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 BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and Ecwid.
Most alternatives to Shopify are in the E-commerce Platforms category, compared here by price, platform and features.
All Shopify alternatives
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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreeOpen sourceCategoriesPlatformsBigCommerce is a hosted e-commerce platform that targets mid-sized and enterprise merchants, including B2B sellers. It includes multi-storefront management, built-in B2B features, multi-currency selling and open APIs, and can serve as a headless back end behind a custom front end. Merchants pick it when they want SaaS convenience with more flexibility around integrations.
8 BigCommerce alternativesPros
- Strong built-in B2B features and multi-storefront management
- Open APIs and headless support for custom front ends
- Hosted platform with multi-currency selling out of the box
Cons
- Plan upgrades are required once annual sales pass set thresholds
- Smaller app and theme ecosystem than Shopify
Cost / LicenseFree trialProprietaryCategoriesPlatformsWix 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesSquarespace is a hosted platform for building websites, portfolios and online stores from designer templates. It bundles hosting, domains, e-commerce, email campaigns and appointment scheduling, with a section-based editor that keeps layouts consistent. It appeals to creatives and small businesses who care about design and prefer not to manage plugins.
12 Squarespace alternativesPros
- Polished designer templates with consistent layouts
- Hosting, commerce, email campaigns and scheduling in one place
- No plugins to install or keep updated
Cons
- No free plan beyond the trial
- Less layout freedom than canvas-based builders
- Fewer third-party extensions than WordPress
Cost / LicenseFree trialProprietaryCategoriesEcwid, now part of Lightspeed, is an e-commerce platform built to be embedded: you manage products in one place and add the store to an existing website, a WordPress site, social networks and marketplaces. It also offers a simple standalone Instant Site and mobile apps to manage orders. It is aimed at small businesses that already have a web presence and want to start selling quickly.
9 Ecwid alternativesPros
- Embeds a store into an existing website, WordPress or social pages
- Manage products once and sell across several channels
- Quick to start, with mobile apps to manage orders
Cons
- Store design options are limited compared with full platforms
- Advanced features and larger catalogs need higher plans
- Instant Site is basic as a standalone website
Cost / LicenseFree trialProprietaryCategoriesMedusa 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumOpen sourceCategoriesPlatformsSaleor 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumOpen sourceCategoriesPlatformsPrestaShop 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreeOpen sourceCategoriesPlatformsLemon 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesPlatformsMagento 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreeOpen sourceCategoriesPlatformsGumroad 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesPlatformsPayhip 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 alternativesPros
- 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 / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesPlatforms
Shopify vs its alternatives at a glance
Pricing, platforms and the key features of Shopify, compared with its most popular alternatives.
| App | Pricing | Platforms | Inventory management | Multi-currency | Payments | Plugins & extensions | Point of sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Shopify | Free trial | Web, iPhone, Android | |||||
 WooCommerce | FreeOpen source | iPhone, Android, Self-hosted | |||||
 BigCommerce | Free trial | Web | |||||
 Wix | Freemium | Web, iPhone, Android | |||||
 Squarespace | Free trial | Web, iPhone, Android | |||||
 Ecwid | Free trial | Web, iPhone, Android |
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 BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and Ecwid.
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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