If you are starting your B2B ecommerce business or switching from one platform to another, you’ve probably heard of some well-known players like Shopify and BigCommerce and some smaller ones like Shopware CS-Cart or Shift4Shop.
Some of these B2B ecommerce platforms are great, but at some point, they don’t offer feature updates, have outdated technology, can’t follow your business growth or have some concerning security issues.
On the other hand, some platforms prioritize privacy by allowing complete access to the source code, have innovative AI-powered search capabilities, and AR for mobile or 3D viewers. Plus, they offer B2B-specific ecommerce features such as automated workflows, digital sales rooms, and customized product catalogs/pricing.
Although these features can sound overwhelming, however, when they are packed with an integrated CMS, a drag-and-drop store layout and hands-on migration, your shift will be easy.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about choosing the best B2B ecommerce platform – from types to key features and a detailed comparison of the top 10 platforms.
Types of B2B ecommerce platforms
B2B ecommerce platforms offer an online marketplace for businesses to sell products and services to one another. You should look into specific platforms based on the type of B2B business you have.
Wholesale – Your business sells your products to other businesses in bulk. Your ideal B2B ecommerce platform should have efficient bulk ordering systems, pricing management, CRM, logistics and supply chain management.
Manufacturer – You produce and sell your products to other manufacturers, suppliers or wholesalers. Your ideal B2B ecommerce platform should have production planning, quality control, supply chain management, and integration with ERP systems.
Distributors – You sell manufactured goods to other businesses. Your top B2B ecommerce platform must have advanced inventory management, sales and marketing tools, order fulfillment, logistics management, and data analytics.
B2B2C – Your business sells products or services to another business, which then sells them to the end consumers, so your focus should be on data integration, security, supply chain visibility, etc.
Six industries that benefit most from B2B ecommerce platforms
The top industries that benefit from B2B ecommerce platforms are (but not limited to):
Manufacturing
Electronics
Automotive
Construction
Healthcare supplies
Agricultural products
Why should these industries, in particular, leverage the features of B2B ecommerce platforms? The businesses in these industries facilitate bulk orders and have global trade relationships, fast-changing stock levels, and complex ordering processes. Solutions like custom catalogs, supply chain integration and real-time inventory management and tracking provided by most B2B ecommerce platforms help businesses streamline their processes and automate mundane tasks.
What to look for in a B2B ecommerce platform
Now that you know the types of platforms, the best-fit industries and the benefits, here are the criteria you can follow to easily find the best B2B ecommerce platform for your business:
Key integrations for B2B ecommerce software
Before making your decision to select an ecommerce system, examine whether it merges with other software that makes your workflow easy. For example, core B2B functions include product listings, order placement capabilities, sales agent management, and tailored pricing for each buyer group, to state a few.
However, you need more than those features for your company to succeed. You need to manage your customers and process payment and shipping, which are also critical to B2B operations.
Consider how the platform you want to use integrates well with:
Payment gateways
CRM software
ERP systems
PIM
BI
Assessing the security of B2B ecommerce platforms
There is no doubt that consumers, regardless of whether they are B2B or B2C, are becoming aware of the safety of their data and the increasing number of cyber attacks. This B2B commerce trend underscores the importance of going for a marketplace that takes the safety of its client's data seriously.
Just confirm that the site has an HTTPS/SSL certificate installed and is PCI (payment card industry) compliant. Aside from that, ensure the site has robust cloud security plans such as user and device authentication, data privacy protection and access control management to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining control of your buyers' information.
The importance of customization in B2B ecommerce software
As a B2B firm, you will probably offer bulk ordering, fast reordering, custom pricing for various buyers and contract-based pricing as part of the sales processes. This means that you must ensure that your chosen platform provides all these features in addition to order tracking, invoicing and payment processing.
Aside from that, you should look for the ability to handle complex price lists for various buyer groups, including wholesale customers. Finally, selecting a site that provides buyer-specific pricing is essential, as most firms may have a deal that has previously been negotiated and agreed upon. Wholesalers that provide buyers with their payment plan should ensure their ecommerce system supports this feature.
With Shopware, you can customize your modular B2B commerce framework. You can select from a range of components that provide extensive configurability, right down to user-level customization.
Innovation in B2B ecommerce platforms
Let’s face it: with 3D and VR, shopping has become an immersive experience, and 2D images and dull product descriptions won’t cut it. To keep up with your competitors, your ideal B2B ecommerce software should offer:
Personal consultations through digital sales rooms
Easy proposal submission and response system
Customer-specific pricing and detailed information
Simplified repeat and bulk order processing
An online ticket support system
Top 10 B2B ecommerce platforms in 2024
1. Shopware
Shopware is a B2B ecommerce platform that prioritizes security, ease of use and innovation. With an open source code, a drag-and-drop interface and intuitive features such as digital sales rooms, roles management, automated workflows, API-first approach and customer-specific pricing, Shopware delivers on its promises.
We know the challenges of B2B brands like complex sales processes, integrating third-party systems and setting up individual catalogs and pricing – and that is why we build our B2B ecommerce platform features to fit your needs.
Our unified ecosystem solution offers dynamic customization, effortless automation, useful integrations and scalability options.
Key benefits
Some of the benefits you derive include:
B2B quick order options – Customers can place orders fast by seamlessly uploading their item list or with item number entries.
B2B employee management – Access individualized accounts, workflows, and rights and role management.
B2B quote management – Use our platforms to manage inquiries and make personalized offers.
B2B shopping lists – Easily share dynamic order lists with stakeholders.
Integrated customer data – Access comprehensive customer portals and data like purchase history.
Streamlined large order processing – Simplify repeat and bulk orders with a straightforward process.
Digital sales rooms – Build personalized sale rooms for your customers.
Flow and rule builder – Automated flows and rules to streamline time-consuming processes.
With AI Copilot and Spatial ecommerce, we ensure that we are aligned with 2024 shoppers.
REIFF, a B2B ecommerce shop that offers more than 80,000 products in its store, needed a flexible and robust shop system capable of storing and processing all product-related information without performance degradation.
They also wanted to integrate existing systems, such as ERP and PIM, into the shop system, so they chose Shopware. Our collaboration resulted in 41% more registrations, and you can read more about their migration in the Reiff case study.
Are you ready to switch to a platform with maximum flexibility, scalability and expert support? Contact our team today.
2. CS-Cart
CS-Cart gives organizations a ready platform to launch their B2B website in days, helping them boost their audience reach, grow product range, enter new regions and penetrate new markets easily. The company has been included in Capterra Shortlist of Ecommerce Software twice in 2021 and 2022 as a leading provider of B2B marketplace. Also, it has helped over 50,000 firms globally to successfully develop and grow their online operations.
CS-Cart is a good enterprise ecommerce platform because it comes preloaded with more than 500 features and allows you to integrate third-party solutions, saving time and stress. In addition, it has built-in design tools that enable users to redesign and customize their sites as they wish.
Pros
The ecommerce platform is SEO-optimized.
It provides an inexpensive and quick option for establishing an online marketplace.
It can easily integrate with any third-party solution.
It comes with a visually appealing admin panel that makes organization easy.
Cons
Some of its clients find it difficult to install additional functionalities on their platform.
Some customers complain about a lack of design features for custom options.
3. Shift4Shop
Shift4Shop – formerly 3dcart – is an all-in-one marketplace software that has been built for B2B firms and serious internet marketers, enabling them to create, manage and expand their sites effortlessly. Its features include marketing tools, customizable design templates, inventory management and SEO.
Pros
Its customer group feature allows you to segment clients across criteria. You can set various minimum order requirements and pricing shipping for each group.
Organizations can create B2B ecommerce stores for members only if they want to give a group an exclusive buyer list.
It came preloaded with all the features needed to develop a complete ecommerce site in minutes. No need to install software.
Users can select from a large selection of free or premium themes and tailor them as they want.
It doesn't have any setup or transaction fees. It offers a range of plans for even small firms, plus a 15-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Cons
The platform has limited customization options.
Companies must process at least $500 in sales to use the Shift4Shop free plan.
It is not the most user-friendly option in the market because it is not very intuitive and may be glitchy. [2]
4. Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus was established in 2014 to give hyper-growth enterprises a tailored solution that is quick, cost-effective, and with less time spent on development. This scalable platform supports millions of firms – from startups to Fortune 500s.
Pros
It is easy to use, whether you are a pro or an amateur. Businesses that sell to other firms can set up and manage their stores without breaking a sweat.
For companies that want to integrate other sales channels or apps with their online store, Shopify Plus offers easy and simple integration.
It comes with Shopify Flow, which enables organizations to automate store activities. This keeps your store updated and functioning in real-time.
With Shopify Plus, you can easily access any customer data, saving you from going through tons of information before you find what you want.
Cons
It is quite expensive when compared to other site builders. Monthly fees start at $2,300 and can move up if you have to integrate third-party apps.
It lacks multi-store architecture. This prevents merchants from managing multiple brands and international setups as effectively as they can with the other platforms.
5. BigCommerce
For wholesalers or manufacturers looking for a partner-centric, well-priced and multi-tenant SaaS commerce solution, BigCommerce is another option. It is a versatile headless platform that helps firms meet buyer demands with a more intuitive and tailored interface. The platform has received 12 recognitions, including an exceptional-rated gold medal for total costs of ownership, promotion management, sales and channel enablement and partner ecosystem.
Pros
The platform offers robust security that features customizable buyer tiers and role-based access control on a per-customer basis.
BigCommerce enables diverse payment methods for quicker, more efficient transactions.
Companies can create buyer-specific experiences across segments, verticals, locations, languages and currencies by launching new storefronts from a single backend.
It helps boost sales by offering personalized pricing options, discounts and quotes to encourage loyalty and improve satisfaction.
Cons
The biggest downside of BigCommerce is that it is not the most user-friendly website builder. [3] Setting it up involves a bit more of a learning curve for newbies.
Its structure is similar to WordPress, making it less intuitive than some of its competitors.
6. SuiteCommerce (By NetSuite)
NetSuite’s SuiteCommerce helps sellers create sites that engage buyers, increase their purchasing efforts and save time. This B2B ecommerce platform supports online stores, manufacturers, distributors, in-house sales and brick-and-mortar locations, all from a single panel.
Pros
It allows you to select from a range of prebuilt, mobile-optimized themes to get a design that best reflects your brand.
SuiteCommerce allows buyers to ask for quotes and convert them to online sales orders once they are approved.
You can create online catalogs and customize them to various segments of shoppers using factors like previous transactions, geographic regions or account types.
SuiteCommerce MyAccount makes it easy for business customers to be more efficient by providing direct access to review account balances and credit and deposit memos.
Users can add new landing pages and improve existing ones with its easy-to-use, drag-and-drop site management tools.
Cons
Few users report slow performance and response times, which can frustrate buyers and hinder productivity.
It doesn't share pricing information publicly. Making it difficult for firms to know how much they will spend.
7. Alibaba
Alibaba is a global B2B online marketplace that connects wholesalers and buyers with a wide variety of products. This site allows buyers to acquire large quantities of goods at low or retail prices, negotiate with manufacturers and order customs products.
Pros
For B2B firms, Alibaba makes it effortless for them to deliver the goods to their customers wherever they are through its air, sea and express shipping options.
Companies that sell custom goods can easily find consumers as this site allows for customization.
Alibaba is easy to use and doesn't require coding. All users have to do is list their products.
Cons
Since there are many suppliers on the platform, a new business may face fierce competition, which often drives prices down and reduces profit margins.
At times, people may dispute payments or ask for a chargeback after getting the goods, which can lead to substantial losses for the merchant.
8. Amazon Business
This is a dedicated B2B system within the Amazon ecosystem created to enable suppliers to reach millions of business buyers worldwide. More specifically, Amazon Business combines Amazon's user-friendly shopping experience with features tailored to each company's needs.
Pros
For sellers, they can reach millions of other firms looking to purchase their goods.
The platform enables business-only deals that feature quantity discounts.
Amazon Business offers ‘Reorder Lists’ to streamline the process of recurring orders and manage order history efficiently.
New users can quickly and intuitively compare prices and products from several merchants.
Its multi-user account provides flexibility in managing business purchases within a firm. Companies can create and set up purchasing groups and enable permissions and approval workflow.
Cons
The price of using the platform can go up from $179 annually to over $10000 for large enterprises.
Third-party merchants can't directly interact with buyers because Amazon manages packing and shipping once products are stored in its warehouse.
9. WooCommerce B2B
This is a WordPress plugin that enables you to use your WooCommerce store in wholesale mode. It combines five plugins with B2B-specific features to help firms manage their buyer groups.
Pros
Like most sites, you can optimize your sales strategy by dividing your customers into targeted groups that present tailored offers to them.
Unlike other B2B ecommerce platforms, it doesn't require annual renewal. You only have to pay once and have access to the plugin for a lifetime.
Sellers can manage price lists, percentage discounts, price visibility with or without tax and so on for each specific buyer group.
It enables customers to place bulk orders for their favorite products.
You can enable or disable quantity picking from various warehouses in the same order.
Cons
It can only be used on the WordPress platform. This means that if you are not using the hosting software to create your site, you won't be able to access WooCommerce and its benefits.
Although the plugin costs $99 for a lifetime, the price of operating your site can go up if you need additional functionality and have to install more plugins.
10. Adobe Commerce
Formerly known as Magento, Adobe Commerce aids in the creation and management of large online stores. This self-hosted, open-source platform provides two software versions – free and paid. It comes with a tailor-made architecture that makes it the right platform for most organizations.
Pros
Companies can manage multiple storefronts across channels and buyers from one interface and rapidly deploy hundreds of storefronts at scale.
Adobe Commerce comes with features that allow you to build and integrate secure and scalable apps to extend the functionality of your site in a serverless PCI-compliant environment.
You can select from thousands of premium and free apps and extensions in its Commerce Marketplace. You can find everything from back-office integration with ERPs and order management to buyer experience solutions like marketing.
Cons
Most users complain that it is not an affordable option. Choosing this platform means paying for server, domain and additional tools such as extension and the cost of development.
The process of integrating with external software can be challenging. You will consistently require the assistance of experts to modify your shop.
Enhancing Your B2B Ecommerce Platform With Shopware
Here are examples of how B2B ecommerce companies use Shopware:
1. PMG sees a 52.9% increase in confirmed orders
PMG, a well-known bicycle manufacturer, approached us after their existing ecommerce platform stopped meeting their increased demands. During COVID, the interest in outdoor activities suddenly increased, and there was a huge demand for bicycles.
During the time PMG’s account managers were overwhelmed with dealer requests, their ecommerce portal couldn’t process the high volume of orders, organizational issues started to pop and support tickets piled up.
“Due to rapid growth, it became a challenge for us to meet the needs and demands of our dealers and adapt the workflows of our internal teams,” says PMG’s Head of ecommerce.
To provide a better experience for their dealers and streamline tasks for their internal teams, PMG decided to switch to Shopware.
They underwent the following changes:
Integrated their existing PIM and ERP systems into the new Shopware CMS. Hence, they can now view real time inventory, current and previous orders.
Switched from dealers calling ecommerce customer service to simply submitting a ticket through the portal. This reduced the clutter and number of support tickets.
Allowed account managers to easily set sales goals and credit limits for each dealer through the portal.
Read more about PMG and how they implemented our B2B ecommerce platform in the PMG case study.
2. Grohe migrated 20,000 items and two shops to one ecommerce platform
Grohe is a fourth-generation wholesaler in the trade and industry sector and sells both B2B (primarily) and B2C. They’ve wanted a modern ecommerce shop that not only provides a modern and smooth shopping experience but retains customers with their extensive knowledge base and guide.
"Shopware was able to fully meet our expectations. We have also recommended the shop system to others several times." says the Managing Director of Grohe.
By using Shopware 6’s technology and B2B Suite, Grohe has registered companies with multiple buyers, reduced the workload associated with their transactions, and enabled their shoppers to create order lists and quickly place items in the shopping cart based on the item number.
Grohe has also expanded their display of items via the Shopware B2B Suit, and now customers can easily view all sales documents, such as quotations, orders, delivery notes and invoices.
To learn more about Grohe and their switch to Shopware, read the Grohe case study.
Conclusion
In this article we outlined the types of B2B ecommerce companies and the criteria they should look into when choosing a B2B ecommerce platform. Your ideal platform should follow your size, industry specificities and growth plan.
If you are ready for state-of-the-art technology, easy implementation, maximum flexibility and hands-on support – look no further than Shopware. REIFF, Grohe and PMG have already streamlined their processes and satisfied the needs of their customers, internal team and industry.
Contact our team today, and see how you can take your B2B ecommerce shop to the next level!
Frequently asked questions
What are B2B ecommerce platforms?
B2B ecommerce platforms are online portals that enable companies to purchase and sell goods in bulk to other businesses. Common features include bulk orders, custom pricing, order management and multi-user accounts.
Which B2B platform is best?
The best B2B site depends on your business needs. Some are better suited for specific industries, such as manufacturing, while others are for buyers looking to purchase goods wholesale from various suppliers.
What is a B2B ordering platform?
A B2B ordering platform enables ecommerce stores to receive and process from buyers. They usually feature ecommerce capabilities, communication tools and self-service functions.
What is an example of a B2B ecommerce platform?
Common examples of B2B ecommerce include Shopware, Amazon Business, WooCommerce, and Shopify Plus.
