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11 Best B2B eCommerce Platforms with the Comparison Table

Comprehensive Comparison of Best B2B eCommerce Platforms
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Top B2B eCommerce Platforms Comparison Chart

You know B2B needs are different. You need a B2B eCommerce platform that understands your unique challenges, from complex pricing and workflows to managing different customer tiers. Choosing the right platform can be a critical decision, but with so many options out there, it’s easy to feel lost.

Our B2B eCommerce comparison chart provides the clarity you need. It highlights the key features and considerations that matter most to B2B businesses like yours. Compare major platforms, uncover the hidden gems, and find the perfect fit to streamline your operations and drive growth.

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Feature
Feature description
OroCommerce
Adobe Commerce Cloud
Optimizely Configured Commerce
Unilog
Salesforce Commerce Cloud B2B
commercetools
Shopware
Intershop
Spryker
BigCommerce
Shopify Plus
Build for B2B Out of the Box
Built for B2B use cases including RFQ, CPQ, & multi-organization customers - no add-ons or plugins
Scale and performance
Operate with 10M+ skus and tens of thousands of price lists
Ultimate flexibility to customize for business needs
Built with a comprehensive set of features ready for any B2B commerce model.
API-first & Open Source
Composable & Flexible

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Get a full PDF version of the e commerce platform chart with the top B2B eCommerce platforms compared against fifteen key capabilities.

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Top B2B eCommerce Platform Vendors Comparison

The B2B eCommerce platform comparison chart provides key information about nine major players in the B2B landscape. These companies and their B2B eCommerce solutions are included because they hold a large percentage of the market share and have a proven record of success with enterprise and mid-market clients. We’re not including in this chart some popular platforms, like 3dcart or WooCommerce, because they were originally developed for small B2C shops, and offer limited capabilities to support complex B2B operations.

Use this information about the pros and cons of each platform to comprehensively review and evaluate your options.

  1. OroCommerce

    Created by the team behind Magento, OroCommerce is an open-source eCommerce platform built specifically for the complex needs of B2B businesses. It offers CRM, RFQ, marketplace management features, a CMS, and of course, core eCommerce functionality – all within a single platform. Built on a modular, API-first architecture, the platform is designed to handle complex workflows, unique pricing structures, and intricate customer relationships – without forcing businesses into rigid, pre-defined structures.

    See how Oro performs in the 2024 Gartner's Critical Capabilities
    b2b ecommerce platform comparison chart - oro 1
  2. Adobe Commerce Cloud

    Founded in 2008, Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) is an open-source eCommerce platform acquired by Adobe and integrated into its Experience Cloud suite. While initially focused on B2C, Adobe Commerce now offers B2B functionalities through add-ons and extensions. However, its B2C foundation and reliance on integrations for core B2B features can create complexity and limit its effectiveness for businesses with complex B2B sales processes.

    Download Adobe Commerce vs OroCommerce comparison sheet
    adobe commerce
  3. Optimizely Configured Commerce

    Optimizely Configured Commerce leverages its robust CMS technology to deliver enterprise-grade solutions, particularly strong for sophisticated B2C storefronts. While configurable for B2B, it requires customization to fully unlock complex B2B features like advanced price lists, a workflow engine, and digital sales rooms. While offering scalability and customization options, businesses should weigh configuration needs against the comprehensive, out-of-the-box B2B features of purpose-built platforms.

    See how Optimizely performs in the 2022 Gartner's Magic Quadrant
    optimizely configured commerce
  4. Unilog

    Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Bengaluru, India, Unilog is a global technology company that developed eCommerce business software with an integrated PIM system. Its solutions are designed specifically for small and mid-market distributors, manufacturers, and wholesalers. Unilog’s eCommerce business software is only available through a SaaS model, so use is limited to cloud platforms such as Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure only.

    unilog
  5. Salesforce Commerce Cloud B2B

    Salesforce Commerce Cloud, part of the expansive Salesforce ecosystem, provides cloud-based solutions for B2B, B2C, and DTC eCommerce. While feature-rich, many functionalities are available as add-ons, potentially increasing costs. Businesses already leveraging Salesforce CRM or Sales Cloud can explore platforms like OroCommerce, which offers seamless integration through a native Salesforce connector, to unify their existing CRM data with a robust B2B eCommerce solution.

    Download the Salesforce vs OroCommerce comparison sheet
    salesforce commerce cloud
  6. commercetools

    commercetools is a cloud-based, headless platform built on the MACH architecture (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless). While initially focused on B2C, it recently introduced B2B functionalities. However, as a pre-composed solution, it relies heavily on custom development and integrations to deliver a complete B2B platform experience. Businesses should consider the extensive development resources required to build out essential B2B features workflows automation, which are not included in the core commercetools offering.

    Download the commercetools vs OroCommerce comparison sheet
    commercetools
  7. Shopware

    Shopware is a German company that develops omnichannel cloud eCommerce solutions used predominantly by European customers for B2C eCommerce. In addition to B2C, the company is investing in B2B eCommerce by developing extensions and add-ons. Because it is a relatively new product, the Shopware B2B eCommerce platform is mainly used by smaller brands. It’s available in two editions: open-source and commercial.

    shopware
  8. Intershop

    Intershop began in 1992 and is a cloud-first B2B software solutions provider. Its B2B eCommerce offering is an all-in-one solution featuring order management & fulfillment, product information management, and experience management capabilities. In addition to the business segment of software products, the company also operates a service segment, with consulting and training services.

    intershop
  9. Spryker

    Spryker, positioned as a commerce operating system, takes a modular approach, providing businesses with individual components to assemble a customized eCommerce solution. This high level of flexibility allows for tailored B2B, B2C, and marketplace experiences. However, this flexibility comes with a steeper learning curve and requires significant technical expertise to integrate the various components effectively. Businesses considering Spryker should ensure they have the development resources and technical proficiency to leverage its full potential.

    spryker
  10. BigCommerce

    BigCommerce is a popular SaaS platform catering to both B2B and B2C businesses. However, its core offering is primarily B2C-focused. While they offer a B2B Edition, it operates as a separate app with its own technology stack and API, potentially leading to integration challenges. Businesses with complex B2B workflows might find limitations in features like workflow automation and marketplace capabilities, which are not natively supported. Additionally, BigCommerce’s customer base primarily comprises smaller businesses, which might raise scalability concerns for larger enterprises.

    Download the BigCommerce vs OroCommerce comparison sheet
    bigcommerce
  11. Shopify Plus

    Shopify Plus, built upon the popular Shopify platform, caters to high-volume businesses seeking a scalable SaaS eCommerce solution. While offering an intuitive interface and extensive app ecosystem, its strength lies primarily in the B2C space. B2B features, while present, are less comprehensive, lacking robust functionalities for advanced pricing, quote management, and seamless CRM/ERP integrations. Businesses with complex B2B workflows may need to rely on workarounds or third-party apps, adding complexity and potentially impacting costs.

    shopify plus

B2B eCommerce Platform Key Selection Criteria

As you research and compare the best B2B eCommerce platforms, you’ll naturally want to focus on the key B2B features of each. Review this detailed list of essential B2B functionalities to identify the ones most critical to the business success of your use case.

Open-source vs proprietary code

Unlike proprietary software, where the code is closed, open-source software is available for anyone to modify. This means that open-source eCommerce platforms are typically easier to customize and adapt to different verticals, industries, and countries. Companies can add new features through a large community of developers without involving the vendor. This advanced customization is a major advantage for businesses with unique needs.

Scale and performance

The best eCommerce platform for B2B must efficiently handle complex organizational structures with multiple channels, brands, locations, languages, and currencies. Platform scalability gives companies the power to manage millions of SKUs, thousands of price lists, and accommodate complex organizational structures on a single platform, adapting to the business as it grows.

Flexibility to customize to business needs

Whether you want to customize the online portal theme, user interface, products, discounts, checkouts, workflows, or payment gateways, you should have the flexibility to implement any customization you need. A fully customizable B2B eCommerce platform allows you to easily add custom functionalities and features without significantly increasing development time and costs. This is crucial for creating customer specific catalogs and a user friendly interface.

Workflow Automation

Automated workflows help B2B companies reduce the complexity of both buyer and seller-related business processes. For example, workflow automation can help streamline order processing (sending data to the ERP, notifying customers via email, etc.), inventory synchronization, dynamic price calculations, approvals management, and much more, allowing businesses to significantly reduce operational costs.

Fully Dynamic Open RESTful API

REST APIs make integrating systems and extracting data related to products, order processing, and inventory management easier. Businesses that operate an eCommerce platform supporting Open RESTful API can quickly and seamlessly connect and transfer data between business-critical systems, such as payment gateways, CRM, ERP, PIM, and BI analytics to eliminate data silos. This seamless integration is essential for efficient operations.

Flexible Deployment Options

Every business has different needs, so it’s important to have multiple deployment options for your eCommerce platform. Whether it’s on-premise, in the cloud, or hybrid, look for the deployment model that meets your security and maintenance needs. When you select a platform with support for multiple deployment models, you can move from one deployment model to another without sacrificing data control and security.

No Vendor Lock-in

B2B eCommerce companies who value digital agility want to avoid vendor lock-in. These restrictions prevent users from using third party solutions. When freed from vendor lock-in, companies can access the developer community and take advantage of a competitive market for customizations and extensions, or build them in-house. This allows for greater flexibility and control over your eCommerce solution.

CRM to Optimize Business Operations

Having an integrated CRM provides greater opportunities for automation, customer segmentation, and data-driven decisions. Plus, it eliminates the time and resources involved in integrating a siloed CRM solution. While all eCommerce vendors provide CRM integration features, only a few offer a built-in CRM out of the box. Access to customer data is crucial for personalized marketing and improved customer relationships.

24/7 Support

24/7 customer support is enabling businesses can get help and find answers to questions as soon as they come up – 24/7 and in real-time. An eCommerce vendor with round-the-clock email and ticketing support ensures that any urgent issues are resolved fast, without disrupting business operations.

Robust Pricing Engine

It’s critical for B2B businesses to set, manage, and execute B2B pricing strategies efficiently to meet profit objectives. A built-in pricing engine that supports complex B2B price management gives you the tools necessary to set up price lists and tiers for different customer groups and customer levels and handle elaborate pricing options, including custom pricing and tiered pricing. Combine with workflow automations to digitize the RFQ process for even more efficiency.

Multi-organization Capability

If you manage multinational brands or plan to expand globally, multi-organization capability available in a unified solution will help you do so effectively. Manage operations across various countries, currencies, and tax authorities and control multiple businesses, sub-brands, and divisions all from one backend. This allows you to reach a global audience of wholesale buyers with your product offerings.

Customer Hierarchy Management

Most B2B transactions involve multiple B2B buyers and decision-makers. With this feature, B2B sellers give their customers the ability to create accounts that incorporate their own internal hierarchies for an improved customer experience. Customer corporate hierarchy management allows you to configure account management structures, add authorized users, and create customized purchasing rules for each customer and sales channel.

Robust Search

Site search helps business users find information and also offers detailed insights into your customer behavior that can be used for optimization, marketing campaigns, and procurement activities. Enhanced search, indexing capabilities, and filtering segmentation also make your online store more responsive and user-friendly.

Multi-warehouse Management

B2B companies frequently operate multiple warehouses to control delivery time and cost. Even companies starting with one warehouse may add additional warehouses to ship orders faster and serve a wider area. A multi-warehouse and inventory management feature available in B2B eCommerce platforms enables B2B sellers to add an unlimited number of warehouses and manage their operations more efficiently by providing centralized, real-time data on inventory.

Access Control, Roles, Permissions, and Management

Managing access to the eCommerce website and backend operations is an essential security and accountability requirement for any company. Configuring roles, permissions, and authentication rules for employees and B2B clients helps create unique experiences while ensuring that each user has access only to the information they need.

5 B2B eCommerce Site Examples

Every B2B eCommerce project is different. What works well for one B2B business may not always be applicable for another. But there are always insights to be gleaned from successful B2B eCommerce sites, like Alibaba. Explore these five examples of real B2B websites to better understand how to approach essential features like navigation, bulk ordering, product pages, checkout, shopping lists, and personalization.

Wastequip

Wastequip is a leading manufacturer of waste-handling equipment with over 2,000 employees and 38 facilities. The B2B organization decided to enter the eCommerce market, starting with one brand, Mountain Tarp.

Wastequip’s strategic goal was to simplify the ordering process for customers and grow its online presence in response to increasing customer demand.

After the eCommerce site went live, it saw an 8x increase in web traffic – convincing proof of its rapid adoption.

What makes Wastequip’s B2B eCommerce site successful:

  • Easy navigation with convenient search to quickly find and order products
  • Detailed product descriptions and the ability to download product documentation
  • Shipping date estimation
  • Easy-to-use support options
  • Multi-item ordering functionality
See live website
Wastequip@1.5x

Dunlop

Dunlop Protective Footwear designs, develops, and manufactures footwear for industrial environments. To scale its business, Dunlop made the natural decision to expand online. With a robust B2B eCommerce foundation, Dunlop digitized its sales channels, increasing conversion rate by 40% and average order value by 10%.

What makes Dunlop’s eCommerce site successful:

  • A responsive website with an easy-to-navigate structure
  • The ability to quickly place orders from desktop and mobile apps
  • Order history tracking
  • Complete stock and pricing transparency
  • Integration with fulfillment and business data management software
  • Country-specific eCommerce websites ensure Dunlop’s audience gets localized products and promotions
See live website (under credentials)
Dunlop@1.5x

Azelis

Azelis is a global service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry. To better meet the needs of its customers, Azelis invests in the eCommerce platform for the chemical industry. One of the key digitization enablers is its customer portal.

The goal of the portal is to educate and inspire customers to help them make more informed purchasing decisions. Azelis self-service portal centralizes high-quality technical information, products, pricing options, formulations, and samples.

What makes Azelis eCommerce portal successful:

  • Searchable, up-to-date product catalogs
  • Catalogs are localized for different customer groups based on a language and region
  • The ability to easily order online, view recent purchases and payment and credit card information
  • Shipment tracking
  • Live support
See live website
Azelis@1.5x

Saltworks

Saltworks is the largest salt manufacturer in the US, supplying wholesale customers like distributors, restaurants, gourmet retailers, as well as individual consumers. Saltworks invested in a flexible B2B eCommerce solution to provide personalized buying experiences for B2B customers while also managing its B2C sales.

Saltworks’ new storefront creates a unified shopping experience for their B2B and B2C customers. B2B customers are redirected to a separate portal designed for B2B ordering, billing, and checkout. Splitting the B2C and B2B workflows helps better handle both business models providing all buyers with a functional, smooth purchasing experience.

What makes Saltworks eCommerce site successful:

  • A personalized B2B ordering and reordering workflow
  • Extended checkout for B2B customers to accommodate LTL, UPS, freight quoting, and self-arranged shipping methods
  • Amazon cross-promotion: customers can click the “Available at Amazon” button to purchase B2C products on Amazon and pay using PayPal
  • Content-rich product pages with downloadable spec sheets and product certifications
See live website
Saltworks@1.5x

Petra

Petra is a leading distributor of consumer products working with more than 800 brands and tens of thousands of retail partners. Being a future-oriented company, Petra wanted to transition their B2B customers online and needed a scalable B2B digital commerce platform.

With a robust B2B eCommerce platform, Petra launched a commerce website with expansive B2B functionality. The platform also offers integrations with enterprise-grade tools, like ERP, PIM, and CRM, enabling Petra to automate business data transfer across all critical aspects of its business.

What makes Petra eCommerce site successful:

  • Self-service that supports quick sales order forms, CSV file uploads, and personalized shopping carts
  • Site search available by keyword, SKU, and part number
  • Extensive search filters
  • Detailed product descriptions with the ability to add brand logos
  • Functional B2B customer accounts with multiple logins, different levels of permissions, and flexible order approval workflows
See live website
Petra@1.5x-1

FAQ: B2B eCommerce Platforms Comparison

What is a B2B eCommerce platform?

A business-to-business (B2B), also called B-to-B, eCommerce platform enables companies to create an eCommerce store, where businesses (e.g. manufacturing companies, wholesalers, suppliers) can sell goods and services online.

Which eCommerce platform is best for B2B?

The B2B landscape for B2B eCommerce platforms is complex. If you want to offer an outstanding customer experience and make it easy for companies to do business with you online, you need an eCommerce platform developed specifically for B2B. This means the B2B sales platform should be able to cover between 70% and 80% of B2B functionality out-of-the-box (e.g. order negotiation, complex pricing lists and rules, ERP integration, etc.).

Additionally, the right eCommerce platform for B2B is modular, flexible, customizable, and powered by artificial intelligence, which means it can be adapted to any B2B use case or channel (desktop, mobile app, etc.), regardless of the industry or vertical.

The only platform on the market today that has been developed to meet complex B2B needs and offer a comprehensive suite of B2B features is OroCommerce.

What is an open-source B2B eCommerce platform?

When you compare B2B eCommerce platforms, it’s important to understand the difference between open-source and proprietary platforms. An open-source B2B eCommerce platform gives you free access to the source code. This provides the flexibility to adapt the platform to meet your business needs across different B2B, DTC, and wholesale channels. But it also requires IT resources to customize the code or take advantage of code that others have developed.

The key benefits of open-source B2B eCommerce platforms include:

  • Greater security as bugs are fixed faster
  • Community support
  • Open APIs for easier integration
  • Generally a lower total cost of ownership

Learn what makes OroCommerce the best open-source B2B eCommerce platform.

What are the must-have B2B features of a enterprise eCommerce platform?

The best B2B eCommerce software streamlines the sales process and improves the customer acquisition and customer satisfaction. When choosing an enterprise eCommerce platform, make sure it has the following features:

  • Content and Product Management System – communicate the advantages of your products with product descriptions, videos, certifications, and marketing materials using a wide variety of media types.
  • Multiple Price Lists – create and customize as many price lists as you need and manage complex and custom pricing strategies.
  • Digitized Order Negotiation and self-service capabilities – easily handle CPQ processes, like requests for quotes and quote to cash transactions.
  • Integrations – prevent data silos by seamlessly integrating with your enterprise resource planning system (Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, etc.) WMS, PIM, CRM, inventory management, and other business applications.
  • Access Controls, Roles & Permissions – ensure that users have immediate access but only to the data they need to do their job.
  • Corporate Account Management – address complex, hierarchical corporate accounts structures.
  • Support for Multiple Organizations, Websites & Stores – control multiple businesses, sub-brands, and divisions from one place.

You can use this list as a starting point for the B2B eCommerce platform comparison.

What are the benefits of selling on a B2B platform?

There are three major benefits of B2B selling through eCommerce platforms like Aliexpress or Alibaba:

  • Increased revenue: Selling online helps expand your market reach, and make your products more discoverable, thereby attracting more potential business customers.
  • Optimized sales processes: A B2B sales portal lets business buyers place orders 24/7, giving your sales reps data-driven insights to pursue upsell and cross-sell opportunities. It also eliminates manual, repetitive tasks by enabling your sales team to automatically import orders and invoices, send RFQs, and convert quotes to sales.
  • Improved customer experience: With a B2B platform, you can make purchasing easy and personalized for businesses, encouraging customer loyalty.

How do B2B eCommerce platforms handle inventory management for complex catalogs?

The best B2B eCommerce platforms come with advanced inventory management systems designed to handle complex product catalogs, ensuring accurate stock levels across various channels. This is especially important for businesses managing large inventories, bulk purchases, and multi-location stock.

Look for platforms that support ERP systems integration to improve operational efficiency by syncing inventory data in real-time. Platforms like OroCommerce or Adobe Commerce offer robust tools to manage inventory seamlessly, supporting business growth by ensuring products are always available for customers without overstocking or stockouts.

How can a versatile eCommerce platform help streamline operations and enhance customer experiences?

A robust SaaS eCommerce solution offers features designed to streamline operations while enhancing customer interactions and meeting specific customer preferences.

  • Through extensive customization options and seamless ERP integration, businesses can efficiently manage orders and adapt to different customer segments.
  • Platforms that support bulk ordering integration and customer relationship management tools allow sales representatives to provide personalized support, making it easier to track orders, analyze market trends, and respond to changing market dynamics.

These capabilities empower businesses to execute targeted B2B eCommerce strategies that improve customer satisfaction and support long-term growth.

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