What is the best alternative to Shopify?

WooCommerce is the top-rated alternative to Shopify. It offers Free to install and Full control over data, and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Shopify?

Yes — WooCommerce is a free alternative to Shopify. Free to install

Best Shopify Alternatives(2026)

Q: Why do developers switch from Shopify?

Common reasons to switch from Shopify: Transaction fees unless using Shopify Payments; Expensive at scale; Template customization limited.

We compared 4 alternatives to Shopify — so you can find the best option for your needs and budget.

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You're replacing

Shopify

paid

Build your ecommerce business

Starts at $39/month

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Common reasons to switch

Transaction fees unless using Shopify PaymentsExpensive at scaleTemplate customization limited

WooCommerce

free

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WooCommerce is a free, open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress powering 40% of all online stores.

Pros

+Free to install

+Full control over data

+Massive plugin ecosystem

Cons

−Requires WordPress maintenance

−Performance can degrade at scale

−Security responsibility on you

WordPress-basedOpen sourceUnlimited productsExtensions marketplaceMultiple payment gateways

Medusa

free

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Medusa is an open-source headless commerce engine that gives developers full control over their ecommerce stack.

Pros

+Open source and self-hostable

+Full developer control

+Node.js/TypeScript native

Cons

−Requires engineering resources

−Smaller ecosystem than Shopify

−No hosted option for free

Headless commerceREST + GraphQL APIsMulti-regionMulti-currencyCustomizable workflows

Saleor

open-source

From $500/month (Saleor Cloud)

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Saleor is a high-performance open source headless e-commerce platform built with Django and GraphQL for custom storefronts.

Pros

+Fully headless GraphQL API

+Open source (self-host free)

+Multi-currency & channel

Cons

−Complex self-hosting

−Requires developer to set up

−Cloud pricing is expensive

GraphQL APIMulti-currencyMulti-channelWarehouse managementHeadless-first

BigCommerce

paid

From $39/month

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BigCommerce is a SaaS e-commerce platform designed for mid-market and enterprise businesses with powerful native features.

Pros

+No transaction fees

+Strong B2B features

+Good native SEO

Cons

−Annual revenue caps on plans

−Fewer themes than Shopify

−Less app marketplace

StorefrontMulti-channel sellingB2B featuresHeadless commerce APIBuilt-in SEO

Compare Shopify Head to Head

Shopify vs WooCommerce Shopify vs Medusa Shopify vs Saleor Shopify vs BigCommerce