9 Best Shopify Alternatives in 2026: Prices, Fees and Who Each One Suits
The best Shopify alternatives in 2026 compared on price, transaction fees, product limits and who each suits, from WooCommerce to Square Online.
Best Shopify Alternatives: The Short Answer
The best Shopify alternative depends on why you are leaving. WooCommerce is best if you want to own your store and avoid platform lock-in. BigCommerce is the closest like-for-like swap for a growing store. Squarespace and Wix suit small brands that want a store inside a polished website. Square Online is best for shops and restaurants that already use Square in person, Ecwid for adding a shop to a site you already have, and Big Cartel for artists with a small catalog.
Quick answer: What is the best alternative to Shopify? WooCommerce for ownership and flexibility (the plugin is free; you pay for hosting). BigCommerce for a scaling store (Core from $29 a month billed annually). Squarespace for design-led small brands (Basic from $19 a month billed annually, with a 2% store fee). Square Online for in-person sellers (a free plan, 2.9% + 30 cents per online sale). Ecwid for adding a store to an existing site (from $5 a month). Shopify itself starts at $29 a month billed yearly.
The 9 best Shopify alternatives at a glance
| Shopify alternative | Best for | Entry price | Platform fee or limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | Full ownership on WordPress | Free plugin, plus hosting | Depends on your payment provider |
| BigCommerce | Growing stores, B2B and B2C | Core, $29 a month billed annually | Sales cap of $30K a year on Core |
| Squarespace | Design-led small brands | Basic, $19 a month billed annually | 2% store fee on Basic |
| Wix | Fast launches with many built-in features | Core, about $29 a month billed annually (US, reported) | Ecommerce starts on Core |
| Square Online | Shops and restaurants using Square | Free plan | 2.9% + 30 cents per online sale |
| Ecwid | Adding a store to an existing website | Starter, $5 a month | 10 products on Starter |
| Big Cartel | Artists and makers | Gold, free | Limited features on Gold |
| WordPress.com Commerce | A hosted WordPress store | $45 a month billed yearly | Hosted, plugins included |
| A custom-built storefront | Unusual products or flows templates cannot handle | Builder plan from about $25 a month | You maintain it |
Prices are from each vendor's pricing page, checked on November 7, 2026, except Wix, whose US prices come from Website Builder Expert's September 2026 report because Wix shows prices by location. Prices exclude tax and vary by region.
Why Do People Look for a Shopify Alternative?
| Reason for leaving Shopify | What you actually need | Best alternative |
|---|---|---|
| "Apps and add-ons keep adding up" | More built in, or a platform you control | WooCommerce or BigCommerce |
| "I want to own my store and data" | Open-source software on your own hosting | WooCommerce |
| "I only sell a few products" | A simpler, cheaper store | Big Cartel or Ecwid |
| "My store is part of a bigger website" | A website builder with commerce | Squarespace or Wix |
| "I sell in person too" | A POS-first platform | Square Online |
| "Templates cannot do what my store needs" | A custom-built storefront | A developer or an AI app builder |
Shopify's own pricing shows why costs creep up: Basic is $29 a month billed yearly or $39 monthly, online card rates start at 2.9% + 30 cents, and features such as POS Pro are separate add-ons. That is fair value for a serious store, and overkill for a small one.
The 9 Best Shopify Alternatives, Reviewed
1. WooCommerce: Best for Owning Your Store
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store. You choose the hosting, themes and extensions, and you can move your store to another host whenever you want.
Pricing: the plugin is free. You pay for hosting, a domain, and any paid themes or extensions.
Pros: full control, thousands of extensions, no platform lock-in.
Cons: you are responsible for hosting, updates, security and backups.
Best for: store owners comfortable managing WordPress, or with a developer on hand.
2. BigCommerce: Best Like-for-Like Shopify Swap
BigCommerce is a hosted ecommerce platform aimed at stores that are growing, including B2B sellers.
| BigCommerce plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Sales limit (trailing 12 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | $29 a month | $39 a month | Up to $30K |
| Growth | $79 a month | $105 a month | Up to $100K |
| Scale | $299 a month | $399 a month | Overage of 0.9% above $33,333 a month |
| Performance | From $1,499 a month | Not listed | Custom |
BigCommerce charges no fee on orders through its embedded payment providers, and a 2.0% fee on Core for orders through other open payment providers, per its pricing page.
Cons: you move up a plan as sales grow, whether you need the extra features or not.
Best for: stores that expect to scale and want a hosted platform.
3. Squarespace: Best for Design-Led Brands
Squarespace pairs polished templates with built-in commerce. Basic is $19 a month billed annually ($25 monthly) with a 2% online store fee; Core at $29 billed annually removes that fee.
Best for: creative brands, studios and small product lines where the look of the site matters most.
4. Wix: Best for Fast Launches
Wix bundles a website builder, stores, bookings and an AI editor in one account. Ecommerce starts on its Core plan, reported at about $29 a month billed annually in the US.
Cons: your site must stay on Wix's servers, and Wix says blog posts cannot be exported.
Best for: small businesses that want a store, bookings and a website without juggling tools. Our Wix alternatives guide covers Wix's limits in detail.
5. Square Online: Best for In-Person Sellers
Square Online is free to build and launch, with 2.9% + 30 cents per online transaction. Paid plans add customer accounts, advanced customization and QR code ordering, and a custom domain needs an annual paid plan from $19.95 a year.
Best for: cafés, restaurants and shops already using Square for in-person payments.
6. Ecwid: Best for Adding a Store to an Existing Site
Ecwid adds a store to a website you already have, on any platform.
| Ecwid plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 a month | $5 a month | Up to 10 |
| Venture | $35 a month | $29 a month | Up to 100, plus digital goods |
| Business | $65 a month | $49 a month | Up to 2,500 |
| Unlimited | $149 a month | $119 a month | Unlimited |
Best for: people who like their current site and just need checkout.
7. Big Cartel: Best for Artists and Makers
Big Cartel is built for independent artists. Gold is a free plan with limited features, Platinum is $15 a month after a 7-day free trial, and Diamond is $30 a month with abandoned cart recovery and scheduled product drops.
Best for: illustrators, bands and makers selling a small range of products.
8. WordPress.com Commerce: Best Hosted WordPress Store
WordPress.com's Commerce plan, $45 a month billed yearly ($70 monthly), gives you WooCommerce without managing hosting yourself.
Best for: people who want WooCommerce's flexibility with managed hosting.
9. A Custom-Built Storefront: Best When Templates Cannot Fit
If you sell something unusual (custom configurators, subscriptions with complex rules, marketplaces), a template store may never fit. The traditional route is a development agency. The newer route is an AI builder that generates a web app from a description, such as Lovable, Replit or Superapp.
As a disclosure, Superapp is our product, so weigh this accordingly. Superapp builds web apps and websites, and native Swift apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac, from a plain-English description, which suits a brand that wants its own shopping app alongside its store. Superapp does not document ecommerce features such as inventory or shipping, so for a standard store, choose a platform on this list.
Cons: you own the maintenance, and you need to connect payments and fulfilment yourself.
Best for: founders whose product genuinely does not fit a template store.
Which Shopify Alternative Is Cheapest?
| Option | Cheapest way in | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| Big Cartel | Gold, free | Features on the free plan |
| Square Online | Free plan, 2.9% + 30 cents per sale | A custom domain needs a paid plan |
| WooCommerce | Free plugin | You pay for and manage hosting |
| Ecwid | Starter, $5 a month | Up to 10 products |
| Squarespace | Basic, $19 a month billed annually | 2% store fee |
| BigCommerce | Core, $29 a month billed annually | $30K yearly sales cap |
How Do You Choose a Shopify Alternative?
| If you... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Want to own everything | WooCommerce |
| Expect to grow fast | BigCommerce |
| Care most about design | Squarespace |
| Want one account for everything | Wix |
| Sell in person | Square Online |
| Already have a website | Ecwid |
| Sell art or merch | Big Cartel |
| Want WordPress without the upkeep | WordPress.com Commerce |
| Need something no template does | A custom-built storefront |
How Do You Move From Shopify?
- Export products, customers and orders from Shopify as CSV files.
- Import them into the new platform; most of the platforms above offer import tools or apps.
- Rebuild key pages and recreate discount codes.
- Redirect old URLs so search rankings and shared links keep working.
- Test checkout with real payments before you switch your domain.
- Cancel Shopify last, after the new store has taken orders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to Shopify? WooCommerce for ownership, BigCommerce for a scaling store, Squarespace for design-led brands, and Square Online for in-person sellers.
What is cheaper than Shopify? Big Cartel and Square Online have free plans, WooCommerce is a free plugin plus hosting, and Ecwid starts at $5 a month. Shopify Basic is $29 a month billed yearly.
Is WooCommerce better than Shopify? For control and ownership, yes. Shopify is easier because it handles hosting, updates and security for you.
Is BigCommerce better than Shopify? It is the closest like-for-like alternative, with no fee on its embedded payment providers. Its plans have sales caps, so you upgrade as revenue grows.
Who are Shopify's biggest competitors? WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace and Square Online are the most common alternatives.
What is the best free Shopify alternative? Square Online's free plan or Big Cartel's free Gold plan. WooCommerce is free software, but you pay for hosting.
Can I sell online without Shopify? Yes. Website builders such as Squarespace and Wix include stores, Ecwid adds a store to an existing site, and marketplaces such as Etsy let you sell without your own site.
Which Shopify alternative is best for small businesses? Squarespace for a polished site with a store, Square Online if you also sell in person, and Ecwid if you already have a website.
Can I build my own online store with AI? Yes. Website builders such as Wix and Squarespace have AI features, and AI app builders such as Lovable, Replit and Superapp can generate a custom web app from a description, though you handle payments, inventory and maintenance yourself.
How do I migrate from Shopify? Export products, customers and orders as CSV files, import them into the new platform, rebuild pages, redirect old URLs, test checkout, then cancel Shopify.