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Selling firearms online is tough—most mainstream ecommerce platforms restrict or ban firearms and related products, leading to account suspensions, payment issues, and costly platform switches.
Add in constantly changing regulations, and many retailers hesitate to invest in digital growth—even as firearms ecommerce grows at 8.8% annually (IBIS World).
This guide cuts through the confusion to identify firearms-friendly ecommerce solutions that won't leave you stranded mid-growth. Whether you're a small local gun shop or a large-scale retailer, finding the right platform from the start can save you countless headaches and position your business for sustainable ecommerce success.
How We Evaluated These Ecommerce Platforms
Our evaluation process for firearms-friendly ecommerce platforms focused on five key areas critical to online firearms retail success. Each platform was assessed based on real-world performance data, user feedback from firearms retailers, and direct testing of platform capabilities.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Compliance Features: We prioritized platforms with firearms-specific compliance tools, including FFL integration, age verification, and geo-restriction capabilities. Platforms with built-in compliance features scored higher than those requiring third-party add-ons.
- Payment Processing Options: Given the challenges firearms retailers face with payment processing, we heavily weighted the availability of integrated, firearms-friendly payment solutions and the stability of these relationships.
- Total Cost: Beyond base subscription fees, we evaluated additional costs including transaction fees, add-on requirements, and typical development needs for a fully functional firearms store.
- Scalability & Performance: We assessed each platform's ability to handle growth in both traffic and inventory, considering factors like page load times with large catalogs and performance during high-traffic periods.
- Ease of Use & Support: We evaluated the learning curve for store setup and management, along with the quality of customer support, particularly regarding firearms-specific issues.
Check out our comparison chart at the bottom of this article to see how these ecommerce platforms stack up against each other.
Top 6 Ecommerce Platforms for Firearms Retailers
Let’s dive in! We surfaced the key advantages and costs of the best firearms-friendly ecommerce platforms. Pair these powerful platforms with effective SEO tactics for firearms companies to boost your online sales.
1. BigCommerce Enterprise
Best for large retailers with basic needs
BigCommerce Enterprise stands out as one of the most firearms-friendly options for large retailers, offering a rare combination of explicit policy support for legal gun sales and enterprise-grade features. Unlike many competitors, BigCommerce's terms of service specifically allow properly licensed dealers to sell firearms and related products within legal parameters.
Key Advantages:
- Dedicated API endpoints for FFL integration and verification
- Multi-warehouse inventory management
- Integrations with multiple firearms-friendly payment processors
- Conversion-optimized checkout that suits firearms compliance
- Headless commerce capabilities for custom front-end development
- 99.99% uptime guarantee with enterprise-grade hosting
Pricing:
BigCommerce Enterprise offers customizable pricing based on sales volume, typically starting around $1,000-$1,500 monthly for mid-sized firearms retailers. While this represents a significant investment, the platform's reputation for being firearm-friendly means that you’re unlikely to face a costly platform migration in the future.
Firearms retailers on Bigcommerce:
Final word:
For enterprise firearms retailers seeking stability, BigCommerce offers particular value through its clear policy support, eliminating the uncertainty that plagues retailers on platforms with ambiguous firearms policies. Several major firearms retailers have operated successfully on BigCommerce for 5+ years without policy-related disruptions.
If you’re not yet at the level of their Enterprise, you can find many of these same features available in their $299/mo. Pro plan.
2. Adobe Commerce (Magento)
Best for large retailers with complex needs
Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) offers unparalleled customization potential for large-scale firearms retailers, particularly those requiring complex integrations or unique workflows. As a self-hosted or cloud-hosted solution, it provides retailers with complete control over their technology stack and data security.
Key Advantages:
- Complete customization of the checkout process to incorporate FFL verification
- Robust inventory management with serial number tracking capabilities
- Advanced B2B functionality for wholesale/dealer sales
- Enterprise-level security features and regular security patches
- Powerful rules engine for managing state-specific restrictions
- Flexible architecture supporting custom integrations with bound book software
Pricing:
The primary drawbacks include significantly higher implementation costs ($50,000-$250,000 for initial build) and ongoing development requirements. Retailers typically need dedicated development staff or agency partnerships to maintain and evolve their Adobe Commerce stores. Additionally, payment processing integrations for guns & firearm accessories often require custom development rather than off-the-shelf solutions.
Pricing varies based on implementation approach, with Adobe Commerce Cloud starting around $40,000 annually for mid-sized implementations, while self-hosted options require separate hosting arrangements but offer greater control.
Firearms retailers on Adobe Commerce (Magento):
Final word:
Adobe Commerce excels in handling complex product catalogs with thousands of SKUs—a common requirement for large firearms retailers carrying multiple brands, calibers, and accessories. While it comes with tons of customizability, it also carries a high cost for implementation and ongoing management.
3. Shopify Plus
Best for large firearms accessories retailers
Despite widespread misconceptions about Shopify's stance on firearms, Shopify Plus offers viable options for some firearms retailers, with important caveats. Shopify bans the sale of certain firearms products, like automatic weapons, and its payment processing service - Shopify Payments - does not allow the sale of any firearms products. So, if you go with Shopify, you’ll need to set up an alternative payment gateway.
Key Advantages:
- Superior marketing automation and abandoned cart recovery
- Easy website editability and management
- Industry-leading mobile experience and conversion rates
- Excellent inventory management for accessories and non-regulated items
- 24/7 priority support and dedicated success manager
Firearms retailers on Shopify:
Pricing:
Shopify Plus ranges from $2,300 - $2,500/mo. While you’ll likely face website development costs on the front end, it is possible to build your own using their range of pre-built themes. However, these costs are significantly lower than what you might expect to pay with an Adobe Commerce (Magento) website.
Final word:
The critical limitation of Shopify is payment processing. Shopify Payments explicitly prohibits firearms transactions, requiring integration with third-party processors like Authorize.net with firearms-friendly banking relationships. This implementation requires careful setup to maintain compliance while avoiding account suspensions.
When properly implemented with appropriate compliance notices and checkout modifications, Shopify Plus can serve as a powerful ecommerce platform for firearms retailers, though it requires more workarounds than truly firearms-friendly platforms.
4. WooCommerce (WordPress)
Best for mid-size retailers requiring high customization
WooCommerce offers perhaps the most flexible solution for technically capable firearms retailers through its open-source architecture and virtually unlimited customization potential. As a plugin for WordPress, it provides complete control over code and data, allowing retailers to implement precise compliance mechanisms without platform restrictions.
The core advantage of WooCommerce is freedom from policy restrictions that affect hosted platforms. Since retailers control their own hosting environment, there's no risk of account suspension due to changing platform policies. This makes it ideal for retailers seeking long-term stability, provided they have access to technical resources.
Key Advantages:
- Open-source technology offers near-limitless customization
- Free from policy restrictions that affect hosted ecommerce platforms
- WooCommerce itself is free, although you can expect to have plugin-related costs
- WordPress developers are abundant and generally lower cost than other platforms
Firearms retailers on WooCommerce:
Pricing:
While WooCommerce itself is free, a properly configured firearms store typically requires $500-1,500 annually in plugins and several thousand in initial configuration, depending on technical capabilities. Retailers with development experience can significantly reduce these costs by handling the configuration themselves.
Final word:
The platform's primary limitations involve technical complexity and responsibility for security and compliance. Unlike hosted solutions, retailers must manage their own updates, security, and PCI compliance. However, for those with technical resources or partnerships with knowledgeable developers, WooCommerce offers unmatched control and the lowest long-term operating costs.
5. Gearfire
Best for small, multi-location retailers with limited technical resources
Gearfire has built a strong reputation as a firearms-focused ecommerce solution. Their platform specifically addresses the unique challenges facing FFL dealers, with particular strength in distributor integrations and inventory management.
Unlike general-purpose platforms that require extensive modification, Gearfire's solution comes pre-configured for firearms sales compliance, significantly reducing setup time and compliance risks. Their team's firearms industry expertise provides added value through ongoing guidance on regulatory compliance and industry best practices.
Key Advantages:
- Purpose-built for FFL dealers with compliance features ready out-of-the-box
- Integration with major firearms distributors
- Multi-location support
- Specialized firearms product data management
- Integrated payment processing (Gearfire Payments)
Firearms retailers on Gearfire:
Pricing:
Gearfire is $149/mo. for their Essentials plan and $249/mo. for their Pro plan. Gearfire's specialized nature eliminates many costs associated with adapting general-purpose platforms to firearms sales.
Final word:
For small to mid-sized, multi-location FFL dealers seeking a straightforward path to online sales with minimal technical overhead, Gearfire offers a proven solution with comprehensive support from a team that understands the firearms industry's unique challenges.
6. AmmoReady
Best for small retailers with limited technical resources
AmmoReady is built exclusively for the firearms and ammunition industry. This specialized focus delivers industry-specific features without requiring custom development or workarounds, making it particularly valuable for small retailers lacking technical resources.
The platform offers end-to-end solutions for online firearms and ammunition sales, with every feature designed specifically for the unique requirements of FFL dealers. Its deep integration with major firearms distributors sets it apart from general-purpose platforms.
Key Advantages:
- Real-time inventory synchronization with major distributors
- FFL dropshipping management
- Compliance with shipping restrictions for ammunition and firearms
- Integrates with Cervelle, Rapid Gun Systems, and Tri-Tech AIM POS systems
Firearms retailers on AmmoReady:
Pricing:
AmmoReady's pricing structure is based on sales volume, business size and required features, with packages ranging from $179 to $999 monthly. There’s also a one-time setup fee. While this represents a premium over generic ecommerce platforms, the industry-specific functionality eliminates many costs associated with custom development and third-party integrations on other platforms.
Final word:
For small gun shops focused primarily on firearms and ammunition with limited technical resources, AmmoReady's purpose-built approach often delivers a low total cost of ownership despite its monthly fees.
Comparison Chart: Firearms-Friendly Ecommerce Platforms
The following comparison offers a side-by-side evaluation of the platforms above, with ratings based on our assessment criteria.
| Platform | Compliance | Payments | Cost Value | Scalability | Ease of Use |
| BigCommerce Enterprise | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Adobe Commerce | 4/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 |
| Shopify Plus | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| WooCommerce | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Gearfire | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
| AmmoReady | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 |
Choosing the Right Firearms Ecommerce Platform for Your Business
The most successful firearms retailers often begin with a platform slightly beyond their current needs, allowing room to grow without the disruption of a platform migration. Take your time to find the best platform for your business, taking the following factors into account:
- Evaluate platforms based on your business type and size
- Larger retailers should consider BigCommerce & Adobe Commerce (Magento)
- Mid-size retailers should consider Shopify & WooCommerce
- Small retailers should consider Gearfire & AmmoReady
- Know how the platforms stack up in offering essential features, such as:
- Compliance & legal
- Payment processing options
- Inventory management & integrations
- Customer support
- User experience
- Consider the long-term implications
- Initial cost vs. the cost to maintain your website
- Native integrations vs. 3rd-party plugins vs. custom development
- Scalability of the platform
- Stability of the platform
Partner with Ecommerce Experts in the Firearms Industry
Don’t rush this critical decision. Get in touch with Uproer first. We’ve helped many of our firearms clients evaluate and choose the best ecommerce platform for their business.
Then, we’ve helped those same client accelerate their ecommerce growth with our SEO services tailored for the firearms & ammo industry.
