SaaS vs. Custom eCommerce Platforms: What’s Best for Startups

In a hyperconnected world where digital presence is the badge of credibility, the internet has become the primary arena for businesses to connect and engage with their customers. With countless entrepreneurs and businesses setting up their shop online, the e-commerce market continues to grow exponentially, leaving startups with the critical choice - what type of platform should they select for building their online store?

The platform one chooses for their eCommerce website can influence the success of their business and its growth in the long run. Choosing the right platform can help create a strong foundation for the startup and determine how well it can manage and run its operations without any hassles. 

Today, the most commonly chosen options for building an online store include a SaaS eCommerce platform or a custom-built solution. Both these platforms have their own unique strengths and challenges, and the startup must choose the right platform depending on the unique business goals, budget, and long-term goals. In this blog, we’ll go through the different options to determine which one is perfect for a business.
 

SaaS-Based eCommerce Platform 

An SaaS-based eCommerce platform is a prebuilt cloud-hosted solution where a third party manages the website infrastructure, security, and updates. This includes platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, Wix eCommerce, and Squarespace, which come with ready-made templates and built-in tools. These options give startups the advantages of cost efficiency, speedy deployment, and ease of use, allowing them to launch their digital store quickly without the need for technical expertise. 

It is a common misconception that SaaS platforms are inherently less scalable and customizable; in reality, they offer a range of flexible features, third-party integrations, and scalable subscription plans that can support growth for many startups. However, as the business grows, startups may encounter restrictions in adapting to core business processes or integrating with niche-specific digital tools, limiting their ability to fully leverage the potential of the platform. 

Although SaaS products are well-suited for the initial stages of a startup's eCommerce mission, they may struggle to meet the complex requirements and support large-scale operations. This may potentially drive the startups to transition to custom eCommerce platforms for long-term growth and flexibility. 
 

Features of SaaS-Based eCommerce Platform 

The key features of SaaS-based eCommerce platforms include:

• Third-party hosted infrastructure, which ensures that they will manage the servers and oversee maintenance.
• SaaS platforms come with pre-built templates and ready-made design themes, making them easy to set up.
• These platforms come with pre-existing standard payment gateways for processing transactions.
• They provide regular and consistent updates, eliminating the need for manual interventions.
• SaaS platforms are easy to integrate with common third-party apps and services without much hassle.
• The subscription for the pre-built platforms often comes with access to 24/7 assistance and external helpdesks.  
   

Custom eCommerce Platform 

Custom eCommerce platforms are planned, designed, and built to be tailored to the business’s specific and unique needs. This allows startups to have extensive and complete control over the digital store’s design, core functionalities, and scalability. Custom platforms are often built from scratch or by heavily modifying the existing open-source frameworks, such as WooCommerce, Magento Open Source, PrestaShop, and Shopware. Custom eCommerce solutions are ideal for startups that involve complex core processes in their operations. 

Custom eCommerce platforms, however, require a higher initial investment compared to pre-built SaaS eCommerce solutions, as they require dedicated development, design, and testing efforts. Despite the high cost, custom eCommerce platforms provide extensive flexibility to implement a wide range of unique and complex core features. In addition to this, custom solutions also offer improved scalability, enabling you to have multiple channels to differentiate your brand through unique and varying customer experiences. 

But when it comes to startups, developing a custom website can be quite challenging due to the technical and operational resource limitations of building and maintaining a digital store. However, proper planning and resource utilization can be employed to overcome these hurdles effectively.
 

Features of Custom eCommerce Platform 

Major features of custom eCommerce platforms include: 

• Startups have the complete freedom to design anything and everything, contributing to an extensively tailored UI/UX to provide a unique customer experience.
• Full code ownership allows you to access, edit, and modify any aspect of the website as much as you desire.
• Custom database structure allows you to organize data as per your unique and specific needs.
• A tailored approach allows you to integrate and connect your website with the existing or required business systems with ease. 
   

What’s Best for Your Business?

If you are still searching for the answer as to which solution to choose out of SaaS vs. custom, the decision ultimately depends on your startup’s current budget limitations and plans for growth. 

Cubet has come across countless scenarios where many startups initially benefit from the speed, cost-effectiveness, and simplicity of use that SaaS platforms offer.  Moreover, SaaS platforms allow startups to test the potential of their industry and learn the intricacies of digital selling with minimal revenue and technical help to significantly understand customer behavior and rework their operations online. 

As the startup business grows, it can further allocate the appropriate resources to transition into developing a custom eCommerce platform that embodies its industry-specific features, unique workflows, and improved scalability in the long run. By engaging with the appropriate consultants and building on the technical infrastructure, the startup can make this shift with ease. 

Ultimately, the best solution is a platform that offers complete long-term control, tremendous flexibility, and the ability to scale and adapt as the business evolves. 
 

Build Your E-Commerce Platform With Cubet

As the leading application development company in India, Cubet offers a wide range of eCommerce solutions to choose from. Over the last 10 years, we have been helping clients across India and the globe build secure and high-performing digital solutions that guarantee success. Let us help you set up your SaaS platforms or help you build a custom eCommerce platform that is tailored to meet your business requirements and needs. 

Partner with Cubet to bring your business store into the digital realm and achieve sustainable growth in today’s highly competitive digital landscape. Contact us today to talk with our experts!