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Shopify

Overall Rating

4.5

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Top Shopify Alternatives & Competitors in 2026

The best Shopify eCommerce alternatives are WooCommerce, Bigcommerce, and Wix e-commerce, each… Show more

The best Shopify eCommerce alternatives are WooCommerce, Bigcommerce, and Wix e-commerce, each offering number of templates, with pricing from free.

Shopify
4.5(6)
Visit Site

Starting from: $29/month

Basic

$29/mo

3-day FREE trial

Expert - Pros
  • Large suite of marketing tools to grow your website
  • You’re able to sell online, offline, and through multiple marketplaces
  • It has a built-in payment processor
  • Supports unlimited products on every plan
Expert - Cons
  • It charges you for third party payment processors
  • The basic plan doesn’t have access to pro reports
WooCommerce_L_and_d
4.6(0)
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Starting from: $0/month

Free

$0/mo
Expert - Pros
  • Excellent customization and extensions library
  • Integrations with all essential payment options
  • Fully scalable from startup phase onward
  • Extensive online community
Expert - Cons
  • Greater functionality leads to more complexity
  • Over-reliance on extensions
  • Large stores are resource-intensive
wix ecommerce logo
4.7(0)
Visit SiteRead More

Starting from: $29/month

Core

$29/mo
Expert - Pros
  • You can integrate directly with social platforms
  • Built-in email marketing and cart abandonment workflows
  • Dozens of payment processors options
  • In-depth product listing options
Expert - Cons
  • Templates aren’t interchangeable
  • Some elements can’t be fully customized

Shopify is an eCommerce platform known for a large suite of marketing tools to grow your website, and you’re able to sell online, offline, and through multiple marketplaces. However, businesses often look for alternatives when they need it to charge you for third-party payment processors or offer more competitive pricing than $5/mo. Below, we compare the 3 best eCommerce alternatives — ranked by overall rating, feature coverage, and value, so you can find the right fit for your business.

The best Shopify alternative is WooCommerce if you want no platform fee and full control, BigCommerce for large catalogs and B2B, and Square Online if you also sell in person.

WooCommerce logo
WooCommerce
Starting from$0 /mo
Free plan / Free trialAvailable
Overall score
4.6
Ease of use4.5
Performance5.0
Help & Support4.0
Features4.5
Price5.0
WooCommerce, launched in 2011, has evolved from a simple plugin into a powerful open-source e-commerce solution for WordPress websites. Its seamless integration with WordPress allows businesses to… Read more

WooCommerce, launched in 2011, has evolved from a simple plugin into a powerful open-source e-commerce solution for WordPress websites. Its seamless integration with WordPress allows businesses to transform their sites into fully customizable online stores, offering features like flexible product management, secure payment processing, and a vast library of extensions to enhance functionality. This adaptability makes WooCommerce an ideal choice for businesses aiming to establish a robust online presence without incurring substantial costs. In this WooCommerce review we'll look at the features, pricing, ease of use and business value offered by this e-commerce web builder.

Learn more in our full WooCommerce review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Excellent customization and extensions library
  • Integrations with all essential payment options
  • Fully scalable from startup phase onward
  • Extensive online community
Cons
  • Greater functionality leads to more complexity
  • Over-reliance on extensions
  • Large stores are resource-intensive
Features
  • Number of templates
  • Drag & Drop Editor
  • Free Stock Photos
  • SEO Tools
  • Social Media Integration
  • Visitor statistics
  • Third-party apps
  • Data Security
  • Multi-lingual website
  • Inventory Management
  • Payment options
  • Returns & Refunds
  • Shipping Management
  • Mobile - friendly
  • Mobile compatible templates
  • Add HTML code
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
  • Design flexibility
  • Fully customized
  • Video Plug-Ins
  • Audio Plug-Ins
  • Widgets + Apps
  • Abandoned cart tools
  • Newsletter tool
  • Monetization
  • Product reviews
  • Promotions & Discounts
  • Advertising credits
Pricing
Free

$0

mo/

month

WooCommerce Starter

$6.95

mo/

month

WooCommerce Plus

$8.95

mo/

month

WooCommerce Pro

$12.95

mo/

month

Wix E-commerce logo
Wix E-commerce
Starting from$29 /mo
Free plan / Free trialNot Available
Overall score
4.7
Ease of use4.6
Performance4.7
Help & Support5.0
Features5.0
Price4.2
Wix eCommerce helps stores not just sell their products and services but expand their capabilities online. Featuring over 500 professional templates, a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, and… Read more

Wix eCommerce helps stores not just sell their products and services but expand their capabilities online. Featuring over 500 professional templates, a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, and seamless payment integration, Wix simplifies the creation of customized online stores. Its centralized platform allows for efficient management across multiple sales channels, including social media and marketplaces, ensuring streamlined operations. With built-in marketing and SEO tools, businesses can effectively attract and retain customers. In this Wix eCommerce review we'll look at the features, pricing, ease of use and business value offered by this e-commerce web builder.

Learn more in our full Wix E-commerce review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • You can integrate directly with social platforms
  • Built-in email marketing and cart abandonment workflows
  • Dozens of payment processors options
  • In-depth product listing options
Cons
  • Templates aren’t interchangeable
  • Some elements can’t be fully customized
Features
  • Number of templates
  • Drag & Drop Editor
  • Free Stock Photos
  • SEO Tools
  • Social Media Integration
  • Visitor statistics
  • Third-party apps
  • Data Security
  • Multi-lingual website
  • Inventory Management
  • Payment options
  • Returns & Refunds
  • Shipping Management
  • Mobile - friendly
  • Mobile compatible templates
  • Add HTML code
  • Blog
  • Design flexibility
  • Fully customized
  • Video Plug-Ins
  • Widgets + Apps
  • Abandoned cart tools
  • Newsletter tool
  • Monetization
  • Product reviews
  • Promotions & Discounts
  • Advertising credits
  • Number of sites
  • Free custom domain
Pricing
Core

$29

mo/

month

Business

$36

mo/

month

Business Elite

$159

mo/

month

Bigcommerce logo
Bigcommerce
Starting from$29 /mo
Free plan / Free trialAvailable 15-Days
Overall score
4.2
Ease of use3.5
Performance4.5
Help & Support5.0
Features4.5
Price4.0
User reviews4.0
BigCommerce is a leading e-commerce platform designed for both B2B and B2C businesses, offering extensive customization and scalability. With a robust CMS, it provides seamless app integrations,… Read more

BigCommerce is a leading e-commerce platform designed for both B2B and B2C businesses, offering extensive customization and scalability. With a robust CMS, it provides seamless app integrations, expert services, and diverse commerce solutions, all within a single platform. This comprehensive approach empowers businesses to tailor their online stores to unique requirements, facilitating growth and adaptability in a dynamic market. In this BigCommerce review I'll discuss the features, pricing, ease of use and business value offered by this e-commerce website builder.

Learn more in our full Bigcommerce review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Can use HTML and CSS for deep design flexibility
  • Large ecosystem of third-party integration
  • 24/7 support for all customers
  • Even on the entry-level plan, you get many advanced features
Cons
  • Pricing plans are tied to your yearly sales volume
  • Difficult to edit orders after they’ve been placed
Features
  • Number of templates
  • Drag & Drop Editor
  • SEO Tools
  • Social Media Integration
  • Visitor statistics
  • Third-party apps
  • Data Security
  • Multi-lingual website
  • Inventory Management
  • Payment options
  • Returns & Refunds
  • Shipping Management
  • Mobile - friendly
  • Mobile compatible templates
  • Add HTML code
  • Blog
  • Design flexibility
  • Fully customized
  • Video Plug-Ins
  • Audio Plug-Ins
  • Widgets + Apps
  • Abandoned cart tools
  • Newsletter tool
  • Monetization
  • Product reviews
  • Promotions & Discounts
  • Number of sites
  • Space
  • Bandwith
Pricing
Core

$29

mo/

month

Growth

$79

mo/

month

Scale

$299

mo/

month

Square Online logo
Square Online
Starting from$0 /mo
Free plan / Free trialAvailable
Overall score
4.5
Ease of use4.5
Performance5.0
Help & Support4.0
Features4.5
Price4.5
Square Online e-commerce solutions bring all of the tools businesses big and small need to sell online. With this CMS software you can quickly set up an online store for free, with features like… Read more

Square Online e-commerce solutions bring all of the tools businesses big and small need to sell online. With this CMS software you can quickly set up an online store for free, with features like unlimited product listings, seamless integration with in-person sales, and tools for SEO, social media, and inventory management​. The website builder makes it simple for customers to buy, leveraging payment links, and site payments, all with payment security. Start with no startup costs and only pay when you make a sale. In this Square Online review we'll look at the features, pricing, ease of use and business value offered by this e-commerce web builder.

Learn more in our full Square Online review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • It’s 100% free to get started
  • Excellent for small businesses
  • Strong security features
  • Inventory syncs seamlessly online and offline
Cons
  • Very limited options for payment gateways
  • Doesn’t have many templates to choose from
Features
  • Payment options
  • Returns & Refunds
  • SEO Tools
  • Inventory Management
  • Social Media Integration
  • Drag & Drop Editor
  • Visitor statistics
  • Mobile - friendly
  • Add HTML code
  • Fully customized
  • Mobile compatible templates
  • Multi-lingual website
  • Data Security
  • Shipping Management
Pricing
Free

$0

mo/

month

Plus

$29

mo/

month

Premium

$79

mo/

month

Squarespace logo
Squarespace
Starting from$16 /mo
Free plan / Free trialAvailable 14-Days
Overall score
4.1
Ease of use4.5
Performance4.5
Help & Support4.5
Features5.0
Price4.5
User reviews3.5
Squarespace's e-commerce platform empowers businesses to create stunning online stores with customizable templates and a user-friendly interface. Its comprehensive suite of tools enables seamless… Read more

Squarespace's e-commerce platform empowers businesses to create stunning online stores with customizable templates and a user-friendly interface. Its comprehensive suite of tools enables seamless management of products, inventory, and orders, facilitating both online and in-person sales. With integrated marketing features and secure payment processing, Squarespace provides a robust solution for businesses aiming to establish a compelling online presence and drive sales growth. In this Squarespace review we'll look at the features, pricing, ease of use and business value offered by this e-commerce web builder.

Learn more in our full Squarespace review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Provides email marketing tools to customers
  • Help and support is 24/7
  • Wide range of features to boost conversions
  • Solid professional-looking, mobile friendly templates
Cons
  • There’s no auto save feature when editing pages
  • You don’t get a refund on monthly plans
Features
  • Number of templates
  • Drag & Drop Editor
  • Free Stock Photos
  • SEO Tools
  • Social Media Integration
  • Visitor statistics
  • Third-party apps
  • Data Security
  • Multi-lingual website
  • Inventory Management
  • Payment options
  • Returns & Refunds
  • Shipping Management
  • Mobile - friendly
  • Mobile compatible templates
  • Add HTML code
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
  • Design flexibility
  • Fully customized
  • Video Plug-Ins
  • Audio Plug-Ins
  • Widgets + Apps
  • Abandoned cart tools
  • Newsletter tool
  • Monetization
  • Product reviews
  • Promotions & Discounts
  • Advertising credits
  • Number of sites
  • Free custom domain
  • Space
  • Bandwith
Pricing
Personal

$16

mo/

month

Business

$23

mo/

month

Basic Commerce

$28

mo/

month

Advanced Commerce

$52

mo/

month

Webflow logo
Webflow
Starting from$0 /mo
Free plan / Free trialAvailable 14-Days
Overall score
4.2
Ease of use4.5
Performance3.0
Help & Support3.5
Features5.0
Price5.0
Webflow is a visual web development platform that allows users to design, build, and launch completely custom websites without writing code. It’s ideal for designers and advanced users who want to… Read more

Webflow is a visual web development platform that allows users to design, build, and launch completely custom websites without writing code. It’s ideal for designers and advanced users who want to create a site on their own but require more design freedom than traditional site builders.

Learn more in our full Webflow review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Freedom of Design
  • Great for Client Work
  • No Coding Necessary
  • Plenty of Integrations
Cons
  • Not Beginner-Friendly
  • No Live Phone Support
Features
  • Pre-Built Templates
  • Mockup Templates
  • Customization Ability
  • Customized Branding
  • Drag and Drop Editor
  • Collaborative Editing
  • Media Management
  • Content/Media Library
  • Content Management System
  • Scheduling Tool
  • User Management
  • Rich Text Editor
  • E-Commerce
  • Hosting
  • Domain Name
  • Marketing Tools
  • SEO Tools
  • Site Analytics
  • Email Integration
  • Marketing Integration
  • Social Media Integration
  • CSS
  • HTML
  • JavaScript
  • Syntax Highlighting
Pricing
Starter

$0

mo/

month

Basic

$18

mo/

month

CMS

$29

mo/

month

Business

$49

mo/

month

Why do store owners leave Shopify?

Most are not leaving because Shopify is bad. They are leaving because its costs grow in places the pricing page does not lead with.

  • The third-party payment fee: a store on Basic doing $10,000 a month through PayPal or another gateway pays $200 a month to Shopify on top of the processor's own fee. On Grow it is $100, on Advanced $60.
  • Payout holds on Shopify Payments: avoiding that fee means Shopify holds your money. Merchants in Shopify's community forum describe payouts held for 4 weeks with no clear timeline.
  • Headline price vs real price: monthly billing is $10-$100 a month higher than the advertised annual price, and apps add up. Eightx's 2026 study of 3.59M stores found an average of ~4.1 apps per store, though only 1.8% spend more than $100 a month on them.
  • URL structure: Shopify forces /products/ and /collections/ into every URL, and Sonary's review lists it as a con. For SEO-led stores that is a real ceiling.

Which Shopify alternative fits your store?

Start from the store you run, not the feature list. Read the table as: your store type, the Sonary-reviewed platform that fits it, and what that platform costs you instead.

Your store

Switch to

What it costs you instead

Content or SEO-led, already on WordPress

WooCommerce

Hosting, updates and paid extensions

Big catalog, wholesale or B2B

BigCommerce

Plan jumps at $30K and $100K in yearly sales

Small, design-first shop

Wix eCommerce

Templates cannot be swapped after launch

Physical store that also sells online

Square Online

3.3% + 30¢ online on the Free plan

Brand or portfolio site with a few products

Squarespace

2% store fee on the Basic plan

Custom design by an agency

Webflow

2% fee on the Standard ecommerce plan

WooCommerce: is it really free?

The software is - WooCommerce has a "$0 platform fee" and takes no revenue share, and WooPayments runs about 2.5-2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (WooCommerce pricing page, 23 Sep 2026). The store is not free: WooCommerce's own page puts hosting at $25-$350 a month and paid extensions at $29-$299 a year each. You get full control of URLs and data, and Sonary's review names the cost of that: over-reliance on extensions and heavier maintenance.

BigCommerce: does it avoid Shopify's transaction fee?

Only with its embedded providers - BigCommerce charges 0% through Stripe, PayPal and Klarna, but 2%, 1% or 0.6% through other "open" payment providers, the same structure as Shopify (BigCommerce pricing page, 23 Sep 2026). Where it wins is catalog and B2B depth. The catch is the sales caps: Core ($39 billed monthly) covers up to $30K in trailing 12-month sales and Growth ($105) up to $100K, then you move up a plan.

Wix eCommerce, Squarespace and Webflow: when does design matter more than scale?

For small catalogs where the site sells the brand. Wix eCommerce needs the Core plan or higher to accept payments, and Wix Payments charges 2.9% + 30¢ per US transaction. Squarespace Core is $29 a month billed yearly with a 0% store fee, while Basic charges 2%. Webflow's Standard ecommerce plan is $29 a month billed yearly with a 2% fee and 500 items, and Plus at $74 drops the fee. Check Webflow's 500-item cap on Standard before you move a growing catalog there.

Square Online: the cheapest way to sell online and in store?

For a business that already takes payments on a Square counter, yes - there is a free plan and inventory syncs between the POS and the online store, which Sonary's review calls out as its strength. The cost moves into the rate: 3.3% + 30¢ per online sale on the Free plan, 2.9% + 30¢ on paid plans. Sonary's review also notes limited payment gateway options.

See also:

FAQ

What is cheaper than Shopify?
Square Online (free plan) and WooCommerce (no platform fee, you pay for hosting). Both still charge payment processing on every sale.
What is the downside of Shopify?
The 2%, 1% or 0.6% fee on third-party payments, app costs that grow with the store, and fixed /products/ URLs.
Is Shopify still worth it in 2026?
Yes, for most stores that use Shopify Payments and sell across channels. It is worth leaving when the payment fee, the URL structure or payout holds are costing you more than the ecosystem saves.
Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees?
Not through its embedded providers (Stripe, PayPal, Klarna). Through other providers, it charges 2%, 1%, or 0.6%, the same as Shopify.
What is the best Shopify Plus alternative?
BigCommerce's higher plans for B2B catalogs. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 a month, so price both on a 12-month contract.