Custom e-commerce solutions are a significant part of the DACH market, and a large portion of income comes from online shopping. The region continues to grow in terms of online sales every year. By comparison, in 2019, online sales in Germany reached 59.2 billion euros, while in 2023, they reached 84.5 billion euros.
There are dozens of custom software providers on the market, and choosing the leading one is quite hard, as the trends are changing really quickly.
With such a wide variety available, it’s easy to lose track. In this article, we’ll cover the most popular e-commerce solutions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. According to Forbes Advisors, the most popular e-commerce software providers in October 2023 were Wix and Shopify.
Before we move on to the comparison, it’s important to mention that not all solutions are meant to cater to the same crowd. There are three main types available on the market:
- SaaS (software as a service) – all-in-one online shop creators for beginners
- Open-source solutions – dedicated to advanced merchants who would like to customize their product
- Enterprise – bespoke shop solutions created for large businesses
We’ve gathered 20+ of the most important players in the online shopping market and described them below. Keep reading to find out more!
Wix
Wix is a comprehensive eCommerce platform that equips businesses with the essential tools and services needed for successful online and offline sales. It supports 180+ languages, localized pricing, diverse payment methods, and integrations with top-rated applications for streamlined international shipping and fulfillment.
Moreover, Wix’s robust and fully managed infrastructure ensures limitless scalability, and it has already empowered over 1 million websites with its eCommerce features.
Shopify
One of the world’s most famous cloud-based e-commerce systems is Shopify. It’s designed for the multi-channel approach, from brick-and-mortar shops and pop-up stores to social media and online marketplaces. It makes a great choice for growing businesses, as it’s focused on scalability. What’s more, the Shopify system is easy to learn and allows you to manage multiple shops.
According to data obtained by Genus AI, the number of Shopify live websites increased by 201.53% between March 2020 and January 2022. You can learn more about Shopify SEO tips here.
Squarespace
Squarespace is an all-in-one website building and hosting platform that empowers users to create professional-looking websites with ease. Known for its user-friendly interface and visually appealing templates, Squarespace is a popular choice for individuals, businesses, and creatives looking to establish an online presence. This platform eliminates the need for coding or technical expertise and allows anyone to manage and design their website efficiently, regardless of their skill level.
Currently, Squarespace expects revenue of $987 million to $995 million, or 14% to 15% growth year-over-year.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is an e-commerce platform that stands out as an enterprise-focused solution. It has earned recognition from leading analysts and organizations as it positioned itself as a Challenger in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce Report. Known for its openness and flexibility, BigCommerce combines SaaS convenience with extensive API support and caters to diverse business needs.
Moreover, BigCommerce maintains a strong ecosystem of partners, developers, and designers to further enhance its offerings.
The BigCommerce platform currently hosts 45,941 live stores.
WooCommerce
A top e-commerce solution for WordPress, WooCommerce is one of the largest companies on the market. According to Datanyze, WooCommerce has a market share of almost 14,72% worldwide! It offers a whole lot of extensions, themes, and other customizations to improve your online shop.
As we can see, WooCommerce is a significant player in the e-commerce platform market. It powers 28,520 websites and accounts for approximately 2.54% of the top 1 million eCommerce websites.
Zyro
Zyro is a website builder that allows anyone to create a professional website or online store. With over 150,000 websites in use, +/- 800 of them are located in Germany. The platform is designed for individuals interested in creating personal websites or operating small online stores.
Zyro offers a selection of 148 modern website templates across various categories, including eCommerce, fashion, business, and photography, with 29 dedicated to eCommerce.
Shopware
Considered one of the most innovative brands on the DACH e-commerce market, Shopware is one of the leading open-source shop systems in Germany. It caters to clients from the B2B and B2C sectors. The multi-tabs feature and integrated plugin manager make it a great choice for managing particularly large amounts of items.
Currently, 19,250 companies use Shopware. German and retail companies are the most common users of Shopware. In most cases, Shopware is used by companies with 1-10 employees and 1M-10M in revenue.
CoreCommerce
CoreCommerce is a comprehensive e-commerce platform designed to simplify online payment acceptance for businesses, web developers, ISOs/agents, and software partners. It offers a user-friendly and customizable shopping cart system with a wide range of features. It’s suitable for businesses of all sizes to enhance their online sales and streamline operations. CoreCommerce’s CoreGateway provides robust SaaS reporting tools and real-time payment data monitoring capabilities. It also facilitates efficient management of various aspects of a business.
In 2023, CoreCommerce generated $4 million in revenue.
Amazon
Amazon is a popular platform for buyers but also sellers, who can create an account and list their items. It’s a global e-commerce giant and one of the world’s largest technology companies. Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, Amazon initially started as an online bookseller but rapidly expanded to become a comprehensive online marketplace.
Amazon’s success is attributed to its relentless focus on customer satisfaction, its commitment to innovation, and its ability to leverage technology effectively. The company has streamlined the shopping experience for users through its website and mobile apps.
In 2021 there were nearly 2 million small and medium businesses worldwide selling on Amazon.
eBay
The same goes for eBay. Companies can sell their products through this platform and deliver a satisfying experience to customers. This popular platform allows individuals and businesses to buy and sell a wide variety of products and goods. Founded in 1995, it has grown to become one of the largest e-commerce sites globally. eBay is known for its diverse range of products, including both new and used items, collectibles, electronics, clothing, and more.
eBay generated $9.7 billion in revenue in 2022, down 9.3% from the previous year.
kleinanzeigen.de
Kleinanzeigen is a German online platform, part of eBay Kleinanzeigen, where users can post and browse free classified ads for a wide range of products and services. Whether individuals or businesses want to sell new or used items, offer services, or even advertise job listings, they can do so on this platform. Kleinanzeigen is known for its ease of use. Users can access and post ads locally, which makes it a convenient and popular choice for buying and selling in the country.
It is the 11th most viewed page in Germany and 1st in the category: eCommerce and Shopping – other.
Otto
Otto is a well-known German online marketplace that offers a wide selection of products from more than 4,000 brands. It allows retailers to stay in touch with customers and offer more and more new products without having to set up their own stores. It provides customers with access to current trends, relevant products, and top-quality service.
Otto is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, and boasts a #3 ranking in the eCommerce & Shopping – marketplaces category in Germany.
idealo.de
Idealo.de is a well-known German online platform. It supports more than 50,000 stores and provides access to more than 350 million listings, thus proving to be a valuable platform for retailers looking to provide customers with the right products. It offers shoppers expert advice and reviews to help them make informed purchasing decisions.
The largest age group among its users falls within the 25 to 34-year-old bracket.
willhaben.at
Willhaben.at is Austria’s top online marketplace, and it offers a wide range of listings, including real estate, used cars, job opportunities, and various other items. Founded in 2006, the platform handles more than 8 million listings, so it’s a significant player in Austria’s e-commerce sector and shopping market.
The interests of the platform’s audience are mainly focused on Computers Electronics and Technology.
ricardo.ch
Ricardo.ch is Switzerland’s largest online marketplace that provides sellers with a platform to list items for sale and effectively engage in sales activities. Ricardo.ch provides its users with a unique online marketplace experience, allowing them to buy and bid on a wide range of products that cannot be found anywhere else.
Its strong online presence and engagement metrics reflect its status as Switzerland’s premier e-commerce and shopping auction platform. It is ranked #1 in the eCommerce & Shopping – Auctions category in Switzerland.
migros.ch
Migros.ch is an online platform affiliated with Migros, an established Swiss supermarket and retail company founded in 1925. Migros.ch provides customers with the convenience of ordering groceries online and having them delivered to their doorstep. So you don’t have to set up your own store in order for customers to buy your products online.
Migros.ch is ranked first in Switzerland in the eCommerce and Shopping – Other category.
Volusion
Volusion is a user-friendly ecommerce platform designed for businesses seeking online growth. With responsive themes and an intuitive site builder, users can easily create customized storefronts. The platform also includes features like inventory management, payment collection, SEO tools, and seamless checkout experiences.
Volusion supports various integrations and offers access to marketing, web design, and SEO experts to help businesses succeed in the digital marketplace.
tutti.ch
Tutti.ch is a popular online platform in Switzerland that serves as a classifieds marketplace. It offers its users a variety of listings and advertisements. Founded in 2010, Tutti.ch has become a popular destination for people who want to buy and sell a variety of items, from furniture and apartments to electronics, job listings, and cars.
With more than 2,000,000 listings from all over Switzerland, Tutti.ch provides a comprehensive and diverse selection of goods and services. Sellers can offer everything from furniture to apartments, electronics, job listings, and vehicles.
Spryker
Spryker is a platform designed to address the ever-changing landscape of digital commerce. It empowers businesses to tackle challenges, meet rising customer expectations, and navigate growing complexities.
Trusted by top companies, Spryker offers solutions for various industries and use cases, from B2B and B2C commerce to marketplace extensions and order automation. With a focus on innovation and flexibility, Spryker helps businesses future-proof their success in the dynamic world of e-commerce. In 2023, Spryker achieved annual revenue of $52 million.
Adobe Commerce (Magento)
Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento, is a versatile and scalable commerce platform designed for both B2B and B2C businesses. It empowers businesses to create highly personalized online shopping experiences, regardless of the number of brands they manage. With native AI capabilities, it enables AI-driven personalization, real-time content delivery, and productivity enhancement through AI merchandising tools.
Adobe Commerce also supports omnichannel personalization, market expansion, and customization while offering a wide range of apps and extensions for further customization. It is a recognized leader in digital commerce, delivering secure and high-performance commerce solutions.
Summary
As you can see, the choice of e-commerce platforms in the DACH region is truly wide. We’ve listed 30 more, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Some of the platforms include:
There are new interesting companies appearing all the time, so it’s good to keep your eyes open!
Of course, the tools vary depending on many factors – some of them are very intuitive, some more in-depth, and targeted to the more tech-savvy users. With such a wide choice on the market, you’re very likely to find something to suit your needs. We hope you found this guide helpful!
