2025-04-30 · en

The best e-commerce platforms for the Brazilian market

Choosing the right platform for your e-commerce operation is one of the most impactful decisions a business owner can make. The wrong platform creates technical limitations, unexpected costs, and growth bottlenecks. The right one accelerates operations and supports the business as it scales.

The Brazilian market offers options for every profile — from the small entrepreneur just starting out to the retailer processing thousands of orders per month. This guide covers the main platforms and helps identify which one makes the most sense for your current stage.

What to consider before choosing a platform

Before comparing platforms, it helps to have clarity on four questions:

  • What is the current and expected order volume per month?
  • Does the operation sell to end consumers (B2C), to businesses (B2B), or both?
  • Which systems need integration — ERP, CRM, marketplaces, payment processors?
  • Is there an internal technical team, or does the business rely on the platform's own support?

The answers to these questions eliminate most options from the start.

The main e-commerce platforms for Brazil

Nuvemshop

The market leader in Latin America, with over 180,000 active stores and multiple awards from the Brazilian E-commerce Association. One of the most complete options for small and medium Brazilian businesses, with an intuitive interface, integration with marketplaces like Mercado Livre and Shopee, and a robust app ecosystem. For larger operations, it offers the Nuvemshop Next plan with more advanced features.

Best for: small and medium stores looking to grow with a leading Brazilian platform.

Shopify

One of the most widely used platforms globally, with around 23% market share in Brazil. Modern interface, wide variety of templates, and an extensive app store. Works well for stores that also sell internationally. Pricing is in USD, which can increase costs depending on the exchange rate.

Best for: companies with a more international profile or those already familiar with the platform.

Tray

A complete Brazilian platform, part of the Locaweb group. Known for advanced customisation, marketplace integrations, and Portuguese-language technical support. Suited for businesses in a growth phase that need more control over their operations.

Best for: growing stores that need robust integrations and local support.

VTEX

The national reference for large-scale operations. Used by major brands, with support for B2C, B2B, omnichannel, and multichannel operations. Offers advanced order management, personalisation features, and enterprise system integrations. The investment is significantly higher, placing it out of reach for smaller operations.

Best for: large retailers with complex operations and significant sales volume.

WooCommerce

A free plugin for WordPress that turns a website into a full online store. Highly flexible with a large developer community. Requires more technical management than SaaS platforms — updates, security, and performance are the responsibility of the user or their technical team.

Best for: businesses already running a WordPress site that want to add e-commerce with full control.

Loja Integrada

One of the most widely used platforms in Brazil for beginners. Offers a functional free plan and a simple interface. Advanced feature limitations make migration necessary as the business grows.

Best for: small businesses entering e-commerce for the first time.

Yampi

A fast-growing platform in Brazil, known for its transparent checkout that reduces cart abandonment. Offers native features like bundle selling, order bumps, and upsell tools, making it attractive for stores focused on increasing average order value.

Best for: stores focused on conversion and direct-to-consumer sales.

Summary comparison

Platform Best for Cost PT support
Nuvemshop Brazilian SME Affordable Yes
Shopify International / experienced Medium (in USD) Partial
Tray Growth stage Medium Yes
VTEX Large operation High Yes
WooCommerce Technical / WordPress Free + infrastructure Community
Loja Integrada Beginner Free / low Yes
Yampi Conversion focus Affordable Yes

When no ready-made platform is enough

The platforms listed above handle most cases well. But there are situations where the limits of off-the-shelf solutions become a real obstacle:

  • Dynamic pricing logic or complex business rules
  • B2B models with customer-specific price tables, order approval flows, or credit management
  • Deep integrations with highly specific internal systems such as custom ERPs
  • Highly personalised shopping experiences — subscriptions, product configurators, proprietary marketplaces
  • Operations that grow beyond what the platform can support without disproportionate cost increases

In these cases, the alternative is a custom-built e-commerce platform — built precisely around the business's requirements, without the limitations and transaction fees of SaaS platforms, and with the ability to scale without constraints imposed by third parties.

This is the same principle that leads companies like Netflix, Zalando, and Amazon to run their own platforms: when a business reaches a certain level of complexity or scale, a custom solution outperforms any ready-made platform in performance, cost, and control.

Next step

If you are still evaluating which platform makes sense for your business, or if you have already reached the limits of what your current platform can support, it is worth talking to a specialist technical team.

Lanoar supports Brazilian companies both in implementing and configuring platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Nuvemshop, and in building fully custom e-commerce solutions for operations that require a level above what ready-made platforms can offer. Get in touch and tell us about your project.

FAQ

What is the best e-commerce platform for Brazil?

There is no single answer. For beginners, Nuvemshop and Loja Integrada are solid options. For growing operations, Tray and Shopify stand out. For large-scale operations, VTEX is the national reference. And for businesses with unique requirements, a custom-built e-commerce platform may be the best choice.

Which e-commerce platform has the largest market share in Brazil?

Among SaaS platforms, Shopify leads with around 23% of the market, followed by Nuvemshop with approximately 18%, according to 2025 market data.

Do e-commerce platforms charge a commission on sales?

It depends on the platform and the chosen plan. Some charge a percentage per transaction on top of the monthly fee. It is important to review the full cost structure before committing.

Is it possible to migrate from one platform to another without losing data?

Yes, migration is possible in most cases. It involves transferring products, customers, orders, and settings. The process is smoother with specialist technical support.

When does it make sense to build a custom e-commerce platform?

When the operation has requirements that ready-made platforms cannot meet — such as complex pricing logic, specific integrations with internal systems, B2B business models, or highly personalised shopping experiences.

Does Shopify work well for Brazilian companies?

Yes, Shopify works well in Brazil and integrates with local payment methods. The main drawbacks are the USD-based pricing, which can increase costs depending on exchange rates, and the learning curve for new users.