12 Shopify Alternatives That Outperform (Free or Paid) by 2022
Shopify is an e-commerce platform used by millions of sellers. But a few drawbacks make people turn off on the platform. A lot of merchants fail due to the expensive monthly subscription, particularly when their business hasn't made a profit yet. Some leave due to too many other costs like app purchases creep up and eat off profit margins. And some find the site too complicated, especially for beginners. While Shopify may be an excellent option for certain types of customers users, it's an excellent suggestion to explore other Shopify alternatives to ensure you've selected the correct ecommerce platform that meets your requirements as an owner of a business. We'll take closer to some Shopify rivals.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is an ecommerce platform that is specialized in the sale of physical goods. Whether you dropship or wholesale, you can find Shopify software that allows you to locate products that you can sell through your store, so that you can become an online retailer the within the same day. Shopify offers ecommerce features like web hosting, a free domain on their subdomain as well as over 100 payment gateways and unlimited products, and additional. There's not a plan for free, only a 14-day free trial. This means that this project could cost a lot early on.
4 Benefits of Using Shopify Alternatives to Shopify
1. Find a cheaper option
Out of their traditional pricing structures, Shopify's accessible plan is the Basic plan that starts at $29/month. But, Shopify also offers a $9/month plan, but you won't have your own online store. You'll need to market your products through social media, a third-party site, or some other method. However, Shopify doesn't offer an budget-friendly plan for retailers who haven't generated revenue. If you're paying for themes, a monthly subscription as well as apps and marketing it is lots of cash into beginning your journey, and there's the nil chance of success if you select the best product or niche to market. However, nobody can build brands as huge like Kylie Cosmetics or Fashion Nova. Therefore, alternatives like Shopify can be a great choice to those looking for a more budget-friendly plan.
2. To earn a larger revenue
Another reason people may consider Shopify alternatives is that they can earn greater profits in online sales. Alongside the monthly subscription that you pay for, there are monthly application fees and transaction fees that are 2.9% + 30 cents with the Basic plan. Based on the source of your goods, you could need to pay for shipping, product costs, and the app subscription. This is before you can begin marketing your product. Since there are many charges collected before you've even made the first couple of dollars, it could eat away at your margins. Then, you begin marketing, which comes with an expense for marketing that is higher than other forms of marketing , to generate the sales. But ads don't always convert profitably. The process requires trial and error, product-market fit, and experience in running an effective e-commerce store. The costs are often overwhelming for beginners who simply want to earn some extra money on the side. You can certainly succeed, but some ecommerce platforms have too many initial costs, which can cause financial harm to a person.
3. Find a platform that is easier to use
Shopify has drag-and-drop functionality that makes it relatively easy for beginners. But, creating a website isn't necessarily the toughest element of running an online shop. The process of marketing your merchandise is perhaps the most difficult element of being an online store owner. The variety of features a platform offers is always an advantage however, the features for marketing matter. Being able to get connected with your customers faster and efficiently is what the majority of e-commerce platforms don't make up for. However, it is possible to locate an platform that acts as a marketplace so that your customers can are drawn to your store instead of you having to do all the heavy lifting. If you are a store owner looking for an effective marketing solution, a Shopify option could be a good fit.
4. So that you can ease your pain
From having to write many product descriptions and challenges with transferring from one platform to the one that follows, and the absence of a reliable Content Management System (CMS), to too many costs There are a variety of reasons to search to a Shopify alternative. E-commerce stores are not only a site, it's a company. It's easier to manage your company rather than simply creating it and then letting it go, the more likely they are likely to choose the one which is the best fit for their needs. Shopify provides customer service for its sellers of all kinds, but for some people, that's not enough to help them generate sales.
12 Shopify Alternatives that Are Superior (Free and Paid)
1.
On , you can accept sales from anywhere. If you wish to market on social media, your blog or other website, you're able to. The checkout on your site is designed for conversions, so you will see better conversions when you're selling on your site. Furthermore, when buyers place orders from your store, they'll be provided with immediate download. It's time to say goodbye to long waiting times for shipping.
securely hosts your content files The users will only be given the file once they've landed at your download site following purchasing. And, unlike these major platforms for e-commerce, you don't have to wait until you receive your money. Instead, customers earn money via PayPal or Stripe instantly.
2. BigCommerce
Alternatives to Shopify like BigCommerce can also be used for creating an online shop. BigCommerce has a wide range of features, such as hosting for websites. However, the biggest benefit BigCommerce has over Shopify is the fact that they charge no transaction fees in the pricing plans. BigCommerce permits you to create up to 600 variations for each product, while Shopify only allows 100 variations on each item. BigCommerce provides a longer trial time than Shopify to enable you to investigate the platform as well as build your own online store. BigCommerce also has a larger drag-and-drop function which lets you design your website with any element easily. BigCommmerce also has more than just free themes as well as paid ones than Shopify has, which makes it one of the Shopify alternatives to look into.
3. WooCommerce
Shopify alternatives such as WooCommerce can be a great choice for people looking to build an online store with maximum customisation capabilities. If you're determined to create an online business, WooCommerce is an open-source platform, making it accessible for use at no cost. Plus, WooCommerce is a WordPress plug-in. Therefore, if you've planning to build out your site to include a massive blog on it to drive organic traffic, this is the ideal Shopify solution to achieve this. You'll need to pay for your own web hosting but. But that also means you have the freedom of making your own. WooCommerce is among the largest Shopify rivals, with over 3,000,000 customers than that green bag of shopping.
4. Etsy
If you're looking for advertising features, Etsy is one of the Shopify alternatives to check out. Etsy is an online marketplace in which people are able to buy and sell items. Although you do not own an online store, customers will find you organically when searching on Etsy and it's a good choice to those who struggle with marketing. There's no subscription for a monthly period, but that isn't a guarantee that Etsy is fee-free. It is required to pay charges for listing that amount to $0.20 for each item you list and the 6.5 per cent transaction fee. In addition, you'll need to pay processing fees for payment depending on the chosen payment provider. But considering you won't need to pay for advertising costs, it's a worth considering a Shopify option for businesses selling physical items.
5. PinnacleCart
Like Shopify, PinnacleCart offers a free service for customers earning upwards of $250,000. It is possible to add up to five admin accounts on this free plan too. The e-commerce platform comes with more than 400 eCommerce features, allowing you to customize and build your shop to your own specifications. The platform offers no transaction charges on all of their plans. The Shopify alternative plans like this provide a QR code generator, testimonials feature, a wishlist for customers and even gift messages when you place an order. You don't have to install an app to get these features for your online store.
6. Wix
Wix is one of the very few Shopify alternatives that offer ads in their monthly subscription so that you can manage your online store while focusing on what matters: getting profits. You can run subscription services through your Wix account, which is one of the most advanced options online stores can include to their online stores. Your ecommerce business can also enable you to integrate as many as 250 items when dropshipping via Modalyst. In addition to product sales, online tools such as Wix can allow users to create personal websites, freelance businesses as well as offer tickets to special events. Restaurants typically utilize Wix as it permits customers to place orders online for food. And hotels can book reservations via Wix also. It goes further than simply creating an online store.
7. PrestaShop
Another Shopify alternative, which uses an open-source platform for ecommerce is PrestaShop. Because it's an open-source, self-hosted service, it's completely free to use for online stores. There are however costs for running business stores, even with ecommerce options like PrestaShop. Nevertheless, this platform is easy to use and allows store customization. You can edit all source files, whereas Shopify's Shopify editing your theme's code could render your business ineligible for future upgrades. PrestaShop offers over 2,000 templates available on their site, while Shopify is home to only 100.
8. Elementor
Elementor is an e-commerce platform. Elementor is an alternative to Shopify alternative worth considering. With over 300 professionally designed templates, you'll be able to build a striking web-based business. Shopify is a great choice for businesses. Shopify alternative also allows the user to make edits that are responsive, meaning you can adjust your website's appearance from seven different devices simultaneously. Additionally, you can live edit your site for fast fixes. Additionally, thanks to auto-save technology it is not necessary to manually update your site whenever you modify it. Also, unlike Shopify it is possible to build many pages such as landing pages, pop-up templates blocks, information pages, and more with distinctive designs.
9. Square
Shopify alternatives when it comes to point-of-sale solutions include no other than Square. Square is popular for small-scale restaurants, brick-and-mortar stores as well as smaller retail stores. If you're using the Square application to manage your transactions, it's completely totally free. The only cost is 2.65% for every swipe. Contrary to Shopify it is possible to get a cash register installed in the physical location of your store to allow the cashiers at your shop to put in orders. Companies that earn more than $250,000 annually can even get discounts on operating their POS software with Square.
10. Squarespace
Shopify alternatives like Squarespace let you expand an online retailer. Squarespace has better blogging capabilities as compared to Shopify and Shopify for customers looking to incorporate blogs into their online store. There are also more free templates on Squarespace in comparison to Shopify and give the customer more choices for a design. This Shopify alternative allows users to create more variations for each product. This can be up to 250 compared to Shopify's 100. Additionally, you can get your domain name for free with your annual purchase of a Squarespace plan.
11. Poshmark
Poshmark is an ecommerce platform which allows you to offer your products to their customers. Therefore, if you're searching for Shopify alternatives that have their marketplace of their own, Poshmark is a great option, particularly when you are selling brand name products in the fashion or beauty. Retailers who are brick and mortar or online who have surplus inventory can utilize Poshmark to market their goods at more affordable prices. The e-commerce site even offers Posh Stories, where you can promote your items by using images and videos through the app. So while you won't own your own online store on Poshmark however, you'll have the ability to connect with Poshmark's customer base.
12. WordPress
The Shopify alternative such as WordPress allow ecommerce functionality by the use of plug-ins. But, if you're planning to create an online store, such as one that is an Amazon affiliate site, WordPress could be a excellent option. The best CMS you'll find online is WordPress. Millions of people choose WordPress to create websites and, while they may not have a specialization in ecommerce There are numerous methods to do the process. As an example that there are more WordPress themes than the other platform for e-commerce, since it's by far the most popular. The Shopify alternative is open-source and lets you customize your site to suit your needs for a truly unique online store. While Shopify has more than 1,000,000 customers, WordPress manages over 455 million sites.
FAQ
Do you know of any alternatives that are free for Shopify?
Yes! is a cost-free alternative to Shopify. You can sign-up for 's Free Forever plan. It's a free option, and there is only a five% transaction fee when you sell. Even on this Free Forever plan will you have access to every feature of the site, allowing you to build your store online in the manner you want.
Who are Shopify's main competitors?
The main rivals of Shopify are digital goods, Square for point-of-sale solutions, Etsy for marketplace sellers as well as BigCommerce as well as WooCommerce for physical products.
Are Shopify worth it?
It depends. Shopify is an excellent e-commerce platform for some people However, newbies often face excessive costs when starting a business on Shopify. For example, alternatives like offer a no-cost plan that includes an annual subscription that includes all of the features needed to create your online shop.