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5 Best Headless WordPress eCommerce Platforms

Discover the top 3 headless WordPress eCommerce platforms to boost your store's performance and effortlessly distribute content across channels. Plus, hear real stories from site owners about their headless WordPress experiences.

TL;DR shortcut: Headless WordPress eCommerce separates content from selling, which helps stores stay fast and flexible as they grow. Instead of asking WordPress to do everything, it focuses on content while a dedicated commerce platform manages products, orders, and payments through APIs. Because of this setup, teams gain more control over performance, design, and future expansion.

Discover the top 5 headless WordPress eCommerce platforms to boost your store’s performance and effortlessly distribute content across channels. Plus, hear real stories from site owners about their headless WordPress experiences.

In a recent post, we explored the ins and outs of headless WordPress and shared some interesting insights related to it. Today, we’d like to expand on that and take a look at the best headless WordPress eCommerce platforms.

For many eCommerce businesses, WordPress is an ideal choice for content management thanks to its unmatched flexibility and ease of use. Taking it a step further with a headless eCommerce WordPress platform, you can elevate your online store to even greater heights.

However, with a plethora of headless eCommerce solutions up for grabs, picking the right one can be daunting. Fear not! Leveraging our vast expertise in crafting headless WordPress solutions, we’ll walk you through the top 3 headless WordPress eCommerce platforms, showcasing their standout features and unique advantages. Plus, we’ll shine a light on some notable projects that run on headless WordPress.

Ready to level up your eCommerce game? Let’s dive right in!

What is Headless eCommerce?

Headless eCommerce is transforming the way businesses operate online by providing unmatched flexibility in delivering content across websites, mobile apps, social media, and more.

So, what does “headless” mean? It refers to an architecture where the front end (the “head”) is decoupled from the back-end services such as WordPress. Instead of being tied to a specific layout or design, developers can create custom user interfaces tailored to any device or channel. This adaptability is crucial as consumers today engage with brands through various touchpoints, from smartphones to smart speakers.

Traditional eCommerce platforms often bind the front end and back end together, leading to limitations in design flexibility and scalability. For example, if you want to update your website’s layout, traditional systems may require back-end changes that can be time-consuming and complex. In contrast, headless eCommerce allows for greater creative freedom and performance optimization.

In a headless eCommerce setup, the presentation layer that users interact with is customizable using modern technologies like React or Vue.js. Meanwhile, the back end (WordPress or another CMS) handles all business logic, data management, and integrations.

Communication between these layers is facilitated by powerful APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). These APIs enable the front-end to request and display data dynamically, ensuring that content delivery is consistent, interactive, and engaging across all touchpoints. This approach is often referred to as headless WordPress commerce, where WordPress focuses on content while selling logic lives in a dedicated commerce system.

How headless architecture works with WordPress

Why Brands Choose Headless WordPress Ecommerce

Headless eCommerce offers a multitude of advantages that can significantly enhance the performance and flexibility of online stores. Let’s examine the main benefits.

Faster Performance at Scale

Modern-day users tend to leave websites if they load in over 3 seconds, impacting conversion rates – a crucial factor for online stores. By decoupling the front end from the back end, headless eCommerce allows for independent front-end optimization, leading to faster load times and a more responsive experience.

Full Design Control and Custom Frontends

Headless eCommerce enables businesses to design and customize their front-end interfaces using technologies like React, Vue.js, or Angular, ensuring unique user experiences across devices and channels.

Better Security and Reduced Attack Surface

When WordPress isn’t directly exposed to visitors, there’s simply less that can go wrong. Plugins, login pages, and admin areas stay out of reach, which lowers the risk of common attacks. With WordPress working quietly in the background through APIs, security becomes easier to manage and control.

Multi Channel and Multi Storefront Support

Headless eCommerce lets your store show up in more places than just a website. The same products and pricing can power mobile apps, AR or VR shopping experiences, smart devices, or even in-game stores. This makes it much easier to try new sales channels without rebuilding everything from scratch.

Improved Scalability for Growing Stores

As businesses grow, headless eCommerce makes it easier to scale operations. Front-end and back-end upgrades or modifications can be done separately, integrating new features and handling peak traffic seamlessly.

In summary, by leveraging the benefits of headless eCommerce, businesses can create a future-proof online presence that not only meets but exceeds customer expectations.ynamic, scalable, and future-proof online presence that not only meets but exceeds customer expectations.

Limitations of Headless WordPress eCommerce

The short answer: headless WordPress eCommerce brings clear advantages, but it’s not without trade-offs. Understanding these limitations upfront helps avoid surprises and makes it easier to decide whether a headless setup is the right fit for your business.

Two platforms to manage. With a headless setup, you’re no longer working in a single dashboard. Instead of managing everything inside WordPress, teams often need to handle both WordPress and a separate commerce platform, such as BigCommerce or Shopify. Content lives in one place, while products, orders, and customers live in another. This separation offers flexibility, but it also means more moving parts and a slightly steeper learning curve for editors and admins.
Plugin compatibility considerations. Most content-focused WordPress plugins (such as SEO, editorial, and content management tools) continue to work as expected in a headless setup, while plugins that rely on theme rendering or frontend output may require API-based or frontend-native alternatives.
No direct server access. Headless platforms usually limit how much control you have over the server environment. Unlike traditional WordPress hosting, where you might tweak server settings or install custom extensions, many headless commerce platforms operate as managed services. This improves stability and security, but it can feel restrictive for teams used to deep server-level customization. Most use cases are covered, but edge cases may require workarounds.
Higher cost compared to free plugins. Headless eCommerce often comes with higher upfront and ongoing costs. With traditional WooCommerce, it’s possible to launch a store using mostly free plugins and themes. Headless setups, on the other hand, typically involve paid platforms, custom frontend development, and ongoing maintenance. While the investment often pays off in performance and scalability, it’s an important consideration for smaller stores or early-stage projects.

Headless WordPress eCommerce Architecture Explained

In a headless setup, each part of the system has a clear role. Instead of one platform trying to do everything, content, commerce, and presentation are separated so they can work together without slowing each other down.

WordPress as the Head (CMS)

WordPress stays at the center of content work.

Teams continue using it to manage pages, articles, landing content, and campaigns, just as they always have. The key difference is that WordPress no longer controls how that content appears on the site. It simply provides the data, which keeps editorial workflows familiar while removing the usual design and performance constraints.

Commerce Engine as the Body

All buying and selling logic lives outside of WordPress. Products, pricing, carts, checkout, and order handling are managed by a dedicated commerce platform. This keeps transactional activity from interfering with content performance and reduces the strain on WordPress as the store grows. It also makes future changes easier, since commerce rules and storefront design are no longer tightly linked.

APIs as the Layer That Connects Everything

The connection between content and commerce happens through APIs.

Platforms such as BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, and CommerceLayer expose store data through REST or GraphQL. The frontend requests exactly what it needs at any moment, which keeps pages lightweight and responsive. Because data is delivered this way, the same content and products can be reused across different storefronts without duplication.

JS and CSS Embeds for Faster Decoupling

Moving to headless doesn’t always require a full rebuild. Some teams start by embedding JavaScript and CSS into an existing WordPress site to separate key parts of the storefront. This approach allows them to see immediate performance and flexibility gains while keeping the rest of the site intact. It’s often used as a practical first step before committing to a fully custom frontend.

5 Best Headless eCommerce Platforms for WordPress You Might Want to Explore

Creating stunning front ends that perform well across multiple channels is crucial for delivering a seamless customer experience. However, having a robust back-end system for your headless setup is just as important.

The right back end can make all the difference in ensuring smooth operations, scalability, and easy integrations. So, let’s dive into some of the best headless eCommerce platforms for WordPress that bring all this magic to life.

WooCommerce

Best for: WordPress-first teams who want full control and extensibility

Not a good fit for: Teams that want a turnkey SaaS commerce solution

Typical use case: Custom storefronts tightly integrated with WordPress content

As a cornerstone of the WordPress ecosystem, WooCommerce has revolutionized the way businesses approach eCommerce, including setups built around headless WordPress WooCommerce. Traditionally, WooCommerce operates as a plugin that transforms a WordPress site into a fully functional online store. However, with the advent of headless architecture, WooCommerce stepped into a new era of flexibility and performance.

One of the major advantages of WooCommerce’s headless approach is its robust API-first design. WooCommerce offers comprehensive REST API endpoints that enable developers to access and manage eCommerce data including products, orders, and customer information programmatically. This API-centric model ensures that businesses can build fully bespoke storefronts while benefiting from WooCommerce’s powerful back-end capabilities.

WooCommerce’s headless solution also supports seamless integration with popular CMSs like WordPress, which is particularly advantageous as WooCommerce itself, as we’ve said, is a plugin for WordPress.

This integration allows businesses to leverage WordPress’s extensive ecosystem of themes and plugins to enhance their eCommerce sites further. Additionally, WooCommerce is compatible with other CMS platforms and Digital Experience Platforms (DXP), enabling greater flexibility in content and experience management.

Real-time updates and automated workflows are supported through webhooks, which trigger actions based on specific events such as new order placements, inventory changes, or customer interactions. This ensures that various components of the eCommerce system remain synchronized and efficient.

The scalability of WooCommerce’s headless solution makes it suitable for businesses of all sizes, handling complex product catalogs and high traffic volumes effortlessly. This capability allows companies to manage multiple storefronts, brands, and customer segments from a centralized location, streamlining operations and enhancing the customer journey.

In addition to these features, WooCommerce offers extensive documentation and community support, providing developers with the resources needed to implement and optimize headless commerce solutions effectively.

While there are challenges to consider, such as no access to inherent WordPress SEO capabilities, the benefits of improved performance, flexibility, and the ability to deliver an omnichannel experience make headless WooCommerce a compelling option for forward-thinking businesses.

BigCommerce

Best for: Growing or enterprise stores needing scalability with less backend maintenance

Not a good fit for: Small teams wanting minimal setup complexity

Typical use case: High-traffic, multi-brand or multi-storefront projects

BigCommerce offers a robust headless commerce solution designed to empower developers and businesses with unparalleled flexibility and performance. It allows them to use various front-end frameworks such as Next.js, Gatsby, and Nuxt.js, enabling the creation of high-performance, dynamic user interfaces that can deliver an exceptional customer experience.

One of the standout features of BigCommerce’s headless offering is its API-first, not API-only, approach. The platform primarily relies on rich REST and GraphQL API endpoints to facilitate data access and manipulation. However, it also retains the full capabilities of its traditional eCommerce functionality, allowing businesses to mix and match their use of APIs with built-in features as needed.

This hybrid approach provides the best of both worlds, offering extensive customization options through APIs while maintaining ease of use for standard eCommerce operations.

The platform provides comprehensive documentation and a composable reference architecture through Catalyst, which leverages React Server Components and the GraphQL storefront API. This setup allows developers to build custom, immersive customer experiences without the need to start from scratch.

BigCommerce’s headless solution is also designed to seamlessly integrate with popular CMSs like WordPress, Contentful, Prismic, and Contentstack, as well as Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) such as Uniform and Amplience. This flexibility ensures that businesses can use their preferred tools and platforms to create a cohesive and scalable eCommerce ecosystem.

Additionally, BigCommerce supports real-time updates and integrations through webhooks, enabling automation and synchronization across various systems. The platform’s ability to handle complex catalogs and high transaction volumes ensures that it can scale as your business grows, without compromising performance.

By providing a headless commerce solution, BigCommerce allows businesses to create highly customized and modern front-end experiences across multiple storefront channels while maintaining centralized management through the BigCommerce control panel. Whether you are managing multiple brands, selling across different customer segments, or expanding into new regions, BigCommerce’s headless solution streamlines operations and enhances the customer journey.

Shopify

Best for: Businesses that want a stable, well-supported commerce engine with headless flexibility

Not a good fit for: Teams needing deep backend customization or server-level control

Typical use case: Fast-scaling brands combining strong checkout with custom frontends

Shopify’s headless commerce solution offers businesses a powerful way to create unique and highly engaging online experiences by integrating various modern front-end frameworks like React, Vue.js, and Angular. The flexibility provided by Shopify’s headless approach ensures that businesses can craft tailored shopping journeys while maintaining robust and efficient eCommerce operations.

One of the key advantages of Shopify’s headless approach is its robust API-first strategy. Shopify offers a wide array of APIs, including the Storefront API and the Admin API, which enable developers to access and manipulate eCommerce data such as products, collections, customers, and orders programmatically. This API-first design ensures that businesses have the freedom to build fully customized storefronts while leveraging Shopify’s powerful back-end capabilities.

Shopify’s headless solution also seamlessly integrates with popular CMSs like WordPress, Contentful, and Sanity, as well as Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) such as Adobe Experience Manager and Sitecore. This integration flexibility allows businesses to use their preferred content and experience management tools to deliver a cohesive and scalable eCommerce experience.

Additionally, Shopify Plus supports real-time updates and workflows through webhooks, enabling automated responses to specific events such as order creation, inventory updates, and customer interactions. This ensures that all parts of the eCommerce ecosystem remain synchronized and function smoothly.

The platform’s ability to handle high volumes of traffic and complex catalogs makes it ideal for growing businesses and enterprises that require a scalable solution. With Shopify’s headless commerce, businesses can easily manage multiple storefronts, brands, and customer segments from a central location, streamlining operations while enhancing the overall customer journey.

Shopify Plus offers advanced features and dedicated support for enterprise-level merchants, ensuring that they have the resources and expertise needed to optimize their headless commerce implementations.

Swell Commerce

Best for: Developer-led teams building fully custom, headless-first experiences

Not a good fit for: Non-technical teams needing visual admin tools

Typical use case: Clean-slate projects where frontend performance and API control matter most

Swell Commerce is a good fit for teams that already know they want to go headless and don’t want to fight against a platform that was never designed for it. From the start, Swell treats the frontend and backend as separate concerns, which makes the setup feel clean and intentional rather than patched together.

Everything in Swell is exposed through APIs, including products, carts, customers, and orders. This means your frontend can request exactly the data it needs, when it needs it, without pulling in unnecessary logic. As a result, developers have more control over performance and behavior without working around platform limitations.

One practical advantage of Swell is its hosted checkout option. Instead of building and maintaining complex payment flows yourself, you can rely on Swell to handle that part securely. This reduces development time and lowers the risk of mistakes around sensitive payment data.

At the same time, Swell doesn’t lock you into rigid workflows. If your project requires a custom checkout or deeper integrations, the APIs make that possible. This balance works well for teams that want flexibility without having to reinvent core commerce functionality.

Webhooks play an important role in how Swell fits into a broader stack. Order updates, inventory changes, and customer actions can trigger events in real time, keeping WordPress, analytics tools, or fulfillment systems in sync. This makes day-to-day operations smoother as the store grows.

Overall, Swell works best for projects that value simplicity and clarity. It avoids unnecessary layers, keeps commerce logic focused, and lets the frontend do its job without interference. For many teams, that straightforward approach is exactly what makes it appealing.

Commerce.js

Best for: Brands selling beyond traditional websites

Not a good fit for: Standard catalog-based online stores

Typical use case: AR/VR, in-game commerce, IoT, and experimental sales channels

Commerce.js takes a different angle by focusing less on the storefront and more on where commerce actually happens. Instead of assuming sales only happen on a website, it’s built to support transactions wherever customers interact with a brand.

At its core, Commerce.js provides products, pricing, carts, and payments entirely through APIs. This allows the same commerce logic to be reused across multiple touchpoints without duplication. A website, a mobile app, and a custom experience can all rely on the same backend without stepping on each other.

What makes Commerce.js stand out is how well it supports non-traditional channels. It’s well suited for AR and VR shopping experiences, where users explore products in immersive environments. The same applies to IoT use cases, such as smart devices triggering purchases without a browser involved.

In-game commerce is another area where this approach makes sense. Because Commerce.js doesn’t depend on page-based flows, it can handle purchases directly inside games or interactive experiences. Payments and product rules stay consistent, even though the interface looks completely different.

Managing multiple payment methods across these channels is handled centrally. Pricing, discounts, and availability can be controlled in one place, while each frontend presents them in its own way. This reduces operational overhead and avoids mismatches between channels.

Commerce.js is best suited for brands that want to experiment and expand beyond standard storefronts. It gives teams the freedom to explore new formats without rebuilding their commerce foundation every time. For businesses thinking ahead, that flexibility can become a real advantage.

To give you a bird’s eye view of the five systems, here’s a comparative table presenting their key features and advantages.

Feature	WooCommerce	BigCommerce	Shopify	Swell Commerce
Front-End Framework Support	React, Vue.js, Angular	Next.js, Gatsby, Nuxt.js	React, Vue.js, Angular	Any modern JavaScript framework
API Strategy	API-first with comprehensive REST API endpoints	API-first with robust REST and GraphQL APIs	API-first with Storefront and Admin APIs	Fully API-first with optional hosted checkout
CMS Integration	WordPress, compatible with other CMS	WordPress, Contentful, Prismic, Contentstack	WordPress, Contentful, Sanity	Works alongside WordPress or other CMSs
DXP Integration	Compatible with various DXPs	Uniform, Amplience	Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore	Flexible via APIs
Webhooks	Supports real-time updates and automation	Supports real-time updates and automation	Supports real-time updates and automation	Built-in webhooks for commerce events
Scalability	Suitable for all sizes; handles high traffic	Handles complex catalogs and high transaction volumes	Handles high traffic volumes and complex catalogs	Scales well for custom, frontend-driven stores
Multi-Storefront Management	Centralized management of multiple storefronts	Centralized management through the control panel	Management from a central location	Supports multiple frontends from one backend
Additional Features	WordPress ecosystem of themes and plugins	Catalyst reference architecture with React Server Components	React, Vue.js, Angular	Hosted checkout, clean headless-first setup
Best Fit For	WordPress-first teams wanting maximum control, deep customization, and tight integration between content and commerce	Growing and enterprise businesses that need scalability, multi-store management, and reduced backend maintenance	Fast-scaling brands that want a reliable, well-supported commerce engine with strong checkout and headless flexibility	Developer-led teams building clean-slate, fully custom, headless-first storefronts focused on performance

As you can see, the five platforms offer robust headless capabilities that are quite similar, while still providing distinct features and advantages. Which one you ultimately choose depends on your project goals and needs. For advice or assistance in setting up your preferred headless solution, feel free to contact our expert team.

How to Build a Headless WordPress eCommerce Store

Building a headless WordPress store feels much simpler once you approach it in the right order. Instead of trying to design everything at once, you start by making sure selling works, then you shape the content around it, and finally you connect both sides so they run together without friction.

Step 1. Choose and Configure a Headless Commerce Platform

You begin with the commerce platform because this is where the store actually earns money.

You add products, define pricing, set up shipping rules, and connect payments until the store can handle orders on its own. By doing this work outside of WordPress, you avoid loading the CMS with heavy store logic later. This step gives you a stable foundation before you think about layout, content, or branding.

At this stage, you don’t worry about how anything looks. You only care that buying and paying work as expected.

Step 2. Build the Frontend with WordPress

Once selling works, WordPress steps in to handle content and presentation.

You create pages, landing sections, blog posts, and supporting content using themes, blocks, or custom templates. WordPress controls structure and messaging while the commerce platform continues to manage products and orders. When you use platforms like BigCommerce, you don’t build product pages manually in WordPress, because the site pulls product data directly when needed.

This approach keeps content work focused and avoids repeating the same setup in two places.

Step 3. Connect APIs and Sync Data

After both sides work independently, you connect them so they stay aligned.

APIs move data between WordPress and the commerce platform so pricing, availability, and product details stay consistent. Updates run quietly in the background, while orders and inventory changes appear immediately. This setup also makes it much easier to support multiple sites or storefronts from a single backend without adding complexity.

When Headless WordPress eCommerce Makes Sense

Headless WordPress eCommerce isn’t something you adopt just because it’s popular. It makes sense only when your store starts to feel boxed in by a traditional setup. At that point, the question usually isn’t “Is headless better?” but “Do we need more control, speed, or room to grow?” (For many teams, this setup turns WordPress into a flexible WordPress headless CMS for an online store, rather than a system that has to manage everything itself).

Some businesses hit that point early, especially when content and performance drive sales. Others never do, and that’s perfectly fine. The key is knowing whether headless solves real problems for your store or simply adds unnecessary complexity.

Here’s a quick way to tell where you stand.

Headless WordPress eCommerce makes sense if:

Your store feels slow or limited as products and traffic grow
You want full control over design without working around WordPress themes
You plan to sell across multiple channels, such as mobile apps or custom frontends
Content plays a major role in how you attract and convert customers
Your team is comfortable managing WordPress and a separate commerce platform

Headless may not be the right choice if:

You need to launch quickly with a small budget
A standard WooCommerce theme already meets your needs
You prefer working in a single dashboard for content and commerce
Your store is small and unlikely to grow in complexity anytime soon

In short, headless works best for stores that have outgrown traditional setups. If your current platform feels restrictive rather than helpful, moving to headless is often the next logical step.

GetDevDone Expertise in Headless WordPress Ecommerce

Headless WordPress eCommerce solutions are definitely a big step forward compared to traditional setups. This modern approach offers numerous benefits, such as unparalleled design flexibility, improved performance, and the ability to integrate seamlessly with the latest technologies, empowering businesses to create unique and engaging digital experiences.

One of the most important decisions you need to make when moving to a headless setup is choosing the right platform. We’ve looked at three headless systems in this post, each offering robust eCommmerce capabilities.

However, even if you find the perfect platform that fits your needs like a glove, headless solutions can be complex to implement on your own. That’s where professional expertise becomes invaluable.

If you’re searching for a development partner to bring your vision to life, look no further than GetDevDone. We offer a comprehensive range of headless WordPress development services tailored to your needs:

Migration to Headless WordPress: Ready to make the switch but unsure where to start? We’ll guide you through the transition smoothly, ensuring your data and content are moved over without a hitch.
Custom Headless WordPress Development: Have specific needs or a unique vision? Our team specializes in crafting custom solutions that fit your project perfectly.
Headless WordPress eCommerce Development: Looking to build a powerful and flexible online store? We create headless eCommerce solutions that deliver exceptional shopping experiences.
Headless WordPress Website Maintenance: Keep your site running smoothly. From updates to optimizations, we handle the technical details so you can focus on your business.
WordPress API Integrations: Want to connect your headless WordPress site with other tools and platforms like payment gateways or analytics solutions? We have the expertise to integrate seamlessly, enhancing your site’s functionality and user experience.

Why choose us? At GetDevDone, we’re not just developers. We’re creators, thinkers, and problem-solvers committed to delivering excellence. Our team uses the latest technologies to build websites that are visually stunning, fast, responsive, and optimized for search engines.

With over 19 years of experience in WordPress, we’ve assisted numerous clients in adopting the headless approach, transforming their online presence, and creating new opportunities for growth and innovation. Reach out to discuss how we can turn your vision into reality.

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