Shopify Alternatives

What is Shopify?

Shopify is a Software-as-a-Service which is used as a sales platform. There are four plans and the basic one starts at INR 1,994 per month. A branded store is supported by all the plans along with online and in-person selling tools. The website also offers a starting plan whose cost is just INR 20 per month. No online store is available in this plan but a Buy Button and POS sales is available to sell goods on different websites.

Cost of Shopify

Shopify has 3 plans which can be found in the table below −

Plan	Price in INR
Basic	1,994
Shopify	7,447
Advanced	30,164

Why Shopify Alternatives?

Though Shopify is a good place to start an online store, there are a few disadvantages which are listed below −

• Options for design customization of an online store are limited

• Opening an online store and paying a fee for premium features can be expensive

• Need to have a detailed understanding of payment processing and transaction fees

• No email storage service available

• Marketing automation tool is not available

How to choose a Shopify Alternative?

Shopify has many advantages too but if you are not satisfied and want to look for an alternative, following should be considered −

• Many theses are available to create a shop

• Different modes of payment are available like PayPal, Shopify Payments, and Stripe

• The interface of the website is user-friendly

• Starting an online store is easy

Top 10 Shopify Alternatives

There are many alternatives to Shopify available and we will discuss the top ten in detail.

Alternative 1 – WooCommerce

WooCommerce is considered as one of the excellent alternatives to Shopify. It can be used for free and its ratings are very high. If you want more functionalities, you have to pay some amount which can be expensive. Free version has many features which you can use to open your shop. Making a website through this tool is very easy. You can also set up a mobile website easily. You have to make payment only once to get the advanced features.

Features

• Free to use

• Make payment for premium features only once

• Easy to use up an online store

Pros

• Transaction fees is not required

• Endless WordPress integration

• Sell an unlimited number of products from your store

• Hundreds of free access available

Cons

• Hosting is not included

• Tech skills needed to operate your store

Alternative 2 – BigCommerce

BigCommerce was founded in 2009 and is a simple platform to use. The tool has drag and drop editor which is easy to use. There are many themes which can be used to enhance the look of your store. Five themes are available for free and fees have to be paid for others. The starting plan is $29.95 per month. Your costs will depend on the number of sales and revenue generated.

Features

• Drag and drop editor

• Stunning themes

• Better choice than Shopify to enhance your business

Pros

• Excellent features available in all the plans

• Payment can be made through 55 gateways

• No additional transaction fee

• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Only 5 themes available for free

• Need to learn and use the features

• Setup is a little difficult

Alternative 3 – Zyro

Zyro is an affordable alternative to Shopify. The features offered by the website are the same as Shopify but are available at less cost. The website provides a basic plan whose cost is just $5 per month. Top-tier plan starts from $15.90. Drag and drop editor is available on the website You can enhance the look of your store through different types of themes. An app marketplace is available for additional features like dropshipping, print-on-demand, marketing features.

Features

• Affordable than Shopify

• Drag and drop editor available

• Basic plan starts at $5 per month

Pros

• Website can be made easily through AI tools

• Affordable plans available with discounts

• No transaction fee required

• More than 70 payment methods

• International selling can be done online as there is Multilanguage support

Cons

• Products have limits

• Multichannel selling available in advanced plan

• Mobile speed is slow

Alternative 4 – Squarespace

Squarespace is an e-commerce platform which also has features for different professionals like musicians, artists, bloggers, and many more. The price to launch a store starts from $26 per month. Squarespace is a great alternative to Shopify when it comes to small businesses. You can sell unlimited products. You can use different types of plugins and social media websites.

Features

• Excellent website for small businesses

• Sell unlimited products

• Many plugins available

Pros

• Integration with social media websites is easy

• Affordable plans

• Support available 24/7

• Free domain if annual plan is used

Cons

• Transaction fee can be expensive

• No app market available

• Payment methods are limited

Alternative 5 – Wix

Wix is an all-in-one website builder which provides different tools to its users to make their websites. Users can also make an online store or a blog site. The website also provides an online store mobile app Which helps the users to edit their websites. Email marketing feature is also available to sell products through emails. The website is suitable for small and medium businesses and not for large stores.

Features

• Users can make their own website, blog, or online store

• Email marketing feature is available

• Online store mobile app can be used to edit websites

Pros

• The website has more than 900 templates

• Drag and drop editor available for beginners and experts

• Can be used for free

• Wix is multilingual and translation can be done in more than 180 languages

Cons

• Less customization options available

• SEO optimization has some limitations

• Shipping options available only in the US

Alternative 6 – Magento

Magento is a popular platform which established store owners can use to make their websites and sell their products online. The pricing is affordable and that is the reason it is a good alternative to Shopify. The website also provides a content management tool which is available for free. Payments have to be made for plugins, themes, and hosting.

Features

• Magento is a CMS platform

• Pricing is less than Shopify

• Established community all over the world

Pros

• Flexible and scalable

• Excellent functionalities are available for setting up a store with the help of more than 250 developers

• Several secure payment gateways

• Responsive design

• Multiple add-ons and extensions

Cons

• Technical knowledge is required to use the tool

• Difficult for new users

• Expensive

Alternative 7 – Pinnacle Cart

Pinnacle Cart was launched in 2003 and is a great tool for small and medium-sized businesses looking to have a strong focus on marketing. You can control your online store easily and also use additional SEO features. Backend setup is difficult if you do not have technical knowledge. Primary payment method is PruPay which can be used for the free version.

Features

• Online store can be controlled easily

• User-friendly interface

• Affordable plans

Pros

• Many hosting options available

• User interface is easy to use

• SEO-friendly features

Cons

• Payment methods are limited for the free version

• Free version has restrictions for bandwidth and disk space

• Only 12 themes available

Alternative 8 – Sellfy

Sellfy is an online e-commerce platform which can be used by artists to sell their illustrations, video courses or music. It is a cloud-based solution and users have to pay a monthly subscription fee. A separate credit card processing also needs to be paid. Sellfy offers buy buttons to the existing websites A free trial for 14 days is available without the usage of credit card. Pricing ranges between $29 and $159 per month.

Features

• Easy to use

• Sell digital or physical products

• Save time through automated payments and product downloads

Pros

• All tools are included to run an online business

• Different types of integration options

Cons

• Only two payment methods which are Stripe and PayPal

• Design options are limited

Alternative 9 – Ecwid

Ecwid is a popular alternative for those business owners who have their website. Ecwid will connect to the site to provide more e-commerce options. You do not have to start anything from the beginning. Ecwid can be used easily through the e-commerce plugin through the website builder. Different types of plugins are available.

Features

• Easy to use

• Great option for business owners already having a website

• Many plugins are available for customization

Pros

• A great option for multichannel selling

• Unlimited products can be sold

• Many mobile app features available

• Multilingual support

Cons

• Not a good option for large businesses

Alternative 10 – PrestaShop

PrestaShop is a popular alternative to Shopify. Entrepreneurs having low budget can use this platform easily. The platform can be used for free but you have to make payment for hosting and domain name.

The platform has a limited number of templates and themes but you do not have to pay any transaction fee. The website supports 25 languages and multiple currencies. A great online store can be created with the help of a developer

Features

• No need to pay a transaction fee

• Affordable plans

• Easy to use

Pros

• Free of cost

• Multilingual support

• Host your store on any server

Cons

• Limited number of themes and templates

• Technical skills are required to manage the online store

Conclusion

Shopify is a popular platform which users can use to make online store. The platform is expensive and does not provide email service. Marketing automation tool is also not available. There are many Shopify alternatives available for unsatisfied Shopify business owners. Some of them are available for free but they have to pay a fee for hosting and domain name.