The verdict in three sentences
For an established London brand already selling to stockists, Shopify with its native B2B features is the best choice in 2026 up to roughly 2,000 trade accounts and a standard catalogue, with a project of £12,000 to £50,000. BigCommerce is a close second when you need richer quote and price list logic without moving to enterprise software. Adobe Commerce only makes sense beyond several thousand accounts, complex catalogues and a budget of £70,000 to £250,000.
The 2026 B2B platform ranking
The ranking compares public platforms and provider types on stable criteria: three year total cost, customer specific pricing, ERP integration, time to launch and reversibility. Figures are 2026 estimates for projects delivered by an implementation partner; vendor subscriptions should be checked on their public pricing pages.
| Rank | Platform | Project cost (2026 estimate) | Customer pricing | Comfortable trade accounts | Timeline | Reversibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopify (Plus plan, native B2B) | £12,000 to £50,000 | Company catalogues and price lists | 500 to 3,000 | 8 to 14 weeks | Medium: data exportable, theme tied to Shopify |
| 2 | BigCommerce with B2B features | £15,000 to £60,000 | Price lists, quotes, buyer roles | 500 to 5,000 | 10 to 16 weeks | Medium |
| 3 | WooCommerce with B2B extensions | £10,000 to £40,000 | Role based pricing via paid extensions | 200 to 1,500 | 8 to 12 weeks | Very good |
| 4 | Odoo eCommerce linked to Odoo ERP | £20,000 to £75,000, part of the ERP included | Native ERP price lists | 300 to 3,000 | 12 to 20 weeks | Good on Community, medium on hosted |
| 5 | Adobe Commerce | £70,000 to £250,000 | Shared catalogues, company accounts, native quotes | 2,000 to over 50,000 | 6 to 12 months | Low: licence and scarce skills |
| 6 | Custom portal (studio or agency such as Kolonell) | Kolonell complex web app: 4,000,000 to 8,000,000 FCFA and up (about 6,100 to 12,200 EUR and up) | Fully your rules | Depends on architecture | 3 to 6 months | Very good if code ownership is transferred |
Shopify Plus costs several thousand pounds a month at current public pricing, which belongs in the three year total. Adobe Commerce adds an annual licence linked to online revenue that often exceeds the initial project cost over three years.
UK specific requirements to check
A trade portal for a London brand carries obligations a consumer store does not. Check each one in a live demo.
| Requirement | Why it matters in the UK | Shopify | BigCommerce | Adobe Commerce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices shown ex VAT for trade, VAT at 20 % on invoice | Trade buyers reclaim VAT and compare net prices | Native | Native | Native |
| Zero rated EU exports with customs data | Post Brexit, B2B goods to the EU need customs declarations, EORI numbers and export evidence | Via apps or ERP | Via apps or ERP | Native or extensions |
| Incoterms per customer (DAP or DDP) | Decides who pays EU import VAT and duty | Custom fields | Custom fields | Native configuration |
| Net 30 or Net 60 payment terms | Large stockists will not pay by card | Native on Plus | Native | Native |
| Multiple buyers per company with permissions | Department stores and chains order from several sites | Native on Plus | Native | Native |
| ERP sync (Sage, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite) | Stock, prices and invoices in one place | Connector, £4,000 to £20,000 | Connector, £4,000 to £20,000 | Connector, £12,000 to £50,000 |
Making Tax Digital also requires VAT records to be kept digitally, so the order flow should post cleanly into your accounting or ERP system rather than being retyped.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Olivia, commercial director of a homeware brand in Shoreditch turning over £5m with 900 stockists in the UK and EU, compares two three year scenarios. Shopify: £38,000 project, £14,000 ERP connector and an estimated £70,000 of subscription, so £122,000. Adobe Commerce: £140,000 project, £35,000 connector and an estimated £100,000 licence, so £275,000. If the portal moves 45 % of orders to self-service and saves 1.5 sales administration roles at £38,000 each per year including costs, the gain reaches £171,000 over three years: Shopify pays back, Adobe Commerce does not at this volume.
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FAQ
Which B2B platform suits a mid-sized London brand?
Shopify Plus up to roughly 2,000 stockists and a standard catalogue, BigCommerce if quoting and price lists are more complex. Project budgets then sit between £12,000 and £60,000.
Is Adobe Commerce worth it?
Yes for catalogues of tens of thousands of SKUs, several countries and complex pricing. Below about £15m of online revenue, its three year cost often exceeds £250,000 for limited extra gain.
How do we handle EU stockists after Brexit?
B2B exports are usually zero rated for UK VAT with proof of export, while the EU buyer pays import VAT unless you ship DDP. Your portal should store incoterms and customs data for each account, which adds 2 to 4 weeks of scoping.
What does ERP integration cost?
About £4,000 to £20,000 on Shopify or BigCommerce, up to £50,000 on Adobe Commerce depending on the ERP. Budget a further 10 to 20 % of that each year for connector maintenance.
How long does a trade portal take to launch?
Eight to 16 weeks on Shopify or BigCommerce, 6 to 12 months on Adobe Commerce. ERP integration and loading existing price agreements often take a third of the timeline.
Let's scope your project. Send us your stockist count, ERP and pricing rules, and we will cost the right B2B portal, from ERP connector to invoice payment terms, with an indicative budget and timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.