Last updated: August 2026
Ireland’s eCommerce market is worth an estimated USD $6.83 billion in 2026, growing at a CAGR of 8.2% and projected to reach $10.12 billion by 2031 (Mordor Intelligence). As of 2025, 40% of Irish businesses are selling online – up from 30% in 2023 (Eurostat via Ecommerce News). With 96% of Irish internet users making online purchases in 2024 – the highest rate in Europe – the opportunity for Irish brands has never been stronger. If you’re looking to get a slice of the action, there are a range of eCommerce platforms ready and waiting to help you do it. But which is best? Here are eight of the most popular eCommerce platforms for Irish companies with pros and cons to help you decide where to sell your products online.
1. WooCommerce
Starting with the most popular, WooCommerce accounts for a whopping 25% of the top 1 million eCommerce sites globally. It’s not hard to see why. WooCommerce is essentially an eCommerce plugin for WordPress websites. That makes it quick and easy to turn an existing website into an online store, which is ideal for brick-and-mortar retailers who are ready to dip their toes into the online marketplace. WooCommerce and WordPress are user-friendly, cost-effective and great if you’re looking for customisation. The open-source platform allows you to choose from a wide range of themes and plugins, code yourself, and connect to 3rd-party technology solutions. However, with so many options and parties involved, this can result in websites that are loosely pinned together with solutions of varying quality and significant ongoing upkeep. Each plugin and technology added to an overall WordPress solution can also quickly add up to make what seems to be a low-cost solution more expensive than planned. The main benefits of WooCommerce include:
- Arguably the best platform for SEO with guides and plugins to help you along the way.
- Cost-effective with free installation, reasonably priced extensions and no transaction fees for third-party payments.
- Practically limitless customisation with well over 50,000 plugins.
- Easy to integrate with third-party WooCommerce fulfilment services.
2. Shopify
Shopify powers over 3 million active stores and commands roughly 28% of the top 1 million eCommerce sites globally, including Shopify Plus (Store Leads, BuiltWith). Among high-traffic merchants, Shopify has overtaken WooCommerce as the platform of choice.. Why is Shopify so popular? Simple – this is the best platform if you’re looking for an easy eCommerce business management experience. Shopify is an all-in-one solution, including hosting, security, and the website software itself. Shopify provides a choice of more than 70 pre-designed themes, so you can simply select a store layout and get started. Everything is built in and ready to go, from product pages and payment options, to valuable features like abandoned cart recovery and discount codes. This makes it the quickest and easiest way to get your online store live. The main downside of Shopify is the cost. While the all-inclusive price is a good value considering that you get everything you need, apps on the platform can be quite expensive compared to other solutions. Shopify also has transaction fees, unless you’re using Shopify Payments. However, it’s a small price to pay for so much quality and convenience that can get you selling more, faster.. Here are the main advantages of Shopify:
- Quick and easy to build your online store from scratch, even for complete beginners.
- Hosting and security provided as standard.
- Wide range of built-in features to improve user experience and increase sales.
- Seamless integration with social media sites, other selling platforms like Amazon and eBay, and Shopify fulfilment services.
- Optional upgrade to Shopify Plus for more features and unlimited staff accounts with customisable permission settings.
3. Adobe Commerce (Magento)
Next up is Magento. Like WooCommerce, it’s an open-source platform, meaning it’s highly customisable. Magento is now part of Adobe’s commerce suite. While the platform’s total store count has declined from ~162,000 in 2021 to ~111,000 in 2026 as smaller merchants migrated to Shopify, it remains dominant in enterprise eCommerce – powering roughly 20% of the top 1,000 US retailers (MGT Commerce). That’s paired with an active community of users who develop plugins and provide support. The main benefit of Magento is the platform’s flexibility when it comes to location. You can choose from multiple languages, currencies, and pricing options for different audiences, allowing you to sell in different countries without compromising on user experience. All that said, Magento is quite demanding in terms of know-how. You may require third-party developer assistance to get the most out of the platform and your store. It’s also one of the more expensive options if you want to go beyond the community version.
4. Amazon
Amazon remains Ireland’s biggest eCommerce platform by revenue, with Amazon.co.uk generating €3.3 billion in Irish sales in 2024 (Ecommerce News). A major development: Amazon.ie officially launched in March 2025, giving Irish shoppers a dedicated local marketplace for the first time. The platform features a dedicated “Irish Brands” page, and over 1,000 Irish SMBs already sell on Amazon, generating over €150 million in combined sales (About Amazon EU). While you won’t need to pay for your own site, there are fees for your plan and commission taken on each item sold. It can also be costly and challenging to manage fulfilment with Amazon’s fulfilment service, unless you opt for specialist Amazon FBA and Amazon FBM solutions.
5. Tiktok Shop
TikTok Shop launched in Ireland in December 2024 and has quickly become one of the fastest-growing eCommerce channels in the country. In its first year, Irish seller numbers grew by triple digits, and the number of active creators on the platform increased by 600% (TikTok Newsroom, December 2025).
What makes TikTok Shop different is how products are discovered. Instead of searching for what you want, products come to you through shoppable videos and LIVE shopping – reaching Ireland’s 2.4 million monthly TikTok users. For brands, that means exposure to a younger, highly engaged audience without the ad spend typically needed on other platforms.
TikTok Shop has proven particularly valuable for Irish businesses outside Dublin. Its digital-first approach means a business in Galway has the same opportunity to reach shoppers as one in the capital. The platform’s partnership with Guaranteed Irish has provided hands-on training and support to help local sellers grow, and the partnership is continuing into 2026.
The results speak for themselves. Black Friday 2025 delivered a 190% sales uplift for Irish businesses on the platform, with LIVE shopping sessions doubling during the week. TikTok Shop is now live in 10 European markets – the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland – making it a serious cross-border selling opportunity as well.
The main considerations are that TikTok Shop is still a young platform, and its audience skews younger (18-34). Commission fees apply on each sale, and the fulfilment requirements are specific — sellers need to meet strict shipping timeframes. However, for brands targeting a younger demographic or looking for a new sales channel with strong organic reach, it’s worth exploring.
Here are the main advantages of TikTok Shop:
- Product discovery through content rather than search, reaching audiences who weren’t actively looking to buy.
- Access to Ireland’s 2.4 million monthly TikTok users with high engagement rates.
- LIVE shopping and shoppable video formats that combine brand storytelling with direct sales.
- Growing cross-border opportunity across 10 European markets.
- Seamless integration with TikTok Shop fulfilment services.
6. eBay
eBay is another platform where you can have your own store without your own site. Like Amazon, it’s easy to use with customer traffic and trust instantly available However, it’s also equally as competitive as Amazon when it comes to selling on the marketplace. The main difference between the two is that eBay allows you to list a certain number of products for free, depending on your plan. That means you’ll only pay a ‘final value fee’, also known as commission, making it ideal for anyone who is just getting started.
7. Linnworks
Linnworks is an inventory management system that allows you to sell through multiple eCommerce platforms, all from one central hub. It integrates with all of the platforms listed above and more, so you can maximise exposure and profitability. The clear benefit of Linnworks is that you can list, process, and monitor orders all in one place. The main downside is its pricing, with that all-inclusive service coming at a premium.
8. EKM
Unlike most of the alternatives, EKM is targeted specifically at individuals and small retailers. You get a choice of themes to make setup easy, with essentials like security included. One of the main advantages is that you get a dedicated account manager for advice on technical assistance. That makes it ideal for true beginners who want more personal support and reassurance for their eCommerce journey. However, the platform is quite limited in terms of SEO features. Many users also become frustrated by the limits on revenue, product numbers, and user accounts for each of their plans. For example, a Basic plan is limited to 500 products, 1 user account and £50,000 per year (or the equivalent in euros) in revenue.
Which eCommerce platform is best for you?
Ultimately, the best eCommerce platform for you depends on where you’re starting and where you plan to go. You’ll need to take into consideration your experience level, budget, the size of your eCommerce operation, and how you plan to expand in the future. Technical aptitude and your preference for customisation vs. out-of-the-box functionality are also key considerations. However, your choice of platform isn’t the only hurdle to eCommerce success. Whatever choice you make, you’ll need to be prepared to pick, pack, and ship orders quickly and accurately to meet customer demand. That’s known as fulfilment – and it can make or break your eCommerce business. At Autofulfil, we make things easier with hassle-free fulfilment services in Ireland.
By integrating your eCommerce platform with our warehouse management system, we can automatically receive orders, fulfill them, and update your inventory. We integrate with all of the eCommerce platforms listed here free of charge, to get your products from your online store to your customer’s doors. Get started in less than a week! Contact our team today to learn more about how we can help you launch and scale your eCommerce business.
