5 Best Shopify Alternatives – Which Shopify Competitors Are Worth Trying?

What are some of the best Shopify alternatives you can use? Are there any cheaper options? Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms. However, it’s not the best option for everyone, especially when it’s far from being a budget solution.

Shopify claims to be the best eCommerce platform with everything you might need when building an online store. It’s a bold claim and one that is not easy to stay true to.

Yes, Shopify might have nearly any solution for everything you can think of in its app market. Is it bad? No, not really. Does it get expensive? Oh, yes, it does.

Of course, it’s not like Shopify got popular just because of its paid integrations and extensions. It is easy-to-use, designed for beginners, and offers many plug-and-play features. Being designed specifically for eCommerce, Shopify also provides comprehensive analytics and visitor statistics.

However, since nothing is perfect, Shopify doesn’t magically dodge the bullet. For example, Shopify doesn’t offer great SEO tools. This can make it hard to achieve high search engine rankings.

Its advanced features are also very limited unless you’re willing to pay for one of the high-end plans – which are quite expensive compared to some Shopify competitors listed below.

So whether you got a bad experience with this eCommerce giant, are looking for something cheaper, or just widening the scope of your possibilities when building an online store – I welcome you to the world of Shopify alternatives.

The alternatives below won’t suit everyone, but as I found out, Shopify doesn’t either. The choice depends on your needs only, and having more to choose from never came to me as a bad thing.

So go ahead, pick your favorite!

 

Shopify Alternatives

If you’re looking for an equal or even a better platform than Shopify, there are several great choices to pick from.

 

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is one of the significant Shopify alternatives. It claims to offer everything you need to “build, run, and scale an online store.” This is quite an honest statement because BigCommerce really provides all of the essential features to run a successful online store.

 

 

It is not as easy as it seems to compare Shopify and BigCommerce. Yeah, both of these platforms look quite similar at first glance. However, when you get a closer look, they do a lot of things differently.

That’s why BigCommerce works out as an alternative to Shopify because it does something different.

For example, it’s a lot easier to add additional content to your store when you use BigCommerce. This, in turn, makes it easier to optimize your site for search engines, driving more organic traffic to your website. So, large stores and brands with the time and resources to invest in content marketing will benefit from this.

BigCommerce also offers a much more flexible website and store editor than Shopify. Claiming to be the “best eCommerce website design platform,” BigCommerce offers a range of advanced customization features.

On the other hand, Shopify tends to be more limited on the customization front with its rigid site editor unless you’re a coding wiz – then you can take advantage of code access offered in both platforms.

Ultimately, a well-designed website is one of the key things for driving more sales from your online store, and I really feel that BigCommerce is better than Shopify in this section.

 

 

The BigCommerce template library offers a great selection of free and premium design templates. Grouped by industry and store type, these are a great way to start building your store. But, Shopify doesn’t dawdle in the template department as well.

For more info, you can check my BigCommerce review.

 

Pricing

Shopify and BigCommerce are actually very similar on the pricing front. BigCommerce offers subscriptions starting from $29.95/month for their Standard plan.

This price jumps to $79.95/month for the Plus plan and increases to a massive $299.95/month for the Pro plan. Enterprise solutions are also available for larger clients, and BigCommerce claims to offer “custom pricing lower than Magento and Shopify Plus.”

On the other hand, Shopify’s prices start at $29/month and jump to $79/month and $299/month for the higher-end plans. So both offer basically the same pricing plans for an eCommerce store.

Shopify does offer a $9/month Shopify Lite plan, which isn’t matched by BigCommerce, but this plan doesn’t include an online storefront. Instead, it lets you use Shopify buttons on your existing website and sell on Facebook, among other things.

Both providers offer free trials, and I’d recommend giving them both a go if you really can’t decide which one to use.

 

Apps

Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer many apps and plugins in their dedicated stores. Some of these are free, some are premium, and some are “freemium” – you will be able to access the basics with a free version but will need to upgrade to access more advanced features.

BigCommerce offers fewer apps than Shopify does (a few hundred compared to over a thousand), but this doesn’t really impress me so much. Ultimately, this is probably because BigCommerce offers a lot more built-in features, which means less need for third-party integrations.

 

 

To be honest, I found everything I needed in the BigCommerce app store, and it was a lot easier to navigate than Shopify’s. I’d probably choose BigCommerce over Shopify regarding the quality of apps, although Shopify obviously offers a broader spectrum of those.

The last thing I want to look at is multi-channel selling. Both BigCommerce and Shopify let you sell and manage inventory in shops on Amazon, Facebook, Pinterest, and eBay. However, BigCommerce offers few dropshipping options and really isn’t suited to dropshipping entrepreneurs.

Ultimately, BigCommerce is quite similar to Shopify in many aspects. However, not the similarities but the differences are the reason why BigCommerce works as a great Shopify alternative. Better SEO Tools, a wider selection of in-house features, and an intuitive drag-and-drop site editor – all add to a great website similar to Shopify for powerful online campaigns.

 

PROS Very easy to use drag-and-drop website builder. Consistently outperforms Shopify when it comes to SEO. Better selection of in-house features than Shopify’s.

CONS Quite expensive compared to other sites similar to Shopify. No mobile app. Premium themes are quite expensive as well.

 

Volusion

Similar to BigCommerce, Volusion offers much the same features and functionality as Shopify. However, it bills itself as easier to use and more beginner-friendly, which is preferred among non-tech-savvy eCommerce entrepreneurs.

Although they seem very similar on the surface, a deeper analysis shows that Shopify offers more in-depth sales features.

On the other hand, Volusion prides itself on its strong data analytics, designed to help store owners make informed business decisions.

 

 

Volusion should appeal to people who love data and data analysis in general. The wide range of analytics tools offers includes search term analysis and strong traffic reporting methods.

These tools will help you identify the most appropriate target audience for your store, adjust your marketing methods, and maximize your return on investment (ROI).

On the other hand, Shopify offers quite limited analytics. It’s not like this would worry a lot of users, but if you want a data-focused eCommerce provider, then Volusion is a great option.

Also, it seems to be easier to market your store with Volusion rather than Shopify. Shopify is known for its weak SEO, while Volusion excels here.

It lets you add custom metadata, search-friendly URLs, sitemap indexing, and robots.txt files. I know that Shopify appears to offer similar at first glance, but my experience with the two has shown me that Volusion outperforms the eCommerce building giant here.

However, Shopify certainly takes the points when it comes to ease of use and design flexibility. Volusion is notoriously famous for its hard-to-navigate website builder and user interface.

 

 

Volusion is billed as an excellent option for non-tech-savvy operators due to the lack of coding or web development skills needed to open a store, but I got frustrated when trying to navigate the builder for the first time.

Nonetheless, if you’re looking for an out-of-the-box store functionality with a basic design – Volusion does offer a range of templates and attractive themes.

Some people argue that stores built with Volusion can look a bit outdated and archaic, but I’d counter this argument by saying that it all depends on how you fine-tune your storefront. With 10+ free themes and 30+ premium ones, I found plenty of options for stores of all sizes and styles.

 

 

Volusion also gives you the ability to create custom themes. If you don’t have the skills or experience to build your own theme, you can use one of their custom design packages created by professionals.

Starting from $4000, these packages pair you with a dedicated designer, project manager, and developer who will help you build the storefront of your dreams. For more info, check Volusion vs Shopify.

 

Pricing

Volusion is Shopify equivalent when it comes to pricing. Their Personal ($29/month), Professional ($79/month), Business ($299/month), and Prime subscriptions essentially line up with Shopify’s plans.

However, Volusion does offer discounts if you purchase more than one store or if you purchase annual plans. On the other hand, you could easily find yourself spending a lot on apps and add-ons and spending even more than while using Shopify.

Volusion is suitable for people who are happy with a stock storefront without too many extras — otherwise, the cost can add up quickly.

 

Apps

When it comes to apps, Volusion offers a decent selection. However, it’s far from the Shopify app store. The Volusion Marketplace lists 70+ apps that you can add to your store. Of these, about 10 are free.

 

 

On this front, Shopify certainly comes out ahead. Since free options are limited, I’ve found it super easy to spend a fortune on apps with Volusion.

If you think you’re going to need a lot of features that Volusion’s stock plans don’t offer, then it’s probably not going to be the most suitable eCommerce provider for your needs.

All things considered, I found Volusion to be a decent Shopify alternative. It’s an excellent choice for small businesses who want a simple, out-of-the-box solution. Performing well on the SEO and data fronts, Volusion is a good option for people who wish to drive organic traffic to their store.

 

PROS Great for inexperienced eCommerce entrepreneurs. Impressive out-of-the-box solutions. In-depth data and analytics tools.

CONS Very few apps available in the Volusion Marketplace. Coding is required to fine-tune themes.

 

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is one of the most popular free Shopify alternatives. And unlike most of the other alternatives to Shopify, this one has some very different aces up its sleeve. It’s completely open-source – making it one of the more exciting Shopify competitors here.

With a wide selection of free and premium extensions, easy WordPress integration, and extreme customizability, WooCommerce is perfect for people already familiar with WordPress Content Management System (CMS) or who already have a WP website hosted.

 

 

Unlike Shopify, which acts as both a host and a store builder, WooCommerce is simply a plugin that you can add to your WordPress website.

This means that you will have to pay for some sort of hosting and custom domain if you’re setting up a new website, but it should be relatively cheap compared to most other Shopify alternatives.

Personally, I love WooCommerce. I’ve built a few custom eCommerce stores and added storefronts to existing websites. When combined with a plugin like AliDropship, WooCommerce provides a great dropshipping interface.

Since it acts as a plugin rather than a storefront on its own, WooCommerce is best for people who want to build a strong, content-based store. In reality, it works best when you plan on building a website and adding a store rather than building your website around your store.

 

 

I love the SEO freedom that WooCommerce gives you. Ultimately, your search engine ranking won’t be at all dictated by WooCommerce, but by the way you set up your website.

If you have decent coding knowledge and good SEO skills, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t rank highly for any keywords you target.

A large part of this SEO freedom comes with the fact that WooCommerce is completely open-source. This means that you can edit anything you want – literally. However, the downside of this is that you will need at least some coding and development skills to fine-tune your website.

For those who prioritize security, WooCommerce is also a great option. Platforms like Shopify essentially control your data, but since WooCommerce is self-hosted, you will retain ownership of every single aspect of your store.

 

 

Unfortunately, WooCommerce falls on the customer support front. I guess this is expected on some level from a free, open-source eCommerce solution, but it’s frustrating nonetheless.

They do claim to have support teams worldwide, and this isn’t a lie, but the problem is that the WooCommerce team will often blame problems on something else.

For example, if your store is lagging or you’re having trouble with your WooCommerce interface, the support team might blame the problem on your hosting provider.

They may be correct, but you won’t be any closer to solving the problem. On the other hand, Shopify offers comprehensive support, including live chat.

WooCommerce is, without a doubt, the best Shopify open source alternative for people who are comfortable using WordPress – or those looking for some top free Shopify alternatives.

For more info, you can check WooCommerce vs Shopify comparison and best WooCommerce alternatives.

 

Apps

When it comes to extensions and add-ons, WooCommerce really does excel — but differently from Shopify. Yes, it also offers hundreds of different free and premium extensions comparable to Shopify’s apps.

 

 

However, the difference is that while most of Shopify’s paid apps require monthly subscriptions, WooCommerce extensions are usually available for a one-time or annual fee.

Since WooCommerce is open-source, anyone can create their own extensions to integrate with the software. In theory, you could pay to get a new extension developed if you can’t find what you need.

However, the WooCommerce extension library is so extensive that there’s little chance that you will run into this problem. Overall, WooCommerce can be a great cheaper alternative to Shopify.

 

PROS Easy SEO if you know what you’re doing. Great for stores focusing on content marketing. Numerous extensions for almost every situation.

CONS You need to set up your own hosting. Needs some level of tech skills.

 

Wix

Wix offers great eCommerce solutions for people with little to no website building experience. With a great ADI (artificial design intelligence) tool and top-class editor, Wix makes it easy for you to build a simple store regardless of your web development skillset.

 

 

Compared to Shopify, Wix really stands out as a premium builder and editor. This makes sense because Wix has built a reputation as an industry leader on the customization and drag-and-drop flexibility front.

 

 

This means that you can place content in any position on your website with the click of a button – meanwhile, doing that with Shopify – requires strong coding skills.

Wix strongly outperforms Shopify on the template and theme front as well. Although Shopify offers a few free themes and some good premium ones, Wix gives you the choice of over 500 designer themes. Moreover, it doesn’t stop there – you can customize every theme to the point that it’s barely recognizable and create your own designs.

 

 

Since online stores aren’t the primary focus of Wix, it doesn’t quite live up to the same standards as Shopify if we compare eCommerce features alone. However, it still offers a suite of great tools that small businesses and online store owners will find very useful.

Wix offers all of the main features you need to build a simple online store. It lets you build an attractive storefront with a lot of customizability and offers a user-friendly store manager. Coupons and discount codes are available, and the most popular payment providers are accepted.

However, Wix does lack some features that some people will think are essential. Upselling and cross-selling are limited, it’s difficult to integrate reviews, and subscription functions are hard to add.

But, all Wix stores are automatically mobile-optimized – a necessity in the modern world. 24/7 support is also available.

For more info, be sure to check Wix vs Shopify, Wix vs Jimdo, and Wix vs Webs comparison.

 

Pricing

Wix sits in the middle when it comes to pricing. Some major Shopify competitors – such as WooCommerce and Weebly – are more affordable, while more traditional eCommerce solutions like BigCommerce and Volusion are more expensive.

The most basic Wix eCommerce plan is the Business Basic plan, which will still cost you $17/month. The Business Limited plan comes in at $26/month, while the Business VIP plan is $35/month.

So, Wix isn’t the most affordable eCommerce solution out there, but it is still a cheaper Shopify alternative.

 

Apps

Like most Shopify competitors on this list, Wix offers a range of Apps that you can use to build your eCommerce store. Some of these will help you build your website and attract more visitors, while others are tailored specifically towards eCommerce.

Wix and Shopify seem pretty even on the app front. I’d even argue that Wix is a better choice here because it offers a lot of non-eCommerce apps to help you build your site and attract more visitors.

 

 

A quick look at the facts that I’ve run through above should make it obvious that Wix isn’t the best eCommerce platform on the market. However, if you’re looking for a powerful website builder and editor with decent eCommerce capabilities – then Wix is worth considering.

 

PROS Great drag-and-drop editor. Hundreds of templates to choose from. A more affordable alternative to Shopify.

CONS Fewer eCommerce features than Shopify. Hard to scale.

 

Weebly

Weebly is a great Shopify alternative for smaller online stores especially. At first, it started off more like a website builder and less of an eCommerce. Yet recently, it got acquired by card payment processor Square.

This change accelerated the growth of a variety of eCommerce features in Weebly. It provides extremely high-quality website building services but has also grown to become one of the leading Shopify eCommerce alternatives.

 

 

The fact that Weebly offers a superb drag-and-drop editor makes it a logical choice for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to create an attractive, unique storefront.

Weebly offers an extremely wide range of eCommerce features that I find comparable with Shopify yet manages to come in at a much lower price.

It’s important to note that Shopify is dedicated to eCommerce – it’s what they do, and they do it well – but Weebly is predominantly a website builder with very strong eCommerce features.

 

 

If you want to build a simple eCommerce website or add a storefront to your site, Weebly is a great option. Its simplest plans offer enough features to get you started, while its higher-end plans offer a comprehensive suite of tools.

However, Weebly happens to fall down on the analytics front, only offering very basic data and analysis tools.

On the other hand, Weebly makes email marketing simple. Where Shopify requires you to use an external client, such as MailChimp, Weebly lets you use their in-house solution, Weebly Promote ($96/year, included in Business Plus plan).

Personally, I love Weebly Promote. It’s super easy to integrate with your store and makes email marketing quite straightforward. And the fact that it’s managed by Weebly makes customer support a breeze if you run into any problems.

For more info, check Weebly vs Wix comparison.

 

Pricing

At first glance, Weebly seems to be a lot more affordable than Shopify. Its eCommerce plans range from $12/month for the Pro plan to $38/month for the Business Plus plan. In between, you’ll find the Business plan for $25.00/month.

The Pro plan is somewhat limited in what it offers, but the Business plan provides most things that a small eCommerce store needs to function. Although Weebly’s prices are a lot less than Shopify’s, it’s important to explore each provider’s features before choosing based on the price alone.

Ultimately, Weebly is an excellent site like Shopify and an alternative for small businesses and aspiring eCommerce stores who want the freedom of a drag-and-drop website builder coupled with the basic features offered by major players like Shopify.

 

Apps

Both Weebly and Shopify offer app stores. The Weebly App Center contains more than 350 free and premium apps designed to add extra features and functionality to your store.

 

 

It’s worth noting that many of Weebly’s apps aren’t explicitly targeted at eCommerce. This means that they won’t always be useful for your online store.

However, there are plenty of free apps on offer that you can use to boost your sales, drive more traffic to your website, and improve your social media marketing results — among other things.

In the end, Weebly works as a great eCommerce site like Shopify for smaller online stores that do not require tons of premium features. It’s great for users who want to feel secure and avoid the risk of starting with such a powerful yet complicated eCommerce platform like Shopify.

 

PROS Great drag-and-drop website builder. Relatively cheap. Attractive app center.

CONS Relatively limited data and analytics. Fewer features than larger eCommerce providers like Shopify. It could be hard to scale for large stores.

 

Shopify Competitors Summary

Although Shopify is arguably the most popular eCommerce solution available, there are numerous Shopify alternatives that you could and should consider if you want to create an online store.

In this article, I’ve covered some of the best Shopify substitutes, outlining their strong points, their weak points, and how their prices shape up.

In the end, the exact eCommerce solution that is right for you will depend on your needs. Some people will prefer a Shopify competitor like Wix or Weebly, which offers a powerful website builder with eCommerce capabilities.

On the other hand, a developer who likes working with WordPress might choose a free Shopify alternative like WooCommerce.

BigCommerce and Volusion are similar to Shopify and come with almost identical pricing plans. However, they offer slightly different features that suit different people with different needs.

Remember, the features that you need will depend on your business model and situation. There is no “best” eCommerce solution that works for everyone, so make sure you do your research and choose accurately.

To summarize:

1. BigCommerce – Great for large online stores and known brands.
2. Volusion – Offers strong data and analytics features.
3. WooCommerce – Free alternative with WordPress integration.
4. Wix – Powerful website builder with eCommerce capabilities.
5. Weebly – Low-cost website builder that is great for beginners.