ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a wholesaler needing a hosted, customizable quote-to-order flow with approvals, I’d shortlist:

• BigCommerce B2B Edition — strong fit for mid-market wholesale: native quoting, buyer roles, approval flows, customer-specific pricing, and quote-to-checkout. BigCommerce BigCommerce
• OroCommerce — better suited when workflows are unusually complex: configurable approval chains, RFQ/negotiation, CRM, and workflow automation. Oro Documentation ORO INC.
• Adobe Commerce — powerful for complex catalogs and multi-level purchasing approvals, but typically requires more implementation effort. Elogic Commerce
• Shopify Plus — attractive if you also need a strong DTC storefront, but sophisticated quote/approval workflows generally require apps or customization. Shopify Shopify

For your specific requirement, BigCommerce B2B is probably the first platform I'd evaluate, while OroCommerce becomes particularly relevant if approval logic and negotiated quoting are central to the business.

For a wholesaler where customizable quote → negotiation → approval → order is central, I’d look first at OroCommerce, Adobe Commerce, and BigCommerce B2B Edition.

My shortlist

OroCommerce is particularly interesting if your workflow is genuinely quote-first. Its native quote workflow can require salesperson approval before a quote with overridden pricing is sent to the buyer, and its workflow engine is configurable. Oro Documentation Human After All

Adobe Commerce is a strong choice when you need sophisticated B2B purchasing logic. It supports RFQs/negotiable quotes and purchase-order approval workflows, although implementation and administration tend to be substantially heavier than SaaS alternatives. Elogic Commerce

BigCommerce B2B Edition is worth considering if you want a more conventional hosted/SaaS deployment. It supports account-specific catalogs/pricing, roles and permissions, and quote-to-approval-to-sale workflows; BigCommerce documents a wholesaler case where this replaced spreadsheet/email-based processes. BigCommerce

Shopify Plus can work well when the workflow is simpler. Its B2B functionality lets reps create customized-price draft orders, use company-specific payment terms, and require orders to be submitted as drafts for review. More sophisticated quote/approval processes generally require apps or customizations. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

Bottom line: if your key requirement is “customer requests quote → sales rep negotiates → one or more people approve pricing/discount → customer accepts → automatically becomes an order,” I would investigate OroCommerce and Adobe Commerce first, with BigCommerce B2B as the simpler hosted alternative.

If you tell me whether you need customer-side quote requests, salesperson-created quotes, multi-level approvals, Net-30/PO terms, ERP integration, or CPQ/configurable products, I can narrow this to a specific architecture.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote → approval → order workflows, I’d shortlist these hosted options:

My practical shortlist

BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the first one I'd investigate if you specifically want a hosted/SaaS solution without taking on a large implementation. BigCommerce supports B2B customer accounts, buyer hierarchies, quotes, customer-specific pricing, and approval processes. Its B2B documentation specifically supports creating negotiated quotes that can contain customer-specific discounts and then progressing them through the normal order lifecycle. BigCommerce BigCommerce

bigcommerce.com

OroCommerce is worth a serious look if the quote itself is central to your business. Its workflow engine supports configurable quote flows and approval steps—for example, requiring a manager's approval before a salesperson can send a quote with overridden pricing. It also has workflows for order approvals and credit approval. Oro Documentation ORO INC.

oroinc.com

Shopify Plus makes more sense if you're also operating a substantial DTC business and want the wholesale operation alongside it. Its native B2B capabilities are strong around companies, catalogs, pricing and terms, but sophisticated RFQ and multi-level approval processes generally require apps/custom development rather than being core functionality. Human After All Elogic Commerce

The key distinction

If your flow looks something like:

Buyer requests quote → salesperson modifies pricing → manager approves margin exception → buyer accepts → PO/order created → credit approval → fulfillment

I'd put OroCommerce and BigCommerce B2B Edition at the top of the evaluation. Oro has the deeper workflow model; BigCommerce gives you a more conventional SaaS implementation with a strong wholesale focus. Oro Documentation BigCommerce

If you tell me your approximate order volume, ERP (NetSuite/SAP/Dynamics/etc.), number of approval levels, and whether you also sell DTC, I can narrow this to 2–3 architectures and explain where each would require customization.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote → approval → order workflows, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: BigCommerce B2B Edition

For a typical wholesaler, BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the best starting point. It has first-class quote objects rather than forcing you to model quotes as orders. Buyers can request quotes, sales reps can customize line pricing, products, shipping and expiration dates, and an approved quote can be taken directly through checkout. BigCommerce BigCommerce BigCommerce

It also supports company accounts and buyer permissions, which is useful when, for example:

Junior buyer → requests quote → sales rep adjusts pricing → manager approves → senior buyer converts quote → PO/order is created.

BigCommerce's current B2B positioning specifically targets wholesalers, manufacturers and distributors with account pricing, buyer portals, quote workflows and approval controls. BigCommerce

When I'd choose OroCommerce instead

If workflow customization is the primary requirement, I'd look very seriously at oroinc.com.

Oro has explicit quote workflows with approval states and transitions. Its documentation even distinguishes a simple quote process from a "Quote Management with Approvals" flow where a salesperson needs authorization before sending a quote with changed pricing. Oro Documentation Oro Documentation

That makes Oro particularly attractive if you have rules such as:

• Discount >10% requires sales-manager approval
• Margin below a threshold requires finance approval
• Certain customers require two-person approval
• Quotes over $50K follow a different workflow
• Different product categories have different approval chains

When Pepperi wins

pepperi.com is especially compelling if your wholesale business has field sales reps taking orders, rather than being primarily an ecommerce storefront. It combines B2B ecommerce, mobile order taking and sales-force workflows. B2B Commerce Platform | Pepperi B2B Commerce Platform | Pepperi

It also explicitly supports configurable approval workflows and multiple catalogs, price lists, buyer types and storefronts. B2B Commerce Platform | Pepperi

Bottom line:

• BigCommerce → best default for a modern wholesale ecommerce portal with quote-to-order.
• OroCommerce → best if complicated approval/workflow logic is the differentiator.
• Pepperi → best if sales reps + distributor ordering are central.
• Shopware → worth considering when you want a highly customizable commerce stack.

If you tell me how your quote/approval process works today (e.g. customer requests quote → rep edits → manager approval → customer accepts → PO), I can map it against these platforms and tell you which one requires the least customization.

BigCommerce's current B2B positioning specifically targets wholesalers, manufacturers and distributors with account pricing, buyer portals, quote workflows and approval controls. bigcommerce.com

When I'd choose OroCommerce instead

If the key requirement is a hosted B2B/wholesale platform where quote → negotiation → approval → order can be customized, I’d shortlist these:

My first choice: OroCommerce

For a wholesaler/distributor with genuinely complicated quote and approval rules, I'd look hardest at OroCommerce.

Its hosted/enterprise offering is designed around B2B rather than retrofitting wholesale features onto a consumer-commerce platform. It has native RFQ workflows, quote negotiation, configurable workflows, and approval processes. For example, its back-office quote workflow can require a salesperson to obtain manager approval before sending a quote with overridden pricing. Oro Documentation Oro Documentation

It also has workflow automation around order approvals—for example, routing orders for credit approval before fulfillment—which is particularly relevant to distributors with credit limits, negotiated pricing, and multiple internal departments. ORO INC.

oroinc.com

If you're already a Salesforce shop: Salesforce

Salesforce is probably the stronger choice if quoting is deeply tied to your sales organization.

Salesforce B2B Commerce supports buyer-initiated RFQs: customers submit quantities and target pricing, sales reps negotiate them, and an approved quote can be accepted and converted into a purchase. Salesforce Salesforce CPQ also supports sophisticated multi-tier, serial, and parallel approval paths. Trailhead

salesforce.com

The downside is that OroCommerce tends to feel more natural when the primary problem is B2B commerce, whereas Salesforce shines when the quote process is fundamentally a CRM/CPQ process.

When I'd choose Shopify Plus

Shopify is attractive if you want a fast, polished hosted storefront and your wholesale workflow isn't exceptionally complicated.

Shopify B2B can use draft orders as quotes, with customer-specific pricing, payment terms, and company locations; an approved quote can then become an order. Shopify

But I'd be cautious if your requirements include things like:

• "Quotes over $25k require VP approval."
• Different approval chains based on customer, margin, product category, or discount.
• Multiple rounds of quote negotiation with revision history.
• Internal sales approval and customer-side purchasing approval.
• Complex credit/terms approval.
• Strict audit trails.

Those are areas where Shopify generally requires additional apps or custom development rather than giving you the workflow engine natively. Elogic Commerce Madgeek

shopify.com

Bottom line

For a wholesaler specifically, my ranking would be:

1. OroCommerce — best overall if quote/approval workflow flexibility is the priority.
2. Salesforce B2B Commerce + CPQ — best if sales reps, CRM, and sophisticated CPQ are central.
3. Adobe Commerce — excellent for very deep customization, but typically more implementation-heavy.
4. BigCommerce B2B Edition — good middle ground.
5. Shopify Plus — best when speed, UX, and DTC + wholesale coexistence matter more than complex workflow logic.

If you tell me your exact approval flow (e.g. customer requests quote → sales rep adjusts price → manager approves discount >15% → customer accepts → PO → credit check → order), I can narrow this down to the 2–3 platforms that can implement it with the least custom code.

It also has workflow automation around order approvals—for example, routing orders for credit approval before fulfillment—which is particularly relevant to distributors with credit limits, negotiated pricing, and multiple internal departments. ORO INC.

oroinc.com

If you're already a Salesforce shop: Salesforce

Salesforce is probably the stronger choice if quoting is deeply tied to your sales organization.

Salesforce B2B Commerce supports buyer-initiated RFQs: customers submit quantities and target pricing, sales reps negotiate them, and an approved quote can be accepted and converted into a purchase. Salesforce Salesforce CPQ also supports sophisticated multi-tier, serial, and parallel approval paths. Trailhead

salesforce.com

The downside is that OroCommerce tends to feel more natural when the primary problem is B2B commerce, whereas Salesforce shines when the quote process is fundamentally a CRM/CPQ process.

When I'd choose Shopify Plus

Shopify is attractive if you want a fast, polished hosted storefront and your wholesale workflow isn't exceptionally complicated.

If you mean hosted/SaaS B2B commerce platforms for wholesalers, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: BigCommerce B2B Edition

For a typical wholesaler, BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the best balance of hosted operation, native wholesale functionality, and extensibility. It has company accounts/hierarchies, customer-specific pricing, sales-rep quoting, buyer portals, and quote APIs that can support customized pricing, discounts, products, shipping methods, expiration dates, and conversion into checkout. BigCommerce BigCommerce BigCommerce

It is particularly attractive if your flow looks something like:

Buyer requests quote → sales rep adjusts pricing → internal approval → buyer accepts → quote becomes order → ERP fulfillment

You can customize the storefront and integrate external workflow/ERP/CPQ logic through its APIs without taking on the infrastructure burden of self-hosting. BigCommerce ORO INC.

bigcommerce.com

When I'd choose OroCommerce instead

If approval logic and negotiated quoting are the heart of the business, I'd seriously consider OroCommerce. Its workflow engine is much deeper: quote negotiations, configurable approval flows, customer onboarding, credit approvals, budgets, and order processes can be modeled as workflows. Its quote workflow explicitly supports manager approval before a salesperson can send a quote with changed pricing. Oro Documentation ORO INC.

The tradeoff is implementation complexity. Oro is much more B2B-specific and flexible, but it's a heavier platform than BigCommerce.

oroinc.com

What I would avoid for this particular requirement

I'd put Shopify Plus behind BigCommerce/Oro if custom quote + multi-step approval is a core requirement. Shopify's native B2B quote mechanism is essentially draft orders, and more sophisticated quote negotiation/approval generally requires apps or custom development. Shopify Shopify

Bottom line:

• Best overall hosted wholesaler solution: BigCommerce B2B Edition
• Best for highly customized approval/quote workflows: OroCommerce
• Best if Salesforce is already your backbone: Salesforce B2B Commerce + CPQ
• Best if ecommerce simplicity/DTC matters more than complex B2B workflow: Shopify Plus

If you tell me your approval rules (e.g. “quotes over $10k need manager approval, over $50k need VP approval, customer-specific pricing, sales-rep override, then convert to PO”), I can map that exact flow against BigCommerce vs. OroCommerce vs. Salesforce.

For a typical wholesaler, BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the best balance of hosted operation, native wholesale functionality, and extensibility. It has company accounts/hierarchies, customer-specific pricing, sales-rep quoting, buyer portals, and quote APIs that can support customized pricing, discounts, products, shipping methods, expiration dates, and conversion into checkout. BigCommerce BigCommerce BigCommerce

It is particularly attractive if your flow looks something like:

Buyer requests quote → sales rep adjusts pricing → internal approval → buyer accepts → quote becomes order → ERP fulfillment

You can customize the storefront and integrate external workflow/ERP/CPQ logic through its APIs without taking on the infrastructure burden of self-hosting. BigCommerce ORO INC.

bigcommerce.com

When I'd choose OroCommerce instead

If approval logic and negotiated quoting are the heart of the business, I'd seriously consider OroCommerce. Its workflow engine is much deeper: quote negotiations, configurable approval flows, customer onboarding, credit approvals, budgets, and order processes can be modeled as workflows. Its quote workflow explicitly supports manager approval before a salesperson can send a quote with changed pricing. doc.oroinc.com ORO INC.

The tradeoff is implementation complexity. Oro is much more B2B-specific and flexible, but it's a heavier platform than BigCommerce.

If you mean a hosted B2B ecommerce platform for wholesalers—where buyers can request quotes, sales reps can negotiate them, and orders can require approval—BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the strongest fit.

My shortlist

Why I'd pick BigCommerce: its B2B Edition has actual sales-quote objects, rather than treating a quote simply as an unfinished order. Buyers can request quotes, reps can change line-item pricing/discounts, add custom products, specify shipping, set expiration dates, and take the quote through checkout. BigCommerce BigCommerce

It also supports company hierarchies, buyer roles/permissions, and approval workflows, which maps well to a wholesaler where, for example, a purchasing agent creates a $25k order but a manager has to approve it. BigCommerce BigCommerce

The other major advantage is that the hosted Buyer Portal is customizable and can be used with standard, Stencil, Catalyst, or headless storefronts. BigCommerce

Where Shopify fits

shopify.com is compelling if you already use Shopify. It has company accounts, buyer permissions, payment terms and draft orders, and you can require orders to be submitted for review before they're accepted. Shopify Shopify Help Center

The catch is that quotes aren't as first-class as they are in BigCommerce. Shopify's native approach generally models the quote as a draft order; more sophisticated customer-driven quoting and approval flows often require apps or custom development. Shopify

Bottom line

For a wholesaler saying:

“Customers build a cart → request a negotiated quote → sales rep adjusts price/terms → customer/manager approves → quote becomes an order → ERP gets the order.”

I'd start with BigCommerce B2B Edition. It is unusually well aligned with that exact workflow without requiring you to assemble the core quoting functionality from third-party apps. BigCommerce BigCommerce

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Epicor) and whether approvals are customer-side, your-side, or both, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 hosted options and compare the actual workflow/API capabilities.

If you mean a hosted B2B commerce platform rather than building the workflow yourself, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: BigCommerce B2B

BigCommerce is probably the best starting point if your requirements are specifically customizable quotes, negotiated pricing, buyer/company accounts, and approval-before-order workflows. BigCommerce explicitly positions its B2B offering around wholesalers, manufacturers and distributors, including account-specific pricing, quote workflows, buyer portals and approval controls. BigCommerce

The workflow can look roughly like:

Buyer requests quote → sales rep modifies pricing/terms → quote accepted → buyer submits PO/order → internal/customer approval → order released to fulfillment.

When I'd choose Shopify instead

Shopify is attractive if you want a more mainstream hosted platform and are comfortable assembling some of the workflow from native B2B functionality plus apps. Shopify supports B2B company locations, negotiated line-item pricing, payment terms, purchase orders, and submitting orders as drafts for review. Shopify Help Center

Its app ecosystem also has dedicated quote/approval products—for example, Extend B2B Quotes supports creating, negotiating, approving, and converting quotes into live orders. Shopify App Store

When OroCommerce wins

I'd lean toward OroCommerce if "customizable" means complex procurement logic, such as different approval chains by customer, order value, department, product category, or payment terms. It's more purpose-built for sophisticated B2B commerce than Shopify.

Bottom line:

• Best overall for a wholesaler: BigCommerce B2B
• Best ecosystem/flexibility: Shopify Plus + B2B apps
• Best for complicated approval/procurement logic: OroCommerce
• Best ERP-centric operation: Sana Commerce

If you tell me roughly (1) number of wholesale customers, (2) whether quotes are created by sales reps or buyers, (3) whether customers need multi-level approvals, and (4) your ERP, I can narrow this to the best 1–2 options.

BigCommerce is probably the best starting point if your requirements are specifically customizable quotes, negotiated pricing, buyer/company accounts, and approval-before-order workflows. BigCommerce explicitly positions its B2B offering around wholesalers, manufacturers and distributors, including account-specific pricing, quote workflows, buyer portals and approval controls. BigCommerce

The workflow can look roughly like:

Buyer requests quote → sales rep modifies pricing/terms → quote accepted → buyer submits PO/order → internal/customer approval → order released to fulfillment.

When I'd choose Shopify instead

Shopify is attractive if you want a more mainstream hosted platform and are comfortable assembling some of the workflow from native B2B functionality plus apps. Shopify supports B2B company locations, negotiated line-item pricing, payment terms, purchase orders, and submitting orders as drafts for review.

Its app ecosystem also has dedicated quote/approval products—for example, Extend B2B Quotes supports creating, negotiating, approving, and converting quotes into live orders.

When OroCommerce wins

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote → approval → order workflows, I’d shortlist these:

1. BigCommerce B2B Edition — best overall fit

• Native B2B quoting/CPQ, customer-specific pricing, company hierarchies, buyer permissions, approval workflows, and a buyer portal.
• Its quote system supports custom line-item pricing, discounts, bespoke products and shipping, expiration dates, and conversion into checkout. BigCommerce BigCommerce
• The hosted Buyer Portal is customizable without requiring a fully custom frontend. BigCommerce
• Best if: you want a hosted platform but still need fairly sophisticated wholesale workflows and API-level customization.
• OroCommerce — best for very complex approval logic

• Oro has explicit configurable quote workflows, including approval before a salesperson can send a price-adjusted quote to the customer. Oro Documentation
• Best if: your process has multiple approval stages, negotiated pricing, different roles, territories, credit limits, or unusual procurement rules.
• Tradeoff: substantially more implementation/configuration effort than BigCommerce.
• Shopify Plus B2B — best if you already live in Shopify

• Shopify supports company accounts, customer-specific pricing, sales-rep permissions, draft-order quoting, and requiring B2B orders to be submitted for review before acceptance. Shopify Shopify Help Center
• However, complex multi-user approval chains generally require apps or custom development rather than being as native as BigCommerce/Oro. Rigby
• Best if: you also have a significant DTC business and want one ecosystem.

My pick

BigCommerce B2B Edition would be my starting point for your requirements. It hits the sweet spot between hosted/SaaS, wholesale-native functionality, and customizable quote-to-order workflows. BigCommerce specifically positions B2B Edition around wholesalers, manufacturers and distributors, with quote workflows, approval controls, account hierarchies and customer-specific pricing. BigCommerce BigCommerce

If your approval process looks like:

Buyer creates quote → salesperson negotiates → discount >10% requires manager → credit-risk order requires finance → buyer approves → PO/order created

then OroCommerce becomes particularly interesting because workflow customization is a first-class capability rather than something bolted onto checkout.

If you tell me what your approval rules look like (e.g. discount thresholds, buyer roles, credit limits, sales-rep approval, quote expiry, ERP integration), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 platforms and compare them feature-by-feature.

If you mean a hosted B2B commerce platform for wholesalers—where buyers can request quotes, sales reps can modify them, internal teams can approve them, and an approved quote can become an order—I’d shortlist these:

1. BigCommerce — my default recommendation

BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the closest match to what you're describing. It has native sales quoting, customized line-item pricing, custom products, special shipping terms, expiration dates, company hierarchies, buyer roles, and approval workflows. BigCommerce BigCommerce

It also has a customizable Buyer Portal where buyers can request quotes, manage orders and invoices, and work within company-level permissions. BigCommerce

bigcommerce.com

Why I'd pick it: you can get fairly sophisticated wholesale procurement without having to build the entire quote/approval engine yourself.

2. OroCommerce — strongest for complex approval logic

OroCommerce is particularly interesting if your process looks like:

Buyer requests quote → sales rep modifies pricing → discount exceeds threshold → manager approval → quote sent to customer → customer accepts → order created.

Its back-office quote workflow explicitly supports approval before a salesperson can send a quote with updated pricing. Oro Documentation

I'd favor OroCommerce over BigCommerce if approval logic and configurable workflows are the heart of the project rather than simply one feature of the storefront.

3. Shopify Plus — easiest ecosystem, but potentially more app/customization work

Shopify B2B now supports submitting orders as drafts for review, custom negotiated pricing, company accounts, payment terms, and workflow automation. Shopify Help Center Shopify

The caveat is that complex quote management and procurement workflows may require apps or custom development. Shopify's ecosystem has several quote/approval apps; for example, QuoteStead specifically provides quote negotiation, approval thresholds, and conversion from quote to order. Shopify App Store

shopify.com

4. Adobe Commerce — powerful, but heavier

Adobe Commerce has B2B components for negotiable quotes and purchase-order approval workflows, including customizable storefront components. Experience League

I'd consider it when you have complex ERP/CRM integration, sophisticated product configuration, multiple business units, or substantial development resources. For a straightforward hosted wholesale operation, it can be more platform than you need.

My ranking

For a wholesaler specifically needing customizable quote-to-order + approvals, I'd rank them:

1. BigCommerce B2B Edition — best balance of native functionality, hosted operation, and customization.
2. OroCommerce — best if workflow/approval complexity is unusually high.
3. Shopify Plus B2B — best if Shopify ecosystem/integration is a major priority.
4. Adobe Commerce — best for large enterprise teams willing to invest heavily in customization.

If you tell me what the approval flow looks like (e.g. buyer → salesperson → manager → credit approval → PO → ERP), I can narrow this to the best 1–2 platforms and map how that workflow would be implemented on each.

BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the closest match to what you're describing. It has native sales quoting, customized line-item pricing, custom products, special shipping terms, expiration dates, company hierarchies, buyer roles, and approval workflows. BigCommerce BigCommerce

It also has a customizable Buyer Portal where buyers can request quotes, manage orders and invoices, and work within company-level permissions. BigCommerce

bigcommerce.com

Why I'd pick it: you can get fairly sophisticated wholesale procurement without having to build the entire quote/approval engine yourself.

2. OroCommerce — strongest for complex approval logic

OroCommerce is particularly interesting if your process looks like:

Buyer requests quote → sales rep modifies pricing → discount exceeds threshold → manager approval → quote sent to customer → customer accepts → order created.

Its back-office quote workflow explicitly supports approval before a salesperson can send a quote with updated pricing. Oro Documentation

I'd favor OroCommerce over BigCommerce if approval logic and configurable workflows are the heart of the project rather than simply one feature of the storefront.

3. Shopify Plus — easiest ecosystem, but potentially more app/customization work

Shopify B2B now supports submitting orders as drafts for review, custom negotiated pricing, company accounts, payment terms, and workflow automation. Shopify Help Center Shopify

The caveat is that complex quote management and procurement workflows may require apps or custom development. Shopify's ecosystem has several quote/approval apps; for example, QuoteStead specifically provides quote negotiation, approval thresholds, and conversion from quote to order. apps.shopify.com

shopify.com

4. Adobe Commerce — powerful, but heavier

Adobe Commerce has B2B components for negotiable quotes and purchase-order approval workflows, including customizable storefront components. experienceleague.adobe.com

I'd consider it when you have complex ERP/CRM integration, sophisticated product configuration, multiple business units, or substantial development resources. For a straightforward hosted wholesale operation, it can be more platform than you need.

My ranking

For a wholesaler specifically needing customizable quote-to-order + approvals, I'd rank them:

For wholesalers, the best hosted solution depends on how complex your quote process is (simple RFQ vs. negotiated pricing, multi-level approvals, ERP integration, buyer-side approvals). The strongest options are usually:

My shortlist by scenario

• Complex wholesale sales process (discount approvals, negotiated deals, audit trails):

Look at Axim Commerce, BigCommerce B2B, or a Shopify Plus stack with a specialized quote workflow layer. AXIM Commerce BigCommerce

• You already use Shopify and want the quickest path:

Shopify Plus + a quote/approval app is often the practical route. Tools like QuotWay add request-for-quote, negotiation history, approvals, and conversion into Shopify orders. QuotWay QuotWay

• Distributor with ERP, customer-specific pricing, and account terms:

Prioritize platforms with strong ERP integration and account models rather than a retail-first storefront. Pocketknife HDL Commerce

When evaluating, I would specifically check for:

• Multi-step internal approvals (sales manager → finance → executive)
• Buyer-side approvals (your customer’s procurement chain)
• Versioned quotes and change history
• Contract pricing and customer-specific catalogs
• Quote expiration and renewal
• Converting approved quotes into orders without re-keying
• ERP sync (NetSuite, Business Central, SAP, etc.)

If you share your ERP, approximate order volume, and whether quotes are mostly sales-rep created or buyer self-service, I can narrow this to 2–3 best fits.

For a wholesaler with customizable quote-to-order flows and approval processes, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: OroCommerce

If the key phrase is “customizable approval processes,” I'd look hardest at OroCommerce. Its workflow engine is specifically designed for complex B2B processes, including customized quoting and approval flows, rather than forcing you into a relatively fixed ecommerce checkout model. Sana Commerce

It makes particular sense if you have things like:

• Different approval thresholds based on customer, margin, order value, or product
• Multiple buyer organizations and subsidiaries
• Sales-rep involvement in quotes
• Negotiated/customer-specific pricing
• Multi-step internal approvals
• Quotes that need to become orders after approval
• Complex ERP/CRM integrations

Best balance of simplicity + capability: BigCommerce

If you don't need Oro-level workflow customization, BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the safer choice. It's hosted, purpose-built for wholesalers/manufacturers/distributors, and provides company accounts, buyer roles, pricing, quote workflows and approval controls. BigCommerce AFCommerce

The tradeoff is that very unusual approval logic may require extensions/custom development rather than being handled entirely through the core platform.

If SAP or Microsoft Dynamics is your ERP: Sana

I'd strongly consider Sana Commerce when the ERP is already the center of your operation. Sana supports both quote and order checkout paths and can convert quotes directly into sales orders; its ERP-centric architecture is particularly attractive for SAP and Dynamics environments. Sana Commerce Sana Commerce

One interesting alternative: Miva

Miva is worth evaluating if you're a distributor that wants the entire RFQ → negotiated quote → approval → customer acceptance → order process in the commerce platform. Its B2B architecture explicitly supports internal approval routing and direct quote-to-order conversion. Miva Blog

I wouldn't make Shopify my first choice if sophisticated approvals are the central requirement. Shopify B2B is excellent for speed and usability, but complex RFQ/approval workflows generally involve apps or customization. Elogic Commerce

My ranking for your particular requirement:
1. OroCommerce → most workflow flexibility
2. BigCommerce B2B → best overall hosted balance
3. Sana Commerce → best if SAP/Dynamics-driven
4. Miva → strong distributor-oriented quote-to-order
5. Adobe Commerce → deepest customization, but heavier implementation
6. Salesforce B2B Commerce → compelling if you're already deeply invested in Salesforce

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, Epicor), approximate annual order volume, and whether approvals are internal, customer-side, or both, I can narrow this to the 2–3 platforms I'd actually demo.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote-to-order flows plus approvals, I’d shortlist these:

1. BigCommerce B2B Edition — best overall fit. It has native B2B quotes, buyer/company hierarchies, permissions and approval workflows. Quotes can include negotiated line-item pricing, discounts, custom products, shipping methods and expiration dates, then move into checkout/order. Its APIs also expose quotes and approval-related workflows, which is useful if you need a customized portal or ERP integration. BigCommerce BigCommerce BigCommerce

bigcommerce.com

2. OroCommerce — best for sophisticated approval logic. Oro's quote workflow explicitly supports sales reps submitting price overrides for approval before the quote goes to the customer. It is particularly compelling if your process has multiple roles, negotiated pricing, account hierarchies, or complicated internal rules. Oro Documentation

oroinc.com

3. Shopify Plus B2B — best if you want a mainstream hosted platform. Shopify now supports B2B company accounts, sales-rep permissions, submitting orders as drafts for review/approval, and workflow automation. However, if quote negotiation itself is central to your business rather than simply "submit order → approve → fulfill," you'll likely need an app/customization. Shopify's app ecosystem has dedicated quote/approval tools, including apps that convert quotes into orders. Shopify Shopify Help Center Shopify

shopify.com

My pick

BigCommerce B2B Edition would be my starting point for a wholesaler. It hits the sweet spot between hosted/easier to operate and deeply customizable B2B quoting and approval workflows.

I'd choose OroCommerce instead if your approval process is unusually complex—for example:

Sales rep creates quote → manager approves margin → finance approves credit terms → customer accepts → PO validation → ERP creates order.

And I'd choose Shopify Plus if the priority is having the broader Shopify ecosystem and a relatively conventional B2B purchasing experience, with apps filling the specialized quote/approval gaps.

If you tell me your exact quote → approval → order process and what ERP/CRM you use (e.g. SAP, NetSuite, Dynamics, Salesforce), I can narrow this to the best 1–2 options and map how each would implement your workflow.

If you mean a hosted B2B/wholesale ecommerce platform, I’d put BigCommerce B2B Edition at the top of the list for this particular requirement.

Best fits

• bigcommerce.com — Best overall

• Native quote workflows with custom line-item pricing, discounts, shipping methods, and expiration dates.
• Buyer/company accounts and purchasing hierarchies.
• Approval workflows, purchase orders, payment terms, and requisition lists.
• A hosted Buyer Portal can be customized for your specific workflow, while BigCommerce handles hosting and updates. BigCommerce BigCommerce BigCommerce
• Particularly strong if wholesalers have negotiated pricing + multiple buyers per customer + internal approvals.
• shopify.com — Best if you're already in Shopify

• Shopify B2B supports company accounts, customized pricing/payment terms, and draft orders that can be submitted for approval.
• However, more sophisticated quote workflows generally require apps or custom development. Shopify Help Center Snapshot Design
• There are now Shopify apps specifically targeting quote/approval workflows—for example, QuoteStead supports negotiation, approval thresholds, quote-to-order conversion, and reordering. Shopify App Store
• woocommerce.com + B2B extension — Best for maximum control

• You can build very specific quote → negotiation → approval → order processes.
• The tradeoff is that you're assembling and maintaining more of the stack rather than getting the workflow as a managed B2B platform. Current B2B extensions can provide formal quote pipelines and one-click quote-to-order conversion. WooCommerce

My recommendation

For a wholesaler, I'd rank them:

BigCommerce B2B Edition > Shopify Plus + B2B apps > WooCommerce

The deciding factor is whether your workflow looks something like:

Buyer requests quote → sales rep modifies pricing → customer accepts → manager approves based on value/terms → PO/credit check → order created

If that's the workflow, BigCommerce is unusually well aligned out of the box, rather than requiring you to bolt an approval/quote system onto a generic ecommerce platform. Its B2B APIs also expose the quote and buyer-portal functionality if you need a highly customized frontend. BigCommerce BigCommerce

If you tell me your approximate order volume, ERP (e.g. NetSuite/SAP/Dynamics), and whether approvals are buyer-side, seller-side, or both, I can narrow this down to 2–3 hosted options and compare them feature-by-feature.

If you mean a hosted B2B commerce platform rather than something you’d have to build and host yourself, I’d shortlist these:

My first choice: BigCommerce B2B Edition

For a typical wholesaler, BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the best balance of hosted convenience and workflow capability. It has B2B accounts, customer-specific pricing, buyer roles, quote management, and approval processes built into the platform. BigCommerce BigCommerce

Its quote model is particularly relevant to what you're describing: a buyer can request a quote, a sales rep can modify line-item pricing/products/shipping, and the resulting quote can be taken through checkout. BigCommerce also exposes the quote functionality through APIs, which is useful if your ERP or internal approval system needs to participate. BigCommerce BigCommerce

Typical flow:

Buyer creates RFQ → Sales reviews → Pricing/discount negotiation → Manager approval → Buyer accepts → Checkout/order → ERP

If approvals are the hard part: OroCommerce

I'd look seriously at OroCommerce if your process is more like:

Rep creates quote → regional manager approval → finance approval → customer negotiation → revised quote → reapproval → customer acceptance → order

Oro has dedicated quote workflows with approval states and permissions, including requiring managerial approval when a salesperson overrides pricing. Oro Documentation Oro Documentation It is much more B2B-native than Shopify, particularly around organizational hierarchies, pricing, roles, and complex workflows. Shopify

The tradeoff is implementation complexity: Oro is the more powerful choice, but BigCommerce is generally the easier hosted platform to get running.

I wouldn't start with Shopify Plus for this particular requirement

Shopify Plus is attractive if you also have a major DTC operation, but its native B2B quote process is essentially based around draft orders; more sophisticated self-service RFQ and approval flows generally require apps or customization. Shopify

Bottom line:

• Most wholesalers: BigCommerce B2B Edition
• Complex approval/pricing logic: OroCommerce
• Enterprise + substantial technical investment: Adobe Commerce
• Wholesale is secondary to DTC: Shopify Plus

If you tell me how your approval flow works (e.g. “orders over $10k need manager approval, custom discounts need sales director approval, then customer accepts the quote”), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and map the exact workflow each can support.

For a typical wholesaler, BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the best balance of hosted convenience and workflow capability. It has B2B accounts, customer-specific pricing, buyer roles, quote management, and approval processes built into the platform. BigCommerce BigCommerce

Its quote model is particularly relevant to what you're describing: a buyer can request a quote, a sales rep can modify line-item pricing/products/shipping, and the resulting quote can be taken through checkout. BigCommerce also exposes the quote functionality through APIs, which is useful if your ERP or internal approval system needs to participate. BigCommerce BigCommerce

Typical flow:

Buyer creates RFQ → Sales reviews → Pricing/discount negotiation → Manager approval → Buyer accepts → Checkout/order → ERP

If approvals are the hard part: OroCommerce

I'd look seriously at OroCommerce if your process is more like:

Rep creates quote → regional manager approval → finance approval → customer negotiation → revised quote → reapproval → customer acceptance → order

Oro has dedicated quote workflows with approval states and permissions, including requiring managerial approval when a salesperson overrides pricing. Oro Documentation Oro Documentation It is much more B2B-native than Shopify, particularly around organizational hierarchies, pricing, roles, and complex workflows. Shopify

The tradeoff is implementation complexity: Oro is the more powerful choice, but BigCommerce is generally the easier hosted platform to get running.

I wouldn't start with Shopify Plus for this particular requirement

Shopify Plus is attractive if you also have a major DTC operation, but its native B2B quote process is essentially based around draft orders; more sophisticated self-service RFQ and approval flows generally require apps or customization.

Bottom line:

For a wholesaler with customizable quote → approval → order workflows, I’d shortlist these:

My picks

1. Pepperi — probably the best overall wholesaler fit.
Pepperi is specifically positioned around wholesalers/distributors and combines B2B ecommerce, sales-rep ordering, customer-specific pricing, and configurable business workflows. Its workflow engine can handle things like credit validation, manager approval for special discounts, and orders above a certain value. It also supports quotes that can subsequently be converted into sales orders. B2B Commerce Platform | Pepperi Pepperi Support Pepperi Support

pepperi.com

2. Salesforce — best if the approval process is really complex.
Salesforce's CPQ/revenue tooling supports guided selling, discounting rules and automated, cross-functional approval chains. Its CPQ can also be configured so an order cannot be generated until the quote has been approved. Salesforce Trailhead Trailhead

salesforce.com

3. OroCommerce — strong middle ground for sophisticated B2B commerce.
Oro has native quote-management workflows and a specific Backoffice Quote Flow with Approvals, where price overrides can trigger manager review before the quote goes to the buyer. That's unusually close to the workflow you're describing without having to construct everything from a generic workflow engine. Oro Documentation Oro Documentation

oroinc.com

4. Axim Commerce — worth a serious look for distributors.
Axim explicitly targets distributors and supports customer-specific quotes, negotiated pricing, approval history, online negotiation, and direct conversion of approved quotes into orders. AXIM Commerce

What I'd choose

If your workflow looks like:

Buyer requests quote → salesperson adjusts pricing → discount/credit threshold triggers approval → manager approves → buyer accepts → quote becomes order → ERP fulfillment

I'd start with Pepperi and OroCommerce.

If it instead looks like:

complex CPQ/configuration → multiple approval tiers → finance/legal/sales approvals → negotiated contract → order

I'd choose Salesforce.

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, QuickBooks), approximate order volume, and whether quotes are created by buyers or sales reps, I can narrow this to the 2–3 best options and compare workflow flexibility, ERP integration, pricing model, and implementation complexity.

For a wholesaler that needs custom quote → approval → order workflows, I’d put Pepperi at the top of the shortlist.

Best fits

• pepperi.com — best overall for wholesalers/distributors. It is purpose-built around B2B sales, with customer-specific catalogs/pricing, configurable workflows, quote handling, role-based approvals, and ERP handoff. Its workflow engine can, for example, require manager approval for discounts or high-value orders and restrict which user profiles can approve or submit transactions. B2B Commerce Platform | Pepperi Pepperi Support Pepperi Support

It also explicitly supports a quote being approved and then converted into a sales order, including custom quote transaction types, PDFs, approval workflows, and ERP integration. Pepperi Support

• orocommerce.com — best for very complex B2B procurement. Strong candidate if you need sophisticated RFQs, multi-level approvals, complex account permissions, or procurement integrations. It's more customizable/developer-heavy than Pepperi.
• bigcommerce.com — best if you want a mainstream hosted commerce platform. Good for company accounts, customer-specific pricing/catalogs and B2B ordering, but highly bespoke quote/approval logic may require additional apps or integration work.
• zoho.com — good lower-complexity option. It has a native quote-request process where a wholesale customer can request a quote, the seller modifies pricing, and an accepted quote becomes a sales order. Zoho

My recommendation

If your flow looks something like:

Buyer requests quote → sales rep configures pricing → discount approval → manager approves → buyer accepts → quote becomes order → ERP receives order

I'd choose Pepperi first. Its workflow designer and profile-based permissions are unusually well aligned with that process, without requiring you to build the approval engine from scratch. Pepperi Support Pepperi Support

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, Epicor), approximate order volume, and how complicated the quoting/configuration is, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 platforms and compare them on quote flexibility, approvals, customer portals, ERP integration, and implementation effort.

If your core requirement is wholesale/B2B quoting → internal approval → customer acceptance → order, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation

OroCommerce would be my first evaluation if your approval process is something like:

Sales rep creates quote → discount > 10% requires manager → margin below threshold requires finance → customer accepts → order created → ERP receives order.

That's where Oro stands out: its quote workflow explicitly supports review, approval, rejection and returning a quote for refinement, with role-based authorization. Oro Documentation

If you want something more mainstream and easier to staff, I'd look at BigCommerce B2B Edition. If you have substantial development resources and need very deep customization, Adobe Commerce B2B is probably the stronger alternative.

One important distinction: if by "customizable" you mean arbitrary conditional approval rules (margin, discount %, customer, product category, order value, sales territory, etc.), I'd prioritize OroCommerce or Adobe Commerce over Shopify Plus. Current comparisons indicate Shopify's native B2B approval capabilities remain relatively limited. Rigby Elogic Commerce

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics), approximate annual order volume, and an example of your quote/approval flow, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and compare implementation effort, pricing model, customization, ERP integration, and hosted/SaaS architecture.

If your priority is a hosted B2B/wholesale platform with genuinely customizable quote-to-order flows and multi-step approvals, I’d shortlist these:

My top pick: OroCommerce

For the requirements you described, OroCommerce is probably the strongest fit. It was designed specifically around manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers rather than adapting a consumer-commerce platform to B2B. Its workflow engine can handle structured RFQ negotiation, routing, credit/order approvals, budgets, and downstream fulfillment processes. ORO INC. ORO INC.

That becomes particularly attractive if your process looks something like:

Buyer creates cart → requests quote → sales rep modifies pricing/configuration → manager approves discount → finance approves credit → buyer accepts quote → quote becomes order → ERP/fulfillment

Oro is unusually well suited to that kind of process because the workflow layer is designed to be customized around business rules such as deal size, customer segment, region, or brand. ORO INC.

oroinc.com

When I'd choose the others

• BigCommerce B2B Edition — a good choice if you want a more conventional SaaS commerce platform and your quoting/approval requirements aren't extremely unusual. Its B2B Edition has native sales quotes and a Quote API, making quotes first-class objects rather than improvised draft orders. Celeste
• Pepperi — particularly interesting for wholesalers with field sales reps + ecommerce. It supports multiple buyer profiles, catalogs, price lists, account types, transaction types, and configurable approval workflows. B2B Commerce Platform | Pepperi B2B Commerce Platform | Pepperi
• Virto Commerce — worth considering when you want a highly customizable B2B portal. Its quote workflow explicitly supports RFQs, employee assignment, comments/attachments, custom pricing, proposal processing, and conversion to orders. Virto Commerce
• Shopware — good if you want a flexible commerce platform and a relatively straightforward quote loop: buyer requests a quote from a cart, seller adjusts line-item discounts, buyer accepts, and the system creates an order. Celeste

One important distinction

If by "approval process" you mean complex conditional approvals—e.g.:

Under $5k → auto-approve
$5k–$25k → sales manager

$25k → VP
Discount >15% → finance
New customer → credit review
Certain product categories → technical approval

I'd put OroCommerce and Virto Commerce ahead of BigCommerce/Shopify. A recent comparison specifically describes Oro's workflow engine as better suited to unusual, multi-step approval and quoting logic. Sana Commerce

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, Epicor), approximate company size, and whether customers or sales reps initiate most quotes, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and compare implementation complexity and likely cost.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote → review → approval → order flows, I’d shortlist these three:

1. BigCommerce — my default recommendation

bigcommerce.com

This is probably the best starting point for a typical wholesaler. Its B2B Edition is designed around corporate accounts, buyer hierarchies, quotes, purchase orders, payment terms, and buyer approval workflows rather than treating wholesale as an add-on to a retail storefront. BigCommerce BigCommerce

Its quote system is particularly relevant: buyers can request quotes, sales reps can modify pricing/discounts, add custom items, specify unusual shipping, set expiration dates, and take the quote through to checkout. BigCommerce

Choose it if: you want a hosted platform with relatively little custom infrastructure, but still need substantial B2B customization.

2. OroCommerce — best for complex approval logic

oroinc.com

Oro is especially strong when the workflow itself is complicated. Its quote workflow can require a salesperson to obtain manager approval when they override pricing, with explicit approve / decline / return for refinement stages. Oro Documentation Oro Documentation

It's also designed around B2B organizational hierarchies, roles, pricing rules, RFQs, negotiation, and sales workflows. Shopify

Choose it if: you have rules such as “discount >10% requires manager approval,” “orders over $50k require finance,” “different subsidiaries have different buyers,” etc.

The tradeoff is that it's generally a heavier enterprise implementation than BigCommerce.

3. Shopify Plus B2B — best if you're already in Shopify

shopify.com

Shopify has become much more capable for B2B. Its native B2B functionality supports company accounts, company locations, custom pricing/payment terms, sales-rep permissions, and checkout-to-draft workflows where orders can be submitted for review before fulfillment. Shopify Shopify

It also has a large app ecosystem for filling gaps—for example, current Shopify apps provide quote creation/negotiation/approval and wholesale buyer approval. Shopify App Store Shopify App Store

Choose it if: you're already on Shopify or need a polished storefront/ecosystem and your approval process isn't extraordinarily complex.

My ranking for your use case

If you're building from scratch:
BigCommerce B2B → OroCommerce → Shopify Plus

If approval logic is the heart of the business:
OroCommerce → BigCommerce → Shopify Plus

If you already run Shopify:
Shopify Plus + carefully selected B2B/quote apps is likely the lowest-friction route.

One important distinction: if by “quote-to-order” you mean sales reps negotiating highly customized quotes with internal approval gates, rather than simply letting customers submit orders for approval, I'd lean strongly toward OroCommerce or BigCommerce. BigCommerce gives you a good hosted middle ground; Oro gives you the deepest workflow model. BigCommerce Oro Documentation

If you tell me your approximate order volume, number of wholesale customers, ERP/CRM (if any), and an example of your approval workflow, I can narrow this to 1–2 platforms and map the exact quote → approval → PO → order flow.

If you’re a wholesaler/distributor and the quote-to-order process itself is a core requirement, I’d shortlist BigCommerce B2B Edition, OroCommerce, and Adobe Commerce. The best choice depends mostly on how complicated your approval logic is.

My recommendation: BigCommerce B2B Edition

For most wholesalers, BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the sweet spot. It has native B2B capabilities around company accounts, buyer roles, customer-specific pricing, quoting, and quote-to-order, without requiring you to operate an open-source platform. Recent comparisons also rate it particularly well for getting a B2B implementation live without Adobe-level complexity. IWD Agency Razoyo

A typical flow can look like:

Buyer creates cart → requests quote → sales rep adjusts pricing → quote accepted → buyer/manager approval → order → ERP

That's much closer to a wholesale workflow than trying to force Shopify's draft-order model into a formal approval process.

If approvals are really complicated: OroCommerce

I'd look seriously at OroCommerce if you need things like:

• Multiple approval levels
• Different approval rules by customer/account
• Price overrides requiring manager approval
• Complex organizational hierarchies
• Sales-rep-assisted quoting
• Different workflows for different types of quotes/orders

Oro explicitly supports configurable quote workflows with approval steps, including manager approval before a salesperson can send a revised quote to the customer. Oro Documentation Its B2B architecture is also designed around corporate hierarchies, roles, pricing, RFQs and sales workflows. Shopify

The tradeoff is implementation complexity: it's more powerful than BigCommerce, but you'll generally need a more sophisticated implementation team.

If you need maximum flexibility: Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commerce is the choice I'd make when the wholesale process is unusually complicated or deeply tied to an ERP. It has native B2B capabilities including negotiable quotes, company accounts, purchase-order approval rules, customer-specific catalogs and complex procurement workflows. Elogic Commerce

The downside is that you're buying a much more customizable platform and the implementation burden that comes with it.

Where I'd put Shopify Plus

I wouldn't make Shopify Plus my first choice if multi-step quote approvals are a fundamental requirement. It's excellent as a hosted commerce platform and particularly attractive if you also have a significant DTC business, but current comparisons still identify quoting and approval workflows as areas where apps or custom development are often needed. BigCommerce Rigby

Bottom line:

• Want the best balance of hosted + wholesale + quote/order: BigCommerce B2B Edition
• Want highly configurable B2B approval workflows: OroCommerce
• Want maximum customization/enterprise complexity: Adobe Commerce
• Want B2B alongside a strong DTC Shopify operation: Shopify Plus

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics), approximate number of SKUs/customers, and what the approval chain looks like, I can narrow this to 1–2 platforms and map the exact quote → approval → order workflow.

Adobe Commerce is the choice I'd make when the wholesale process is unusually complicated or deeply tied to an ERP. It has native B2B capabilities including negotiable quotes, company accounts, purchase-order approval rules, customer-specific catalogs and complex procurement workflows. elogic.co

The downside is that you're buying a much more customizable platform and the implementation burden that comes with it.

Where I'd put Shopify Plus

I'd look seriously at OroCommerce if you need things like:

For a wholesaler that needs a hosted platform with customizable quote-to-order flows and approval processes, I’d put BigCommerce B2B Edition at the top of the shortlist.

Best fit: BigCommerce B2B Edition

It has an unusually good combination of native B2B functionality + hosted infrastructure + customization:

• Quote → order: Buyers can request quotes, sales reps can modify pricing/discounts, and accepted quotes can move into checkout. Quotes can include custom line-item pricing, products, shipping methods, and expiration dates. BigCommerce
• Approval workflows: Company accounts support roles, permissions, account hierarchies, budgets, and buyer approval workflows. BigCommerce BigCommerce
• Wholesale-specific pricing: Customer/company-specific catalogs and pricing are built into the B2B model. BigCommerce
• Customization: Its B2B APIs support company accounts, users, quotes, orders, invoices, and buyer permissions, so you can build a substantially customized experience without owning the underlying commerce infrastructure. BigCommerce BigCommerce
• CPQ: Its newer CPQ functionality provides configurable quote views/fields, auto-quoting, discount controls, and a more flexible quote creation process. BigCommerce

bigcommerce.com

Another strong option: OroCommerce

If workflow complexity is more important than ease of implementation, OroCommerce is worth evaluating. Its quote workflow explicitly supports sales-rep → manager approval → buyer, including approve, decline, and return-for-revision states. Oro Documentation Oro Documentation

The tradeoff is that I'd expect more implementation/customization effort than with BigCommerce. It's attractive when your wholesale process resembles a sophisticated sales/ERP workflow rather than conventional ecommerce.

My short ranking

If your process is something like:
Customer requests quote → salesperson adjusts price → discount > X% requires manager approval → customer approves → PO/credit terms → order → ERP

…I'd start with BigCommerce B2B Edition. It gives you a lot of that workflow natively while leaving enough API/headless flexibility to customize the parts that are unique to your business. BigCommerce BigCommerce

If you tell me how your current quote/approval process works (e.g. Salesforce/ERP, number of approval levels, customer-specific pricing, PO terms), I can narrow this down to BigCommerce vs OroCommerce vs Shopify Plus and identify where each would require custom development.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote-to-order flows plus approvals, I’d shortlist BigCommerce B2B Edition, OroCommerce, and Salesforce B2B Commerce/CPQ. The best choice depends on how complex your approval logic is.

My pick: BigCommerce B2B Edition

For a typical wholesaler, bigcommerce.com is probably the strongest hosted starting point.

It has native support for company hierarchies, buyer roles, customer-specific pricing, quotes, and approval processes. Its quote APIs also allow you to customize line-item pricing, discounts, products, shipping, expiration dates, and the subsequent checkout process. BigCommerce BigCommerce

That makes a flow such as:

Buyer creates RFQ → salesperson modifies pricing → manager approves discount → quote sent to buyer → buyer accepts → checkout/order → ERP

quite natural.

When I'd choose OroCommerce instead

OroCommerce is particularly compelling if your approval process is more complicated than a simple manager approval—for example:

Sales rep → regional manager → pricing team → finance → credit approval → customer

Oro has explicit quote workflows with approval states and role-based quote approval. It is designed around complex B2B organizations, pricing, accounts, and sales processes rather than adapting a primarily consumer-commerce platform. Oro Documentation Oro Documentation

The tradeoff is that Oro generally requires a more substantial implementation than BigCommerce.

When Salesforce wins

If your wholesalers already run their sales operation in Salesforce, salesforce.com becomes very attractive. Salesforce CPQ supports conditional, multi-step approval chains based on things such as discounts, users, permissions, and approval sequences. Salesforce

I'd favor this for complex sales-assisted quoting rather than a straightforward wholesale ecommerce portal.

What about Shopify Plus?

shopify.com has become much more capable for wholesale: company accounts, buyer permissions, customer-specific catalogs/pricing, sales-rep permissions, and a "checkout to draft" workflow are available. Shopify

I'd choose it when B2B is one channel alongside a significant DTC business. If quote/approval logic is the core of your wholesale operation, I'd lean BigCommerce or Oro instead.

Bottom line:

• Best overall hosted wholesale platform: BigCommerce B2B Edition
• Best for deeply customized B2B workflows: OroCommerce
• Best for enterprise CPQ/approval complexity: Salesforce
• Best B2B + DTC combination: Shopify Plus

If you tell me roughly your approval rules, ERP (e.g. NetSuite/SAP/Dynamics), number of SKUs, and whether buyers or sales reps initiate most quotes, I can narrow this to one platform and map the exact quote-to-order workflow.

For a typical wholesaler, bigcommerce.com is probably the strongest hosted starting point.

It has native support for company hierarchies, buyer roles, customer-specific pricing, quotes, and approval processes. Its quote APIs also allow you to customize line-item pricing, discounts, products, shipping, expiration dates, and the subsequent checkout process. BigCommerce BigCommerce

That makes a flow such as:

Buyer creates RFQ → salesperson modifies pricing → manager approves discount → quote sent to buyer → buyer accepts → checkout/order → ERP

quite natural.

When I'd choose OroCommerce instead

OroCommerce is particularly compelling if your approval process is more complicated than a simple manager approval—for example:

Sales rep → regional manager → pricing team → finance → credit approval → customer

Oro has explicit quote workflows with approval states and role-based quote approval. It is designed around complex B2B organizations, pricing, accounts, and sales processes rather than adapting a primarily consumer-commerce platform. Oro Documentation Oro Documentation

The tradeoff is that Oro generally requires a more substantial implementation than BigCommerce.

When Salesforce wins

If your wholesalers already run their sales operation in Salesforce, salesforce.com becomes very attractive. Salesforce CPQ supports conditional, multi-step approval chains based on things such as discounts, users, permissions, and approval sequences. salesforce.com

I'd favor this for complex sales-assisted quoting rather than a straightforward wholesale ecommerce portal.

What about Shopify Plus?

For wholesalers that need customizable quote-to-order flows, negotiated pricing, and approval processes, the best hosted solution depends on how complex your sales process is. These are strong options:

My shortlist by scenario

• You have complex approval chains (sales manager → finance → customer procurement):

Look at OroCommerce or BigCommerce B2B Edition. They are better suited to structured B2B procurement. The Retail Exec BigCommerce

• You need a fast launch and already sell through Shopify:

Shopify with a quote workflow app is often the quickest route. Solutions like QuotWay add request-for-quote, negotiation, approvals, and conversion without replacing Shopify. QuotWay QuotWay

• You are a distributor with ERP-heavy operations:

Axim Commerce or OroCommerce are worth evaluating because they are designed around distributor processes rather than just adding wholesale pricing to a retail store. AXIM Commerce The Retail Exec

Before choosing, I’d compare these capabilities specifically:

1. Multi-level approvals (discount thresholds, margin exceptions, buyer approvals)
2. Customer-specific price lists and contracts
3. Quote versioning and negotiation history
4. Quote → order conversion without re-keying
5. ERP/CRM integration (SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, etc.)
6. Role-based access for buyers, reps, and finance teams

For many wholesalers, the practical finalists are BigCommerce B2B Edition (balanced hosted choice), OroCommerce (most configurable), and Shopify + B2B quoting apps (fastest to deploy).

For wholesalers that need customizable quote-to-order flows plus approval processes, the best hosted solution depends on whether you want a full B2B commerce platform, a lighter add-on, or a sales-operations workflow layer. Strong options:

My shortlist by scenario

1. Complex wholesale distribution (industrial, parts, manufacturing)

Consider:

• BigCommerce B2B Edition if you want a mature hosted platform with flexibility and less custom infrastructure. BigCommerce
• Axim Commerce if your differentiator is sales workflows: RFQs, negotiated pricing, approvals, and distributor operations. AXIM Commerce

2. Shopify-based wholesale business

Consider:

• Shopify + QuotWay if you need a structured RFQ → negotiation → approval → draft order flow without replacing Shopify. QuotWay supports quote versioning, negotiation, approvals, and conversion into Shopify draft orders. QuotWay QuotWay

3. Highly customized procurement processes

Consider:

• Adobe Commerce B2B or a composable B2B stack if you need unusual approval trees, ERP integrations, contract pricing logic, or custom buyer hierarchies. FactoryJet

Features I would require for a wholesaler

Before choosing, verify the platform supports:

• Customer-specific price lists and contract pricing
• RFQ/request-a-quote capture
• Quote version history and negotiation
• Sales rep approval before sending quotes
• Buyer-side approval chains (customer procurement workflows)
• Quote expiry and revision tracking
• Conversion of approved quotes into orders without re-keying
• ERP/accounting integration (especially for inventory, credit limits, and terms)

For most wholesalers, I’d start by evaluating BigCommerce B2B, Axim Commerce, and Shopify + a quote workflow app. The deciding factor is usually whether your quoting process is a core sales operation (favor Axim/Adobe-style workflows) or an extension of ecommerce (favor BigCommerce/Shopify). AXIM Commerce BigCommerce

If you share your approximate size (SKUs, number of sales reps, order volume, ERP like SAP/NetSuite/Dynamics, and whether buyers need their own approval chains), I can narrow this to 2–3 fits.

For a wholesaler, the best hosted solution depends on how complex your quoting and approvals are (simple RFQ vs. negotiated pricing, multi-level approvals, ERP integration, buyer-side approvals, etc.). The strongest options are:

My shortlist by scenario

1. Complex wholesale sales process (sales reps, negotiated pricing, approvals, ERP):
Look first at BigCommerce B2B, Avetti, or Axim Commerce. They are designed around B2B procurement rather than retail checkout. www.bigcommerce.com

2. You already run Shopify and want to add quoting:
Use Shopify B2B + QuotWay (or similar B2B quoting extensions). This keeps products, customers, and orders in Shopify while adding quote negotiation and approvals. www.quotway.com

3. You need buyer-side approvals (customer’s purchasing department must approve):
Prioritize platforms/apps that model both sides of approval. QuotWay, for example, supports routing quotes through merchant-side and buyer-organization approval chains. www.quotway.comwww.quotway.com

4. You need a highly customized wholesale portal:
Consider a platform with strong APIs and extensibility (BigCommerce, Avetti, or a custom layer on top of an ERP). www.avetticommerce.comwww.bigcommerce.com

Before choosing, I’d check these requirements specifically:

• Can a quote become an order without re-keying?
• Are negotiated prices locked after approval?
• Can approvals branch by margin, customer, order value, or product category?
• Does it support customer-specific catalogs and price lists?
• Does it integrate with your ERP/accounting system?
• Can sales reps quote on behalf of customers?

If you share your ERP (NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, QuickBooks, etc.), order volume, and whether customers or only internal staff need approvals, I can narrow this to 2–3 best fits.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote-to-order flows plus buyer approval processes, I’d put BigCommerce B2B Edition at the top of the shortlist.

Best fit: BigCommerce B2B Edition

bigcommerce.com is particularly well suited to distributors, manufacturers, and wholesalers because the B2B functionality is built into the hosted platform rather than being assembled primarily from apps.

It supports:

• Quote → negotiate → accept → order workflows, including customer-specific pricing, discounts, custom products, shipping arrangements, and quote expiration. BigCommerce BigCommerce
• Multi-user company accounts with roles, permissions, and account hierarchies—useful when a junior buyer creates an order but a senior buyer must approve it. BigCommerce BigCommerce
• Approval workflows and shared shopping lists, including approval of lists before they become orders. BigCommerce
• Customer-specific catalogs and pricing, including different price structures by customer/account. BigCommerce
• A Buyer Portal where customers can manage quotes, orders, invoices, and purchasing workflows. The portal can also be customized or replaced with a headless experience. BigCommerce BigCommerce
• APIs for customizing the quote, company-account, approval, and ordering logic rather than being locked into the standard storefront. BigCommerce

How I'd compare the main options

Shopify Plus B2B is a strong alternative if you're already in the Shopify ecosystem. Shopify now supports company-account requests, sales-rep permissions, and a "checkout to draft" flow where orders can be submitted for review before fulfillment. Shopify Shopify Help Center The tradeoff is that particularly sophisticated wholesale approval/quoting scenarios can push you toward apps and custom development; Shopify's app ecosystem has a large number of wholesale approval and quote-related extensions. Shopify App Store

My recommendation

If your workflow looks something like:

Buyer builds cart → requests quote → sales rep modifies pricing → buyer accepts → internal buyer approval → PO/net terms → order pushed to ERP

I'd choose BigCommerce B2B Edition first. Its native model of Company → users/roles → quotes → approvals → orders maps unusually well to that process, while still leaving you APIs and headless options for unusual business rules. BigCommerce BigCommerce

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics), approximate order volume, and what exactly needs approval (quote, margin, PO amount, customer credit, etc.), I can narrow this down to 2–3 hosted platforms and compare the workflows and likely implementation complexity.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote-to-order flows plus buyer/manager approvals, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: BigCommerce B2B Edition

It hits a particularly good middle ground for wholesale. Its B2B functionality includes company hierarchies, customer-specific pricing, sales quotes, buyer roles, approval workflows, invoices, and a buyer portal. Its APIs also let you customize the quote experience rather than forcing buyers into a fixed workflow. www.bigcommerce.com

Its quote API can handle things wholesalers commonly need: negotiated line-item pricing, discounts, custom products, unusual shipping methods, expiration dates, and conversion to checkout/order. docs.bigcommerce.com

A typical flow could therefore be:

Buyer creates RFQ → sales rep modifies pricing → internal approval if discount exceeds threshold → quote sent → buyer accepts → converts to order → ERP fulfillment.

That's considerably closer to a wholesaler's actual sales process than a conventional ecommerce checkout.

When I'd choose OroCommerce instead

If your approval logic is really complex—for example:

Sales rep → regional manager → pricing manager → finance, with different routing based on customer, margin, discount, order value, or product category

—I would seriously consider OroCommerce. Its workflow engine explicitly supports quote flows with approvals, and it is designed around complex B2B organizational hierarchies and permissions. doc.oroinc.com

The tradeoff is implementation complexity: Oro is more of a B2B commerce platform you configure/implement than a lightweight SaaS storefront.

Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is attractive if you already live in the Shopify ecosystem. Its B2B functionality supports companies, locations, customer-specific catalogs/pricing, payment terms and draft orders. www.shopify.com

But for a quote-centric wholesale business, I'd rank it behind BigCommerce and Oro. Shopify's native model is more oriented around draft orders for rep-created quotes; sophisticated customer-driven RFQ and multi-stage approval processes generally require apps or custom development. www.shopify.com

Bottom line:

• Best overall for wholesalers: BigCommerce B2B Edition
• Best for complicated approval/quote logic: OroCommerce
• Best if Shopify ecosystem is strategically important: Shopify Plus
• Best for large enterprises with heavy customization/IT: Adobe Commerce

If you tell me how your current quote → approval → order process works (e.g., who creates quotes, who approves discounts, whether customers submit RFQs themselves, ERP/CRM involved), I can narrow this to the best 1–2 options and map the workflow each platform can support.

For a wholesaler where custom quote → internal approval → customer acceptance → order is central, I’d shortlist these:

1. BigCommerce B2B Edition — my default choice

BigCommerce B2B is probably the strongest hosted fit.

It has native corporate accounts, sales-rep quoting, buyer permissions, approval workflows, purchase orders, net terms, and a dedicated Buyer Portal. Its quote functionality supports things like custom line pricing, discounts, custom products, special shipping methods, and expiration dates, then takes the quote through to checkout. docs.bigcommerce.com

The particularly useful part for your use case is that the hosted Buyer Portal itself can be customized, while BigCommerce also provides APIs if your workflow eventually becomes more sophisticated. docs.bigcommerce.com

Typical flow:

Buyer submits RFQ → Sales rep modifies pricing → Manager approval → Quote sent → Buyer accepts → Checkout/order

That makes it a good choice if you want to avoid building a custom quote engine.

2. OroCommerce — best if approvals are unusually complex

OroCommerce is worth serious consideration if you're talking about multiple approval layers, sales management, procurement, customer-specific rules, or complicated quoting.

Its quote workflow explicitly supports a “Backoffice Quote Flow with Approvals,” where a salesperson can be required to obtain approval from a manager or another authorized person before sending a modified quote to the buyer. doc.oroinc.com

I'd favor Oro if your requirements sound more like:

Sales rep → pricing approval → finance approval → operations approval → customer → order

rather than simply "customer submits a quote and sales approves it."

3. Shopify Plus — attractive if you're already in Shopify

Shopify Plus B2B has gotten substantially better for this use case. It supports company accounts, buyer roles, submitting orders for review, and workflow automation. www.shopify.com

Shopify Plus also allows rules that dynamically send B2B orders to draft/review—for example, based on order value, cart contents, or customer attributes. changelog.shopify.com

The tradeoff is that once your quote/approval logic becomes highly bespoke, you're more likely to end up using Shopify Flow + apps + custom development. BigCommerce tends to give you more of the B2B machinery natively. www.bigcommerce.com

My recommendation

If I were evaluating them for a wholesaler today:

BigCommerce B2B Edition → best balance of hosted + customizable + native B2B workflows.

OroCommerce → best if workflow/approval complexity is the primary requirement.

Shopify Plus → best if you're already heavily invested in Shopify or need its broader ecosystem.

If you tell me (1) how quotes originate, (2) who needs to approve them, (3) whether customers have multiple buyers/approvers, and (4) what ERP you use, I can narrow this to the best 1–2 options and map the exact quote-to-order workflow each can support.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote → approval → order workflows, I’d shortlist these:

My top pick: OroCommerce

If the workflow itself is the differentiator, OroCommerce is probably the strongest choice. Its B2B platform has dedicated RFQ/quote workflows, including a built-in approval flow where a salesperson can send a price-overridden quote to a manager for review, with approve/decline/return-for-revision steps before it reaches the buyer. doc.oroinc.com

It's particularly compelling if you need things like:

• Customer-specific pricing and negotiated discounts
• RFQs that become formal quotes
• Sales-rep involvement
• Manager/department approvals
• Different workflows by customer, product, value, or sales role
• Quote acceptance → order conversion
• Deep ERP/CRM integration

Oro also exposes workflows as a core part of the platform rather than treating approvals as an afterthought. doc.oroinc.com

Shopify Plus: best if you want a more mainstream hosted stack

Shopify Plus B2B is worth considering if you want a polished storefront and a large ecosystem.

Shopify now supports B2B orders being submitted as drafts for review, and Plus allows custom rules that can automatically route orders to review based on things such as order value, cart contents, or customer attributes. help.shopify.com

Its advantage is flexibility: Shopify Functions, APIs, Flow, and extensions let you build sophisticated custom quote/approval logic. Its disadvantage is that complex quote/RFQ processes generally require more custom development than OroCommerce.

Sana Commerce Cloud: best when ERP is central

Sana is particularly interesting for distributors already running an ERP-heavy operation. It supports quotes that can be converted into orders and explicitly supports businesses with multiple layers of approval and individualized business-process flows. support.sana-commerce.com

Pepperi: best for sales-rep-driven wholesale

Pepperi is strong when your wholesalers sell through reps as well as ecommerce. It supports configurable approval workflows, multiple buyer/account types, price lists, catalogs, and transaction types. www.pepperi.com

Bottom line:

• Most sophisticated quote/approval workflow: OroCommerce
• Best general-purpose hosted commerce platform: Shopify Plus
• Best ERP-centric wholesale: Sana Commerce Cloud
• Best sales-rep + wholesale operation: Pepperi

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, Epicor), approximate SKU/customer count, and whether quotes are created by customers or sales reps, I can narrow this to 1–2 platforms and compare the actual workflow architecture.

For a wholesaler/distributor where quoting, negotiation, and approvals are core to the sales process, I’d shortlist these hosted options:

My recommendation

1. BigCommerce B2B Edition — best balance for most wholesalers.
It is hosted, relatively low-maintenance, and has native B2B capabilities around customer-specific pricing, quotes, accounts and ordering. Current comparisons specifically put it ahead of Shopify for native quote management. www.bigcommerce.com

2. Adobe Commerce Cloud — best if your approval logic is genuinely complex.
If you need things like rep creates quote → margin below threshold → manager approval → regional VP approval → customer accepts → convert to order, Adobe is particularly strong. Its B2B functionality includes negotiable quotes and purchase-order approval workflows. elogic.co

3. OroCommerce — worth serious consideration for sophisticated wholesale operations.
Oro is unusually workflow-oriented: its quote workflows can include approvals, and its platform supports multi-level approval chains, customer-specific pricing, negotiated quotes and conversion of accepted quotes into orders. doc.oroinc.com

4. Shopify Plus — choose it if operational simplicity and B2B + DTC matter more than native workflow depth.
Shopify's hosted infrastructure is attractive, but sophisticated quote/approval processes generally mean adding an app or custom solution. For example, Uncap Quotes adds negotiation, internal approval and one-click quote-to-order conversion within Shopify. www.uncap.com

The key distinction

If your workflow is mostly:

Customer requests price → salesperson creates quote → customer accepts → order

I'd choose BigCommerce B2B.

If it's:

RFQ → negotiated pricing → margin/discount rules → multiple internal approvals → customer approval → PO/credit validation → order → ERP

I'd lean Adobe Commerce Cloud or OroCommerce.

If you tell me (a) your ERP, (b) roughly how many SKUs/customers, (c) whether sales reps create the quotes, and (d) what approval rules you need, I can narrow this to 2–3 platforms and map the exact quote-to-order workflow for each.

For a wholesaler that needs a customizable quote → approval → order process, I’d shortlist these hosted platforms:

My first choice: BigCommerce B2B Edition

BigCommerce B2B is probably the best balance if you're a mid-market wholesaler/distributor.

It has native support for:

• Customer/company accounts and hierarchies
• Buyer roles and permissions
• Customer-specific catalogs and pricing
• Quote creation and management
• CPQ
• Quote-to-order conversion
• Buyer approval workflows
• Purchase orders and payment terms
• APIs and an open-source buyer portal for deeper customization

BigCommerce specifically positions B2B Edition for wholesalers, manufacturers, and distributors, and its newer CPQ functionality is designed around configurable quotes and quote-to-order processes. www.bigcommerce.com

The important caveat: if your approval logic is something like "orders over $10k go to the regional VP, orders containing product category X go to finance, and customers in credit status Y require CFO approval," I'd prototype that workflow before committing. BigCommerce's standard approval model is less flexible than OroCommerce's workflow engine.

If approvals are the hardest requirement: OroCommerce

OroCommerce is worth serious consideration.

Its workflow system supports configurable quote processes and approval steps—for example, a salesperson can modify pricing, route the quote to a manager, and only send it to the buyer after approval. doc.oroinc.com

I'd favor Oro if you have complex internal sales/procurement rules and are willing to accept a more involved implementation.

Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus B2B is attractive if you also have a substantial DTC business. It has company accounts, custom pricing, sales-rep permissions, and a "submit for review" / draft-order workflow. www.shopify.com

But for a quote-heavy wholesale business with elaborate approval chains, I wouldn't make Shopify my first choice unless its ecosystem/custom apps are a major advantage for you.

Bottom line:

• Best overall wholesale SaaS: BigCommerce B2B Edition
• Best for sophisticated approval/workflow logic: OroCommerce
• Best for enterprise complexity: Adobe Commerce
• Best if B2B + DTC are equally important: Shopify Plus
• Best if your sales operation already runs on Salesforce: Salesforce B2B Commerce + CPQ

If you tell me how your current quote/approval process works (e.g. customer RFQ → sales rep → manager approval → customer acceptance → PO), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and map your exact workflow against each.

For a wholesaler where quotes are negotiated, need approval, and then become orders, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Adobe Commerce

If the approval process is a core part of your business, rather than just an occasional exception, Adobe Commerce is probably the strongest hosted option. Its native B2B functionality includes RFQs/negotiable quotes, multi-level approval chains, company hierarchies, buyer-specific catalogs/pricing, requisition lists, and payment-on-account workflows. elogic.co

A typical flow can look like:

Buyer creates RFQ → sales rep adjusts pricing → margin/discount approval → customer accepts quote → quote converts to order → ERP fulfillment

That makes it particularly attractive if you have rules such as “discount >10% requires sales-manager approval; >20% requires finance approval.”

If you already use Salesforce: Salesforce B2B Commerce + CPQ

This is arguably better when quoting is heavily sales-team driven. Salesforce's CPQ supports conditional, multi-step approval chains, including different approvers for sales, finance, legal, etc. trailhead.salesforce.com

If you want simpler implementation: BigCommerce B2B Edition

A strong middle ground. It provides substantially more B2B functionality than a typical ecommerce stack without requiring the level of customization/implementation that Adobe often does. Current comparisons specifically rate it highly for mid-market B2B businesses. elogic.co

Shopify Plus: good, but I'd be cautious

Shopify Plus is excellent if you also have a significant DTC business and want one platform. Its draft-order infrastructure can support custom pricing, wholesale quotes, validation, and conversion to orders. shopify.dev

But if your differentiator is a deep, highly configurable approval engine, Shopify generally requires more customization/apps than Adobe or Salesforce. elogic.co

Bottom line:

• Most flexible wholesale workflow: Adobe Commerce
• Best sales/CPQ-centric: Salesforce
• Best balance of capability and simplicity: BigCommerce B2B
• Best wholesale + DTC: Shopify Plus
• Best B2B-native alternative: OroCommerce

If you tell me your ERP (NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, etc.), approximate SKU/customer count, and what your approval rules look like, I can narrow this to the 2–3 platforms I'd actually evaluate.

If you’re a wholesaler/distributor where quoting, negotiated pricing, and approvals are central to the sale, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: OroCommerce

For the specific requirement you described, OroCommerce is probably the strongest fit.

Its quote workflow is built around exactly this kind of process: a buyer requests a quote, sales modifies pricing, the quote can be routed to a manager for approval, the buyer can accept/negotiate, and the accepted quote becomes an order. Oro also supports configurable business workflows, account hierarchies, permissions, customer-specific pricing, and sales-rep processes. doc.oroinc.com

That's particularly valuable if you have rules like:

Sales rep creates quote → discount >10% → regional manager approval → finance approval if margin <X% → send to customer → customer accepts → order created.

Oro is designed for manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors with complex sales processes rather than primarily consumer ecommerce. doc.oroinc.comwww.gartner.com

If you want easier SaaS: BigCommerce

BigCommerce B2B Edition is the one I'd investigate next if you prioritize hosted/SaaS simplicity and faster implementation. BigCommerce specifically positions its B2B offering around wholesalers, manufacturers and distributors, including account pricing, buyer portals, quote workflows and approval controls. www.bigcommerce.com

The tradeoff is that its workflow/approval capabilities aren't as deep as Oro's for highly customized multi-stage processes; complex RFQ and approval scenarios may require additional customization/apps. www.rigbyjs.com

Where Shopify fits

Shopify Plus is excellent if you're already heavily invested in Shopify and need B2B alongside DTC. But I wouldn't make it my first choice if quote negotiation + internal approval routing is the core workflow. Current comparisons still identify native RFQ and multi-user approval workflows as gaps, meaning apps/custom development are often needed. www.uncap.com

Bottom line:

• Complex quotes + approval chains → OroCommerce
• Hosted SaaS + good wholesale functionality → BigCommerce B2B
• Enterprise/custom everything → Adobe Commerce
• DTC-first company adding moderate wholesale → Shopify Plus

If you tell me roughly your number of SKUs, ERP (e.g. NetSuite/SAP/Dynamics), whether customers negotiate prices, and what the approval chain looks like, I can narrow this to 2–3 platforms and compare the actual quote-to-order workflow end-to-end.

For wholesalers that need customizable quote-to-order flows plus approval processes, the best hosted solutions usually fall into a few categories depending on how complex your sales process is.

My shortlist by scenario

1. Traditional wholesaler/distributor (many SKUs, account pricing, repeat buyers)
→ BigCommerce B2B Edition is often the practical choice. It gives you hosted infrastructure while supporting account hierarchies, custom pricing, buyer roles, and quote workflows without building a platform from scratch. www.bigcommerce.comtradecentric.com

2. Complex negotiated sales (RFQs, engineered products, sales reps, multi-step approvals)
→ OroCommerce is a strong fit because quoting and approvals are core B2B concepts rather than add-ons. oroinc.comwww.bigcommerce.com

3. Enterprise sales organization with CRM-driven approvals
→ Salesforce B2B Commerce + CPQ makes sense if your sales team already lives in Salesforce and you need approval logic tied to accounts, opportunities, discounts, and contracts. tradecentric.com

4. You need a custom workflow engine more than a packaged storefront
→ Vendure is worth considering. It is more developer-oriented, but it is designed for companies that need custom approval entities, pricing rules, and B2B flows. vendure.iowww.bigcommerce.com

Features I would require for a wholesaler quote-to-order system

• Customer-specific price lists and contract pricing
• RFQ/request-a-quote capability
• Quote versioning and negotiation history
• Sales rep editing before customer acceptance
• Discount/margin approval thresholds
• Multi-level buyer approvals (buyer → manager → procurement)
• Quote acceptance converting directly into an order
• ERP integration (NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics, Acumatica, etc.)
• Audit trails for pricing changes

If you are a wholesaler selling physical goods through reps + an online portal, I would generally start by evaluating BigCommerce B2B, OroCommerce, and Salesforce B2B Commerce/CPQ. If your approval logic is unusually complex, move toward OroCommerce or Vendure. www.bigcommerce.com

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote-to-order flows plus approvals, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: OroCommerce

If approval logic is a core requirement, OroCommerce is particularly compelling. Its built-in back-office quote workflow can require a salesperson to obtain manager approval when pricing has been overridden, with approve/decline/return-for-refinement transitions before the quote goes to the customer. doc.oroinc.com

That makes it a good fit for wholesalers with rules such as:

Rep creates quote → discount exceeds threshold → manager approval → customer accepts → convert to order

It also has broader B2B/RFQ workflows rather than treating quoting as merely a form bolted onto ecommerce. doc.oroinc.com

Best hosted/easier-to-launch option: BigCommerce B2B Edition

BigCommerce B2B Edition is probably the option I'd investigate first if you want SaaS/hosted commerce without giving up much B2B functionality.

It supports company accounts, customer-specific pricing, buyer roles, quotes, and buyer approval processes. Its quote APIs can handle custom line pricing/discounts, custom products, special shipping, expiration dates, and taking an accepted quote through checkout. docs.bigcommerce.com

The hosted Buyer Portal is also customizable, including branding, feature toggles, account controls, and layout, without having to build the whole experience yourself. docs.bigcommerce.com

If your workflow is really complex

I'd look at OroCommerce vs. Adobe Commerce vs. Salesforce B2B Commerce/CPQ rather than Shopify.

A useful dividing line is:

• Straightforward wholesale quoting + customer-specific pricing + approvals: BigCommerce
• Highly configurable wholesale workflows and approval rules: OroCommerce
• Extremely customized commerce implementation: Adobe Commerce
• Quote-to-cash tied tightly to CRM/sales operations: Salesforce + CPQ

One interesting specialist option is Axim Commerce, which explicitly targets distributors and supports customized quotes, negotiation, approval history, and direct quote-to-order conversion. www.aximcommerce.com

If you tell me your approximate size (e.g. $10M vs. $100M+ revenue), ERP (SAP, NetSuite, Dynamics, etc.), and whether approvals are internal sales approvals or customer-side purchasing approvals, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 platforms.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote → approval → order workflows, I’d put BigCommerce B2B Edition at the top of the shortlist.

Best fits

1. BigCommerce B2B Edition — best overall fit

• Native B2B company accounts, buyer roles, account hierarchies, custom pricing/catalogs, and purchase-order/credit workflows.
• Buyers can request quotes; sales reps can modify pricing, products, shipping, and terms, then turn the quote into checkout. docs.bigcommerce.comdoc.oroinc.comhelp.shopify.com
• Its buyer roles include junior buyers who submit purchases for approval and senior buyers who approve them; custom roles can support more specialized processes. docs.bigcommerce.com
• Particularly attractive for wholesalers/distributors because the buyer portal is customizable and the platform exposes APIs for more unusual quote-to-order flows. docs.bigcommerce.com

BigCommerce B2B Edition

2. OroCommerce — best when workflow complexity is the priority

• Strong choice if your approval process is highly customized rather than just "buyer submits → manager approves."
• Its quote workflow explicitly supports manager approval when a salesperson overrides pricing, with approve/decline/return-for-revision states. doc.oroinc.com
• I'd favor it for a distributor with complicated internal sales rules, pricing authority, or ERP-heavy processes.

3. Shopify Plus B2B — best if you're already in the Shopify ecosystem

• Shopify has B2B company accounts, sales-rep permissions, draft-order workflows, and a "submit for review → approve before fulfilling" flow. www.shopify.com
• Draft orders also support negotiated wholesale pricing and review of customer-submitted orders. help.shopify.com
• It's very good for a polished commerce experience, but I'd lean BigCommerce/OroCommerce if quote negotiation and multi-level approvals are the core requirement.

My recommendation

If your workflow looks roughly like:

Wholesale customer requests quote → salesperson adjusts pricing/terms → discount/margin threshold triggers manager approval → customer accepts → quote becomes order → ERP receives order

I'd choose BigCommerce B2B Edition first. It has the strongest balance of hosted infrastructure + native wholesale capabilities + customizable buyer experience + quote management + approval controls.

If you tell me your ERP (e.g. NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics), number of approval levels, and whether quotes are created by customers or sales reps, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 architectures.

For a wholesaler that needs customizable quote-to-order flows plus approval processes, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: OroCommerce

If workflow flexibility is the deciding factor, OroCommerce is probably the strongest match. It is built specifically around B2B organizations and has configurable RFQ/quote workflows, buyer permissions, organizational hierarchies, and approval processes. Its documentation explicitly supports a quote flow where a salesperson must obtain senior approval before sending a quote with modified pricing. doc.oroinc.com

The tradeoff is implementation complexity: you'll generally want an experienced implementation partner/development team rather than expecting a plug-and-play setup.

Best hosted/SaaS option: BigCommerce B2B Edition

If by hosted you mean you don't want to own infrastructure or manage a complex application stack, I'd look very closely at BigCommerce B2B Edition.

It provides company accounts, buyer roles/permissions, customer-specific pricing, quote management, buyer portals and approval workflows, while exposing APIs for deeper customization. Its quote APIs can handle custom line pricing, discounts, custom products, special shipping and quote expiration, and quotes can be taken through to checkout. www.bigcommerce.com

BigCommerce B2B Edition

So I'd choose:

• BigCommerce B2B → best balance of hosted/SaaS + customization + wholesale functionality.
• OroCommerce → best if approval logic and quote workflows are really complex.
• Adobe Commerce → best if you need extremely deep customization and have substantial technical resources.
• Salesforce B2B Commerce → best when Salesforce CRM/CPQ is already the center of your sales operation.

If you tell me your flow—for example “sales rep creates quote → manager approves discount → customer accepts → PO required → finance approves → ERP order”—I can map that exact workflow against these platforms and tell you which one requires the least custom development.