Top 9 Social Commerce Platforms for 2027

Social commerce lets people discover and buy products inside the social apps they already use. US social commerce sales are forecast to pass $100 billion for the first time in 2026 (eMarketer).

Below, we compare the 9 best social commerce platforms: native shopping features on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest and more, plus tools that bring shoppable social content to your own website.

What is social commerce?

Social commerce is a dynamic and innovative mix of e-commerce and social media. This type of commerce is an integration link between online shopping and social interaction, creating a unique digital ecosystem where users can discover, engage with, and purchase products within social media platforms they use to connect with friends, brands, and influencers.

Social commerce meaning

What’s a social commerce platform?

A social commerce platform is a system or tool that integrates e-commerce functionalities into social media platforms or networks, allowing users to make purchases directly from social media posts, ads, or pages.

Social commerce platform definition

It also leverages the power of user-generated content, peer recommendations, and real-time interactions, turning the shopping experience into a collaborative and community-driven endeavor. This concept transforms traditional online transactions into engaging and personalized experiences, blurring the lines between shopping and interaction with the target audience in all marketing strategies.

Many popular social media platforms have their own social commerce features. Good examples of it are Instagram and Facebook shop. Both platforms allow brands to upload their product catalog, tag items in social media content, and create a clickable storefront post. Shoppers can browse product details in the app, then complete the purchase on the brand’s website.

Social commerce platforms compared

Platform	Type	Where shoppers buy	Best for	Cost to sell
TikTok Shop	Native, in-app	In TikTok	Impulse buys from video and live	6% referral fee (5% select jewelry, pre-owned)
Instagram	Native, product tags	Brand website	Visual products and creator tags	No Meta selling fee
Facebook	Native, Shops	Brand website	Catalog storefronts on your Page	No Meta selling fee
Pinterest	Native, Product Pins	Brand website	Planned, inspiration-led purchases	Free to list; ads extra
YouTube Shopping	Native, product tags	Brand store	Reviews, tutorials and hauls	No YouTube fee
WhatsApp	Native, catalog	In chat (India, Brazil) or via link	Conversational selling	Free catalog; message fees
Snapchat	Native, AR lenses	Brand website	Try-on for beauty and fashion	Paid via ads
EmbedSocial	Website, shoppable UGC	Your website	Shoppable social feeds on your site	From $29/month
Whatnot	Live shopping marketplace	In Whatnot	Collectibles, fashion, live drops	8% commission + processing

Fees checked on platform pages in October 2026.

9 best social commerce platforms

We start with the native shopping features inside each social app, then cover tools that bring social commerce to your own website and standalone live-shopping marketplaces.

Disclosure: EmbedSocial publishes this guide and appears at #8. Read how we write and use AI.

1. TikTok Shop: native in-app checkout

TikTok Shop turned social commerce mainstream in the West. Shoppers discover products in the feed, in live streams and on creator videos, then check out without leaving the app.

It’s available in about 20 markets, including the US, UK and much of Europe. Short-form video plus one-tap checkout suits discovery-led and impulse purchases.

Social commerce features:

• In-app checkout: shoppers pay inside TikTok.
• Shoppable videos: tag products in organic posts and ads.
• LIVE shopping: sell in real time during live streams.
• Affiliate creators: creators earn commission for selling your products.

How to start selling: open a TikTok Shop Seller Center account, connect or upload your product catalog, then tag products in videos or go live. To find videos already featuring your products, track your TikTok mentions.

Cost to sell: a 6% referral fee per sale in most US categories (5% for select fine jewelry and pre-owned items). New sellers may get a lower introductory rate for a limited time. Budget for shipping or Fulfilled by TikTok fees and any creator affiliate commission you offer.

2. Instagram: shoppable product tags

Instagram lets brands tag products in photos, Reels and Stories, so shoppers can see the price and details with one tap. Since 2025, purchases finish on the brand’s website rather than inside the app.

Product tags still shorten the path from discovery to purchase, especially for visual categories like fashion, beauty and home.

Social commerce features:

• Product tags: tag items in posts, Reels and Stories.
• Shop tab: a storefront on your profile built from your catalog.
• Creator tagging: creators can tag your products in their Reels.
• Product stickers: link products from Stories.

How to start selling: connect your Instagram professional account to a Meta catalog in Commerce Manager, get approved for shopping, then start tagging products. Our guide to shopping on Instagram covers the requirements.

Cost to sell: no Meta selling fee. Your website’s payment processing applies.

3. Facebook: Facebook Shops

Facebook Shops lets brands build a storefront on their Facebook Page from a product catalog. Shoppers browse collections in the app and complete the purchase on the brand’s website.

It works best for brands that already have an engaged Facebook audience and want their catalog visible where that audience spends time.

Social commerce features:

• Shop storefront: collections and product pages on your Page.
• Shared catalog: the same Meta catalog powers Facebook and Instagram.
• Messenger support: answer product questions in chat.
• Shoppable ads: run catalog ads that link to your products.

How to start selling: create a shop in Meta Commerce Manager, connect your catalog and website, then publish your storefront.

Cost to sell: no Meta selling fee. Your website’s payment processing applies.

4. Pinterest: shoppable Product Pins

Pinterest is a visual discovery engine where people plan purchases, from outfits to home projects. Product Pins show price and availability and link straight to your store.

Pinterest Lens lets shoppers search with a photo, and tagged Pins let brands link several products in one image.

Social commerce features:

• Product Pins: live price and stock from your catalog.
• Tagged product Pins: link multiple products in one image.
• Pinterest Lens: visual search from a photo.
• Shopping ads: promote catalog products to shoppers.

How to start selling: create a Pinterest Business account, claim your website and upload your product catalog. See the Pinterest Help Center for details.

Cost to sell: free to list products. Ads cost extra.

5. YouTube Shopping: shoppable videos and Shorts

YouTube Shopping lets brands and creators tag products in videos, Shorts and live streams. Because YouTube content is often long-form reviews and tutorials, it drives high-consideration purchases.

The YouTube Shopping affiliate program lets creators earn commission for tagging other brands’ products, and it’s expanding to more countries in 2026.

Social commerce features:

• Product tags: in videos, Shorts and live streams.
• Store connection: link your existing online store.
• Affiliate program: creators tag your products and earn commission.
• Live shopping: pin products during live streams.

How to start selling: connect your store to your YouTube channel through a supported platform, then tag products in your content or join the affiliate program.

Cost to sell: no YouTube fee. Your store’s payment processing applies; affiliate commission is set by you.

6. WhatsApp: conversational shopping

WhatsApp Business lets brands share a product catalog and sell through one-to-one chats. Shoppers can browse items, ask questions and order without leaving the conversation.

In India and Brazil, shoppers can also pay inside the chat. Elsewhere, payment happens through a link.

Social commerce features:

• Product catalog: showcase products and prices in your business profile.
• Carts in chat: shoppers add items and send an order message.
• In-chat payments: available in India and Brazil.
• WhatsApp button and QR codes: bring shoppers in from social and your website.

How to start selling: open the WhatsApp Business app, go to Settings, then Business tools and Catalog, and add your products.

Cost to sell: the catalog is free. Business messages via the API are priced per message, and payment gateway fees apply where available.

7. Snapchat: AR try-on lenses

Snapchat reaches a young audience: Snap said in 2023 that it reaches more than 75% of 13-to-34-year-olds in over 20 countries (Snap Investor Day). Its social commerce strength is augmented reality.

Sponsored AR Lenses and AI Lenses let shoppers virtually try on makeup, glasses or clothing before clicking through to buy on the brand’s website.

Social commerce features:

• Sponsored AR Lenses: branded try-on experiences.
• Sponsored AI Lenses: AI-generated branded effects (since 2025).
• Dynamic product ads: catalog ads that link to your store.
• Shoppable links: send users to your product pages.

How to start selling: create a Snapchat Ads account, upload your catalog and run Sponsored Lenses or dynamic product ads.

Cost to sell: no commerce fee. Selling runs through paid ads.

8. EmbedSocial: shoppable UGC galleries

EmbedSocial turns social media content into a shoppable gallery on your own website. It collects posts from Instagram, TikTok and other networks, including customer posts that mention your brand.

You tag products on each post, so visitors can buy straight from real customer photos and videos. Here’s how to embed a shoppable Instagram feed step by step.

Social commerce features:

• Product tagging: tag catalog products on social posts and add a Buy button.
• UGC collection: pull in posts where customers mention or tag your brand.
• Catalog sync: connect your product catalog or add products manually.
• Embed anywhere: add the shoppable gallery to any website or store.

How to start selling: connect your social accounts, tag products on the posts you want to sell from, then embed the widget on your site. View Instagram shop demo >

Cost to sell: a free plan is available; paid plans start at $29/month, with a 7-day free trial. Instagram mentions and hashtags start on Pro Plus at $49/month.

9. Whatnot: live shopping marketplace

Whatnot is a live shopping marketplace where sellers go live to sell collectibles, sneakers, fashion, beauty and electronics. Buyers bid, chat and check out inside the stream.

Whatnot reported more than $8 billion in live GMV in 2025, up from over $3 billion in 2024 (Value Added Resource).

Social commerce features:

• Live auctions: real-time bidding during streams.
• Buy It Now: fixed-price listings alongside auctions.
• In-stream checkout: buyers pay without leaving the show.
• Community chat: buyers interact with sellers and each other live.

How to start selling: apply to sell on Whatnot, get approved for your category, then schedule your first live show.

Cost to sell: 8% commission plus 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing per sale.

How to choose a social commerce platform

We compared these platforms on how shoppers buy, what selling costs and which audience each one reaches. Use the same criteria for your own shortlist:

• Where your audience shops: pick the platforms your customers already use to discover products.
• Checkout location: in-app checkout (TikTok Shop, Whatnot) converts impulse buys; website checkout (Instagram, Facebook) keeps the customer data with you.
• Content format: short video, live streams, images or AR. Match it to what your team can produce.
• Selling costs: referral fees and commissions versus a flat subscription or ad spend.
• Catalog integration: how easily your store’s product catalog syncs.
• Your own website: whether you also want shoppable social content on your site, not just in the apps.
• Markets: some features are only live in certain countries.

How does social commerce work?

The backend process of social commerce unfolds through a series of connected steps, each designed to perfectly guide the users from product discovery to purchase, fostering authentic engagement and brand connection. Millions of brands use social commerce as a main element of their social media strategies, so it’s definitely not by accident.

Here are some of the business and customer steps in the social commerce process:

Business steps

The social commerce strategy is already part of every eCommerce business and connects their social channels with customers in order to build brand awareness for their online store. Here are the main steps.

1. Setup: Choose a platform, create a store, and list products or connect with eCommerce sites.
2. Promotion: Create content, run ads, and create brand awareness through influencer marketing.
3. Engagement tools: Implement shoppable tags and interactive elements.
4. Transaction: Integrate checkout and set up payment methods for managing eCommerce sales.
5. Support: Offer post-purchase support and customer service.

Customer steps

The discovery begins when users scroll through their social media feeds, encountering catchy visuals, videos, and posts shared by brands, influencers, and followers. Within these posts, users find interactive elements, making them explore further. Shoppable tags, buttons, prices, or links embedded in the content enable users to dive deeper into product details with a simple tap or click.

1. Discovery: Find and learn about products through posts and ads.
2. Engagement: Interact with content and explore products.
3. Selection: Choose products and add to cart.
4. Purchase: Complete the checkout process.
5. Post-purchase: Engage in post-purchase activities like reviews and customer support.

Once users have selected their desired items from the posts, depending on the platform, shoppers finish the purchase in the app or on the brand’s website. Payment information can be securely stored, streamlining future transactions. Post-purchase interactions, such as order tracking and customer support, can also take place within the same social environment, providing a comprehensive and cohesive shopping experience.

Social commerce vs. e-commerce platforms

While social commerce and e-commerce platforms cater to modern consumers’ ever-evolving needs, their fundamental approaches and experiences differ.

For example, eCommerce platforms (like Shopify) represent the virtual stores of physical retail spaces. They provide a digital marketplace where businesses can showcase their products, list detailed descriptions, and facilitate transactions. These platforms are typically dedicated to the mechanics of buying and selling, offering a wide array of products across diverse categories. Customers navigate through product catalogs in online shops, add items to their carts, proceed to checkout, and complete purchases.

Key characteristics of eCommerce platforms include:

1. Transactional focus: E-commerce platforms primarily focused on facilitating seamless transactions. They prioritize showcasing products, enabling secure payments, and managing order processing.

2. Product-centric: The emphasis of e-commerce sites is on product listings, detailed descriptions, and pricing. Customers often make purchasing decisions based on product features, specifications, and reviews.

3. Direct shopping experience: An e-commerce platform provides a direct route for customers to explore and purchase products without extensive emphasis on social interactions.

On the other hand, social commerce takes online shopping to a more dynamic and engaging level by integrating social media components into the shopping process. It leverages the power of social media platforms to create a space where users not only discover products but also engage in discussions, share recommendations, and make purchases within the same environment. Most leading social media platforms have shopping features, so it is a game-changer for the entire shopping experience and sharing brand awareness.

Here are the main differences between social commerce and e-commerce platforms:

The main factors of social commerce include:

1. Social interaction: Social commerce infuses social elements into the shopping journey, encouraging users to engage in conversations, reviews, and recommendations with others.

2. Community-driven: The focus is on building a community of users who interact, share insights, and influence each other’s purchasing decisions through authentic interactions of social commerce capabilities.

3. Easy integration: Social commerce integrates product discovery, exploration, and purchase within the social media channels, eliminating the need for users to navigate to an external eCommerce site or online store.

4. User-generated content: User-generated content, such as customer reviews, photos, and testimonials, plays a significant role in shaping the shopping experience, building trust among the brand audience, and generating social proof.

E-commerce platforms and social commerce operate on distinct principles. Many eCommerce platforms are embracing new social commerce features, integrating UGC, reviews, and interactive elements to enhance the shopping journey. Similarly, social media platforms are adopting shoppable features, enabling direct purchasing within the social media posts and in-app checkout process.

What are the benefits of social commerce platforms?

Social commerce helps brands sell where people already spend their time. Here are the main benefits for brands:

• Easier product discovery: Shoppers find products while scrolling, not searching. Products appear in a relatable context, next to friends and creators they follow.
• Trusted recommendations: Reviews and user-generated content carry more weight than ads. They answer shoppers’ questions before they ask.
• Shorter path to purchase: Product tags and in-app checkout remove steps between discovery and buying. Fewer steps mean fewer abandoned sessions.
• Community engagement: Comments, live chats and shared posts build a community around your products. Engaged followers buy again and recommend you.
• Viral reach: Shareable content can spread far beyond your followers. One popular video can bring thousands of new shoppers to your store.

Why is social commerce important for social media users?

For shoppers, social commerce makes buying simpler and more trustworthy:

• Quick buys: Go from discovering a product to buying it in a few taps.
• Trusted opinions: Reviews and real customer content build confidence before buying.
• Personal picks: Algorithms suggest products that match their interests.
• Exclusive deals: Followers often get promotions first.
• Community insights: Shoppers can ask questions and see others’ experiences.

Social commerce trends in 2027

Social commerce keeps pulling more of the buying journey inside the apps. Here are the trends shaping it:

• Live shopping goes mainstream: real-time selling on TikTok LIVE, Whatnot, and Instagram is now a core channel, not a novelty, especially for fashion, beauty, and collectibles.
• Creator-led commerce: affiliate product tags on creator videos across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram drive a growing share of discovery and sales.
• AI and AR try-on: virtual try-on and AI product recommendations cut hesitation and returns, and platforms are building them straight into the shopping flow.
• Social search: shoppers increasingly start product research on TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest instead of a search engine, so shoppable content wins discovery.
• UGC as the conversion layer: user-generated content, reviews, and shoppable galleries remain the trust signal that turns browsers into buyers, on social and on your own website.

Social commerce examples from real brands

Here’s how brands use the platforms above to sell.

1. Instagram: @paulstuartny uses shoppable posts to sell products

Paul Stuart is a renowned clothing brand that has embodied timeless elegance and icon menswear since 1938, making a distinctive mark in the world of fashion. This brand has a big Instagram audience, counting around 71,000 followers and potential customers focusing on clothes, accessories, footwear, and Instagram shops for presenting it.

Their Instagram page @paulstuartny is full of shoppable Instagram posts representing a direct storefront for the followers to engage with the posts, click the button, and shop products straight from the post. Here is an example of a jacket promotion and their Instagram shop when someone clicks on the shoppable post:

View shop >

2. Snapchat: Farfetch uses the try-on lens for their products

Snapchat is a camera company, or in other words, an application used for sharing photos and videos with engaging filters and AR-based features. These filters include digital and AR makeup, face filters, clothes, sunglasses, interesting backgrounds, etc. Farfetch is a clear example of it, aiming to become the “Amazon” of the luxury fashion market with its technology ideas. This company works directly with brands and designers to sell their products on the platform, and many of the items ship directly from the designer or brand.

In 2022, Farfetch created a Snapchat try-on lens where the customers can stand in front of the Snapchat camera, use the AR lenses of Farfetch clothes on them, and click the “Shop Now” button to buy the items.

Here is an example of how it looks like:

3. Pinterest: Shein shoppable pins for clothing promotion

Shein is a global fast-fashion brand that has taken the fashion world by storm with its trendy and affordable offerings. While the brand has a strong presence across various digital platforms, its strategic use of Pinterest stands out.

One of the standout features of Shein’s Pinterest strategy is the use of shoppable Product pins. These pins allow users to see product information, read about availability, and click purchase product at the checkout webpage, streamlining the shopping process. By reducing the steps between product discovery and purchase, Shein enhances the user experience and boosts sales.

Here is an example of a shoppable Pinterest pin for a potential customer:

4. WhatsApp: JioMart allows direct purchases on WhatsApp for mobile users

Rooted in the vibrant tapestry of India, JioMart emerges as a pioneering force in the e-commerce business sphere. With its headquarters in the heart of Navi Mumbai, JioMart embodies a visionary alliance between Reliance Retail and Jio Platforms, used in a new era of digital retailing.

JioMart users can now make end-to-end purchases directly on the JioMart WhatsApp number, check their grocery catalog, and buy the items from the cart without leaving the WhatsApp chat. Here is an example of how it looks like for Indian users:

Conclusion: Sell where your customers already scroll

Social commerce works best when you sell where your customers already spend time. Start with the one or two platforms your audience uses most: TikTok Shop for video-led impulse buys, Instagram and Pinterest for visual products, Whatnot for live selling.

Then bring the same shoppable content to your own website, where you own the customer relationship. Shoppable UGC galleries let visitors buy from real customer posts.