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Best Shopify Alternatives in 2026

These are the 5 closest tools to Shopify that we track, ordered by what they cost to start. Each entry says how its pricing differs from Shopify's — based on the numbers we hold, not on who pays us. We do not publish a quality score, because we do not have one we can stand behind. The cheapest verified option is BigCommerce at $29/user/mo.

Why people leave Shopify

  • Transaction Fees: Charges extra commission if you don't use Shopify Payments.
  • App Costs: Monthly subscription costs for apps can add up very quickly.
  • Customization Limits: Deep design changes require knowledge of the 'Liquid' code.

These are the drawbacks listed in our own Shopify review — not complaints we invented for this page.

  1. 1
    BigCommerce

    Modern headless commerce.

    vs Shopify: cheaper to start ($29/user/mo vs $39/user/mo).

  2. 2
    Teachable

    Top course platform.

    vs Shopify: the same starting price ($39/user/mo).

  3. 3
    Chargebee

    Subscription billing and revenue management.

    vs Shopify: priced differently (Free tier vs $39/user/mo).

  4. 4
    Ecwid

    Add a store to any existing website.

    vs Shopify: priced differently (Free tier vs $39/user/mo).

  5. 5
    Gumroad

    Sell anything easily.

    vs Shopify: priced differently (Usage-based vs $39/user/mo).