Shopify alternatives for a small online store

Owners look for an alternative to Shopify for different reasons: the monthly price, the fee on other payment providers, a site they already run on WordPress, or a plan that no longer fits. This page compares the four alternatives we could confirm from official pages against Shopify, and says which situation each one suits. We read the platforms' own pages on 29 October 2026. Prices are US dollars, exclude tax and describe a US store. We did not test the platforms and make no claim about sales, conversion or growth. Sums marked as our arithmetic use stated example scenarios, not averages of real stores.

• You like one bill but pay a fee on another payment provider: compare Shopify Payments against your provider first, because Shopify adds a fee on transactions a third-party provider processes and a premium on some Shopify Payments transactions when both run together; BigCommerce charges its platform fee only on open payment providers, and Ecwid charges none per sale.
• You already have a WordPress site: WooCommerce, or Ecwid if you only need to add a store to it.
• You expect sales to grow quickly: BigCommerce moves you up a plan as sales cross its limits, so read the limits before you start.
• You sell in person in the United States: Square Online keeps both channels on one account.
• Your catalogue is tiny and your budget is tight: Ecwid's entry plan is the lowest-priced paid plan here, within its product limit.
• You want one bill, no server and your provider is Shopify Payments: staying on Shopify needs no reason; each alternative above has to earn the move.

Our arithmetic for 100 orders at an average of $60 a month ($6,000 of sales), US card rates, excluding domain, apps, extensions and tax: Shopify Basic $243.00 ($39 plus $204.00), BigCommerce Growth $307.40 ($105 plus $202.40; Core is outgrown because its limit is $30K of yearly GMV), WooCommerce $229.00 to $554.00 depending on hosting at $25 to $350, Square Free $228.00 (3.3% + 30c) and Square Plus $253.00 ($49 plus $204.00). Ecwid is left out because its pricing page states no card rate. These are examples, not averages of real stores, and they change with your payment provider and country.

Moving is a project, not a setting. WooCommerce's catalogue lists an extension for importing a Shopify store at $79 a year, and Shopify's subscription charges are non-refundable, so check your billing date before you cancel. We have not tested any migration and cannot say how complete one is.

Before you cancel, run the new store alongside the old one and check products, customers, orders, redirects, tax and shipping settings, the payment provider available in your country and any email tools connected to the store.