12 Shopify Alternatives For Your E-Commerce Store

Shopify is an online commerce platform that you can use to help run your business.

They don’t offer just one product but many different tools to jumpstart your store. 

This elaborate platform gives you all the tools you need to run a business, including a website builder, online store platform, payment processor and more. 

If you are thinking of starting a dropshipping business, then a platform such as this would be a lifesaver. Instead of using many different applications, you can manage your entire business from Shopify. 

However, before you invest in this software, it is good to know what else is out there. 

This guide will cover 12 Shopify alternatives. If you are not sure whether to go with Shopify or not, you will know if it is the best option for you by the end of this article. 

Let’s get started. 

WooCommerce

If you want a platform that gives you a lot of freedom to customise, then WooCommerce will be the best choice. WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress sites. The plugin converts any WordPress site or blog into an eCommerce site. 

Unlike Shopify, this option is free to use and is open-source; the sky’s the limit. There are also hundreds of extensions that you can add to customise your shop further. If you want to make a truly unique online store, WooCommerce will be the way to go. 

However, you will need to have experience with WordPress and coding to fully take advantage of this plugin. Or, you will need to hire a developer to help set your store up. In comparison, Shopify is much easier to use; no coding knowledge is required. 

Volusion

Another solid option you can go with is Volusion. Volusion is an online platform that you can use to set up an online store. 

This platform is ideal for those with no coding experience since it is easy to use. Volusion will take care of the small details such as hosting. Since this is a cloud-based website, many small businesses use this platform. 

Similar to Shopify, the price of the plans depends on how many add-ons and plugins you get. However, one benefit of Volusion is that it has no transaction fees; Shopify can charge up to 2% in transaction fees for every sale. 

Another plus of Volusion is the large library of website templates. You gain access to the template library with any plan you purchase. 

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is one of the most simple platforms to use and one of the best Shopify alternatives out there. With its drag and drop interface, just about anybody can create a stunning online store. 

Not only can you design a unique eCommerce site, but BigCommerce will also take care of other details such as content marketing and increasing conversion rates. 

Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce comes with dozens of built-in apps and plugins that you don’t need to pay extra for. However, one downside is that there are only seven free themes. You will need to pay money for most of the themes. 

Even so, compared to Shopify, you are getting more bang for your buck with BigCommerce. 

Wix

Wix is one of the most popular website builders. But is it one of the best Shopify alternatives? 

Considering a few factors, Wix is one of the best platforms for beginners to build an eCommerce site. First of all, if you have no idea what you are doing, you can simply answer a few questions, and Wix will build your entire online store for you. 

If you want a bit more freedom when it comes to customising your site, you also have that option. The drag and drop interface makes it effortless to design the look of your store exactly how you want. 

Compared to Shopify, Wix is the more affordable option. If you don’t want to spend a large sum of money every month for a subscription, you can go with one of the cheaper Wix plans for around $5 to $15 per month. 

However, one thing that Shopify has over Wix is SEO tools. Wix has poor SEO performance, while Shopify has all the tools you will need to bring in more traffic. 

Magento

A quick search for Shopify alternatives will lead you to Magento. Magento is an online platform for eCommerce sites. 

Unlike Shopify, Magento is open source. For this reason, you will need to have extensive knowledge of coding to use this option or hire a developer. 

Compared to Shopify, you can customise Magento a lot more since it is open source. You can design your web pages exactly how you want them. You will also have access to hundreds of third-party apps that will help add functionality to your online store. 

While you can customise your eCommerce store a lot more than you can with Shopify, a Magento store will require a lot more maintenance. You will most likely need to hire a developer to provide annual maintenance. Magento will also take a lot longer to set up compared to Shopify. 

Shift4Shop

Shift4Shop will be your best choice if you rely on SEO to bring in customers. This platform is an eCommerce software that largely focuses on search engine optimisation. 

First of all, using Shift4Shop will give you access to more SEO tools than Shopify will. This software is designed to bring in traffic through organic searches. Furthermore, you will get a blogging feature and over 100 payment options with any plan you choose. 

Compared to Shopify, Shift4Shop is much more affordable, especially for small businesses. You will be able to purchase an eCommerce plan for less than the basic Shopify plan. 

While this option has strong online marketing tools, the software is difficult to use compared to Shopify. It will take a while to figure out the interface. 

Furthermore, you will not have as many options when it comes to templates. Shopify has a wide variety of modern-looking templates, while the small number of Shift4Shop’s templates look a bit outdated and similar. 

LemonStand

If you have a medium or large dropshipping business, then LemonStand may be the best route to go. No matter what plan you go with, you will get the main features of the software. 

LemonStand is one of the best Shopify alternatives if you know how to code. While this site is very customisable, it will be too challenging for those with no developing skills. Unlike Shopify, most business owners will need to hire a developer to use LemonStand. 

The prices of each plan are similar to Shopify. You will pay around $50 to $600 per month for a LemonStand plan. However, the main difference between Shopify and LemonStand plans is the order limits. LemonStand has a certain order limit for each plan, the lowest being 75 orders per month. 

LemonStand can also support different types of products such as digital and retail items as well as subscriptions. No matter what kind of dropshipping business you have, you can customise this platform to suit your needs.

BigCartel 

Some small businesses may find that Shopify is a bit too expensive for their budget, which is why they need to find another option. 

BigCartel will be one of the best Shopify alternatives for small dropshipping businesses. 

Even though BigCartel does not come with as many options as Shopify does, it is much more affordable. One of the main advantages is its unlimited bandwidth. 

You can also track inventory through the platform and customise HTML and CSS. Similar to Shopify, it is easy to set up and requires no coding experience. You can also integrate your site with Paypal, google analytics and social media sites. 

The main difference between this platform and Shopify is that BigCartel does not offer phone or live chat support. While it has an easy interface to work with, you should try the free version before paying for a plan. 

Plans will range from $10 to $30 per month. 

3Dcart

If you are looking for a platform that offers the most bang for your buck, 3Dcart will be the best choice for Shopify alternatives. 

3Dcart is an eCommerce platform that offers many helpful features for a low price. Similar to Shopify, 3Dcart has no order limit and will give you room to grow as a business. 

Furthermore, you won’t need to worry about security with this site. You can subscribe to a plan for around $20 to $250 per month. A subscription will give you access to dozens of features, including SEO tools, subscriptions, dropshipping tools, coupons, Facebook sync and more. 

Something that stands out is that 3Dcart offers a professional web design service that will create a personalised store design that suits your business. 

Unlike Shopify, there is no transaction fee, and the site supports over 70 types of payment options. 

Oracle Netsuite 

Oracle Netsuite is a reliable platform that you can develop your online eCommerce store with. 

If you have a small or medium-sized dropshipping business, Oracle Netsuite will be a good choice. The platform is easy to use and requires no coding experience to set up. 

One of the main advantages of Oracle is that it helps to streamline your business and improve efficiency. You will be able to manage inventory, financials and orders all in one place. 

Furthermore, Oracle Netsuite is cloud-based, so you won’t have to worry about losing your data. 

While Shopify supports multi-languages, it is not an easy process compared to Oracle Netsuite. You can easily set up your online store to have multiple languages and currencies with Netsuite. 

Finally, Oracle supports real-time inventory and orders, effortless payment processes and boosts your business with B2B experiences. 

Network Solutions

If you are looking for Shopify alternatives, Network Solutions will be a good choice. 

This platform works well for small and medium-sized businesses looking to set up an online store within minutes. 

Network Solutions offers fully customisable online stores that are easy to navigate for beginners. You will also be able to integrate all of your social media sites.

Compared to Shopify, Network Solutions offers more affordable plans. However, all plans have an order limit. For instance, if you go with the cheapest plan, you can only sell 25 items per month. 

Other than the order limitations, Network Solutions has a lot of helpful features to offer. Your customers won’t have any security issues while shopping on your site. The payment and order processes are very simple, and the platform supports many different payment options. 

You can also check your website statistics from the platform to gain information that will help you boost sales. Finally, Network Solutions will provide you with an array of SEO tools and online marketing tactics to drive in more traffic. 

Square Online

Last but not least is Square Online. This platform has a wide range of plans that will work for both small and large dropshipping businesses alike. 

Square online allows you to sell an unlimited number of products and has low transaction fees. You can sell both physical and digital items. 

One of the main advantages of Square Online is that you can sell products on social media such as Facebook and Instagram. 

Unlike Shopify, Square Online has a free plan. While you will need to pay a small fee each time you sell a product, you won’t be paying any money until your business takes off. You can also choose a plan to lower the fee and get more features once you start selling products.

Conclusion

Shopify is a great platform to use to set up an eCommerce website. However, there are a lot of other options out there that may suit you better. 

If you have a small business, we would recommend checking out WooCommerce, Shift4Shop or BigCartel. All of these sites will have affordable options for new dropshipping sites that will suit your needs.

Perhaps you have a fair amount of coding knowledge. If that is the case, check out Magento, WooCommerce or LemonStand. You can customise your site exactly how you want it with these platforms if you have developing experience. 

If you are looking for an easy platform for beginners, consider using Volusion, BigCartel, Oracle Netsuite or Network Solutions. 

Before choosing Shopify to set up your dropshipping business, look through the above Shopify alternatives to find one that suits you best.