Right off the bat, the best-loved e-commerce platform in Canada is Shopify (for entrepreneurs) because the founders are from Canada. However, it is not the only e-commerce platform you can use. For example, you cannot use Shopify to build an online casino. Today, let us look at the best e-commerce platforms that Canadians use.

Amazon Canada

Amazon is one of the biggest and most loved platforms in the country, with sales to the tune of billions of dollars annually. Now that Amazon is about to launch the drone delivery system, we can expect the company to reach more people in Canada and thus grow bigger. How big is Amazon in Canada? About 85% of Canadians use Amazon every month, and that says a lot, isn’t it? For perspective, there are 161 million Canadians who use Amazon to buy and sell.

Ebay Canada

Although Amazon is bigger than eBay, it does not mean that eBay has no place in Canadian e-commerce. Statistics show that eBay still has a huge traffic. The good news, if you are a seller, is that you have less competition on eBay than on Amazon. The option to sell in auction style makes eBay a loved platform. Canadians with rare items do not have to post a product and sell it at a limited price. In an auction, the seller can post an item and set a reserve price. Then, buyers would place their bid. At the end of the auction period, the buyer with the highest bid wins. Since the price could potentially go up, the seller can also make a bigger profit.

Shopify

Finally, there is Shopify. It is the best platform for e-commerce, especially for those who want to build their websites. Shopify was founded by Canadians, and anyone who has used the platform can say that it is the best. With Shopify, you can:

• Build a fully functional store for a small monthly fee.
• Charge customers online with no need for a credit card processor (Shopify has one by default). 
• Use a POS system in person (physically).

With this platform, making an online store is easy, as you do not even need to learn how to code to do it. All you need to do is choose a theme and edit it, like replacing the images, videos, and texts. Shopify is best for people who want to build an independent store — people who do not want to use platforms like Amazon or eBay. It is a great option for business owners who want to build their brands without relying on online marketplaces. Here are the pros of using this platform:

• Support. You can send a chat or email to the support group; there is a knowledge base, and you can also communicate with other users.
• Easy to use. The platform does not need technical know-how. It is also intuitive to use.
• App integrations. You can integrate hundreds of apps with Shopify to give your store better and more functionalities.
• Hosting service. The hosting service is free; it is already included in your monthly subscription.
• Security. The platform is highly secure. You no longer need to buy an SSL certificate as it already comes with the subscription. 

With Shopify, you can charge payments instantly. They offer a default charging method, or payment processing system, to charge credit and debit cards. You can also use Google Pay or Apple Pay. In addition, it is possible and easy to integrate other payment methods such as PayPal, Skrill, Checkout, etc.

How Big Is the Canadian E-commerce Market?

Although the population of Canada is only one-tenth of the US, it does have an active and thriving e-commerce industry. There are over 27 million e-commerce users in Canada. As mentioned earlier, 85% of people in the country are active in making online purchases.  Back in 2019, there were only 54,000 active Shopify stores in Canada. In 2024, there are 127,000. As you can see, it took only five years to almost triple the number of Canadian stores in Shopify. As far as numbers go, here are the biggest niches in Canadian internet commerce:

• Apparel – 21.1%.
• Home and garden –12.4%.
• Beauty and fitness – 9.2%.

The other biggest markets in the country are food, drinks, sports, arts, entertainment (like online casinos), and health. Health refers to food supplements and vitamins, minerals, etc.  

Have You Chosen Your Favorite E-commerce Platform?

You can use many e-commerce sites if you want to set up a business and if you are in Canada. However, you can only choose if you already know what kind of business you want to put up. If you want to offer online slots in Canada, you will need a platform that is made only for this business, not the typical e-commerce website builder.