Top 5 Shopify Alternatives for Your 2025 eCommerce Needs
Explore the top 5 Shopify alternatives for 2025, tailored for various eCommerce needs. Find the perfect platform for your online store!
When you embark on your eCommerce journey, Shopify is often the go-to platform due to its widespread popularity and ease of use. However, it may not always offer the best fit for your specific needs, whether it's related to pricing, features, or customization flexibility.
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of Shopify alternatives available today. From eCommerce-specific platforms to general web builders that have expanded into the eCommerce space, there are now more affordable and customizable options than ever before.
In this post, we'll explore five top Shopify alternatives for 2025, helping you decide which platform is the best choice for your business goals. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, these alternatives could offer the right mix of features and flexibility to help your business thrive.
Reasons to switch to Shopify competitors
Shopify is an excellent eCommerce platform that caters to many entrepreneurs looking to build and grow their online stores. It’s an all-in-one solution with robust features, but it’s not always the perfect fit for everyone.
Here are some reasons why entrepreneurs may turn to Shopify alternatives when starting or scaling their eCommerce business:
Dependency on third-party apps and additional costs
Shopify's pricing plans, ranging from $29 to $299 per month (when billed annually), offer a variety of options for business owners at different stages. While its basic plans are affordable, many entrepreneurs find themselves needing to install third-party apps to expand the functionality of their online stores.
While some of these apps are free, most require additional subscriptions, which can quickly increase your monthly expenses. Plus, integrating too many apps can slow down your website—something you definitely want to avoid for SEO purposes.
For those who need more advanced features, such as staff permissions or multi-location capabilities, the Shopify POS Pro adds $60 per month. And for large enterprises, the Shopify Plus plan starts at a hefty $2,300 per month, which may not be the most budget-friendly solution for many businesses.
If you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution with fewer hidden costs, it might be worth considering alternatives to Shopify. For a detailed breakdown of Shopify’s plans and features, check out our comprehensive guide on our blog.
International features
Shopify Payments is available in fewer than 20 countries, which means that merchants in other countries must rely on different payment gateways, often subject to additional transaction fees.
Multi-currency support is only available when using Shopify Payments, which can be limiting for businesses operating internationally.
For businesses offering print-on-demand (POD) or shopify dropshipping services with suppliers in various countries, the ability to set country-specific products is a feature exclusive to the Advanced plan. This feature allows you to offer localized product variants, which can significantly reduce shipping costs and delivery times.
To ensure compliance with GDPR regulations (such as cookie consent), you'll need to install a third-party app, adding another layer of complexity to your store setup.
Further customization
Shopify allows you to create up to 100 variants per product, such as different sizes or colors. However, each variant is limited to just three options. For instance, if you sell t-shirts, you can offer three sizes – S, M, and L. To provide more variant options, you’ll need to install third-party apps.
Customizing product fields, like adding textboxes or file upload options, can be tricky and often requires additional apps, making it harder for you to personalize your products without relying on external tools.
Shopify marketing, SEO, and reporting
Shopify provides decent marketing and SEO tools, but its closed platform limits full customization. While built-in SEO features cover the basics, enhancing them often requires third-party apps.
For instance, Shopify doesn’t allow direct sitemap editing, and its structured data capabilities are somewhat restricted. While Google can recognize product names, descriptions, and prices, it may not properly differentiate between product variations like color or size.
Shopify’s built-in email marketing tools are quite basic, and upgrading to more advanced features typically means adding external apps. Additionally, access to professional reports is only available with the Advanced plan.
Quick Tip:Want to boost your store’s SEO? Check out our guide on optimizing Shopify image sizes.
Limited blogging
Compared to alternatives like WooCommerce and Squarespace, Shopify’s blogging functionality is quite basic. Since a significant portion of search engine rankings relies on blog content, this limitation can impact your store’s visibility.
Without third-party apps, you won’t be able to add CTA buttons, enable social media sharing, follow tags, or create interactive comment sections. Even uploading image galleries isn’t a built-in feature.
Looking for More Flexibility?Explore Tapstitch’s integrations to expand your selling potential across multiple platforms.
Best Shopify alternatives
If Shopify doesn’t seem like the perfect fit for your store, consider these five fantastic alternatives.
1.BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a hosted eCommerce platform designed for businesses with high sales volumes. It offers a range of built-in tools, reducing reliance on third-party apps and additional costs. While it’s a great fit for large enterprises, small and mid-sized businesses looking for a Shopify-like experience with fewer app dependencies may also find it appealing.
Customization
BigCommerce provides 12 free and around 130 paid themes, along with a drag-and-drop editor for effortless customization.
Paid themes range from $150 to $399 and are mostly responsive and AMP-enabled, though they may lack the design diversity seen in some competitors. While they offer a professional look, they may not match the modern aesthetics of other platforms.
Features
Like Shopify, BigCommerce is a SaaS (software as a service) platform. However, it stands out by offering robust built-in features rather than requiring additional apps.
With the Standard plan, you can:
- Sell unlimited products with up to 250 options
- Integrate with social media, Amazon, eBay, and POS systems
- Access multi-currency support, real-time shipping quotes, and professional reporting tools
- Enable product ratings and reviews
- Utilize unlimited bandwidth and file storage
BigCommerce also syncs inventory across multiple channels, accepts payments via PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay—without extra transaction fees.
Its SEO tools are among the strongest in the industry, and while email marketing requires third-party apps, the built-in blogging tool can be linked to an external WordPress site.
Pricing
BigCommerce offers four pricing tiers:
- Standard – $29.95/month
- Plus – $79.95/month
- Pro – $299.95/month
- Enterprise – Custom pricing
The Standard plan provides great value compared to other Shopify alternatives. However, plans have annual sales thresholds—users on the Standard plan must upgrade after reaching $50,000 in yearly sales.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Extensive built-in tools from the start
- Scalable for growing businesses
- Wide range of payment options with no extra transaction fees
Cons:
- Website speed can be inconsistent
- Email marketing, subscriptions, and recurring payments require third-party apps
- Abandoned cart recovery is only available on the Plus plan
2.WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a powerful WordPress plugin that transforms any WordPress site into a fully functional online store. As an open-source eCommerce solution, it offers advanced customization and flexibility, making it the platform of choice for 28% of global eCommerce.
While WooCommerce is packed with features, it requires technical expertise to set up and maintain, making it ideal for tech-savvy users and advanced sellers. However, beginners can start with a website builder and later transition to WooCommerce as they gain the necessary skills.CustomizationBeing open-source, WooCommerce provides unlimited customization possibilities. Users can choose from a vast selection of free, freemium, and premium themes, each impacting design, SEO performance, and website speed.While some free themes offer all necessary features, others may require premium plugins, potentially adding to costs.
Features
WooCommerce includes all essential eCommerce functionalities:
✔️ Dropshipping and POD integration
✔️ Digital product sales
✔️ Inventory and order tracking
✔️ Automated shipping solutions
The WooCommerce Payments system supports 135+ currencies and allows payments via credit/debit cards and local providers without monthly fees. However, this feature is available in fewer than 20 countries. Additional payment options like Stripe and PayPal can be integrated via extensions.
Customer support is primarily community-driven, with limited direct assistance from theme developers. Most solutions come from forums and the open-source community.
Pricing
While WooCommerce itself is free, you’ll need additional services:
- Web hosting: $1.99–$17.99/month
- Domain name: $0.99–$20/year
- Premium themes: $2–$200/license
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Unlimited customization and flexibility
- Secure and regularly updated payment gateways
- Large and active support community
Cons:
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Requires ongoing maintenance
- Potential hidden costs
3.PrestaShop
PrestaShop is a freemium, open-source, self-hosted eCommerce platform packed with features. It serves as a flexible alternative to Shopify, particularly for those with some technical expertise.
Since PrestaShop requires installation and hosting, setting it up depends on your server resources. Installation methods include:
- Manual setup via MySQL and FTP
- One-click install (varies by hosting provider)
- Localhost installation for testing
While beginners can navigate basic functions, tech-savvy users with coding knowledge will benefit the most from PrestaShop’s cost-effective and scalable eCommerce solution.CustomizationPrestaShop provides full ownership and extensive customization from the moment of installation.With over 25,000 modules available in the PrestaShop marketplace, users can enhance their stores with features like SEO tools, payment gateways, and marketing integrations.
🖌️ Themes & Templates
- Basic templates may not be visually appealing for large stores.
- 1,300+ paid themes are available on PrestaShop’s official marketplace.
- Third-party themes exist but may be repetitive in design.
- Prices range from $150 to $300, with varying quality.
- Some themes require professional assistance for installation.
Features
- Payments – Supports Google Checkout, PayPal, Stripe, Amazon Pay, and 250+ payment options with SSL security.
- Marketing – Integrates with Mailchimp, enabling discounts, free shipping, special offers, and affiliate programs.
- SEO – Includes 450+ SEO modules (costing between $61 and $482) and offers free SEO audits via PrestaShop Professional Services.
- Multilingual – PrestaShop supports 65 languages, with automated translation for over 40 languages.
- Support – No direct customer support, but a community of 700,000+ members offers assistance.
Pricing
- Basic software – Free
- Hosting – Starts from $1/month
- Third-party themes – From $150+
- Additional costs – Paid modules for advanced functionality
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Open-source with full store ownership
- Scalable for growing businesses
- Highly customizable with thousands of module
Cons:
- No direct customer support
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Design options lag behind competitors
4.Wix
Wix is one of the most popular website builders available, offering a quick and flexible way to design any website, including online stores. With its drag-and-drop functionality and built-in eCommerce features, Wix is an ideal Shopify alternative for sellers looking for an affordable and easy-to-use solution.CustomizationBuilding an online store with Wix is user-friendly,
with two main editing options:
- Wix Editor – A flexible drag-and-drop tool allowing full customization.
- Wix ADI – Uses AI to auto-generate a store but has limited customization.
🔹 Templates & Design
- Wix offers high-quality templates, but they cannot be changed after selection.
- Velo Editor allows advanced users to tweak code.
- Separate mobile version editing is possible, but overlapping elements can make adjustments tricky.
- Some elements may not display consistently between desktop and mobile.
Features
🛒 eCommerce
Wix manages eCommerce through Ascend Business Tools and third-party apps.
- Unlimited products & variants
- Abandoned cart recovery available on all plans
- Customer accounts & Google Analytics on basic plans
- Multi-currency support & automated sales tax require upgrading
⚠️ Limitations:
- No stock alerts for inventory management
- Dropshipping & POD integration is easy but can slow down site speed
- Product galleries may load slowly, especially on mobile
- Automated shipping rates require an additional app
💳 Payments
- Supports Stripe, PayPal, and manual payments
- No extra transaction fees (except from payment providers)
- POS support is limited
Marketing and SEO
- Built-in Wix SEO tool provides basic keyword & page name suggestions
- Users can edit meta titles, descriptions, and URLs
- Ascend Business Tools manages email campaigns, Facebook, and Instagram ads
- Advanced SEO features require a paid Ascend plan
Pricing
Wix has a free plan for creating websites, but eCommerce features require a paid subscription per site.
- Business Basic – $27/month
- Business Unlimited – $32/month
- Business VIP – $59/month
Pros and cons
Pros:
- All-in-one solution with built-in tools
- Abandoned cart recovery on all eCommerce plans
- Beginner-friendly & easy to maintain
Cons:
- Inconsistent mobile performance with slow loading times
- Limited POS support & payment options
- Deep SEO customization requires additional apps
5.Squarespace
Squarespace is a hosted website builder known for its sleek designs and consistent user experience across devices. While it offers fewer features than some Shopify alternatives, its strong branding capabilities make it an excellent choice for small and medium-sized businesses looking for a polished online presence on a budget.
Customization
Squarespace operates on a template-based system, which ensures that designs remain clean and professional across desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
- The editor is powerful but has a learning curve compared to Wix.
- Templates cannot be changed after site creation, so careful selection is required.
- Squarespace offers unlimited 14-day free trials to test different designs.
Features
🛒eCommerce
- eCommerce is only available on paid plans.
- Offers a free domain upon signup.
- Uses extensions instead of third-party apps for added functionality.
- Extensions are limited to three categories:
- Shipping & Fulfillment
- Finance, Inventory & Products
- Sales & Marketing
📢 Product Management
- Unlimited products & variants
- Basic inventory management (can be difficult for large stores)
- Dropshipping & POS support, but limited functionality
- POS (via Square Online) is only available in the U.S.
- All shipping extensions require a paid subscription
- Payment options: Stripe, PayPal, and Square Online
SEO, marketing, and additional features
- SEO Panel allows custom site titles, descriptions, and URLs
- Clean, static URLs for better indexing
- Free Smart SEO extension for meta tags & image alt tags
- Built-in email campaigns + Mailchimp integration
- Marketing tools include:
- Blogging – Multi-authors, scheduling, AMP support
- Social Media – Includes video creator tool (Apple only) & Unfold app for social media templates
- Pop-ups & announcement bars
Pricing
Squarespace offers four eCommerce plans:
- Personal – $23/month (No eCommerce)
- Business – $33/month (Basic eCommerce, but 3% transaction fees)
- Basic Commerce – $36/month (No transaction fees, POS support)
- Advanced Commerce – $65/month (Includes abandoned cart recovery & advanced shipping)
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Sleek, professional design with consistent user experience
- High-quality blogging features
- Optimized for branding & content marketing
- Easy to maintain
Cons:
- Fewer features & integrations than competitors
- Site speed could be improved
- Abandoned cart recovery only available on the most expensive plan
- Limited POS support (U.S. only)
Are there any free Shopify alternatives?
There isn’t a fully free Shopify alternative. While platforms like WooCommerce and PrestaShop don’t charge for their core eCommerce functionalities, you’ll still need to pay for web hosting. Plus, depending on your business needs, you may require premium plug-ins, modules, or templates to unlock additional features.
Wix does offer a free website plan, but eCommerce tools are only available on paid plans.
FAQ
1.What is the best free alternative to Shopify?
There’s no fully free Shopify alternative. However, WooCommerce and PrestaShop offer free eCommerce functionality, but you’ll need to pay for hosting, themes, and extensions. Wix has a free plan, but its eCommerce features require an upgrade.
2.Which Shopify alternative is best for dropshipping?
BigCommerce and WooCommerce are great for dropshipping due to their integration with major dropshipping suppliers. Wix and Squarespace also support dropshipping but have more limited options.
3.What if I'm not sure which platform to choose?
If you're uncertain, it can be helpful to take advantage of free trials offered by many platforms. Experiment with their features and user interfaces, comparing how each platform meets your business needs.
4.Which Shopify alternative is the easiest to use?
Wix is one of the most beginner-friendly alternatives, thanks to its drag-and-drop editor and intuitive interface. Squarespace is also a great option for those who prioritize design simplicity.
Choose what suits you best
Each eCommerce platform has its own strengths, offering similar core features but catering to different needs. The ideal Shopify alternative depends on your specific business goals and technical expertise.
- For a scalable, feature-rich platform – BigCommerce is the closest match to Shopify, offering robust eCommerce tools and growth potential.
- For full control and cost efficiency – WooCommerce and PrestaShop are great choices for tech-savvy users who want deep customization and self-hosting flexibility.
- For an easy-to-use, design-focused solution – Wix and Squarespace are perfect for small businesses and sellers who prioritize simplicity, aesthetics, and content integration.
