--- title: "Best Headless eCommerce Software - 2026 Reviews & Pricing" description: "Find the best Headless Ecommerce Software for your organization. Compare top Headless Ecommerce Software systems with customer reviews, pricing, and free demos." source_url: "https://www.softwareadvice.com/ecommerce/headless-comparison/" page_type: "subcategory" language: "en" --- [Home](https://www.softwareadvice.com/) / Headless eCommerce Software Software Advice offers objective insights based on verified user reviews and independent product and market research. When our advisors match you to a software provider, we may earn a referral fee. # Best Headless eCommerce Software of 2026 Updated November 9, 2026 On this page 1. Popular Comparisons 2. Buyers Guide 3. Related Software Filter products 91 results ### Compare Products Showing 1 - 25 of 91 products #### Company Size - Self-Employed - 2-10 - 11-50 - 51-200 - 201-500 - 501-1000 - 1000+ #### Pricing Options - $$$$$ - $$$$$ - $$$$$ - $$$$$ - $$$$$ ### Compare Products Sort by **Recommendations**: Sorts listings by the number of recommendations our advisors have made over the past 30 days. Our advisors assess buyers’ needs for free and only recommend products that meet buyers’ needs. Vendors pay Software Advice for these referrals. **Reviews**: Sorts listings by the number of user reviews we have published, greatest to least. **Average Rating**: Sorts listings by overall star rating based on user reviews, highest to lowest. **Alphabetically (A-Z)**: Sorts listings by product name from A to Z. ### [Drupal Commerce](/product/275618-Drupal-Commerce/) - Overall rating: 4.3/5 - Reviews: 15 - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Drupal Commerce is an open-source eCommerce platform that lets you sell any type of product to anyone in the world. It powers billions in sales across tens of thousands of online [Read more](/product/275618-Drupal-Commerce/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Multi-Store: 4.7/5 - Shopping Cart: 4.3/5 - Templates: 4.3/5 - Reviews Management: 4/5 ##### Worst rated features - Catalog Management: 4/5 - Multi-Channel Marketing: 4/5 - Order Management: 4/5 - Reviews Management: 4/5 [See all features](/product/275618-Drupal-Commerce/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: Custom - Pricing available upon request [See full pricing details](/product/275618-Drupal-Commerce/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [RETISIO](/ecommerce/retisio-profile/) - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviews: 1 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview RETISIO is an enterprise-class, cloud-native, reactive microservices eCommerce platform. You can create compelling customer experiences with a complete set of user-friendly [Read more](/ecommerce/retisio-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Website Management: 5/5 - Data Security: 4/5 - Shopping Cart: 4/5 [See all features](/ecommerce/retisio-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Bloomreach](/marketing/bloomreach-experience-manager-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.8/5 - Reviews: 56 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Bloomreach is an AI platform for personalized customer engagement. Loomi, Bloomreach’s agentic personalization platform, brings customer data, predictive intelligence, and [Read more](/marketing/bloomreach-experience-manager-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Website Management: 5/5 - CRM: 5/5 - Third-Party Integrations: 5/5 - Data Security: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Campaign Analytics: 3/5 - Segmentation: 4/5 [See all features](/marketing/bloomreach-experience-manager-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Wix Studio](/website-optimization/wix-enterprise-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.7/5 - Reviews: 34 - Starting price: $19.00/month - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Wix Studio is a web development platform designed to help agencies and enterprises create digital experiences across various industries. The platform offers scalable solutions, [Read more](/website-optimization/wix-enterprise-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Content Library: 5/5 - Real-Time Analytics: 5/5 - Engagement Tracking: 5/5 - Workflow Management: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Real Time Editing: 2/5 - Digital Asset Management: 3/5 [See all features](/website-optimization/wix-enterprise-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Kentro](/ecommerce/kentro-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.9/5 - Reviews: 16 - Starting price: $225.00/month - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Kentro is a Modern ERP built by e-Commerce experts to streamline and automate your operational processes to support your scale and growth with maximum efficiency. Kentro comes [Read more](/ecommerce/kentro-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Activity Dashboard: 5/5 - Mobile Access: 5/5 - eCommerce Management: 5/5 - Shopping Cart: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Supply Chain Management: 4/5 - Customizable Branding: 4/5 [See all features](/ecommerce/kentro-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: $225.00/month [See full pricing details](/ecommerce/kentro-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Expresia](/customer-data-platform/expresia-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.7/5 - Reviews: 18 - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Today, the development of digital experiences for websites and mobile applications has reached an all-time high in terms of complexity, whereas the tools at developers’ disposal to [Read more](/customer-data-platform/expresia-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Customizable Templates: 4.7/5 - API: 4.6/5 - Content Management: 4.6/5 - Template Management: 4.5/5 ##### Worst rated features - A/B Testing: 3/5 - Multi-Channel Distribution: 3.5/5 - Alerts/Notifications: 4/5 - Document Management: 4/5 [See all features](/customer-data-platform/expresia-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: Custom - Pricing available upon request [See full pricing details](/customer-data-platform/expresia-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [BigCommerce](/ecommerce/bigcommerce-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.4/5 - Reviews: 341 - Starting price: $39.00/month - Best for: Small businesses - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Available #### Overview BigCommerce is a cloud-based online design platform that provides solutions to e-commerce entrepreneurs with website customization, shipment management, transactions as well as [Read more](/ecommerce/bigcommerce-profile/) ##### What users love - Responsive and helpful support team - Rich feature set and flexibility - Robust all-in-one ecommerce solution ##### To take in mind - Costs increase with growth #### Features ##### Best rated features - Multi-Channel Management: 5/5 - Multi-Store: 5/5 - De-Coupled Front & Back Ends: 5/5 - Bulk Ordering: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Loyalty Program: 3/5 - Customer Accounts: 3.6/5 - Discount Management: 3.7/5 - Data Import/Export: 3.8/5 [See all features](/ecommerce/bigcommerce-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Standard - Price: $39.00/month ##### Plus - Price: $105.00/month ##### Pro - Price: $399.00/month [See full pricing details](/ecommerce/bigcommerce-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [WizCommerce](/ecommerce/wizcommerce-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.6/5 - Reviews: 14 - Starting price: $500.00/month - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview WizCommerce is a cloud-based sales and operations platform built for wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers of all sizes. It helps businesses manage orders, track inventory, [Read more](/ecommerce/wizcommerce-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Customizable Templates: 5/5 - Pre-built Templates: 5/5 - Online Store Builder: 5/5 - Credit Card Processing: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Promotions Management: 3.3/5 - Reporting/Analytics: 3.8/5 [See all features](/ecommerce/wizcommerce-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Starter - Price: $500.00/month [See full pricing details](/ecommerce/wizcommerce-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [KIBO Commerce](/ecommerce/kibo-ecommerce-solution-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.3/5 - Reviews: 4 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview KIBO is a MACH-certified, composable commerce platform designed for retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors to handle complex business requirements, such as [Read more](/ecommerce/kibo-ecommerce-solution-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Order Management: 5/5 - Payment Options: 5/5 - Catalog Management: 5/5 - Shipping Management: 4/5 ##### Worst rated features - Returns Management: 4/5 - Shipping Management: 4/5 [See all features](/ecommerce/kibo-ecommerce-solution-profile/#key-features) --- ### [OroCommerce](/multi-channel-ecommerce/orocommerce-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.7/5 - Reviews: 7 - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview OroCommerce is an open-source e-commerce platform for midsize companies and large enterprises. It allows users to set up a multi-channel e-commerce store. Key features include [Read more](/multi-channel-ecommerce/orocommerce-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Returns Management: 5/5 - Content Management: 5/5 - SEO Management: 5/5 - Multi-Currency: 5/5 [See all features](/multi-channel-ecommerce/orocommerce-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: Custom - Pricing available upon request [See full pricing details](/multi-channel-ecommerce/orocommerce-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Core dna](/cms/core-dna-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.8/5 - Reviews: 5 - Starting price: A$1,250.00/month - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Core dna is a digital experience platform that combines the capabilities of a headless platform with those of a SaaS solution. It caters to businesses in finance, healthcare, [Read more](/cms/core-dna-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Document Management: 5/5 - Electronic Forms: 5/5 - SEO Management: 5/5 - Version Control: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Mobile Access: 4/5 - Text Editing: 4/5 [See all features](/cms/core-dna-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: A$1,250.00/month [See full pricing details](/cms/core-dna-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Znode](/ecommerce/znode-profile/) - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviews: 3 - Starting price: $5,000.00 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Znode is an enterprise, B2B eCommerce platform developed to enable growth through a rich set of built-in features to easily manage content, site search, product information and [Read more](/ecommerce/znode-profile/) --- ### [Athos Commerce](/ecommerce/searchspring-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.6/5 - Reviews: 15 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Athos Commerce is the only all-in-one intelligent discovery platform that connects shoppers to the right products across whatever channel they are shopping. More than 2,700 of [Read more](/ecommerce/searchspring-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Third-Party Integrations: 5/5 - Recommendations: 4.3/5 [See all features](/ecommerce/searchspring-profile/#key-features) --- ### [SAP Commerce Cloud](/ecommerce/sap-commerce-cloud-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.4/5 - Reviews: 9 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview SAP Commerce Cloud is an eCommerce platform designed to help businesses of all sizes streamline operations related to customer orders, inventories, payments, and sales across [Read more](/ecommerce/sap-commerce-cloud-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - eCommerce Management: 5/5 - Customizable Templates: 5/5 - Discount Management: 5/5 - Inventory Tracking: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Shipping Management: 3/5 - Website Management: 4/5 - Conversion Tracking: 4/5 - Electronic Payments: 4/5 [See all features](/ecommerce/sap-commerce-cloud-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Native Commerce](/ecommerce/cloud-retail-profile/) - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviews: 2 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Cloud Retail is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that combines all the services you need in one tool, including, Front-end Online Store, Order Management System, Warehouse [Read more](/ecommerce/cloud-retail-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Catalog Management: 5/5 - Shopping Cart: 5/5 - Website Management: 5/5 - Order Management: 5/5 [See all features](/ecommerce/cloud-retail-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Bluestone PIM](/catalog-management/bluestone-pim-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.6/5 - Reviews: 7 - Starting price: $3,000.00/month - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Bluestone PIM is a headless, agent-first Product Information Management (PIM) platform, and the first PIM to join the MACH Alliance. AI agents run the daily product data work, [Read more](/catalog-management/bluestone-pim-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Third-Party Integrations: 5/5 - Data Quality Control: 5/5 - Collaboration Tools: 4/5 - Search/Filter: 4/5 ##### Worst rated features - Content Library: 1/5 - Pricing Management: 2/5 - Version Control: 3/5 - Data Modeling: 3.5/5 [See all features](/catalog-management/bluestone-pim-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: $3,000.00/month [See full pricing details](/catalog-management/bluestone-pim-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Pepperi](/crm/pepperi-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.4/5 - Reviews: 66 - Starting price: $500.00/month - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Available #### Overview Pepperi is a cloud-based mobile sales and customer relationship management (CRM) solution that serves businesses of all sizes in industries such as fashion, food and beverage, [Read more](/crm/pepperi-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Contact Database: 5/5 - Product Catalog: 5/5 - Electronic Signature: 5/5 - Mobile Access: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Customizable Branding: 1/5 - Live Chat: 1/5 - Alerts/Notifications: 1/5 - Territory Management: 1/5 [See all features](/crm/pepperi-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: $500.00/month [See full pricing details](/crm/pepperi-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [OrderCloud](/scm/ordercloud-profile/) - Overall rating: 3/5 - Reviews: 1 - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview OrderCloud is a cloud-based headless eCommerce solution that helps businesses utilize a RESTful application programming interface (API) to create customizable eCommerce, order [Read more](/scm/ordercloud-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Order Tracking: 4/5 - Catalog Management: 4/5 - Order Management: 3/5 - Order Entry: 3/5 ##### Worst rated features - De-Coupled Front & Back Ends: 3/5 - Shopping Cart: 3/5 - API: 3/5 - Web/Mobile App Development: 3/5 [See all features](/scm/ordercloud-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: Custom - Pricing available upon request [See full pricing details](/scm/ordercloud-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [SellerChamp](/ecommerce/sellerchamp-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.4/5 - Reviews: 111 - Best for: Customer support - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview SellerChamp is a cloud-based eCommerce solution that enables businesses to streamline processes related to product repricing, cross-selling, shipping, inventory management and [Read more](/ecommerce/sellerchamp-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Shipment Tracking: 5/5 - Supplier Management: 5/5 - Multi-Location: 5/5 - Sales Order Management: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Multi-Channel Management: 1/5 - CRM: 1/5 - Multi-Currency: 3/5 [See all features](/ecommerce/sellerchamp-profile/#key-features) --- ### [NetSuite](/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.2/5 - Reviews: 2,086 - Best for: Enterprise businesses - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview NetSuite is an AI-powered cloud-based business management suite that incorporates ERP, financial management, CRM and eCommerce functionalities into a unified platform, helping [Read more](/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/) ##### What users love - Deep system tailoring options - Comprehensive and scalable functionality - Centralized financial operations platform ##### To take in mind - Steep learning curve and complexity - Complex and rigid reporting tools - Slow and inconsistent support experience #### Features ##### Best rated features - Aging Tracking: 5/5 - "What If" Scenarios: 5/5 - Knowledge Base Management: 5/5 - Vendor Master Data Management: 5/5 [See all features](/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Adobe Commerce](/inventory-management/magento-commerce-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.3/5 - Reviews: 662 - Best for: Features - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Adobe Commerce empowers brands to accelerate conversion and scale efficiently with a modern, high-performance commerce storefront and AI-powered merchandising. Built for [Read more](/inventory-management/magento-commerce-profile/) ##### What users love - Extensive customization and scalability - Powerful e-commerce site builder - Multi-store and global management ##### To take in mind - High cost for premium editions - Limited and unresponsive support - Resource-heavy and slow performance #### Features ##### Best rated features - Invoice Management: 5/5 - Web/Mobile App Development: 5/5 - Multi-Channel Marketing: 5/5 - Status Tracking: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Returns Management: 3/5 - Reporting/Analytics: 3/5 - SEO Management: 3.9/5 - SSL Security: 4/5 [See all features](/inventory-management/magento-commerce-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service (ACCS) - Price: Custom - Pricing available upon request - Cloud-native SaaS solution that helps brands accelerate time to market, increase conversion, and ##### Adobe Commerce Optimizer (ACO) - Price: Custom - Pricing available upon request - Edge-delivered SaaS experience layer that helps brands boost conversion, accelerate merchandising [See full pricing details](/inventory-management/magento-commerce-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Rain POS](/retail/rainpos-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.1/5 - Reviews: 134 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Rain is an all-in-one point-of-sale, website, and marketing system for small to midsized retailers. Music, dive, sporting goods, paddle, craft, sewing, quilting, and clothing [Read more](/retail/rainpos-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Promotions Management: 5/5 - Retail Inventory Management: 5/5 - Product Identification: 5/5 - Multi-Channel Marketing: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Multi-Location: 1/5 [See all features](/retail/rainpos-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Epos Now](/retail/epos-now-profile/) - Overall rating: 3.8/5 - Reviews: 733 - Starting price: $349.00one time - Best for: Popular - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Epos Now POS systems are an effective business management, sales, and payment solution for single-site, multi-site, and online businesses. Popular with retailers and hospitality [Read more](/retail/epos-now-profile/) ##### What users love - Intuitive interface for all users - Streamlined staff operations - Accessible training and onboarding ##### To take in mind - Slow and unresponsive service - Long waits and inconsistent help - Unexpected and recurring charges #### Features ##### Best rated features - User Management: 5/5 - Customer History: 5/5 - Sales History: 5/5 - Time Clock: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - PCI Compliance: 1/5 - Point of Sale (POS) Integration: 1/5 - Ordering Automation: 1/5 - In-Person Payments: 1/5 [See all features](/retail/epos-now-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Lightspeed Retail](/product/1932-Lightspeed-Retail/) - Overall rating: 4.0/5 - Reviews: 976 - Starting price: $109.00/month - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Lightspeed Retail is a cloud-based point of sale (POS) and retail management system (RMS) designed for retailers of all sizes in industries such as apparel, footwear, bike, [Read more](/product/1932-Lightspeed-Retail/) ##### What users love - Comprehensive inventory control tools - Versatile retail operations platform - Intuitive and accessible interface ##### To take in mind - Inconsistent and slow support response - Limited and confusing sales reporting - Expensive with extra add-on costs #### Features ##### Best rated features - Price/Margin Management: 5/5 - Data Import/Export: 5/5 - Barcode Printing: 5/5 - Barcode Recognition: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Promotions Management: 1/5 - Customer History: 1/5 - Inventory Replenishment: 1/5 - Stock Management: 1/5 [See all features](/product/1932-Lightspeed-Retail/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: $109.00/month - For independent retailers ##### Core - Price: $179.00/month - For scaling retailers ##### Plus - Price: $339.00/month - For scaled, established retail operations [See full pricing details](/product/1932-Lightspeed-Retail/#pricing-and-plans) --- 1 [2](https://www.softwareadvice.com/ecommerce/headless-comparison/?__ai_markdown=true&page=2)[3](https://www.softwareadvice.com/ecommerce/headless-comparison/?__ai_markdown=true&page=3)[4](https://www.softwareadvice.com/ecommerce/headless-comparison/?__ai_markdown=true&page=4) ## Popular Comparisons [ Epos Now vs Lightspeed Retail ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/compare/1932-Lightspeed-Retail/vs/21000-epos-now/)[ Wix vs Adobe Commerce ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/inventory-management/magento-commerce-profile/vs/wix/)[ Salesforce Commerce Cloud vs BigCommerce ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/ecommerce/bigcommerce-profile/vs/salesforce-b2c/)[ NetSuite vs Descartes Finale ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/inventory-management/finale-inventory-profile/vs/netsuite-financials-accounting-software/)[ ikas vs Shopify Plus ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/ecommerce/ikas-profile/vs/shopify-plus/)[ SellerChamp vs Helium 10 ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/marketplace/helium-10-profile/vs/sellerchamp/) The variety of places that customers can shop online is difficult for any company to keep up with. Due to this difficulty, a new type of software is required to effectively manage both the front end that the customer sees and the back end that fuels inventory and transactions. Headless ecommerce tools are solving this problem for today’s companies—by separating the front end and back end of the system, so the engine of the software can deliver the right product data and content on the optimal platform through the use of application programming interfaces (APIs). This offers businesses the flexibility to connect with customers in a variety of ways without the need for extensive back-end customization. Here’s what we’ll cover: - [What is headless e-commerce software?](#Whatisheadlessecommercesoftware) - [Common features of headless e-commerce software](#Commonfeaturesofheadlessecommercesoftware) - [What type of buyer are you?](#Whattypeofbuyerareyou) - [Benefits and potential issues](#Benefitsandpotentialissues) - [Market trends to understand](#Markettrendstounderstand) ## What is headless e-commerce software? A headless ecommerce system includes core functionalities such as inventory, product management, and a shopping cart, but allows those features to be deployed quickly and easily to multiple platforms, such as a brand’s website, Facebook, Amazon, and any other place online where customers can make purchases. The headless system separates the front end (the site or app the customer views) from the back end (where the product management and payment processing happens) to make this agility possible. In the past, customers would typically go to a physical store or visit an online store on their desktop computer to order a product. But today, consumers expect a more flexible shopping experience: people enjoy shopping on their mobile devices while commuting to work, using an IoT-enabled Amazon Dash button to quickly reorder items, or even finalizing transactions through text. The headless ecommerce system helps companies manage this by using APIs to push consistent copy, images, and layouts from a single back-end system to each platform. This way, they don’t need to reconfigure their branding manually as they reach out to customers across the web. Beyond that, the system allows transactions to take place wherever the customer may be, leading to a more organic experience and more conversions. ## Common features of headless ecommerce software | Feature | Description | | --- | --- | | Shopping cart | Allows customers to add and edit items as they shop, then complete the purchase. Many shopping cart tools will remember the items someone saved before bouncing from the online store. | | Inventory management | Manages the volume and types of items in a store’s inventory and can be used to optimize automatic reorder levels. | | CRM | Stores the contact information for customers and potential customers to be used for marketing initiatives or to identify valuable trends in sales or buyer behavior. | | Order management | Manages the incoming orders from an online store to help coordinate the inventory and supply chain and deliver items in a timely fashion. | | Shipping management | Generates shipping and handling costs during the transaction and delivers details to the customer and any third-party shipping partners. | | Payment processing | Processes the transactions online. With a headless ecommerce system, the transaction can be completed on various platforms via APIs that call back to the back-end system, where this functionality lives. | | Reporting and analysis | Generates reports and raw data about sales, buyer behavior, inventory metrics, revenue and profits, and more. | --- ## What type of buyer are you? Headless ecommerce software represents how brands are adapting to the modern marketplace—these systems are the future of online shopping. But certain types of businesses will find immediate value from a headless ecommerce strategy. - **Luxury and experience-based brands:** Companies that focus on providing a unique experience for customers can create compelling designs on various platforms, without the need of coding expertise. This allows IT teams to focus on the back-end system, while marketers can push their crafted experiences to websites, mobile devices, and more. - **International brands:** For companies with several brands that span the globe, a headless system allows users to create multiple unique sites that deliver customized experiences to customers in various countries. However, every site leverages the product and inventory data from a single back-end system. - **Niche brands with a dedicated platform:** Some businesses have cultivated a loyal following of customers on specific platforms, such as Instagram or Etsy. Depending on their size and aspirations, these companies may decide that a headless ecommerce system isn’t relevant to their needs until they decide to expand their channels. ## Benefits and potential issues - **Increased agility for marketing:** With the front and back end separated in a headless ecommerce system, marketing teams can focus on providing a great customer experience, no matter the platform. - **More secure than traditional ecommerce:** Because the back end of the system is decoupled from the front end, it makes it more difficult for malicious programs or hackers to access sensitive information. - **Increased complexity:** Using a headless system requires the use of APIs to "call" for information from the back-end system, then deliver to a specific platform. These APIs provide a streamlined transfer of data, but require an IT team to set up from the beginning. - **Costs and return on investment can vary:** The sophistication of a company’s brand and marketing can indicate how soon a headless system can return value. Upfront costs will likely include customizations for APIs, but companies can also avoid costs related to managing channels separately and paying subscription fees for additional software needed to provide a real omni-channel experience. ## Market trends to understand - **Growth of omni-channel marketing:** Gartner research shows that 61% of site traffic from consumers is generated by mobile users, but 69% of purchases occur on a desktop computer. Factoring in social media, internet of thing (IoT) devices, and even video game consoles, buyers have dozens of platforms to evaluate products and make purchases—the headless ecommerce architecture enables companies to engage customers on each of these channels with ease. - **A shift to a direct-to-consumer model:** Research predicts the growth of direct-to-consumer models in the U.S. will grow by 25% through the end of 2020. Gartner explains that selling wholesale through a third-party retailer robs businesses of the valuable buyer behavior data used to make improvements. The headless ecommerce system streamlines the marketing needs for such a shift. - **International, multi-currency e-commerce is now standard:** Ordering products online from other countries is a daily occurrence for many, so it’s important to customize websites for each location and currency. Using a headless ecommerce platform helps manage multiple variations of a website, with unique branding, can be deployed with little coding requirements. _Note: The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication._ ### Related Headless eCommerce Software - [B2B eCommerce Platform Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/b2b-ecommerce-platform/) - [Catalog Management Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/catalog-management/) - [Marketplace Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/marketplace/) - [Multi-Channel eCommerce Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/multi-channel-ecommerce/) - [PIM Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/ecommerce/product-information-management-comparison/) - [Publishing and Subscriptions Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/publishing-and-subscriptions/) - [eCommerce Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4340-ecommerce/)