The best Shopify alternative for most growing stores is BigCommerce: similar pricing ($29 a month billed yearly), more built in, and no platform fee when you use one of its embedded payment providers. WooCommerce is best for full control with no platform fees if you can run WordPress, Wix is best for small businesses that also need bookings and a site builder, Squarespace for design-led brands, and Square Online for shops that already sell in person with Square, with a free plan to start.
Best Shopify alternatives in 2026
BigCommerce
Core $29, Growth $79 and Scale $299 a month billed yearly, with reviews, faceted search, multi-currency and B2B tools built in and no platform fee through embedded payment providers; plans auto-upgrade above $30K and $100K in yearly sales.
WooCommerce
Free open-source plugin for WordPress with no revenue share and no penalty for any payment provider; you pay for hosting ($25 to $350 a month for most stores) and extensions, and you run updates and security.
Wix
One builder for the site, store, bookings and email marketing; payments and ecommerce start on Core at $29 a month billed yearly, but a Wix store cannot be moved to another platform.
Squarespace
Polished templates and selling on every plan: Basic $19 a month billed yearly with a 2% store fee, Core $29 with none; fewer ecommerce apps and less catalog depth than Shopify.
Square Online
Free plan with 3.3% + 30 cents online card fees, Plus at $49 a month per location for a custom domain and lower 2.9% + 30 cent fees; items and inventory sync with Square's point of sale.
Questions buyers ask
What is the cheapest Shopify alternative?
Square Online has a free plan with no monthly fee (you pay 3.3% + 30 cents per online card payment), and WooCommerce is a free plugin, though you pay for WordPress hosting. Among paid hosted platforms, Squarespace Basic is $19 a month billed yearly, against $29 for Shopify Basic, but it charges a 2% fee on store sales; Squarespace Core at $29 removes it.
Is BigCommerce better than Shopify?
For stores that want more built in and use one of BigCommerce's embedded payment providers, often yes: no platform fee, and features such as reviews and faceted search without paid apps. Shopify wins on its app and theme ecosystem, checkout conversion tools and point of sale. Watch BigCommerce's sales-based plans: Core auto-upgrades to Growth above $30K a year and Growth to Scale above $100K.
Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?
Often, but not automatically. The plugin is free and there is no platform fee, but hosting runs about $25 to $350 a month and premium extensions $29 to $299 a year each, and you or a developer maintain the site. For a small store without technical help, Shopify or Wix can end up cheaper once your time is counted.
Does Shopify charge fees if I use another payment provider?
Yes. Without Shopify Payments, Shopify adds a third-party transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus, on top of your provider's card fees. BigCommerce charges no platform fee through its embedded providers (2%, 1% or 0.6% through others), and WooCommerce charges none at all.
Can I move my Shopify store to another platform?
Yes for products, customers and order history: BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Wix and Squarespace all offer CSV import or migration apps and services. Your Shopify theme and apps do not transfer, so plan on rebuilding the design and replacing each app, and set up 301 redirects from old product URLs to keep search rankings.
What about Ecwid and Big Cartel?
Ecwid adds a store to a website you already have on WordPress, Wix or another builder, which suits people who do not want to rebuild their site. Big Cartel is built for artists and makers with small catalogs and keeps things deliberately simple. Both are lighter than Shopify, so check product limits before choosing them for a growing catalog.
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