ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a growing ecommerce brand that needs multi-user access, role-based permissions, and approval workflows, the right choice depends on whether you mean internal team access (employees managing the store) or customer-side approvals (B2B buyers with managers approving orders). The shortlist changes quite a bit. Rigby Zoho

Recommended options

My practical recommendation by stage

If you are a growing consumer brand (DTC + some wholesale)

Choose Shopify Plus if you want:

• Marketing agility
• Easy hiring (many developers/agencies know it)
• Multiple staff managing products, orders, fulfillment, and customer service
• Room to add B2B later

You may need additional workflow tooling if you require multi-step approval chains for wholesale customers. Shopify Bemeir

If approvals are central to your business

Choose Adobe Commerce or OroCommerce if you need things like:

• Buyer → manager → finance approval chains
• Spending limits
• Department-based permissions
• Audit trails
• Complex B2B account structures

These are better aligned with procurement-style buying. Rigby Bemeir

If you are scaling from a smaller operation

A common path is:

• Start with Shopify + workflow apps/integrations
• Move toward Adobe Commerce/OroCommerce only when operational complexity justifies the migration cost

Features I would require before buying

Make sure the platform supports:

• ✅ Unlimited staff accounts (or enough for your team)
• ✅ Custom roles (admin, merchandising, customer support, finance, warehouse)
• ✅ Approval rules based on order value/user/team
• ✅ Activity logs showing who changed what
• ✅ Separation of duties (for example, someone can create discounts but not approve them)
• ✅ ERP/accounting integrations if you are scaling

If you tell me:

1. your annual revenue range,
2. whether you sell DTC, B2B wholesale, or both, and
3. what approvals you need (discounts, orders, refunds, purchasing, content changes, etc.),

I can narrow this to 2–3 best-fit platforms.

If you mean ecommerce platform/software for the brand’s internal team, I’d narrow it to Shopify vs. BigCommerce, with the choice depending on what kind of approvals you need.

• Shopify — a strong fit if you’re primarily DTC and want a large ecosystem. Shopify provides role-based store permissions, so you can give marketing, operations, finance, agencies, etc. different levels of access. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center Shopify Flow then handles no-code automations based on triggers, conditions, and actions. Shopify Help Center Shopify
• BigCommerce — particularly worth considering if approval workflows are a core part of how you sell, especially B2B. Its B2B Edition supports multiple buyer roles, custom permissions, and workflows where junior buyers submit purchases for senior buyers to approve. BigCommerce BigCommerce
• Shopify + an approval/workflow app — if you're already on Shopify and need things like “employee submits → manager approves → order is released”, you can extend Shopify rather than changing platforms. There are apps specifically providing multi-level approval workflows and audit trails. Shopify App Store

What I'd choose

For a growing DTC ecommerce brand with 5–50 internal users, I'd generally look at Shopify + Shopify Flow + a dedicated approval app where necessary. It gives you granular user access without making the whole ecommerce stack unnecessarily complex.

If you're B2B-heavy, with customers having multiple buyers, purchasing limits, quotes, and formal approval chains, BigCommerce B2B Edition deserves serious consideration because those capabilities are built into the platform. BigCommerce BigCommerce

If you tell me (1) your current platform, (2) number of users, and (3) exactly what needs approval—e.g. discounts, refunds, product changes, purchase orders, marketing campaigns, or customer orders—I can give you a much more specific recommendation.

For a growing e-commerce brand, especially one that needs multiple users, role-based access, and real approval workflows, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Cin7

I'd lean toward Cin7 Core if you're at the stage where several people are touching purchasing, inventory, orders, fulfillment, or finance.

Cin7 has customizable user roles/permissions, and its higher tiers support 10–15 users out of the box. More importantly for your question, Cin7 now explicitly supports multi-stage approval workflows, including purchasing workflows, rather than merely giving users different permissions. Cin7 Cin7

For example, you could build:

Buyer creates PO → manager approval → finance approval → PO released to supplier

while restricting what the buyer, manager, finance team, warehouse, etc. can actually do.

That combination of permissions + operational workflows + inventory/order management is why I'd put it ahead of a standalone workflow tool for a growing e-commerce company.

If you're already heavily invested in Shopify

Then I'd first look at Shopify + Shopify Flow rather than immediately adding an ERP. Shopify supports granular user permissions/roles, while Flow provides trigger → condition → action workflows. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

shopify.com

The limitation is that Flow is primarily automation, not a comprehensive procurement/ERP approval system. If what you mean by approval workflow is things like:

• purchase orders over $5,000 need manager approval
• discounts over 20% need approval
• new products need merchandising approval
• refunds above $500 need finance approval
• marketing campaigns need executive approval

…then I'd want to look more carefully at the specific workflow requirements rather than assuming Shopify Flow is sufficient.

When I'd choose NetSuite instead

If you're becoming a fairly substantial operation—with multiple entities, warehouses, complex accounting, substantial purchasing, international operations, etc.—I'd consider NetSuite. Current e-commerce ERP comparisons generally position it toward fast-growing/mid-market brands needing a unified ERP. ERP Research

But I wouldn't start with NetSuite just because you need approvals. It's a much bigger implementation than Cin7.

Bottom line:
Shopify + Flow if you mainly need lightweight operational automation.
Cin7 Core if you need a proper multi-user operational system with purchasing/inventory/order workflows and approvals.
NetSuite if you're approaching full ERP territory.

If you tell me roughly annual revenue, number of employees/users, Shopify vs. other channels, and what specifically needs approval, I can narrow this to 2–3 systems and tell you which I'd actually buy.

If you're already heavily invested in Shopify

Then I'd first look at Shopify + Shopify Flow rather than immediately adding an ERP. Shopify supports granular user permissions/roles, while Flow provides trigger → condition → action workflows.

I’d recommend Adobe Commerce if multi-user access and approval workflows are core requirements.

• Adobe Commerce: Best for sophisticated role-based access and multi-step approvals; supports configurable company roles, permissions, and approval rules natively. Experience League Experience League
• BigCommerce B2B: Stronger choice if you want easier implementation and lower complexity, with solid multi-user capabilities. docs.bigcommerce.com iwdagency.com
• Shopify Plus: Excellent for fast-growing DTC brands, but complex approval workflows generally require apps/custom development. help.shopify.com rigbyjs.com

My pick: Adobe Commerce for workflow complexity; BigCommerce if simplicity and speed matter more.

For a growing ecommerce brand where multiple people need access and you want genuine approval controls, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Adobe Commerce

If approval workflows are a core requirement, I would lean toward Adobe Commerce. Its role-based permissions let you give different employees access to specific areas/stores, while its B2B functionality includes actual purchase-order approval rules—for example, automatically approving orders below a threshold while routing larger orders to designated approvers. Experience League Experience League

That becomes particularly useful as you grow and have roles such as:

• Marketing → products/content only
• Operations → orders/inventory
• Finance → payments/refunds
• Merchandising → catalog/pricing
• Manager → approval authority
• Agency/freelancers → tightly restricted access

Adobe also supports scoped permissions across multiple websites/stores and maintains action logs, which is valuable for accountability. Experience League Experience League

When I'd choose Shopify Plus instead

If you're primarily a DTC brand and value ease of use, ecosystem, and speed of implementation over sophisticated native approvals, Shopify Plus would probably be my choice.

Shopify has strong role/store permissions, and Shopify Flow can automate ecommerce processes using triggers, conditions, and actions. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

The catch is that complex human approval chains aren't Shopify's strongest native capability. You may need an app or custom workflow for things like:

Employee creates promotion → manager approves → finance approves discount → promotion goes live.

Bottom line

I'd choose:

1. Adobe Commerce — if approval workflows and granular control are the priority.
2. Shopify Plus — if ease of operation and DTC growth are the priority, with some workflow customization.
3. OroCommerce — if you're building a particularly sophisticated B2B operation with multi-level approvals.
4. BigCommerce — worth considering for B2B, but I'd put it behind the above for complex approval requirements.

If you tell me your current platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, etc.), number of users, and what specifically needs approval (orders, discounts, products, refunds, marketing campaigns, vendor payments, etc.), I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and explain the tradeoffs.

Shopify has strong role/store permissions, and Shopify Flow can automate ecommerce processes using triggers, conditions, and actions.

The catch is that complex human approval chains aren't Shopify's strongest native capability. You may need an app or custom workflow for things like:

Employee creates promotion → manager approves → finance approves discount → promotion goes live.

Bottom line

I'd choose:

For a growing e-commerce brand, I’d generally recommend Shopify Plus + Shopify Flow, assuming Shopify is your commerce platform.

My recommendation

1. Shopify Plus — best overall if you’re already on Shopify

Shopify now has fairly mature role-based access control (RBAC), allowing you to create roles with granular permissions and assign multiple roles to a user. Plus also adds organization-level user management and groups, which becomes particularly useful when you have multiple stores or a growing team. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center Shopify Changelog

For example, you could have:

• Merchandising: products/catalogs/content, but no financial settings
• Customer support: customers/orders, but no product or discount management
• Marketing: content, campaigns and discounts
• Operations: orders/inventory
• Finance: payments, payouts and financial information
• Admin: broad access reserved for a very small number of people

Shopify Plus also supports organization-level permissions and, as of 2026, has further unified user/role management across admin and POS. Shopify Help Center Shopify Changelog

shopify.com

The important caveat: approvals

If by "approval workflows" you mean things like:

Employee creates a 30% discount → manager approves → discount goes live

or

Buyer creates a purchase order → finance approves → PO is released

then Shopify's permissions alone aren't the whole solution. I'd use Shopify Flow and/or a specialized workflow app alongside the core Shopify permissions.

If you need formal purchasing/inventory approvals, I'd seriously consider Cin7 Core as the operational back office. It has granular roles and explicit approval/authorization permissions for purchase orders, sales orders, invoices, quotes, etc. Cin7 Core Cin7 Core

How I'd choose

My default architecture for a scaling brand would be:
Shopify Plus → role-based access → Shopify Flow for automation → Cin7 Core if purchasing/inventory approvals become complex.

I wouldn't jump straight to a heavyweight ERP purely because you need multi-user access. Shopify's current RBAC capabilities are considerably better suited to that problem than they used to be. Shopify Shopify Changelog

If you tell me your approximate revenue, number of employees/users, whether you're on Shopify, and what specifically needs approval (discounts, orders, refunds, POs, products, payments, etc.), I can narrow this down to 2–3 specific software stacks and tell you which I'd pick.

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d generally recommend shopify.com if your storefront is already on Shopify—or if you’re choosing a new commerce platform.

Why Shopify Plus is my top pick

• Strong multi-user controls: Shopify has granular roles and permissions, so you can give merchandising, operations, finance, marketing, agencies, etc. different access levels. Plus adds custom organization-level roles and user groups. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center
• Good separation of responsibilities: You can restrict who can manage products, orders, apps, billing, payments, settings, and other sensitive areas. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center
• Approval/access management: Plus supports organization-level access requests and gives designated administrators control over granting access. Shopify Help Center
• Automation: Shopify Flow can automate operational processes, including workflows around orders, customers, inventory, and other events. Shopify specifically includes Flow among its B2B capabilities. Shopify Help Center
• Scales well across stores: If you expect international storefronts, multiple brands, or multiple stores, Plus's organization-level permissions become particularly useful. Shopify Help Center

One important caveat

If by “approval workflows” you mean something more sophisticated than permissions—for example:

Employee creates a $20,000 purchase order → manager approves → finance approves → PO is released → audit trail is retained

—I wouldn't rely on Shopify alone. I'd pair Shopify with an ERP/procurement/workflow system such as NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, or a specialized workflow tool, depending on how complex your back office is.

My rough recommendation:

Bottom line: For most growing ecommerce brands, I'd start with Shopify Plus, then add dedicated workflow/ERP functionality only where Shopify's native permissions and Flow stop being sufficient. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

If you tell me your team size, approximate annual revenue, Shopify vs. non-Shopify, and what specifically needs approval (orders, discounts, refunds, POs, product changes, expenses, etc.), I can narrow this down to 2–3 specific platforms and tell you which I'd choose.

For a growing ecommerce brand, the best choice depends on whether you mean internal team approvals (marketing, merchandising, finance, operations) or customer-side purchasing approvals (B2B buyers with multiple users). Assuming you need both multi-user access and structured approval workflows, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation by growth stage

If you are primarily DTC (consumer ecommerce)

I would choose Shopify Plus.

A typical setup:

• Owners/executives: full access
• Operations team: orders, fulfillment, inventory
• Marketing: campaigns/content only
• Finance: reports/refunds only
• Approval flows handled through automation tools or apps

This gives you speed without overbuilding.

If you are becoming B2B or wholesale

I would lean toward BigCommerce B2B Edition or OroCommerce.

Choose:

• BigCommerce B2B if you need a simpler wholesale portal.
• OroCommerce if customers have purchasing departments with real approval chains (buyer → manager → finance → procurement). Oro is designed around those organizational structures. Rigby

If you have strict internal controls

For workflows like:

• “Discounts above 20% require VP approval”
• “Refunds over $5,000 require finance approval”
• “New products require merchandising + compliance signoff”

You may also want a dedicated workflow layer alongside your commerce platform, rather than forcing the ecommerce platform to do everything.

My default pick

For most growing ecommerce brands:

1. Shopify Plus → best overall balance of growth, ecosystem, and usability
2. BigCommerce B2B Edition → best if wholesale is becoming important
3. OroCommerce → best if approval workflows are the core requirement

A few questions would change the recommendation:

• Is your brand DTC, B2B/wholesale, or both?
• How many users need access (5, 20, 100+)?
• Are approvals for your employees or your customers’ buying teams?
• Do you need ERP/accounting integration (NetSuite, SAP, etc.)?

For a growing e-commerce brand where multiple people need access and you want controlled approvals, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Shopify Plus

If you're already on Shopify—or want a platform that's relatively easy for a growing team to operate—Shopify Plus would be my first choice.

Shopify has granular roles and permissions, so you can give, for example:

• Merchandising: products/catalog only
• Marketing: content, discounts, campaigns
• Operations: orders/fulfillment
• Finance: financial information
• Agency/freelancers: only the specific areas they need

Shopify's current role system supports granular store- and organization-level permissions, and Plus provides custom organization roles. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

The important distinction is that Shopify is particularly good at controlling who can do what; approval workflows often require Shopify Flow and/or an app/custom workflow layer. So if your definition of approval is "someone submits a change and another person must approve it before it goes live," I'd evaluate the specific workflow requirements before committing.

When I'd choose Adobe Commerce instead

I'd pick Adobe Commerce if your approval process is a core operational requirement—for example:

Junior merchandiser creates product → manager approves → finance approves price → product goes live.

Adobe has very granular role-based permissions, including restricting users to particular websites/stores and recording admin actions. Experience League Experience League

It's considerably more powerful, but also more expensive and technically demanding. I'd avoid it for a brand that primarily needs straightforward team permissions.

The key question

There are actually two different problems hidden in "multi-user access and approval workflows":

1. Access control: Who can see/edit products, orders, customers, pricing, etc.?
2. Workflow approval: Who must approve a change before it happens?

If you tell me what exactly needs approval (e.g. product listings, discounts, orders/refunds, purchase orders, content, price changes, payouts), I can recommend the specific software stack I'd use—including whether Shopify Plus is worth the cost or whether a cheaper Shopify setup would handle it.

I'd pick Adobe Commerce if your approval process is a core operational requirement—for example:

Junior merchandiser creates product → manager approves → finance approves price → product goes live.

Adobe has very granular role-based permissions, including restricting users to particular websites/stores and recording admin actions.

When I'd choose Adobe Commerce instead

For a growing ecommerce brand where multiple people need access and you want approval controls, I’d shortlist these:

My top pick: shopify.com

If you're primarily DTC and want something that scales without creating a big IT burden, Shopify Plus would be my first choice.

• Strong role-based permissions for staff and organization users. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center
• Organization-level user management is particularly useful if you expect multiple stores, brands, or regions. Shopify Help Center
• You can restrict who can manage products, orders, settings, users, etc. Shopify Help Center
• Shopify Plus supports SCIM for centralized user provisioning, which becomes valuable as the team grows. Shopify Help Center
• It's SaaS, so you avoid much of the infrastructure and maintenance burden associated with Adobe Commerce. Shopify

One caveat: if by "approval workflows" you mean things like employee creates a product → manager must approve it → finance approves pricing → then it publishes, Shopify's native permissions aren't a full workflow engine. You'd typically add an app or integrate a workflow/approval system.

Best for complex approval logic: business.adobe.com

I'd choose Adobe Commerce if your organization has more complicated operational requirements.

It provides very granular roles and permissions, including restricting users to particular websites/stores and specific resources. It also maintains admin action logs. Experience League Experience League

That makes it particularly attractive when you have structures like:

Merchandising → Marketing → Operations → Finance → Executive approval

or multiple brands/business units that shouldn't all have access to each other's data.

The tradeoff is considerably more implementation and technical overhead than Shopify Plus. Shopify

Also worth considering: bigcommerce.com

BigCommerce is a good middle ground if you want a SaaS platform but have stronger B2B/organizational requirements. Its B2B offering includes company accounts, buyer portals, credit management, catalogs, and pricing structures. Shopify

My decision rule

If you tell me what specifically needs approval—e.g. product changes, discounts, purchase orders, refunds, content, marketing campaigns, or employee access—I can recommend the best platform and the exact workflow stack I'd use.

If the priority is multi-user access + approval workflows as your ecommerce team grows, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Shopify Plus

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d generally choose Shopify Plus unless your approval processes are unusually complex.

Shopify has granular staff roles and permissions, and Plus adds organization-level permissions and multi-store administration. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

For B2B operations specifically, Shopify also supports workflows where an order can be submitted for review and approved before fulfillment. Shopify

The big advantage is that you don't have to turn your ecommerce platform into an IT project. You can have, for example:

• Owners/admins — everything
• Marketing — products/content, but no financial settings
• Operations — orders/inventory
• Finance — refunds, payments, reporting
• Agencies/freelancers — narrowly scoped access
• Approvers — approval authority without full admin rights

If you need multi-step, conditional approvals—for example, "orders over $5,000 require finance approval, over $20,000 require CEO approval"—I'd add a workflow solution rather than trying to force everything into native permissions. Shopify's app ecosystem has solutions specifically for multi-level approval workflows and spending limits. Shopify App Store

When I'd choose Adobe Commerce instead

Adobe Commerce is stronger if governance and granular control are central to your operation.

Its permissions system can restrict users by specific resources and by website/store, and it provides action logging. Experience League Experience League

More importantly, Adobe Commerce B2B has native concepts for purchase orders, approval rules, subordinate users, and approval permissions. Experience League

So I'd pick Adobe Commerce if you're becoming a more complex organization with multiple brands, storefronts, regions, departments, or sophisticated procurement rules.

Bottom line

For most growing DTC/ecommerce brands: Shopify Plus.

For a complex enterprise with strict approval/governance requirements: Adobe Commerce.

For Shopify already in place: Don't migrate just for this. Shopify's role system + a purpose-built workflow app is likely the better ROI.

If you tell me your team size, whether you're B2C or B2B, and 2–3 examples of approvals you need, I can narrow this down to the best architecture and specific software stack.

For a growing ecommerce brand that needs multi-user access plus approval workflows, I’d recommend choosing based on whether you are primarily B2C with internal approvals or B2B/wholesale with customer-company approvals. The best fit changes quite a bit.

My top recommendations

1. Shopify Plus + workflow tools — best for most scaling DTC brands

shopify.com

Best if: you are a consumer brand growing from a founder-led team into a marketing, operations, merchandising, and finance organization.

Strengths

• Multiple staff accounts with granular permissions
• Strong ecosystem for apps and integrations
• Excellent for marketing, storefront management, and omnichannel growth
• Can add approval flows for discounts, product publishing, inventory changes, purchase orders, and internal processes through apps/custom workflows

Watch-outs

• Complex B2B buyer approval chains are not its strongest native capability; deeper workflows often require extensions or custom development. Rigby

Typical setup

• Shopify Plus = commerce engine
• klaviyo.com = marketing workflows
• gorgias.com = customer support permissions
• zapier.com / custom automation = internal approvals

2. BigCommerce B2B Edition — best if approvals are customer-facing

bigcommerce.com

Best if: your customers are companies with multiple buyers (for example, a retailer where employees place orders but managers approve them).

Strengths

• Company accounts
• Buyer roles
• Purchasing controls
• More B2B-oriented than many DTC-first platforms

Watch-outs

• Very complex approval hierarchies may still require customization. Some comparisons note limitations around dynamic routing and granular workflows. Rigby

3. Adobe Commerce — best for complex enterprise workflows

business.adobe.com

Best if: you have:

• multiple brands/stores
• complex pricing
• ERP integrations
• regional teams
• strict governance requirements

Strengths

• Powerful permissions model
• Enterprise-grade customization
• Strong B2B purchasing workflows

Watch-outs

• Higher implementation and maintenance complexity
• Usually requires an experienced development partner

4. OroCommerce — best for wholesale/distributor businesses

oroinc.com

Best if: your business looks more like:

• wholesale
• distribution
• dealer networks
• procurement portals

Strengths

• Built around B2B account structures
• Multi-user organizations
• Approval chains
• Sales workflows

5. Spree Commerce — best if you want maximum control

spreecommerce.org

Best if: you have engineering resources and want a highly customized commerce stack.

Strengths

• Buyer organizations
• Role-based purchasing
• Approval workflows
• API-first architecture Spree Commerce

My shortlist by scenario

For most growing ecommerce brands, I would start with Shopify Plus plus a dedicated workflow layer unless your approval process is mainly about customer purchasing hierarchies. If you have buyers who need roles like employee → manager → finance approver → procurement, I would lean toward BigCommerce B2B, OroCommerce, or Adobe Commerce. Rigby Spree Commerce

If you share:

1. DTC vs wholesale/B2B mix,
2. current platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, etc.),
3. number of users needing access, and
4. what needs approval (orders, discounts, products, content, expenses, etc.),

I can narrow this to 2–3 realistic options.

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d generally recommend Shopify Plus + a dedicated approval/workflow layer if you’re already on Shopify or considering it.

My shortlist

My recommendation: Shopify Plus

If your primary need is internal team access—e.g. marketing can manage products/content, operations can manage orders, finance has limited access, and admins control permissions—Shopify has become quite strong here. Its role-based permissions let you create custom roles and assign multiple roles to users. Shopify Plus also adds organization-level user management across stores. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

If by approval workflows you mean things like:

Employee creates an order → manager approves → finance approves → order gets released

then I wouldn't rely on Shopify's native permissions alone. I'd add a workflow tool.

For B2B/wholesale, apps.shopify.com is particularly interesting: it supports multiple buyers, roles, spending limits, multi-level order approvals, and an audit trail. Shopify App Store Shopify App Store

BigCommerce B2B Edition is the alternative I'd investigate if approvals are central to your business rather than an occasional requirement. It has explicit buyer roles such as Junior Buyer, Senior Buyer, and Admin, with Junior Buyers able to submit purchases for approval and Senior Buyers able to approve them. BigCommerce

The decision I'd make

• DTC brand + growing internal team: Shopify Plus
• Wholesale/B2B + complex approval hierarchy: BigCommerce B2B Edition
• Already on Shopify and need sophisticated purchasing approvals: Shopify + B2B Company Controls
• Need employee/order approval specifically: Shopify + TeamCo

One important distinction: "multi-user access" and "approval workflows" are different problems. Shopify's native roles are excellent for controlling who can do what, but a dedicated workflow layer is better when you need someone to approve an action before it happens. Shopify Help Center getteamco.com

If you tell me what needs to be approved (orders, discounts, refunds, product changes, purchase orders, content, etc.) and roughly how many users, I can narrow this down to 2–3 options and compare pricing, permissions, approvals, audit trails, and integrations.

If by approval workflows you mean things like:

Employee creates an order → manager approves → finance approves → order gets released

then I wouldn't rely on Shopify's native permissions alone. I'd add a workflow tool.

For a growing e-commerce brand where multiple people need controlled access and formal approvals, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Cin7

If by "approval workflows" you mean things like:

• Buyer creates a purchase order → manager approves
• Finance approves purchases above a threshold
• Different employees get different access
• Operations can edit orders but not financial information
• Managers can approve/reject transactions
• Teams need an audit trail and standardized processes

Cin7 is probably the strongest fit. Its permissions are quite granular, including read-only/full-access controls and specific authorization permissions. It also supports purchase-order approval and workflow automation, including multi-stage approval processes. Cin7 Core Cin7 Core Cin7

cin7.com

When I'd choose Shopify instead

If you're primarily looking for the storefront/e-commerce platform, rather than an operations/ERP system, Shopify is considerably easier to deploy. It has roles and store-level permissions, but its native permissions aren't as granular—for example, you generally can't restrict a user to particular individual orders, products, or customers within a store. Shopify Help Center

So I'd choose Shopify + an approval/workflow app for a relatively straightforward DTC operation, rather than moving the whole business onto a heavier ERP.

When Adobe Commerce makes sense

If your organization has complex B2B purchasing, multiple business units/stores, sophisticated roles, or highly structured approval rules, Adobe Commerce is more powerful. Its B2B functionality supports approval rules based on spending thresholds and organizational hierarchy, while its admin system supports granular roles and permissions. Experience League Experience League

Bottom line:

• Growing DTC brand: Shopify + workflow tooling
• Growing brand with serious inventory/procurement operations: Cin7 ← my pick
• Large/complex B2B or enterprise operation: Adobe Commerce

If you tell me your approximate revenue, number of users, Shopify vs. other platform, and what specifically needs approval (POs, discounts, refunds, product changes, expenses, etc.), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare pricing, permissions, approvals, and integrations.

If you're primarily looking for the storefront/e-commerce platform, rather than an operations/ERP system, Shopify is considerably easier to deploy. It has roles and store-level permissions, but its native permissions aren't as granular—for example, you generally can't restrict a user to particular individual orders, products, or customers within a store. help.shopify.com

So I'd choose Shopify + an approval/workflow app for a relatively straightforward DTC operation, rather than moving the whole business onto a heavier ERP.

When Adobe Commerce makes sense

If your organization has complex B2B purchasing, multiple business units/stores, sophisticated roles, or highly structured approval rules, Adobe Commerce is more powerful. Its B2B functionality supports approval rules based on spending thresholds and organizational hierarchy, while its admin system supports granular roles and permissions.

Bottom line:

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d recommend Shopify + a workflow/approval tool, rather than trying to make one system do everything.

My shortlist

1. Shopify — best if you want everything close to the store

If you're already on Shopify, this would be my first choice for the commerce layer. Shopify supports role-based permissions, multiple users, and granular access to different areas of the admin. On Shopify Plus, you get custom organization roles and user groups, which are particularly useful as the team grows. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

Shopify Flow can then automate processes using triggers, conditions, and actions—for example, routing certain products or orders into an approval process. Shopify Help Center

One important distinction: standard Shopify gives you user/permission management, but Plus is much stronger for sophisticated organizational access and multi-store management. Shopify currently lists 5 admin users on Grow, 15 on Advanced, and unlimited on Plus. Shopify Help Center

shopify.com

2. monday.com — best for actual approval workflows

If your problem is more like:

"Marketing creates a campaign → creative submits assets → manager approves → merchandising checks products → leadership gives final approval → it goes live"

I'd pick monday.com.

It has granular board/column permissions and private/shareable boards for controlling who can see or change information. Monday Support Its workflow automation can also route approvals, send reminders, escalate overdue approvals, and maintain an audit trail. monday.com

This makes it particularly good when multiple departments need to collaborate without everyone needing access to the Shopify admin.

monday.com

3. Airtable — best for product/content-heavy brands

I'd choose Airtable if your workflow revolves around structured information such as:

• Product launches
• SKU/product information
• Product photography
• Copy approval
• Influencer campaigns
• Marketing calendars
• Wholesale catalogs
• Content production

Airtable provides different collaborator levels—including owner, editor, commenter, and read-only—and its higher-tier administration supports centralized user/group permissions. Airtable Help Center Airtable Help Center

airtable.com

What I'd choose

For most growing ecommerce brands, I'd do:

Shopify → source of truth for commerce
monday.com → source of truth for team workflows and approvals

That gives you a clean separation: employees don't need broad Shopify access just to participate in a campaign or approve a product, while the people who actually operate the store get appropriate Shopify roles.

If you're already on Shopify and tell me roughly how many users you have (e.g. 5, 20, 50+) and what needs approval (products, discounts, orders, content, marketing, expenses, etc.), I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options and map out the exact workflow.

"Marketing creates a campaign → creative submits assets → manager approves → merchandising checks products → leadership gives final approval → it goes live"

I'd pick monday.com.

It has granular board/column permissions and private/shareable boards for controlling who can see or change information. support.monday.com Its workflow automation can also route approvals, send reminders, escalate overdue approvals, and maintain an audit trail. monday.com

This makes it particularly good when multiple departments need to collaborate without everyone needing access to the Shopify admin.

For a growing ecommerce brand that needs multi-user access and approval workflows, I’d choose based on how complex your approval process is. The right platform depends less on order volume and more on whether you need simple team permissions or true procurement-style workflows. Rigby Shopify

My shortlist

Rigby Shopify## My recommendation by scenario

1. You are mainly DTC (consumer ecommerce) but your team is growing

Choose Shopify Plus.

Good if you need:

• Marketing team access
• Operations team access
• Agency/vendor access with limited permissions
• Multiple storefronts or regions
• Automated internal workflows

It keeps the operational burden low while scaling well. The tradeoff is that highly customized approval chains (for example, “orders over $10,000 require finance + VP approval + audit trail”) may require additional tooling. Shopify Elogic Commerce

2. You sell wholesale, B2B, or large-ticket orders

Choose Adobe Commerce or OroCommerce.

Look for:

• Buyer organizations with multiple users
• Different roles (buyer, manager, finance approver)
• Purchase order flows
• Quote approvals
• Customer-specific pricing
• Contract catalogs

These platforms are designed more around organizational purchasing. Rigby On Tap

3. You are somewhere in the middle

Choose BigCommerce Enterprise.

It’s a good fit when you want:

• Less complexity than Adobe
• More flexibility than basic ecommerce platforms
• Multiple storefronts
• API integrations
• Growing operational teams

Guideflow## If I were choosing for a typical growing brand

I’d rank them:

1. Shopify Plus — if you are primarily DTC and want speed + manageable operations
2. BigCommerce Enterprise — if you need more built-in commerce flexibility
3. Adobe Commerce — if workflows, catalog complexity, and customization outweigh simplicity
4. OroCommerce — if you are effectively running a B2B procurement business

Before deciding, I’d map your approval workflow:

• Do customers need approvals, or only internal employees?
• Do you need approval chains (manager → finance → executive)?
• Do you need purchase orders and spending limits?
• How many admin users will manage the store?
• Are you selling B2C, B2B, or both?

Those answers can change the recommendation significantly.

For a growing e-commerce brand where multiple people need access and you want real approval controls, I’d put Cin7 Core at the top of the shortlist.

My recommendation

Why Cin7 Core: its permissions are unusually granular. You can create roles and control access at the level of purchasing, sales, inventory, locations, pricing, etc. It also supports explicit approve/reject workflows for things such as purchase orders, quotes, and sales processes. Cin7 Core Cin7 Core

For example, you could structure your team as:

• Founder/Finance: full access + final approval
• Operations Manager: inventory + purchasing, but approval required for large POs
• Purchasing: create POs, but cannot approve them
• Marketing: sales/reporting visibility without purchasing or cost access
• Warehouse: inventory/fulfillment only
• External accountant: finance/reporting access without operational permissions

Cin7 also has workflow/task automation, including assigning tasks and allowing designated users to approve them. Cin7 Core

cin7.com

When I'd choose Katana instead

I'd choose Katana if your brand's biggest complexity is manufacturing, production, BOMs, and purchasing, rather than sophisticated approval processes. Its current permissions system provides location, financial visibility, workflow, and admin controls. Katana MRPs Support Katana MRPs Support

Bottom line: If you tell me your approximate annual revenue, number of users, Shopify/Amazon/Walmart channels, inventory complexity, and what specifically needs approval (POs, refunds, discounts, payments, products, etc.), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare pricing/features.

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d generally recommend Shopify Plus if your main need is internal multi-user access, permissions, and operational approvals—but BigCommerce B2B Edition is the stronger choice if the approval workflows are primarily for your customers/buyers.

My shortlist

1. Shopify Plus — my default recommendation

Shopify has granular staff roles and permissions, and Plus adds organization-level roles and permissions across stores. Shopify also supports SCIM for user provisioning on Plus. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

I'd choose it if you have workflows like:

• Marketing can edit products/content but not financial settings.
• Operations can manage orders but not change payment settings.
• Finance needs approval over refunds or high-value transactions.
• Agencies/freelancers get limited access.
• Executives need reporting access without operational permissions.
• Multiple stores/markets need centralized user management.

For a typical fast-growing consumer ecommerce brand, the ecosystem and ease of use make Shopify Plus the safest overall bet.

shopify.com

2. BigCommerce B2B Edition — best if approvals are customer-facing

This is particularly compelling if you're selling to businesses. BigCommerce supports multiple users within company accounts, configurable roles, and workflows such as junior buyers submitting purchases for approval by senior buyers. BigCommerce BigCommerce

It also supports company hierarchies, custom roles, quotes, invoices, and buyer approval workflows. BigCommerce BigCommerce

So if your workflow is:

Employee submits $5,000 order → manager approves → procurement completes purchase

BigCommerce B2B Edition would be my first choice.

bigcommerce.com

3. Adobe Commerce — for highly complex organizations

Adobe Commerce has very granular admin roles, permissions, website/store-level restrictions, and action logging. Experience League Experience League

I'd consider it when you have multiple brands, business units, catalogs, countries, complex ERP integrations, or heavily customized approval processes.

The downside is that it's substantially more complex and expensive to implement/manage than Shopify.

What I'd pick

If you tell me what exactly needs approval—for example, product changes, discounts, refunds, purchase orders, marketing campaigns, supplier invoices, or customer orders—I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 platforms and the specific workflow setup I'd use.

For a growing ecommerce brand that needs multi-user access, role-based permissions, and approval workflows, I’d usually steer you toward a B2B-capable commerce platform rather than a basic ecommerce stack with lots of add-ons.

The best choice depends on whether you are primarily DTC with internal team approvals or B2B/wholesale with customer organizations.

My top recommendations

My recommendation by scenario

1. You are a growing brand selling wholesale + DTC

Recommendation: BigCommerce B2B Edition

Typical setup:

• Customer company account
• Multiple buyers under one account
• Buyer submits order
• Manager approves above a threshold
• Finance/admin has reporting access

It gives you a mature B2B foundation without the heavier implementation burden of Adobe or Oro. BigCommerce

2. You have complex approval rules

Example:

• Orders over $5,000 need manager approval
• Certain SKUs require compliance approval
• Different departments have different budgets

Recommendation: OroCommerce or Adobe Commerce

These are better when approval logic becomes part of your operating model rather than just an ordering feature. Rigby

3. You are a Shopify brand adding wholesale

Recommendation: Stay on Shopify Plus unless workflows are becoming painful

Shopify Plus is great for:

• Marketing teams
• DTC growth
• Fast merchandising
• App ecosystem

But if your main requirement is multi-user purchasing hierarchies and procurement-style approvals, you may eventually outgrow native capabilities. Rigby

Features I would require before choosing

Make sure the platform supports:

• Role-based access (buyer, manager, admin, finance)
• Multiple users under one customer/company account
• Approval chains
• Spending limits
• Purchase order workflows
• Audit history (“who approved what and when”)
• Customer-specific pricing/catalogs
• ERP/accounting integrations
• SSO and permission management if your team is growing

My short list for a growing ecommerce brand

1. BigCommerce B2B Edition — best overall balance
2. Shopify Plus — best if DTC brand experience is the priority
3. OroCommerce — best for complex B2B operations
4. Adobe Commerce — best for enterprise customization

If you tell me:

• whether you are DTC, wholesale, or both
• current platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, etc.)
• number of users needing access
• whether approvals are for internal staff or customers placing orders

…I can narrow this to a specific recommendation.

For a growing ecommerce brand where multiple people need access and some changes should require approval, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Shopify Plus

For most growing ecommerce brands, I’d choose Shopify Shopify Plus.

Its biggest advantage is that you can move beyond the “everyone gets admin access” model. Shopify supports granular roles, multiple roles per user, user groups, and organization-level permissions. Plus also supports centralized users across multiple stores. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

That makes it a good fit for a structure like:

• Founder/CEO: full access + financial approvals
• Marketing: products, content, discounts — no payments/settings
• Operations: inventory/orders — no marketing changes
• Agency: limited product/content access
• Finance: billing/payment-related permissions
• Manager: approval authority for selected changes

Shopify Plus also gives you Shopify Flow, which can automate operational workflows, and its B2B functionality supports things such as companies, catalogs and payment terms. Shopify Help Center

One important caveat: Shopify's native role/permission system isn't the same thing as a universal “every change requires manager approval” system. For sophisticated approval gates—e.g. “product price changes over 10% must be approved by Finance before publishing”—I'd pair Shopify with a workflow/approval application or build the workflow using Flow and an appropriate app/integration.

When I'd choose Adobe Commerce instead

I'd pick Adobe Adobe Commerce if approval workflows and organizational controls are core requirements rather than just a nice-to-have.

Adobe has very granular admin roles and permissions, including restricting users to particular websites/stores and recording admin actions in logs. Experience League Experience League

It's substantially more powerful for complex organizations, but that comes with more implementation, maintenance, and technical overhead. For a typical fast-growing DTC brand, I'd generally prefer Shopify Plus unless you have unusually complex requirements.

The decision I'd make

If you're a $1M–$50M-ish growing brand: Shopify Plus.

If you're operating multiple brands/countries/business units with complex internal controls: Adobe Commerce.

If you want a strong middle ground and don't want to commit to Shopify: BigCommerce is worth evaluating.

The key question I'd use to narrow this down is what exactly needs approval—product edits, pricing, discounts, purchase orders, refunds, new users, content publishing, or all of the above. If you tell me that workflow, I can recommend the specific platform + approval stack rather than just the ecommerce platform.

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d generally recommend Shopify + Airtable, rather than trying to force one system to handle everything.

My top picks

1. Shopify — best if your primary need is controlling access to the actual store.

• Shopify supports multiple users with granular roles and permissions.
• Users can have different access to products, orders, analytics, etc.
• Shopify Plus adds organization-level roles and permissions, which become particularly useful when you have multiple stores or a larger team. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center
• Caveat: Shopify's native permissions aren't really a general-purpose "submit → review → approve → publish" workflow engine.
• Airtable — my recommendation for approval workflows.

• Excellent for workflows such as: - New product → merchandising approval → brand approval → publish
• Discount → manager approval → activate
• Purchase order → finance approval → send
• Creative → marketing approval → publish
• Vendor → operations approval → onboard
• It has granular collaborator permissions, interfaces, automations, and an audit-friendly record structure. Airtable Help Center Airtable Help Center
• This gives you a much cleaner approval layer than trying to manage approvals through email/Slack.
• Shopify + workflow automation app — best if you want approvals to happen inside the ecommerce operation.

• Shopify's App Store has a large ecosystem of workflow tools; current options include tools for fulfillment, product changes, B2B approvals, proof approvals, and other operational workflows. Shopify App Store Shopify App Store

What I'd choose for a growing brand

Small team (5–15 people):
Shopify + Airtable + Slack
This is probably the sweet spot. Shopify is the source of truth for commerce; Airtable becomes the controlled workflow/approval layer.

Larger team (15–50+):
Shopify Plus + Airtable or a dedicated workflow/PIM system.
Shopify Plus is especially compelling once you need organization-level users, multiple stores, custom roles, and stronger access controls. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

If approvals are the #1 requirement:
I'd lean Airtable rather than simply upgrading Shopify. You can model an approval as:

Draft → Submitted → Manager Review → Finance/Brand Review → Approved → Automatically pushed to Shopify

That structure scales considerably better than having people approve things over email or Slack.

If you tell me (1) your ecommerce platform, (2) team size, and (3) what specifically needs approval (products, discounts, orders, expenses, content, etc.), I can narrow this down to 2–3 specific software options and tell you which one I'd buy.

For a growing ecommerce brand where multiple employees need controlled access and you want approval workflows, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Shopify Plus

If you're primarily a DTC ecommerce brand, I'd choose Shopify Shopify Plus.

Shopify's current permissions system lets you create roles with granular access, assign multiple roles to users, and manage organization-level permissions. Plus also supports custom organization roles and user groups. Shopify Help Center Shopify Help Center

One important distinction: Shopify is stronger at permission/access control than at complex native approval workflows. For things like:

• Marketing campaign approval
• Product/catalog approval
• Discount approval
• Order approval
• Finance sign-off
• Content publishing approval

I'd typically pair Shopify Plus with an appropriate workflow/approval app or build the workflow around Shopify's APIs.

The upside is that Shopify Plus gives you plenty of room to grow: its current plan supports unlimited admin users, versus 5 on Grow and 15 on Advanced. Shopify Help Center

shopify.com

When I'd choose BigCommerce instead

If by "approval workflows" you mean customers themselves need multiple users and purchasing approvals—for example, an employee creates a purchase request, a manager approves it, and then someone places the order—I'd seriously consider BigCommerce B2B Edition.

BigCommerce specifically supports buyer roles such as Junior Buyer → Senior Buyer approval, along with company hierarchies and admin roles. BigCommerce BigCommerce

bigcommerce.com

Bottom line:

• DTC + internal employee approvals → Shopify Plus
• B2B/wholesale + customer purchasing approvals → BigCommerce B2B
• Highly customized enterprise workflows → Adobe Commerce

If you tell me what specifically needs approval (orders, products, discounts, content, expenses, etc.) and roughly how many users you expect, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare their costs/workflow capabilities.

When I'd choose BigCommerce instead

If by "approval workflows" you mean customers themselves need multiple users and purchasing approvals—for example, an employee creates a purchase request, a manager approves it, and then someone places the order—I'd seriously consider BigCommerce B2B Edition.

BigCommerce specifically supports buyer roles such as Junior Buyer → Senior Buyer approval, along with company hierarchies and admin roles.

For a growing ecommerce brand that needs multi-user access, role permissions, and approval workflows, I’d usually avoid picking a single “workflow app” first and instead choose based on how complex your operations are.

Here are the strongest options by scenario:

1. Best overall for scaling brands: Shopify Plus + workflow automation layer

Best for: DTC brands growing into wholesale/B2B, multiple teams, multiple stores, and complex operations.

Why:

• Staff roles and permissions
• B2B company accounts with multiple buyers
• Integrations with ERP, inventory, CRM, and automation tools
• Large app ecosystem for approvals and operational workflows

For more advanced approval flows (large orders, discounts, custom processes), many brands add automation tools rather than relying only on the ecommerce platform. Shopify’s B2B workflows commonly involve connecting account management, pricing, orders, fulfillment, and approval processes across systems. Shopify

Good additions:

• getmesa.com — useful for approval rules, audit trails, and operational automation. MESA
• Shopify workflow apps for specific needs (order approvals, fulfillment, tagging, etc.) are widely available. Shopify App Store

2. Best for B2B ecommerce with customer-side approvals: BigCommerce or Adobe Commerce

Best for: Wholesale, distributors, corporate purchasing.

Look for:

• Buyer accounts with multiple users
• Buyer vs approver roles
• Purchase order workflows
• Spending limits
• Approval chains

Adobe Commerce is often considered stronger when complex approval rules are central, while simpler platforms may need extensions or custom workflows. Rigby

3. Best if you mainly need internal team approvals: Monday.com, Asana, or ClickUp

Best for:

• Marketing approvals
• Product launches
• Creative reviews
• Discount approvals
• Vendor onboarding

These sit alongside your ecommerce platform rather than replacing it.

4. Best budget-friendly Shopify approach

If you’re on Shopify and don’t need a full enterprise stack:

• Shopify Admin user permissions
• A workflow automation app
• An approval-specific app for orders or quotes

Examples:

• Approovly — designed for order approval workflows inside Shopify. Shopify App Store
• MESA — better when you need broader operational automation. MESA

My recommendation by company stage

The key question is what needs approval:

1. Customer orders?
2. Discounts/refunds?
3. Product publishing?
4. Marketing assets?
5. Vendor invoices/purchases?
6. Wholesale buyer purchases?

If you tell me your platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, etc.), revenue range, and what approvals you need, I can narrow it to 2–3 options.

For a growing ecommerce brand, the best choice depends on whether you mean internal team approvals (merchandising, discounts, content, refunds, purchase orders) or customer/company buying approvals (B2B buyers with managers, budgets, and sign-offs). For a brand that needs multi-user access + approval workflows, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation by stage

1. Growing DTC brand (roughly <$10M–$50M revenue)

• Choose Shopify Plus if you want speed, reliability, and a large partner ecosystem.
• Add workflow tools/apps for: - discount approvals
• product publishing approvals
• refund approvals
• staff permissions
• purchase approvals

2. Wholesale/B2B ecommerce with customer approval chains

• Choose OroCommerce or Adobe Commerce.
• These are better when you need: - buyer → manager → finance approval flows
• spending limits
• company accounts with multiple users
• negotiated pricing
• purchase order processes

Rigby Virto Commerce3. Brand expecting complex operations

• Consider Vendure or another composable platform if you need custom logic, multiple brands, regions, catalogs, or deep integrations. Vendure

Features I would require before choosing

Look for:

• Role-based permissions (admin, merchandiser, finance, customer service)
• Multi-step approvals
• Conditional routing (e.g., “orders over $5,000 require finance approval”)
• Audit logs (“who changed what and when”)
• Approval delegation when someone is unavailable
• SSO/security controls
• Integration with ERP/accounting systems

If you tell me:

1. DTC, B2B, or both?
2. Current platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, etc.)
3. Approximate revenue/order volume
4. What needs approval (orders, discounts, content, purchasing, refunds, etc.)

…I can narrow it to a specific recommendation.

If you mean ecommerce platform software, my recommendation would depend on how sophisticated the approval process needs to be:

My default pick: Shopify Plus

For a growing ecommerce brand, I'd start with Shopify Plus unless approvals are the core requirement.

Shopify Plus now has centralized organization management, custom roles, multiple roles per user, and granular permissions across stores. It also supports organization-level workflows through Shopify Flow. Shopify Shopify Shopify

shopify.com

The catch: if by "approval workflows" you mean something like employee submits a $5,000 purchase → manager approves → finance approves → order releases, Shopify isn't the strongest native choice. Its B2B approval capabilities are more limited and may require apps or custom development. Rigby IWD Agency

When I'd choose Adobe Commerce instead

I'd seriously consider Adobe Commerce if you're selling B2B/wholesale and need multi-level approval rules as a fundamental part of ordering.

Adobe Commerce's B2B functionality supports rules such as:

• Orders below $X → automatically approve
• $X–$Y → one manager approval
• Above $Y → multiple approvals
• Different rules based on the buyer's organizational role

Those approval rules are built into the Commerce B2B functionality. Experience League

business.adobe.com

Where NetSuite fits

If you're really asking about internal operational approvals—purchasing, invoices, sales orders, expenses, vendor bills, etc.—rather than customer ordering, Oracle NetSuite is stronger.

It has role-based permissions and dedicated approval roles, and its SuiteApprovals system can route records through multiple approvers with an approval history. Oracle Docs Oracle Docs

netsuite.com

Bottom line:

• DTC brand + growing team: Shopify Plus
• B2B/wholesale + complex customer approvals: Adobe Commerce
• Ecommerce + serious finance/procurement workflows: NetSuite alongside your commerce platform
• Need something between Shopify and Adobe: BigCommerce B2B

If you tell me what exactly needs approval (orders, discounts, product changes, refunds, purchase orders, content, etc.) and roughly how many users, I can narrow this to 2–3 specific options.

If you're really asking about internal operational approvals—purchasing, invoices, sales orders, expenses, vendor bills, etc.—rather than customer ordering, Oracle NetSuite is stronger.

It has role-based permissions and dedicated approval roles, and its SuiteApprovals system can route records through multiple approvers with an approval history.

When I'd choose Adobe Commerce instead

I'd seriously consider Adobe Commerce if you're selling B2B/wholesale and need multi-level approval rules as a fundamental part of ordering.

If multi-user access + approval workflows are core requirements, I’d shortlist BigCommerce B2B Edition, Shopify Plus, and Adobe Commerce—but my default recommendation for a growing brand would be BigCommerce B2B Edition.

🥇 My pick: BigCommerce B2B Edition

BigCommerce is particularly strong when you need different users to have different purchasing authority. Its B2B functionality includes company hierarchies, buyer roles, permissions, purchase approvals, quotes, purchase orders, and requisition lists. For example, a junior buyer can submit an order for approval while a senior buyer approves it. docs.bigcommerce.com

That makes it a particularly good fit if your workflow looks like:

Employee → creates order → Manager approves → Finance/Procurement reviews → Order released

It also gives you room to grow without immediately needing a heavily customized enterprise implementation.

🥈 Shopify Plus

I'd choose Shopify Plus instead if you're primarily a DTC brand and multi-user administration is the bigger requirement.

Shopify Plus has increasingly sophisticated roles and permissions, including custom roles, multiple roles per user, organization-level access, and bulk user management. changelog.shopify.com

The caveat is approval workflows. Shopify's native B2B capabilities are good, but complex multi-step buyer approval generally requires apps or customization rather than being as deeply native as BigCommerce or Adobe Commerce. apps.shopify.com

🥉 Adobe Commerce

I'd consider Adobe Commerce when you have complex organizational structures, multiple brands/catalogs, sophisticated approval rules, or a substantial internal technical team.

It's powerful, with native company hierarchies, role-based permissions and approval workflows, but the implementation and maintenance burden is substantially higher. www.shopify.com

Bottom line:

• Growing B2B / wholesale brand: BigCommerce B2B Edition
• DTC brand with a growing internal team: Shopify Plus
• Large/complex enterprise with sophisticated workflows: Adobe Commerce

If you tell me your approximate annual revenue, number of employees/users, B2B vs. DTC mix, and what specifically needs approval (orders, discounts, products, refunds, etc.), I can narrow this to one recommendation and compare the likely cost/implementation tradeoffs.

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d narrow it to Shopify Plus + Salsify, depending on what you mean by “approval workflows.”

What I'd recommend

If you're already on Shopify: start with Shopify Plus if the main problem is who can access what. Shopify lets you create roles with granular permissions, assign multiple roles to users, and control access at both store and organization levels. help.shopify.com

But if your workflow is something like:

Product manager creates product → copywriter edits → merchandising approves → legal/compliance approves → product goes live

then I'd look seriously at Salsify. Its workflow engine is specifically designed around tasks, structured approvals, collaboration, edit tracking, and repeatable product-content processes. www.salsify.com

Salsify also supports user groups/roles and least-privilege access, making it better suited to a growing organization where governance becomes important. www.salsify.com

My overall pick:

• <20 people / straightforward store: Shopify + carefully configured roles
• 20–100+ people / multiple teams, channels, or frequent product launches: Shopify + Salsify
• Very large/complex catalog: Shopify + Salsify or Akeneo

One important distinction: Shopify's permissions control access; they aren't the same thing as a sophisticated content approval workflow. Shopify does have approval-oriented functionality in some contexts—for example, B2B orders can be submitted for review and approved before fulfillment—but for product-content governance, a PIM/PXM like Salsify is much more purpose-built. www.shopify.com

If you tell me your approximate team size, Shopify/non-Shopify platform, number of SKUs, and what specifically needs approval (products, discounts, orders, content, marketing, purchases, etc.), I can recommend the best 2–3 options and explain the tradeoffs.

If multi-user access + approval workflows are core requirements, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: BigCommerce B2B Edition

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d probably choose BigCommerce B2B Edition if approvals are genuinely important. It has company account hierarchies, buyer roles/permissions, purchase orders, and approval workflows built into its B2B offering rather than requiring you to assemble everything from apps. www.bigcommerce.comdocs.bigcommerce.com

That makes it particularly attractive if you need a workflow like:

Employee submits order → manager approves → finance approves → order is released

BigCommerce explicitly supports buyer roles where, for example, a junior buyer can submit purchases for approval while a senior buyer can approve them. www.bigcommerce.comdocs.bigcommerce.com

When I'd choose the others

Adobe Commerce — choose this if your approval logic is very complex. It offers deeper customization and native B2B capabilities, including configurable company roles and approval processes. The tradeoff is considerably more implementation/technical overhead. elogic.co

Shopify Plus — choose this if you're primarily a DTC brand and want Shopify's ecosystem, ease of use, and scalability, with B2B as a secondary requirement. Shopify has strong staff roles/permissions, and Plus now has more sophisticated organization-level staff management. changelog.shopify.com But sophisticated customer order approval chains generally require additional apps/customization; there are Shopify apps specifically adding multi-level approvals and spending limits. apps.shopify.com

Bottom line:

• B2B + approvals are central → BigCommerce B2B
• Very complex enterprise workflows → Adobe Commerce
• DTC-first brand + occasional B2B → Shopify Plus

If you tell me (1) approximate annual revenue, (2) B2B vs DTC split, (3) how many internal users, and (4) what exactly needs approval, I can narrow it down to one platform and explain why.

For a growing ecommerce brand that needs multi-user access, role-based permissions, and approval workflows, I’d generally recommend choosing a platform based on how complex your operations are becoming. The best fit for most scaling brands is:

1. Shopify Plus — Best overall for a growing ecommerce brand

Shopify Plus

Best for: DTC brands scaling into larger teams, multiple departments, wholesale/B2B, agencies, and international growth.

Why it fits:

• Granular staff roles and permissions (marketing, operations, fulfillment, finance, etc.) help.shopify.com
• Multiple users can manage the store without sharing logins
• Strong app ecosystem for extending approval workflows
• Shopify B2B supports company accounts, multiple buyers, buyer permissions, catalogs, payment terms, and sales-rep access controls. www.shopify.com
• Shopify Flow enables automation workflows for approvals, notifications, tagging, and operational processes. www.shopify.com

Typical workflow examples:

• Product manager creates a new SKU → brand manager approves → merchandising publishes
• Marketing creates a discount → finance approves → campaign launches
• Wholesale customer places large order → manager approval required → fulfillment begins

My recommendation: This is usually the best balance of scalability, usability, and ecosystem maturity.

2. BigCommerce Enterprise — Best if you need more built-in B2B complexity

BigCommerce Enterprise

Best for: Brands with complex catalogs, wholesale buyers, and more traditional enterprise workflows.

Strengths:

• Strong B2B features
• Multiple storefront support
• Good API flexibility
• Better fit if your business already operates like a distributor/manufacturer

Consider it if:

• You have many SKUs
• You manage customer-specific pricing
• Buyers need corporate purchasing controls

3. Adobe Commerce — Best for highly customized enterprise workflows

Adobe Commerce

Best for: Large organizations with dedicated developers or implementation partners.

Strengths:

• Extremely customizable approval logic
• Complex user roles
• Advanced B2B account structures
• Deep ERP integrations

Tradeoff:

• More expensive and technically demanding than Shopify or BigCommerce.

4. NetSuite SuiteCommerce — Best if ERP is the center of operations

NetSuite SuiteCommerce

Best for: Brands where inventory, finance, purchasing, and accounting workflows are the priority.

Choose this if:

• Your ecommerce operation is tightly tied to ERP processes
• Finance approval matters as much as storefront experience

Quick decision guide

For most growing ecommerce brands, I’d start with Shopify Plus + workflow automation tools rather than moving immediately to a heavy enterprise platform. It gives you multi-user controls now and room to add approval logic as the team grows. Shopify’s ecosystem also includes apps that add buyer approval workflows, spending limits, and role controls when native features aren’t enough. apps.shopify.com

If you share your annual revenue, number of employees/users, B2C vs B2B mix, and what needs approval (orders, products, discounts, content, refunds, etc.), I can narrow this down to a specific recommendation.

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d shortlist Cin7, Extensiv, and Katana—but my default recommendation would be Cin7 if multi-user controls and approval-driven operations are becoming important.

My pick: Cin7

Cin7 is the one I'd investigate first if you're at the stage where several people need to work in the same operational system but shouldn't all have unrestricted control.

It connects ecommerce channels, inventory, purchasing, sales orders, fulfillment, suppliers, and accounting. Cin7 Omni is particularly suited to more complex businesses because it supports multi-entity operations, customizable workflows, 3PL/EDI integrations, and 700+ integrations, including Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, QuickBooks, and Xero. www.cin7.com

The approval concept is also a good fit: Cin7 workflows can distinguish between actions such as authorized sales orders, purchase orders, shipments, and purchasing activity, which gives you more control than simply giving everyone administrator access. www.zohoflow.com

When I'd choose the others

Choose Extensiv if your biggest problem is fulfillment rather than internal approvals. It is particularly strong when you're running multiple warehouses, 3PLs, sales channels, complex order routing, and inventory workflows. www.extensiv.com

Choose Katana if you're actually making/assembling products. Its current Core plan supports unlimited users and integrations, while its higher-tier offering adds custom automations, workflows, dashboards, and integrations. katanamrp.com

One important distinction

If by "approval workflows" you mean things like:

• employee submits purchase → manager approves → PO is created
• marketer requests a discount → manager approves
• employee requests a refund → supervisor approves
• new vendor → finance approval
• invoice → department head → finance

then I'd actually consider an ecommerce ERP/operations platform + a dedicated spend/approval system, rather than choosing software solely on inventory functionality.

If you tell me your ecommerce platform (e.g. Shopify), approximate annual revenue/order volume, number of users, and what specifically needs approval, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and explain exactly how I'd structure the workflow.

For a growing ecommerce brand, the best choice depends on what you mean by “multi-user access and approval workflows.” There are two common needs:

1. Internal team approvals (marketing, product, finance, operations)
2. Customer/company account approvals (B2B buyers where employees place orders and managers approve them)

My recommendations:

My typical recommendation by stage

$1M–$10M ecommerce brand

• Use Shopify Plus (or stay on Shopify Advanced if appropriate)
• Add:
  • workflow automation for approvals
  • role-based access controls
  • inventory/order management integrations

$10M–$50M brand with multiple departments

• Shopify Plus + a workflow platform like Kissflow or Process Street
• Create approval flows for:
  • new products
  • discounts/promotions
  • purchase orders
  • refunds above thresholds
  • marketing campaigns

B2B ecommerce with company buyers

• Consider BigCommerce B2B or OroCommerce if you need:
  • buyer → manager approval chains
  • spending limits
  • multiple locations
  • procurement-style controls

A few questions would change the recommendation:

1. Is this primarily DTC (selling directly to consumers) or B2B (selling to companies)?
2. Are the approvals for your employees or for customers placing orders?
3. What ecommerce platform are you currently using (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento/Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, etc.)?

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d generally recommend Shopify Plus as the core platform, with an approval/workflow layer on top if your approvals are more sophisticated than Shopify’s native automation.

My top pick: Shopify Plus

It fits particularly well if you expect the team to grow from, say, 5–10 people to dozens of users.

• Granular user roles: Shopify supports roles and permissions so merchandising, operations, finance, marketing, agencies, etc. can have different access. Plus adds custom organization-level roles and user groups. help.shopify.com
• Unlimited admin users: Shopify Plus doesn't impose the same admin-user ceiling as the lower plans. help.shopify.com
• Multi-store support: Useful if you expect multiple brands, geographies, or storefronts. help.shopify.com
• Automation: Shopify Flow provides trigger → condition → action workflows that can automate operational processes across Shopify and connected apps. help.shopify.com
• Better governance: Plus includes stronger security controls such as SAML SSO, SCIM, mandatory 2FA, and organization activity logs. help.shopify.com

The caveat: Shopify Flow is primarily automation, not a full human approval-management system. If you mean workflows like "employee submits a $5,000 purchase → manager approves → finance approves → PO is created," I'd add a dedicated workflow/procurement app rather than trying to force Flow to do everything.

If you mean customer/B2B order approvals

Then I'd look at Shopify B2B + an approval app. For example, B2B Company Controls adds buyer permissions, spending limits, multi-level order approvals and an audit trail. apps.shopify.com

If you mean internal team approvals

I'd structure it roughly like:

Shopify Plus → source of truth for ecommerce
Shopify Flow → automated triggers/actions
Dedicated workflow tool → human approvals and escalation

That gives you much cleaner separation than trying to make the ecommerce platform itself function as an enterprise workflow engine.

One other option worth considering is Gorgias if your primary workflow is customer support rather than purchasing/operations. It has granular roles, Shopify integration, rules/automations, and permissions around actions such as refunds and cancellations. docs.gorgias.com

My recommendation by use case:

If you tell me what specifically needs approval (orders, discounts, refunds, purchase orders, product changes, marketing campaigns, expenses, etc.) and roughly how many users you have, I can narrow this down to 3–4 specific software options and tell you which I'd buy.

For a growing ecommerce brand that needs multi-user access, role-based permissions, and approval workflows, I’d choose based on whether you are primarily B2C, B2B/wholesale, or managing internal operations.

Best overall choices

My recommendation by scenario

1. You are a DTC ecommerce brand (Shopify store, marketing-led growth):
Go with Shopify Plus and add workflow tooling for:

• purchase approvals
• discount approvals
• merchandising changes
• inventory adjustments
• content reviews
• finance sign-offs

This keeps your storefront simple while adding operational controls.

2. You sell wholesale/B2B and customers have multiple buyers:
Choose OroCommerce or Adobe Commerce. These are better when you need:

• company accounts
• buyer vs approver roles
• spending limits
• multi-step order approvals
• customer-specific pricing

Platforms like Spree Commerce also support buyer organizations, role permissions, and approval workflows for B2B use cases. spreecommerce.org

3. You need approvals mostly inside your company (not customer purchasing):
Consider adding a workflow platform such as Caspio or similar tools for:

• purchase requests
• vendor approvals
• expense approvals
• content approvals
• audit trails

These platforms focus on configurable approval routing, permissions, and tracking. www.caspio.com

Features I would require before choosing

For a growing ecommerce operation, look for:

• Role-based access control (admin, manager, merchandiser, finance, warehouse)
• Approval chains (one-step and multi-step)
• Conditional approvals (e.g., orders over $5,000 require finance approval)
• Audit logs (who changed what and when)
• Segmentation (different teams see different stores/catalogs)
• SSO/security controls
• API integrations with ERP, CRM, inventory, and accounting tools

My shortlist

If I were narrowing it down:

• Fast-growing DTC brand: Shopify Plus
• Wholesale/B2B ecommerce: OroCommerce
• Enterprise complexity: Adobe Commerce
• Commerce + operations backbone: NetSuite ecosystem

If you tell me your annual revenue range, B2C vs B2B mix, number of users needing access, and what approvals you need (orders, discounts, content, purchasing, etc.), I can narrow this to 2–3 realistic options.

If by “multi-user access and approval workflows” you mean multiple employees/teams need different permissions, with certain actions requiring review/approval, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Shopify Plus

Shopify is my default choice for a growing DTC/ecommerce brand.

• Strong role-based access control and organization-level user management. Shopify now supports multiple roles per user and custom roles. changelog.shopify.comwww.shopify.com
• Particularly good if you're running multiple stores, markets, or brands.
• Shopify Flow gives you substantial workflow automation.
• Huge ecosystem makes it easy to add specialized approval functionality.
• Fully managed SaaS, so you don't need a large engineering team to maintain the platform. www.shopify.comwww.shopify.com
• Caveat: if you mean sophisticated order approval chains—e.g. employee submits order → manager approves → finance approves—Shopify isn't the strongest natively. More complex approval workflows generally require apps/customization. www.rigbyjs.com

Best if approvals are central: Adobe Commerce

Adobe Commerce is stronger if your workflow is genuinely complex.

It supports more sophisticated B2B structures, company hierarchies, permissions, purchase-order approval rules, and customer-specific workflows natively. www.iwdagency.com

The tradeoff is much higher implementation and technical overhead. I'd choose it when workflow complexity is more important than speed and simplicity.

Strong middle ground: BigCommerce B2B

BigCommerce is worth considering if you're moving toward B2B/wholesale.

Its B2B Edition has multiple buyer roles, including users who can submit shopping lists for approval and users who can approve them. It also supports custom user roles. docs.bigcommerce.com

Quick decision

Bottom line: for a growing ecommerce brand, I'd start with Shopify Plus unless approval workflows are a fundamental part of how orders are purchased. Its user/role management is now quite mature, while the platform is generally easier to operate and scale. www.shopify.comwww.shopify.com

If you tell me (1) your approximate revenue/GMV, (2) number of internal users, and (3) exactly what needs approval (orders, discounts, product changes, refunds, content, etc.), I can narrow this down to 2–3 platforms and tell you which I'd actually buy.

For a growing ecommerce brand that needs multi-user access and approval workflows, I would narrow the choice based on how complex your approval process is (internal team approvals vs. customer/company purchasing approvals).

My top recommendations

www.guideflow.comwww.shopify.com

My default recommendation for a growing brand

I would usually choose:

1. Shopify Plus + workflow apps/integrations

• Best if you are primarily DTC today and growing into wholesale, retail, or larger teams.
• Easy for marketing, merchandising, customer service, and operations teams to collaborate.
• Strong ecosystem and lower operational burden.
• Approval workflows are workable, but if you need complex "employee A submits → manager B approves → finance verifies → order releases" chains, you may outgrow native capabilities. www.guideflow.comwww.shopify.com

2. Adobe Commerce
Choose this if approvals are mission-critical:

• Multiple buyer roles
• Department budgets
• Purchase orders
• Spending limits
• Approval routing
• Complex catalogs/pricing rules

Adobe Commerce is better suited for businesses that operate more like procurement systems than traditional online stores. www.ontapgroup.com

Questions that would change my recommendation:

1. Are the approvals for your internal team (marketing approves discounts, finance approves refunds, etc.) or for customers (company buyers needing manager approval)?
2. Are you mostly DTC, B2B/wholesale, or a mix?
3. Roughly how many users need access (5, 20, 100+)?
4. What systems do you already use (NetSuite, Salesforce, HubSpot, ERP, inventory software)?

With those answers, I can narrow it to a specific stack.

For a growing ecommerce brand that needs multi-user access, permissions, and approval workflows, I’d usually avoid choosing only an ecommerce platform feature and instead look at the combination of:

1. Commerce platform (orders, inventory, customers)
2. Workflow/approval layer (who can request, review, approve, reject)
3. Identity + permissions (roles, audit trails, access control)

The best fit depends on how complex your approvals are:

My recommendation by growth stage

If you are a Shopify brand with ~5–50 employees

• Use Shopify Plus (or Shopify Advanced depending on scale)
• Add:
  • Kissflow for operational approvals, or
  • Process Street for repeatable SOP-style workflows

This gives you:

• role-based access
• purchase/vendor approvals
• marketing sign-offs
• inventory change approvals
• documented audit trails

If you are moving into wholesale/B2B
I’d lean toward OroCommerce or Adobe Commerce because customer organizations often need:

• buyer vs manager roles
• spending limits
• purchase approval chains
• account-specific permissions

www.rigbyjs.com

If your main pain is internal collaboration
A work-management platform may be enough:

• campaign approval
• product launch checklists
• creative reviews
• merchandising sign-off

Features I would require before buying

• Granular roles (admin, editor, requester, approver)
• Multi-step approvals
• Conditional rules (“if order > $5,000, require VP approval”)
• Approval history/audit log
• Notifications and reminders
• SSO support as the team grows
• Integrations with your ecommerce platform, ERP, accounting, and Slack/Teams

If you tell me:

1. your ecommerce platform (Shopify, Magento/Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, etc.),
2. number of users,
3. whether approvals are for orders, discounts, content, inventory, expenses, or vendors,

I can narrow this to 2–3 specific recommendations.

If you mean ecommerce platform/software for the brand itself, I’d shortlist BigCommerce and Shopify, with the choice depending heavily on whether your approval workflows are internal team approvals or customer/B2B purchase approvals.

My recommendation: BigCommerce

For a growing brand where multiple employees need different levels of access and customers may need purchasing approvals, I’d lean toward BigCommerce.

• Multi-user access: supports multiple users with permissions and custom roles. docs.bigcommerce.com
• B2B buyer roles: Junior Buyer, Senior Buyer, Admin, plus custom roles. docs.bigcommerce.com
• Approval workflows: B2B Edition supports shopping-list/order approval processes and spending limits. docs.bigcommerce.com
• Scalability: particularly strong if you're moving toward wholesale, distributors, corporate accounts, or more complicated purchasing structures. www.bigcommerce.com

BigCommerce

Shopify is my second choice

Shopify is probably the better choice if you're primarily DTC and want the easiest overall ecosystem.

Shopify now has organization-level management and role-based access controls, including custom roles and multiple roles per person. www.shopify.com

For B2B approvals, though, Shopify's native B2B functionality isn't as deep. You can add approval functionality through apps—for example, B2B Company Controls provides multi-level approvals, spending limits, role/location permissions, and audit trails. apps.shopify.com

Shopify

Quick decision

Bottom line: If "multi-user access + approval workflows" is a core requirement rather than a nice-to-have, I'd start with BigCommerce B2B Edition. If you're mainly a DTC brand and the approvals are primarily internal employee approvals, I'd choose Shopify and add a workflow/approval app.

If you tell me (1) DTC vs B2B, (2) number of employees/users, and (3) what specifically needs approval—orders, discounts, refunds, product changes, content, etc., I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options for your situation.

For a growing ecommerce brand, I’d separate the question into two use cases: internal team approvals (marketing, purchasing, creative, finance) vs. customer/order approvals (especially B2B).

My shortlist

My default recommendation: monday.com. It gives an ecommerce team a relatively easy way to create role-based access and workflows such as:

Marketing creates campaign → Brand manager reviews → Finance approves budget → Scheduled

or

Buyer creates purchase request → Ops reviews → Finance approves → PO created

Current approval-workflow comparisons also put monday among the stronger options for approval forms and boards. thedigitalprojectmanager.com

If you're specifically on Shopify

If by "approval workflows" you mean customers having multiple buyers/users under one company account, I'd look at a Shopify B2B solution rather than a generic project-management tool. For example, B2B Company Controls supports multiple buyers, locations, role-based permissions, spending limits, multi-level order approvals, and approval history. apps.shopify.com

Shopify itself still has limitations around sophisticated multi-user approval chains, so an app/custom workflow is often necessary as the B2B operation gets more complex. www.rigbyjs.com

One important distinction

If your biggest pain is "who can do what?" → monday.com / Wrike / Kissflow

If it's "who is allowed to spend money?" → Ramp. It has conditional approval routing, multiple approvers, role/group-based permissions, and separation-of-duties controls. support.ramp.com

If it's "which customer employees can place and approve orders?" → Shopify B2B + an approval/permissions app.

If you tell me (1) Shopify or another ecommerce platform, (2) roughly how many employees/users, and (3) what needs approval—orders, purchases, marketing, discounts, refunds, content, etc., I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and compare pricing/features.