Best Headless ECommerce Platforms : Cost analysis and Key features

Published on November 3rd, 2023

Headless ecommerce platforms, also known as decoupled ecommerce platforms, have rapidly gained significant popularity in recent years. This surge in adoption can be attributed to their remarkable flexibility, scalability, and user-friendly nature, which has revolutionized the online retail landscape. By adopting a decoupled architecture, these platforms completely transform the way businesses operate by decoupling the front-end design from the back-end functionality.

This innovative approach empowers businesses with unparalleled customization options, enabling them to craft visually stunning storefronts that truly reflect their brand identity. Moreover, the seamless integration capabilities of headless e-commerce platforms allow businesses to effortlessly connect with various payment gateways and third-party services, enhancing the overall customer experience.

With headless ecommerce platforms, businesses can create unique and engaging online shopping experiences that captivate their customers. From personalized product recommendations and interactive product catalogs to seamless checkout processes and real-time inventory management, these platforms offer a wide array of features that cater to the evolving needs of modern consumers.

In addition, the scalable nature of headless ecommerce platforms ensures that businesses can easily adapt and grow as their customer base expands. Whether it’s handling increased traffic during peak shopping seasons or integrating with new systems and technologies, these platforms provide the necessary infrastructure to support business growth.

In summary, headless ecommerce platforms offer a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to elevate their online retail presence. With their unmatched flexibility, scalability, and seamless integration capabilities, these platforms empower businesses to create tailored and cohesive ecommerce experiences that leave a lasting impression on their customers.

11 Best Headless Ecommerce Platforms In 2024

In today’s fast-paced digital world, having an online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. With the rise of headless ecommerce platforms, businesses now have access to advanced tools and features that can take their online retail game to the next level.

1. Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is a popular headless ecommerce platform that offers a wide range of features, including multi-channel selling, customizable checkout experiences, and advanced analytics. With its intuitive interface and robust integrations, Shopify Plus makes it easy for businesses to create and manage their online stores.

Multi-channel Selling: Shopify Plus supports selling across multiple platforms including web, mobile, social media and marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, enabling businesses to reach a wider audience.
Customizable Checkout Experiences: Shopify Plus allows businesses to customize their checkout process completely, providing a unique and personalized shopping experience for each customer.
Advanced Analytics: With Shopify Plus, businesses gain access to advanced analytics that provide insights into customer behavior, sales trends, and overall performance. This enables them to make data-driven decisions that can enhance growth and profitability.
Robust Integrations: Shopify Plus can seamlessly integrate with various third-party apps and services, enhancing its functionality and making it easier for businesses to manage different aspects of their online store.
Scalability: Shopify Plus can handle high volume traffic and sales, making it a viable choice for businesses of all sizes.
Security: Shopify Plus prioritizes security, providing a secure platform for transactions and protecting customer data.
24/7 Support: Shopify Plus offers round-the-clock customer support, ensuring that businesses can get help whenever they need it.

2. Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento Commerce, is another popular headless ecommerce platform used by businesses of all sizes. It offers a wide range of features and functionalities that enable businesses to create unique and personalized online stores.

Some key features of Adobe Commerce include:

Headless Architecture: Adobe Commerce follows a headless architecture, allowing for greater flexibility and customization options.
Multi-Channel Selling: Adobe Commerce enables businesses to sell their products on multiple channels, including social media platforms and marketplaces.
Advanced Product Options: With Adobe Commerce, businesses can offer advanced product options such as customizable products, bundles, and subscriptions, providing customers with a more personalized shopping experience.
SEO-Friendly: Adobe Commerce comes with built-in SEO features, making it easier for businesses to optimize their online stores for search engines.
Robust Inventory Management: Adobe Commerce offers robust inventory management capabilities, allowing businesses to effectively track their stock levels and manage multiple warehouses.
Integration Options: Adobe Commerce can integrate with various third-party apps and services, providing businesses with the tools they need to enhance their online store’s functionality.
Advanced Reporting: Adobe Commerce provides advanced reporting options, giving businesses valuable insights into their sales and customer data.

3. BigCommerce Enterprise

BigCommerce Enterprise is a popular headless ecommerce platform that caters primarily to large and fast-growing businesses. It offers a highly scalable and customizable solution, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to expand their online presence.

Some key features of BigCommerce Enterprise include:

Flexible APIs: BigCommerce Enterprise offers flexible APIs, allowing businesses to easily integrate with other systems and services.
High Performance: BigCommerce Enterprise is built on a powerful and reliable infrastructure, ensuring high performance and uptime for businesses.
Multi-Channel Selling: Similar to Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce Enterprise also offers multi-channel selling capabilities, allowing businesses to sell their products on various channels like social media, marketplaces, and more.
Customizable Checkout: With BigCommerce Enterprise, businesses have the ability to customize their checkout process to align with their brand and customer preferences.
Built-in SEO: BigCommerce Enterprise has built-in SEO features that help businesses optimize their online stores for search engines.
Robust Inventory Management: Similar to Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce Enterprise also offers robust inventory management capabilities, making it easy for businesses to track and manage their stock levels.
Advanced Security Features: BigCommerce Enterprise has advanced security features, ensuring that businesses’ data and their customers’ information are safe and secure.
24/7 Support: BigCommerce Enterprise offers 24/7 support to its clients, providing assistance with any technical issues or questions they may have.

4. Commercetools

Commercetools is another popular headless ecommerce platform that offers a wide range of features to businesses. Some key features of Commercetools include:

API-First Approach: Similar to other headless ecommerce platforms, Commercetools also follows an API-first approach, making it easy for businesses to integrate with other systems and services.
Microservices Architecture: Commercetools follows a microservices architecture, which allows businesses to have more flexibility and scalability in their ecommerce operations.
Flexible Catalog Management: With Commercetools, businesses can easily manage their product catalog and create custom catalogs for different sales channels.
Global Capabilities: Commercetools has global capabilities, making it easy for businesses to sell their products and services in multiple countries and languages.
Support for Multiple Sales Channels: Commercetools allows businesses to sell their products through various sales channels, including web, mobile, social media, and more.
Headless CMS Integration: Commercetools offers integration with popular headless content management systems like Contentful and Prismic, making it easier for businesses to manage their content and ecommerce operations together.
Advanced Personalization: Commercetools offers advanced personalization features, allowing businesses to create personalized experiences for their customers based on their browsing and purchasing behavior.
Multi-Tenant SaaS Platform: Commercetools is a multi-tenant SaaS platform, meaning that it can handle high volumes of traffic and transactions without any downtime.
Flexible Pricing Models: Commercetools offers flexible pricing models, including pay-per-use and subscription-based options, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Comprehensive Analytics: With Commercetools, businesses have access to comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing them to make data-driven decisions and optimize their ecommerce operations.
API-First Approach: Commercetools follows an API-first approach, making it easy for businesses to integrate with other systems and applications.
Omnichannel Capabilities: With Commercetools, businesses can easily offer omnichannel experiences for their customers by seamlessly connecting all sales channels and touchpoints.
Continuous Innovation: Commercetools is continuously innovating and adding new features and functionalities to their platform, ensuring that businesses always have access to the latest ecommerce trends and technologies.
Scalable Architecture: Commercetools is built on a scalable architecture, allowing businesses to easily handle high volumes of traffic and transactions as they grow.
Global Presence: With offices in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific, Commercetools has a global presence, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to expand into international markets.
Seamless Upgrades: Commercetools offers seamless upgrades and updates, ensuring that businesses are always on the latest version of the platform without any disruptions to their operations.

5. Elastic Path

Elastic Path is a headless ecommerce platform that offers highly customizable and flexible solutions for businesses. Here are some key features of Elastic Path:

Headless Architecture: As a headless ecommerce platform, Elastic Path allows businesses to decouple their frontend from the backend, giving them the freedom to create unique and engaging customer experiences.
Microservices-Based: Elastic Path uses a microservices-based approach, allowing for easy integration with other systems and applications.
Personalization and AI: Elastic Path offers personalization and AI capabilities to help businesses deliver customized experiences to their customers based on their browsing behavior, purchase history, and preferences.
API-First Approach: With an API-first approach, Elastic Path makes it easy for businesses to integrate their ecommerce platform with any other systems and channels, such as mobile apps or social media.
Omnichannel Support: Elastic Path supports omnichannel commerce, enabling businesses to sell across multiple channels seamlessly.
Scalable and Reliable: Built on a cloud-native and microservices architecture, Elastic Path is highly scalable and reliable, ensuring that businesses can handle high traffic and sales volumes without any disruptions.
B2B and B2C Capabilities: Elastic Path offers both B2B and B2C capabilities, making it a versatile platform for businesses of all sizes and industries.
Flexible Catalog Management: With Elastic Path, businesses can easily manage their product catalogs, including multiple variants, customizable options, and pricing structures.

6. Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Salesforce Commerce Cloud, formerly known as Demandware, is a leading cloud-based ecommerce platform that offers businesses the tools and capabilities to create personalized shopping experiences for their customers.

Cloud-Based: As a cloud-based platform, Salesforce Commerce Cloud offers businesses flexibility, scalability, and reliability without the need for costly infrastructure.
AI-Powered Personalization: With its Einstein AI-powered technology, Salesforce Commerce Cloud allows businesses to deliver personalized experiences to their customers based on their browsing behavior, purchase history, and preferences.
Omnichannel Support: Like Elastic Path, Salesforce Commerce Cloud also supports omnichannel commerce, enabling businesses to sell across multiple channels seamlessly.
B2B and B2C Capabilities: Similar to Elastic Path, Salesforce Commerce Cloud offers both B2B and B2C capabilities, making it a versatile platform for businesses of all sizes and industries.
Advanced Order Management: With Salesforce Commerce Cloud’s advanced order management capabilities, businesses can efficiently manage orders from multiple channels and fulfill them from any location.
Marketing and Promotions: The platform also provides robust marketing and promotion tools, allowing businesses to create targeted campaigns and offers to drive sales and engagement.

7. Spryker

Spryker is a headless ecommerce platform designed for enterprise-level businesses. It offers a modular approach to building and managing an ecommerce store, with the flexibility to integrate with any front-end solution.

Modular Architecture: Spryker’s modular architecture allows for easy customization and integration of third-party services, making it highly flexible and scalable.
Headless: As a headless platform, Spryker provides businesses with the freedom to design their front-end experience and deliver consistent brand messaging across all touchpoints.
B2B and B2C Capabilities: With its B2B and B2C capabilities, Spryker caters to a wide range of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises.
Multi-Channel and Multi-Language Support: Spryker supports multi-channel selling, allowing businesses to sell through various channels such as web, mobile, social media, and marketplaces. It also offers multi-language support for global expansion.
Real-Time Data Analysis: The platform provides real-time data analysis and reporting, giving businesses valuable insights into customer behavior and sales performance.

8. OroCommerce

OroCommerce is a headless ecommerce platform specifically designed for B2B businesses. It offers advanced capabilities to manage complex B2B sales processes and streamline operations.

B2B Features: OroCommerce offers features such as quote management, contract pricing, customer-specific catalogs, and multiple storefronts, catering to the unique needs of B2B businesses.
Headless: OroCommerce’s headless architecture allows businesses to create a customized front-end experience and easily integrate with existing systems. It also supports multi-tenant installations, making it suitable for wholesale and distribution companies.
Advanced Product Management: The platform offers advanced product management capabilities, including configurable products, bundles, and dynamic pricing rules. This enables businesses to offer complex product offerings and personalized pricing to their customers.
Order Management: OroCommerce’s order management system allows businesses to handle complex B2B workflows, such as multiple shipping and billing addresses, split shipments, and partial invoicing. It also supports automated inventory tracking and stock replenishment.
Customer Self-Service: The platform includes a self-service portal for customers, allowing them to view their quotes, contracts, and order history. This reduces the burden on customer service teams and improves the overall customer experience.
Advanced Security: OroCommerce offers advanced security features to protect sensitive B2B data, such as role-based access control, permission management, and secure checkout processes. It also supports compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
Multilingual and Multi Currency Support: The platform supports multiple languages and currencies, making it suitable for businesses with a global presence. This allows businesses to offer a personalized experience to their customers, regardless of their location.

9. Nacelle

Headless Architecture: Nacelle is a headless ecommerce platform that allows businesses to decouple their frontend and backend systems. This enables them to use different technologies, such as React or Vue.js, for their storefront while still utilizing the powerful features of Nacelle’s backend.
Scalability: Nacelle uses a microservices architecture that allows businesses to scale quickly and easily as their needs grow. This ensures that the platform can handle high traffic and large amounts of data without any issues.
Integrated PIM: Nacelle offers an integrated product information management (PIM) system, allowing businesses to manage their product data in one centralized location. This makes it easier for businesses to add new products, update existing ones, and maintain consistent product information across all channels.
Personalization: Nacelle’s platform includes powerful personalization capabilities that allow businesses to create targeted and personalized experiences for their customers. This can help increase customer engagement, loyalty, and ultimately drive more sales.
Omnichannel Support: Nacelle supports omni channel selling, allowing businesses to sell their products through multiple channels, including websites, social media platforms, and marketplaces. This expands a business’s reach and makes it easier for customers to purchase products from various touchpoints.
Integrations: Nacelle offers seamless integrations with popular ecommerce tools and services such as Shopify, Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and more. This makes it easy for businesses to connect their existing systems and tools with Nacelle’s platform.
Analytics and Reporting: Nacelle provides businesses with advanced analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing them to track key metrics such as sales, conversion rates, customer behavior, and more. This data can help businesses make informed decisions to improve their ecommerce performance.

10. Swell

Swell is a headless ecommerce platform that offers businesses a comprehensive suite of tools to power their online store. With its modern and flexible architecture, Swell helps businesses create seamless and personalized shopping experiences for their customers. Here are some key features that make Swell stand out in the world of headless ecommerce:

Scalable Infrastructure: Swell’s infrastructure is built to handle high volumes of traffic and orders, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. This ensures that the platform can grow with a business as it scales.
Customization: Swell offers extensive customization capabilities, allowing businesses to create unique and branded storefronts that reflect their brand’s identity. This helps businesses stand out in a crowded market and create memorable experiences for their customers.
Headless Commerce Capabilities: Swell’s headless architecture allows businesses to create decoupled frontends and backends, giving them more control over the customer experience. This also enables businesses to deliver consistent experiences across multiple channels and devices.
Integrations: With Swell, businesses can easily integrate with popular ecommerce tools and services such as payment gateways, shipping providers, and more. This makes it easy for businesses to manage their entire ecommerce ecosystem from a single platform.
Omnichannel Support: Swell offers support for multiple sales channels, including web, mobile, social media, and in-store. This enables businesses to reach customers wherever they are and provide a seamless shopping experience across all touchpoints.
Marketing Tools: Swell offers a variety of marketing tools and features, such as loyalty programs, discount codes, and abandoned cart recovery. These help businesses attract and retain customers, drive sales, and increase customer lifetime value.

11. nopCommerce

nopCommerce is a free and open-source headless ecommerce platform built on the Microsoft .NET framework. It offers a complete solution for businesses looking to create their online store, with features such as product management, order processing, payment options, and more.

Scalability: nopCommerce is highly scalable and can handle large volumes of traffic and orders. This makes it a suitable platform for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.
Multi-store Support: With nopCommerce, businesses can easily manage multiple online stores from a single backend. This is particularly useful for businesses that have different brands or cater to different markets.
Extensibility: nopCommerce has a robust plugin marketplace with hundreds of free and paid extensions that can enhance the functionality of your online store. This allows businesses to customize their ecommerce platform according to their specific needs and requirements.
Mobile Commerce: nopCommerce offers a fully responsive design, making it compatible with all devices including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This ensures that customers have a seamless shopping experience regardless of the device they are using.
Security: nopCommerce takes security seriously and offers a range of features to protect your online store, including SSL support, PCI compliance, and built-in security measures such as brute force protection and SQL injection prevention.
SEO-friendly: nopCommerce is built with SEO in mind, making it easy for businesses to optimize their online store for search engines. It also has integrations with popular marketing tools such as Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel, allowing businesses to track their website traffic and conversions.
Headless Ecommerce: One of the standout features of nopCommerce is its headless ecommerce capabilities. This means that the front-end design and user experience can be completely separated from the back-end functionality, giving businesses more flexibility in how they present their products and services.

Key features of Headless ECommerce Platforms

Headless ecommerce is a relatively new concept but has been gaining traction in recent years. It involves decoupling the front-end presentation layer (the website or application that users interact with) from the back-end commerce functionality (such as product management, inventory, and payment processing).

The result of this separation is a headless ecommerce platform that can be integrated with any front-end technology, making it highly customizable and adaptable to different business needs. This also means that businesses can use multiple front-end channels (websites, mobile apps, social media platforms) while still managing all their commerce operations through one centralized platform.

Some of the key features of headless ecommerce platforms include:

Flexibility: Headless ecommerce platforms offer unparalleled flexibility in terms of design and user experience. Businesses can create unique and immersive shopping experiences for their customers by utilizing different front-end technologies such as React, Angular, or Vue.js.
Scalability: With a headless ecommerce platform, businesses can easily scale their online store without any limitations. Since the front-end and back-end are decoupled, each can be optimized independently to handle increased traffic and sales.
Omnichannel capabilities: Headless ecommerce platforms allow businesses to deliver a seamless shopping experience across multiple channels, including websites, mobile apps, social media platforms, and more. This helps businesses reach a wider audience and increase their sales potential.
API-driven architecture: The API-driven architecture of headless ecommerce platforms enables easy integration with other systems and applications. This allows businesses to streamline their operations by connecting their ecommerce platform with other crucial business tools such as CRM, ERP, and marketing automation systems.
Faster time-to-market: Since headless ecommerce platforms allow for quick customization and integration, businesses can get their online store up and running in a shorter amount of time compared to traditional ecommerce platforms. This gives them a competitive edge and allows them to adapt quickly to changing market demands.
Improved performance: With headless ecommerce platforms, businesses can ensure a smooth and fast shopping experience for their customers. By utilizing modern front-end technologies, websites built on headless platforms can deliver high-performing and engaging user interfaces.

Cost Procedure of Headless ECommerce Platforms

Cost-effective: Headless ecommerce platforms are typically more cost-effective compared to traditional ecommerce solutions, as they eliminate the need for expensive front-end development and maintenance. This makes them a great option for businesses looking to save on costs while still having a high-quality online store.
Scalability: As mentioned earlier, headless ecommerce platforms offer unlimited scalability, allowing businesses to easily handle a growing customer base and increasing sales. This ensures that the platform can adapt to the changing needs of the business without any limitations.
Flexibility: Headless ecommerce platforms offer a great deal of flexibility in terms of design and customization. Businesses can create unique and personalized shopping experiences for their customers by utilizing various front-end technologies, such as React or AngularJS.
Omnichannel presence: With the rise of omnichannel retail, having a headless ecommerce platform allows businesses to seamlessly integrate their online store with other channels, such as mobile apps or social media platforms. This creates a cohesive and consistent brand experience for customers across all touchpoints.
Easy integration: Headless ecommerce platforms make it easy to integrate with third-party systems, such as CRM or inventory management software. This allows businesses to streamline their operations and improve overall efficiency.
API-driven: Headless ecommerce platforms are API-driven, meaning that all content and data is accessed through APIs. This makes it easier for developers to create custom integrations and add new features without disrupting the core functionality of the platform.
Improved performance: With a headless ecommerce platform, the front-end and back-end are decoupled, allowing each to operate independently. This results in improved performance as the front-end only needs to handle user interactions while the back-end handles all data processing.
Faster time-to-market: Due to its modular nature, headless ecommerce platforms allow for faster development and deployment of new features and updates. This gives businesses a competitive edge by allowing them to quickly adapt to changing market trends and customer needs.
Scalability: Headless ecommerce platforms are highly scalable, meaning that they can handle large amounts of traffic and transactions without compromising performance. This is especially important for businesses experiencing rapid growth or seasonal spikes in online sales.

How iTechnolabs can help to make eCommerce Website using Headless ECommerce Platforms?

At iTechnolabs, we understand the importance of choosing the right headless ecommerce platform for your business. Our team of experienced developers and designers can help you evaluate your options and select the best platform for your specific needs.

We offer custom development services to ensure seamless integration with third-party systems and provide ongoing support to keep your platform running smoothly. With our expertise in headless ecommerce, we can help you unlock the full potential of these platforms and drive your online business to success.

Below are the steps iTechnolabs takes to help businesses successfully implement headless ecommerce platforms:

Requirement Analysis: We first understand your business needs and goals. This ensures we select a headless ecommerce platform that aligns with your specific requirements.

Platform Selection: Based on the requirement analysis, our team recommends the most suitable headless ecommerce platform for your business.

Custom Development: We customize the selected platform to match your brand style and business operations, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Integration: We integrate the platform with your existing systems and third-party applications, enhancing efficiency and functionality.

Testing: Before deployment, we conduct rigorous testing to ensure the platform operates flawlessly.

Deployment: After successful testing, we deploy the platform, ready for your business operations.

Continuous Support: Post-deployment, we provide ongoing support and maintenance to ensure your platform remains up-to-date and performs optimally.

Choosing iTechnolabs for your headless ecommerce needs comes with a plethora of benefits. Leveraging our years of expertise, we help you navigate the complex landscape of ecommerce, aligning your business with a platform that best suits your unique requirements. Our custom development services ensure your platform resonates with your brand identity, providing an immersive user experience. Furthermore, our seamless integration process enhances operational efficiency by syncing your chosen platform with existing systems and third-party applications. Notably, our rigorous testing phase ensures your platform is bug-free and operates flawlessly. Post-deployment, we don’t just leave you to fend for yourself. We offer continuous support and maintenance, keeping your platform up-to-date and performing optimally to drive your online business to success.

Expertise: iTechnolabs has years of industry experience, providing clients with deep insights and knowledge of the complex ecommerce landscape.
Customization: We ensure your platform is tailored to your brand identity, offering an immersive and unique user experience.
Integration Prowess: Our seamless integration process with existing systems and third-party apps enhances operational efficiency.
Rigorous Testing: We conduct thorough testing to ensure the platform is bug-free and operates flawlessly.
Ongoing Support: Unlike others, we don’t abandon our clients post-deployment. Instead, we provide continuous support and maintenance, ensuring your platform remains up-to-date and performs optimally.
Business Growth: With our help, your online business is positioned for success, with a high-performing platform to drive growth and enhance customer satisfaction.

Key Features:

Headless Architecture: Our headless ecommerce platforms offer the flexibility to build and manage multiple front-end channels, providing a seamless omnichannel experience.
API-First Approach: We follow an API-first approach, allowing for easy integration with other systems and applications, making it easier to scale your business as needed.
Customization Options: Our platforms offer extensive customization options, allowing you to create a unique and personalized experience for your customers.
Responsive Design: We ensure that our platforms are optimized for all devices, providing a seamless user experience no matter the device being used.
Advanced Analytics: Our platforms come equipped with advanced analytics tools to track and analyze customer behavior, allowing you to make informed business decisions.
Scalability: Our headless ecommerce platforms are highly scalable, allowing for easy expansion as your business grows.
SEO-Friendly: We design our platforms with SEO in mind, making it easier for your online store to rank higher on search engine results pages.
Multi-Currency and Multilingual Support: Our platforms support multiple currencies and languages, allowing you to reach a global audience.
Secure and Reliable: Our platforms prioritize security and reliability, ensuring your customers’ data is protected at all times.
Integrations: We offer integrations with various third-party applications for payment processing, shipping logistics, and more, making it easier to streamline your operations.

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