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 the two hours and 23 minutes per day average users—all 5.24 billion of them—spends on social media.
Sales through social media channels worldwide are expected to reach 20.8% in 2026. It’s an opportunity businesses don’t want to miss.
But to take advantage of social commerce, you need a platform to facilitate it. This guide outlines the 15 biggest social commerce platforms, with trends and best practices to help you turn them into new revenue streams for your ecommerce business.
What is a social commerce platform?
A social commerce platform is an online platform that integrates social media and ecommerce functionalities, allowing businesses to sell products or services directly through social media channels. It enables users to discover, share, and purchase products seamlessly within the social media environment, enhancing the shopping experience.
Popular examples include Instagram and TikTok. 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.
The 15 top social commerce platforms
- Snapchat
- TikTok
- Twitch
- Taggshop
- YouTube
- Amazon Live
- Xiaohongshu
- Linkpop
- LINE
- The Shop app
1. Instagram
Instagram is one of the largest social media platforms in the world. More than two billion people now use the app to share photos and videos, follow friends, and buy products.
“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,” says Shawn Munoz, brand manager, Pure Relief
Once a platform for sharing 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 has led to many online retailers using 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.
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: DTC beauty brand Glamnetic is one retailer taking advantage of Instagram Live. They host live shopping events through the app, which give their customers a chance to connect with the founder and purchase products on show.
- Tag products in organic content: When users click the View Product button, they’ll see items from your Instagram storefront. They can easily click through to view more information. Use the product tag sticker to turn them into paying customers, as in this example from Rebecca Minkoff.
2. Facebook
Facebook is the most popular social media network, with over three billion monthly active users. What started off as a way for college students to connect with each other online is now a purchasing powerhouse. Facebook led with the largest number of social commerce buyers in 2024, reaching around 64.6 million.
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 by syncing 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 from Good American.
- Sell via Facebook Marketplace: Selling to local customers? Whether you’re hosting popup shops or operating permanent brick-and-mortar stores alongside your website, list products on Facebook Marketplace.
- Enable Meta Pay: Modern shoppers demand choice—13% will abandon an online shopping cart if the retailer doesn’t offer their preferred payment method. For some shoppers, that includes 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
Boasting 553 million monthly 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—some 85% of weekly US Pinners have made a purchase based on Pins from brands.
Feasting at Home founder Sylvia Fountaine is one business 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: Install the Pinterest Shopify app and 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 free Verified Merchant Program. Those accepted into the network get a verified merchant badge on their profile and a Shop tab. They can also showcase brand values and connected communities on their Pinterest profile.
- Encourage users to pin items to a Shopping List: Not only are users over seven times more likely to purchase products they’ve saved, but Pinterest reports that people who visit the social commerce platform weekly outspend non-pinners by two times every month. Encourage pinners to pin items to their Shopping 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 them 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. Its 453 million users are reportedly happier and more likely to buy products advertised on Snapchat. 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 the Snapchat 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 a Snapchat 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 of augmented reality (AR). Create immersive social shopping experiences with a custom Snapchat AR lens. American Eagle, for example, uses 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 the Snapchat Ads app to run brand awareness ads which showcase up to 20 products to Snapchat users who fit your target market. Use dynamic shopping ads to re-engage people who’ve already visited your website, reminding them of products they were interested in but haven’t yet purchased.
5. TikTok
Since bursting onto the social media scene in 2016, TikTok has taken the digital world by storm. It has amassed almost two billion users worldwide, who spend up to 76 minutes per day on the platform. The LA Times reports the social platform sells around $7 million worth of products a day in the US.
Take it from Danielle Peplinski, cofounder, Glow Fashion Boutique, who says, “Since 2021, TikTok has been the best 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 your Shopify store with TikTok to create shoppable posts from social media content. Upload your product catalog and give viewers a direct way to purchase products inside the app.
- Host TikTok livestreams: TikTok turns livestreams into a profitable shopping channel for DTC brands. Big-box retailers like Walmart have already piloted the social commerce feature. Walmart’s “Holiday Shop-Along Spectacular” was streamed to its TikTok profile, featuring popup product tags that shoppers could use to add items to their online carts and purchase within the app.
- Partner with creators: TikTok changed the influencer marketing industry by drawing attention away from famous influencers, giving smaller creators the opportunity to produce content for brands—at a fraction of the cost. Find creators whose audiences overlap with your own through the TikTok 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.
6. Twitch
Twitch is a livestreaming platform largely used by gaming creators. Its user base’s loyalty to the platform is impressive: In 2024, Twitch users watched 21 billion hours of live video, with more than 7.3 million channels going live each month.
One study found that viewers are drawn to Twitch for reasons including relaxation, learning gaming strategies, and interacting with streamers. The platform experienced significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic as people sought social connection during periods of isolation.
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 creator to 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 Cosmetics sponsored a streamer who used their products to turn themselves into gaming characters.
- 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 midstream. For example, if you’re streaming how to use your candle-making kits, use an app like Streamlabs to automatically share a link to your product page when a viewer comments “!CANDLE.”
7. Tagshop
Tagshop differs 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 Tagshop on your ecommerce site: Shoppers trust user-generated content over traditional influencer endorsements. Gather yours into one Tagshop lookbook and embed it on your website to satisfy prepurchase sales objectives.
- Encourage reviews and ratings: The downside to some in-app social storefronts is that customer reviews are often missing. Tagshop acts as a customer review platform so you can show statements from happy customers alongside shoppable social content.
- Track influencer ROI: Benchmark your own campaigns against other marketing strategies with a custom Tagshop link for each influencer. The platform will automatically track revenue directly attributed to each creator.
8. WeChat
Looking to expand into international markets? WeChat should be high on your priority list, especially if you’re targeting Chinese consumers. Chinay is home to roughly 17% of the world’s total internet users, and its most popular app, WeChat, is deeply integrated into the everyday experiences of a large portion of that population.
WeChat is the most popular social media platform in China, with over 1.3 billion monthly 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 like WalktheChat (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 its Good 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 special 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 users and saw a 960% ROI from their Singles’ Day campaign.
9. YouTube
YouTube is the most popular website for watching videos in the US. Its 2.5 billion users stream 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 Shopify 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 your video, directing them toward your Shopify products without requiring them to read the full description or exit the video.
- Partner with creators and influencers: YouTube is credited as one of the first social media platforms to breed a generation of online influencers. Capture the 89% of viewers who think YouTube creators give product recommendations they can trust by collaborating with influencers in your niche.
- Host shoppable livestreams: Kraft Heinz sponsored its 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.
10. WhatsApp
WhatsApp started as just a messaging app, but now with over three billion users worldwide, it's become a powerful way to sell products, especially in Latin America, Europe, and parts of Asia. Many normal chats turn into sales opportunities when customers show interest in products or services.
How to use WhatsApp to sell products:
- Set up a WhatsApp Business Profile: This free app has special features for businesses, like saved replies and welcome messages. Add your products so customers can see what you sell right in the chat.
- Help customers directly: Give shoppers a way to ask questions, check their orders, or get help with problems. This builds trust and makes them more likely to buy again.
- Use WhatsApp Payments: In some countries, customers can pay within the app. Letting people pay while chatting makes buying even easier.
11. Amazon Live
Amazon Live is Amazon's livestreaming feature where people and brands show off products while viewers watch. It works well because the audience is already on Amazon and ready to buy—making it great for brands that already sell through Amazon.
When you go live on Amazon, it helps make your products feel more personal to a big audience. You can do product demonstrations and answer questions, and viewers can add items to their cart while watching.
How to do well on Amazon Live:
- Show your products in action: Demonstrate how your products work and what makes them special. Answer questions from viewers to build trust.
- Work with Amazon influencers: Partner with content creators in your field who already have followers. When they recommend your products live, more people tend to buy.
- Tell people about your livestream beforehand: Share links to your upcoming stream on social media, in emails, or in Amazon posts. Get shoppers excited to join by offering deals and early looks at new products.
12. Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)
Xiaohongshu, also called Little Red Book, is a growing social commerce platform in China that combines product reviews, content from users, and online shopping. It has over 225 million monthly active users who are mostly young, trendy consumers who use the platform like a personal lifestyle journal.
When you expand into the Chinese market, you’ll see how Xiaohongshu's focus on real experiences and genuine customer reviews gives you direct access to shoppers actively looking for new products.
How to reach Xiaohongshu's audience:
- Set up an Official Brand Account: Get your brand verified to build trust. Share lifestyle images, how-to guides, and real customer stories.
- Team up with KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders): Influencer marketing is very effective on Xiaohongshu. Work with creators who match your brand's style and values.
- Ask for authentic user content: Shoppers on Xiaohongshu depend on honest reviews and product demonstrations before making purchases. Invite your customers to share their experiences, and highlight the best posts on your official account.
13. Linkpop
Linkpop, Shopify's link-in-bio tool, turns the basic "link in profile" into a streamlined shopping page. Instead of sending social media followers to your main website, you can direct them to a specific set of products or content for quick, easy shopping.
When you switch to Linkpop, you can boost sales by guiding Instagram followers to one central spot where they can watch your latest videos and buy products right away. This makes your social media traffic much more valuable.
Best practices for Linkpop:
- Create a focused shopping page: Add your bestsellers, limited-time items, or newest products. The fewer steps shoppers need to take, the more likely they'll buy something.
- Use eye-catching visuals: Include clear product photos or short videos that grab attention. Make your Linkpop page match the brand style your followers enjoy on social media.
- Check your results: Keep track of how many visitors click through, which items they purchase, and where your traffic comes from. Change your Linkpop layout based on what gets the most engagement and sales.
14. LINE
LINE started as a messaging app in Japan but has grown into an all-in-one platform for communication, entertainment, and shopping, with 178 million monthly active users. Beyond just text messages, LINE includes payments, stickers, games, and mini-apps for online shopping.
LINE is popular across several Asian markets including Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia. Users in these countries rely on the platform as part of their everyday lives, making it an effective channel to reach consumers in these regions.
How to increase social commerce sales on LINE:
- Create an Official Account: Provide your business information, send announcements to customers, and let them contact you directly with questions or requests.
- Send targeted offers: Use LINE's messaging features to share discount codes, product links, or event invitations. Group your audience based on what they've bought before or how they interact with you to create more personalized campaigns.
- Create LINE stickers: Branded stickers can be very popular. If you design attractive stickers that match your brand, users will share them with friends—naturally increasing your visibility.
15. The Shop app
Shop is a shopping companion app created by Shopify. More than just an order tracker, the Shop app helps users find new brands, check out quickly with saved payment information, and keep track of favorite products—all in one mobile app.
When you integrate with Shop, you can see your repeat purchase rate increase because it makes the checkout process very fast and shows customers delivery updates and product suggestions in a single place.
How to use Shop to increase sales:
- Turn on Shop Pay: Shop Pay's quick checkout increases conversions by making payment easier. Shoppers who use it can buy in seconds, without needing to enter credit card details each time.
- Show your sustainability efforts: Environmentally-conscious buyers can view carbon offsets and shipping details in the Shop app, giving them clear information about environmental impact.
- Use personalized recommendations: The Shop app automatically suggests products from your store to people who have bought from you before or follow your brand. It's a built-in tool that helps bring customers back.
Adding Shop as part of your commerce strategy helps you build stronger customer relationships, encourage repeat purchases, and keep your brand visible, especially among smartphone users looking for easy, personalized shopping experiences.
Benefits of social commerce
Social commerce is big business in the US. It will account for 5.2% of all ecommerce transactions by 2025.
Yet social selling doesn’t just give brands the ability to reach shoppers in the same market. With a 58.4% global penetration rate, many international consumers use social commerce platforms to interact with brands—like in South East Asia, where $1 out of every $5 spent online is facilitated through social media, or China, which is home to the most digital buyers in the world.
Global reach aside, here are six other benefits for leveraging social commerce:
- Slot within existing sales channels: Research shows that 30% of internet users in the US already make purchases directly within social platforms.
- Publish content that convinces people to buy: For 37% of social shoppers, that means deals and discounts. And on social media you don’t need a customer’s email address to send them. That’s why 71% of people say social media has inspired them to shop even when they weren’t actively looking to do so.
- Remove prepurchase friction: Some 78% of social media users say 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.
- Capture mobile shoppers: 9 in 10 social media users access their favorite platforms using a smartphone. Use mobile commerce to drive more revenue through social media.
- In North America, affiliate channels rank No. 2 for average order value: Surpassed only by direct traffic, affiliate marketing drives high-value purchases in the region.
- Shop Campaigns drive up to 24% new customer growth: These campaigns are effective tools for customer acquisition in the social commerce space.
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.
Social commerce platforms FAQ
What is social commerce?
Social commerce is the use of social media platforms to market and sell products and services. It lets users buy products within social platforms without exiting to another ecommerce website.
How does social commerce work?
Social commerce takes online shopping and fully integrates it into social media. Consumers can use their favorite social media platforms to find, browse, and purchase products, all without leaving the platform.
Social commerce relies on social media platforms’ native shopping tools like Facebook Shops. Businesses can also use ecommerce integrations with platforms like Shopify.
Why is social commerce important?
Social commerce lets brands sell their products directly on social media platforms and offers a more seamless shopping experience. When customers find products they like on social media, all they need to do is click through to checkout without leaving the app. This quicker and more convenient experience lowers the risk of abandoned shopping carts.
What are examples of social commerce?
Any brand that promotes and sells its products through social media platforms is an example of social commerce. For example, DTC brands Glossier and Snug sell their products through Instagram Shops. Customers can view product images, read details, and make purchases without exiting the app.
What is the biggest social commerce site?
The biggest social commerce site is currently Facebook. It has over 2.94 billion monthly active users and offers a range of shopping features for businesses and consumers, including Facebook Marketplace, Shops, and Instagram Shopping.
