Are you looking for a Shopify alternative?
Shopify is #2 most used eCommerce platforms after WooCommerce and is scaling quickly. The main reason behind its growth is the dynamic functionality and useful features.
But just like the best of eCommerce builders, Shopify has some weak spots like limited blog customization, pricing and scalability.
There are some really great eCommerce hosts that can prove to be a perfect fit for your eCommerce business.
Ready? let’s dive right in.
Best Shopify alternatives in 2021
1. Woocommerce
| Best for | Inventory stores, dropshippers and print on demand |
| Transaction fee for credit card | You pay 2.9% + $0.03 for credit cards issued in US and an additional 1% for credit cards issued outside US |
| Customer support | Hosting live chat support, WooCommerce email and WordPress forums |
Woocommerce is a WordPress plugin that changes a simple site into a fully-functional eCommerce store. One of the reasons behind its huge popularity is the customization backed by WordPress plugins repository.
Standalone features
- Sells both physical and digital products
- Easy to manage technical SEO
- Hosting flexibility for better performance
- Supports all business types
- Multilingual functionality
- No transaction fees
Pricing
Although Woocommerce is free you will have buy a good hosting for eCommerce and a domain name. It will cost you around $10 per month to get both.
- Hosting average cost – $80 per year (SiteGround)
- The domain name from $8 per year (if bought from NameCheap)
- WooCommerce extensions ($40 average cost)
2. BigCommerce
| Best for | Beginners, medium and enterprise online stores |
| Transaction fee for credit card | 2.9% + $0.03 per transaction |
| Customer support | 24/7 live chat + phone |
The reason I placed BigCommerce on second spot for Shopify alternatives is that is offers better design flexibility and charges no transaction fees. Unlike Shopify (that charges unless payment is made through Shopify payments). That said, transaction fees for credit card is 0.3% higher for BigCommerce.
Feature-wise, you will get unlimited staff accounts in the most basic susbcription (limited to 2 accounts with Shopify basic).
Standalone features
- Better design options
- Perfect for all business sizes
- Easy to handle custom product data
Pricing
BigCommerce pricing depends on your sales turnover. Once you reach the threshold it moves you to your next pricing tier.
- The standard plan for $29.95/month up to $50K annual sales
- Plus plan for $79.95/month up to $400K annual sale
- Pro plan at $299.95/month up to $150K annual sale
- Enterprise range from $400-$1500/year. You have to request a quote for the exact price. It comes with a dedicated account manager.
They are currently offering a 90 days free trial on all eCommerce plans due to Corona crisis.
3. Shopify Plus
| Best for | Established online stores |
| Transaction fee for credit card | 2.15% + $0.30 |
| Customer support | Dedicated merchant success and launch manager |
Should your reason for moving from Shopify is scalability, you can try Shopify Plus. It will be a fit for you if you want to:
- Create a custom multichannel eCommerce store (B2B, B2C, D2C)
- Sell high volumes as an enterprise solution
- Want headless eCommerce that connects with ERP, CRM and other tools
- Automate your entire store
However, if you want a cheaper Shopify alternative, then skip to the next option.
Standalone features
- Integrated automation tools like Launchpad
- Retail and point of sales available
- Custom checkout experience
- Perfect for international eCommerce
Pricing
Shopify Plus plan starts at $2,000 per month
4. PrestaShop
| Best for | small to medium size business |
| Transaction fee for credit card | No transaction fees |
| Customer support | Help center, premium support for $119 to $290 |
PrestaShop is a free and open-source eCommerce platform. It can be a good Shopify alternative for those who want personalized customization, international capabilities, and unique features.
This platform will give you access to eCommerce features while keeping the hosting functionality available. The only downside is that there is a little learning curve for beginners. Also, I’d like to mention that PrestaShop won’t charge you an additional fees (other than the ones that comes directly from the payment processor).
Standalone features
- Awesome functionality add-ons
- Has customizable tools, search tools that organize products
- Flexibility to choose fastest hosting service
- Has in-built marketing tools like email, coupon codes, and discounts
Pricing
While PrestaShop is free, you will have to get a good hosting (for $8 to $50 per month), domain name ($8 to $12 per year) and themes + addons ($60 – $400 per month).
5. Zyro
| Best for | Print on demand or wholesale model (with Ecwid) |
| Transaction fee for credit card | depends upon payment gateway |
| Customer support | 24/7 live chat and email support |
Zyro website builder is perfect for those who are looking for a Shopify alternative that is both budget-friendly and modern. While you won’t have blogging functionality, you will be able to test your store with integrated, free AI based heatmap. Plus there is an AI writer that helps you create eye-catchy content.
Standalone features
- Easy to use drag and drop interface
- Great uptime for better performance
- Free business tools
- Awesome tracking functionality
Pricing
Zyro eCommerce plans starts at $9 per month for up to 100 products. For unlocking more features and selling unlimited products, you can go with higher tier plan costing $15 per month. All plans come with 30-days money back guarantee.
6. PinnacleCart
| Best for | small to mid sized eCommerce stores |
| Number of products | Unlimited with any plan |
| Customer support | Live chat, forums and email support |
Overview
PinnacleCart is a cloud based Shopify alternative packed with a set of SEO focused tools. The most unique feature is that you can decide on whether to host on their server or an external server. With unlimited products and number of eCommerce specific features, PinnacleCart definitely gives a tough fight to Shopify.
Standalone features
- Well-designed eCommerce templates
- Powerful integrations
- Unlimited disk space and storage
- Both shared and dedicated SSL available
Pricing
PinnacleCart’s pricing plans depend on hosting space and bandwidth. Free trial is available.
- Startup – 79.95/month for 1GB space with a bandwidth of 20GB
- Advanced -$199.95/month for unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth
- Enterprise – custom pricing
For self-hosting, you will need a PinnacleCart perpetual license at $1,495 per domain.
7. Wix eCommerce
| Best for | Small to mid sized stores |
| Transaction fee for credit card | US 2.9% + $0.30 (for US) |
| Customer support | Live chat and phone support |
Wix eCommerce is a budget-friendly, AI aided and modern site builder to create an awesome store. I’d say its one of the budget oriented Shopify alternatives, geared specifically towards small business.
There are business tools like Wix ADI for designing a beautiful store on autopilot, Wix logo maker, and more.
Standalone features
- Ease of use no coding skills required
- Stunning storefront templates
- Offers real-time shipping for US clients
- Free business tools
Pricing
Wix basic plan is slighly cheaper than Shopify. You can get started with $23 per month giving you a storage of 20GB. For more space and features, you can switch to higher tier plans for $27 per month and $49 per month. Free trial is availale.
How to choose from Shopify alternatives list?
When deciding on Shopify alternatives, decide on the features you’d want for your store. If you want to have both budget and hosting functionality, WooCommerce is a good options.
For enterprise, you can choose Shopify Plus. BigCommerce is also an excellent alternative for business of all shapes and sizes. If you are not sure which of the above Shopify alternatives is best for you, reach out to me and I will help you make a choice.
