Reviewed 2026-10-14

Best Shopify Alternatives in 2026

There are 4 replacements in our index for Shopify. We describe what each one is good at and what it gives up. Every entry links to the vendor's own pricing page, because published prices change and we would rather you check than trust.

What readers commonly dislike about Shopify

Ongoing subscription is a real cost, not a saving on its own
Transaction fees apply when not using Shopify Payments
Deeper checkout customisation needs higher tiers
Compare against your own hosting and maintenance cost, not against zero

Check Shopify's current pricing ↗

Options in our index

WooCommerce

E-Commerce Platforms

Visit WooCommerce

WooCommerce itself is free and open source, and it plugs into WordPress, so you own the whole stack. The real bill is hosting that stays up through a sale, extensions that each need maintaining, and the time spent on updates, security patches and plugin conflicts.

Pricing: Plugin is free; the cost is hosting, extensions and maintenance timeconfirm on WooCommerce's site ↗

Strengths

No platform subscription — the plugin is free and open source
Full control of the database, theme and checkout code
Very large extension ecosystem
You can host it anywhere, including cheap shared hosting to start

Trade-offs

You are responsible for uptime, security patching and backups
Extension costs accumulate and each one needs updating
Checkout performance depends entirely on your hosting
Plugin conflicts are a recurring source of bugs

Read our full WooCommerce notes →

BigCommerce

E-Commerce Platforms

Visit BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a hosted platform aimed at bigger catalogues, with B2B pricing, multiple storefronts and headless options in the product rather than bolted on through apps. You still pay a subscription, and the app ecosystem around it is smaller than the market leader's.

Pricing: Paid plans only; tiers scale with online sales volumeconfirm on BigCommerce's site ↗

Strengths

No platform-imposed transaction fee on most plans, unlike some hosted rivals
B2B price lists and multiple storefronts are part of the platform
No servers, patching or checkout reliability work to own
Headless APIs are available without moving to an enterprise contract

Trade-offs

The entry plan is priced for a growing catalogue, so a very small store pays for headroom
App marketplace and theme choice are smaller than Shopify's
Deeper theme and checkout changes still need a developer

Read our full BigCommerce notes →

Squarespace

E-Commerce Platforms

Visit Squarespace

Squarespace bundles templates, hosting, a blog and a store into one subscription, which makes launching quick and deep customisation awkward. There is no plugin stack to maintain, but there is also no way to move the finished site to another host.

Pricing: Paid plans only; commerce features sit on the higher tiersconfirm on Squarespace's site ↗

Strengths

Templates are designed to look finished without a developer
Hosting and SSL are part of the subscription rather than separate line items
Blog, scheduling blocks and email campaigns are built in
Nothing to patch or update, because there is no plugin stack

Trade-offs

Bespoke functionality is hard once you outgrow the templates
Commerce is simpler than Shopify or BigCommerce for a large catalogue
The site cannot be moved to another host, so leaving means rebuilding

Read our full Squarespace notes →

Ecwid

E-Commerce Platforms

Visit Ecwid

Ecwid drops a storefront into an existing website, a social profile or a standalone page, so a business does not have to rebuild around a new platform. It stays lighter than a full commerce suite: content-led merchandising and complex catalogues are not what it is built for.

Pricing: Free tier with a product limit; paid plans scale with the size of the catalogueconfirm on Ecwid's site ↗

Strengths

Store can be embedded in a site that already exists
Free tier to start selling before paying
Sell through social channels as well as a storefront
Setup does not require a developer

Trade-offs

Free tier caps the number of products
Content and merchandising tools are basic
Fewer themes and apps than the dedicated platforms

Read our full Ecwid notes →

Frequently asked questions about Shopify alternatives

Answers are drawn from the index above. We do not publish ratings, and every figure we do mention links back to the vendor's own page.

What alternatives to Shopify does Promotcha track?

We list 4 alternatives for Shopify: WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace and Ecwid. Each entry states what the tool is good at and what it gives up.

Where can I check what these Shopify alternatives cost?

Every entry above links to the vendor's own pricing page, and prices change often, so confirm before you commit: the WooCommerce pricing page, the BigCommerce pricing page, the Squarespace pricing page and the Ecwid pricing page.

How is Shopify priced?

Our entry describes Shopify's pricing like this: Monthly subscription; promotions vary. Confirm the current figure on the Shopify pricing page.

What do readers commonly dislike about Shopify?

Our notes on Shopify list these drawbacks: Ongoing subscription is a real cost, not a saving on its own; Transaction fees apply when not using Shopify Payments; Deeper checkout customisation needs higher tiers.

Is there a free plan for Shopify?

Our entry records Shopify as a paid product and does not list a free tier. Monthly subscription; promotions vary. Check the Shopify pricing page for the current plans, including any trial.

How do I choose between these Shopify alternatives?

We do not rank tools by commission, and we do not publish ratings we have not surveyed. Read the strengths and trade-offs on this page, then confirm pricing and plan limits on the vendor's own site. Our how we work page explains the approach.