Shopify is without a doubt one of the world’s biggest eCommerce platforms.
It is a website builder that makes it easy for entrepreneurs to start an online business and make it run more smoothly.
With Shopify, you don’t have to write a single line of code to build an online store.
But even though it’s convenient, it has some downsides and might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Shopify isn’t the only name in the game, which is good news.
Over the years, there have been a lot of new Shopify alternatives, so we’ve put together a full list to help you look at your options.
So keep reading to find out which platform is best for you!
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress that lets you sell things online.
It’s become very popular over the years, mostly because it’s easy and quick to set up.
The downside is that you need to know a little bit about hosting, basic web design, and domain names to set up a WooCommerce store.
But with more than 6,000 third-party plugins, you can add any feature you want to fully customize your store.
You can also make a free WordPress site and add the WooCommerce plugin to it.
You would still have to pay for hosting and some plugins and extensions, though.
Note: You can try WooCommerce dropshipping if you want to start a business on WooCommerce with little money.
Pros
There are many useful plugins and add-ons
If you know how to code, you can change everything about it.
There are a lot of WooCommerce users and a lot of tutorials online.
This plugin is free and easy to add to your WordPress site.
Your store can sell as many items as you want.
Since it was built on WordPress, it is better for SEO.
Cons
You might need to hire a company that makes websites.
To keep the site safe, you need technical skills.
Key Features
Your site can be made to do anything.
WordPress’s content management system has several ways to pay, including PayPal, debit cards, and credit cards.
Integration with social media sites like Instagram and Facebook is simple.
Magento
Magento, which is now called Adobe Commerce, is another open-source platform used to build medium- to large-sized eCommerce websites.
It lets you handle a huge number of visitors and gives you full control over how your site works.
But the problem is that the platform isn’t easy for newcomers to use and requires a lot of tech know-how.
But if you can get past that, you’ll be able to use its advanced customization tools to your advantage.
It’s great for business owners who want to grow their company over time.
In fact, Magento also gives you a wide range of reports to keep track of what your customers are doing and how your marketing efforts are going.
The community version of Magento is free, but you would still need to buy hosting and probably pay for development resources.
Pros
The version for the community is free to use.
If you know how to code, you can make more advanced changes.
Easy to change.
Flexible content management
Power marketing tools
Cons
Someone needs to buy hosting.
Needs to know a lot about coding
There is no payment processing built in.
Key Features
SEO tools that can’t be beat
API for web services that is mobile-friendly
BigCommerce
Without a doubt, BigCommerce is one of the best alternatives to Shopify on this list.
Like its competitor, it lets you set up an eCommerce store even if you don’t know how to code.
Its drag-and-drop editor gives you the freedom to make your eCommerce site look the way you want.
You can also find a large number of ready-made themes, though most of them will cost you money.
BigCommerce has a lot of features built in, so you don’t always have to use third-party apps.
It also has a long list of SEO tools that you can use to help with your marketing.
One big problem with BigCommerce, though, is that the site doesn’t always load quickly.
Most of the time, this happens when you add too many apps to your site, but it can be fixed.
The prices for the platform are also a lot like Shopify’s.
Its Standard plan costs $29.95 per month, while the Plus plan costs $79.95 and the Pro plan costs $299.95.
Pros
You don’t need to know how to code.
Drag and drop tools for store design
Effective SEO tools
Quite a few features built in
More than 10 of them are free.
Cons
Cost of monthly membership
Helping customers needs to get better.
Speed of site varies
Key Features
There are no transaction fees and more than 50 payment gateways.
Allows multi-channel selling
Flexible and friendly to mobile devices
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is a free eCommerce platform that small business owners on a tight budget often use.
Even though you can download the platform for free, you will still need to find a domain and hosting.
We like that PrestaShop can be changed to fit our needs the most.
Since you have access to the code, you can make your site better in every way.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that PrestaShop is more adaptable than Shopify.
Also, you don’t really need to know how to code to set up a basic store on PrestaShop.
But it is clear that advanced customizations do require some technical knowledge.
The platform also lets you use more than one currency and up to 25 different languages.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, PrestaShop doesn’t charge a fee for making sales.
Pros
Free, and there are no extra fees
Supports multiple languages
Payment gateways that are safe and easy to use
Maximum customizability
Easy to set up
Cons
For more advanced customizations, you need to know how to code.
Limited ability to grow
No official team of helpers
Key Features
A lot of listings
New tools for SEO
Tools for managing inventory
There are many ways to pay.
Squarespace
Squarespace is a popular SaaS-based system that is known for giving its users a lot of design freedom.
Squarespace’s Basic Plan costs $26 per month and includes hosting.
It has some of the most beautiful themes and templates for eCommerce.
Squarespace’s drag-and-drop feature also makes it easy to set up a store.
Even though it’s called the “King of Design,” it’s not the “King of Features.”
The platform doesn’t have as many sales tools as other eCommerce platforms.
Also, their user interface (UI) and dashboard are a bit clunky and could use some work.
Another big problem with SquareSpace is that it only works with PayPal and Stripe as payment methods, which is not ideal.
In short, you can’t go wrong with PrestaShop if your main goal is to make a unique store with a designer look.
But it may not be the best choice if you want more advanced features.
Pros
Make beautiful websites without any trouble.
Hosting is part of the package.
You don’t need to know how to code.
A large number of themes from designers
Great help with technology
Cons
Interface and dashboard that are hard to use
has few features and few ways to pay.
Key Features
fits in with MailChimp.
On mobile, sites look great.
As many as 80 good templates
Sell as many items as you want.
Volusion
Volusion is a shopping cart that is hosted in the cloud. More than 100,000 merchants around the world trust it.
It’s perfect for small business owners who don’t want to sell hundreds of items.
There is a $29/month subscription fee, but it doesn’t charge a fee for each sale.
Features are the best thing about Volusion. Because it has so many plugins and extensions, you don’t have to spend extra money on third-party apps.
Its easy-to-use interface can help you set up most of your store, but you may still need to know how to code.
On the other hand, if you get stuck, you can just follow a tutorial online to get your store up and running.
The most annoying thing about Volusion is that its bandwidth is limited. If you go over the limit, it can cost you $7 per GB more.
We don’t recommend this platform for medium- to large-sized businesses because of this.
Pros
A large number of plugins and add-ons
Use-friendly
A quick way to figure out shipping and tax rates
Plans that include hosting
No extra charge for the transaction
Cons
Not enough bandwidth
Cost of monthly membership
Poor template variety
Key Features
Mobile app Supports multiple payment gateways
Free tools for analytics and SEO
Wix
Wix’s popularity has grown by a lot over the years. Drag-and-drop tools make it easy for even people who have never made a website before to make one.
It is the go-to choice for many new and experienced users because it has so many beautiful templates and themes that can be changed.
There are two ways to set up a site on Wix. One is to use its automated assistant, which sets up your site based on your answers to a questionnaire.
The other way is to use the drag-and-drop Wix editor directly, which gives you more freedom to change things.
The Wix store has more than 250 apps, and it also lets you sell on more than one platform.
Wix’s Basic Plan costs $5 per month and gives you 500MB of storage and 1GB of bandwidth.
The eCommerce Plan, which costs $16.50 per month, is what most digital entrepreneurs choose. It comes with a free domain name and hosting, as well as 20GB of storage space and 10GB of bandwidth.
Lastly, it has a VIP Plan for $24.50 per month, which is still less than Shopify.
Pros
Convenient drag and drop editor
A huge number of themes and templates to choose from
Plans that are cheap and include hosting
Easy for beginners to learn
A lot of things
Cons
Not enough traffic and bandwidth
The ads are on the starter plan.
Not enough SEO tools
Key Features
All of the sites are safe.
All Wix sites are mobile-friendly
enables selling on multiple channels
Read: Wix vs. Shopify: Which Is Better for Building an Online Store?
Weebly
Weebly has also become more popular because it tries to give its users an all-in-one solution.
Weebly has a good set of features and a drag-and-drop feature that makes it easy to build a website.
Weebly’s Basic Plan costs $10 per month, while the Business Plan costs $30 per month. We think that small business owners should choose the second option.
Weebly has a lot of themes that can be used for design, but they can’t be changed.
Even the colors on your site can’t be changed, which is a huge letdown.
Overall, Weebly’s design limitations make it a bad choice for medium- to large-sized businesses.
But it’s great for beginners who want to make a site quickly and start selling right away.
Pros
More than seventy models
UI is easy to get around.
Several different parts
There are a lot of helpful plugins and add-ons.
Hosting is part of its plans.
Cons
Few ways to change things
With the Business Plans, you can only sell digital goods.
The tools that let you drag and drop things could use some work.
There is no free trial.
Key Features
A well-made app for a mobile device
There are many ways to pay, such as debit and credit cards.
enables selling on multiple channels
Includes the option of a blog.
OpenCart
OpenCart is also becoming more and more popular very quickly.
It is an open-source eCommerce platform that lets you make sites that look professional.
OpenCart has a huge number of plugins, add-ons, and themes that you can use to make your site work and look exactly how you want it to.
But we have to say that OpenCart isn’t the best platform for people who don’t know much about computers.
It works best when you know how to use its flexibility, which can only be done by developers with a lot of experience.
OpenCart has a large community and good documentation to help you get started.
Pros
Free to use in every way
There are thousands of plugins and add-ons.
Fully adaptable
There are many ways to pay.
Cons
Needs a lot of experience with coding
Not the best place to start out.
No customer support
Key Features
12 different languages can use it.
enables selling on multiple channels
Easy to change.
Open-source PCI compliant
Sellfy
Sellfy is an eCommerce platform that is easy to use and is mostly used by people who sell digital products.
This makes it perfect for people who want to sell digital illustrations, video courses, or even music.
You can still sell physical products on the platform, though.
Sellfy charges a monthly subscription fee that ranges from $29 to $129 per month.
It also comes with a 14-day free trial that you can use to see if the platform is right for your business.
With Sellfy’s easy-to-use interface, it’s pretty simple to set up a store on the platform.
There are many useful features already built into the platform, such as marketing tools.
Sellfy is a good platform overall, especially if you want to sell digital products.
Pros
Easy for first-timers to set up
There are many features that can help you market.
Great for beginners
lets you sell an unlimited number of products
Fast checkouts
Cons
Only a few connections
Not customizable enough
Only two companies handle payments.
Key Features
Mobile app
Interface is clean and easy to use
Email marketing is built in.
BigCartel
BigCartel is a lot like Sellfy in that it mainly helps artists sell their work online.
There aren’t many fancy features on the platform, but it has more than enough to help you run a small online business.
You don’t have to pay anything to use BigCartel, but you can only sell up to 5 items.
Which is still not bad, especially if you have no plans to grow your business.
If you want to sell more products, you can buy either the Platinum or Diamond Plans, which cost $9.99 or $19.99 and have more features.
The biggest problem with the platform is that it doesn’t have chat or phone support for customers.
BigCartel also doesn’t have a way to search through its inventory. As we’ve already said, it’s a good way to start a small store, but it’s not the best option for larger businesses.
Pros
A free plan that lets you sell up to five items
Easy to set up and use
There are also cheap paid plans.
No fees to do business
Cons
Not the best choice for stores with more space.
Hasn’t got too many things going for it.
Helping customers needs to get better.
Stock management is not part of the free plan.
Few themes and ways to change them
Key Features
SSL encrypted Easy to integrate with Google Analytics
You can run the store from your phone.
Zyro
Zyro, which was started in 2019, is one of the more recent platforms on this list.
The platform has become popular because it has similar features to Shopify but costs a lot less.
Zyro’s Basic Plan only costs $5 per month, and its most expensive plan only costs $15.90 per month.
Zyro also has drag-and-drop page builders that are easy to use and give you a lot of creative freedom.
It also has a marketplace with lots of apps that you can use to give the site the features you want.
On the Zyro marketplace, you can also find apps that work with dropshipping.
Even so, Zyro is still a fairly new platform, so not as many people use it as they do other platforms.
But we are sure that Zyro will become a close competitor of Shopify in the coming years.
Pros
30 days to get your money back
Drag-and-drop tools make it easy to change.
More than 70 ways to pay
Supports multiple languages
works with all kinds of online stores.
Cons
Only the advanced plan lets you sell through multiple channels.
On mobile, the site is a little slow.
Key Features
Tools that use AI to make logos and write content
Blogs and the ability to schedule posts
All of Zyro’s websites are made for mobile use.
Square Online
Square Online used to be well-known for its point-of-sale (POS) system, but they’ve recently changed to offer an all-in-one eCommerce solution.
You can use Square Online even if you don’t know how to code because they make it easy to get started.
The intuitive user interface (UI) of the platform will walk you through each step so that you can set up your store with as little work as possible.
Square Online is one of the Shopify alternatives that won’t break the bank. You can set up a store for free, but there is a fee for each transaction.
But all in all, it’s a good platform, especially for people who are just starting out and don’t want to pay too much up front.
Pros
You can make a site without cost.
You can add eCommerce features without making a full store by using checkout pages.
Simple to set up.
Cons
Unless you pay to get PayPal, Square is the only way to pay.
It can be hard to grow your business.
Key Features
You can list as many products as you want.
It’s easy to connect to Instagram and Facebook.
Sends customers text updates that are encrypted with SSL
Shift4Shop
Shift4Shop is a platform for shopping carts that has a lot to offer.
You may not know the name, but the platform has been around since 1997, when it was called 3D cart.
People who have used it know that it is similar to modern eCommerce solutions in many ways.
Shift4Shop can be used by even big businesses because it can store an unlimited number of items.
The platform starts at $19 per month and goes up to $229 per month, depending on which plan you choose.
In addition to features like abandoned cart email, powerful SEO tools are also included in advanced plans.
On top of that, Shift4Shop gives its users top-notch security.
Pros
Provides a wide range of features
There are no hidden fees or extra charges.
Clean user interface; lots of marketing tools
An unpaid plan
Cons
The UI could be easier to use.
No support for multiple languages. Customer service needs to get better.
It might be hard to use.
Key Features
Security for more than 70 payment gateways has been certified by PCI.
X-Cart
X-Cart also tries to meet all of your eCommerce needs in one place.
It comes with a ton of different features and lets you change your site as much as you want.
But you need to know how to code to take advantage of the flexibility it offers.
Overall, X-Cart gives you enough room to be creative so that you can make a website that is both unique and attractive.
The only big problem with the platform is that its customer service isn’t very good.
If you have a problem, they might not be very helpful, which is a shame because the platform has a lot of potential.
So you’ll love X-Cart, especially if you have the technical skills to deal with these kinds of problems.
Pros
SEO tools and other features are included.
It’s easy to add extensions and plugins.
Rich UX order management on mobile is easy to set up.
Cons
It’s hard to find people who can work on X-Cart.
Customer service needs to be made better.
Key Features
All X-Cart sites are mobile-friendly.
SSL-compliant and PCI-compliant; can be integrated with MailChimp and other platforms
FAQs about Shopify Alternatives
What Are Things to Consider When Choosing an eCommerce Platform?
Before you choose an eCommerce platform for your business, here are some things to watch out for:
Platform Price
Even though it might seem obvious, when we say “price,” we don’t just mean the cost up front.
There are a lot of other things to think about, like the transaction fee and the features.
For example, some platforms may have a lower base rate, but they might not have the features you want.
In the same way, using WordPress and WooCommerce to make a site is free, but you still have to pay for hosting, which can add up to a lot of money.
Shopify, on the other hand, is fully hosted, but you have to pay a monthly fee to use it.
Aside from that, its tools and plugins are also thought to cost a lot.
So, your goal here is to figure out what features come with a platform’s base rate and what other costs you would have to pay for.
Technical Knowledge
Some platforms need you to know more about technology than others.
For example, if your site is built on Magento, you would need advanced coding skills or maybe even a whole team to help you build and maintain the site.
But things become much easier if you use a platform like Shopify or BigCommerce.
You can make your site look exactly how you want it to using their drag-and-drop page builders.
With the help of their third-party apps, it’s also easy to add whatever functionality you want to the site.
So, before choosing an eCommerce platform, you should always think about how much technical knowledge it needs.
Technical Support
If you don’t know much about technology, having technical support built into a platform can make a huge difference.
Even though they can’t help you add new features to your site, they can fix bugs and other simple problems.
Some platforms offer technical support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while others only work on business days.
Another thing to think about is the kind of support they offer.
Find out if they are easy to reach by phone or live chat, or if you have to send them an email and wait days to hear back.
Larger platforms also have forums where you can post your questions and get quick answers from other users, which is a big plus.
Overall, if you want to run a successful eCommerce business, you need to make sure you have timely technical support.
Features
Each platform has its own features that make it stand out.
The right features not only make it easier to run your business day-to-day, but they can also help or hurt the success of your business.
For example, some platforms come with built-in marketing tools and integrations to help you promote your business, in addition to the basic features.
If the platform doesn’t have these features, you should at least be able to install apps from other developers.
Security
Because there are more and more attacks online, it’s important for business owners to take cybersecurity seriously.
As the owner of an eCommerce store, it’s your job to make sure that your customers’ information is safe.
If you don’t know how to take the necessary security steps, choose a platform that does this for you.
The platform should have at least SSL, PCI compliance, data backups, and protection against fraud.
What Ecommerce Platforms are Good for Beginners?
Here are some of the best eCommerce sites for people who are just starting out:
Shopify, WooCommerce, and WordPress (with page builder plugin)
Shift4Shop \sWix \sZyro
All of these platforms have drag-and-drop page editors, which are the same thing.
This makes it easy to change the look of your site without having to write any code.
Which Shopify Alternatives are Good for Dropshipping?
Without a doubt, WooCommerce is one of the best alternatives to Shopify for dropshipping.
The reason is that it is easy to set up and comes with a lot of third-party apps that can help your business run more smoothly.
If you want to find out more, you can also read our in-depth comparison of Shopify and WooCommerce.
There are also good platforms like Magento and BigCommerce, but you need to know a lot about coding to use them.
Is There a Free Shopify Alternative?
Shopify doesn’t have an option that is completely free. You don’t have to pay to use WooCommerce or Magento, but you would have to pay for hosting and third-party apps.
In the same way, Wix has a free starting plan and free hosting, but the free version isn’t good for eCommerce businesses because it has ads.
Who Are the Top Shopify Competitors?
The best alternatives to Shopify are:
Magento is good for all kinds of online stores.
Dropshipping is easy with WooCommerce.
Squarespace is great for making storefronts that look good.
Wix is good for small companies.
The best way to grow your business is with BigCommerce.
Final Thoughts
People think of Shopify as a standard eCommerce platform, but that’s not true at all anymore.
There are many alternatives to Shopify that are full of features.
The main difference between these platforms is how much technical know-how you need to use them.
Some make it easy to build an attractive store by letting you drag and drop items.
Others require a deeper understanding of technology and coding skills.
You also have to decide whether you want your website to be hosted or self-hosted.
Overall, your final choice will depend on your budget, your technical skills, and the goals you have for your business.
