Shopify Competitors: 14+ Best Options To Consider in 2024

According to Analyzify, there are over 2 million merchants using Shopify, making it one of the most popular e-commerce platforms around. But it's not the only option. If you're searching for alternatives, there are plenty of other platforms to consider. 

We've looked into options that offer similar features and functionality, along with unique aspects worth mentioning. You might want a platform with drag-and-drop design or one without a subscription fee. No matter what you're looking for, the top 14+ Shopify competitors are user-friendly, affordable, and packed with useful features.

What is Shopify?

Shopify is an online platform that makes it simple for you to create and run your own online store. It comes with many features that help businesses of any size grow. Sellers can use Shopify to sell on their website, in physical stores, on social media, and more.

Shopify has a 4.4/5 star rating on G2 with over 4,579 reviews and holds 28% share of the entire e-commerce market, making it the top platform. Its main competitors are WooCommerce, Wix, SquareSpace, and Ecwid.

(Image Source: https://trends.builtwith.com/shop/traffic/Entire-Internet) 

Shopify offers four standard plans and one enterprise plan (Shopify Plus):

• Shopify Starter — $5 per month
• Basic Shopify — $25 per month
• Shopify — $65 per month
• Advanced Shopify — $399 per month
• Shopify Plus — starting at $2,300 per month

The key differences between Shopify and Shopify Plus are the number of features, support level, and price.

Find out more about Shopify's pricing and features to explore the details.

Why consider a Shopify alternative? Some drawbacks include high prices, limited customization options, and restrictions on staff accounts. Additionally, users may pay extra fees if they choose payment processors other than Shopify Payments.

If these reasons—or others—are making you think Shopify isn’t the right fit, it might be time to explore alternatives.

Now, let’s dive into Shopify's competitors.

Best Shopify Alternatives: Quick Comparison

Here is a quick table of comparison among Top 6 Shopify Competitors:

Already in love with Shopify? Take advantage of Shopify's $1 deal and explore any plan from A to Z in your first month!

Detailed Reviews of Shopify Competitors

1. Wix

If you're looking for a more budget-friendly alternative to Shopify that still offers a variety of features and customization options, Wix could be a great choice.

Wix is a well-known website builder and has become a strong competitor to Shopify in the eCommerce space.

One of Wix’s major advantages over Shopify is its pricing. Wix provides several pricing plans, including a free option, which is ideal for those just starting their online store.

Wix’s premium plans are also more affordable:

• Shopify plans range from $39 - $399 per month
• Wix plans range from $17 to $159 per month, making it more economical for many online sellers.

The main reason that you should choose Wix over Shopify is the greater control it offers over how you present your content.

Wix provides:

• Over 800 free templates (compared to Shopify’s 13)
• Better blogging tools
• Autosave functionality
• More ways to display images and design forms, without buying third-party apps

While Shopify is a better choice for larger, professional e-commerce businesses due to its scalability, Wix is a great option for small businesses or individuals with simpler needs and a smaller budget who want more control over their content layout.

To learn more about how Wix compares to Shopify, take a look at our Wix vs Shopify comparison.

2. WordPress/WooCommerce

WordPress offers two versions: hosted and self-hosted.

The hosted version, similar to Shopify, provides website building tools ready to use. With higher-tier plans, you can use WooCommerce, a powerful eCommerce tool that competes well with Shopify.

As an open-source eCommerce platform, WooCommerce lets developers fully customize the store’s code, allowing businesses to create unique websites that meet their specific demands. It also provides a wide choices of templates and themes to choose from.

With self-hosted WordPress, you can:

• Choose your preferred eCommerce tool (like WooCommerce or Ecwid)
• Customize any feature of your site
• Optimize technical SEO settings
• Pick your own hosting, allowing for faster performance
• Access a wider variety of themes (12,300+) and plugins (59,000+) than Shopify

However, using self-hosted WordPress requires more setup, technical skills, and time. You may also need to invest in high-quality hosting and possibly hire developers for more advanced features, making it more complex than Shopify. 

For example, if you wish to customize or personalize your Shopify store, you can utilize the Shopify Page Builder app such as EComposer, super fast, no code, but various elements.

When it comes to pricing, WooCommerce has a benefit over Shopify. It's free to use, as you just need to install it as an extension on your WordPress site. While you'll need to pay for your own hosting and domain, it can still be a more affordable option in the long run, especially for new businesses.

WooCommerce also gives you access to a large selection of extensions along with more payment gateway options than Shopify. This makes it easier for customers to pay using their preferred methods.

3. Squarespace

Like Wix, Squarespace originally started as a general website builder, but now it also offers strong eCommerce features, making it easy to sell items online. 

Squarespace is known for its beautiful templates and easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder. It means you can create an attractive online store without needing design or coding skills like Shopify. However, Squarespace stands out against Shopify in some areas:

• Templates: It has more beautiful templates (175 compared to Shopify’s 13) and is considered top-tier in design.
• Content Control: You can easily customize almost any element of your site.
• Product Options: Squarespace allows more flexibility with product options and variants than Shopify.
• Members Areas: It has a feature for selling gated content (though it costs extra).
• Free Domain: If you pay for an annual plan, Squarespace includes a free domain name (e.g., www.yoursitename.com), which Shopify does not.

For those needing a visually stunning, highly customizable website with some selling features, Squarespace could be the better choice.

When it comes to pricing, Squarespace offers competitive plans that range from $25 to $72 per month, which is often better suited for smaller businesses compared to Shopify. Despite its lower subscription costs, Squarespace includes strong eCommerce features like inventory management, shipping, and tax calculations.

Additionally, Squarespace has excellent blogging features. It offers built-in SEO tools to help optimize your blog posts for search engines. You can easily add in meta descriptions, titles, and keywords to improve your blog's visibility. Plus, you can schedule your blog posts in advance to stay organized and plan your content effectively.

However, Squarespace isn’t ideal for businesses looking to sell internationally, as it lacks multi-currency support. Overall, its eCommerce features, especially for point-of-sale, are a bit weaker than Shopify’s.

4. Ecwid

Ecwid began as a tool to add eCommerce features to any website (hence the name "Ec-wid" for "eCommerce widget"). Its main purpose is still to help you embed a full range of selling options on your existing site with just a snippet of code.

• While Shopify offers a similar feature with its "Buy Button," it’s more limited—only allowing you to embed products or catalogs. Ecwid’s code snippet lets you add a shopping cart to any website, on the other hand, gives you a complete shopping system.

• Ecwid also has an "Instant Site" feature that lets you quickly create a simple one-page store, which can be hosted on your custom domain (like yoursite.com). Though not as advanced as Shopify’s full eCommerce stores, they are easy and fast to set up.

The biggest edge Ecwid has over Shopify is that it can be used for free. The free plan lets you sell up to 5 products through your own storefront, making it great for merchants with very basic needs. However, this plan doesn’t support selling on platforms like Facebook or Amazon.

Ecwid also offers more flexibility with product options, transaction fees, and the size of online files you can sell. 

Ecwid is a better choice if you’re on a tight budget or want to add eCommerce to an existing site. However, for building a brand-new, fully-featured online store, Shopify is still the more professional option.

5. BigCommerce

BigCommerce stands out as a strong eCommerce platform, offering more features and selling flexibility. Unlike many other platforms that started as general website builders, BigCommerce was specifically designed for selling online, making it a direct competitor to Shopify.

Both platforms have similar features and pricing, though BigCommerce has a smaller user base and app store. The main reason to opt for BigCommerce over Shopify is that many selling features come built-in, whereas Shopify requires additional apps for them.

These built-in features include:

• Higher product option limits
• Support for digital downloads
• More options for customizing purchases during checkout

When it comes to pricing, BigCommerce offers similar plans to Shopify but without transaction fees, so you can keep more of your profits. However, there are limits on the amount of annual sales allowed per pricing tier. 

One key advantage of BigCommerce is the ability to create up to 600 product variants per item, compared to Shopify's 100. This is helpful for businesses with complex products, like clothing or customized items.

BigCommerce also has a built-in One-Page Checkout, which Shopify added to its main plans only in 2023. The checkout process is more customizable too, allowing you to add in custom fields or modify the form.

Additionally, BigCommerce integrates with multiple marketplaces and lets you manage several storefronts through one dashboard, making it easier to sell across different regions.

6. Magento

Magento is an open-source platform for eCommerce that provides a scalable and  flexible solution for any businesses of any size. Although it is often viewed as more complex and resource-heavy than Shopify, it gives merchants more control and customization options.

Since it started in 2007, the platform has innovated significantly to meet the changing needs of merchants. After being acquired by Adobe in May 2018, it was renamed Adobe Commerce. Currently, there are two versions of Magento:

• Magento Open Source (previously known as Magento Community Edition): This version is free to download and provides an open-source solution.
• Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento Enterprise Edition): This version includes premium features like B2B capabilities, advanced reporting, and marketing tools, which require an annual subscription fee.

Key features of Magento include:

• Strong and customizable product management
• Advanced marketing and SEO tools
• Comprehensive reporting and analytics
• A wide range of third-party apps for extensions and integrations
• Scalability to support high-volume e-commerce operations

Magento is a good alternative to Shopify for larger businesses or those with complex e-commerce needs. Its open-source nature and extensive customization options make it a popular choice for merchants who want greater control over their online store's functionality and branding.

7. Amazon

So far, we've talked about various alternatives to Shopify for building an online store. Amazon is different because it is already a huge online store itself. However, you can still use it to sell products, and the main benefit of this is that you get access to a vast audience of Amazon shoppers.

The other advantage of using Amazon instead of Shopify is that you don't have to worry much about web design tasks, like registering a domain, creating graphics, or designing navigation and user experience. With Amazon, you're simply listing your products on an existing website rather than building a new one from scratch.

On the downside, using Amazon means you have less control over your brand and fewer chances for content marketing, and it’s not very suitable for dropshipping. 

However, Shopify and Amazon can work well together through the official “Buy with Prime for Shopify” app and other third-party apps from Shopify’s app store. This makes it beneficial for merchants to sell on both platforms.

You can find out more about the differences between Shopify and Amazon, as well as guide use both platforms together, in our Shopify vs Amazon comparison.

8. eBay

Like Amazon, eBay is not a platform for building online stores; it’s an online marketplace. One of its main advantages over Shopify is that it provides access to a large audience of shoppers. While eBay has various product categories, it is especially popular for finding used items.

What makes eBay unique is its auction system. Sellers can set a beginning price, and buyers can place bids until they find an offer they like. This feature is especially helpful for people looking to make some quick extra money

Plus, if you have fewer than 250 items listed in your eBay store, you won’t have to pay any monthly fees (though there will be commissions on any sales you make).

Just like with Amazon, you can use apps to connect eBay and Shopify, allowing you to manage product inventory and listings across both platforms. Many merchants choose to use eBay and Shopify together.

9. Etsy

Etsy is also an online marketplace that you can use as an alternative to Shopify for selling your products.

Etsy is different from Amazon and eBay because it allows you not only to list your products in a marketplace but also to create a standalone store using its ‘Pattern by Etsy’ store-building app.

The main benefit of selling on Etsy’s marketplace instead of a standalone Shopify store is similar to Amazon and eBay: you gain access to an existing audience of shoppers. However, unlike the broader audiences of Amazon and eBay, Etsy’s audience is more niche, focusing primarily on handcrafted or vintage items. So, if you're looking to sell those types of products, Etsy could be a great fit.

Regarding Etsy’s ‘Pattern’ store builder, it is a less advanced and scalable eCommerce solution compared to Shopify, but it’s also much cheaper—only $15 per month, which is $24 less than Shopify’s Basic plan for building an online store. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with Etsy.

You can also connect a Shopify store with Etsy using a third-party app, and many merchants choose this “best of both worlds” approach to leverage both platforms.

You can find out more about the key differences, pros and cons between Etsy and Shopify in our Shopify vs. Etsy comparison.

10. Square

Square initially began as a point-of-sale (POS) system for processing in-person transactions in physical stores. However, after acquiring the website builder Weebly, it has evolved to allow users to create online stores as well.

Square’s online store builder, known as "Square Online," is not as advanced as Shopify's, especially when it comes to tools for selling internationally. However, one significant advantage is that you can use it for free, although some essential features are missing.

Additionally, Square’s POS system has no monthly fees; you only pay transaction fees for each sale, which can be appealing for startups with tight budgets. In contrast, Shopify requires a monthly subscription for its POS services.

Square focuses heavily on helping restaurant owners, offering features that simplify managing food and drink businesses, such as table management, tipping, and loyalty programs.

If you own a restaurant or take-out business, Square may be a more suitable option than Shopify.

You can find out more about the main differences between Shopify and Square or compare their POS features.

11. Clickfunnel

ClickFunnels offers three pricing plans for entrepreneurs. The first option is the Startup plan, which usually costs $97 per month but drops to $81 per month if paid annually. This plan comes with a 14-day free trial, so you can build and test funnels before deciding to commit. With the Startup plan, you can create one website and up to 20 funnels, which means you can set up landing pages for 20 products. It includes:

• Three user accounts
• One domain
• 10,000 contacts
• Unlimited courses, workflows, pages, and products
• Unlimited email sequences
• Funnel sharing
• Analytics
• CF1 Maintenance Mode Plan

The Pro plan gives you more, upgrading from 20 funnels to 100 funnels for one website. It costs $197 per month or $157 per month when billed annually. This plan also includes:

• Everything in the Startup plan
• 10 user accounts
• Three domains
• 25,000 contacts
• API access

When using ClickFunnels, each product needs its own funnel, so choose a plan that fits the number of funnels you need to market your products or services.

You can explore the key differences between Shopify and ClickFunnels by looking into their core features and how they handle sales funnels.

12. Big Cartel

Big Cartel is an online store builder created to help people sell creative products like music, paintings, and jewelry.

From a features standpoint, it’s much simpler than Shopify, especially in areas like SEO, dropshipping, point of sale, and saving abandoned carts. However, Big Cartel has a couple of benefits over Shopify:

• You can use it for free if you’re selling fewer than 5 items.
• Its paid plans are much cheaper compared to Shopify.
• It’s super easy to use, with a very short learning curve.

While professional sellers may find Shopify better, Big Cartel is a great option for artists and musicians working with little to no budget.

13. Shift4Shop

Shift4Shop has a unique pricing model that makes it different from other Shopify competitors. If your store's monthly sales are over $500, you only pay transaction fees of 2.9% plus $0.30 per sale. However, if you use PayPal for payments, there’s a $29 monthly fee, along with PayPal's fee of 2.99% plus $0.49 for credit and debit card transactions.

Shift4Shop’s free plan offers features that are similar to paid plans, which cost around $29 per month. It includes a website builder with both free and paid templates designed to meet Google’s standards and a built-in content management system (CMS).

Your site is hosted on secure, PCI-compliant servers with 256-bit SSL encryption and guarantees 99.94% uptime. It also uses Cloudflare’s network to boost performance. All Shift4Shop sites are mobile-friendly and can accept mobile payments like Apple Pay, Visa Checkout, and Amazon Pay.

14. Sellfy

Sellfy is an excellent Shopify alternative for businesses that want to sell print-on-demand (POD) products like T-shirts, mugs, posters, and phone cases, thanks to its built-in POD feature. 

For those selling digital and subscription products, plans start at $19 per month when billed for two years, with options for annual or monthly payments at higher rates. Paid plans include email marketing, custom domains, and features like cart abandonment, product upselling, priority support, and the removal of Sellfy branding in higher-tier plans.

This platform is ideal for businesses focused on selling physical or POD products without needing advanced features.

Others also read

Top Websites to sell online for FREE

eBay Alternatives: Pricing, Pros and Cons

Best Platforms to Start your Business online

How to Choose a Shopify Alternative?

With so many options available, choosing the suitable Shopify alternative can feel overwhelming. The best way to decide is to pinpoint what you dislike about Shopify. Once you know its specific weakness, you can select a platform that excels in that area.

All the builders on this list are included because they offer something better than Shopify. Choosing an alternative is about understanding your priorities.

For example, someone wanting to start a small online shop for homemade cupcakes will have different needs than someone looking to launch a large international clothing business. However, there are some common factors everyone should consider when picking an eCommerce website builder:

• Is the website builder affordable?
• Does it have all the sales features I need?
• Is it suitable for the products I want to sell?
• Can it grow with my business, or will I need to switch later?
• Is it easy to use, especially for beginners?

With these points in mind, you should have what you need to choose a Shopify alternative.

Conclusion

Shopify is a well-known and strong eCommerce platform, but there are many other excellent options available for businesses of all sizes. Each Shopify competitor offers its unique features and benefits that may be a better match for specific needs.

By looking closely at important factors like pricing and eCommerce features, you can choose the platform that works best for you. We hope you find the right eCommerce platform to help your business increase sales, build customer loyalty, and achieve lasting success.

FAQs

1. Which platform is best for beginners?

Shopify and Wix are generally more user-friendly for starters due to their intuitive interfaces and drag-and-drop builders.

2. Can I switch from a platform to another one?

Yes, you can opt to migrate your online store from one platform to another. However, the process can be complex and time-consuming, so it's advisable to plan.

3. What is the most affordable Shopify alternative?

There are a few free alternatives to Shopify, but some come with limitations. For example, Ecwid has a free plan, but it's better for small stores since you can only list up to 10 products. Shift4Shop is another popular Shopify competitor with fewer limits as long as you use its payment processor.