Considering Epicor Commerce (BisTrack) Alternatives? A Direct Comparison with ToolSwift

The guide provides a brief comparison of Epicor Commerce (which operates on Epicor BisTrack) and ToolSwift for those considering B2B e-commerce platforms in the lumber, building materials, electrical, plumbing, and hardware sectors. Epicor Commerce is designed for dealers and distributors who currently use or intend to use Epicor's BisTrack ERP, offering a Magento-based online store directly connected to the ERP as part of a single-vendor agreement. ToolSwift is a headless, API-first platform developed specifically for B2B and contractor users. It works alongside BisTrack and most other ERPs in the industry without making the online store's future dependent on any one of them. When organizations must choose between the convenience of a single vendor and the benefits of platform flexibility, cost transparency, and a B2B solution tailored to their needs, this comparison examines the actual areas where the two platforms differ.

If you are considering Epicor Commerce, you might be planning a new BisTrack implementation and deciding whether to combine commerce with it, reviewing costs after finding Epicor's prices are not publicly available, or weighing the advantages of a platform designed specifically for B2B and contractor accounts over one that extends your ERP with a Magento storefront. This overview aims to provide clear and impartial information rather than a sales pitch.

This comparison is the work of ToolSwift. Our objective has been to provide an accurate and transparent evaluation of both platforms, clearly outlining their similarities and differences. Where public information on Epicor Commerce was unavailable—such as its pricing, which Epicor does not publish—we noted this rather than drawing conclusions; we relied on information from industry sources and documentation, and on our integration to supply what we reasonably could.

If it is important to your business to have a contractor and B2B accounts, and if you are either running your business or considering taking up BisTrack as a lumber yard, hardware store, or dealer in building supplies, we recommend that you look at this comparison before concluding a new agreement or when you renew your ERP contract.

First and foremost, it is important to understand what each platform actually is, as this significantly affects the other points.

Epicor Commerce uses Adobe Commerce (Magento) as its platform, with the software hosted on Microsoft Azure and available from Epicor in three versions—the Base, Advanced, and Signature—each offering access to additional storefront features. It is a real, well-proven e-commerce solution, not one developed entirely by Epicor. The name Epicor Commerce is used instead of simply calling it a regular Magento site because it is integrated with BisTrack: information relating to pricing, stock levels, and account details flows from the ERP to the storefront, and Epicor is responsible for setting up and supporting this connection.

ToolSwift differs fundamentally in terms of its design since it is a headless, API-based platform; in this arrangement, the storefront that customers see and the backend system, which holds the catalog, pricing, and order information, are separate systems that talk to one another through APIs, rather than one system being built on top of the other. It is this separation that allows ToolSwift to run both a retail storefront and a fully independent B2B contractor dashboard using the same underlying data, with each developed and displayed separately for its audience.

The method for using Epicor Commerce with BisTrack follows Epicor's own procedure. When a dealer or their implementation partner wants to set up the integration, Epicor then brings in its product and development team, and the work is carried out within the technical scope and timeline that Epicor has specified for that connection. This is the standard way of proceeding—although various agencies (for example, iWeb, DotcomWeavers, Yoma, and others) specialize in setting up or extending the connections between BisTrack and Magento, the connection is still made via Epicor's own system.

When ToolSwift is set up, it automatically links with BisTrack, Eagle, Spruce, DMSi Agility, and most of the other ERPs and POS systems that are used in the industry, and it will provide a custom integration for any systems that are less common; the ERP is seen by the platform as a single data source to which it connects, not as the system on which the platform is built.

The consequences are most significant when making a change. If a dealer using Epicor Commerce moves away from BisTrack—for example, by switching ERPs, being acquired, or merging with a company using a different system—the rationale for the storefront being 'Epicor Commerce' is lost, as the product depends on that ERP connection. In contrast, a dealer on ToolSwift can change their ERP without affecting the storefront, since the platform was never linked to a single system.

Epicor Commerce uses a single Magento instance with B2B features incorporated, so retail and contractor customers generally access the same website, with different account permissions applied on top. On the other hand, ToolSwift runs its B2B contractor dashboard as a completely separate experience from the retail section—having a different interface and different navigation, one that is tailored to the contractor's workflow rather than to that of a retail shopper—even though it obtains its catalog and inventory data from the same source.

Since the front end is shared, both retail and B2B users will always have the same look and feel, as that is how the system is configured. However, when the two are completely separate, as in ToolSwift's dashboard, each can be tailored to meet the requirements of its particular users. For instance, the needs of a contractor who places a large order at a job site are very different from those of a homeowner browsing paint colors. With separate experiences, these differences can be addressed directly rather than making compromises.

Epicor's argument for Commerce is built on having a single source of truth, with BisTrack providing pricing, stock levels, and account information directly to the storefront. However, integration partners explain that data usually does not come solely from BisTrack—enriched product information (descriptions, specifications, images) generally comes from a separate PIM system that also feeds the storefront alongside the ERP feed. Therefore, in actual implementations, the single source of truth usually involves BisTrack, a PIM, and Magento—three systems working together rather than one.

Rather than having a separate PIM attached to both the ERP and commerce layers, ToolSwift incorporates its own PIM into the same platform that includes the storefront. All product data, pricing, and catalog structure are stored in a single location. When it comes to integrating with its ERP, pricing and inventory are synchronized in real time wherever the ERP allows, but the platform also features its own standalone pricing logic and is therefore not restricted by the data a particular ERP can provide. For example, if a dealer's ERP does not handle tiered or customer-specific pricing well, ToolSwift can still set up that type of pricing on its own rather than being limited by what the ERP can do.

This setup affects how much work a dealer must do and impacts performance. When product data, pricing, and the catalog are all in one system instead of spread across an ERP, a separate PIM, and a Magento storefront, there is less back-and-forth between systems each time a page loads or a customer searches. This means faster response times, fewer slowdowns, and larger catalogs can be displayed without delays caused by data passing between the three systems. Dealers using Epicor Commerce should expect a multi-system setup—ERP, PIM, and storefront—even if marketed as a single platform. ToolSwift users have all their data in one place, with the ERP feeding into the system rather than being just one part of a chain.

Epicor does not publish pricing for Commerce in its public materials. Unlike ToolSwift's flat monthly fee, Epicor's total cost is not a single number but a stack of separate expenses tied specifically to the commerce platform.

The software license monthly cost is $500 at the entry level and increases to $2,000 or more for a more complete B2B/B2C configuration, the exact amount depending on which tier the dealer ends up in (Express, Base, Advanced, or Signature).

Hosting is a separate charge since the storefront is built on Magento, a resource-heavy platform, and as a result, managed cloud hosting capable of dealing with B2B traffic and the volume of API calls generally costs an additional $100 to $1,000 or more per month, the amount depending on the size of the catalog and the level of traffic.

Taken together, the actual monthly cost of the Epicor Commerce platform is between $600 and $3,000, or more, per month, which is well above the initial $500 license fee when hosting is factored in.

As for implementation, integrating a Magento online store with a dealer's products, prices, and inventory data involves a great deal of integration work, no matter which ERP system is used behind it; realistic initial estimates for the build itself start at at least $15,000 before adding in storefront design and theming (which is usually an extra $5,000 to $15,000) and any custom extensions.

On the other hand, ToolSwift provides a single figure for the entire platform—$499 per month per store, plus $250 per month for each additional location—and has no transaction fees or extra charges for hosting or licensing to factor into your budget.

Impact: The difference lies not just in the total cost but in how costs are structured. ToolSwift provides a single number you can add to your budget immediately. With Epicor Commerce, you see the real monthly cost only after adding the software license and hosting, which are billed separately and can change independently.

Epicor's legal terms show a consistent pattern across its product line: when a dealer accepts a quote, that quote locks in the service fee for a set term. After that term expires, the account moves to a month-to-month basis and becomes subject to fee changes unless the dealer signs another extended-term agreement. Several Epicor products have published minimum terms of two to three years. Epicor's public terms do not specify a minimum term for Commerce, so we cannot provide an exact number here. However, Epicor's standard practice leans toward locked, multi-year terms as the default starting point rather than month-to-month.

ToolSwift takes the opposite approach. A ToolSwift agreement is month-to-month with 30 days' notice as the starting point, not a fallback after another term expires. Locking into a 2- or 3-year term is a deliberate choice by the dealer in exchange for a 15% or 20% discount, not an automatic arrangement.

Impact: The real difference lies in the option you begin with. ToolSwift offers flexibility by default, allowing you to get a discount by selecting a longer commitment. In the case of Epicor, a long-term contract is the default, and you have to complete that term or negotiate to switch to a month-to-month agreement.

Lock-in applies more deeply here than just contract terms. As explained in the Architecture section, the link between BisTrack and the Magento storefront is set up and maintained through Epicor's process—specifically, a dealer or partner requests it, and Epicor's product and development team carries out the integration on Epicor's terms. Therefore, if a dealer leaves Epicor Commerce, they not only terminate a subscription but must start over and reestablish the data connection between the ERP and the new storefront platform, since that connection was never theirs to take.

ToolSwift sets up its ERP connections the same way, regardless of which ERP the dealer uses—whether it's BisTrack, Eagle, Spruce, or another system—so when switching between storefronts, there's no need to rebuild that component. The platform was never structurally linked to any one ERP vendor's integration pipeline from the start.

Impact: This point should be considered separately from the issue of the contract term, since it remains even at the end of the contract; even if a dealer completely gets rid of their Epicor Commerce agreement, they could still have to go through a real rebuild should they decide to switch to a different platform, merely because of the way the ERP connection was designed from the outset.

According to Epicor Commerce's product documentation, its quoting feature is described as a "Request a Quote" form that appears on a product page when the optional Hide Pricing setting is enabled. In this case, the customer makes a request rather than seeing the price, and the staff then contacts the customer to prepare the quote. This is essentially a digital adaptation of the conventional quote process: it can replace requests made by phone or email, but it still requires a member of staff to manually convert a list of items into priced line items.

Epicor does have a more automated option available in another part of its product range: an integration with Epicor CPQ for custom quotes and orders, but according to Epicor's own documentation, this integration is only available for Kinetic. Kinetic is a separate Epicor ERP system, designed for manufacturers, not distributors, and it isn't the ERP system being compared here. For a dealer using BisTrack, that automated CPQ option doesn't come into play at all.

Instead of scanning a request form, ToolSwift automates the creation of the quote. A contractor can begin the process by saying the order aloud on site, by taking a photo of a handwritten list or specification sheet, by scanning a barcode or a printed sheet, by uploading a takeoff form or blueprint, or by inserting a CSV or PDF list of supplies. The system then compares the items with the dealer's catalog and automatically compiles the quote with about 80 to 90 percent accuracy, so it is ready for a quick human check rather than having to be started from scratch.

Impact: The key difference lies not merely in speed but in the way staff allocate their time. When using a request form, each customer's list must be manually converted into a quote; with automated quoting, on the other hand, staff merely have to review and make adjustments to a quote that is already mostly complete. For BisTrack dealers, there is no built-in option to automate quoting, unlike Kinetic customers, because the CPQ integration is not available for BisTrack.

Since the only thing confirmed for BisTrack-connected Epicor Commerce is the request form, the only way a contractor can get a quote is to complete it on a product page. ToolSwift accepts voice inputs, photo inputs, scan inputs, takeoff inputs, and file uploads as valid methods for requesting a quote, catering to contractors by acknowledging where they actually are, since many of them aren't sitting at a desktop filling out a structured form, particularly when they are on site mid-job.

Impact: ToolSwift allows a quote to be initiated just as easily from a photo of a handwritten list or a voice memo taken at the job site as from a formal request. When the only available option is to complete a form, some contractors might choose to skip it and instead make a call or select a supplier whose process is easier.

When a contractor submits a quote request via ToolSwift, it doesn't vanish into an inbox. Instead, each quote is stored in the customer's account and can be accessed from both the customer dashboard and the mobile app, allowing the contractor to review all requests they have made, regardless of whether they resulted in an order. That history remains linked to the account rather than being kept in an email thread or in a staff member's memory of a phone call.

Impact: For contractors managing multiple jobs, being able to quickly locate previous quotes for a project—without having to sift through emails or phone calls—saves time for everyone involved. It also means the dealer's team can see the customer's full quote history in a single location, rather than across various channels.

With ToolSwift, an approved quote can be converted directly into an order, without re-entering details, while retaining the same line items, pricing, and customer account information. Since we have not found any confirmation of an equivalent quote-to-order conversion stage in Epicor Commerce's request-a-quote process, we have not included it in this comparison.

Epicor Commerce’s Base tier documentation lists a messaging feature called "Messaging: Kinetic, Prophet 21, and Eclipse Software to Website." Based on the name and description, this looks like a website plugin, likely a chat widget on the storefront, that connects to certain ERP systems. It does not seem to be a full messaging system for both web and mobile apps. The feature is only available for three ERPs: Kinetic, Prophet 21, and Eclipse. BisTrack is not included, similar to Epicor's CPQ quoting integration, which is available for other Epicor ERPs but has not been confirmed for BisTrack.

ToolSwift’s messaging is built into the platform and works in both the customer dashboard and the mobile app. This lets customers and staff communicate directly while managing quotes, orders, and account activity, without needing a separate website widget.

There is a real difference between these options, not just in availability. A website chat widget only works when someone is on the storefront using a browser. In contrast, messaging in a native mobile app can reach customers anywhere, much like a text message. This is especially useful for contractors managing orders from job sites instead of offices. Also, for dealers selling BisTrack, the website widget version has not been confirmed as available.

Epicor's payment system uses the Epicor Payment Exchange (EPX), a full-service processing service run by Epicor and connected via the Epicor Payment Gateway. With regard to its approach, Epicor is open about the advantage it offers: by using EPX as the processor, third-party gateway fees are eliminated, as Epicor assumes responsibility for authorization, settlement, and reporting throughout the process. Although the Epicor Payment Gateway is in principle capable of directing payments to a third-party processor rather than to EPX, and Epicor Commerce does support Stripe for ACH payments, a dealer who wishes to connect a different existing processor to their Epicor Commerce checkout generally does so by means of a separate add-on product, for example EBizCharge, which has been developed specifically so that an external gateway can be inserted into an Epicor Commerce Connect storefront even though no such capability is natively included.

ToolSwift makes no arrangement to tie a dealer to a particular payment processor. Instead, dealers are free to use their own existing relationship with a payment gateway—such as Stripe, VersaPay, Clover, Square, or Moneris if they are in Canada—rather than being directed by default to a single in-house processor.

Impact: This affects the people who control your payments and the timing of your payments. If the platform uses its own payment processor as the default option, it's simpler to process transactions within the company, whereas using a different processor incurs additional costs and greater complexity. With a gateway-agnostic platform, you can continue using your existing banking and payment arrangements without taking any additional steps.

The Epicor Commerce Base product features an AR Payment function that allows buyers on account to pay their open invoices with a credit card directly from their account summary, as well as Budget Limits and Approvals to set order limits per buyer. This is genuine, practical AR functionality that is included in the base tier.

ToolSwift dashboard offers the same features—credit limits, available credit, outstanding balances, and a direct 'Make a Payment' option—and also includes native card vaulting via Moneris for Canadian dealers, meaning the card is tokenized and stored so it does not need to be re-entered on each order.

Impact: Both platforms recognize that AR visibility is important for B2B accounts, since the ability to save and reuse a card makes it easier for contractors to place repeat orders, thereby moving toward true account-based billing rather than entering payment details every time.

Today, discoverability involves more than just appearing in Google's search results; it also means that products are displayed when someone uses an AI assistant, searches on Bing, or searches on social media.

Epicor Commerce is built on Magento, a platform that independent SEO experts repeatedly refer to as capable of delivering good search performance but not optimized right out of the box. In order to get a website built on Magento to perform well in Google and moreover in AI-powered search services—such as Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, and the like—deliberate technical measures are needed: this includes carrying out proper server-side rendering, correcting the index bloat that results from Magento's default faceted navigation due to the presence of thousands of near-duplicate URLs, and adjusting the site to meet current speed standards. One company's experience was that organic traffic to its Magento site declined and only recovered after server-side rendering was implemented correctly. All of this shows that it is entirely possible to get Epicor Commerce to perform well in search and AI discovery—with the appropriate implementation work—yet the platform does not do so automatically as advertised.

The storefront for ToolSwift is constructed using server-side and incremental static rendering (SSR/ISR) in order to improve searchability and the discoverability of its AI assistant, featuring dynamic sitemaps that are up to date, so that all product and category pages relying on s remain up-to-date as the catalog changes, rather than relying on a static file that becomes outdated. The company has also added support for the Universal Commerce Protocol, enabling its dealer catalogs to be accessed directly by AI shopping agents such as ChatGPT and Gemini.

Impact: The key point is the location where the work is carried out. With Magento, it is possible to achieve good SEO and AI search visibility, but only if the setup is performed correctly—otherwise, it carries risk. In contrast, a platform designed from the outset to support search and AI discoverability, featuring dynamic sitemaps and built-in support for AI shopping agents, eliminates these problems.

The Epicor Commerce Base system has a confirmed analytics feature: an admin dashboard that provides an overview of sales and customer activity. This is genuine, built-in reporting; even though Epicor's own description of it is concise, we were not able to verify the availability of more detailed analyses relating to margin, product-level conversion, or pricing performance, nor did we find that there is a built-in integration with Google Analytics to feed data on site visitors and conversions into that dashboard.

ToolSwift includes a dedicated Analytics section that tracks and monitors performance across sales, orders, customers, products, pricing, inventory, and site conversions, displaying conversion data. The information on site conversions and visitors is obtained directly from ToolSwift's integration with Google Analytics for the dealer's online store and is therefore fed straight into the platform.

Impact: The benefit of built-in analytics is that you can act on them directly in the store you manage; if the dashboard offered only a general summary, dealers who need detailed information on margins or conversion rates would have to use other Epicor products, which carry an additional cost.

When integrating a Magento website with BisTrack, the specialists who carry out the integration provide a standard time frame of 8 to 16 weeks – and that figure applies solely to the data integration aspect, which involves synchronizing pricing, inventory, and customer information between BisTrack and the storefront. This timeframe varies according to the number of sync points included, the state of the dealer's current data, and the complexity of their pricing and catalog logic. It should be noted that this estimate comes from a third-party integration agency, based on its own experience with BisTrack and Magento, not from Epicor's officially published timeline for Epicor Commerce itself – Epicor does not produce such a timeline.

For confirmed integrations, ToolSwift's onboarding process takes between 4 and 6 weeks, while for custom integrations, it takes between 8 and 12 weeks, with a dedicated account manager overseeing the process from the discovery stage right through to go-live.

Impact: Even when using the shortest possible estimate, setting up a Magento storefront with BisTrack connectivity takes roughly twice as long as a standard ToolSwift custom integration and a lot longer than a confirmed one; for dealers who are planning around a launch date, the busy season, or competition, this extended timeline presents actual planning difficulties.

Since Epicor Commerce is a Magento system that has been integrated with BisTrack via Epicor's own gatekept integration procedure, getting a project underway requires coordinating with Epicor's account team to define the connection and usually also involves an implementation partner or a consultancy to carry out the actual Magento build and add any customisations, meaning that for a single project there are two separate relationships rather than a single team taking overall responsibility for the entire process.

ToolSwift carries out its implementation itself, taking charge of all the steps from the initial discovery and collecting of requirements through to data migration, integration with the ERP or POS system, the design of the retail and contractor portals, the setup of the catalog and pricing, staff training, and going live, throughout the process, having a single project team and one dedicated account manager.

Impact: Having more parties involved in an implementation usually means more coordination and more chances for delays. When one team handles the whole project, there are fewer handoffs, and it's easier to know who to contact if something falls behind.

If you're reading this because you're using BisTrack, considering Epicor Commerce, or are already using it and are asking whether it's still the right choice, the straightforward answer is that it comes down to how closely you are, or want to be, tied to Epicor as your one supplier for both ERP and online store.

Epicor Commerce is a genuine and well-established platform, not something that has been added to BisTrack as a mere obligation. Those dealers who want a single vendor to be responsible for both their ERP system and their storefront, and who care about the close, native link between BisTrack's pricing, stock, and account data, will obtain precisely what they have agreed to.

On closer examination, a clear pattern emerges in this comparison. Epicor Commerce is a Magento storefront linked to BisTrack via a process developed by Epicor. As a result, the platform's flexibility, costs, and features are determined by the way Epicor has designed the ERP integration, rather than by the requirements of an independent storefront. This causes there to be tiered design options rather than full customization, a request-a-quote form instead of automated quoting, the absence of a confirmed dedicated B2B catalog with visible quantity breaks, no native customer app, and a cost structure consisting of separate software, hosting, and integration fees rather than a single clear price. These problems are not hidden—they are simply the outcome of building a commerce layer to extend an ERP.

ToolSwift was from the outset designed as a specialized B2B platform: it is headless and is built on APIs, has its own PIM, provides ERP-agnostic integrations, features a fully custom storefront backed by a reusable component library, offers AI-powered automated quoting, and includes a native customer app, all at a single published price without any transaction fees. Unlike Epicor's method, the compromise here is that a dealer is given a platform specifically designed to meet the needs of the B2B and contractor markets, rather than Epicor's single-vendor, all-in-one ERP-plus-commerce package.

Neither approach is inherently wrong; the real question is how much you want your retail storefront to depend on the same vendor as your ERP. If you are after a single-vendor bundle, then Epicor Commerce provides that. But if you are looking for a storefront and contractor experience designed for modern B2B buyers and compatible with any ERP, now or in the future, then ToolSwift offers it – and that is the main reason for conducting this comparison.

For confirmed integrations, the onboarding process at ToolSwift takes between 4 and 6 weeks, while for custom integrations it lasts between 8 and 12 weeks, with a dedicated account manager overseeing it from the discovery stage right through to go-live, and only a contract will be required if the dealer chooses to take one in order to get the discount.

If you want to see the difference for yourself, the quickest option is to book a live demonstration. We'll display your own catalog, your ERP system, and a real contractor order on the platform so you can see how it works. To request a demo, visit our website and click 'Book a Demo'. We typically reply within one business day to confirm details and tailor the demo to your needs.