The world of business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce, also called wholesale eCommerce, is rapidly evolving, offering new opportunities and challenges for companies looking to sell online and expand their online presence. As the number of eCommerce platforms has changed drastically over the recent years, it may be overwhelming for business owners to choose one that will work best for their business.

The aim of this blog is to provide information about popular B2B eCommerce platforms that can be a foundation for making a more informed decision. To do so, we will take a closer look at the B2B eCommerce functionalities of each platform, as well as look at their strong and weak points.

Quick jump

Sylius Standard & Sylius Plus

Type of software: Open-source/Commercial

Pricing: Sylius Standard (Open-source) / Sylius Plus (Sylius Plus pricing starts at 14,900 EUR annually, but each module can be bought separately)

Programming language: PHP, Symfony framework

Sylius is a headless eCommerce platform that offers two versions – “Standard” and “Plus” However, both of them are often referred to as eCommerce frameworks, as Sylius provides around 70-80% common eCommerce features available for great extendability, allowing development teams to build custom tailor-made solutions for the online commerce business, while the remaining 20% is up to integrations, community plugins, or unique customizations. This way, developers can create an eCommerce store exactly suited to the company’s needs and various strategies. Additionally, with the Symfony framework, developers can work better and faster using generic reusable models.  

Sylius Plus is an extended and paid version of an open-source headless eCommerce platform, Sylius Standard. It was developed to meet the needs of even the most demanding companies that go through rapid growth or operate on a large scale. Thanks to its modular architecture, it can be bought separately according to business needs.

Dedicated B2B eCommerce functionalities in Sylius Plus

Organization Management

With this feature, organizations can streamline their processes and save time. By creating one master account, billing information, address books, and order histories can all be shared, granting access to the entire organization. Furthermore, roles can be assigned to members to ensure the security of sensitive information e.g. admin may only have the ability to add new customers and adjust billing data.

Quick Shopping

What if it was possible to place a wholesale order with many items and variants on one subpage without having to browse many categories? With B2B customers in mind, we have created this functionality. Simply enter the SKU code or start typing the product’s name, and you’ll get suggestions from your store in the blink of an eye. Once you specify the desired number, you can add everything to your basket with just one click.

Elasticsearch/Efficient search engine

Elasicsearch makes it easier than ever to quickly search and narrow down your options with product names, attributes, categories, and more – completely replacing Sylius store’s default search. When customers enter a phrase, they’ll instantly see suggestions from your store. This powerful tool saves time and gives customers confidence that the desired product is available. This solution will become an excellent tool for discovering your offer.

Order Management

Customers can browse and add products to their cart on their own, or they can contact the customer service team at your store for assistance with their purchase.  With this feature, you can manage your customers’ orders with ease. Our intuitive admin panel allows you to quickly and easily create and customize customer orders and make changes or reorder with a few simple clicks.

Multi-wishlists

With multi-wishlists functionality, you can easily create, manage, and share multiple wishlists tailored to different customers or departments. Quickly add items to different lists, move them between them, and add them directly to the basket specifying their number or variants (e.g. size, color) for an efficient and personalized shopping experience.

Import/Export Integration Layer

Your company relies on many systems to power your daily operations. With real-time data updates, you can maximize efficiency and save time. Accurate stock levels, product prices, and order synchronization are essential for production and distribution. No matter if you want to implement CRM, ERP, PIM, or any other system, this developer-friendly feature allows you to quickly create custom importers and exporters that will streamline your migration process.

Customer Groups Pricing Lists

This feature is useful for businesses that have different pricing for different customers, such as wholesalers or distributors. It can also be used to set special discounts or promotions for certain customer groups. Administrators can create tailored pricing lists for specific customer groups, adding products and setting individual prices for each. Customers who are logged in and belong to the selected group will see the tailored prices instead of the default prices.

Organization Pricing Lists

Organizations can take advantage of custom pricing lists created by administrators to provide tailored pricing for their users. Administrators can quickly and easily create pricing lists with specific products and set individual prices for each; organization users will then be able to view these custom prices instead of the default prices. Custom pricing lists are a great way to reward loyalty, offer discounts to customers, or incentivize sales. 

Strengths of Sylius

  • Limitless scalability
  • High-end coding standards
  • Customization options can meet any business requirements
  • Easy to integrate with 3rd party systems
  • Support for the most popular payment providers

Weaknesses of Sylius

  • Requires some web development knowledge or help from a developer. To fully utilize its potential, technical knowledge is required to implement some functionalities.
  • Requires more time for implementation in comparison to ready-made solutions

Examples of Sylius B2B customers

Here are examples of B2B companies that utilized Sylius to improve their eCommerce website and  provide the best customer experience:

Albeco

Albeco is an experienced company that offers the highest quality bearings, guides, and tools, including heaters and pullers, lubricating oils, and many other products. By offering tens of thousands of products and delivering them to over 70 countries, Albeco worked out a stable position in the international market. 

The challenge in this case was a technical debt that limited the company’s ability to grow and implement complex business ideas.  The outdated website was not intuitive on both the design and its functional side and did not provide a good customer experience. Moreover, thousands of products had a lot of parameters that made it difficult to find them due to a lack of filtering capability in the search engine. 

The new eCommerce website built on top of Sylius now provides a great customer experience with an intuitive search engine that allows one to find products in a matter of seconds. Furthermore, the ERP system was integrated with a website so all product information and prices are synchronized. Apart from that, many other features like a custom blog, single-page checkout, and multi-basket were implemented to make shopping easy and enjoyable. 

Agro-efekt

Agro-Efekt is a leader in the Polish agricultural market with over 30 years of experience. Their mission extends beyond mere trading; they offer a holistic approach that includes consulting, purchasing agricultural products, and the sale of advanced agricultural technologies. The challenge here was the large number of products that needed to be sorted and categorized to be easily found by the business buyers and a system that would help manage multiple inventories to ship products to the customers from the most optimal location. What’s more, Agro-Efekt wanted to improve customer experience by implementing multiple payment options, shipping methods, and features like wishlists and product status. 

Thanks to Sylius, Agro-Efekt was able to launch the B2B online store integrated with the SAP system and Google Analytics. As a result, the online store offers an advanced search engine, more payment and shipping solutions, and a top-notch customer experience.   

Spryker Commerce OS

Type of software: Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Programming language: PHP, Symfony framework

Pricing: Individual pricing

Spryker is another great solution based on microservices architecture for wholesale customers with advanced business needs. Similarly to Sylius, Spryker is also based on the Symfony framework, therefore providing clean code and SOLID principles. Although this platform is a commercial product, the company chose to publish the software to the community. This approach is called an “open code.” In such a case, you can retrieve the source code, but there is a set of conditions that the user must agree to. Spryker’s architecture is highly scalable and flexible, catering specifically to fast-growing businesses and complex B2B or B2C business operations. This makes it a robust choice for organizations looking for a customizable and future-proof online store.

Spryker is also available as a Spryker Cloud Commerce OS that additionally provides a cloud hosting environment for hosting infrastructure.

Dedicated B2B eCommerce functionalities

  • Personalized catalogs & pricing
  • Company user roles & permissions
  • Product Restrictions for B2B Customers
  • Barcode Generator
  • Creating shopping lists
  • Cart roles & permissions, shared carts & multiple carts
  • Quick Order
  • Customer order reference  

Strengths of Spryker

  • Cloud deployment available
  • Modular architecture provides high performance and scalability
  • Many functionalities tailored for B2B needs

Weaknesses of Spryker

  • The modular nature of Spryker, while a strength, can also be a drawback –  setting up, customizing, and optimizing the platform may require significant technical expertise.

Examples of Spryker customers: Toyota Deutschland, Dupplo, Stauff

Sylius vs Spryker – Choosing the best option for your B2B eCommerce

Shopware 

Type of software: Open-source and Cloud

Programming language: PHP, Symfony framework

Pricing: Community Edition (free) / Rise (€600+/month) / Evolve (individual pricing) / Beyond (individual pricing)

Shopware is an API-first and headless platform that provides many advanced features that are determined by the chosen Shopware license. Due to that, each business can pick a license that is most suitable to its needs without paying for features that would not be applicable. Despite many features and customization options, Shopware is intuitive and easy to use for non-developers thanks to a number of helpful functionalities like drag-and-drop page builder. Moreover, Shopware CMS (named Shopping Experiences) is a great tool designed with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind to streamline content management and marketing efforts in online stores. This platform also offers a cloud hosting solution that further ensures the scalability and security of an eCommerce store and customer data.

B2B Suite in Shopware is available in “Evolve” and “Beyond” versions. Nonetheless, to pick the right Shopware license and ensure successful deployment of an online store, contact experienced Shopware partners.

Dedicated B2B eCommerce functionalities

User roles and permissions

Assign your team members to specific roles and give permission to use certain parts of the platform. By following this pattern, there is also a possibility to assign budget limits that your team can operate in and make business decisions. 

Custom pricing

Set prices based on product range, order quantity, or order frequency. Similarly, you can set custom pricing for loyal customers and special events that offer discounts.

Order options for repeat orders and large order quantities

Customers can add orders to their shopping cart or order list in a matter of seconds. The only required information is the product number and quantity, which can be entered either via a simple input mask or by importing a file.

Simplified dashboard with B2B functionalities to reduce complexity

Enable Easymode for particular customers to provide them with a simplified dashboard and account settings while maintaining relevant B2B features.

B2B Suite’s integrated statistics 

Utilize the integrated statistics of the B2B Suite to quickly gather and filter essential client data, such as purchase history and corresponding net/gross amounts, in one convenient location.

Submission and approval of sales offers

Ensure that sales offers are submitted and approved with ease: Create and submit proposals to your clients; you can also accept or reject offers that are made to you.

Strengths of Shopware

  • Service-oriented architecture provides high performance and scalability
  • Admin panel is well-thought and intuitive
  •  Flow builder – reactions to different actions
  • Fast time-to-market thanks to many OOTB functionalities and Shopware Cloud
  • Support for multilingualism and international standards
  • SEO capabilities and marketing tools

 Weaknesses of Shopware

  • Lack of build-in product inventory management system (PIM), but integration with systems like Akeneo, Pimcore & Ergonode are available 
  • Many of the available plugins are paid 

Examples of Shopware B2B customers: Lüning 24, Reiff, PMG

OroCommerce  

Type of software: Open-source

Programming language: PHP, Symfony framework

Pricing: Community Cloud (Free) / Enterprise Edition (Individual pricing)

This platform is designed solely to meet the complex needs of B2B eCommerce operations, such as managing corporate accounts and handling various wholesale pricing structures. The platform also helps to manage multiple storefronts and product catalogs within the online business. As an open-source software, OroCommerce allows users to modify and customize the code to fit versatile business requirements. To fully understand its purpose, let’s look at its B2B eCommerce platform functionalities.

Dedicated B2B eCommerce functionalities

  • Corporate account management
  • Access controls, roles & permissions
  • Multi-warehouse management
  • Multiple brands, websites & stores
  • Multicurrency
  • Personalized B2B catalog management
  • Multiple price lists and dynamic pricing engine
  • Multiple shopping lists
  • Segmentation & custom reports
  • Flexible Custom Workflows
  • Multiple shipping (Order Splitting)
  • Elasticsearch Support

Strengths OroCommerce

  • Many B2B capabilities available out-of-the-box
  • Flexible workflow engine
  • Flexible deployment on OroCloud or any other private/public clouds)
  • An API-first approach critical for composability and headless deployments
  • Built-in CRM system
  • SEO capabilities 

Weaknesses OroCommerce

  • Developed for mid-size and large enterprises, therefore not a good fit for small online businesses 
  • A relatively small number of integrations are available 

Examples of OroCommerce B2B customers: Dunlop Protective Footwear, Saltworks, PartsBase

SAP Commerce Cloud

Type of software: Licensed (local or cloud deployment)

Programming language: PHP, Symfony framework

Pricing: Composable Edition / Premier Edition (Individual pricing)  

SAP Commerce Cloud, formerly SAP Hybris, is a comprehensive commerce platform that supports B2B and B2C segments by providing a comprehensive suite of tools for managing online transactions, customer interactions, and product content. Moreover, the platform includes advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities, enabling businesses to gain insights into customer behavior and optimize their online strategies for improved sales and customer retention.

 Dedicated B2B eCommerce functionalities

  • Pre-configured B2B storefront
  • Plug-and-Play Integrations
  • Support for multiple currencies, languages, and tax rates
  • Adaptation to all devices
  • Data-driven insights (e.g., Machine learning for data analysis)
  • Custom catalogs & pricing
  • Easy reordering 
  • Self-service account management 
  • Sales Organization feature

Strengths Sap Commerce Cloud

  • Feature-rich SaaS solution
  • Stable position on the market
  • Fast implementation time
  • Security features

Weaknesses Sap Commerce Cloud

  • Requires experience, thus not suitable for beginner store owners
  • Relatively high license price

Examples of SAP Commerce Cloud B2B customers: Kodak, Carhartt, Beiersdorf

Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Type of software: Cloud

Programming language: Apex

Pricing: B2B Starter (1% Gross Merchandise Value/year) / B2B Growth (2% Gross Merchandise Value/year) 

Salesforce Commerce Cloud (formerly Demandware) is a cloud-centric customer relationship management (CRM) solution designed for large businesses and enterprises. Providing a platform where sales, marketing, and other parties can work together creates a unified online shopping experience, which helps customers engage across multiple channels. The Salesforce Commerce Cloud can be a particularly interesting position for AI enthusiasts, as the platform utilizes the Einstein GPT engine for sales, marketing, and more.  

Dedicated B2B eCommerce functionalities

  • Account hierarchies
  • Multicurrency
  • Mobile centric
  • Multiple carts
  • Fast reorders
  • Split shipments
  • Connecting pre-built apps for payment processing, tax calculation and CRM

 Strengths Salesforce Commerce Cloud

  • Easy to use
  •  Efficient
  • Good after-sales service
  • Provides a good user experience
  • SEO and marketing tools
  •  Support in many languages: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and Swedish

Weaknesses Salesforce Commerce Cloud

  • The price for Salesforce B2B can be higher than other solutions 
  • Limited extensibility and customization

 Examples of Salesforce Commerce Cloud B2B customers: McKesson, GE Renewable Energy, AMMEX

BigCommerce 

Type of software: Cloud

Programming language: Ruby, PHP, JavaScript

Pricing: Standard ($29/month / Plus $79/month / Pro ($299/month) / Enterprise (Individual pricing)  

BigCommerce is a versatile eCommerce platform that works well for the B2B sector. This eCommerce platform provides advanced security features, ensuring safe and secure transactions for both eCommerce sites and their customers. The platform is known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for businesses of all sizes to create and manage online stores.  Moreover, it offers a comprehensive suite of APIs that allows users to connect with their existing systems and extend their eCommerce capabilities. 

Dedicated B2B eCommerce functionalities

  • Multicurrency (100+ currencies)
  • Buyer roles and permissions
  •  Website builder „drag and drop” (ready-made templates)
  • 24/7 technical support
  • Robust product catalog
  • Custom pricing lists
  • Faceted search (product filtering)
  • Sales channels (including eBay, Amazon, and POS)
  • Coupons, discounts (e.g., bulk buying discounts), and gift cards
  • Real-time shipping quotes

Strengths of BigCommerce

  • Very secure platform with a great record of protecting eCommerce platforms
  • Flexibility and scalability
  • Easy integrations with external systems like CRM or PIM,
  • Many OOTB features
  • SEO optimization
  • Hosting available

Weaknesses of BigCommerce

  • Costs increase as your business scales, potentially making it more expensive for rapidly growing enterprise companies
  • No self-hosting option
  • Transaction fees

Examples of BigCommerce B2B customers: GE Aviation, RDO Equipment, KBM Advanced Materials

Magento Open Source & Adobe Commerce

Type of software: Open Source/Cloud

Pricing: Magento (Open Source) / Adobe Commerce (Individual pricing)

Programming language: PHP, Zend framework

In 2021, Magento Enterprise rebranded to Adobe Commerce, while Magento remained the open-source version of this software. Magento Open Source (formerly Magento Community Edition) is a free, open-source eCommerce platform that offers merchants a flexible shopping cart system, as well as control over the look, content, and functionality of their online business.

Adobe Commerce, as a paid version of this platform, offers many additional features that aim to streamline operational efficiency and support business-to-business online transactions. Let’s take a look:

Dedicated B2B eCommerce functionalities

  • Customer quoting & price negotiation
  • Magento Secure Payment Bridge
  • Business Intelligence Dashboards
  • Multistore
  • Custom pricing (Shared catalogs)
  • Self-service customer portals
  • Customer account management

Strengths of Magento/Adobe

  • High customization and flexibility
  •  Hosting on Magento Commerce cloud
  • Free Amazon sales channel extension
  • Composed of ready-to-use elements for faster implementation time
  • AI-powered recommendations
  • A lot of marketplace extensions
  • PWA ready 

 Weaknesses of Magento/Adobe

  • Complexity and additional costs that come with open source software, which is patching and updating the B2B eCommerce platform if needed

Examples of AdobeCommerce B2B customers: Omni International, Packaging Price. 

Customized B2B eCommerce Solutions for Wholesalers, Distributors, and Manufacturers

Learn more
Customized-B2B- Solutions-for-ecommerce

Summary

While the eCommerce market is flooded with B2B eCommerce platforms, choosing the most appropriate one will help to achieve success in highly competitive eCommerce markets. Take your time to get familiar with available options and choose one that will provide you with all the essential features for your business growth. 

If you plan to create your own B2B eCommerce platform or have any questions regarding this topic, feel free to contact our specialists!