Which eCommerce Platform Wins in Flexibility, Innovation & TCO? Virto vs 9 Alternatives 

Behind every transformative technology lies a powerful origin story. In the case of Virto Commerce, it’s a double win. It was born from the fusion of two distinct but complementary B2B minds. 

Nearly 15 years ago, Alexander Siniouguine, a renowned B2B software architect with a track record of building complex enterprise systems, joined forces with Evgeny Grigul, a serial B2B ecommerce entrepreneur. Together, they envisioned a platform that could solve the real-world limitations of traditional ecommerce systems, particularly in the B2B space, where rigidity, cost, and slow innovation had long held companies back. 

From day one, Virto Commerce was designed as a composable, scalable foundation for enterprise-level B2B ecommerce innovation, one that could flex to any model, any region, and any complexity. 

Virto’s early success stories came from some of the world’s most recognized enterprise brands, including HEINEKEN, Bosch Thermotechnik, and Lavazza. These were not one-off deployments; they became long-term partnerships and living proof of Virto’s ability to scale globally while adapting locally. HEINEKEN now operates in more than 28 countries.  

From FMCG to aerospace and public sector procurement, companies across industries have since used Virto to launch, expand, and reinvent their digital commerce channels. Virto’s flexibility means no two implementations are alike — yet every customer benefits from the same modular, future-ready architecture. 

Virto’s impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. Over the past three years, the platform has received increasing recognition from top analysts and industry voices: 

✔️ Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce: Honorable Mention in 2021 and 2022 

✔️ IDC MarketScape 2023–2024: Named a Major Player for Midmarket Growth and Contender for Enterprise B2B Digital Commerce Applications 

✔️ SOC 2 Type II Certification: Achieved in 2023, affirming Virto’s enterprise-grade security and compliance standards 

✔️ McFadyen Digital’s Marketplace Suite Spot Q4 2023 Report: Highlighted as a leading modular marketplace engine 100+ dedicated platform experts supporting customers across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East 

So, how does Virto compare to other major ecommerce platforms in the market? Each platform offers unique strengths, but many come with trade-offs in flexibility, innovation costs, upgradeability, or B2B maturity.  

Let's explore where Virto excels and where other platforms may have limitations. 

Overview: Adobe Commerce offers a feature-rich platform with a vast plugin ecosystem. However, the reliance on numerous third-party plugins can lead to maintenance challenges and potential security vulnerabilities.  

Limitations: Recent security updates highlight the need for continuous monitoring and patching. 

Best For: Businesses that require a wide range of out-of-the-box features and have the resources to manage and maintain them. 

Overview: Integrated within the Salesforce ecosystem, this platform offers strong CRM capabilities. However, its extensibility is limited, and customization can be challenging.  

Limitations: Known limitations in template extensibility can hinder customization efforts. 

Best For: Enterprises already invested in the Salesforce ecosystem seeking integrated CRM and ecommerce solutions.  

Overview: Spryker is recognized for its modular architecture and scalability. However, its complexity can lead to higher implementation costs and a steep learning curve.  

Limitations: While offering extensive customization, this flexibility introduces complexity, necessitating substantial technical expertise for setup and maintenance. 

Best For: Enterprises with specific customization needs and the technical resources to support them. 

Overview: A headless, API-first platform built on MACH principles. While it offers flexibility, businesses often need to build many components from scratch, which can be resource-intensive. 

Limitations: The platform requires significant development efforts to implement core functionalities.  

Best For: Companies with strong development teams seeking a customizable, headless commerce solution.  

Overview: VTEX provides a multi-tenant SaaS platform with native marketplace capabilities. However, its SaaS nature can limit deep customizations. 

Limitations: Deep customizations often require workarounds or additional development. 

Best For: Businesses looking for rapid deployment with standard features and marketplace integration.  

Overview: Tailored for B2B ecommerce, Optimizely offers a .NET-based platform. While it provides solid frontend tools, scalability and customization can be limited at the enterprise level.  

Limitations: The platform lacks native autoscaling, and managing performance under increased traffic often requires additional optimization and infrastructure efforts. This can lead to performance degradation as product complexity or user load grows. 

Best For: Mid-sized businesses seeking a B2B-focused ecommerce solution with moderate customization needs. 

Overview: A user-friendly SaaS platform aimed at B2C and smaller B2B deployments. While it offers ease of use, it may not cater to complex B2B requirements.  

Limitations: Challenges in integrating with specific or outdated platforms can affect efficiency and data sharing.  

Best For: Small to medium-sized businesses seeking a straightforward ecommerce solution. 

Overview: Znode offers a multi-store ecommerce platform with customization capabilities. However, its architecture may limit flexibility and upgradeability for scalable innovation.  

Limitations: While Znode powers multi-store ecommerce with easy management of multiple storefronts, programs, and brands from one administration console, its architecture may limit flexibility and upgradeability for scalable innovation. 

Best For: Mid-sized businesses requiring multiple storefronts with moderate customization needs.  

Overview: Mirakl specializes in marketplace solutions, enabling businesses to manage third-party marketplace and dropship operations. However, it requires integration with existing ecommerce platforms for a complete solution. 

Limitations: Mirakl is not a standalone ecommerce platform, it must be integrated with a primary ecommerce solution to provide core capabilities like product catalogs, pricing, and checkout. This increases integration complexity and cost. Additionally, users report limited customization options and rigid APIs, which can hinder marketplace innovation.  

Best For: Enterprises looking to add marketplace capabilities to their existing ecommerce infrastructure. 

Selecting a B2B ecommerce platform isn’t just about ticking off today’s requirements, it’s about preparing for the pace and unpredictability of tomorrow’s growth. Choosing a solution based on brand recognition or market buzz may feel safe, but it can lead to costly rebuilds, limited innovation, and lost opportunities down the line. 

The most important question to ask isn't “What’s popular?”, but rather: 

• What are your competitors doing? 
• How fast is your market evolving? 
• Are you ready to pivot, scale, or disrupt, before someone else does? 

If innovation isn’t on your radar today, it will be tomorrow. And growth rarely follows a straight line, when it accelerates, you’ll need a platform that can keep up, not hold you back. 

That’s why forward-looking businesses choose Virto Commerce. With its modular Virto Atomic Architecture™, seamless extensibility, and enterprise-grade scalability, Virto empowers organizations to build flexibly, launch quickly, and scale confidently.