Although it is a good fit for many companies, it may not be a great fit for everyone.
Not happy with Shopify or just looking for the best alternative? Shopify is a very popular platform for retail start ups, as well as small and midsize businesses. Although it is a good fit for many of these companies, it may not be a great fit for everyone. There’s also the issue of apps, services, and hosting fees. Some platforms may not require as much or many ongoing fees, or they provide additional customization at a higher price tier. There are several great alternatives, depending on your business needs, budget, and technical expertise.
Shopify Alternatives
What’s Your Budget?
Below are some good options along with their relative cost to build & maintain. Open source platforms may take more development and customization up front but offer much lower cost of ownership over the years. DIY platforms like Shopify & retailers like Amazon are quicker and easier to setup, but come with higher fees long term.
- $ = Relative low cost build/maintain
- $$ = Moderate cost to build/maintain
- $$$ = Higher cost to build/maintain
Fully Hosted E-commerce Platforms
- BigCommerce – Ideal for scalability with built-in features and no transaction fees. Great for large or growing businesses. ($$)
- Wix eCommerce – Best for small businesses and beginners who need a simple drag-and-drop website builder. Wix can be easy to start, but usually has limitation’s when it comes to marketing. ($)
- Squarespace – Good option for creative businesses and brands looking for beautiful, design-focused templates. This platform may be limited when it comes to SEO or growing your business over time. ($)
- Weebly (by Square) – A budget-friendly option with easy store setup and simple customization. ($)
Open-Source Platforms
- WooCommerce (WordPress Plugin) – Perfect for those comfortable with WordPress and looking for flexibility and customization. ($)
- Magento (Adobe Commerce) – A powerful, enterprise-level platform with extensive features but requires developer skills. ($$-$$$)
- OpenCart – A free, open-source eCommerce platform with a lightweight and customizable structure. ($)
- PrestaShop – Another open-source platform with a strong community and good customization options. ($)
Marketplace Alternatives
- Google Shopping (Merchant Center) – Load products directly on Google Shopping or connect a feed to your web store. Shopping ads can get pretty pricy depending on your product niche. ($-$$)
- Etsy Sellers – Best for handmade, vintage, and creative products. Was once a cheap alternative for crafting shops but the platform has been increasing their fees the last several years. Etsy is not quite as popular now as it was 3-5 years ago but is still a significant opportunity for smaller merchants. ($$)
- Amazon Seller Center – Good for businesses that want to tap into large customer bases without running their own website. Generally on the higher end fees wise which caps your total ROI. ($$)
- Ebay Seller Center – Started as an auction based website and now with a full shopping platform for merchants. Was once very popular but has declined in the past 5-10 years with merchants as more options roll out. Ebay has also become a primary channel for discount and open-boxed items for 3rd party resellers. ($$)
- Walmart Marketplace – It’s Walmart so it has a wide reach. Consider if it fits your sales goals and target demographics. ($-$$)
Advanced Tools / Payment Platforms
- Commercetools – A flexible headless eCommerce solution for businesses needing advanced customization. ($$)
- Saleor – A GraphQL-first headless eCommerce platform for modern web development. ($$)
- Stripe – Backend merchant service and shopping cart ($-$$)
- Square – Merchant tools and services ($)
Platform Pros & Cons
Whatever platform you choose, make sure the features and fees make sense for your business. Once you pick a platform it can be harder to move from one to the other. Pick a platform that allows you to scale at a reasonable fee and includes a community of developers averrable to support your growth.