12 Shopify Alternatives That Are Superior (Free + Paid) in 2022 -
Shopify is an e-commerce platform used by millions of sellers. However, there are a few issues that cause people to stay away with the site. A lot of merchants fail due to the high cost of the monthly subscription particularly when their business isn't yet profitable. Some leave due to too many additional costs, such as app purchases increase and chip the profit margins. Some find Shopify to be too complex, particularly for beginners. While Shopify could be a great platform for some but it's a great option to consider some Shopify alternatives to make sure that you've picked the best e-commerce platform that meets your requirements as an owner of a business. So, let's get closer to some Shopify alternatives.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is an ecommerce platform that is specialized in the sale of physical goods. If you are a wholesaler or dropshipper or wholesale, there are Shopify apps that allow you to find products to sell through your store, in order to become an online retailer the same day. Shopify provides e-commerce services like web hosting, a free subdomain domain as well as over 100 payment gateways and unlimited items, and much other. But there's no free plan with Shopify, just a 14-day no-cost test, which means this venture could cost a lot in the beginning.
4 Reasons to Use Shopify Alternatives to Shopify
1. To find a more affordable alternative
From their typical pricing structures, Shopify's accessible plan is the Basic plan, which starts at $29/month. But, Shopify also offers a $9/month plan, but you won't have your own website; instead, you'll have to market your products through social media, a third-party site, or some other method. Unfortunately, Shopify doesn't offer an affordable plan for merchants who don't have any revenue. With the cost of themes, a monthly subscription as well as apps and marketing that you'll have to invest an enormous amount of money starting out, but there is no guarantee that you will choose the right niche or products to sell. It's true that not every business can create an empire as large such as Kylie Cosmetics or Fashion Nova. And so, Shopify alternatives could be an excellent option for people looking for a more budget-friendly plan.
2. In order to make a bigger profit
Another reason that people be interested in Shopify alternatives is the possibility of earning greater profits in online sales. Apart from the monthly fee and app fees, and transactions fees in the amount of 2.9 percent plus 30 cents with the basic plan. If you purchase your goods, you could have to pay for delivery, costs for the product as well as the app subscription. And that's all before you can begin marketing your products. With so many fees being taken before making your first few dollars, it can make it difficult to maintain your margins. Then, you begin marketing, which comes with a higher marketing cost as compared to other methods of advertising to make results. But ads don't always convert profitably. The process requires the trial and error method, product market fitting, and years of experience in running an effective e-commerce store. These costs can quickly overwhelm those who are just trying to earn a little extra cash on the side. It's not impossible to succeed, but some ecommerce platforms require too many upfront charges, which may be detrimental financially to someone.
3. To find an easier platform
Shopify features drag-and-drop functions that makes it relatively easy for beginners. But, creating a website isn't the hardest aspect of operating an online store. The process of marketing your merchandise is the toughest aspect of becoming the owner of an online store. The number of ecommerce features a platform offers is always a bonus However, it is the marketing aspects that are crucial. Connecting with your customers quicker and more effectively is something that many ecommerce platforms fail to account for. However, it is possible to find an solution that functions as a marketplace so that your customers can visit your site instead of you doing all the heavy lifting. If you are a store owner looking for an effective marketing solution for their business, a Shopify option could be a good fit.
4. For easing your stress
To writing hundreds of product descriptions to issues with the transfer of information between platforms to the next, to a lack of a high-quality Content Management System (CMS) and too many costs There are many reasons why someone would look at alternatives to Shopify alternative. A store that sells online isn't simply a web-based store; it's a business. The easier it is to manage your company rather than just making it and then letting it go, the more likely they will choose the platform that is most suitable for them. Shopify provides customer service for all merchants on its platform however for some, that's not enough for them to generate revenue.
12 Shopify Alternatives that Are superior (Free and Paid)
1.
On , you are able to accept the sale from any place. If you wish to market through social media platforms, your blog, or another website, you can. The checkout on your site is designed to maximize conversions, which means it will convert more customers on your store. Furthermore, when buyers place orders through you, they'll get immediate download. It's time to put an end to lengthy waiting times for shipping.
securely hosts your content files The users will only be given your file after they've been on the download page following purchasing. In addition, unlike the major e-commerce platforms you don't have to wait until you receive your money. Instead, customers earn money via PayPal or Stripe instantly.
2. BigCommerce
The Shopify options like BigCommerce can also be used for creating an online shop. BigCommerce provides a variety of options, including hosting for websites. The biggest advantage BigCommerce has over Shopify is the fact that they charge no transaction fees on the pricing plans. BigCommerce lets you add more than 600 variations on every item, while Shopify offers only 100 variations for each product. BigCommerce has a more free trial period as compared to Shopify so that you can investigate the platform as well as build your online store. BigCommerce also has a larger drag-and-drop function that allows you to design your store with any page elements effortlessly. BigCommmerce offers more free themes and paid themes than Shopify has, which makes it one of the Shopify alternatives worth a look.
3. WooCommerce
Alternatives to Shopify like WooCommerce are perfect for anyone looking to build an online shop with the most customization functionality. If you're serious about building an online business, WooCommerce is an open-source platform, making it accessible for use at no cost. Additionally, it's a WordPress plug-in. So, if you've been planning to build out your site with an enormous blog to increase organic traffic this is the best Shopify alternative to do that. You'll need to pay for the web hosting you use, though. But that also means you're in control of making your own. WooCommerce is one of the most popular Shopify rivals, with over 3,000,000 customers than Shopify's green bags.
4. Etsy
If you're looking for marketing features, Etsy is one of the Shopify alternatives you can look into. Etsy offers an online platform where people can buy and sell products. While you don't own your website, your customers are likely to come across you naturally when browsing through Etsy, so it's convenient for people who are struggling to market. There's no subscription for a monthly period However, that doesn't mean Etsy is fee-free. You'll need to pay listing fees of $0.20 per item you list along with the 6.5% transaction fee. Plus, you'll be required to pay payment processing fees dependent on your chosen company that you choose to use for your payment. In the event that you do not have pay a lot of advertising costs, it's a worthwhile Shopify alternative for companies selling physical products.
5. PinnacleCart
Like Shopify, PinnacleCart offers a no-cost plan for those with a salary of up to $250,000. There is the option of adding more than five accounts for admin in this free plan as well. The e-commerce platform comes with more than 400 eCommerce features, allowing you to customize and design your online store to suit your needs. There are no transaction costs on all of their plans. The Shopify alternative plans like this provide a QR code generator, the ability to leave testimonials, an wish list for customers, and even gift messaging for orders. You don't have to install an app to include these features in your ecommerce store.
6. Wix
Wix is one of the very few Shopify alternatives that include advertising vouchers as part of their monthly service so you are able to run your own online store while focusing on what is important: making the sales. It is possible to run subscription-based services within the Wix account, which is one of the advanced features online retailers can add to their online stores. E-commerce businesses can permit you to add up to 250 products when dropshipping with Modalyst. Beyond sales of products, ecommerce tools such as Wix can allow you to build individual websites, small businesses, and freelance ones or even to selling tickets to events. Restaurants often make use of Wix because it allows online orders for food. And hotels can book reservations through Wix as well. It goes further than simply creating an online store.
7. PrestaShop
Another Shopify alternative using an open-source platform for ecommerce is PrestaShop. Because it's an open-source, self-hosted solution, it's free to use for online stores. But there are still associated business expenses with running online shops, even with e-commerce platforms like PrestaShop. Nevertheless, this platform is easy to use and allows store customization. The ability to modify all the sources files, but on Shopify altering your theme's code can make your online business ineligible for future upgrades. PrestaShop is also home to over 2,000 templates available on their website, and Shopify has only 100.
8. Elementor
The ecommerce solution Elementor is an alternative to Shopify alternative to consider. With over 300 professionally designed templates, you'll have the ability to have a stunning online store. Shopify is a great choice for businesses. Shopify solution also lets users to edit your website in a responsive manner, meaning you can adjust your website from seven different devices simultaneously. Additionally, you can live edit your website for quick fixes. With auto-save the website will not need to manually update your site as you make changes to the site. In addition, as opposed to Shopify it is possible to build multiple pages, such as websites with landing pages and pop-ups, blocks templates, about us pages and many more, all with distinctive design elements.
9. Square
Shopify alternatives when it comes to point-of sale systems are none other than Square. The Square app is loved by local eateries, brick and mortar businesses as well as smaller retail stores. If you use the Square application to manage your sales, it's totally free. The only cost is 2.65% for every swipe. Unlike Shopify which is a service, you are able to buy a register to the physical location for your store's cashiers to punch into orders. Companies that earn more than $250,000 annually can even receive additional savings for running their POS solution through Square.
10. Squarespace
Alternatives to Shopify like Squarespace permit you to expand your online store. Squarespace is more blog-friendly as compared to Shopify for those looking to add blogs to their e-commerce store. You'll also find more free templates on Squarespace in comparison to Shopify, giving you more choice for a template. It's a good thing that the Shopify alternative also allows the user to include more options in each item, which can reach 250 compared to Shopify's 100. You can also obtain your domain for absolutely nothing when you sign up for the annual price of a Squarespace plan.
11. Poshmark
Poshmark is an online marketplace that allows you to offer your products to their customers. Therefore, if you're searching for Shopify alternatives that have their marketplace, Poshmark is a great option, particularly when you are selling brand name fashion and beauty. Retailers who are brick and mortar or online who have surplus inventory can utilize Poshmark to market their goods at more affordable prices. Poshmark also has Posh Stories, where you could promote your product using videos and images via the app. While you don't have an online store with Poshmark but you will be able to interact with the company's user base.
12. WordPress
Alternatives to Shopify similar to WordPress offer e-commerce features through using plug-ins. If you're trying to create an online store, such as one that is an Amazon affiliate site, WordPress could be a excellent alternative. The greatest content management system available online is WordPress. A lot of people utilize WordPress to build a website and, while they may not specialize in ecommerce functionality however, there are a variety of options to approach it. For example, there are more WordPress themes than any other platform for e-commerce, since it's the biggest one. It's because this Shopify alternative is open-source and allows you to customize your website in any way for a truly unique online shop. Although Shopify has more than 1,000,000 customers, WordPress manages over 455 million websites.
FAQ
Are there any free alternatives for Shopify?
Yes! is a free alternative to Shopify. You can sign-up for 's Free Forever plan. This plan allows you only pay a 5% transaction fee when you make a sale. Even on the Free Forever plan, you'll have access to the full range of features available which allow you to create your own online store in the way you'd like.
Which are the Shopify's biggest competitors?
The main rivals of Shopify are digital products, Square for point-of-sale solutions, Etsy for marketplace sellers and BigCommerce as well as WooCommerce for physical products.
Are Shopify really worth the cost?
It depends. Shopify is a good ecommerce service for some customers, but beginners often find the costs too high when creating a business using Shopify. For example, alternatives like offer a no-cost plan that includes a monthly subscription with all the tools needed to create your online shop.