You're building your online store, and you end up scrolling through dozens of platform options. Some software publishers promise to handle every possible type of business operation with one self-contained system. Others focus only on doing online retail management, and doing it really well.
It can be overwhelming to try to figure out which approach is right for your specific business. Should you go all-in-one with total business management software or pick the best-in-breed B2C eCommerce solution?
This decision isn't just about bells and whistles. It will shape your business's future growth, your costs, and how much control and flexibility you get from your tech stack.
I’ve helped dozens of small to midsized businesses choose the right eCommerce setup during my ten years in the industry. I'll walk you through both approaches, so you’re fully equipped to make the best choice for your B2C eCommerce business.
- What Are Best-of-Breed and All-in-One Solutions for B2C eCommerce?
- How Best-of-Breed B2C eCommerce Platforms Work
- Software Lock-in: The Hidden Risk of All-in-One B2C eCommerce Platforms
- Why Small and Midsized Businesses Choose Best-of-Breed B2C eCommerce
- When All-in-One B2C eCommerce Solutions Make Sense
- The Real Cost of Your B2C eCommerce Platform Choice
- Integrating B2C eCommerce with an ERP Platform
What Are Best-of-Breed and All-in-One Solutions for B2C eCommerce?
When people talk about eCommerce platforms, they often throw around phrases like "best-of-breed," "all-in-one," and "best-of-suite." Here's what they mean:
Best-of-breed B2C eCommerce platforms are specialized tools that focus on managing eCommerce exceptionally well. Think Shopify or BigCommerce – they're laser-focused on helping you sell online.
All-in-one solutions (sometimes called "best-of-suite") bundle eCommerce with other business functions like accounting, inventory management, and customer service. These typically come as part of larger Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms such as NetSuite SuiteCommerce or Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce.
The key difference? Best-of-breed solutions let you pick the best tool for each job. All-in-one platforms give you everything in one package, but each piece might not be the strongest player in its category.
How Best-of-Breed B2C eCommerce Platforms Work
Best-of-breed platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce are highly specialized. They focus on being the best at eCommerce and then connecting seamlessly with other tools.
The ERP Integration Advantage for B2C eCommerce
Several of the top ERP platforms offer what are often called “native integrations” with best-of-breed eCommerce systems.
Native integrations mean that code is built to allow the ERP platform to fully integrate with the eCommerce platform.
A native integration is different from a software “connector” to the best-of-breed eCommerce tool. A connector mostly allows data transfer from one platform to another. While this is some help, it does not allow the user to manage key aspects of the eCommerce platform from the ERP platform in the way that a native integration will. Also, native integrations are more likely to work well after ERP platform updates.
Because software is always evolving, you should clarify with your ERP partner whether their ERP platform is offering you a native integration or a connector.
Currently, here are some examples of types of integrations available from top ERP platforms.
Shopify - Integrations or Connectors with ERP Platforms:
- Acumatica – native integration
- Brightpearl – native integration
- Cin7 – native integration
- Infor - connector
- NetSuite – connector
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central - connector
BigCommerce - Integrations or Connectors with ERP Platforms:
- Acumatica – native integration
- Brightpearl – native integration
- NetSuite - connector
A native integration means you get the best eCommerce platform connected directly to proven business management systems. It's like having a race car engine (your eCommerce software) connected to a sophisticated control system (your ERP platform) – each part excels at what it does best.
The Scalability Question for B2C eCommerce Businesses
Here's something many businesses don't think about until it's too late: what happens when you outgrow your platform?
How Best-of-Breed B2C eCommerce Platforms Scale
The beauty of best-of-breed solutions lies in their modular nature. As your business grows, you can upgrade individual components without touching everything else.
Growth Path Example:
- Year 1: Shopify Basic + QuickBooks
- Year 2: Shopify Professional + ERP integration
- Year 3: Add automated warehouse management capabilities
- Year 4: Integrate advanced marketing automation
Each step builds on the last without requiring a complete overhaul.
All-in-One Scaling Challenges
When you outgrow an all-in-one platform, you face a tough choice: live with limitations or rebuild everything from scratch.
The problem isn't just technical – it's financial. You've invested months in training, customization, and data setup. Switching means starting over, which explains why so many businesses feel trapped with underperforming all-in-one systems.
Software Lock-in: The Hidden Risk of All-in-One B2C eCommerce Platforms
All-in-one eCommerce/ERP platforms bring a challenge that many software publishers don’t talk about upfront. Once you're in, getting out can get expensive and complicated.
The Lock-in Trap
Data hostage situation: Your customer data, order history, and business intelligence are all stored in proprietary formats. Extracting this information often requires expensive consulting services.
Custom integration costs: Any custom work you've done is tied to that specific platform. Switch platforms, and you rebuild everything from scratch.
Training investment loss: Your team has learned one complex system. Switching means retraining everyone, which costs time and money.
Switching costs reality check: Small to midsized businesses typically spend $10,000-$75,000 migrating from one all-in-one platform to another. That implementation cost includes data migration, custom development, and training.
How Best-of-Breed eCommerce Platforms Avoid Lock-in
Open data standards: Your data stays in standard formats that can move between systems
API-first design: Everything connects through open APIs, making it easier to swap components
Lower switching costs: Switching from one best-of-breed eCommerce platform to another can vary widely in cost but will be much cheaper than most all-in-one switches. Even a large, complex professional store migration should be $10,000 or less.
Why Small and Midsized Businesses Choose Best-of-Breed B2C eCommerce
Most growing businesses find best-of-breed eCommerce tools work best for them for several reasons:
Cost control that makes sense
You pay for what you need, when you need it. As a small startup, you can choose Shopify's basic plan, then add an ERP platform as you grow.
Faster time to market
Best-of-breed platforms are designed for quick setup. You can have a Shopify store running in days, not months. All-in-one systems often require extensive customization and training before you can open your digital doors.
Flexibility to evolve
As your business changes, you can swap out tools without rebuilding everything. If you outgrow your current email marketing platform, you just connect a new one. With all-in-one systems, you're often stuck with whatever's included in the package.
Superior eCommerce capabilities
Since platforms like BigCommerce focus solely on eCommerce, they typically offer more advanced selling functionalitiies. BigCommerce's one-page checkout converts at 70% on average, while their multi-storefront capabilities let you run different brands from one dashboard.
Common Implementation Challenges and How to Handle Them
Every platform choice comes with challenges. Here are some issues that may come up, and how you can prevent them or solve them.
Best-of-Breed B2C eCommerce Challenges
Integration complexity: While native integrations help, you might still need middleware for some connections.
Solution: Work with implementation partners who specialize in your platform combination.
Multiple support teams: Different support teams for different tools.
Solution: Choose platforms with strong partner ecosystems and established integration patterns.
Data sync issues: Occasional hiccups when systems don't communicate perfectly.
Solution: Set up monitoring, notifications, and backup processes for critical data flows.
All-in-One Platform Challenges
Functionality limitations: Each module might not be best-in-class.
Solution: Accept trade-offs or plan for expensive customizations.
Slow innovation: Updates affect the entire system, slowing new functionality releases.
Solution: Budget for third-party add-ons to fill functionality gaps.
Expensive support: When an all-in-one platform needs maintenance or repair, you often have to go to the software publisher directly to hire one of their certified developers.
Solution: Be sure to thoroughly investigate future costs for developer support before choosing a system.
When All-in-One B2C eCommerce Solutions Make Sense
Don't count out all-in-one platforms entirely. They shine in specific situations:
Large enterprises with complex operations
If you're running a $200 million business with multiple departments, having everything connected from day one can be worth the higher cost. Dynamics 365 Commerce integrates directly with Microsoft's entire business suite, making it powerful for large organizations already using Microsoft tools.
Companies with dedicated IT teams
All-in-one platforms often require more technical expertise to implement and maintain. If you have a full IT department, this complexity might not be an issue.
The Real Cost of Your B2C eCommerce Platform Choice
Before you choose your best option, calculate all the potential costs of each approach.
Best-of-Breed hidden costs
- Integration setup (though many are now plug-and-play if they have native integrations)
- Managing multiple software publisher relationships
- Potential data sync issues if not set up properly
All-in-One hidden costs
- Paying for capabilities you don't use
- Software publisher lock-in makes it expensive to switch
- Often slower innovation cycles
- Higher training and implementation costs
10 Factors to Guide Your Best Software Choice for Your eCommerce Business
You’ll want to make your decision based on your business size, technical resources, and growth plans.
Choose best-of-breed if you:
- Want to get online quickly
- Have a limited budget initially
- Value having the best eCommerce functionalities
- Want flexibility to change tools as you grow
- Are a small to medium business (under $100M revenue)
- Can get a native integration with a quality ERP platform
Choose all-in-one if you:
- Have complex operational requirements
- Have dedicated IT resources
- Are willing to pay premium prices for integration
- Are a large enterprise with multiple business units
Integrating B2C eCommerce with an ERP Platform
If you’re in online retail, online selling technology is the heart of your business.
Your choice between best-of-breed and all-in-one B2C eCommerce platforms will determine how your business operates for years to come. Make the wrong choice, and you'll face expensive migrations, functionality limitations, cost overruns, or operational bottlenecks that could seriously impact your growth.
Most small and midsized businesses find that starting with a best-of-breed tool like Shopify or BigCommerce offers the perfect balance of functionality, cost, and flexibility. Combining the best-of-breed tool with an ERP platform that has native integration gives you business management capabilities along with eCommerce excellence. You also maintain the freedom to evolve your tech stack as your business changes, without the higher costs and complexity of publisher lock-in.
At Stellar One, we've helped many businesses navigate this exact decision. We understand that choosing the right eCommerce platform isn't about a dashboard or a cool sales pitch. It’s about finding the solution that grows with your business while keeping costs manageable and operations running smoothly.
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