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Shopify commonly lands at the top of eCommerce website provider lists. This is thanks to its tailored approach to eCommerce solutions.
While it might seem like the only choice for achieving a powerful platform to sell goods, there are other options out there to assist businesses of any size. However, not all online businesses are made equal and require different solutions.
List of Top 10 Shopify Alternatives For Your Online Store
1. WooCommerce
WordPress stands atop many listings for easy and flexible content management.
Whether powering a blog or seeking a full shopping experience, the results speak for themselves.
Some hosting services offer a place to house WordPress sites, but the service itself can handle many business needs without venturing into costly website hosting services, as both WooCommerce and WordPress are free and open source.
For example, you can find affordable web hosting for WordPress if you visit this website, and get a free SSL from a service like Cloudflare.
Solutions like this can already cut down the price of starting a website to under $5 per month. Since it’s not a self-hosted solution, you’ll also need a domain name, which will cost you about $10 annually.
WooCommerce acts as a dedicated extension to WordPress. The plugin promises to give users secure payment processing, custom shipping, and a full marketplace. All the must-have features are absolutely free, including payment gateways and product listing.
However, with this solution, if you want to get additional high-end features for email marketing, or similar ventures, you’ll need to buy WordPress plugins, or WooCommerce extensions, which frequently follow a monthly or annual charge pricing model. This is where the prices can start stacking up.
Be sure to carefully consider what you need before starting a store with WooCommerce and WordPress, and check how much you’ll be paying for all the features you need.
2. WIX
Wix stands as a commonly used choice for people in search of personal blogs, but the service has grown in popularity among business owners.
There are three different price plans for online stores made with Wix: Basic, Unlimited, and VIP plans. For $20, users can have access to eCommerce features. The standard tier also provides 20 GB of storage space, some may find that more than enough for their small store.
The Unlimited plan, however, goes a step further for those businesses that need extra space. These plans are priced at $27 and include 35 GB of storage.
VIP is the highest tiered plan among WIX eCommerce solutions. Starting at $49, but offering advanced online store marketing features to help your business grow.
3. BigCommerce
Businesses in search of a bigger option may find BigCommerce meets their needs. The service offers a bolder approach to online marketing tools and can be home to those in search of more lofty goals.
A lack of transaction fees for sellers is a major factor for many choosing to make a home with the service.
There are four available plans to choose from, with options suited to all price levels.
Standard plans at $29 per month cover the basic services.
The Plus option is available for $71 per month and focuses on buyer retention tools.
The Pro package jumps up to $269 a month but does encourage better SEO integration.
Enterprise options place a dedicated professional with a site for optimum creation and retention. The company provides a quote only price for these special services.
4. Volusion
Volusion remains a major force in online shopping. The service was around long before Shopify as its attention to upgrades keeps it on pace with newer competitors. Secure checkout is the most prominent of their available features but users can also set up subscription plans to automatically take out payments at regular intervals.
The service provides a dedicated site to prominent payment areas like those of PayPal. It improves the ability for buyers to pay without cluttering sites with unused plugins or related links.
More importantly, it removes the need for fee payments that otherwise bring up costs, some of which owners pass on to customers.
The service does impose a sales limitation for its three tiers, so be aware of how it impacts overall spending.
The base plan is available at $29 per month and features only the most basic elements. For $79 a month, users can get a more detailed plan that focuses on eCommerce solutions for mid-sized businesses as well as smaller businesses.
Major outlets may see benefits from the highest tier of service. At $299 a month, this all-inclusive approach covers all of the best options along with special support.
5. Weebly
Weebly is a great choice for those starting out in the business world or those with businesses that have limited capital for eCommerce.
It's a fairly simple platform, something that appealed to people who want to design their shopping experiences without doing the research. An easy to use editor gives those with limited web design knowledge the chance to control their own site.
The basic level of Weebly is free but you won’t be getting any eCommerce features. It's a great way of trying the service however, to see if their site builder is what you’re looking for.
Another great aspect of this is the ability to make mistakes without adding to the balance sheet. Personal, Professional, and Performance plans are available to users who want to start an online business.
The Personal plans are $6 a month and will offer more space, but no eCommerce features.
The professional plan is $12 a month and will remove ads. You’ll get basic eCommerce features, and will be able to host products and make sales.
Performance is best for eCommerce. It comes at $26 per month. Shipping elements such as labels are the biggest feature along with customer notifications for abandoned carts.
6. Squarespace
Business owners and those ready to pursue an online presence for shopping are utilizing Squarespace to start stores of all sizes.
More than just templates, their options create an open and effective environment for sales. Subscriptions are also available as part of standard buying options.
Several payment plans give users a diverse range of solutions needed for success. The personal level is great for people starting out with having a website in the first place. It costs $12 a month and includes a custom domain name. Small businesses can utilize the Business plan which costs $18 per month. This choice provides a custom email address as well as integration for eCommerce related services.
The Commerce plan costs $28 a month with added resources for customer tracking. An advanced Commerce plan comes in at $40 a month with attention to gift cards and abandoned cart recovery.
7. LemonStand
LemonStand is a choice for larger businesses that need a bigger online presence. Their services are mostly tailored to these companies, so smaller businesses might not find as much value in these tools.
There are no transaction fees, which might make it a good value overall. It does add limits to its overall plans, something that could make it less of value over time.
The largest plan comes in at $400 per month. It offers everything a larger business would need to hit its goals. That overall plan also has no adjustable features, a drawback for those interested in more customizable solutions.
8. 3dcart
This choice is another large scale option for businesses. It touts an all-inclusive policy that even includes a blog for specific posts. A full website and domain name are also featured in their services.
Flexibility is key for this service as it allows for adjustments at any time. Startup store comes in at $19 a month, while the more expensive Basic store is $29 a month.
For more power, a Plus store is available for $79 a month and the exclusive Power store plan is $129 a month. Those with the highest level of business needs can choose the Pro plan. At $229, it covers all aspects needed to run a large online shopping experience.
9. Quick eSelling
Quick eSelling is a readymade ecommerce software solution for B2B and B2C industries. The platform is one of the best alternatives to Shopify as it allows you to start a free ecommerce website and mobile app.
It’s easy-to-use ecommerce software that comes with features like customizable front-end, multiple payment gateways, voice search, advanced order management, etc. Quick eSelling has a powerful CRM to manage the website and mobile from a single dashboard.
Another good point about Quick eSelling is the ease of use. The platform enables business owners to start ecommerce stores without writing a single line of code.
Quick eSelling has 4 pricing plans. The first plan is free and 5% transaction charges are applicable. To avoid paying transaction fees, you can opt for a paid plan that starts from $199.
10. Big Cartel
The service is great for those business owners who want to save money on their monthly costs.
While attractive to smaller businesses and individual clients, its features don't translate as well to large scale clients. A free plan covers 5 products for sale, which allows you to try out the platform effectively. 50 products are covered for $9.99 a month. 250 products are covered for $19.99 a month, while 500 products can be listed for $29.99 a month.
11. PrestaShop
PrestaShop helps businesses by adding tools and social media marketing capabilities to overall commerce solutions. For most users, this should be enough to complete their eCommerce site experience. The platform also encourages a hands-on approach by users thanks to its customizable features. Best of all, the service is free.
However, similarly to WooCommerce and WordPress, you’d need to get your own website hosting and domain name.
Wrapping Up
The experience and service of Shopify is nothing new in the online commerce landscape. Take some time to go through what is out there and carefully evaluate the options. In the end, a business owner may just find what they're looking for in these alternatives.
