Shopify alternatives
Shopify's own review notes most stores need $50-$300+/mo in third-party apps to unlock marketing, reviews or subscription features, and that Plus pricing starts at $2,300/mo. These are the alternatives our reviews name, each with the reason it made the list.
Top Shopify alternatives
Ranked by our editorial score.
Free to install with no monthly platform fee, at the cost of handling your own hosting, security and updates — the opposite trade-off from Shopify's fully hosted, predictable-fee model.
vs Shopify: Better value (8 vs 7) · Harder to use (6 vs 8)
Source: our Shopify review
Comparison: “vs WooCommerce: Shopify is fully hosted with predictable monthly fees and no server maintenance required, while WooCommerce is free to install but self-hosted, meaning you handle updates, security, and hosting costs separately.”
Native two-way sync with Square POS hardware makes it the top choice for brick-and-mortar retailers adding online sales, though its app ecosystem is far thinner than Shopify's.
vs Shopify: Easier to use (9 vs 8) · Fewer features (7 vs 9) · Fewer integrations (8 vs 10)
Source: our Square Online review
Comparison: “vs Shopify: Shopify has a 6,000+ app ecosystem and is better suited for scaling pure e-commerce businesses with advanced inventory needs; Square Online's unmatched strength is native sync with Square POS hardware, making it the top choice for brick-and-mortar retailers adding online sales.”
Cheaper for basic stores and easier for non-technical beginners using its drag-and-drop builder, though it scales less well for high-volume selling than Shopify.
vs Shopify: Easier to use (9 vs 8) · Fewer features (7 vs 9) · Fewer integrations (7 vs 10)
Source: our Shopify review
Comparison: “vs Wix: Wix is cheaper for basic stores and easier for non-technical beginners using its drag-and-drop builder, but Shopify scales better for high-volume selling and offers far more e-commerce-specific integrations and POS capabilities.”
Zero transaction fees on any payment processor and deeper built-in B2B features, trading away Shopify's larger app marketplace and simpler onboarding.
vs Shopify: Harder to use (6 vs 8) · Fewer integrations (8 vs 10)
Source: our Shopify review
Comparison: “vs BigCommerce: BigCommerce charges zero transaction fees on any payment processor and has deeper built-in B2B features, while Shopify has a significantly larger app marketplace and a simpler onboarding experience for new merchants.”
Free for qualifying US merchants who process payments through Shift4, versus Shopify's $29-$299/month plus a transaction fee when using a third-party gateway.
vs Shopify: Better value (9 vs 7) · Harder to use (5 vs 8) · Fewer integrations (6 vs 10)
Source: our Shift4Shop review
Comparison: “vs Shopify: Shift4Shop is completely free for merchants who process payments through Shift4, while Shopify charges $29–$299/month plus an additional 0.5–2% transaction fee on every sale when using a third-party payment gateway.”
Free and open-source with no monthly licensing or forced transaction fees, and stronger native multi-language/multi-currency support — at the cost of self-managed hosting and setup.
vs Shopify: Better value (8 vs 7) · Harder to use (5 vs 8) · Fewer integrations (8 vs 10)
Source: our PrestaShop review
Comparison: “vs Shopify: PrestaShop is free and open-source with no monthly licensing fees or forced transaction fees, but requires self-managed hosting and technical setup; Shopify is a hosted SaaS starting around $29/month that launches much faster with minimal technical knowledge.”
Superior design templates and an all-in-one content-and-commerce experience for brand-led stores, though Shopify supports far more payment gateways (100+ versus Stripe and PayPal only) and scales better.
vs Shopify: Fewer features (7 vs 9) · Fewer integrations (5 vs 10)
Source: our Squarespace Commerce review
Comparison: “vs Shopify: Squarespace Commerce provides superior design templates and aesthetic polish for creatives, but Shopify supports 100+ payment gateways versus Squarespace's Stripe and PayPal only, and scales far better for high-volume stores.”
Deeper native B2B capabilities — RFQ, negotiated quotes, multi-level approval chains — than Shopify Plus offers out of the box, for enterprises that can absorb the implementation cost.
vs Shopify: Weaker value (4 vs 7) · Harder to use (3 vs 8)
Source: our Magento (Adobe Commerce) review
Comparison: “vs Shopify Plus: Shopify Plus has roughly 40% lower implementation costs and faster launch timelines; Adobe Commerce delivers deeper native B2B capabilities (RFQ, negotiated quotes, multi-level approval chains, requisition lists) that Shopify Plus still lacks out of the box.”
* “Lower listed price” compares the entry prices in our reviews. Where the two tools price differently (per seat, per contact, per email sent), the cheaper option depends on your list size and sending volume.
How they compare
Our five sub-scores out of 10. Bold means at least a point above Shopify.
Choose by what you need
The same reviewed relationship as the list above — not a new comparison.
Choose WooCommerce for something lighter
Free to install with no monthly platform fee, at the cost of handling your own hosting, security and updates — the opposite trade-off from Shopify's fully hosted, predictable-fee model.
Choose BigCommerce for a direct swap
Zero transaction fees on any payment processor and deeper built-in B2B features, trading away Shopify's larger app marketplace and simpler onboarding.
Choose Magento (Adobe Commerce) for more power
Deeper native B2B capabilities — RFQ, negotiated quotes, multi-level approval chains — than Shopify Plus offers out of the box, for enterprises that can absorb the implementation cost.
Free alternatives to Shopify
5 of the 8 alternatives have a free plan.
WooCommerce, Square Online, Wix eCommerce, Shift4Shop, PrestaShop
What each free plan includes
Lower listed starting price than Shopify ($29/mo): Square Online ($0.30/mo), Squarespace Commerce ($16/mo). Pricing models differ, so compare at your own list size.
How we picked them
Every alternative here is named in one of our own reviews — either in the Shopify review (as a lighter or more powerful option, or in a head-to-head comparison) or in the other tool's review. Each relationship was then checked by hand: would someone replacing Shopify reasonably consider this tool? Rankings follow our editorial score only; no tool pays to be listed or ranked.
Relationships drafted from our catalogue reviews on 30 September 2026 for this local preview. Before publication each row is confirmed by a Conversion Gems editor.
2 tools our reviews mention alongside Shopify that we left out, and why
- Gumroad — Creator-focused storefront for digital products only; its own review frames it as simpler and narrower than Shopify's general-purpose e-commerce suite, not a full replacement.
- SamCart — Checkout and upsell funnel tool for digital products; its own review says it isn't a full-catalogue storefront like Shopify.
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