WooCommerce is the best Shopify alternative if you want to own your store's code and avoid platform fees: the software is free, though hosting is not. BigCommerce is the closest like-for-like rival at the same $29 entry price. Wix and Squarespace suit service businesses and small catalogues that want a beautiful website first. Square Online has a genuinely free plan for small sellers, especially those already using Square in a shop.
Why people look for Shopify alternatives
Fees on third-party payments
If you cannot or will not use Shopify Payments, Shopify adds 0.2% to 2% to every sale on top of your provider's fees. Some rivals charge no platform fee with their partner processors.
App costs add up
Capterra reviewers often say monthly costs grow quickly as they add apps for reviews, email, subscriptions and other features. Platforms with more built in, or open-source plugins, can be cheaper.
Limited checkout and code control below Plus
Checkout customisation is limited on Basic, Grow and Advanced. Full control needs Plus from $2,300 a month, so some growing brands move to open-source WooCommerce.
Account and payout problems
Trustpilot reviews include merchants reporting frozen accounts, held payouts and slow support. Most merchants never hit these issues, but those who do often switch.
Shopify alternatives at a glance
Tool
Best for
Price from
Free plan
Our score
Shopify for comparison
Any merchant already on Shopify
Included with Shopify (Basic $29/mo annual, $39 monthly)
Scores come from our category rankings (hover for which one). "n/a" means the tool is not in a ranking yet.
The best Shopify alternatives, reviewed
#1 · Best for wordPress users and brands that want full control
WooCommerce
by WooCommerce · from Free software; hosting about $25 to $350/month · free plan
WooCommerce is a free, open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress. You own the code and data, there are no platform fees or revenue share, and you can use almost any payment provider. WooCommerce estimates hosting at $25 to $350 a month for most stores and paid extensions at $29 to $299 a year each. The trade-off is work: you or a developer handle hosting, updates, security and backups, and there is no built-in AI assistant like Sidekick.
Versus Shopify:No platform fees and full control, but you run the technical side yourself.
#2 · Best for growing brands that want a hosted platform with no extra payment fees
BigCommerce
by BigCommerce · from $29/month billed yearly ($39 monthly)
BigCommerce is the closest hosted rival to Shopify, with the same $29 entry price on yearly billing. It charges no extra fee on orders through its embedded payment providers, and its Open Payment Provider fee (2%, 1% or 0.6%) applies only to others. Plans are tied to sales: Core covers up to $30,000 a year and upgrades automatically to Growth ($79 yearly) and Scale ($299). There is a free trial. Its app and theme ecosystem is smaller than Shopify's.
Versus Shopify:Similar prices and fewer payment fees, but plans upgrade as sales grow.
by Wix.com · from $29/month billed yearly (Core) · free plan
7.9/10
Wix is a drag-and-drop website builder with ecommerce built in. Core ($29 a month on yearly billing) is the cheapest plan that accepts payments, with basic ecommerce and bookings; Business ($39) and Business Elite ($159) add more advanced selling tools. Its free plan builds a site but cannot take payments. Wix offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. It suits businesses that sell services, events or a small product range, but large catalogues and multichannel selling are stronger on Shopify.
Versus Shopify:Easier design freedom for small sites, weaker for serious product selling.
by Squarespace · from $19/month billed yearly ($25 monthly)
7.6/10
Squarespace is known for polished templates and is a good fit when the website matters as much as the shop. Basic costs $19 a month on yearly billing but charges a 2% online store transaction fee; Core ($29 yearly) removes that fee and adds merchandising and tax tools. Card rates start at 2.9% + 30¢, the same as Shopify Basic. There is a 14-day free trial with no card. Its app ecosystem and multichannel tools are far smaller than Shopify's.
Versus Shopify:Better-looking templates, but fewer ecommerce tools and apps.
#5 · Best for small sellers and shops already using Square POS
Square Online
by Square · from $0/month (Free plan) · free plan
Square Online includes a free plan, which Shopify does not. You pay only processing fees: 3.3% + 30¢ for online cards and 2.6% + 15¢ in person. The Plus plan ($49 a month per location) lowers online card fees to 2.9% + 30¢ and adds more tools. It syncs with Square's point-of-sale system, which suits cafes, restaurants and local shops. It has far fewer themes, apps and AI features than Shopify.
Versus Shopify:Truly free to start, but a basic store builder with few add-ons.
You want full control and no platform fees: WooCommerce.
You want a Shopify-like hosted platform with fewer payment fees: BigCommerce.
Your website and brand come first, with a small shop:Squarespace or Wix.
You sell in person with Square and want a free online store: Square Online.
You want built-in AI that acts on your store: stay with Shopify and use Sidekick.
Whatever you choose, add up the plan fee, card fees on your real monthly sales and the apps you will need. Our best AI for ecommerce ranking covers AI tools that work across these platforms.
Switching tips from our editors
Export products, customers and orders as CSV files from the Shopify admin before you cancel, and download your theme files if you customised them.
Set up 301 redirects from your old Shopify URLs to the new store so search rankings and bookmarks keep working.
Cancel paid apps separately; some bill through Shopify and some directly.
Keep your domain: if you bought it through Shopify, transfer it out before closing the store.
Run both stores in parallel for a few days and place test orders before you switch your domain over.
Shopify's built-in card processor. Using it avoids Shopify's extra fee for third-party payment providers.
Third-party transaction fee
A 0.2% to 2% fee Shopify charges on each sale processed through a payment provider other than Shopify Payments.
Sidekick
Shopify's AI assistant inside the admin. It can answer questions about your store data and draft changes such as discounts, copy and reports.
POS
Point of sale: the system and card reader you use to take payments in person, such as in a shop or at a market stall.
Premium card rate
A higher processing rate for cards that cost more to accept, such as many business and rewards cards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest alternative to Shopify?
Square Online has a free plan with only processing fees. WooCommerce is free software, but you pay for hosting. Squarespace Basic costs $19 a month billed yearly, with a 2% transaction fee.
Is WooCommerce better than Shopify?
It is better for control and avoiding platform fees, and worse for convenience. Shopify handles hosting, security and updates for you and includes Sidekick; WooCommerce needs you or a developer to run the site.
Is BigCommerce cheaper than Shopify?
The entry price is the same ($29 a month billed yearly). BigCommerce can be cheaper if you would pay Shopify's third-party payment fee, but its plans upgrade automatically as your yearly sales grow.
Should I use Wix or Shopify for an online store?
Use Shopify if selling products is the main goal, especially across several channels. Use Wix if you mainly need a website for a service business with some online sales.
Do Shopify alternatives have AI like Sidekick?
Most rivals offer AI writing and design helpers, but few have an assistant that can act across your store data the way Sidekick does. See our best AI for ecommerce ranking.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from public information. Vendor figures are labelled as vendor claims.