The 16 Best Social Commerce Platforms to Sell More in 2025
Social commerce platforms represent a significant shift in how businesses interact with consumers online. At their core, these platforms integrate shopping directly into the social media experience, allowing users to discover, engage, and purchase products without leaving their favorite social networks.
In this guide, we explore the top 16 social commerce platforms that are set to drive e-commerce growth in 2025, offering businesses innovative ways to engage and convert customers.
What Are Social Commerce Platforms?
Social commerce platforms are digital spaces that combine social media features with e-commerce capabilities, allowing businesses to sell products directly through social networking sites.
Understanding the evolution of social commerce shows how these platforms have become integral to modern online shopping experiences. These platforms enable retailers to tap into the vast user base of social media. Businesses can showcase their products with visually appealing content, utilize influencer partnerships for authentic endorsements, and leverage data analytics to tailor social commerce marketing strategies effectively.
Why Social Commerce Platforms Are Thriving
- 42% of U.S. internet users shopped via social media in 2024.
- Global social commerce sales will hit $1.2 trillion by 2025.
- Influencers and AI-driven personalization are shaping purchasing behaviors.
Consumers increasingly value convenience and personalized experiences, both of which are offered by social commerce platforms. These platforms not only simplify the purchasing journey but also cater to the desire for social proof through reviews, comments, and likes, fostering trust and engagement. As a key eCommerce growth strategy, businesses are leveraging social commerce to enhance customer interactions and drive sales.
16 Best Social Commerce Platforms for Businesses
The benefits of social commerce are vast, as they help businesses grow and capture more customers. For that, social commerce platforms play a vital role. Keep reading to find the one that matches your requirements:
1. Facebook Shops: The Foundation of Social Selling
Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses, direct-to-consumer brands, and local sellers.
Why use it: Facebook Shops allows businesses to create a dedicated storefront within Facebook, offering a seamless shopping experience. With features like product tagging, customizable collections, and direct sales through Facebook Messenger, it enables businesses to engage directly with their audience. The platform integrates well with Facebook’s suite of advertising tools, making it a powerful option for social commerce.
2. Instagram Shopping: Visual Storytelling Meets E-Commerce
Best for: Brands with strong visual content, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries.
Why use it: Instagram Shopping enables businesses to tag products in posts, stories, and reels, providing an immersive shopping experience. Users can explore products directly through shoppable posts and make purchases without leaving the app. Video content and influencer collaborations further enhance customer engagement and drive sales. Implementing video strategies on Instagram can be effective in increasing repeat purchases by enhancing customer engagement.
3. TikTok Shop: Turning Trends Into Sales
Best for: Brands targeting younger audiences, trend-driven businesses, and influencer collaborations.
Why use it: TikTok Shop integrates commerce with short-form interactive video content, allowing businesses to embed product links in their videos and live streams. With TikTok’s viral nature, brands can capitalize on trends, boost engagement, and drive conversions through interactive and entertaining content.
4. Pinterest Shopping: Search Meets Inspiration
Best for: Home decor, fashion, DIY, and design-focused businesses.
Why use it: Pinterest Shopping turns user-curated boards into shoppable experiences. Rich Pins and product tags allow businesses to capture intent-driven shoppers who use the platform for inspiration. By integrating social commerce and pinterest, businesses can seamlessly link their catalogs for increased visibility and sales.
5. Snapchat Shopping: Augmented Reality for E-Commerce
Best for: Brands targeting Gen Z and innovative e-commerce brands using AR technology.
Why use it: Snapchat Shopping leverages augmented reality (AR) to create interactive and engaging shopping experiences. Custom lenses allow users to virtually try on products, increasing the likelihood of conversions. The platform is ideal for brands looking to combine entertainment with commerce.
6. YouTube Shopping: The Power of Video Commerce
Best for: Content creators, tech, fashion, and lifestyle brands.
Why use it: YouTube Shopping allows businesses and creators to showcase products directly within video content. With YouTube’s global reach, brands can leverage long-form storytelling to provide detailed product insights, enhance credibility, and drive sales through affiliate links and integrated shopping features. YouTube's massive global audience and extended video formats allow for in-depth product storytelling and building communities with video, making it a key social commerce platform for influencing purchasing decisions.
7. Twitter/X Shopping: Real-Time Product Discovery
Best for: Brands engaging in moment-driven marketing and real-time promotions.
Why use it: Twitter/X Shopping allows businesses to embed product links directly within tweets, enabling real-time commerce. The platform’s fast-paced nature makes it ideal for limited-time offers, flash sales, and trend-based promotions.
8. WeChat Mini Programs: The Social Commerce Giant of China
Best for: Businesses targeting the Chinese market and brands offering integrated digital services.
Why use it: WeChat Mini Programs allow businesses to build in-app shopping experiences, offering product catalogs, direct sales, and customer interactions within China’s largest social platform. With an extensive user base, it provides a powerful opportunity for digital commerce expansion.
9. Amazon Live: Interactive Livestream Selling
Best for: E-commerce brands, influencers, and businesses leveraging live selling.
Why use it: Amazon Live combines live streaming with shopping, enabling brands to showcase products, answer questions in real time, and drive instant purchases. It is highly effective for brands looking to enhance product discovery and engagement through interactive content.
10. Verint: Community-Driven Social Selling
Best for: Businesses leveraging customer insights and social proof.
Why use it: Verint enables brands to foster direct communication with customers, creating community-driven commerce experiences. By integrating social proof, customer reviews, and real-time feedback, businesses can build trust and strengthen long-term customer relationships.
11. Meesho: Reseller-Based Social Commerce
Best for: Resellers, small businesses, and brands targeting the Indian market.
Why use it: Meesho is a reseller-focused platform that allows individuals to sell products through social networks like WhatsApp and Facebook. Businesses can leverage its wide network of resellers to expand their reach without direct customer acquisition.
12. Pinduoduo: Group Buying for Massive Discounts
Best for: Businesses targeting the Chinese market and price-sensitive customers.
Why use it: Pinduoduo’s unique group-buying model incentivizes users to purchase products collectively for discounts. By leveraging social sharing, businesses can increase reach and drive mass sales through collective purchasing behavior.
13. Tagshop: Turning UGC into Sales
Best for: Brands with strong social media engagement and user-generated content.
Why use it: Tagshop allows businesses to turn user-generated content (UGC) into shoppable experiences. By integrating authentic customer content into product pages, brands can enhance credibility and drive conversions through social proof.
14. Bazaarvoice: Leveraging Reviews for Social Proof
Best for: Brands focusing on transparency and consumer trust.
Why use it: Bazaarvoice enables businesses to integrate customer reviews and ratings into their product pages, helping shoppers make informed purchasing decisions. By leveraging social proof, brands can boost credibility and influence conversions.
15. CommentSold: Automating Live Selling
Best for: Businesses conducting live sales on social media platforms.
Why use it: CommentSold streamlines live selling by automating purchases via social media comments. This feature simplifies checkout processes and enhances engagement, making it an effective solution for brands leveraging live commerce.
16. WhatsApp Business: Conversational Commerce at Scale
Best for: Businesses providing direct customer support and personalized sales experiences.
Why use it: WhatsApp Business facilitates instant communication between brands and customers, allowing businesses to provide personalized shopping experiences, handle queries, and streamline purchases through chat interactions. Its global reach makes it a powerful tool for conversational commerce. The app supports a vast audience globally, making it excellent for businesses seeking to implement conversational commerce at scale.
Key Trends Shaping Social Commerce in 2025
Live Shopping Accelerates Purchases
Live shopping combines social interaction with instant buying opportunities. Consumers engage with hosts, learn about products in real-time, and make quick purchases during live sessions, driving higher conversion rates. Livestream shopping statistics support this trend, showing its growing impact on e-commerce.
Augmented Reality Enhances Shopping Experiences
AR allows customers to visualize products in their own environment, providing interactive and immersive experiences. Advancements in AI and AR in retail are transforming the way consumers interact with products online, boosting confidence and reducing return rates.
Micro-Influencers Gain Prominence
Influencers continue to shape buying decisions by offering authentic recommendations. Collaborating with live shopping influencers can amplify this effect, blending live engagement with authentic endorsements.
Micro-influencers with dedicated niche followings are valuable partners for brands. Their authentic connections with audiences lead to higher engagement.
AI Personalization Boosts Engagement
AI-driven personalization tailors shopping experiences to individual preferences, increasing engagement and satisfaction. Customized recommendations lead to higher conversion rates. By analyzing browsing behavior and purchase history, AI can predict customer needs and deliver hyper-relevant product suggestions, enhancing the overall shopping journey.
Social Commerce Expands into Messaging Apps
Integration of shopping features into messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger enables conversational commerce, allowing seamless purchasing within chat platforms. Businesses can provide real-time customer support, streamline transactions, and integrate AI-powered chatbots to offer instant assistance and personalized recommendations.
User-Generated Content Drives Trust
Brands leverage user-generated content to build authenticity and trust. Shoppable UGC showcases real customer experiences, influencing purchasing decisions. Featuring real-life testimonials and community-driven content enhances credibility, while interactive elements such as live shopping events further boost engagement and conversions.
Look further into social commerce examples to get inspiration and more marketing ideas for your businesses.
Choosing the Right Social Commerce Platform
When choosing a social commerce platform, it’s crucial to consider the nature of your business and the profile of your target audience. Different platforms offer diverse and effective social commerce strategies, which align with specific business needs.
Staying informed about future retail trends can help businesses make informed decisions when selecting the most suitable social commerce platform.
For Fashion, Beauty, and Lifestyle Brands
- Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest
These channels excel in showcasing high-quality images and allow users to shop directly from posts and pins, making it seamless for engaging storytelling and brand aesthetics.
For B2B and Professional Sales
- LinkedIn, Twitter, Verint
LinkedIn remains the top choice for B2B and professional sales. It offers a space tailored for professional networking and authority building. Businesses can leverage LinkedIn to connect directly with decision-makers and create content that centers on industry-specific trends and insights. Twitter and Verint are also well-known for this purpose.
For Gen Z and Interactive Engagement
- TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp
If your target audience is Gen Z, social commerce platforms like TikTok and Snapchat are ideal. They are popular among younger demographics for their engaging, content-rich formats. Leveraging short-form videos and interactive features can significantly enhance brand presence and foster community loyalty.
For Community-Driven Commerce
- FB Groups, Reddit, Pinduoduo, Meesho, Bazaarvoice
Facebook Groups and Reddit can be powerful platforms for brands focused on community-driven commerce. All these above platforms allow for the cultivation of loyal communities by engaging users through discussions and feedback, facilitating authentic connections between brands and consumers on these social commerce platforms.
For Video-Driven Shopping Experiences
- YouTube, Instagram Reels, Amazon Live
YouTube and Instagram Reels are perfect for businesses focusing on video-driven shopping experiences. These platforms, including Amazon Live, allow brands to deliver detailed product demonstrations and tutorials, offering consumers in-depth insights and encouraging spontaneous buying decisions on these visually engaging social commerce platforms. Utilizing tools for enhancing video commerce can help brands create more engaging content for these platforms.
The Future of Social Commerce Platforms Is Here
According to the latest social commerce statistics, social commerce platforms are revolutionizing the way consumers engage with brands and make purchases.
By integrating shopping experiences directly within social platforms, we're witnessing a seamless blend of social interaction and commerce that enhances convenience and personalization. From Instagram's shopping tags to TikTok's shoppable videos, these platforms are becoming critical assets for brands aiming to capture their audience's attention and drive sales.
To stay competitive, it's essential for brands to leverage the right social commerce platform strategies—tailoring their approach to fit audience preferences and platform dynamics. Embrace the future of social commerce and maximize your potential by refining your social commerce platform strategies.
FAQs
What is a social commerce platform?
A social commerce platform is a social media-based marketplace where users can discover, buy, and sell products directly within the platform, such as Instagram Shops or TikTok Shop.
What is the most popular social commerce platform?
The most popular social commerce platform varies by region, but globally, Facebook Shops, Instagram Shops, and TikTok Shop are widely used for seamless in-app shopping.
What are examples of social commerce sites or apps?
Examples of social commerce sites or apps include Facebook Shops, Instagram Shops, TikTok Shop, Pinterest Shopping, and WeChat Mini Programs.
What are commerce platforms?
Commerce platforms are digital solutions that enable businesses to sell products online, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce.
