17 Best Shopify Alternatives For 2023

When creating an e-commerce store, Shopify is one of the best picks. Why? Because you can make an online store from scratch without putting in much effort. 

You do need to write code or learn website design. Shopify is an e-commerce platform that makes your job a lot easier. 

But Shopify does not suit all businesses. So, you need to do your research before choosing it. 

However, other e-commerce platforms can host your e-commerce store. We have made a list of Shopify alternatives to help you out. 

What is Shopify?

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that lets you create, design, and sell on your own online store. You can customize it with your photos, products, and more. 

It is also a software-as-a-service for people to host their online stores. 

Shopify is a complete e-commerce solution for building and running your online store. It provides an intuitive point-and-click interface for creating and managing your store. 

With Shopify, you can start selling on your site in minutes with no technical knowledge required. 

Shopify also helps you find the right suppliers and partners to keep your business running smoothly.

Why is Shopify so popular?

Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform for online stores. It was founded in 2004 by Tobias Lutke, Scott Lake, and Daniel Weinand.  Shopify is well-known because of many reasons:

• It’s easy to use and customize to fit your needs. You don’t have to hire someone to design your website or logo — you can do it yourself!

• There are also many free themes available on the Shopify Store that will help you create a beautiful website without spending thousands of dollars on professional services like graphic designers or web developers.

• It is the most affordable e-commerce platform on the market. Shopify offers free website templates, free shipping, hosting, and unlimited products and photos.
• It has the most user-friendly interface of any e-commerce platform. It's easy to use and has built-in tools such as PayPal integration and an easy-to-use feature called "one-click checkout."

• Shopify offers many features beyond other platforms, including E-commerce tools like order management, shipping, and invoicing.

• There is an option to use Google Analytics to track customer behavior and see where their eyes go on your site.

• Finally, Shopify makes it easy for small and large businesses to set up an online store. You can scale your business as you grow or when you need more features. 

So if you're looking for an affordable solution for running your online store, then Shopify should be your choice!

Why Should I Use Shopify?

Shopify is an excellent platform for anyone who wants to start an online store. It’s easy to use, is affordable, and has many great features.

There are a lot of reasons why you should use Shopify. We've listed the top 5 below:

Easy to Use

Shopify is straightforward to use. If you have ever purchased an e-commerce website before, you already know how easy it is to set up and manage your online store on Shopify. 

You don't need any technical skills or experience with e-commerce. You can create a beautiful website in minutes and then publish your products on the Shopify platform in seconds.

Affordable

If you want an affordable, good-looking e-commerce website, then Shopify is the best option.

They offer monthly plans from as low as $29 per month for a small business with no sales tax in the US and Canada and even lower for companies selling internationally without sales tax. 

This makes it much more affordable than most other platforms, which charge much higher prices for their services.

Better Inventory Management

Shopify's inventory management feature allows businesses to manage their inventory easily. It ensures they’re always keeping track of what they have in stock at any given time so they don’t run out during peak seasons like Christmas or Black Friday. 

This helps them save money on shipping costs because they don't have to worry about having enough inventory ready. 

Sell internationally

Shopify makes it easy for anyone to start selling online, no matter where they live. It’s not just about selling locally, either. Both domestic and international clients can find you on the internet. 

Great Customer Service

If you have questions or concerns about your store, you can contact Shopify’s customer service team directly through their website or app (or even over the phone). 

They will be able to answer any questions you might have and help fix any issues with your store. They are available 24*7. 

7 Reasons To Look For A Shopify Alternative

You're frustrated

Shopify was built as a solution for small businesses and entrepreneurs, but it's not always easy.

You might find that you can't make changes or add new products quickly enough to keep up with demand. You might have to pay for more if you run out of space in your storefront.

There may be many reasons you might be frustrated with Shopify, like using Shopify payments or its customer service. 

Steep learning curve

The learning curve is steep, so it's hard to get started without help from an expert who knows how to set up and use a Shopify store. 

While no coding is required, if you want to step up your online business, you may need the help of an expert. 

Many experts also offer services like website design and hosting as part of their packages so that they can focus on building your store instead of helping you learn how to make it yourself.

Pricing

In addition to the monthly fees, Shopify often charges extra for hosting fees and maintenance plans.

You'll have more control over pricing if you're managing your site instead of paying someone else for theirs — but if you have an area where you can cut costs (like hosting fees), keep that in mind when looking at alternatives.

Apps from Third parties

It's possible that your current Shopify store doesn't have all the features you need. If you're comfortable with building your app, this can be an option for you. 

However, if you're not technically inclined or are just not confident in your abilities, consider using an app from a third party instead.

Apps from third parties include brands like Magento and WooCommerce, allowing you to create an e-commerce site quickly and easily. 

These apps are often free or inexpensive to use and will have many features that may not be available in Shopify.

Want more control over site SEO

If you want more control over how your site ranks in search engines (like Google), look into using another service like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) PowerSuite.

Because Shopify offers limited SEO tools that do not encourage optimal ranking. 

However, other services like SEO POwersuite can help increase visibility by analyzing your website's performance and optimizing it accordingly. 

They also provide analytics to see what's working best for your site and make changes accordingly.

Don't Want To Use Shopify Payments

Another drawback of using Shopify for web hosting your e-commerce store is its tricky payment gateway. If you do not use Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe), then Shopify charges you 2% transaction fees for each sale. 

So, if you do not want to pay the transaction fee for every sale when not using Shopify payments, it is high time to look for other eCommerce platforms. 

Have A Large Complex Catalog

If you have a large complex catalog, then Shopify may not be suitable for you. At Shopify, you are limited to 100 SKUs per product and only three options per product. 

If your catalog is exceptionally complex and you have thousands of products, it may be worth looking at alternatives such as Magento.

Features You Should Consider on Your Next Ecommerce Platform

 Your e-commerce platform should be built with the flexibility to grow with you. It should enable your business to grow as your business grows. Here are some e-commerce features to look out for when choosing an option for your online store-

1. Multiple Payment Options 

Your e-commerce platform should allow you to accept multiple payment methods, including credit cards and PayPal, bank wires, and other options such as Apple Pay and so on.

This will allow you to expand your reach beyond just credit cards, which is an essential factor in today’s digital world.

2. Customization Opportunities

You should look for an e-commerce platform that allows you to customize your site according to your needs, be it by adding more products or changing the layout of your shop entirely. 

The more customization opportunities available on your e-commerce platform, the better it will be for you and your customers!

3. A Catalog That Can Grow As You Grow

When growing your business, having an e-commerce platform that allows you to add new products easily is essential — even if it means paying more. 

Some e-commerce platforms offer cheaper options. The more products in your catalog, the more money you'll make on each sale — so don't skip this!

17 Great Shopify Alternatives

1. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a one-stop shop for all your e-commerce needs, from product listings to checkout, product management, and more. With over 45,000 online stores using BigCommerce, you can be confident in their support and incredible customer service.

Pros

• Design the store from scratch with in-built prompts during the online store creation process. 
• Many beautiful themes automatically create your store. 
• It offers excellent 24/7 customer support. 
• BigCommerce has one of the best security offered by online web hosting services. 
• It also has a decent payment processing system. 
• Its marketing features are built into the platform, making advertising your store much easier. 
• Above all, BigCommerce does not ask for transaction fees no matter which payment gateway you use. 

Cons

•  The standard fees of BigCommerce and Shopify are in the same range of $29/month. So, it's not the cheapest option out there. 
• There are fewer add-ons available in the app marketplace compared to other platforms. 
• Inventory management can be a headache if you have a lot of products to manage. 
• If you are dissatisfied with the platform, you must shut the store because you can’t switch it to another platform. 

Price: Free trial of 15 days, with standard plans starting from $29.95/month

2. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is another excellent alternative to Shopify’s e-commerce platform. It is easy to use and offers features like product customization tools and order management tools that make it easier for users to manage their online stores.

Pros

• If you have a WordPress blog, you can set up your e-commerce store for free with WooCommerce. 
• WooCommerce is built on top of the world’s most popular CMS, that is WordPress. 
• WooCommerce is free to use. 
• You can sell physical as well as digital products using this platform. 
• Can list unlimited categories and products. 
• Easy to use interface with better order tracking. 
• Blogging with WooCommerce is better than with Shopify. 
• It also has advanced marketing features. 

Cons

• For new sellers, running a WooCommerce store can be daunting. It is easy for anyone with a tech background who knows how to code. But a nightmare for the tech-challenged seller. 
• WooCommerce has a steep learning curve because it has technical aspects you must learn to manage the score. 
• WordPress plugins may sometimes pose a problem causing problems with your site. 
• Your plugins, when not updated, can slow down the website. 

Price: Domain fees and transaction fees are different. However, it may take a minimum of $135/ per year. But it can go up to up to $1000/year. 

3. Magento/Adobe Commerce

Magento is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in the world. They originally built the platform for powering online stores for small businesses, but it’s now used by large chains like Moschino, Coca-Cola, and Swatch. In terms of market share, Magento comes third, next to Shopify and WooCommerce.

Pros

• Limitless customization to twist and edit templates the way you like them. It is highly flexible because if Magento doesn’t have the required functionality, you can always add a third-party integration. 
• It has multiple out-of-the-box features like a multi-language panel, intuitive admin, multi-store views, etc. 
• It is highly scalable and can handle peak loads. 
• It has all the necessary tools to create a mobile-friendly device. 
• Out-of-the-world SEO capabilities from unique category paths for product URLs to Metadata for the homepage, product/category pages, rich snippets, etc. 

Cons

• Magento is an expensive platform as compared to other e-commerce solutions. It was mainly intended for high-end stores, that's why the higher price range. 
• It is a complex platform to learn. You need to know to code if you want to customize your store. 
• The customization process is time-consuming and complex. 
• It only needs powerful hosting like a VPS (Virtual Private Server), cloud, or dedicated servers.

Price: It can be between $10,000/ year and $22,000/ year.

4. PinnacleCart 

PinnacleCart is another e-commerce platform that allows developers to create their stores on top of an existing system. 

It's not as easy to use as either Magento or Shopify. Still, it offers advanced features like a drag-and-drop page builder for customizing pages, along with more flexibility than either of these systems. 

Pros

• Create a visually appealing Facebook, online, or mobile-based store with thousands of easy-to-use templates. 
• Offers complete store control starting from accounting tools to SEO optimization tools. 
• It has advanced search engine optimization features.
• It supports multiple payment gateways and multiple carriers. 
• It also supports several languages. 
• Boasts high-security measures that bear the PA-DDS certification

Cons

• Quite expensive as compared to other Shopify competitors. 
• No built-in POS System
• Too complex to use. 

Price: Free trial available, Paid plans start from $79.95/month. 

5. Shift4Shop

Shift4Shop is an open-source e-commerce solution that offers many of the same features as Shopify, such as pricing plans, tax calculations, payment gateways, and shipping rates - all designed specifically for small businesses with limited budgets. Moreover, it has got a free version for US citizens. 

Pros

• It has a free paid plan as well as paid plans. 
• It works with over 100 payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, Square, and Authorize.net. 
• Self-support options are available, like webinars and tutorials. 
• Beginner-friendly with a lot of easy-customizable templates. 
• It has built-in marketing tools for better advertising your online store. 

Cons

• The E-commerce platform isn’t multilingual. 
• Free templates are boring to use. 
• The interface is hard to understand. 
• Lacks a customer support plan 
• There are many issues related to upgrades. 

Price: A free plan that charges you 2.90% + 30 cents per transaction. 

6. Wix 

You can create beautiful websites easily with the help of this tool. The templates are user-friendly, and they are compatible with all web browsers.

It comes with a drag-and-drop editor that makes it easy to design your online store from scratch. You can also use its "Drag & Drop Builder" option to customize the template according to your needs.

Pros

• The drag-and-drop feature is pretty useful when creating a website. 
• There are 500+ free templates to set up your store. 
• You can accept transactions online. 
• It has a pretty cool design editor that's suitable for new sellers. 
• It has affordable plans for newbies and hobbyists. It also has a powerful free plan. 

Cons

• Only suitable for a short-term setup. 
• Suitable for hobbyists and sellers with a limited budget. 
• Not suitable if you are looking for future expansion, as it offers no scalability. 
• There is no Amazon FBA support, which is a deal breaker. 

Price: The business basic plan starts from $225/month. 

7. Zyro

Zyro is a Shopify alternative that offers many of the same features as Shopify but with a few unique twists. If you’re looking for a Shopify alternative that provides the same features and functionality as Shopify but at a lesser price, you should consider Zyro.

Pros

• Very affordable prices, even its advanced plan costs lesser than Shopify’s basic plan. 
• 70+ payment methods. 
• It has AI tool assistance to help with website building. 
• You can build a blog with Zyro and schedule posts as well. 
• It has a copy generator and logo-building tools. 
• There is free hosting and domain on some plans. 

Cons

• You can’t change the template once the website is made—there is no room for change. 
• Multi-channel selling is only available in advanced plans. 
• Slow website response. 

Price: Basic plan costs $2.90/month

8. Sellfy

Sellfy is an e-commerce platform that's very different from Shopify. It is a user-friendly e-commerce platform best for selling digital products. But you can also sell physical products here. The free plan is pretty generous, which lets you sell up to 10 products without any free. 

Pros

• Can build a high-functioning store in a matter of minutes. 
• It has a  built-in print-on-demand service. 
• It also has built-in marketing features like email marketing tools. 
• Embed the buy-now button with ease 
• A mobile app is available. 
• You can sell unlimited products. 

Cons

• Limited customization options like there won’t be sorting or filter options in your store. 
• It works best for digital products. 
• It has limited integration. 

Price: Free plan available, Basic plan starts at $22/month. 

9. Nexcess StoreBuilder

Nexcess StoreBuilder is affordable if you're looking for an all-in-one solution. It is built with WooCommerce. 

It comes with pre-built features to get your store up and running quickly and includes everything from shipping options to payment gateways. If you like WooCommerce but do not have advanced technical knowledge in website creation, Nexcess StoreBuilder is the option for you. 

Pros

• One of the most affordable e-commerce platforms, with a $15.83/month fee. 
• It provides free web hosting; you do not have to pay separately. 
• Higher response time and website work smoothly. 
• It offers free and premium, ready-to-use templates. 
• Easy-to-use dashboard
• It has an AI-powered site builder, which makes website creation easier. 
• Free website migration is available if you want to switch your store to Nexcess. 
• It has the best security with an  SSL certificate and iTheme Security Pro plugin. 
• It has daily backups to keep your website safe. 
• 24/7 customer service support via email, phone, chat, and social media. 
• There is a  free staging environment or copy site where you can test the changes you want to make to your online store. 

Cons

• Most of the templates may require customization
• No multi-channel functionality
• No demo is available on their official site. 
• It has only two payment gateways to buy Nexcess Storebuilder- PayPal and Credit card. 

Price: Free trial available. Paid plans start from $49/per month.

10. Volusion

Volusion has pricing plans similar to what Shopify offers, but it was initially designed to sell only digital products. That’s why using Volusion can be tricky. But it is still one of the best Shopify alternatives because of its add-ons, multiple payment gateways, and no transaction fees. 

Pros

• Many useful features are built into the dashboard. 
• There are no transaction fees for certain plans. 
• It offers built-in tools like email marketing, newsletters, and much more. 
• No coding is required to set up the store. 
• Video tutorials to help you set up the store. 
• There are plenty of payment gateway options to use. 
• It supports an in-depth analysis of your store and marketing initiatives. 
• You can sell unlimited products. 

Cons

• Hard to set up digital products to sell. 
• Not many free themes are available to use. You will have to buy a plan. 
• No add-on store available. 
• It has limited design features and templates. 

Price: Starts from $35/month

11. BigCartel

Big Cartel is a marketplace for selling products online. It’s similar to Etsy because it is focused on artists, but it has a more extensive inventory and more categories. You can create an account and add items to sell, where you can sell up to 5 products freely. 

Pros

• No coding is needed to use BigCartel
• Simple but effective SEO features
• A free plan is available. 
• Extremely affordable, with the most expensive plan only costing $29.90. 
• No transaction fees are required. 
• Real-time inventory tracking is available in the admin dashboard. 
• Suitable for artists and small businesses. 

Cons

• Not suitable for sellers who want to customize their store deeply. 
• Limited choice of themes. 
• No inventory plan is available with the free version of BigCartel. 
• Customer support is not available 24/7 and is only available through email. 
• Not a suitable choice for big businesses. 

Price: Free plan available(5 products). Paid plans start from $9.99/month. 

12. Squarespace

Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder and hosting service that lets you create any kind of website with its drag-and-drop interface. You can choose from the fantastic available themes for your website design. Squarespace is known for creating beautiful websites. 

Pros

• Many attractive templates are available for publication. 
• Easy navigation in the backend. 
• Easy to customize with editable templates. 
• All-in-one platform with inbuilt features from analytics to blogging. 
• It is a perfect choice for newbies who do not know how to code. 
• Customer support is available 24/7

Cons

• Not scalable if you want to develop a six or 7-figure business. 
• Price is expensive given the average features.
• Less control over the functionality because you can’t install third-party extensions. 
• SEO features are lacking, with only a basic meta structure. 

Price: Starts from $16/month.

13. Prestashop

Prestashop is an open-source e-commerce platform allowing users to easily create online stores. The best thing about it is you can use the source code to create your unique online store. 

Pros

• Easy to install, even with a weak internet connection
• Open source platform that you can use free of cost. 
• Maintaining the website is hassle-free. 
• Easily customizable. 
• Multiple languages are available, so it is helpful for all types of localization. 
• Highly secure payment gateways. 
• Can sell an unlimited number of products. 

Cons

• You must know how to write code to create an online store with Prestashop. 
• Suitable for small to medium-scale businesses because of limited scalability. 
• Design lacks professional touch. 
• Customer support costs money. 

Price: Free to use. 

14. Square Online

Square is a web-based, point-of-sale (POS) system that allows small businesses to accept credit cards on their websites and mobile apps. Square will enable customers to buy products using cash or credit cards. It also offers them discounts and rewards. 

Square Online is a free online website building service, which comes along with Square POS. So, using Square, you can quickly get Square online for free. 

Pros

• Easy to customize templates. 
• Beginner-friendly. 
• Fully functional,  free version that's available for an unlimited time. 
• It comes with a variety of plugins to make installation easier. 
• It has a wide range of inventory management tools. 
• It has an AI-powered interface that helps with better design. 

Cons

• It is mandatory to use Square for payment processing. 
• Can only use limited third-party marketplaces, like Amazon. 
• Also, it has limited customization options. 
• No adjustable shipping rates. 
• Customer service is not up to the mark. 

Price: Starts from $12/month.

15. Ecwid

Ecommerce site builder Ecwid is an excellent option for business owners who already have their website or have an online presence. Ecwid allows you to add an online store to that already present website. It is a software-as-a-service(SaaS) platform that lets users use the venue for a fee.   

Pros

• Easy installation if you already own a website. 
• You can sell an unlimited number of products. 
• It also offers a free basic plan that allows you to sell up to 10 products. 
• Along with PayPal, you can use 86 other payment gateways with Ecwid. 
• It has a point-of-sale functionality that lets you sell not just online but in offline stores as well. 
• Can create multilingual stores in over 53 languages. 
• You can sell digital products as well. 

Cons

• Limited customizations are available. 
• A basic free plan has insufficient features. 
• It doesn’t work well on the SEO front. 
• It has limited integrations as compared to other competitors. 

Price: Free plan available(10 products). Paid plans start from $12/month

16. Pixpa

Pixpa is another easy-to-use e-commerce site builder for artists and photographers. It allows you to create an online store from scratch in minutes without technical knowledge! This means that even novice business owners can set up their stores in no time at all! 

Pros

• No code website building platform
• Plenty of unique templates to get started on your store. 
• Offers a client prodding system for artists. It means artists can give their clients exclusivity, personalization, and ease of use with client galleries.
• Available comprehensive blogging tools that are SEO powered. 
• Advanced integrations like Google Webmaster and Google Analytics. 
• It offers a comprehensive tool for product management. 

Cons

• You can’t purchase customized domains. 
• No trials or free plans are available. 
• You can only sell up to 5 products on the cheapest plan.  
• No available blogging feature on the cheapest plan as well. 

Price: Starts from $7/month

17. Weebly

Weebly is an excellent option for those who want a simple, cloud-based platform to create websites. Moreover, it is cheap, so beginners who do not want to spend much money on website builders can choose Weebly. 

Pros

• Best choice for new sellers with a low budget. 
• Highly customizable themes which are easy for beginners to design. 
• Drag & drop editor helps with seamless creation. 
• You can further customize things with your code if necessary. 
• Allows collaboration from others. You can invite others to design your store. 
• Weebly mobile app is available. 
• Free domain available with free as well as paid plans. 

Cons

• Limited blogging tools. 
• Free plan users are stuck with subdomains.
• Customer support costs money. You will have to pay for phone support. 
• Doesn’t offer a smooth checkout process. 

Price: Free plan available. Paid plans start from $5/month. 

17. CoreCommerce

CoreCommerce is a paid-for website builder that offers unlimited templates, themes, and customization options. This makes it ideal for businesses with a lot of content or needs more features than the free version offers. It’s also suitable for enterprise-level companies looking to sell internationally. 

Pros

• You can easily migrate from other e-commerce platforms. 
• Sell internationally with CoreCommerce. 
• Highly responsive themes. 
• Highest multi-lingual support than any of the other Shopify competitors. 
• Multiple payment gateways, including PayPal and AmazonPay. 
• Variety of available integrations starting from Facebook to Hubspot. 

Cons

• Limited customization features as compared to Shopify. 
• Order management can be a challenge. 
• It is outdated for its price. 
• The steep learning curve for beginners. 

Price: Free plan available. Paid plans start from $29/month. 

FAQs: Shopify Alternatives

What is the best Shopify alternative for large businesses?

The best open source option for large businesses is BigCommerce. It provides many features that help you grow your business: inventory control, shipping integration, reporting tools (including Google Analytics), a user-friendly interface, and much more! 

What are the best open source Shopify alternatives?

If you are looking for an open-source Shopify alternative, you will find many options. The best one is Magento. It is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms and offers a wide range of features such as customizing stores, creating mobile apps, and selling on multiple marketplaces. BigCommerce is also an open-source Shopify alternative

What is the best free Shopify Alternative?

The best free Shopify alternative is WooCommerce if you are using WordPress for your website. It is an available plugin you can use to launch your store. Other than that, there are website builders like Wix which offer a powerful free plan. 

What is a cheaper Shopify Alternative?

The cheapest Shopify alternative is Zyro, with monthly paid plans starting from $2.90. 

Are there any free alternatives to Shopify?

Yes, you can use WooCommerce, which is a plugin available for free use with WordPress. You can also use Prestashop, which offers a free platform to create an online store(but charges money for customer support). Ecwid also offers a free plan to sell your products online. 

Conclusion: Shopify Alternatives 

A large number of e-commerce platforms exist, with each one being designed for a different demographic. 

In short, Shopify is one way of going about e-commerce, but it's not the only way. Industry trends aside, you will have to make do with the platform you feel most comfortable with. After all, your reputation and your business are at stake here. 

Whatever you choose to do will soon reflect on how well your store does, which can affect whether you even make a profit in the first place. So choose wisely. We hope the list will help you make a better decision.