Strategy
Ecommerce platforms planning template for comparison
A planning template for comparing Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix and Adobe Commerce for a UK shop: hosting, payments, VAT, extensions, UK laws and exit, with a completed example row.
This template helps a UK shop owner compare six ecommerce platforms on the same criteria before asking for demonstrations or quotes. The first grid gives the general character of each platform. The second part is a blank grid to fill with your own checked evidence. Prices are left out because plans and fees change; take them from each supplier's current page.
| Platform | Hosting model | Payments and fees | Extensions | Typical fit | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Hosted software service, platform runs hosting and updates | Own payments service plus third-party gateways; extra transaction fee may apply if you use another gateway | App Store and themes | Small to mid-size shops wanting a managed platform | Plan limits, gateway fees, checkout customisation |
| WooCommerce | Free plugin for WordPress; you or a host run the site | Choose providers such as Stripe or PayPal; no platform fee beyond the provider's | Large plugin and theme ecosystem | Shops with a WordPress site or a developer | Hosting, updates, backups, security, plugin costs |
| BigCommerce | Hosted software service | Several gateways; check whether any platform transaction fee applies | Built-in features plus app marketplace | Growing shops, B2B selling | Plan limits on sales and product options |
| Squarespace | Hosted website builder with commerce | Fewer gateway choices than open platforms; fees depend on plan | Fewer integrations | Small catalogues where the site matters most | Payment options, VAT handling, export limits |
| Wix | Hosted website builder with commerce | Own payments plus other gateways; check fees by plan | App Market | Simple shops and small businesses | Product and order limits, checkout flexibility |
| Adobe Commerce | Self-hosted or Adobe-hosted; developer-led | Many gateways through extensions | Wide extension ecosystem | Large catalogues, complex or custom builds | Licence quote, build and maintenance effort |
Using the grid
Treat each row as a starting point to investigate, not as proof that your needs are met. Apply the same criteria to the setup you would actually run, cite the evidence and its date, and mark unknowns. The long-form comparisons in Shopify and WooCommerce and Wix vs Shopify cover two pairs in more depth.
A completed example row
This row is a worked example for an imagined merchant: a UK business selling candles from one warehouse, VAT-registered, with a few hundred orders a month. It shows the level of detail to aim for, not a verdict on the platform.
| Candidate | Journey and population | Systems and records | Assurance checks | Cost and exit | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify (example) | UK consumers; basket to delivery confirmed in a test order | Courier, accounting and email tools connected; order export tested | Keyboard test of checkout passed; VAT settings checked; PECR consent box tested | Plan and gateway fees from the supplier page, dated; product and order export tested | Go, pending courier integration test |
For your own comparison, copy the six columns and fill one row per candidate. Where evidence is missing, write "unknown", who will find it and by when.
Set the merchant boundary first
Record who is deciding, what you sell, who buys and where you deliver. Complete the market-entry checklist before asking for demonstrations or prices. Note any product with safety implications, the delivery area and excluded locations, and the problem you want the platform to solve, such as slow checkout or manual stock updates.
Trace the services beneath each candidate
List what the platform must connect to: catalogue, stock, orders, payments, carriers, returns, support, accounting and analytics. Use the vendor due diligence record to capture supplier and contract details. For each service, write down:
- the service and its legal supplier;
- who owns the contract;
- which system holds the master record;
- what data goes in and out;
- the notice period, export format and deletion route.
For payments, check which gateways the platform supports; the payment gateway comparison lists integrations for UK shops. Common UK choices include Stripe, PayPal and card providers built into the platform. Check how each handles Strong Customer Authentication, refunds and settlement timing.
Follow an order through its whole journey
Map discovery, product page, basket, payment, order confirmation, fulfilment, cancellation, return, refund and complaint. Give each stage an owner and a record. Use software selection mapping to tie requirements to the transaction instead of comparing feature lists.
Keep order administration, service messages and marketing as separate purposes, because each needs its own lawful basis. Distinguish authorised, captured, settled, failed, refunded and disputed payments, and note fees, currency and VAT treatment for each.
UK laws and authorities to check
Name the rule behind each check, so the template becomes a compliance record:
- Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013pre-contract information and the 14-day cancellation right for distance sales; check the checkout shows it.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015goods must be of satisfactory quality and as described.
- UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, regulated by the ICO: lawful basis, privacy notice, retention and breach handling.
- PECRconsent for marketing emails and for cookies and similar technologies.
- General Product Safety Regulations 2005in Great Britain, with guidance from the Office for Product Safety and Standards: producer, importer and distributor duties for consumer goods.
- Equality Act 2010services, including online shops, should not discriminate; test accessibility.
- HMRC VAT rules and Making Tax Digital for VATdigital VAT records and compatible software; see HMRC VAT and Making Tax Digital settings.
- PCI DSSan industry standard for card data, not a statute; confirm which party carries what scope.
Check the merchant's regulatory rule map against the goods and transaction.
Test access and protective controls
Write accessibility tests for keyboard use, screen readers, zoom, error recovery and alternative support, and record what happened. The accessibility checks give a seven-point list for demos; keep each gap and its owner beside the candidate.
For security, record how the platform handles admin access, two-step login, logging, backups, fraud controls and incident contacts. Note the NCSC small business guidance as a starting point, and agree who responds to a personal data breach.
Compare measures, costs and exit conditions
Define each measure by event, period and source: for example, orders completed divided by checkout starts in the same period. Keep completed orders, attributed sales and real uplift separate.
Use the whole-life cost fields to record, for each cost: the amount in pounds, whether VAT applies, whether it is one-off or recurring, the source and date, and the owner. Include staff time, refunds, disputes, accessibility fixes and migration. For exit, record how to export products, customers and orders, remove access and keep an archive.
Record the decision and the remaining work
Set a go, hold or stop outcome for a stated configuration, based on recorded evidence. Pause if a required field is unknown, a critical test fails or a specialist approval is withheld. An open issue is work to resolve before commitment, not a pass.
- Record the merchant, route and problem to solve.
- List connected services and unresolved contract details.
- Separate information purposes and payment states.
- Map customer and product stages to owners and evidence.
- Write accessibility and security checks before assessing them.
- Set measures, costs and exit requirements before deciding.
