Quick answer
- Best overall: Shopify, with the best ecosystem for reviews, subscriptions, bundles, quizzes and influencer sales.
- Large multi-brand catalogs: BigCommerce.
- Small indie labels: Squarespace.
What beauty brands need
- Rich product pages with ingredients, how-to-use and before/after content
- Photo and video reviews
- Bundles and gift sets
- Subscriptions for replenishment
- Product-finder quizzes
- Influencer and affiliate tracking
Best platforms for beauty brands
Shopify
Best for beautyEverything beauty brands need is either built in (bundles, subscriptions) or available as a mature app (reviews, quizzes, loyalty, affiliates). Social selling on TikTok and Instagram is native.
Price: From $29/mo billed yearly. Free trial + $1/mo for 3 months
Pros
- Best app ecosystem for beauty
- Subscriptions & bundles
- Social commerce
Cons
- App costs add up
BigCommerce
Large catalogsGood for retailers carrying many brands and SKUs.
Price: From about $29/mo billed yearly
Pros
- Catalog depth
Cons
- Fewer beauty-specific apps
Squarespace
Indie labelsBeautiful sites for small, design-led indie brands.
Price: Commerce plans from about $23/mo billed yearly
Pros
- Gorgeous
Cons
- Limited growth tools
Our verdict
Shopify is the best ecommerce platform for beauty brands thanks to its ecosystem of reviews, subscriptions and social selling tools.
Try Shopify free (opens in a new tab)Frequently asked questions
What platform do beauty brands use?
Shopify is the most popular choice for direct-to-consumer beauty and skincare brands.
What apps do beauty brands need?
Photo reviews, subscriptions, bundles, loyalty and a quiz app for product matching are the most common.