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Free Shopify alternatives

Top E-commerce Platforms like Shopify

The most popular alternative to Shopify is WooCommerce, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Shopify are Wix, Medusa, Saleor, and PrestaShop.

Most alternatives to Shopify are in the E-commerce Platforms category, compared here by price, platform and features.

Shopify alternatives
AllFreeOpen source
9 apps

All Shopify alternatives

  1. WooCommerce is a free, open source plugin that adds a full online store to a WordPress site: products, cart, checkout, taxes, shipping and orders. Because it runs on your own hosting, you control the code and data, and a large catalog of free and paid extensions covers payment gateways, subscriptions, bookings and more. It is a natural choice for shops that already use WordPress.

    12 WooCommerce alternatives

    Pros

    • Free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a full store
    • Huge catalog of extensions for payments, subscriptions and bookings
    • Full control over code, data and hosting

    Cons

    • Hosting, security and updates are your responsibility
    • Paid extensions add up for features many stores need
    • Performance needs tuning as catalogs and traffic grow
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
  2. Wix is a hosted website builder that lets you design pages by placing elements freely on a canvas or by starting from a template. Hosting, domains, an online store, bookings and blogging are built in, and an AI tool can draft a first version of a site from a few questions. It suits small businesses and individuals who want everything in one place.

    12 Wix alternatives

    Pros

    • Free-form canvas lets you place elements anywhere
    • Online store, bookings and blog built in
    • AI tool drafts a first version from a few questions

    Cons

    • Switching templates later means rebuilding the site
    • Free plan shows Wix ads and uses a Wix subdomain
    • Sites cannot be exported to another host
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
  3. Medusa is an open source commerce platform for developers who want to build a custom store or marketplace rather than adapt a hosted product. It provides modular back-end building blocks for products, carts, orders, payments and fulfillment, an admin dashboard and APIs that any front end can consume. It can be self-hosted for free or deployed on the managed Medusa Cloud.

    6 Medusa alternatives

    Pros

    • Modular back end for building custom stores and marketplaces
    • Open source and free to self-host, with a managed cloud option
    • Admin dashboard and APIs work with any front-end framework

    Cons

    • Needs developers, so it is not a ready-made store for non-technical merchants
    • Smaller plugin ecosystem than Shopify or WooCommerce
    Cost / License
    FreemiumOpen source
  4. Saleor is an open source, API-only commerce platform built with Python and Django, with everything exposed through a GraphQL API. It handles multi-channel catalogs, several currencies and warehouses, and extends through webhooks and apps, while the storefront is built separately with any framework. Teams can self-host it or use the managed Saleor Cloud.

    6 Saleor alternatives

    Pros

    • GraphQL-first API built for headless storefronts
    • Handles multiple channels, currencies and warehouses natively
    • Open source Python stack, self-hosted or on Saleor Cloud

    Cons

    • The storefront must be built separately by developers
    • Smaller ecosystem and community than mainstream platforms
    Cost / License
    FreemiumOpen source
  5. PrestaShop is an open source e-commerce application written in PHP and created in France. You install it on your own server and extend it with modules and themes from its marketplace, covering payment methods, shipping carriers, marketing and multilingual catalogs. It suits merchants who want a full-featured store that they, or an agency, host and customize.

    8 PrestaShop alternatives

    Pros

    • Free and open source, with full ownership of your store
    • Large marketplace of modules and themes
    • Widely used in Europe, with many local payment and carrier modules

    Cons

    • Many essential modules are paid, so costs add up
    • Hosting, updates and technical upkeep are your responsibility
    • Major version upgrades can break existing modules
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
    Platforms
  6. Lemon Squeezy is a payments and storefront platform for software companies and creators. It acts as merchant of record, so it handles international sales tax and VAT, fraud and chargebacks on your behalf. It supports one-time products, subscriptions, software license keys, affiliate programs and email marketing. Stripe acquired it in 2024, and it charges a fee per transaction rather than a monthly plan.

    6 Lemon Squeezy alternatives

    Pros

    • Acts as merchant of record and handles global sales tax and VAT for you
    • Built-in license keys and subscriptions for software sellers
    • No monthly plan, only fees per transaction

    Cons

    • Fees are higher than using a payment processor directly
    • Product direction is less clear since the Stripe acquisition
    • Storefront customization is fairly limited
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Platforms
  7. Magento Open Source is the free, self-hosted edition of the Magento e-commerce platform, maintained by Adobe alongside its paid Adobe Commerce product. Written in PHP, it supports multiple stores, languages and currencies, complex catalogs and a large ecosystem of extensions and agencies. It is suited to merchants with development resources who need deep customization.

    6 Magento Open Source alternatives

    Pros

    • Handles complex catalogs, multiple stores, languages and currencies
    • Large ecosystem of extensions and specialized agencies
    • Free and open source, with full control over code and hosting

    Cons

    • Resource-hungry, so it needs well-tuned hosting to perform well
    • Development and maintenance require experienced PHP developers
    • Some advanced features are reserved for the paid Adobe Commerce
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
    Platforms
  8. Gumroad lets creators sell digital downloads, courses, memberships and physical items from a simple storefront or checkout links. There is no monthly subscription: Gumroad takes a percentage of each sale instead. It also includes email updates and automated workflows for customers, discount codes and affiliate features, which suits independent writers, artists and developers.

    7 Gumroad alternatives

    Pros

    • No monthly fee, since you only pay a share of each sale
    • Very quick to start selling with a simple checkout link
    • Handles memberships, courses, discount codes and affiliates

    Cons

    • Per-sale fees take a noticeable cut as revenue grows
    • Limited storefront customization and branding
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Platforms
  9. Payhip

    Payhip is an e-commerce platform for creators selling digital downloads, online courses, coaching, memberships and physical products. It provides a hosted store or embeddable buy buttons, handles EU and UK VAT on digital sales, and includes email marketing, coupons and affiliate tools. The free plan charges a fee on each sale, which paid plans reduce or remove.

    7 Payhip alternatives

    Pros

    • Free plan to start selling digital products, with fees per sale
    • Handles EU and UK VAT on digital sales
    • Courses, coaching, memberships and coupons in one storefront

    Cons

    • Store design options are fairly limited
    • Transaction fees on the free plan cut into margins
    • Marketing tools are basic compared with dedicated email platforms
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Platforms

Shopify vs its alternatives at a glance

Pricing, platforms and the key features of Shopify, compared with its most popular alternatives.

Shopify vs its alternatives at a glance
AppPricingPlatformsInventory managementMulti-currencyPaymentsPlugins & extensionsPoint of sale
ShopifyFree trialWeb, iPhone, Android
WooCommerceFreeOpen sourceiPhone, Android, Self-hosted
WixFreemiumWeb, iPhone, Android
MedusaFreemiumOpen sourceWeb, Self-hosted
SaleorFreemiumOpen sourceWeb, Self-hosted
PrestaShopFreeOpen sourceSelf-hosted

Shopify alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Shopify?

The most popular alternative to Shopify is WooCommerce: Open source e-commerce plugin that turns WordPress into a store. Other great alternatives are Wix, Medusa, Saleor, and PrestaShop.

Is there a free alternative to Shopify?

Yes, 9 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including WooCommerce, Wix, Medusa, and Saleor.

Is there an open source alternative to Shopify?

Yes, 5 open source alternatives are listed, including WooCommerce, Medusa, Saleor, and PrestaShop.

Is Shopify free?

Shopify is a paid app that offers a free trial.

Compare Shopify with its alternatives

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