Shopify alternatives have a tough act to follow. Shopify is one of the most reputable ecommerce platforms today.
Using it, you can build an online store, even if you have no coding or web designing skills. This ecommerce platform offers great reusable design templates which anyone can utilize to create a fully-functional shopping site.
At the same time, Shopify offers great flexibility in design too. Folks with coding knowledge can update the HTML and CSS templates and change the look and feel of their websites.
Further, Shopify allows third-party app integrations that enable you to customize the functioning of your website.
A website built using a SaaS (Software as a Service) platform like Shopify comes out much cheaper than a self-hosted one.
If you use Shopify, you won’t have to hire a costly web design agency or programmer. And since it is a hosted solution, you won’t even have to buy hosting space for your website. You’ll just pay a pocket-friendly rental to Shopify for hosting and maintaining your online store.
Overall, Shopify is a great ecommerce solution provider for vendors. But, you can access their ecommerce staple features such as gift cards and custom reports, only if you choose the expensive plans.
This is the top reason why many business owners are looking for Shopify alternatives to build their online stores.
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11 of the Best Shopify Alternatives to Build Your Online Store
The ecommerce platform you select will determine the scalability and functionality of your site. Choosing the wrong platform can hamper your site’s overall appeal and lower your ecommerce conversion rate. So which is the right platform for you?
We’ve narrowed down your choices to the top 11 solutions available. Evaluate these Shopify alternatives based on their features, pricing plans, and reviews to make an informed decision.
1. BigCommerce
Image via BigCommerce
The first name that pops up when we mention Shopify alternatives is BigCommerce. The ecommerce portal has climbed the popularity charts owing to their power-packed features and remarkable SEO options.
Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce offers DDOS protection and fraud alerts, even in their low-end plans. And they charge no transaction fees.
This centralized hub lets you sell your services/products on Facebook, Instagram, and eBay. Tons of payment options and 600+ product variants, BigCommerce has it all.
One downside is that they have an yearly sales threshold for their subscribers. You qualify for a higher plan only if your sales revenue reaches their benchmarks. For pricing information, you can contact their sales team.
2. 3dcart
Image via 3dcart
3dcart is one of the cheaper Shopify alternatives in the market today. They offer 200+ powerful features and 50 free website templates with most of their plans.
It is one of the few ecommerce platforms to offer a free live chat functionality. You can leverage the feature to serve your site visitors 24×7. Their all-inclusive subscription plan provides a shopping cart, web hosting, and domain name for your store.
Their site-wide security cover includes two-factor authentication and PCI certification. You can scale your website as your customer base grows. 3dcart lets you integrate all sorts of retail management tools as well.
Their Startup Store plan is conveniently priced at $9.50 per month. No separate transaction fee and no contracts.
3. WooCommerce
Image via WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a powerful plugin that makes your WordPress website ecommerce-ready. The reason why we’ve featured this platform among Shopify alternatives is that they offer a good set of features for free.
If you understand WordPress, you’ll love WooCommerce. They offer tons of customizable templates and an Extension Store. Plus, it is compatible with other WordPress plugins that you can add to your online store without paying a hefty amount.
One drawback of WooCommerce that you should know is that it’s not the easiest solution to implement. You’re more or less on your own when faced with a technical glitch. Their community is your only support system.
For a more in-depth comparison, you can check out this review: WooCommerce vs Shopify.
4. Volusion
Image via Volusion
Another formidable Shopify alternative is Volusion. It is a great platform to build or upgrade your ecommerce website. Within minutes, you can craft responsive sites with their professional-graded themes and templates.
Whether you want to list products or upsell them, Volusion has the perfect solution for you. Their suite of features includes inventory management, SEO options, and a CRM.
Their navigation editor lets you tailor your site’s architecture as needed and the homepage slideshow is especially handy for showcasing deals of the day and special offers.
Volusion doesn’t allow a built-in blog section yet, which can adversely impact your site’s value. There are four pricing plans, starting from $29 to $299 per month. Custom quotes are available upon request.
5. Big Cartel
Image via Big Cartel
Big Cartel is an ecommerce platform where artisans and makers list and sell their creative wares. This Shopify alternative comes with readymade website templates designed by their artist community.
For up to five products, Big Cartel lets you create your store for free. You can build your site, check site stats, and collaborate with other makers. If you deal with artsy or DIY stuff, this platform is the right place for your store.
Their plans start from $9.99 a month with no separate listing or transaction fees. At this price, you get access to customizable themes and Google Analytics for your website.
6. PinnacleCart
Image via PinnacleCart
PinnacleCart is the top Shopify alternative for websites with a large customer base and product range. They offer an impressive gallery of templates for you to choose from. To utilize your creative skills, you can use their Store Builder and build your site from scratch.
You have the choice to host your store on PinnacleCart’s cloud-based servers or in your data center.
This ecommerce platform ensures maximum visibility of your products in popular stores like Google Shopping and Amazon.
You can showcase your products in the best light by uploading unlimited high-resolution images. QuickBooks integration makes accounting automatic and error-free.
Their Standard plan starts at $79.95 per month.
7. Squarespace
Image via Squarespace
Squarespace is a great Shopify alternative for small and mid-sized sellers. Though not precisely an ecommerce platform, it is a frontrunner in the web design industry. They offer all of the important tools and capabilities you need to build a fully-functional online store.
They have a powerful blogging tool that can help you boost the organic reach of your store with content marketing. Using their blog section, you can publish useful resources, monthly newsletters, and exclusive product reviews to delight your customers.
With their built-in tools, you can optimize your site for the search engines. But this platform doesn't facilitate an app store which could adversely affect your reach and revenue.
Squarespace’s cheaper pricing plans make it a tough competitor for Shopify. Their plans start at $12 a month for a personal website and $18 for a business site.
8. PrestaShop
Image via PrestaShop
The next free Shopify alternative in our lineup is PrestaShop. This open-source ecommerce platform requires you to pay only for the add-ons, such as themes, hosting, and plugins.
With this platform, product management is a breeze. You can upload product images, create product packs, and configure sort and filter parameters. You can enrich product descriptions by attaching technical specs.
The platform is replete with basic ecommerce features such as shipping and payment methods. Unlike WooCommerce, PrestaShop allows their subscribers to avail technical support on payment basis.
9. Weebly
Image via Weebly
Weebly is a full-service Shopify alternative that comes with a website builder, email templates, themes, and SEO options. Their drag-and-drop editor lets you design appealing websites without coding.
You get dynamic shipping rates for local and international consignments. Easy inventory management helps you keep track of in-store and in-transit goods. You can enable easy product search by using badges for discounted and out-of-stock items.
You can add customer reviews to your product pages. Your shopping cart comes with a tax calculator and multiple payment options. Weebly charges $25 a month for a free domain and Google Ads worth $100.
10. Adobe Commerce
Image via Magento Commerce
Magento Commerce is an established brand in the ecommerce space. What makes it a good Shopify alternative is their proximity to the Adobe Commerce Cloud and their free Page Builder. Since it’s a free solution, you are only required to pay for themes, a domain, and plugins.
You can build classy storefronts without developer support using their Page Builder. The dynamic pricing and shipping information changes based on a customer's location and order history.
Their Instant Purchase checkout option for repeat visitors can help you boost your ecommerce conversion rate. They use Elasticsearch technology which offers intelligent suggestions when a customer searches for a product on your site.
11. Jimdo
Image via Jimdo
Jimdo is another free Shopify alternative that’s fast, efficient, and adaptive. This ecommerce platform lets you build an online store with a personal domain name. You can literally start selling your goods without investing a penny.
The store creator has an impressive lineup of page layouts for you to choose from. You can make your store Google-ready by paying $10 extra for SEO.
Jimdo is essentially a tool for beginners who don’t have a store budget. It lacks basic ecommerce features such as a shipping calculator, customer logins, and online reviews.
They offer three different plans priced at $15, $19, and $39 per month.
Conclusion
Shopify has enjoyed a monopoly in the ecommerce platform marketplace. But now, these Shopify alternatives are posing a serious threat, owing to their robust features and affordable prices.
Are you using any of these platforms for your website? We would like to hear your honest feedback in the comments below.
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