Leader
81Heralded Score, range 48–90
The most visible e-commerce platforms in United Kingdom, October 2026
Most cited source
33citations
From Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews
Where engines disagree most
1/4engines put it in their top three
Top three on ChatGPT, not on Google AI Mode, Gemini and Google AI Overviews
Brands
| Rank | Brand | Rank change | Heralded Score All | AI | Search | Score trend | Mentioned | Recommended | By engine | Mentioned by | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Shopify CA | New entry | 81 , range 48–90 | 84#1 | 77#1 | 81
| 73% | 45% | | First reading | |
| 2 | | New entry | 72 , range 36–80 | 71#2 | 73#4 | 72
| 53% | 31% | | First reading | |
| 3 | | New entry | 65 , range 31–77 | 59#3 | 74#3 | 65
| 47% | 27% | | First reading | |
| 4 | | New entry | 55 , range 23–66 | 45#5 | 72#5 | 55
| 32% | 19% | | First reading | |
| 5 |  Squarespace Commerce US | New entry | 43 , range 23–65 | 45#4 | 39#14 | 43
| 31% | 14% | | First reading | |
| 6 | | New entry | 32 , range 3–50 | 10#7 | 70#7 | 32
| 12% | 5% | | First reading | |
| 7 | | New entry | 20 , range 10–42 | 31#6 | 1= #35 | 20
| 18% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| 8 | | New entry | 14 , range 2–47 | 9#8 | 24#15 | 14
| 10% | 1% | | First reading | |
| 9 | | New entry | 5 , range 1–39 | 3#9 | 9#17 | 5
| 4% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 71#6 | –
| 5% | 4% | | First reading |
“=” marks brands whose score ranges overlap, so the test cannot separate them. Every brand named in at least three answers is ranked. AI and Search give each brand’s score and rank on that side alone. By engine has one dot per engine (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode), darker the more often it names the brand.
Most cited sources
| Rank | Source | Type | Cited in | Engines | Pages cited | Brands its pages mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | | Community | 6.7% | 1 of 4 | 4 | Not read |
| 12 |  amazon.co.uk | Vendor site | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 13 | | Regulator | 5.0% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 14 | | Vendor site | 5.0% | 1 of 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 15 | | Directory | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 16 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 17 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 2 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 18 |  instagram.com | Social | 3.3% | 2 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 19 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 2 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 20 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 2 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
Questions asked
| Question | Language | Most recommended |
|---|---|---|
| What are the best e-commerce platforms for small stores in the UK? | English | |
| How can I create an online store for a small business? | English | Shopify and |
| How can a small business sell products online without a physical store? | English | Shopify and |
| How do I launch an online store for my products? | English | Shopify and |
| How can a local producer take orders online? | English | Shopify |
| Online store templates vs. custom development for small businesses—which is better? | English | Shopify |
| What are the alternatives to managing online orders through messages for a small store? | English | Shopify |
| What are the alternatives to selling products through marketplaces for a small business? | English | No brand recommended |
| I run a clothing store with two employees. What online platform can I manage myself? | English | Shopify |
| I run a small business and need an online store I can set up without a developer. | English | |
Each engine's top three
Google AI Mode
- 1
- = 2
- = 2
WooCommerce
Gemini
Google AI Overviews
- 1
- 2
- 3
Wix eCommerce
ChatGPT
- 1
- 2
- 3
Square Online
Related leaderboards
Method
Each leaderboard ranks brands on two sides. AI is how ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode answer the board's buyer questions. Search is Google's top 10 results for the keywords behind those questions. All combines the two, where Search is measured.
For the AI side, each month Heralded asks every engine the same buyer questions, twice each, and reads every answer. An answer counts 0 for a brand it leaves out, 50 for a brand it names and 100 for a brand it recommends, and the Heralded Score is built from those. A brand named in at least three answers gets a score and a place.