Best Shopify Alternatives 2026

Complete e-commerce platform for online stores. Find free, indie, and cheaper options that work for your team.

Other$39 - $399/monthUpdated 2026-10

Want to calculate your exact savings from Shopify?

What is Shopify?

Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform for building online stores with payment processing, inventory management, and a vast app ecosystem. Plans start at $79/month for the standard plan with full e-commerce capabilities and multi-channel selling.

Key Features

-Drag-and-drop online store builder with professional themes

-Built-in payment processing with Shopify Payments

-Inventory and order management across multiple channels

-Extensive app ecosystem with thousands of integrations

-Multi-channel selling on social media, marketplaces, and in-person

-Built-in SEO tools and marketing automation

Why Look for Shopify Alternatives?

Merchants explore Shopify alternatives when transaction fees and app costs erode their margins, or when they need more design flexibility than Shopify themes allow. Some businesses also prefer open-source platforms with no recurring platform fees or more control over their store infrastructure.

Common Pain Points

•Transaction fees on top of payment processing unless using Shopify Payments
•Theme customization is limited without Liquid templating knowledge
•App costs add up quickly for essential functionality not included by default
•Migrating away from Shopify can be complex due to platform lock-in

Best Shopify Alternatives (3)

WooCommerce

100% savings

Free WordPress plugin. You pay for hosting (~$10-30/mo) and your own domain.

Unlimited productsFull customizationThousands of pluginsOwn your data

Best for: Teams comfortable with WordPress

Note: Requires more technical setup

Visit WooCommerce →

Gumroad

100% savings

Free to start, 10% fee on sales. Perfect for digital products.

Digital productsMembershipsEmail captureAnalytics

Best for: Creators selling digital products

Note: 10% transaction fee, less customization

Visit Gumroad →

Lemon Squeezy

100% savings

Modern Gumroad alternative. 5% + 50¢ per transaction. Handles global taxes.

Digital productsSoftware licensesTax handlingSubscriptions

Best for: SaaS and digital product creators

Visit Lemon Squeezy →

How to export your data from Shopify

CSV · verified against official docs

→

Shopify head-to-head

Wix vs Shopify→

Shopify vs WooCommerce→

Gumroad vs Shopify→

Shopify vs Lemon Squeezy→

More Other tools people are leaving

All Other alternatives →

AppFolio alternatives

Yardi alternatives

ServiceNow alternatives

ReadMe alternatives

FL Studio alternatives

Clio alternatives

What would you save without Shopify?

Pick your team size and see the yearly number.

Calculate →

Tips for Switching from Shopify

-Export all product data, customer lists, and order history as CSV files

-Set up 301 redirects for all product and collection URLs to preserve SEO

-Migrate customer accounts and notify customers about any login changes

-Test the checkout flow thoroughly on the new platform before launching

Shopify alternatives: common questions

How do I export my products and orders from Shopify before switching?+

Go to Products or Orders in your Shopify admin and use the Export button to download CSV files, which most platforms (WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace) can import directly. Customer data and order history can be exported the same way, but some platforms require reformatting columns before import. Always do a test import with a small batch first to catch mapping errors.

What do you lose when migrating away from Shopify?+

You lose access to Shopify's app ecosystem (over 8,000 apps), so any workflow built around specific Shopify apps needs a replacement on the new platform. Theme customizations, app configurations, and some SEO metadata (like structured data from certain apps) don't transfer automatically. You'll also need to rebuild 301 redirects manually to avoid losing search rankings on product pages.

Is a free e-commerce platform enough for a small team, or do I need Shopify?+

WooCommerce (free, self-hosted on WordPress) handles most small catalogs fine but requires you to manage hosting, security updates, and payment gateway setup yourself. If you want zero technical maintenance and built-in payment processing, Shopify's $39/month Basic plan is usually faster to get running than a free DIY stack once you factor in setup time. For under 50 products and low technical overhead, free platforms like WooCommerce or Ecwid's free tier can work well.

Will I lose my existing integrations (payment gateways, email, shipping apps) when I switch?+

Most mainstream integrations like Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, and major shipping carriers are supported across WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Squarespace, so you can usually reconnect them. Shopify-specific apps (like certain upsell or loyalty tools) often don't have a direct equivalent, so check the new platform's app marketplace before migrating. Custom API integrations built for Shopify's admin API will need to be rebuilt for the new platform's API.

Does switching from Shopify actually save money long-term?+

It depends on your sales volume: WooCommerce can be cheaper at low-to-mid volume since you only pay for hosting (roughly $10-30/month) plus optional paid plugins, but costs rise as you add premium extensions for inventory, SEO, and security. BigCommerce ($39-$105/month) has no transaction fees regardless of payment gateway, which can save money if you're not using Shopify Payments. Run the math on your actual transaction fees and app subscriptions for 12 months before assuming any switch will be cheaper.