patching or plugin dependency.

4. Extensibility and integration architecture

Modern US commerce requires seamless integrations to ERPs, CRMs, 3PLs, CDPs, marketplaces, and marketing systems. The platform should offer robust APIs, webhooks, and event-driven integrations.

5. Flexibility for composable and headless commerce

For successful expansion into US markets, brands should focus on delivering faster and more personalized experiences. E-commerce platforms that support headless, composable architecture are preferred.

6. Checkout, payments, and localization

US consumers expect one thing above all; a frictionless checkout.

Hence, you should consider support for Apple Pay, BNPL, PayPal, and localized tax/shipping rules in the e-commerce platform you’re choosing.

Top 7 e-commerce platforms for US market expansion in 2026 (in detail)

The following are some of the best players for the 2026 US e-commerce market expansion, each with different strengths and features depending on various things:

1. BigCommerce

BigCommerce has become one of the best CMS for online stores in the US for brands looking for enterprise-grade capabilities without committing to a full composable build. It offers reliable performance, strong APIs, and less plugin dependency compared to WooCommerce and Shopify.

Why it could be a 2026 leader?

• Open SaaS architecture with robust APIs
• Native B2B + US tax integrations
• Fewer plugins required for scaling
• Headless-ready without heavy engineering

2. Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento)

Adobe Commerce remains the go-to choice among the top enterprise e-commerce platforms for complex catalogs, deep customization, and multi-store setups. It gives technical teams complete control over architecture and experiences. 

Why it could be a 2026 leader?

• Highly customizable, modular setup
• Seamless integration with Adobe Experience Cloud
• Strong multi-store/multi-region management
• Perfect for complex products and workflow requirements

3. Salesforce Commerce Cloud

SFCC is one of the best cloud-based e-commerce platforms, built for enterprise businesses that rely on merchandising control, personalization, and data-driven experiences across all channels. This e-commerce platform is ideal for retailers managing massive catalogs, complex customer journeys, and high traffic volumes.

Why it could be a 2026 leader?

• Enterprise-level stability under massive traffic
• AI-driven personalization and merchandising
• Strong CRM + Marketing Cloud integration
• Unified customer data across every touchpoint

4. Commercetools

Commercetools is a preferred choice for API-first e-commerce platforms. It has become the flagship choice for teams that want complete architectural freedom. It’s ideal for brands planning to enter the US market with long-term scalability and innovation in mind.

Why it could be a 2026 leader?

• Full MACH stack (microservices, API-first, cloud-native, headless)
• Supports omnichannel and multi-front-end environments
• Highly extensible for custom builds
• Future-proof architecture for long-term scaling

5. Wix E-commerce

Wix is best known for its intuitive drag-and-drop editor. It offers an accessible, easy-to-manage option for small teams that want control without coding. With built-in robust e-commerce features, it has become a top e-commerce platform for brands entering the US market.

Why it could be a 2026 leader?

• Affordable and low-maintenance
• Growing integrations for essential workflows
• Simple customization without developers
• Best for early-stage demand testing

6. Squarespace Commerce

Squarespace continues to dominate the design-first category, offering polished storefronts with low technical overhead and fast deployment. If your product heavily relies on beautiful images, it should be your go-to choice. Its templates are also mobile-optimized, ensuring brands always look impeccable.

Why it could be a 2026 leader?

• Lighting-fast launch timelines
• Reliable hosting built in
• Beautiful templates with strong performance
• Minimal engineering requirements

7. Square Online

Square Online brings storefronts, POS, payments, and fulfillment in a unified ecosystem. It’s ideal for brands, especially those that are selling both online and offline. With simplicity and deep hardware integration, it makes a perfect choice for brands expanding into the US market.

Why it could be a 2026 leader?

• Simplified US payments, taxes, and local fulfillment
• Strong choice for retail-first brands entering US commerce
• Seamless integration with Square POS and in-store operation
• Faster setup with minimal technical overhead

What to ask yourself before finalizing on an e-commerce platform?

Choosing the right e-commerce platform heavily depends on your business profile versus the platform’s capabilities. Let’s take a look at the key questions you should be asking yourself:

• What’s your budget, and how much can you invest upfront (CMS, hosting, custom dev, and maintenance)?
• How important are integrations, customization, and headless flexibility for your brand’s UX or omnichannel goals?
• How complex or large is your product catalog (SKUs, variants, multiple markets)?
• Do you need strong compliance and tax automation from day one (given US regulations)?
• Are you comfortable with ongoing development and maintenance, or do you prefer simpler, lower-maintenance setups?
• Do you expect high growth or high traffic (seasonal spikes, flash sales, or peak loads)?

At Unified Infotech, we help you answer all these questions. With over fifteen years of experience, we have been working with many e-commerce companies. Our experts will assess your unique business goals and help you find the right platform.

Also, ensure to avoid making these e-commerce platform mistakes:

• Focusing only on price
• Ignoring mobile experience
• Overlooking the future growth
• Neglecting essential integrations
• Underestimating technical requirements

Emerging trends that influence the top US e-commerce platform choice in 2026

As you plan to enter the US market, keep an eye on these broader industry shifts shaping performance needs:

1. AI-driven personalization and automation

• Real-time product recommendations based on shopping behavior
• Automated customer service through advanced assistants
• AI-led merchandising adjusting layouts, bundles, and pricing
• Predictive analytics for inventory, demand, and churn

2. Retail media networks (RMNs)

• Brands are buying ad placements directly on retailer platforms
• Better attribution on RMNs merging commerce + media data
• Growing budget shift from traditional paid search and social

3. Unified commerce and omnichannel sync

• Online, offline, and marketplace data are merging into one source
• POS and e-commerce platforms expected to sync in real time
• Consistent pricing, promotions, and inventory across multiple touch points

4. Composable and headless architecture

• MACH frameworks are becoming mainstream for scaling brands
• Greater adoption of microservices for checkout, search, and cart
• Faster experimentation with decoupled front-end experiences

5. Social commerce dominance

• Instagram Checkout, TikTok Shop, and YouTube Shopping are gaining traction
• Seamless in-app purchasing is expected by default
• Creators driving product discovery and conversion

6. Zero-party and first-party data strategies

• Reduced reliance on third-party cookies due to privacy regulations
• CDPs and unified customer profiles are increasing in importance
• On-site personalization powered by declared customer preferences

7. Fast fulfillment and last-mile efficiency

• 2-day delivery is becoming the baseline expectation
• Real-time tracking and flexible delivery options are becoming standard
• Micro-fulfillment centers expanding in metro areas

8. Ethical commerce and sustainability

• Consumers prioritizing carbon-aware shipping options
• Brands displaying sustainable materials and ethical sourcing
• Regulations pushing clearer packaging and shipment disclosures

US market expansion with top e-commerce platforms in 2026

In 2026, expanding into the US market is more than just going live. It’s about choosing what scales smarter. The e-commerce industry is getting faster, more competitive, and shaped by customers who expect seamless interactions across every touchpoint. Hence, your e-commerce platform choice should support flexibility, performance, and effortless integrations to keep pace with how modern customers browse, compare, and purchase today.

We hope this guide to the best e-commerce platforms for US market expansion in 2026 gives you the clarity you need to align your technology choices with the real buyer behavior. By choosing the right platform, you set the foundation for seamless growth, better customer experiences, and long-term success in one of the world’s most competitive digital markets.

Unsure about where to begin? Unified Infotech can lead the way!

We can help! 

As a leading e-commerce web development company, we work closely with brands to understand their goals to find the right platform fit and architect solutions that ensure long-term US growth. If you’d like personalized guidance, feel free to connect with us for a no-obligation consulting session. We’d be happy to walk you through what’s best for your business.