Are you seeking some effective Shopify alternatives? Do you think the pricing of Shopify, the limited features for customization, and transaction fees are overhyped and do not resonate anymore with your online store? Some business owners are looking for better choices that resonate with their business budget and demands.
Picking the right one is very important to build and manage your online store and achieve higher success.
In this blog post, I am going to highlight the most popular Shopify alternatives, along with their exclusive features and pricing details. The significant factors you have to consider while picking the best one for your business will also be discussed here.
The pricing plans of those paid and Free Shopify alternatives will also be mentioned below. These platforms will assist you in building your own online business and managing it effectively.
If you are a beginner looking to start your eCommerce store in this highly competitive online marketplace, then the Digital Marketing Course is highly recommended! This in-demand course will enhance your marketing skills and provide concepts to build a successful online store.
Let’s start by collecting more information about the need for Shopify alternatives first.
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What is the Need for Shopify Alternatives?
E-commerce has become one of the most significant parts of the modern marketing industry, with platforms such as Shopify taking the lead. Shopify is an excellent pick for its simplicity and extensive app library.
The pain points of users are addressed by the features of Shopify, but one size does not fit all. Hence, I have tried to highlight the need for those Shopify alternatives below.
Flexibility: The primary need for Shopify alternatives is greater flexibility. Shopify is restricted to multiple integrations and custom features. Businesses nowadays require the power to pick the necessary tools and change their online store accordingly.
Customization: Shopify themes and plugins also have some limitations. Platforms with higher control over operation and design are highly managed by a large number of users.
Transaction Fees: Third-party payment gateways entail extra costs from Shopify. Transaction fees on different e-commerce platforms are either cheap or zero.
Cost Concerns: Additional features and monthly billings for Shopify can be pretty expensive. One-time payment or budget-friendly options are mainly chosen by the majority of businesses.
8 Most Popular Shopify Alternatives
Now, let’s dive more into the most popular and used Shopify alternatives and what they offer to your online business.
1. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is one of the most popular open-source platforms with a WordPress plugin. This enables users to build a fully accessible online shop. It offers custom options with flexible functions to meet different business demands.
Exclusive Features
- Hosting flexibility
- Fully custom-made with WordPress themes and plugins
- eCommerce freedom
- Technical SEO optimization
- Multiple extensions
- Theme library and huge plugin options
- No transaction fees
- Huge SEO options and marketing tools
- Custom options
- Free WooCommerce plugin
- Simple WordPress configuration
- Large community support
Ease of Setup: Moderate
Pricing
WooCommerce is the most popular Shopify alternative that most business owners use to grow their business online. This comes with paid plugins, and those are;
- The dynamic pricing plugin starts at $129 a year
- Payment gateway-based fees plugin starts at $49 a year.
- Price By Quantity plugin starts at $49 a year.
Why is WooCommerce an alternative to Shopify?
WooCommerce offers higher control, profitability, and flexibility as compared to Shopify. This is excellent for businesses aiming for customization in their online shop.
2. Wix
This is a beginner-friendly website maker with easy drag-and-drop functionality, making it more straightforward for users to create engaging e-commerce sites without prior coding skills.
Exclusive Features
- Content creation powerhouse
- Design freedom
- Huge template library
- Exclusive Autosave feature
- Richer Forms and Media
- In-built SEO tools
- Custom templates
- Payment options integration feature
Ease of Setup: High
Pricing
A free plan is offered with Wix, and some limited features are only available with this.
If you want to get some advanced features, you should opt for the paid pricing plans of Wix from the following;
- The Business Elite Plan starts at $159 a month
- The Business Plan starts at $36 a month
- The Core Plan starts at $29 a month
- The Light Plan starts at $17 a month
Why is Wix an alternative to Shopify?
Wix is highly recommended to small brands seeking easy and inexpensive solutions without requiring prior technical skills.
3. Squarespace
Squarespace is an excellent website builder platform with captivating layouts and a seamless eCommerce experience that is perfect for small brands and innovative business owners.
Exclusive Features
- Stunning templates
- Simple and easy setup
- Multiple theme designs
- No additional transaction fees
- In-built blogging platform
- Amazon affiliate tracking
- Marketing tools integration
- Easy eCommerce tools
- Abandoned cart recovery
Ease of Setup: High
Pricing
A 14-day free trial is offered with Squarespace with some basic features to build and manage your online store. The paid pricing plans of Squarespace are mentioned below;
- The Personal plan starts at $25 a month
- The Business plan starts at $36 a month
- The basic Commerce plan starts at $40 a month
- The advanced Commerce plan starts at $72 a month
Why Squarespace is an alternative to Shopify?
This is highly suitable for creatives looking for visually attractive storefronts with less manual labor, making it the most popular and excellent Shopify alternative.
4. BigCommerce
Another highly scalable e-commerce platform with SEO integration options and advanced marketing features is known as Big Commerce. This is the best fit for online growing businesses.
Exclusive Features
- Large product inventory management
- Extensive store management tools
- Better product customization at the time of checkout
- Digital download support
- No transaction fees
- Multi-channel selling
- An unlimited amount of product additions
- An unlimited number of staff accounts is needed
- In-built product review feature
Ease of Setup: High
Pricing
A 15-day free plan is offered in Bigcommerce with some limited options. If your online business’s needs are unmet with the free plan, you can choose from the following paid plans;
- The Standard Plan starts at $39 a month
- The Plus Plan starts at $105 a month
- The Pro Plan starts at $399 a month
- The Enterprise Plan is custom-built ad pricing as per usage
Why is BigCommerce an alternative to Shopify?
This is another Shopify alternative that provides the best in-built features with no transaction costs, making it perfect for large brands that want more considerable scalability.
5. Adobe Commerce
A stunning and open-source eCommerce solution built for highly customized web storefronts is referred to as Adobe Commerce. This is considered one of the most demanding solution among major Shopify alternatives.
Exclusive Features
- Easy drag-and-drop functionality
- Custom themes
- Multiple payment options are supported, such as debit cards, PayPal, and credit cards.
- Advanced SEO tools for better optimization and higher visibility
- Availability of Cloud-based hosting
- Multi-store management feature
- B2B and B2C business support
- AI-integrated product recommendations
Ease of Setup: High
Pricing
No free plan is offered with Adobe Commerce. The paid pricing plans that you should choose are;
- The Starter Edition starts at $20,000 a year
- The Professional Edition plan starts at $40,000 a year
- The Business edition plan starts at $60,000 a year
- The Enterprise edition plan is custom-built, and pricing is according to need and usage.
Why is Adobe Commerce an alternative to Shopify?
This is perfect for brands that look for advanced as well as custom options and higher scalability, which Shopify fails to meet. Therefore, this is considered one of the significant Shopify alternatives.
6. Big Cartel
Enormous Cartel is another easy-to-access e-commerce platform crafted for small businesses, creativity, and artists.
Exclusive Features
- Simple setup and navigation
- Best for small businesses
- No transaction fees
- Product listings
- Shipment tracking
- Wallet-friendly paid plans
- Bulk editing
- Sales tax autopilot
- Abandoned cart recovery
- PayPal integration
Ease of Setup: High
Pricing
A free Gold plan is offered with Big Cartel with some basic features like product listings, product variant groups, and sales tax autopilot.
The paid pricing plans are also available, and they are;
- The Platinum Plan starts at $15 a month
- The Diamond Plan starts at $30 a month
Why is Big Cartel an alternative to Shopify?
If you are looking for an easy and low-budget solution for your small online business, then Big Cartel is the perfect choice! Hence, this is viewed as another crucial alternative to Shopify.
7. Sellfy
A simple eCommerce solution, Sellfy is right for small and large business owners looking to sell physical and online products.
Exclusive Features
- In-built print-on-demand
- In-built email marketing
- Online store hosting integration
- Embedded “Buy Now” button
- Mobile app integration
- Quick and easy checkout
- Affiliate marketing
- Store design migration
- Priority support
- Product Migration
Ease of Setup: High
Pricing
The paid pricing plans offered by Sellfy are mentioned below, and you can pick any according to your online store’s needs.
- The Starter Plan starts at $29 a month
- The Business Plan starts at $79 a month
- The Premium Plan starts at $159 a month
Sellfy comes with a money-back guarantee if the paid plans do not satisfy your business needs.
Why is Sellfy an alternative to Shopify?
Sellfy is an excellent choice for businesses or brands selling products online, providing ease of access at lower pricing than Shopify. Therefore, this is picked.
8. CS-Cart
CS-Cart is a stunning self-hosted eCommerce solution with an extensive range of custom features and multi-vendor options.
Exclusive Features
- Flexible product approval system
- In-depth reports and statistics
- 26 in-built languages
- Advanced seller payout system
- Powerful CMS
- On-site content editing
- Various levels of admin access
- Configurable vendor plans
- Message Center
- Initial setup wizard
- Storefront customization
- Advanced search
Ease of Setup: Moderate
Pricing
CS-Cart offers a free trial plan with some basic features for the growth of your online store.
The paid pricing plans of CS-Cart include the following;
- The Plus plan starts at $1350 a month
- The Ultimate plan starts at $3300 for 60 days
- The Unlimited plan starts at $7290 for 180 days
Why is CS-Cart an alternative to Shopify?
CS-Cart is perfect for brands seeking complete control and ownership over the features without breaking the bank. Shopify comes with costlier pricing plans than CS-Cart.
How to Pick the Best Shopify Alternatives for Your Business?
While picking the most suitable Shopify alternatives for your eCommerce business, consider some essential features that I have tried to mention below.
Let’s get going.
Scalability: Choose a platform that will grow with your business or store. As your online shop expands, ensure it can handle a higher number of products, buyers, and sales. Go for options such as quick performance and cloud hosting.
Easy Setup: Pick a simple-to-apply online platform. While some of the alternatives require technical knowledge, others have drag-and-drop options. Choose the right one that is best for your level of expertise.
Custom Options: Ensure the platform allows you to make the storefront you prefer. Look for Shopify alternatives for plugins, code editing, and different themes. More customization makes your business stand out.
Multi–Channel Selling Support: Your brand can grow by offering on a vast range of channels, like social media, Amazon, and eBay. Choose a platform that easily allows such integrations.
Pricing and Fees: Access the selling plans of different platforms. Check for monthly or annual paid plans, hidden charges, and transaction costs. Seek a solution that matches the limits of your spending.
Integration: You must link the eCommerce store with other platforms you employ. Look for those tools that allow payment gateway management, inventory management, and email marketing. Time and manual labor are saved through easy and simple integration.
Final Thoughts,
Shopify is an excellent tool for the majority of eCommerce businesses, but it doesn’t work well with some small businesses. There are plenty of e-commerce platforms available on the market that will guide you through building and managing your small business effectively.
You must ensure to remember the key considerations while picking the most suitable eCommerce platform for your online business.
I hope that I have discussed the most exclusive 8 Shopify Alternatives along with their key features, ease of setup, and pricing details in the above sections. I have also stated the need for Shopify alternatives in the section above.
Choosing the right one is a significant decision that can influence the success of your online store.
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Happy reading.