His write-up on Top Shopify competitors recognizes the remarkable success of Shopify since its inception in 2006, a testament to its phenomenal feats in the eCommerce industry.

As one of the fastest-growing Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms for online businesses, Shopify has had many entrepreneurs’ heads rolling. 

Shopify is no ordinary eCommerce platform, as it empowers you to monitor your digital store’s performance, manage digital campaigns, upgrade your eCommerce solutions, and rake in high conversions.

Shopify, while standing out as a prominent eCommerce site product, is far from a one-size-fits-all solution. Its adaptability ensures it’s not a straitjacket, catering to a wide range of business needs.

It’s an era of a rapidly changing digital landscape, in which brands continually transform and adapt to meet the evolving needs of their customers.

Shopify’s legacy, simplicity, and convenience appeal to some businesses that need something different.

The digital selling landscape is rapidly evolving, with the global number of digital buyers online reaching 1.8 billion in 2018. This growth has spurred a significant increase in the number of software providers offering advanced features and open-source technology.

Shopify’s main competitors include other hosted eCommerce platforms, such as BigCommerce, Wix eCommerce, and Squarespace; WordPress plugins like WooCommerce; and enterprise-level solutions like Adobe Commerce (Magento) and Salesforce Commerce Cloud, each offering distinct strengths in terms of ease of use, features, scalability, and cost. 

Herein is your ultimate guide to the top Shopify competitors.

Shopify Competitors for Large Businesses

Given the diversity of the marketplace, selecting the right eCommerce platform for your store proves an uphill task.

Shopify’s competition comes in a variety of forms, from free services that support large eCommerce systems with built-in shopping cart features and payment gateways to services that are particularly suited to small businesses.

In the absence of a straight-jacket strategy for choosing the right software, there are a couple of cues you ought to have up your sleeves in your selection of popular eCommerce platforms.

For example:

• Type: Shopify, as a platform, comes in various styles, ranging from hosted services to open-source solutions, which can be adapted to suit your store.
• Support: Whichever eCommerce software you settled on, customer service is a critical pillar to consider. You must ensure that customers have the means to contact the company.
• Size: Is the eCommerce software intended for a brand with a team of experts to run the store, or is it designed to support startups or small businesses? 
• Payment Processing: Are there transaction fees to consider? Does the eCommerce solution support the payment gateways you need?
• Pricing: The cost of your eCommerce platform is subject to various factors, including but not limited to the numerous functionalities you receive. Some companies offer a free plan for beginners.
• Plugins & Extras: Can you enhance your eCommerce experience with additional features? For instance, can you access marketing and inventory management tools? Can the service assist with social media and search engine optimization?
• Simplicity: Simplicity may require drag-and-drop designing tools, guides, and video tutorials to help users get started.

Develop a list of considerations and features that align with your set objectives, taking into account aspects such as backend functionality and budget. With that sorted, you can proceed to find the best Shopify alternatives in the market.

Compared to small businesses, large organizations require a different set of features for their eCommerce site.

For your large corporation, your needs transcend the basic shopping cart and payment gateways. 

Instead, you’d want functionality that permits calculation of long-distance deliveries, or you get to swiftly and conveniently convert currencies for your international customers.

Of course, some eCommerce alternatives are better suited for large businesses than others. Regarding solutions, our top picks for large companies include Magento, Square Online Store, or BigCommerce.

#1: Magento

In contention for the best Shopify competitors is Magento. It’s worth mentioning that Magento once reigned as the ultimate software solution for creating an active online store, until BigCommerce and Shopify emerged.

In the history of online selling, Magento, as an open-source platform, stands out as a reputable SaaS option.

As a result of its productive performance, remarkable security, and unlimited product uploads, the Magento eCommerce solution offers businesses an exceptional shopping experience.

As a family member of the extensive Adobe Commerce cloud experience, with Magento expertise, you gain all the privileges of the global ecosystem of merchants, developers, and partners to grow your business.

Although Magento software is comparatively more expensive today, large businesses can still leverage the benefits of this eCommerce solution, including marketplace support, business intelligence, and order management.

With one of the largest marketplaces in the industry, Magento provides access to a wide range of solutions, including CRM systems, as well as leading ERP systems, such as those built on WordPress.

#2: BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an industry-leading software solution that encompasses everything a business needs to build an efficient online store.

With $29.95/month, you get access to a standard plan that offers functionality ranging from discounts and 24/7 live support to coupons, POS systems, and a single-page checkout page, among other features.

By offering a unique selection of out-of-the-box solutions, BigCommerce distinguishes itself from its competition in the marketplace; it is also ideal for B2B eCommerce.

BigCommerce has the edge over other Shopify alternatives in creating a complete experience, as it relies on fewer apps and plugins.

BigCommerce has since released a plugin for WordPress sites, enabling brands to enhance their sales strategy through a content-first and blogging setup. 

There’s an element often referred to as headless Commerce, which involves using BigCommerce solely for the checkout process. In that way, businesses via one of the world’s most popular CMS systems get to build and maintain their websites.

The features you get are commensurate with your spending on BigCommerce; the features you’d get range from backend market tools, unlimited product listings, abandoned cart saving & recovery, as well as zero transaction fees.

Shopify Competitors for Small Businesses

Okay, perhaps you’re looking for a Shopify alternative for an up-and-coming company.

Perhaps you’ve just begun brainstorming the potential of blogging and selling online, focusing on finding the most cost-effective way to profit from your digital presence.

That being the case, when building your eCommerce store, it’s likely your attention will lean towards flexibility, ease of use, and budget orientation.

Newsflash!

There are numerous excellent tools for selection. The following counts for our top picks.

#3: 3dcart

For a pricing model resembling Shopify’s, small businesses gain access to 3dcar’s extensive suite of exceptional features.

3dcart is another useful software that is particularly appealing to small businesses looking to access add-ons and additional services, such as affiliate marketing and dropshipping support.

With 3dcart, you get a fully hosted eCommerce solution. Put it another way, you won’t have to spend as much time working on the backend since the complex aspects get handled on your behalf. 

Although 3dcart offers various perks best-suited for different customers, all pricing programs grant access to fantastic customer support, hundreds of payment gateway options, and unlimited product listings.

Additionally, 3dcart offers small businesses the convenience of combining a storefront with sales and marketing tactics. For instance, you can integrate the store with Facebook, Google Analytics, Amazon, and Mailchimp for email marketing. In this way, you uncover new avenues to boost conversions.

#4: Volusion

Get this, Volusion is the holy grail, that’s if you want a remarkable platform to build your online business, but you fall short of additional funds to invest.

The service’s pricing model mirrors that of Shopify, starting at around $15/month for the basic packages.

Also, just as you would with Shopify, Volusion offers access to a range of incredible backend customization options, including responsive theme options for your shop.

Although Volusion’s history predates that of Shopify, it has yet to gain much traction, as the brand positions itself as the best cloak for SMBs. In contrast, Shopify strives to be everything for all businesses.

One significant drawback of Volusion is that it lacks the extensive community support available with Shopify. Although it is a hosted service, Volusion relieves you of the stresses of building your website, which involves aspects such as a secure checkout page and maintenance, among others.

#5: Weebly

Among Shopify’s top competitors, Weebly stands out as an out-of-the-box solution. The service ranks among the most user-friendly for companies seeking to establish an online presence. Also, Weebly helps launch your store quickly and conveniently.

With the free trial, you have the freedom to tweak the drag-and-drop builder.

Comparatively, Weebly comes slightly cheaper than Shopify’s basic plan, and that comes in handy if you are tight on money because you get to save the much-needed cash.

Though Weebly is one of the low-cost solutions in the market, it doesn’t compromise on customization options. You can modify your themes, backend images, font, and more.

Of the Shopify alternatives in the market, Weebly, of course, doesn’t cut it as the most advanced software because it falls short of a couple of eCommerce features. But it more than satiates most small businesses.

#6: WooCommerce

Perhaps you already run a WordPress site, or you contemplate using WordPress to launch your business, then it’s likely you’ve heard about WooCommerce. 

WordPress websites utilize WooCommerce as a leading eCommerce solution. Alongside other add-ons, even with limited coding knowledge, WooCommerce empowers sellers to monetize their stores.

For an open-source platform, WooCommerce stands tall among Shopify alternatives, empowering merchants to edit, customize, and modify their code. Developers onboarding your small business team means tweaking various aspects of your platform’s capacities.

You do not get the same level of customization with Shopify or other hosted platforms, although WooCommerce’s open nature translates to added responsibility for website hosting, security, and compliance.

WooCommerce provides access to a massive community from which you get assistance with building and maintaining your shop. Additionally, you get add-ons for shipping and tax management.

And WooCommerce syncs well with other WordPress plugins, from SEO management to Google Analytics.

#7: Wix

Wix made it to this list of Shopify alternatives. Similar to Shopify, Wix is a hosted website-building service. In other words, you are relieved of managing your backend security and compliance.

Wix helps with building custom websites owing to its convenient drag-and-drop builder.

With Wix, you get free access to an SSL certificate as long as you remain a Wix brand customer.

Among the Shopify alternatives, Wix offers a variety of handy features at an affordable rate, although every US purchase incurs transaction fees of 2.9% + $0.30. The good thing is that Wix integrates with some prominent payment solutions, such as PayPal and Stripe.

#8: Big Cartel

Several reasons set Big Cartel apart, chief among them being the platform’s resourcefulness. With this solution, businesses get a selection of everyday product packages. 

Additionally, Big Cartel offers a free plan for companies selling fewer than five products and a custom plan for those selling fewer than 300 products.

Big Cartel is the ideal option for unique small businesses seeking customized store solutions. The service is best suited for creative entrepreneurs, such as fashion enthusiasts and artists. 

With Big Cartel, businesses gain access to custom themes that they can use to sell just about anything. Moreover, the solution gives the freedom to customize the store’s look and feel.

With access to a selection of user-friendly tools, Big Cartel enables businesses to manage their online stores effectively. With access to the backend, you can manage orders, run product promotions, and, using any device, you can check in on your store in real-time. Also, you get to check your site’s performance.

#9: Squarespace

Similar in style to Shopify, Squarespace counts among the leading global players in web design. Even with limited technical skills, anyone can benefit from Squarespace’s speed and convenience.

Among the several small businesses, Shopify stands out as the natural go-to option, given its access to a wide array of plugins to boost performance, as well as its sleek and convenient way of building an eCommerce store.

Despite that, Squarespace’s best cutting-edge feature has to do with the solution, making it easy to drag and drop your website into place. Any newbie can create a spectacular site.

Additionally, you gain access to advanced features, including marketing tools, abandoned cart recovery, and analytics.

Squarespace perfectly blends content management software with a shopping cart. The platform’s free trial allows you to evaluate its benefits before committing to it.

Free Shopify competitors

In this section, we’ll look into some of the top Shopify competitors you may want to weigh up in building your brand with minimal initial costs.

In case your small business runs on a tight budget that you can’t finance both an eCommerce website and aspects like transaction fees, marketing expenses, and shipping rates, you may need to opt for a free alternative to Shopify.

That free alternative software solutions may lack some of the high-level features that come with other competitors. The free alternatives, however, offer no assurance regarding payments for services such as specialist assistance, premium tools on the app store, and website hosting.

All in all, free alternatives to Shopify can be a big leap from selling products on eBay.

At the top of our list of free software alternatives is Prestashop and Square Online Store POS.

#10: Square Online Store

Square Online Store is another alternative to Shopify. It’s a powerful store-building solution that comes with the Square Online Store POS system.

You can build a business website using Square Online Store for free, thanks to its exceptional themes and various customization options.

However, you’d need to use Square’s order fulfillment and POS services.

As an alternative to Shopify, Square Online Store, in particular, comes in handy for businesses selling both online and 0n-person. Square is big on giving access to a selection of tools for in-person selling.

The software automatically syncs online items, orders, and inventory management.

If you are already using the Square portfolio as a sales strategy, then the service makes for a great choice of tools.

Free as it may be, there are undoubtedly some Square store expenses you’d need to consider. For example, you’ll have to pay 2.5% for each transaction, and you’ll also need to cover other costs, such as security strategies, specialist services, and hosting.

#12: Prestashop

Small businesses seeking excellent alternatives to Shopify will find a remarkable open-source platform in PrestaShop.

The software solution enables individuals from all walks of life to quickly and easily open their online store. PrestaShop has all that a business needs to tap into the eCommerce landscape.

The platform offers access to a wide array of themes, enabling you to customize your store, drive business growth, and monitor your sales statistics.

Like WooCommerce, Prestashop equally reaps the benefits from an active and dedicated community of developers. Newsflash, businesses don’t have to run on WordPress to make the most out of Prestashop. 

Companies on any CMS system get access to the service.

Although the software offers unlimited access to its internal code, you will need to set up your hosting, security, and compliance requirements.

Although the software is free to access, you will need to consider some costs associated with running the store. That necessitates possessing the skills or competence to use an open-source platform efficiently.

What’s the comparison?

A one-size-fits-all solution is not bankable when it comes to picking the ultimate eCommerce solution online. Shopify stands tall among the most popular software solutions in the eCommerce market; nonetheless, there are plenty of other alternative tools to choose from.

The specific features you’d expect from an eCommerce solution form a critical pillar to which investment you make.

For instance, a business selling fewer than 100 products, Wix makes a great alternative to Shopify.

Conversely, for large businesses that require extensive customization and specialized features, BigCommerce qualifies as an ideal option due to its flexibility. The software can provide a one-stop shop for online sales.

Which eCommerce tool is Ideal?

Selecting the ultimate eCommerce platform may involve conducting thorough research, including scouring the internet.

Several of the eCommerce tools we’ve highlighted in this post, for instance, offer free trials, allowing you to test the backend performance and drag-and-drop functionality before committing money.

Testing before buying tools helps make informed and confident decisions.

Equally, it’s crucial to have a framework in place to help with zeroing in on your options. For instance, your plan can outline whether you want customization options that come with an open-source service or a hosting service, so you don’t have to worry about security and hosting providers.

Are you looking for an eCommerce service with an extensive selection of payment options or shipping solutions, or one whose primary website builder, with limited customization features, more than suffices?

A better understanding of your business and how you’d like to sell can make it easier to choose the Shopify alternative that best suits your brand.

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