The best Shopify alternative depends on how you sell. WooCommerce suits businesses already on WordPress, BigCommerce, Wix and Squarespace suit owners who want an all-in-one builder, Etsy and Big Cartel suit makers, Gumroad and Podia suit digital products and courses, and Square suits shops that sell in person and online.
Shopify is a great platform, and plenty of stores do very well on it. But it isn't the only way to sell online, and it isn't always the right fit. Some owners want more control. Some want everything on the website they already have. Some sell courses rather than boxes. And some mostly sell over a counter.
So instead of a straight list, I've grouped the alternatives by the kind of seller you are. Find your group, look at the two or three tools in it, and you'll have a much shorter list to compare. Plans and features change often, so check each provider's current pricing page before you decide.
If you sell from your own WordPress site
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a shop. It suits owners who already have a WordPress website, want full control over design and content, and like the idea of owning everything. You can add almost any feature through extensions, and your blog and your shop live in one place, which helps with SEO.
The main limit is that you're in charge of hosting, updates, security and backups. If that sounds like a chore, either pay someone to look after it or choose a hosted tool instead. Payment, shipping and some extensions come with their own charges, so add those up before you commit.
If you want an all-in-one builder
These are hosted platforms, like Shopify. They look after hosting and security for you, so you can focus on products and customers.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is the closest like-for-like swap for Shopify. It suits growing stores with big catalogues, lots of product options or plans to sell to trade customers as well as the public. It includes many features out of the box rather than relying on apps. The limit is that it can feel like more than a tiny shop needs. I've compared the two in detail in which is better between BigCommerce and Shopify, and if BigCommerce isn't quite right either, here are some alternatives to BigCommerce.
Wix
Wix is a drag-and-drop website builder with ecommerce built in. It suits owners who care most about how the site looks and want to design pages themselves without code. It handles a small to medium product range well. The limit is that moving a Wix site to another platform later can be awkward.
Squarespace
Squarespace is known for polished templates and suits creative businesses, studios and brands where looks matter: photographers, designers, small fashion labels. Its commerce tools cover products, services and simple subscriptions. The limit is a smaller range of add-ons than Shopify or WooCommerce.
If you'd rather sell where buyers already shop
Etsy
Etsy brings you an audience of people looking for handmade, vintage and creative goods. It suits makers who'd rather spend time making than building traffic. The trade-off is that you play by Etsy's rules, compete with other sellers on the same page, and don't fully own the customer relationship. Many makers use Etsy alongside their own website.
Big Cartel
Big Cartel is a simple hosted shop built for artists and makers with a small range. It's easy to set up and has a free plan for a handful of products. The limit is that it's deliberately basic, so you'll outgrow it if your range or team gets bigger.
If you sell digital products and courses
Gumroad
Gumroad lets you sell ebooks, templates, music, presets and other downloads with very little setup. It suits creators who want to start selling fast. The limit is design control: your store will look like a Gumroad store.
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Podia
Podia brings online courses, digital downloads, webinars, memberships and email marketing into one place. It suits coaches, trainers and consultants who sell knowledge rather than physical stock. It isn't built for shipping products, so pair it with another tool if you also sell physical goods.
If you have a high street shop that also sells online
Square
Square is best known for its card readers and point of sale, and it also offers an online store that shares stock and sales with your till. It suits cafes, salons, gift shops and market traders who want one system for in-person and online sales. The limit is that its online store has fewer design and marketing options than a dedicated ecommerce platform.
Shopify has its own point of sale too, so if you're comparing tills, look at how each one handles stock across your shop and your website.
Shopify alternatives side by side
| Platform | Suits | Main strength | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | WordPress site owners | Full control and ownership | You handle hosting and updates |
| BigCommerce | Growing stores, big catalogues | Lots built in | More than a tiny shop needs |
| Wix | Owners who design their own site | Easy drag-and-drop pages | Harder to move away from later |
| Squarespace | Creative and design-led brands | Polished templates | Fewer add-ons |
| Etsy | Makers, handmade and vintage | Buyers already searching there | You don't own the customer |
| Big Cartel | Artists with a small range | Simple, has a free plan | Basic by design |
| Gumroad | Creators selling downloads | Very fast to start | Limited design control |
| Podia | Coaches and course creators | Courses, downloads and email together | Not for physical stock |
| Square | Shops selling in person and online | Till and website share stock | Lighter online store |
Whichever platform you choose, the store is only half the job. Getting visitors to buy matters just as much, so it's worth knowing what a good conversion rate for an online store looks like before you judge a new platform on sales.
Make an ecommerce platform? See how to get it featured on this list.
Your migration checklist
Moving platforms is where most stores lose sales and search traffic, usually because something small got missed. Work through this before you switch anything off:
- Products: export every product with its images, variants, descriptions and stock levels. Check a sample by hand after import.
- Redirects: map every old product, category and page address to its new one and set up redirects, so old links and Google rankings follow you.
- Customer accounts: check what your new platform can import. Passwords usually can't move, so plan a friendly email asking customers to reset theirs.
- Reviews: find out whether your review app can export them and whether the new platform can show them. Reviews sell, so don't leave them behind.
- SEO: keep page titles, descriptions and headings, resubmit your sitemap in Google Search Console, and watch your traffic closely for the first few weeks.
- Orders and records: keep a full export of past orders for your accounts, and check with your accountant what you need to hold on to.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Shopify?
WooCommerce is free to install on a WordPress site, though you'll still pay for hosting and some extensions. Big Cartel also has a free plan for a small number of products.
Is WooCommerce better than Shopify?
It suits a different owner. WooCommerce gives you more control and keeps your shop inside your WordPress site, but you look after hosting and updates. Shopify handles that for you.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I leave Shopify?
You can protect most of them by keeping your content, setting up redirects from every old address to the new one, and resubmitting your sitemap. Rankings often wobble for a short while after a move.
Which Shopify alternative suits selling courses?
Podia is built for courses, digital downloads and memberships, and Gumroad suits simpler downloads. Both are easier for knowledge products than a physical goods store.
