Shopify has been our consistent top pick for the best ecommerce platform. Its scalable features and intuitive user interface make it a highly rated and popular software among experts and users. Still, there are instances where Shopify’s ecommerce solution might not be the right fit for your business.
I took a look at Shopify competitors, compared their platforms against Shopify, zeroed in on unique features they offer, and the types of businesses for which they are best suited.
Based on my evaluations, the best Shopify alternatives are:
- BigCommerce: Best overall, particularly for extensive inventories or high-volume sales
- Square Online: Best for storefronts looking to add an online store functionality
- Ecwid: Best for an existing site, especially Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace
- WooCommerce: Best for WordPress websites
- Squarespace: Best for robust content management features
- Wix: Best for a quick and easy store setup with strong SEO features
- Shift4Shop: Best free Shopify alternative for US merchants
- Big Cartel: Best for creative artists selling limited products
- Sellfy: Best for selling mainly digital products and subscriptions
- Etsy: Best marketplace for entrepreneurs selling handmade products
Shopify Competitors Compared
Monthly Fee | Standout Features | |
---|---|---|
Starts at $5 for social checkout links and one-page site | N/A | |
Starts at $39 | Custom work order tools, product variants | |
Free; paid plans start at $29 (lump sum billing) | Price, curbside pickup, all-in-one retail solution | |
Free; paid plans start at $19 | Add ecommerce checkout to any site | |
Free | Well-suited for WordPress | |
Starts at $26 | Templates and CMS features | |
Starts at $27 | SEO and drag-and-drop designer | |
Free (US-based merchants) using Shift4Payments; paid plans start at $29 | Free unlimited plan for US-based merchants using Shift4 Payments | |
Free; paid plans start at $9.99 | Connect custom domain on a free plan | |
Starts at $29 | Digital downloads | |
Free; paid plan at $10 | Etsy’s marketplace audience of 90.5M buyers | |
If you still think Shopify might be your best choice, read our Shopify review to learn more about the software. You can also use our fee calculator to give you a ballpark on fees in our Shopify pricing guide. Otherwise, continue reading for more information on Shopify competitors.
BigCommerce: Best Overall Shopify Alternative
Pros:
- No transaction fees
- Maintain multiple storefronts, sell on enterprise and marketplace apps
- Custom work order fields, extensive product options and variants
Cons:
- No native POS tools
- Abandoned cart recovery feature is available only on higher-paid plans
- No shipping discounts available
Use BigCommerce if you have an extensive product catalog and need to set up plenty of product variants. You can easily set up 250 product options with 600 product variants. Custom order fields, handy for personalization, are also built in so you can set up custom fields for your products (like engraving, initials, messaging, gift-wrapping options, and more).
Go with BigCommerce if you would like to save on processing fees. Unlike Shopify, it doesn’t charge transaction fees, allowing you to shop for the best payment processing rates. This is especially advantageous for high-revenue companies.
In our evaluation of the best ecommerce platforms, BigCommerce ranked second to Shopify. The platforms are tied for design, sales tools, and customer service. Shopify had the edge over BigCommerce regarding marketing features, affordability, and extensive integrations. However, BigCommerce wins for product and order management.
- BigCommerce offers up to 600 product variants; Shopify offers only up to 100.
- BigCommerce has built-in custom work order fields for store products; you’d need a third-party app installed to enable it on Shopify.
- Digital downloads is a native feature in BigCommerce; Shopify requires a third-party app (it has its own Shopify app but you’d need to install it).
- BigCommerce has no transaction fees when using other payment providers; Shopify charges 0.5%–2% based on subscription plan.
- BigCommerce provides a real-time shipping calculator in the basic plan; the feature is only available on Shopify’s highest tier.
- BigCommerce has Walmart Marketplace and PriceGrabber integrations; Shopify doesn’t.
- Shopify has a free native POS tool for in-person sales; you’d need to integrate and buy one for BigCommerce.
- Shopify doesn’t have annual online sales limits; BigCommerce enforces limits on each plan.
Read our in-depth BigCommerce vs Shopify comparison.
Lifestyle audio brand Skullcandy migrated to BigCommerce for its versatility, adaptability, and affordability. Jenny Buchar, its Director of Digital Experience and Operations, shared that one of BigCommerce’s biggest attractions was learning that its nontechnical team could configure its global stores’ checkout, taxes, shipping, and payment types with simple preset selections.
Square Online: Best for Storefronts Looking to Add Online Functionality
Pros:
- All-in-one ecommerce and POS solution
- Free
- Sell on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest
Cons:
- Lacks advanced inventory management features
- Limited customization options
- Premium features are expensive compared to Shopify’s
For multichannel selling, Square is a top Shopify competitor. If you are a small or new business on a budget and operate a brick-and-mortar store, use Square Online. While Square and Shopify offer POS solutions, mobile payments, and multichannel selling, Square has a more stable offline mode and mobile hardware reader options. In addition, Square Online is free.
Go with Square Online if you are a solo entrepreneur offering service-based products; its checkout feature lets you accept prepayments and monthly subscriptions. It also has subscription management tools, self-service customer accounts, and a full-featured online booking platform.
Use Square Online if your business is in food and beverage, appointment-based, and retail, as Square has an all-purpose POS and specific business solutions for these. It’s Square’s most significant advantage over Shopify. As your business grows, you can add or remove certain features (like payroll, loyalty programs, and team management)—Shopify doesn’t have this built-in functionality; you’d need a third-party app.
Square Online is just one of Square’s many small business products. Learn more about Square in our guide.
- Square provides more products and solutions for food and beverage and professional service businesses; Shopify doesn’t have this built-in functionality.
- Square offers a free standalone payment solution for mobile, in-store, and online while Shopify has this as a paid option.
- Square Online lets you start selling for free in a matter of minutes; Shopify setup takes more time because of its features.
- Square has a more reliable offline mode, while Shopify is more suited for online selling.
- Both offer online and in-person tools for selling.
See our comparison of Square vs Shopify for a full breakdown.
Did you know?
- Parlour uses Square Appointments for its online appointment booking and Square Online for selling its hair care products online. Learn more about Square Appointments in our in-depth Square Appointments review.
- Stay Golden is a Nashville-based bar, restaurant, and coffee shop that set up a Square Online ordering page to adapt to the needs of the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers so widely adopted it that the business decided to keep it long-term. Customers can order online and do curbside pickups.
Ecwid: Best for Businesses With an Existing Site
Pros:
- Easy to use; sell anywhere—in person or online
- Can adapt to your existing site’s theme
- Shipping calculator even on a free plan
- Available widgets/apps for Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, Weebly, and GoDaddy sites
Cons:
- Weak SEO tools
- Cannot create a full-blown website with Ecwid alone
- Limited customer support
- Limited customization options
Use Ecwid if you already have an existing website and would like to easily add an online store. Ecwid has built-in integrations with Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, Weebly, and GoDaddy, making it easy to build your store seamlessly. Aside from the seamless integration, Ecwid provides a shipping calculator and related products section—all on its free plan.
Go with Ecwid if you are a seller with a limited product inventory and would like to sell on different channels. Ecwid’s forever-free plan is perfect if you have 10 or fewer products to sell. In contrast, Ecwid’s basic plan ($19/month) lets you sell on Facebook and Instagram and provides you with inventory tracking, marketing tools, and a mobile app.
- Ecwid has a forever-free plan. Shopify doesn’t have one.
- Ecwid has a free embeddable Buy Now button that adapts to a website’s theme; Shopify’s is a paid provision.
- Ecwid is the only ecommerce platform that provides shipping calculators with a free plan; you only unlock this on Shopify’s highest tiers.
- Ecwid comes with unlimited product variants; Shopify has a limit of 300.
- Ecwid has a lower-tier price point ($19/month) that allows you to sell on multiple channels for up to 100 products; Shopify’s lowest tier is at $39/month.
- Sell subscriptions with Ecwid at $39/month; Shopify has this as a paid app (added cost).
- Shopify lets you build a full-blown standalone website; Ecwid’s Instant Site Builder only provides for a single landing page.
- Shopify’s tiers lets you sell unlimited products; Ecwid unlocks this at its highest tier ($99/month).
- Shopify has 24/7 support; Ecwid has limited support.
Take a look at our full Ecwid vs Shopify comparison.
Did you know?
Betsy Enzensberger is a pop artist known for her realistic, larger-than-life sculptures of dripping, frozen treats. She uses Ecwid for her online store and enables multichannel shopping. She connected her shop to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok Shopping, and Google Shopping to market her products online. This strategy boosted sales and raised brand awareness.
WooCommerce: Best for Businesses Using WordPress
Pros:
- Limitless expansive design and variety
- Real-time shipping rates
- Seamless WordPress integration
Cons:
- Steep learning curve; not beginner-friendly
- Hosting is not included
- Lacks free customer support
Use WooCommerce if you need WordPress’ content management system (CMS) for your business or have already built your website in WordPress and would like to add an online store functionality, WooCommerce is the best option since it’s a free WordPress ecommerce plugin. It is widely reviewed and recommended by experts and users.
WooCommerce is not that user-friendly for beginners, unlike Shopify, where you can intuitively set up an online store with little technical knowledge. But if you know more, are familiar with WordPress, or have a developer to work with, WooCommerce will be an easy setup.
- WooCommerce has built-in ecommerce features such as product reviews and custom work order tools, unlike Shopify, which needs an app.
- WooCommerce has zero transaction fees regardless of whether you use its in-house payment provider; Shopify charges transaction fees if you use a third-party provider.
- WooCommerce can be added to an existing WordPress site; you cannot do this with Shopify (must be on a different subfolder or subdomain).
- WooCommerce is an open-sourced platform, allowing limitless customization; Shopify’s is closed and limited.
- Shopify comes with free hosting, SSL certificate, and installation. You need to get these separately or do it yourself with WooCommerce.
- Shopify has 24/7 support; WooCommerce only provides a help forum and paid partner support.
Read our in-depth WooCommerce vs Shopify comparison guide.
Did you know?
EcoKitty is a dedicated online store for cat toys and accessories. Its shop uses default WooCommerce styles, with the Builder theme as its template. You can set up a fully functional online store that is pleasing to the eye using WooCommerce’s built-in features quickly.
Squarespace: Best for Businesses Needing More Content Management Features Than a Robust Store
Pros:
- Highly rated website templates
- Sell on Instagram and Facebook
- Set up product forms
Cons:
- Basic ecommerce functions are only available on higher plans
- Transaction fees without upgrade
- Limited payment options
If you are an entrepreneur with plans to have more website content than just an online store, Squarespace is a better fit than Shopify. It is known for its aesthetically pleasing drag-and-drop website templates. Shopify has a variety of themes, but none offer such modern and trendy designs as Squarespace.
Use Squarespace to showcase a portfolio of your work and sell physical, digital, and service products. Unlike Shopify, which requires a third-party app to sell digital downloads, you can set this up quickly.
If you just intend to sell a few products as part of your main website and brand presentation is a priority, use Squarespace.
- Squarespace offers more intuitive drag-and-drop functionality for 80 of its templates that look unique and different from one another; Shopify’s website builder is not as user-friendly.
- Squarespace has better SEO tools, like blogging features and the ability to edit product URLs. Shopify’s SEO tool kit is rudimentary in comparison.
- Squarespace has built-in features for selling physical, digital, and service products; Shopify unlocks this with an app.
- Shopify has more robust marketing features and an extensive app store; Squarespace’s is limited.
Read our in-depth Shopify vs Squarespace comparison.
Did you know?
- Digital entrepreneur Puno created her Squarespace website, ilovecreatives, as a digital resource for creatives. She has an online shop that sells physical and digital goods.
- Sadie Williams is a fashion designer who uses Squarespace as her portfolio website, which she updates regularly with her latest work, and an online shop, where she sells her products.
Wix: Best for SEO Tools
Pros:
- Easy and intuitive website setup
- Built-in online booking tools
- Good SEO tools
Cons:
- Fewer ecommerce features like inventory management
- Difficulty exporting website data such as blog posts and digital downloads
- Storage limits across all plans
Use Wix if you are looking for a quick and easy online store setup with limited technical know-how. It has an intuitive user interface and drag-and-drop builder templates since it is more known as a website builder that provides online selling features. Wix is better for those planning to launch an online store with a few products and wanting full creative control in their design.
Wix is also a good Shopify alternative for those selling few or limited products but want robust marketing tools to promote and drive traffic to their store. Wix has good SEO and marketing features, unlike Shopify (which is suited for a full-fledged online store) and Ecwid (also great for selling limited inventory).
Go with Wix if you want to build a community for your shoppers. Wix lets you organize and host events and communicate with site visitors via live chat, host discussion forums, and more. Shoppers can create accounts to participate in discussions, but also view their past orders and create wishlists.
- Wix provides robust product management features with up to six product options and 1,000 variants—better than Shopify’s limit of three product options with 100 variants.
- If you use Wix Payments, Stripe, or PayPal, you can accept recurring payments or subscriptions in Wix. You need an app to enable this feature in Shopify.
- Wix has better blogging tools than Shopify. Shopify lacks built-in analytics features, social bookmarking, and blog search functions.
- While Shopify and Wix come with more or less the same SEO tool kit, Wix has a slight edge over Shopify with its keyword support function.
- Wix also provides built-in online appointment booking tools that Shopify doesn’t.
We discuss this in detail in our Shopify vs Wix comparison.
Did you know?
- An ethical hairdressing salon, Mane, uses its store made from the Wix platform as an online booking site for its services.
- Strathcona Spirits distillery co-founder Andrea Shubert decided on using Wix for an online store because she wanted a website that was easy to update and required little technical skills. She built the website in less than a week.
Shift4Shop: Best Free Shopify Alternative for US Merchants
Pros:
- Free high-end plan for US-based merchants
- Robust, highly scalable sales and marketing features
- No transaction fees
Cons:
- Sale revenue limits on paid plans
- Limited to Shift4 Payments as payment gateway on free plan
- Inconsistent customer service feedback from user reviews
Use Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart) if your business is based in the US and you are willing to use its in-house payment provider, Shift4 Payments. It provides a free subscription on its most advanced plan if you meet both conditions.
Shift4Shop has a wealth of native features only available in Shopify’s highest tiers or as an app in the Shopify App Store. However, there are mixed reviews about the payment gateway, and Shopify still outperforms Shift4Shop regarding performance. Still, if you are looking for a less expensive option than Shopify with almost the same advanced features, Shift4Shop is an excellent alternative.
- Shift4Shop has more built-in advanced sales and marketing features, such as product reviews, CRM, and automation workflows (email, fraud detection, and task management) than Shopify (which you would need an app for).
- Shift4Shop provides a free domain with all its paid plans; Shopify doesn’t.
- Both platforms have their in-house payment gateways. Shift4Shop doesn’t charge any transaction fees if you choose to go with another provider.
- Real-time shipping rates and gift cards are available in Shift4Shop’s basic tier compared to being unlocked in Shopify’s highest tier.
Kevin Canning, Pearls of Joy founder, built his website on Shift4Shop. His favorite features are the SEO-friendly URL structure and the built-in product review module.
Big Cartel: Best for Creative Artists Selling Limited Products
Pros:
- Custom domain on a free plan
- Low monthly fees
- Stylish themes with no ads
Cons:
- Lacks scalable features
- Very few integrations and payment providers
- Limited SEO Tools
Use Big Cartel if you need the flexibility of branding your store without ads and only have plans to sell occasionally or in limited quantities. Its free plan is robust enough for the artist or entrepreneur who has limited products to sell. Big Cartel’s free plan is included in our top picks for best free ecommerce platforms. You can connect a custom domain, set up a beautiful website using their templates, sell up to five products, and manage orders—all under a free plan.
- Unlike with Shopify, you can connect a custom domain even on Big Cartel’s free plan.
- BigCartel has a forever-free plan; Shopify does not.
- Big Cartel doesn’t charge any transaction fees; you only pay credit card processing fees. Shopify charges transaction fees on top of card fees if you do not use its built-in payment gateway, Shopify Payments.
- BigCartel doesn’t have a built-in payment processor and accepts only Apple Pay, PayPal, and Stripe. Shopify has Shopify Payments as a payment provider and over 100 payment methods.
- BigCartel has product limits—up to 500 on its highest plan. Shopify provides unlimited products even on its basic tier.
I compare the two platforms’ features and pricing in-depth in my Big Cartel vs Shopify comparison guide.
Did you know?
José A. Roda is a creative artist who sells his colorful illustrations and freelance editorial work in his Big Cartel online shop.
Sellfy: Best for Businesses Mainly Selling Digital Products & Subscriptions
Pros:
- Instant payout after a sale
- Print-on-demand tools
- Has a free plan
Cons:
- Digital downloads and subscriptions aren’t available on the free plan
- Annual sales limits
- Limited design options
Use Sellfy if your store mainly sells digital and print-on-demand products because these are Sellfy’s main advantages over Shopify. If you are a creator selling digital content such as music, audiobooks, ebooks, templates, and more, Sellfy is the perfect platform for you. If you want to diversify your income from sales, Sellfy’s print-on-demand tools enable you to sell custom clothing, accessories, home decor, and more using your digital products.
- Sellfy provides native features to sell digital, subscription, and print-on-demand products. Shopify requires a third-party app to unlock these.
- Sellfy has a forever-free plan—unlike Shopify.
- Both provide embeddable Buy Now buttons you can use on other websites and social media to sell products. Sellfy provides these for free; you unlock this at $5 a month with Shopify.
- Shopify has a more robust website builder than Sellfy, which only has a standard website builder you cannot customize extensively.
- Shopify offers free and paid website templates; Sellfy doesn’t.
Did you know?
Ashley Renee’s food videos went viral on TikTok, so she started writing and selling keto diet cookbooks (ebooks) using Sellfy because of the high demand for her recipes.
Etsy: Best for Entrepreneurs Selling Handmade Products & Looking for a Marketplace for Exposure
Pros:
- Prebuilt audience due to Etsy’s marketplace
- Quick and easy store setup
- No monthly fees
Cons:
- Listing and transaction fees
- Only handmade or vintage items are allowed
- Limited creative control in setting up your online store
Use Etsy if you are looking for product exposure and have limited time marketing your products. Etsy is the perfect avenue to set up an online store and get instant exposure to a marketplace of 90.5 million active buyers. Etsy is considered more of a marketplace than an ecommerce platform but provides its sellers their online store. You can sell unlimited products for free, ship anywhere worldwide, and get shipping discounts.
Use Etsy if you sell handmade products and don’t want to spend too much time building your online store. Etsy provides sellers with the basic functionalities of an online shop. You can set up custom work order fields in your product listings—an advantage for personalization requests. You can also get a store up and running with Etsy in less than an hour.
- Both platforms are beginner-friendly when it comes to store setup. It only takes a little over an hour to get started selling on Etsy.
- Etsy has a free plan and very minimal startup upfront costs. Pay only for product listing fees and transaction charges for each sale. Shopify doesn’t offer a free plan, and upfront costs usually range from $250 to $500.
- While Shopify gives you marketing tools to help promote your store, Etsy’s marketplace provides a large audience if it’s the right market for your products.
Read our Etsy vs Shopify comparison for more details on how Etsy stacks up to Shopify.
Did you know?
Sydney Jackson and Casey Mattis started selling their curated vintage jewelry collection on Etsy at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their shop, BLACKFEMME, sells limited-edition vintage finds and has amassed more than a hundred sales since starting.
Reasons to Choose a Shopify Alternative
You Have Large or Complex Inventory
If you have an extensive product inventory, BigCommerce, Ecwid, or Shift4Shop are better alternatives to Shopify. BigCommerce lets you set up 250 product options and up to 600 variants. Ecwid and Shift4Shop, meanwhile, allow for unlimited product variants. Note that Ecwid has product limits on its plans. With Shopify, you can only configure up to three options and 100 variants for a product.
You Need Work-order or Custom-order Management
If you need to personalize orders for your products and need an alternative for Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Etsy offer these as built-in features. While Shopify doesn’t provide product custom fields natively, you can activate the feature by adding a Shopify app like Infinite Options.
You Want the Lowest Possible Transaction Fees
BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Shift4Shop have zero transaction fees—these are ecommerce sites better than Shopify when it comes to fees.
With Shopify, you can avoid transaction fees by using Shopify Payments, its built-in payment provider. But if you choose to go with a third-party processor, there are added transaction fees (2%) on top of credit card processing fees. Read our ultimate guide on Shopify pricing to learn more about its fees.
You’re Building a Content-based Online Business
If you need to create content regularly for your business and are looking for a website builder like Shopify but better, consider going with Wix or Squarespace. Both platforms have great blogging tools. Shopify is not as fluid when it comes to maintaining content.
You Have a Food or Restaurant Business
If you are in the food and restaurant industry and would like to add an online ordering component to your business, consider going with Square Online. While there are similar companies to Shopify for food businesses, with Square, you can easily create a simple website (even a single landing page) that enables customers to order online in advance and decide delivery options (such as pickup, curbside delivery, and click and collect). In turn, you automatically get notified when orders are placed on your website through your Square POS system.
Read our guide to the best online ordering systems for restaurants for more alternatives.
Methodology: How I Evaluated Shopify Alternatives
I evaluated top Shopify competitors by first scoring ecommerce tools on their own merits—price, site builder tools and maintenance, sales and product features, and ease of use. I used the same data scoring points when I evaluated our top picks on best ecommerce platforms. Then, I tested each platform by signing up for its free version and building a test store.
Next, I looked at specific features these platforms offer that Shopify doesn’t. I looked at the functionalities they do better than Shopify. I compared each platform with Shopify and recommended what types of businesses these platforms are best for based on a specific need for a functionality Shopify lacks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
These are some of the most common questions I encounter about Shopify alternatives.
There are many competitors to Shopify. However, in our evaluation of the best ecommerce platforms, BigCommerce is a close second to Shopify. Square is also a top Shopify competitor for multichannel selling, as both provide tools for online and in-personal selling—POS and ecommerce functionality.
Among the providers we have reviewed, a few affordable Shopify alternatives exist—Square Online, Ecwid, WooCommerce, Shift4Shop, Sellfy, WooCommerce, Big Cartel, and Ecwid. They all offer a forever-free plan and cheaper paid plans than Shopify, although there are limitations such as the number of products, storage space, transaction fees, or a lack of certain features.
Yes, there are ecommerce sites like Shopify that are free such as Ecwid, Shift4Shop, Square Online, Sellfy, and BigCartel. Ecwid, Big Cartel, and Square Online have forever-free plans; Shift4Shop provides a free plan if you are based in the US and use its built-in payment provider. WooCommerce is also a free Shopify alternative, but there are separate costs involved in building a website and ensuring it can securely process payments.
The best Shopify alternative for you will ultimately depend on your business needs. Find a Shopify alternative with the priority features you need—unlimited product listings, shipping discounts, or multichannel selling—at a price point that fits your budget.
We list our recommended Shopify competitors in this guide. It includes a healthy mix of free and paid websites like Shopify. When deciding what to use instead of Shopify, compare each platform against Shopify to see if the Shopify alternative can deliver what you are looking for that Shopify can’t.
Bottom Line
Shopify is a great ecommerce platform, but it won’t always work for everyone. Many other ecommerce platforms can help you build and grow your online business. The key is to find one that provides a solution to your business need—whether it’s lower transaction fees, an extensive catalog for products, shipping discounts, or in-person and online store sale syncing.
When considering which ecommerce platform to use, research its features, check out reviews from actual users and experts, and sign up for a free trial if they offer one. That way, you can see if it fits your online store needs before signing up for a subscription.