10 Of The Most Popular Shopify Competitors In The Marketplace

Key Takeaways

• The article covers 10 of the most prominent Shopify competitors currently challenging the dominance of Shopify, including household names like BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, and WooCommerce.

This article will answer the question: “Who are shopify’s competitors?” by exploring the top 10 Shopify Competition rivals in today’s ecommerce landscape. As the leading online store solution, Shopify faces competition from several popular platforms supporting small-to-medium or large businesses.

Top 10 Shopify Competitors To Pay Attention To 

Detailed analysis of the 10 top Shopify competitors 

Shopify Competitors for Small Businesses

Wix

Wix is among the Shopify biggest competitors with millions of users currently using this platform.

Main features

One of the main features of Wix is its drag-and-drop website builder, which allows users to create a fully customizable website without any coding knowledge. With Wix, business owners can choose from hundreds of professionally designed templates and customize them by adding or removing elements as needed. 

Wix also offers ecommerce capabilities that allow users to set up an online storefront to sell products quickly. Wix handles all the technical aspects like hosting, security, and payments, so business owners don’t have to deal with back-end development and maintenance.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Ease of Use: Wix is user-friendly, allowing business owners to create polished websites without coding, thanks to its intuitive drag-and-drop builder.
• Customizable Templates: With hundreds of easily adjustable templates, Wix takes the hassle out of web design.
• Budget-Friendly: Starting at just $13 a month, Wix is a cost-effective option for small businesses wanting to establish an online presence.
• Ecommerce Ready: Wix comes with built-in e-commerce features. Users can start selling products right away without needing extra plugins or apps.

Cons

• User-Friendliness vs. Customization: While Wix is easy to use, it limits deeper customization options found in platforms where code can be modified.
• Domain Ownership: Businesses using Wix don’t own their domain names. This could impact their long-term online presence and brand identity.
• Transaction Fees: Wix charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction. These fees might be more than other e-commerce platforms charge for businesses with high-priced items or large sales volumes.
• Customer Support: Support options with Wix, like its online help center and community forums, might not match the dedicated support other platforms offer.

Updates & Maintenance: Any platform updates or maintenance tasks are controlled by Wix, not the business owner.

Who is it for?

Wix is best suited for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder to get their brand online quickly. It removes the technical challenges of building a website but does limit deeper customization capabilities. 

For those just starting out and looking for an affordable solution, Wix will be a potential Shopify competitor that can help small businesses establish an online presence without spending too much upfront on development.

Squarespace

 Famous website builder and hosting platform 

Main features

Squarespace is a famous website builder and hosting platform that allows users to create fully customizable websites without any coding knowledge required. 

It provides professionally designed templates that can be easily customized using drag-and-drop tools. Squarespace also offers built-in ecommerce functionality to sell products online. It handles all the technical aspects like hosting, security, and payments.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• User-friendly drag-and-drop website builder that requires no coding knowledge
• Beautiful, professionally designed templates that can be easily customized
• Built-in ecommerce functionality allows selling products right from the site
• Robust set of features like analytics, forms, and galleries included
• Suitable for small businesses needing an all-in-one solution

Cons

• There is less flexibility than in self-hosted platforms, as code editing is limited
• Transaction fees apply to each order placed
• More expensive than annual plans for some other ecommerce platforms
• Limited integrations with third-party apps compared to Shopify
• Business doesn’t own domain name or server files with Squarespace
• Not as scalable for large businesses as dedicated ecommerce solutions

Who is it for?

Squarespace is best suited for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want an easy-to-use solution to create an attractive online presence and start selling without technical skills. 

Volusion

Main features

Volusion is a web hosting service that allows users to build fully customizable online stores. It provides professionally designed online store templates that can be easily customized using drag-and-drop tools. 

Some key features include unlimited products and categories, multiple payment gateways, tax calculation, and inventory management. It also offers built-in marketing tools and integrations with platforms like ShipStation.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Affordable pricing similar to Shopify starting at around $15/month
• Wide range of features, including marketing, inventory, and sales tools
• Over 500 professionally designed store themes included
• Good integration with third-party apps like ShipStation
• Excellent customer support either online or by phone
• No website hosting fees as it’s a fully hosted platform

Cons

• Less beginner-friendly than Shopify or Squarespace
• Transaction fees are a bit higher than some competitors
• Limited customization options compared to self-hosted platforms
• A steeper learning curve for setting up and customizing the store
• Not as many free apps and integrations as Shopify
• Updating themes or plugins requires developer knowledge

Who is it for?

Volusion is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses looking for an all-in-one ecommerce solution comparable to Shopify. It removes the need to manage technical backend aspects as a hosted platform. 

Big Cartel

Main features

Enormous Cartel is an ecommerce platform tailored for small creative businesses like artists, photographers, and designers. It offers simple and customizable storefront templates for sellers to display and sell their products online. 

Some key features include built-in themes, a drag-and-drop homepage builder, social media integration, and the ability to sell physical and digital goods.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Affordable pricing options starting from a free basic plan
• Simple and customizable store templates optimized for creatives
• Includes features like one-click social sharing and buy buttons
• Integrates with social media platforms for promotion
• Provides built-in functionality without coding knowledge required

Cons

• More limited design and feature customization compared to self-hosted platforms
• Fewer advanced ecommerce tools and integrations than larger competitors
• Limited payment processing options on free plans
• Free customer support isn’t as robust as paid support plans

Who is it for?

Big Cartel is best suited for small creative businesses and individual sellers who don’t need complex features. As one of the Shopify competitors mentioned in the article, it provides a basic yet flexible solution for artists, crafters, and other creative entrepreneurs to sell their work online.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce allows users to sell online products and services through WordPress

Main features

WooCommerce allows users to sell online products and services through WordPress. It provides a shopping cart system, payment processing, and all the other tools needed to operate an online store. WooCommerce integrates seamlessly with WordPress to provide a robust ecommerce platform and a full-featured content management system in one solution.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Highly customizable due to its open-source nature
• Seamless integration with WordPress
• The large developer community for support

Cons

• Requires technical skills for maintenance
• Performance can slow down the WordPress site
• Steeper learning curve than simpler platforms
• Extra plugins are needed for some features

Who is it for?

WooCommerce is best suited for online sellers who already use WordPress for their website and want an all-in-one ecommerce solution without building a new online store from scratch. Compared to Shopify, WooCommerce arguably offers more flexibility due to its open-source nature, however, Shopify remains simpler for non-technical users.

Weebly

Main features

Weebly provides a simple drag-and-drop website builder that allows users to create responsive ecommerce sites without coding knowledge. It includes features like built-in shopping carts, payment processing, domains, and basic site analytics. Users can choose from hundreds of designer templates and customize their sites with images, text, and pages.

Pros & Cons

Pros 

• Easy to use drag-and-drop builder for non-technical users
• Basic ecommerce functionality included out-of-the-box
• Inexpensive starting plans without transaction fees
• Hundreds of free professional templates to choose from
• Integrates well with other apps and services

Cons

• More limited customization options than paid platforms
• Fewer advanced ecommerce features versus competitors
• Basic analytics and reporting capabilities
• Unable to scale as well as platforms like Shopify for larger stores
• Support and customer service have had issues, according to some reviews

Who is it for?

Weebly is best suited for small businesses or individuals wanting to sell a few products online without complexity. Compared to Shopify, Weebly has a more spartan feature set, making it a better choice for those just starting out who prioritize ease of use over advanced tools. 

Shopify Competitors for Large Businesses

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an industry-leading ecommerce platform

Main features

BigCommerce is an industry-leading ecommerce platform that offers everything needed to build an effective online business. It includes 24/7 live agent support, single-page checkouts, discounts and coupons, point-of-sale systems, and more. 

BigCommerce stands out by offering a complete out-of-the-box experience ideal for B2B commerce. It relies less on third-party apps than competitors like Shopify.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Offers comprehensive out-of-the-box functionality for online stores
• Powerful features for B2B commerce, like purchase orders and invoicing
• Robust platform that can scale with business needs
• No transaction fees on paid plans
• Wide range of premium themes and design tools
• Strong support for international selling and multiple currencies

Cons

• Generally more expensive than Shopify for basic plans
• A steeper learning curve for customizing the platform
• Less third-party app support than Shopify’s large ecosystem
• A rigid platform may not offer as much flexibility for some stores
• Requires commitment to a single vendor solution

Who is it for?

BigCommerce is best suited for large businesses or companies focused on B2B sales. As the largest Shopify competitor, it provides more robust functionality tailored for complex enterprise shops. 

Magento

Main features

Magento is a robust, feature-rich ecommerce platform. As an open-source solution, it gives merchants immense flexibility and the ability to customize. It offers unlimited product uploads, robust security, and rich performance capabilities. 

Merchants can access Magento’s vast ecosystem of partners, developers, and other merchants to help grow their stores.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Highly customizable and extensible with an open-source codebase
• Large ecosystem of developers and third-party extensions available
• Robust feature set, including flexible catalog management and content delivery
• Can integrate with other business systems like ERPs and CRMs
• Good for complex B2B stores and sites with specialized requirements

Cons

• Significantly more complex to set up and maintain than hosted options
• Requires experienced developers or consultants to customize and manage
• Higher initial costs and longer launch timeline than simpler platforms
• Steeper learning curve for non-technical merchants
• Need to purchase licensing, hosting, upgrades, and support separately

Who is it for?

Magento is best suited for large enterprises rather than small businesses. As one of Shopify’s largest competitors, it provides more advanced features and functionality tailored for complex ecommerce needs at scale. 

Free Shopify Competitors

Prestashop

Prestashop is an open-source ecommerce platform 

Main features

Prestashop is an open-source ecommerce platform that provides merchants with flexibility and control over customizing their online stores. 

It offers unlimited product uploads, customizable themes and templates, built-in payment processing options, and integration with extensions through an add-on marketplace. The code is fully customizable, so developers can modify it to add new functions.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Open-source and free to use, avoiding licensing or hosting fees
• Highly customizable codebase that can be modified as needed
• Large library of third-party themes and modules to enhance functionality
• Integrates payment gateways and shipping carriers out of the box

Cons

• The steep learning curve for non-technical merchants
• Requires own hosting, installation, upgrades, and maintenance
• Less user-friendly admin interface than hosted platforms
• Limited built-in functionality without additional modules
• Security patches and updates must be applied manually
• No phone or email support from Prestashop directly
• Large, complex stores may encounter performance issues

Who is it for?

Prestashop is best for merchants who want an open-source platform to customize themselves and don’t mind managing the technical aspects. Moreover, Prestashop is a better choice for small-to-medium-sized businesses or developers.

Square Online

Main features

Square Online is an ecommerce platform that allows merchants to create online stores for free. It integrates with Square’s point-of-sale systems to sync online and in-person orders and inventory. Merchants can build good-looking stores using customizable templates and accept online payments through Square’s checkout.

Pros & Cons

Pros 

• Free to use basic online store
• Automatically syncs inventory and orders with the Square POS system
• Users can access purchased Square features like loyalty programs and gift cards
• Robust catalog management for products sold both online and in-store
• A simple drag-and-drop interface makes setting up a store quick and easy

Cons

• Merchants must use Square exclusively for payment processing
• Square charges 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction in fees
• Limited customization without coding skills
• Fewer themes and design options compared to paid alternatives
• Minimal built-in marketing tools beyond email campaigns
• Basic plans have limited storage, products, and monthly transaction volumes

Who is it for?

Square Online is best for merchants already using Square’s point-of-sale systems who want a free online store that integrates with their physical business. Moreover, it is suited for smaller businesses seeking an affordable starting point for an online presence.

Tips for choosing Shopify alternatives

Consider your business size

The first thing to consider is the size and needs of your business

When choosing a Shopify alternative, the first thing to consider is the size and needs of your business. If you just want to start small as a side project, more accessible platforms like Shopify may work well. 

However, to support more extensive operations, look at options like BigCommerce, better suited for enterprise-level needs. Evaluate what stage your business is at to pick a platform that can grow with you.

Evaluate platform type

Also, assess the type of platform you need – hosted, open source, headless, etc. Hosted platforms are easier to manage but offer less flexibility. Open source options give more control over customization but require managing hosting and other aspects yourself. Consider your technical skills and requirements.

Check pricing and included features

Carefully review the pricing plans of shortlisted alternatives

Carefully review the pricing plans of shortlisted alternatives and study what basic and paid features each plan offers. This will help determine if a platform can meet your needs within your budget both currently and in the future to avoid expensive platform switching later. Some allow free trials of premium features.

Evaluate ease of use

Especially for non-technical users, the platform interface must be intuitive to use. Research if options require coding skills or if setup can be done visually via drag-and-drop builders. An easy learning curve is essential.

FAQs

Bottom line

After reading Shopify competitors analysis above, we can notice that choosing the optimal ecommerce platform may require extensive research as your part. Fortunately, many tools offer free trials that let you personally test out drag-and-drop functionality and back-end performance before making a purchase. This hands-on evaluation can lead to a more confident selection.