Working in the shopping cart migration sphere for many years, Cart2Cart has unique possibility to monitor tastes of the current online shop owners, and, we continue to share valuable insights with you. For a smoother transition, consider our Universal eCommerce Migration Checklist. So, which shopping platforms merchants choose to migrate to in most cases? Which solutions have often failed users expectations, disposing them to e-Commerce re-platforming? Are hosted or open-source carts ruling the market nowadays? Here, you’ll find the data driven answers to these and other curious, market related questions.
We continually analyze the market and our internal data, providing ongoing insights into these questions. This article offers a summary of our latest findings.
Thus, where did e-merchants migrate to the most frequently?
Many people, when thinking of shopping carts, often consider leading platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Having gathered our in-house statistics, we've observed that these platforms, along with others such as Magento and PrestaShop, consistently rank among the top choices for merchants looking to re-platform.
Our data shows a diverse range of top destinations for migrations, reflecting current market preferences:
- Major hosted platforms (e.g., Shopify, BigCommerce)
- Popular open-source solutions (e.g., Magento, PrestaShop)
- Other emerging platforms and specialized solutions
Shopify and WooCommerce consistently lead as top destinations, with BigCommerce and PrestaShop also showing strong growth among our users. Meanwhile, other e-Commerce solutions continue to find their niche in the evolving market.
Which shopping carts online shop owners were trying to escape?
Reflecting the dynamic nature of the e-Commerce landscape, platforms that are frequently chosen as destinations also see significant migrations from them. This often happens due to merchants updating to the latest platform versions (for example, users frequently migrate when seeking upgrades to the latest platform versions or moving to alternative robust solutions). For instance, platforms like Magento, known for their powerful features, also see migrations as users upgrade to newer versions or move to other robust solutions. Here are common platforms e-merchants have been migrating from:
- Leading open-source platforms (e.g., Magento, PrestaShop)
- Specialized carts and older versions (e.g., VirtueMart)
- Other widely used e-Commerce solutions
For a comprehensive overview, explore our FAQ section.
Hosted against open-source. Which type of e-Commerce platforms is dominating the market?
We have all heard about the evolving dynamics between open-source and hosted solutions. While open-source platforms continue to offer deep customization and control, the market has seen a significant shift towards hosted solutions, favored for their ease of use and managed infrastructure.
Our current data shows a strong preference for platforms that balance flexibility with simplified management. Migrations to hosted solutions now frequently represent a significant portion of our total transfers, reflecting a broader industry trend towards streamlined and scalable e-Commerce environments.
Platform migrations continue to evolve, with movements between various types of solutions. Transfers to robust CMS platforms with integrated e-Commerce functionalities are also increasingly popular, making up a growing segment of overall migrations.
Since e-Commerce market is extremely unsteady and its leaders are getting displaced more often than kings in “Game of Thrones”, e-merchants often find it difficult to monitor the market situation. Therefore, we hope that these insights into migration trends will clear things out for you, at least a bit, and help you make deliberated market decisions in the future.
However if you’d like to get a more detailed information that includes current market trends, including insights into transitions from various platforms, and even specialized needs like Database Dump Migration - visit our dedicated FAQ and Migration Guides sections. These resources offer comprehensive, free insights and statistics to help you grasp the nuances of the current e-Commerce market.
P.S Despite the fact that Cart2Cart has partner relations with a number of popular shopping carts, this article is by no means promoting them. Our only purpose here - is to present an unbiased statistics, that can be helpful to an e-Commerce community.
Monthly Update – March 2026
The e-commerce landscape in March 2026 is significantly shaped by the continuous rise of headless commerce architectures and composable e-commerce. Merchants are increasingly opting for modular, API-first solutions that offer unparalleled flexibility, scalability, and speed in delivering rich, personalized customer experiences across multiple touchpoints. This architectural shift allows for greater innovation in front-end design and agility in marketing campaigns, without being constrained by the back-end platform. Furthermore, the integration of advanced AI for predictive analytics, personalized product recommendations, and automated customer support is no longer a luxury but a core expectation for maintaining a competitive edge. Businesses are also heavily investing in sustainability practices and transparent supply chains, as conscious consumerism continues to grow in importance, influencing purchasing decisions and brand loyalty. Adapting to these sophisticated trends often requires strategic re-platforming to a more advanced or specialized e-commerce system, making efficient and secure data migration a critical component of any future-proof e-commerce strategy. Ensuring a smooth transition minimizes downtime and preserves crucial SEO value, facilitating business growth in this dynamic environment. For more details, explore our FAQ section or schedule a call with a migration expert.
