If you follow the eCommerce industry, you may be aware that Shopify is one of the best eCommerce platforms available; however, there are 14 best Shopify alternatives that you shouldn’t miss if you are seeking options other than eCommerce.
Shopify was one of the first eCommerce platforms to bring the era of the virtual market. The virtual market has evolved over time. But, it seems like Shopify has started to lose its market as the competition is rising. Furthermore, many users are not enjoying the platform and switching to different alternatives.
If you are looking to switch, here are paid and free shopping alternatives that can help you grow your business.
Should You Switch to Shopify Competitors?
One of the prime reasons you should switch to Shopify alternatives in India is that it is not the one-size-fits-all solution. It cannot fulfil all the requirements that businesses need.
However, there are other reasons you should switch to Shopify competitors in India. Let’s look at those. Following are the Shopify disadvantages:
Shopify charges additional fees for every transaction unless you are processing the payments directly through this platform’s in-house services. The transaction fees can go up to 2%.
In order to access advanced features of Shopify, you have to go for higher-paid plans. So, your cost is only going to increase if you go for premium plans for good features.
Shopify payments are not available in some countries. This is why people are going for Shopify alternatives.
Although there are various videos and how-to guides available for this platform, Shopify isn’t a simple and easy-to-use platform. So, if you are looking for a simple and easy user interface, Shopify isn’t an ideal platform for you.
Now, let’s deep dive into Shopify alternatives available.
15 Best Shopify Like Websites
Following are the top Shopify like websites that you should leverage if you are trying to switch to different alternatives.
Windo
Windo is amongst those platforms that has made selling super easy and fun for their users. You can create your online store in a few clicks and get a chance to leverage the benefits of automating orders, getting directly paid by the customers, and more.
Furthermore, users do not require any prior coding skills or experience to create their online store through Windo. Without any learning curve, you can design a fully-functional store seamlessly.
Apart from this, this platform has in-built analytics that allows you to understand your business insights. This way you can easily analyze the business insights on the dashboard and take measures to sustain and grow your business.
It has 2 plans — Sprout plan is free forever and the blossom plan starts with $12 per month. Start with the free plan to understand the basics and then switch to the paid one.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is one of the best Shopify alternatives. The platform is simple and easy to use and offers end-to-end solutions for eCommerce websites.
It is known for its advanced features like multi-channel selling, the ability to sync inventory across the shops. You can easily manage your online store on platforms like eBay, Amazon, Pinterest, and more.
BigCommerce is comparatively cheaper than Shopify and starts from $29.95 per month. If you want faster SEO growth and excellent theme designs, go for BigCommerce.
Sellfy
Sellfy was specially created for businesses that want to sell digital products and print-on-demand products. Its in-built features can help you build an online store in literally less than 5 minutes. Some of its key features include unlimited email templates, digital subscription functionality, a ‘’pay what you want’’ feature, and more.
This platform will give you a smooth experience. And it has three pricing plans that offer different advanced features.
Dukaan
Dukaan is best suited for D2C and B2C brands, starting from $14.99 per month. It has all the essential eCommerce features that can help in scaling your business.
It is comparatively more reasonable than Shopify and has features like customer support, page loading speed, payment getaways, apps & integrations, store locator, multi-warehouse management, RTO optimizer, taxes calculator, and more.
Shift4Shop
Shift4Shop, which was formerly known as 3Dcart, has a user-friendly interface, built-in marketing tools, the ability to let you create discount codes, drag and drop site building functionality, and more.
It has both free and paid plans that come with different features. Once you get familiar with the platform by using its free plan, you can shift to its paid plan for the premium features.
WooCommerce
The next on the list of Shopify alternatives is WooCommerce. It is a free WordPress plug-in that can help you create your eCommerce store in a few minutes, lets you get secure payments, and configure shopping options.
Integrated with WordPress, it helps in boosting your SEO performance and requires no coding knowledge or experience to set up your online eCommerce store.
Prestashop
If you are looking forward to an open-source solution to build an online store, Prestashop can meet your requirements.
It lets you create and customize your online store the way you want. Plus, it is a free-to-use platform that requires no coding knowledge and has 1500+ store templates. However, you still need developer skills to create an online store using Prestashop. So, make sure to hire one.
Wix
Whether you are in marketing or any other industry, you have definitely heard about Wix. It is a drag-and-drop website builder with 1000+ in-built templates to build a customizable online store. If you want a platform with an easy interface and smooth experience, offering you customizable templates and key eCommerce store features, Wix is definitely the best choice.
Squarespace
Squarespace provides all the important eCommerce features, sleek template designs, flexible payments, and smooth checkouts. It also lets the visitors book your services, and is specially built for the non-tech savvy.
The best part is that Squarespace was designed with eCommerce store integration that includes inventory, robust order, and catalog management. It is divided into four different plans — Personal Plan, Business Plan, Ecommerce Basic Plan, and Ecommerce Advanced Plan.
The personal plan starts from $23 per month; however, if you want subscriptions, abandoned cart recovery, and unlimited access, it is advised to go for the advanced plan.
Ideally, Squarespace is best for creative entrepreneurs who wish to leave a bold first impression on their customers.
Zyro
Zyro is another worth-mentionable competitor of Shopify. If you are looking for an affordable platform that provides the same features as Shopify, Zyro is the best choice you can make. The plans start from just $5 per month and go up to $15.90 per month.
It is a drag-and-drop website builder with various customized themes and a marketplace for additional features. Here’s why you should go for Zyro and not Shopify:
A handy tool for you to create a website, craft logos, and roll out content in minimum time.
There is no requirement for transaction fees.
Zyro offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
It provides 70+ payment methods to its users.
An eCommerce solution that works well no matter what your business plan involves.
From features to pricing, Zyro is better than Shopify in many ways.
Ecwid
The next platform on the list of Shopify alternatives is Ecwid. This platform helps you in converting your existing or regular website into an online or eCommerce store.
It is hassle-free and offers a simple solution if you are looking forward to migrating an online storefront onto an existing website. This feature makes Ecwid unique and different from its big competitors like Shopify.
You can understand the platform by signing up for its free plan. And if you want to experience its additional features, try going for its other three plans and take advantage of them.
It targets business owners who wish to simply add online selling features to their websites.
Ecwid doesn’t charge any transaction fees. Besides offering a free plan, it is easily capable of adapting to your website’s theme. It also comes loaded with automatic detection and translation of more than 51 languages, and a rich support function that includes phone support, online chat support, and email support.
BigCartel
BigCartel is specially designed for artists who want to sell their art online and showcase it to the world. Artists can simply launch their online store for their customers without paying a single penny. But, if you decide to go for its free plan, you can only sell up to 5 products. This plan is ideal when you want to sell limited items to your customers.
However, if you want to sell more and go for advanced features, try going for its paid plans that provide additional and advanced features. Unlike Shopify, it doesn’t have any transaction fees. Moreover, users do not require any coding experience or knowledge. It is easy to set up and navigate and is perfect for small businesses.
The best part is that even its most expensive plan costs $29.99. So, if you are a small business owner who wants to sell your art online to your customers, BigCartel is definitely an ideal platform for you.
Volusion
Volusion is an all-in-one eCommerce solution that has an intuitive store builder and a marketing platform. It allows its users to create, manage, and expand their stores without breaking the bank. The platform also provides SEO integrations, making it easier for you to boost your SEO performance.
If you are a budding entrepreneur in the eCommerce industry, Volusion is the right platform to leverage for your business needs. Furthermore, you don’t need to install or buy any add-ons, which makes this platform a budget buy and a practical choice.
Volusion also offers excellent customer service, easy setup and lean system, and simple payment collection. It comes with four different plans — Personal Plan, Professional Plan, Business Plan, and Prime Plan. The personal plan starts from $29 per month with limited features, 100 products, and a 1 man team.
In short, if you want unlimited features, more products, and you need to regularly add team members, go for higher plans like professional, business, or prime plan.
PinnacleCart
If you are a business owner looking to grow your business at an Enterprise Level, then PinnacleCart can be the right eCommerce platform for you. With its advanced in-built features, you can easily launch your online store. Furthermore, the platform is even known to support multiple languages and currencies.
However, this platform isn’t advised for newbies as they may find it difficult to build an online store through PinnacleCart. Sellers who have at least some experience in the industry may leverage this platform and find it suitable for their business needs.
PinnacleCart may be an ideal eCommerce platform but is time-consuming for new business owners who do not have any professional skills. Its standard plan starts from $79.95 per month. PinnacleCart has over 25 payment getaways, customizable themes, HTML, CSS, and code editing tools, supports multiple languages, and is suitable for bigger stores.
Weebly
The next one on the list of best alternatives for Shopify is Weebly. Unlike other platforms, Weebly even caters to startups and small businesses, helping them to design & create their online store, and grow their business exponentially.
You don’t need any learning curve to use Weebly. Plus, it can be used with any device and even lets users handle large stores with 100s of pages.
Final Thoughts
Shopify is indeed one of the most popular and most used eCommerce platforms by businesses. But it does come with certain drawbacks. These Shopify alternatives are comparatively affordable and offer advanced features to help you create your online store and grow your business.
So, go through these platforms once and choose the one that best fits your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Shopify alternative?
Windo is the best Shopify alternative if you want to enter the eCommerce business.
Are there any free alternatives to Shopify?
Yes. Platforms like Windo and Ecwid are some of the free and best alternatives to Shopify.
Who is Shopify’s main competition?
Platforms like Windo, Dukaan, WooCommerce are some of the main competitors of Shopify.
Why are so many people leaving Shopify?
People are leaving Shopify mainly because the platform is way too expensive and has a difficult user interface. It is not easy to use, resulting in a bad user experience.
What is the biggest problem with Shopify?
The biggest problem with Shopify is its highest transaction fees which go up to 2%, making eCommerce expensive for businesses.
Is Shopify worth it for a small business?
No. There are affordable and better options like Windo for small businesses.