10 Best Social Commerce Platforms and Apps in 2023

The online shopping experience has changed. Customers no longer discover a product and visit a retailer's website to purchase. Social media is bridging the gap between both actions, capitalizing on thetwo hours and 27 minutesper day the average user (all4.62 billionof them) spends on social media.

Social networks have evolved from photo-sharing sites to purchasing platforms.Over a quarterof people have used social media to find products to buy. Another38%使用社交媒体app to make a purchase.

Forecasts suggest that social commerce sales willreach $2.9 trillionby 2026—hence why49% of brandswe surveyed plan to increase their social commerce investment this year.

But to take advantage ofsocial commerce, you need a platform to facilitate it. This guide outlines the 10 biggest social commerce platforms, with trends and best practices to help you turn them into new revenue streams for your ecommerce business.

Table of Contents

1. What’s a social commerce platform?
2. Top 10 social commerce platforms
3. What are the benefits of tapping into social commerce?

What’s a social commerce platform?

A social commerce platform allows social media users to buy products from brands without leaving the app, website, or dashboard.

Popular examples include Instagram and Facebook. Both platforms allow brands to upload their product catalog, tag items in social media content, and create a virtual storefront. Social media users can find, browse, and buy items without leaving the app.

TakeAllbirds, for example. The footwearretailer uses Facebookand Instagram shops to reach more than 700,000 combined followers across both social commerce platforms.

The 10 top social commerce platforms

1. Instagram
2. Facebook
3. Pinterest
4. Snapchat
5. TikTok
6. Twitter
7. Twitch
8. Taggshop
9. WeChat
10. YouTube

1. Instagram

Instagram is one of the largest social media platforms in the world. More thanone-thirdof global social network users now use the app to share photos and videos, follow friends, and buy products. Its user base in the US alone will reach128.3 millionin 2022.

For our business and target demographic, Instagram has the best-fit audience in terms of age, political leanings, and location. Especially for our UGC partners and incentives, we wouldn’t be able to foster the same engagement using Facebook, for example, for our niche.”

—Shawn Munoz, Brand Manager ofPure Relief

Once a platform to share photos with friends, Instagram has led the way in turning social media networks into shopping channels. The introduction of Shops, livestreaming, and influencer collaboration features now mean thevast majority(92%) of online retailers use the platform as part of their social commerce strategy, beating Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok.

"With its in-app shopping capabilities, Shopify businesses would be wise to capitalize on Instagram as a marketing tool and customer management platform.”

—Bill Glaser, CEO ofOutstanding Foods

Here’s how to use Instagram’s social commerce tools to make more money.

• Create an Instagram Shop.An Instagram Shop gives followers the ability to browse your product catalog without leaving the app.Pair your Shopify store with Instagram. Save time manually uploading your product catalog and offer a smooth shopping experience that gives followers the ability to complete their purchase without leaving Instagram.
• Host Instagram Lives:More than1亿人watch these native livestreams every day, with 13% of viewers preferring Instagram Live over other social media platforms. DTC beauty brandGlamneticis one retailer taking advantage of Instagram Live. It hosts live shopping events through the app, which give its customers a chance to connect with the founder and purchase products on show.
• Tag products in organic content:When users click the View Products button, they’ll see items from your Instagram storefront. They can easily click through to view more information. More than500 million peoplewatch Instagram Stories daily. Use the product tag sticker to turn them into paying customers, like this example fromRebecca Minkoff.

2. Facebook

Facebook is the most popular social media network, with2.9 billionmonthly active users. What started off as a way for college students to connect with each other online is now a purchasing powerhouse.

More than a thirdof Facebook users will purchase an item through the social media platform in 2022, with31% sayingthey’d be most likely to purchase through the platform over others (including Instagram and TikTok).

Here’s how to position your brand at the forefront and drive sales through Facebook commerce.

• Open a Facebook Shop.People visiting your page see a Shop tab—a smaller, native version of your online store for followers to buy products within the Facebook platform. Speed up the process bysyncing your Shopify store with Facebook. Upload your product catalog to share each item’s photos, availability, and price with Facebook users. The result is native product listings, like this one fromGood American.
• Sell via Facebook Marketplace:Selling to local customers? Whether you’re hosting pop-up shops or operating permanent brick-and-mortar stores alongside your website, list products on Facebook Marketplace. The social commerce feature is used by562 millionpeople to find products and services from local businesses.
• Enable Facebook Pay:Modern shoppers demand choice—9% will abandonan online shopping cart if the retailer doesn’t offer their preferred payment method. For some shoppers, that includesFacebook Pay(also known as Meta Pay). The payment gateway stores a customer’s credit card information and allows retailers to monetize customer support requests through Facebook Messenger. Customers can conveniently pay for new purchases throughout the conversation—no app switching necessary.

3. Pinterest

Boasting433 millionmonthly active users, Pinterest is a social commerce platform that gives users the ability to “pin” items to a virtual board. But there’s more to it than creating mood boards—some50% of Pinterest usersactively use the platform to buy.Nine in 10use content shared inside the app to inspire future purchases.

Feasting at Home西尔维娅Fountaine的创始人,一个业务owner capitalizing on Pinterest’s social commerce potential: “I think that any retailer who relies on visual storytelling can benefit from Pinterest, as the products become aspirational for shoppers who pin your posts to their boards. There is simply better curation here than on Instagram, which is pivoting to social commerce but feels slow and clunky.

“Pinterest feels more like a gallery that can be shared, which allows us to feature multiple products on curated boards. Niching down at its finest!”

• Use Shopify to offer in-app checkout:Studies show that users display70% greatershopping intent on product pins versus standalone product photography shots. Install thePinterest Shopify appand upload your product catalog. The app will automatically turn product listings into pins so users can easily save products to their own virtual board.
• Join the Verified Merchant Program:Businesses using Pinterest can join the freeVerified Merchant Program. Those accepted into the network get a verified merchant badge on their profile and a Shop tab (which works similarly to Facebook and Instagram Shops). They can also showcase brand values and connected communities on their Pinterest profile. According to our research, consumers arefour times more likelyto purchase from a company with strong brand values.
• Encourage users to pin items to a Shopping List:Not only are users over seven times more likely to purchase products they’ve saved, butPinterest reportsthat people who visit the social commerce platform weekly outspent non-pinners by two times every month. Encourage pinners to pin items to theirShopping List. Pinterest automatically shares deals and discounts with those whose Shopping List you’re on. If an item saved drops in price, they’ll get a notification that nudges users to buy the product they’ve favorited.

4. Snapchat

Like many other social commerce platforms we’ve shared so far, Snapchat’s history doesn’t involve shopping. It was created in 2011 as a way for users to share time-sensitive photos and videos, known as “snaps,” that are deleted within a few seconds.

As more ecommerce brands began to use Snapchat to engage with customers, the platform developed its own social commerce features to take advantage. Its347 million usersreportedly have over $4.4 trillion in spending power. Here’s how to claim your share.

• Create a branded filter:Filters are graphic designs that overlay a user’s photo or video. Create your own using theSnapchat filter creator. You’ll be charged based on the time frame and location you want the Snapchat filter to be active. Get more mileage from your branded filter with aSnapchat business account. You can manage filters across various locations, target users by age, and use smart filters to display dynamic text.
• Invest in AR lenses:Snapchat’s core differentiator from other social commerce platforms is its use ofaugmented reality(AR). It’s a feature that convinces people to buy: Some92% of Gen Zaudiences want to use AR for shopping. Create immersive social shopping experiences with a custom Snapchat AR lense.American Eagle, for example, used AR technology to allow Snapchat users to virtually try on a pair of jeans.
• Run shoppable Snapchat Ads:Guarantee a spot in your target audience’s Snapchat feed with Shoppable Ads. Use theSnapchat Ads appto run brand awareness ads (which showcase up to 20 products to Snapchat users who fit your target market) and dynamic shopping ads (whichre-engage people who’ve already visited your website, reminding them of products they were interested in but haven’t yet purchased).

Augmented reality is changing the way we shop, play, and learn, and transforming how businesses tell their stories and sell their products.”

—Jeremi Gorman, chief business officer at Snap

5. TikTok

Since bursting onto the social media scene in 2016, TikTok has taken the digital world by storm. It has amassed almost85 million users, spending45 minutes per dayon the platform and spending$50.4 millionevery year.

Take it from Danielle Peplinski, co-founder ofGlow Fashion Boutique,他说,“自2021年以来,TikTok一直是最好的social commerce platform for our business. Prior to TikTok, we used Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and worked with two agencies on ad placement, with very limited sales conversions. With a few viral videos we were able to grow our community significantly in a year.

“With one viral video related to our business concept of creating a capsule wardrobe in April of 2021, we had our first ever $20,000 month. As a small business in the competitive apparel space, that was exciting and helped us see the potential, for the first time, in social commerce.”

• Tag items from your TikTok Shop:Sync yourShopify store with TikTok创建从社交媒体conten shoppable帖子t. Upload your product catalog and give viewers a direct way to purchase products inside the app.
• Host TikTok livestreams:shoppin TikTok转播画面变成一个盈利g channel for DTC brands. Big-box retailers like Walmart havealready pilotedthe social commerce feature. Its Holiday Shop-Along Spectacular was streamed to its TikTok profile, featuring pop-up product tags that shoppers can add items to their online cart and purchase within the app.
• Partner with creators:TikTok changed the influencer marketing industry by drawing attention away from famous influencers, givingsmaller creatorsthe opportunity to produce content for brands (at a fraction of the cost). Find creators whose audiences overlap with your own through theTikTok Creator Marketplace. As part of your partnerships, include the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag alongside any branded hashtags. You’ll scale your social media content production while reaching new audiences.

TikTok can give your business great exposure and engagement because most users spend time browsing this platform because it contains short videos that can be both interesting and informative, which is why it is the best platform to make the most of your marketing campaign.”

—Jean Will, co-founder ofNiaWigs

6. Twitter

Twitter是一个新闻来源or78% of Americans. But trending stories aside, the platform has229 millionglobal monetizable daily active users, making it a social commerce platform worthy of adding to your business.

The network is experimenting with social commerce features to turn its users into customers—most of which are in beta testing. That includes:

• Professional profiles.Brands with this account type get access toTwitter Spotlightshoppable product pins, and enriched data on their profile page.
• Super follows.This subscription-style feature gives “super followers” exclusive content—such as deals, coupons, and discounts—in exchange for a monthly fee. Test whether it’s a viable channel to host customer loyalty programs and earn recurring revenue.

7. Twitch

Twitch is a livestreaming platform largely used by gaming creators. Its user base’s loyalty to the platform is impressive: In the first quarter of 2022, Twitch users watched6.13 billion hoursof live video—an increase from 5.7 billion hours the quarter before.

Now owned by Amazon, Twitch is a social commerce platform that is still worth experimenting with … even if you don’t sell through the marketplace or sell gaming products.

• Involve shoppers in product development:Modern consumers want to connect with the brands they’re buying from. Involve them in the product development experience through Twitch livestreams. Lexus, for example,partnered with a Twitch creatorto create a “show car” the brand would use to make a statement at tradeshows.
• Partner with influencers:Capture a streamer’s existing loyal fan base through sponsored livestreams. For example, ELF Cosmeticssponsored a streamerwho used its products to turn themselves into a gaming character.
• Create a !SHOP demand:Instead of following up with commenters post-event, or hiring someone to do it for you, use Twitch Commands to give real-time answers to viewers’ questions mid-stream. For example, if you’re streaming the application of your candle-making kits, use an app likeStreamlabsto automatically share a link to your product page when a viewer comments “!CANDLE.”

8.Taggshop

TaggShopdiffers from the other platforms we’ve listed here. It isn’t a social media network, per se. It’s a technology that turns user-generated social media content into shoppable content.

• Embed TaggShop on your ecommerce site.Two-thirds of peopletrust user-generated content over traditional influencer endorsements. Round-up yours into one Taggshop lookbook and embed it on your website to satisfy pre-purchase sales objections.
• Encourage reviews and ratings.The downside to some in-app social storefronts is that customer reviews are often missing. Taggshop acts as a customer review platform so you can show words from happy customers alongside shoppable social content.
• Track influencer ROI.Almost of all marketerssay ROI from influencer marketing is better than other channels. Benchmark your own campaigns against other marketing strategies with a custom Taggshop link for each influencer. The platform will automatically track revenue directly attributed to each creator.

9. WeChat

Looking to expand into international markets? WeChat should be high on your priority list, especially if you’re targeting Chinese consumers. The country is home toroughly 20%of the world’s total internet users. Its most popular app, WeChat, is deeply integrated into the everyday experiences of its users.

WeChat was voted the favorite platform for11.4% of global social media users, with over1.2 billionmonthly active users—beating TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook Messenger.

Here’s how to sell on WeChat and capture international shoppers.

• Open a WeChat store.Create a WeChat Official Account and pay the $99 verification fee. Once your application has been approved, use a store provider likeWalktheChat(which pairs with Shopify) to launch your WeChat store.
• Ask users to add items to their Good Product Circle.In an attempt to make social commerce even more social, WeChat introduced itsGood Product Circle. The feature allows users to recommend products to friends and access their network’s recommendation list—a model ripe for building an in-app word-of-mouth marketing program.
• Capitalize on Chinese shopping festivals.China is dominating the social commerce industry, especially when it comes to live shopping. Retailers in the country host live shopping days, such as Singles’ Day, to drive sales. Capitalize on these festivals by sharing content and running ads across WeChat.Botkier reached 750,000 new usersand saw a 960% ROI from their Singles’ Day campaign.

WeChat micro apps have the practical benefit of allowing users to make purchases and engage with sellers directly from WeChat. They are able to share their favorite products with their loved ones. They can really take part in the entire purchasing process without ever having to leave WeChat.”

—James Rehm, Chief Operating Officer atSkuuudle

10. YouTube

YouTube is the most popular website to watch videos in the US. Its2.1 billion usersstream 694,000 hours of video every minute. The platform is piloting new social commerce features to turn its views into customers.

• Sync YouTube with Shopify.Install the Google & YouTube app on your store and choose which products you want to add to YouTube Shopping. Viewers will then see shoppable product tags beneath the video, directing them toward your Shopify products without relying on them to read the full description, nor exiting their video.
• Partner with creators and influencers.YouTube is credited as one of the first social media platforms to breed the generation of online influencers. Capture the89% of viewerswho think YouTube creators give product recommendations they can trust by collaborating with influencers in your niche.
• Host shoppable livestreams.Kraft Heinz sponsoredits first live YouTube shopping broadcast with a popular channel in its niche, Team2Moms. The influencers behind the channel produced spooky makeup looks and costume tutorials, referencing shoppable Heinz products beneath the video.

“By hosting our first livestream, we were able to connect with fans across the country who could watch the action unfold live, and actively participate without ever leaving the comfort of home.” —Ashleigh Gibson, brand director, Kraft Heinz (viaModern Retail)

What are the benefits of tapping into social commerce?

Social commerce is big business in the US. It will account for5.2% of all ecommerce transactionsby 2025.

Yet social commerce doesn’t just give brands the ability to reach shoppers in the same market. With a58.4% global penetration rate, many international users use social commerce platforms to interact with brands—like South East Asia, where$1 out of every $5spent online is facilitated through social media, or China, which is home to themost digital buyersin the world.

Global reach aside, let’s take a look at five other actions that influence DTC brands’ decisions to use social commerce.

• Slot within existing sales channels.Research shows that30% of internet usersin the US already make purchases directly within social platforms.
• Publish content that convinces people to buy.For37% of social shoppers, that’s deals and discounts. And you don’t need a customers’ most valuable digital currency—their email address—to send them. It’s why71% of peoplesay social media has inspired them to shop even when they weren’t actively looking to do so.
• Remove pre-purchase friction.Some78% of social media userssay they like the option of clicking products they’ve seen on social media and buying them there and then. Social media storefronts take advantage of this, allowing consumers to see, browse, and purchase products without leaving the app.
• Host livestreams.More than half of US consumershave already made a purchase on either a social or livestream video platform. Tap into social media livestreams and nudge viewers to buy the products on show.
• Capture mobile shoppers.Nine in 10social media users access their favorite platforms using a smartphone. Usemobile commerceto drive more revenue through social media.

Capture social shoppers today

The best social commerce platform for your business is one your target audience actively uses. Circle back to what you already know about your audience, and create social media storefronts on the platforms they’re already familiar with.

Create seamless shopping experiences with Shopify’s suite of social media integrations. Manage, optimize, and sell products across several social commerce platforms—all from one dashboard. Talk about making it easier to sell where your customers are.