E-commerce5 platforms compared

Best CMS for E-commerce in 2026

Compare the best CMS platforms for online stores. From headless commerce to full-stack solutions, find the right stack for your e-commerce site.

Sell faster with a modern commerce stack that doesn't slow down at checkout.

TL;DR — Our Top Pick

Shopify + Hydrogen is our top recommendation for e-commerce sites.

Industry-leading e-commerce platform paired with its own React framework. Handles payments, inventory, and shipping out of the box.

What a E-commerce CMS Needs

Business owners and developers building online stores that need fast page loads and flexible product management.

Product catalog management with variants and pricing

Fast page loads on product and category pages

Secure checkout and payment processing

Inventory management and order tracking

SEO-friendly product pages with schema markup

Top 5 Platforms Ranked

Shopify + Hydrogen

Leading hosted e-commerce platform

TOP PICK

Industry-leading e-commerce platform paired with its own React framework. Handles payments, inventory, and shipping out of the box.

Liquid (templating) / Proprietary$39-399/month

Strengths

Complete e-commerce solution — payments, shipping, inventory
Largest app ecosystem (8,000+ apps) for any e-commerce need
Handles Black Friday-level traffic without configuration

Trade-offs

Transaction fees on non-Shopify Payments orders
Liquid templating language is proprietary and limited

Next.js + Saleor/Medusa

React framework for production with SSR, SSG, and API routes

Full control over the storefront with open-source commerce backends. Best for custom shopping experiences that don't fit a template.

Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (React)Free (open-source)

Strengths

Hybrid rendering — SSG, SSR, ISR, and client-side in one app
Most popular React framework with massive community
Built-in image optimization, API routes, and middleware

Trade-offs

React learning curve for non-JavaScript developers
App Router introduced complexity with Server Components

Payload CMS + Stripe

TypeScript-first headless CMS that lives in your Next.js app

Self-hosted, code-first CMS with built-in admin panel. Pair with Stripe for payments. Complete data ownership.

Open SourceTypeScript / Node.jsFree (self-hosted) / Cloud plans available

Strengths

Lives inside your Next.js codebase — zero API latency
Config-as-code with full TypeScript type safety
Built-in auth, access control, and file uploads

Trade-offs

Tightly coupled to Next.js ecosystem
Newer platform with a smaller community and fewer plugins

Sanity + Next.js Commerce

Real-time collaborative headless CMS with customizable Studio

Flexible content modeling for complex product catalogs. Real-time editing and visual previews for merchandising teams.

Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)Free / $15+/month per user

Strengths

GROQ query language is more powerful and flexible than GraphQL
Real-time collaborative editing (like Google Docs)
Fully customizable React-based Studio admin panel

Trade-offs

GROQ is a custom query language with its own learning curve
Studio customization requires React development knowledge

Astro + Shopify Storefront API

Content-focused framework that ships zero JavaScript by default

Ultra-fast static product pages with Shopify handling the commerce backend. Excellent for catalog-heavy stores with less dynamic content.

Open SourceJavaScript/TypeScript (framework-agnostic)Free (open-source)

Strengths

Ships zero JS to the client by default (Islands Architecture)
Use React, Vue, Svelte, or any framework in the same project
Content collections with type-safe Markdown/MDX

Trade-offs

Not ideal for highly interactive apps (designed for content sites)
Smaller ecosystem than Next.js — fewer integrations available

How to Decide

Shopify is the safest bet if you want payments, shipping, and inventory handled for you

Next.js with an open-source backend (Saleor, Medusa) gives maximum customization

For small product catalogs (under 50 items), a CMS + Stripe integration is often simpler than a full commerce platform

Consider your team's technical skills — Shopify is the easiest, custom Next.js builds require developers

Ready to migrate from WordPress?

WordPress → Shopify WordPress → Next.js WordPress → Payload CMS

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate from WooCommerce?

Yes. Export your products, orders, and customer data from WooCommerce. LeaveWP can help migrate your content pages, and tools like Matrixify handle Shopify product imports.

Is headless commerce worth the complexity?

For stores with $1M+ revenue or unique UX needs, absolutely. The performance gains from static product pages typically improve conversion rates by 15-30%. For smaller stores, Shopify's hosted solution is simpler.

What about payment processing?

Shopify handles payments natively. For custom builds, Stripe is the standard — it integrates with every framework and handles global payments, subscriptions, and invoicing.

How do I handle product search and filtering?

Use dedicated search services like Algolia or Meilisearch for instant, faceted search across large catalogs. They offer typo tolerance, filters, and autocomplete that database queries can't match at scale.

What about inventory management?

Shopify handles inventory natively. For custom headless stores, Medusa and Saleor include inventory tracking. You can also build custom logic on top of Payload or Sanity with webhook integrations.

Can headless commerce handle subscription products?

Yes. Stripe Subscriptions and Recurring Payments integrate with any headless setup. Shopify also supports subscription apps. Medusa and Saleor have subscription modules for custom implementations.

How do I handle tax calculation?

Stripe Tax handles sales tax and VAT automatically. TaxJar and Avalara offer more advanced multi-jurisdiction support. Shopify builds tax into its platform. Choose based on your sales geography and complexity.