The global automotive eCommerce market is projected to bring in over $182 billion by 2026 in the U.S. alone. Automotive eCommerce accounts for nearly seven percent of all online retail sales, but it’s predicted to become one of the top three shopping categories by 2027.
Auto parts might not sound like the most attractive category, but opening an automotive eCommerce store is a smart and profitable choice that positions you in the growing auto industry.
Today, it’s easier than ever to launch a successful auto parts business online, but your success depends on choosing the right automotive eCommerce solutions from the start.
However, with a wide range of SaaS solutions and eCommerce platforms designed to support auto parts sales, it can be challenging to know where to begin.
In this guide, we’ll unpack the leading automotive eCommerce solutions and supporting software to help you find the right platforms for your online business.
Top Automotive eCommerce Platforms
When it comes to selling automotive products, you have two main choices: building your own store or selling on marketplaces.
When building your store, you need automotive eCommerce solutions that offer the right mix of functionality, flexibility, and technical support.
Let’s explore the most common platforms you can use to sell auto parts online and create a successful eCommerce business:
1. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is best for growing an auto parts business that needs scalability and built-in performance tools. The platform, which now has over 41,000 live stores, stands out as one of the most powerful eCommerce solutions for automotive retailers.
Its native support for extensive catalogs and advanced product filtering makes it easy to manage and display complex vehicle fitment data.
Key features
- Native support for Year/Make/Model (YMM) search.
- Bulk product management for large inventories.
- Built in search engine optimization (SEO) tools and fast loading speeds for better rankings.
- Highly customizable via open APIs and headless commerce options
Pros
- No transaction fees.
- Flexible for business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) automotive sales.
- Strong mobile optimization.
Cons
- A slightly steeper learning curve for customizations.
2. Adobe Commerce (Magento)
Formerly known as Magento, Adobe Commerce is better suited to bigger automotive businesses that need advanced customization and robust inventory control. It’s usually used by companies with 50 to 200 employees and $10 to $50 million in revenue.
It’s a heavyweight platform for high-volume sellers and automotive brands with specific technical needs.
It’s fully open-source, which means you can tailor the platform to your exact business model. This makes it perfect for managing detailed product data like fitment specifications, VIN decoding, or OE part cross-referencing.
Key features
- Connects with multiple automotive fitment databases.
- Granular product attributes such as engine size, trim, and part compatibility.
- Multi-warehouse support and advanced inventory logic
- AI-powered product recommendations and personalization.
- Scalable performance for thousands of SKUs.
Pros
- Unlimited flexibility with custom modules and extensions.
- Idea for multi-brand or international automotive eCommerce.
Cons
- Requires significant developer resources.
- Higher upfront and ongoing costs compared to other platforms.
3. Shopify
Shopify is best for quick setups, smaller catalogs, and automotive dropshippers. It’s widely known for its ease of use, but it’s also powerful when configured for auto parts eCommerce. It currently has over 2.5 million live stores, indicating how popular this platform is.
With tools like Shopify Plus, you can automate much of the sales process, set up product filters, and support complex checkout flows.
Key features
- Easy to install fitment apps for YMM search.
- A unified dashboard to track orders and inventory for multichannel eCommerce.
- Optimized for mobile and social selling.
Pros
- User-friendly interface and quick setup.
- Massive app ecosystem for added functionality.
- Excellent 24/7 customer support.
Cons
- It can get expensive with app dependencies.
- Limited native support for auto parts complexity.
4. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin for WordPress that lets you create a fully functional eCommerce site. It is perfect if you already use WordPress or want more flexibility in design and development.
It’s ideal for sellers who want complete control over their WordPress-powered auto parts store.
The current market share for WooCommerce in the top one million sites using eCommerce technologies is 13%. This shows just how many sellers trust this platform to run their online businesses.
Key features
- Wide range of fitment for product filter plugins.
- Fully customizable checkout and product pages.
- Great for SEO plugins like Yoast or Rank Math.
Pros
- Fully customizable with thousands of plugins.
- Lower upfront costs than most platforms.
- Strong content marketing and SEO capabilities.
Cons
- Requires more technical know-how to set up.
- It can slow down without proper hosting and optimization.
5. Squarespace Commerce
Like WooCommerce, Squarespace is a popular solution that isn’t necessarily built for selling auto parts. It’s best for small auto parts sellers focused on design and branding.
The platform has over 4.91 million unique subscriptions and generates over $1.12 billion in annual revenue run rate.
Its clean design templates and simple setup make it ideal for small businesses or niche product lines like car care kits, performance accessories, or branded merchandise.
Key features
- Flexible product pages and custom code blocks.
- Ability to embed YMM search tools via code or third-party integrations.
- Mobile-responsive templates.
- Built-in email marketing and blogging tools.
Pros
- Intuitive drag and drop interface.
- All-in-one hosting, domain, and site management.
- Affordable for smaller businesses.
Cons
- Limited support for large auto part catalogs for complex fitment logic.
- Fewer third-party integrations than other platforms.
How to Choose the Right Automotive eCommerce Platform for Selling Auto Parts
There are many automotive eCommerce solutions for selling car parts, and it comes down to understanding your business’s needs and finding a solution that solves your biggest pain points.
Look for these six qualities to pick the most valuable solution for your online store:
Uptime
Downtime kills sales and credibility. Even just a few minutes of downtime during peak hours can cost you hundreds or even thousands in lost revenue. It can also frustrate customers and make them choose your competitors over you.
Look for an automotive eCommerce platform that guarantees at least 99% uptime, preferably with content delivery networks (CDNs) and performance monitoring.
You may also want to choose a system with automated failover systems and real-time alerts to notify you if your site ever goes down.
If available, check the platform’s status page or historical uptime reports. This can give you a better idea of the system's reliability.
Customer support
If you’re new to selling online, you’ll have questions. Sometimes, things break, and it’s helpful to have someone you can turn to when things don’t go according to plan.
Look for an eCommerce platform with highly-rated customer support. This will help you solve technical issues more quickly, minimizing disruption to your eCommerce business.
User experience
Auto parts websites must be fast, clear, and easy to navigate. When people shop for replacement parts or performance upgrades, they want a site that gets them to the right product quickly. A confusing or cluttered interface leads to abandoned carts and poor reviews.
Your chosen platform should make it easy to build clean navigation structures, implement YMM tools, offer mobile-friendly browsing, and display product specifications and compatibility information clearly.
Customization options
An auto parts eCommerce platform should help you balance out-of-the-box features with personalization. Look for a solution that allows you to tailor your online store and create custom experiences that cater to your target audience.
Built-in tools
The more functionality your chosen platform can handle, the less time you’ll waste jumping from one tool to the next. Look for platforms that offer a range of additional tools, like payment processing and inventory management, to help you sell more efficiently.
Integrations
Ensure the platform integrates with essential third-party services such as SEMA Data, ASAP Network, ACES data, and other automotive industry tools. Native integrations with marketing tools, analytics, and suppliers will also make the system much easier to use.
The Best Automotive eCommerce Marketplaces to Sell On
Creating your own online store gives you more control and flexibility over your business. The downside is that you’re responsible for driving traffic to your site, and that can take a lot of time and resources.
Leading eCommerce marketplaces solve this challenge, allowing you to list products and start making sales almost immediately while tapping into diverse customer segments.
They come with drawbacks like rules, higher fees, and competition, but these three marketplaces are a popular option for getting your business off the ground:
1. Amazon
Amazon is the go-to eCommerce platform for both buyers and sellers. It’s one of the top automotive eCommerce marketplaces in the world, with millions of active shoppers. The platform raked in $13 billion globally in 2022 just from auto parts and accessories.
Selling through Amazon allows you to reach a massive audience that is primed to buy automotive parts. Plus, it offers Fulfilled By Amazon (FBA), which helps you provide fast shipping, customer communications, and much more.
This is a paid service, but many car parts sellers say the saved time and improved visibility make the expense well worth it.
2. eBay Motors
eBay Motors is a special area of eBay designed for the automotive eCommerce industry. Over 11 million unique visitors shop on this marketplace every month, meaning you’re tapping into a massive amount of existing traffic.
Aftermarket parts are common on this platform, but accessories and specialized or hard-to-find vintage parts are also profitable.
eBay Motors allows shoppers to input their vehicle data with the Find A Vehicle search feature, reducing the chances of ordering the wrong part and returns.
Fixed-price listings are usually a better bet as a dropshipper, but eBay does give you the flexibility to sell car parts in auction-style listings. This option is more popular for attracting customers for vintage or unique items that are difficult to price.
3. Walmart Marketplace
Walmart Marketplace is one of the most stringent marketplaces, with strict guidelines for performance and shopper experience. It’s better suited for experienced eCommerce sellers, but if approved, you can access thousands of interested customers.
Selling on this platform is highly profitable, as over one-third of Walmart sellers earn $50,000 to $1 million in eCommerce sales annually.
Walmart.com offers an Auto Parts Fitment tool for shoppers looking for car parts. Use the platform’s Auto Parts Fitment Widget to ensure your listings appear for the right searches.
It allows you to update items in bulk through ACES and PIES. If you don’t have ACES, Walmart recommends consulting SEMA, Myfitment, DCi, or PDM first.
8 Top Automotive Ecommerce Software Solutions
Whether you choose to sell on your own website or via an established platform, either option will put your brand in front of more shoppers.
But that’s just the beginning. You’ll need more help managing your business, from integrating fitment data to streamlining customer service.
These automotive eCommerce software solutions will help you run a better, more cost-efficient business:
1. Spark Shipping
Spark Shipping is an automotive eCommerce solution that integrates with your existing store to automate everything from inventory management to tracking to supplier data.
What sets Spark Shipping apart from other automation solutions is our automotive-specific features, which include:
- Prebuilt vendor integrations: There’s no need to process vendor data manually. Spark Shipping integrates with reputable automotive suppliers like Torqued, Parts Unlimited, Keystone Automotive, and more. This automates the supplier’s product feed, synchronizing your storefront’s inventory with multiple vendors.
- EDI integrations: Spark Shipping supports electronic data interchange (EDI) to avoid manual work and put your store on autopilot.
- Fitment data: Most eCommerce solutions don’t support YMM product searches out of the box. And even if they do, their widgets still require you to upload data in a specific format. Spark Shipping integrates fitment data into your store, making it easy to list and sell thousands of parts without entering a SKU. We even have an eBay-specific solution for fitment data.
2. ASAP Network
ASAP Network is a tool that helps with all things aftermarket. You’ll get helpful tools like a keyword builder, product description optimizer, and fast image importing. It connects sellers with manufacturers for a range of products, including:
- Engine components.
- Lighting.
- Performance accessories.
- Air and fuel parts.
- Tires and wheels.
While you’ll still need to build a separate website for selling, ASAP Network’s tools save a lot of time and hassle by connecting you with product ideas, marketing tips, and a community to grow your store.
3. SkuVault
SkuVault isn’t an automotive-specific tool, but it has several time-saving features. It integrates inventory and warehouse management into one platform, helping you keep more accurate inventory records.
It even connects to Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Shopify to bring your entire eCommerce stack into one place.
If you’re dropshipping, you likely won’t use SkuVault’s warehousing solution, but it's always available if you decide to expand. This feature optimizes pick, pack, and ship to reduce errors and speed up shipping times.
4. Web Shop Manager
Web Shop Manager is designed to help automotive eCommerce stores maximize parts search and product data. It’s the most hands-off option with services for product data integration and website design.
Web Shop Manager puts product data on autopilot and boasts an impressive 99.9% uptime for its client websites.
It also offers eCommerce consulting services to teach you how to run a more profitable business. You’ll also get help with market analysis, YMM search, website design, product data development, and marketing.
5. X Cart
X Cart offers full product data integration and automated price and inventory updates for automotive eCommerce stores.
It automates inventory and fulfillment in real time, making it possible to sell more car parts in less time. X Cart manages YMM, warehousing, and even a readymade automotive website design tool.
Customize the checkout process, improve the mobile shopping experience, and offer a robust search feature to simplify the normally complex fitment search process, which will give you a competitive advantage.
6. Gorgias
Gorgias is a customer service helpdesk designed specifically for eCommerce stores. While it isn’t automation-specific, it’s useful for streamlining support tickets, FAQs, and order inquiries, especially when you’re dealing with high-volume online sales.
The tool centralizes customer communication from email, live chat, SMS, Facebook, and Instagram into one easy-to-use dashboard. You can also set up automated responses for common questions, enhancing customer satisfaction.
7. Loox
Loox is a powerful review and photo collection tool that helps auto parts sellers collect and display verified customer feedback on their websites.
When shoppers are buying high-ticket or compatibility-sensitive items, social proof is key to increasing conversions and reducing returns.
Loox automatically sends review request emails, collects star ratings, and encourages customers to upload product photos and videos, which can be displayed on your product pages.
8. Plytix
Plytix is a Product Information Management (PIM) tool designed for small to mid-sized automotive companies, including automotive sellers with large, complex catalogs.
Instead of managing product specifications, images, fitment data, and descriptions across dozens of spreadsheets or platforms, Plytix gives you one centralized source of truth for all product content.
This is especially valuable when listing the same car parts across multiple channels and wanting to keep product information consistent and accurate.
Spark Shipping: Your All-In-One Auto Parts eCommerce Solution
Auto parts are in high demand, and starting an eCommerce business in this category could be highly profitable. Providing a high-quality customer experience that reduces returns is the best way to stand out in the automotive sector.
The right handful of tools will not only simplify your customers' shopping experience but also save time and improve profitability.
Managing fitment information, inventory, and customer expectations can be challenging, but the right tools make a difference. Spark Shipping’s powerful automation and pre-built vendor integrations streamline your business so you can focus on what matters most: serving your customers.
Take advantage of the growth in automotive eCommerce without the headaches: Get a Spark Shipping demo now to streamline and automate your automotive store.