In the world of e-commerce, Shopify is the most well-known all-in-one solution and for good reason. Shopify is a platform that allows even beginners to quickly create a working and professional online store. However, despite its popularity and effectiveness, it is not necessarily for everyone. There are good Shopify Alternatives on the market. Each of these alternatives offers a unique approach to building your online store. So here’s a list of a few Shopify Alternatives that might be right for you.
About Shopify
Founded in 2006, Shopify is an e-commerce platform that makes it easy to create an online store without technical knowledge. It offers both free and paid themes. With this platform, you can change the look of your store and make it look your convenience. In addition, it is mobile-friendly.
With Shopify, you have the option to sell through different channels such as your Facebook store. You have a POS system that allows you to sell in person. Shopify is an ideal platform whether you’re a beginner or a professional. On the other hand, even if you get a 14-day free trial to get started, Shopify is still a paid solution. Its costs can be expensive for some. Also not being a perfect solution, you will definitely like to discover the alternatives to Shopify.
Shopify Alternatives
Here’s a list of the best alternatives to Shopify.
Shopify Alternatives: BigCommerce
BigCommerce is an ecommerce platform for creating an online store. You don’t need to know how to code or have any technical knowledge. Just like Shopify, the platform takes care of all the technical aspects regarding the operation of an online store.
BigCommerce is arguably one of the most well-known Shopify alternatives. Offering many built-in features, BigCommerce is much more focused on large enterprises. However, newly created companies will also be able to cope. It also provides you with a large number of features. Thus, you can easily customize your site. Being a SaaS platform, you already have the hosting of your website that is supported. In addition, your BigCommerce subscription entitles you to an SSL certificate. You don’t even have to worry about everything related to updates anymore.
In addition, optimized for SEO, BigCommerce offers many built-in tools and applications related to e-commerce. Choosing this solution can be expensive ($29.95/month to $249.95/month) and mastering it is a bit difficult. However, once you’ve set up your store, you can focus on growing it. However, if you have a store with large sales, you should expect to pay more. In reality, when your company’s revenue exceeds a certain threshold, you automatically move to a higher plan. Certainly, you will have access to more advanced functions, but it would be wise for this choice to be yours. Therefore, if you’ve never sold anything online, maybe you should use Shopify to get started.
Shopify Alternatives: WooCommerce
Are you the kind of person looking for total autonomy when it comes to your website? So, you should consider one of these Shopify Alternatives: WordPress with a plugin called WooCommerce for your shopping cart. This is, of course, WordPress.org. Do not go to WordPress.com. With WooCommerce, you can totally control your online store and run it on your own servers. This is actually one of the most accessible possibilities of Shopify free alternative.
In addition, WooCommerce works in open-source. Quite simple to master, it allows you to create a customizable online store thanks to its many templates available. Although WooCommerce is free, there are still additional costs if you want to fully integrate it into your cart. In addition, this platform integrates its own secure payment processor as well as its shopping cart. If you’re a small business that already uses WordPress, WooCommerce can be a great choice.
Note that while WooCommerce is the choice for customization, customizing and managing your site will require technical skills. It is true that compared to other platforms, WooCommerce is easier to use. However, to set up, host, and set up your store, you need to use technical skills. In other words, a WooCommerce site will be difficult for you to get started without real technical skills. Which is not the case with Shopify. Also, even if you don’t pay any fees for installation, you’ll still need to budget for hosting. You will also have to think about buying your domain name. There will also be the purchase of extensions, external service providers for maintenance and bug fixing, etc.
Shopify Alternatives: Magento
Magento is a very popular e-commerce platform due to its large number of e-commerce features. In addition, it is a powerful, complete and highly customizable solution. In reality, the platform is in three versions. The basic version is the free one and available in open-source. The second cloud-based version is a paid “Small Business” version. Finally, the latest version also paid “Commerce”, is intended for large companies. Even if you choose the free version, you need to hire a designer to code or customize your site. You also need to pay for hosting, domain name, SSL certificate, plugins, themes, etc.
More suitable for large companies, Magento offers a large number of features to sellers doing btob or btoc. They will be able to integrate recurring payments, discounts, present a list of unlimited products, and many other things. Generally, Magento is recommended for large e-commerce sites that generate significant revenue and therefore, many visits. Magento is therefore not recommended for small and medium-sized companies with a fairly small product catalog. On the contrary, it is an excellent choice for large online shops, for whom the premium versions are designed.
In addition, when you opt for a paid version, you get more advanced features and technical support. With the required level of technical requirements and the difficult handling, Magento will cause problems for beginners. Especially if they do not have a solid technical background. The biggest problem with Magento is its expensive cost. The free version it offers doesn’t offer the features needed for a large company. Similarly, small and medium-sized businesses cannot afford the premium versions.
Volusion
Volusion is a more suitable solution for those who are new to online sales. It must be said that it is a less known platform than other Shopify Alternatives. However, it has a lot to offer in terms of e-commerce. As features, Volusion allows you to recover abandoned carts, customize invoices, cash receipts, and more. Being a hosted solution, Volusion takes care of the updates, maintenance and security of your site.
In addition, Volusion offers different rates: from the cheapest to the most expensive as your business grows. Small and large companies will be able to find their way around. Whichever pricing plan you choose, you’ll have access to a large number of themes. You’ll also have access to blogging features and the option to create discount codes. On the other hand, be aware that in terms of integration and application, you will be limited with the platform. However, it does have great analytics and data tools to help you track and grow your business. Therefore, you can analyze your customers’ behaviors, track conversions, monitor your inventory, and more. You even have a feature that allows you to sell on social media.
On the other hand, Volusion is not as easy to use. So, if you’re looking for a simpler solution to set up, this may not be the first option. Either way, you can take advantage of the 14-day free trial to try out the platform. When it comes to additional transaction fees, Volusion does not charge any additional fees. In general, it will take a little time to set up your store. Either way, Volusion is arguably a good way to increase your sales.
Squarespace
Squarespace is a website builder that offers several ecommerce features. With its drag-and-drop method, you don’t need to have any coding skills to create a beautiful store. In addition to its useful tools and features for creating an online store, Squarespace offers beautiful themes. However, even though Squarespace offers various themes, advanced customization, it is still more limited than what Shopify offers. Besides, you don’t need to worry about hosting, SSL certificate, or updates. All of this is taken into account by Squarespace.
With its user-friendly interface, the platform is not only easy to set up. It also offers an excellent inventory system that allows you, for example, to track the level of your stocks. What’s more, Squarespace also supports payment for recurring subscriptions and offers other more advanced features. Allowing you to sell an unlimited number of products, you also benefit from marketing tools to recover your abandoned carts.
Squarespace also offers a great blogging tool than what you have at most Shopify Alternatives. If your goal is to create a strong online presence, then this solution may be what you need.
3dcart
At its core, 3dcart was a private technology company, later made public to develop e-commerce software. The platform is a not very expensive solution, especially if you want to sell an unlimited number of products. Take full advantage of your online store thanks to the many applications and integrations available on the platform. You can choose from its many themes to create a site at your convenience. User-friendly solution, hosted in the Cloud, the use of 3dcart does not require a knowledge of coding.
With 3dcart, your rate may vary depending on whether you choose to pay monthly or annually. In terms of features, depending on your pricing plan, you can bundle products and gift certificates. You can also send abandoned cart emails, track your inventory, sync with Facebook, etc. On the other hand, 3dcart, offers more than 70 payment gateways and does not charge additional transaction fees. No matter the size of your business, 3dcart is right for you if you want more out-of-the-box features. Be aware that you will be limited in terms of design tools.
Shopify Alternatives: Prestashop
Prestashop is a very popular free open-source e-commerce platform in Europe. Installing and using Prestashop costs nothing. The platform is designed for those who are looking for flexibility to start designing their store. Highly customizable, the platform allows you to make any changes you want. This gives you the opportunity to create an online store that perfectly meets your needs. In addition, Prestashop does not charge a commission on the sales you make, unlike Shopify.
On the other hand, you must ensure the hosting of your site yourself. Prestashop offers hosting solutions from its partners like 1&1. However, you are free to choose whether to use it. In addition, if you do not realize it yourself, you will need the help of a developer to help you with the installation. The platform allows you to create an e-commerce site without too much coding knowledge. Nevertheless, some technical expertise will be required for a tailor-made development. Similarly, when technical problems arise, you may also need outside help to manage them.
Besides, in terms of templates, Prestashop is not as complete as Shopify. It still offers easy, clear and intuitive use. Promoting multichannel selling, you benefit from a feature that allows you to quickly export your products to Ebay, Amazon, and other marketplaces. Another point is that Prestashop offers paid personal support. Its community has several members and its forums (accessible in English or French) have very active users.
When you start with a small budget, Prestashop can be economical if you take care of the installation and hosting. It can also be expensive if you need to hire a developer or other provider.
What to remember?
Shopify is a great solution for building an online store. However, there are Shopify Alternatives available in the market with impressive features and most importantly at affordable prices. Among the Shopify alternatives mentioned in the article, choose the one that fits your needs keeping in mind that there are open-source and SaaS solutions. Thus, you will know how to choose the platform that offers more control or more ease of use. With the exception of WooCommerce and Prestashop, all other platforms offer a free trial. So, you could test the platform that suits you best before switching to a paid subscription. Be aware that no platform is completely free. There are always certain costs to be expected.
