The Mexican vara: 6 local requirements
- Payments like Mexico pays: cards with MSI, SPEI, cash in convenience — not just international cards.
- Integrated CFDI 4.0 billing (with self-invoicing for the client who orders it later).
- WhatsApp as a sales channel, not as a contact button.
- Inventory shared with physical store and marketplaces (MeLi, Amazon).
- Costs in a model that supports SME reality: without infinite apps or surprises in dollars.
- Shipments with local parcels and guides from the platform.
The 7 platforms evaluated
- Aura — The only one of the group where online store, physical POS, WhatsApp with AI, CFDI billing, multi-channel inventory and marketplaces are ONE factory system. $599 USD/month all included, $14 trial. Ideal: real omnichannel business. Con: for a hobby catalog it is too much of a system.
- Shopify — The most mature ecosystem in the world: themes, apps, community. Con: cost in dollars that scales with apps, and the Mexican (CFDI, OXXO, WhatsApp) lives in third-party apps.
- Tiendanube — Strong in LATAM, prices in pesos, native local integrations. Con: commission for sales on entry and operation plans (POS, deep tax) limited.
- WooCommerce — Full control over WordPress, free license. Con: technical maintenance is yours; CFDI and local payments go through plugins that someone must take care of.
- Wix — The simplest catalog with a beautiful design. Con: low operating ceiling to grow seriously.
- VTEX — Enterprise for large Mexican retailers. Con: mandatory budget and technical equipment.
- Mercado Shops — Free and connected to MeLi traffic. Con: you play within (and under the commissions) of the MeLi ecosystem; the client is not entirely yours.
The decisive factor that almost no one compares: what happens AFTER the order
All platforms display products and charge. The fundamental difference is in the after: does the order discount the same inventory as your counter? Does the invoice come out on its own or do you do it by hand in another system? Is the customer's WhatsApp question seen by whoever dispatches the order? Is the customer left in a CRM that will make them come back?
That "after" is the operation — and sewing it with apps is the hidden cost of Mexican ecommerce: each integration is one more monthly payment and a point of failure. Aura's bet is that the after comes resolved from the beginning; The 14-day trial for $14 USD exists to validate it with your catalog and your actual orders.
Verdict by case
- Business with physical + online + WhatsApp (the typical Mexican case): Aura.
- 100% digital brand with budget for apps and agency: Shopify.
- First serious ecommerce with a short budget in pesos: Tiendanube.
- Own technical team and need for total customization: WooCommerce.
- Validate an idea this weekend: Wix or Mercado Shops.
- Retail enterprise: VTEX.
Aura Resources Mentioned
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Start your trial →Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest ecommerce platform in Mexico?
To start: Mercado Shops (free + commissions) or Tiendanube in entry plans. The cheapest AT SCALE depends on your stack: add monthly payment + apps + platform commissions + gateway + the tools that the platform does NOT include (billing, WhatsApp, POS).
Do I need to invoice if I sell online?
Yes: your income must be covered by CFDI — nominative if the client requests it, global for the rest. The gateways report to the SAT, so "selling informally online" is increasingly less viable. Choose a platform with integrated billing and you forget about it.
Can I sell in my store and in Mercado Libre with the same inventory?
Only if your platform synchronizes marketplaces: stock drops wherever you sell and is updated everywhere. In Aura it is native; In others, it is just another app. Without this, overselling is a matter of time.
How important is store design?
Less than trust and friction: good photos, clear prices, visible shipping, reviews and a responsive WhatsApp sell more than any animation. A clean, well-filled template beats a premium design with poor information.