What you leave
Shopify
- From $29 per month
- Transaction fees
- Complex to set up
- No native WhatsApp
Comparison 2026
The 8 best Shopify alternatives in 2026
If Shopify falls short on price, complexity, or just does not fit your way of selling, there are better options. We compare 8 real platforms with their pros, cons, and who each one is built for.
Updated: November 2026 Read: 8 min
What you gain
Shourly
- Free forever
- No fees
- Ready in 5 minutes
- WhatsApp integrated
Quick comparison
| # | Platform | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shourly | Free |
| 2 | Squarespace Commerce | From $23/mo |
| 3 | Wix | From $17/mo |
| 4 | WooCommerce | Free (plugin) + hosting |
| 5 | Ecwid (Lightspeed) | Free plan available |
| 6 | BigCommerce | From $29/mo |
| 7 | Square Online | Free plan available |
| 8 | Big Cartel | Free up to 5 products |
#1
Shourly
Digital catalog for WhatsApp, no code, always free
Pros
- 100% free, no credit card
- Catalog ready in 5 minutes
- Algolia search included
- Direct WhatsApp connection
Cons
- No internal checkout (buy via WhatsApp)
- Fewer templates than Shopify
#2
Squarespace Commerce
Polished website builder with built-in commerce
Pros
- Award-winning design templates
- Built-in scheduling, marketing, email
- Strong SEO out of the box
Cons
- Higher learning curve for advanced commerce
- Premium price for ecommerce features
#3
Wix
Drag-and-drop builder with ecommerce module
Pros
- Powerful visual editor
- Thousands of templates
- Wix ADI AI for fast start
Cons
- Locked into chosen template
- More expensive for serious ecommerce
#4
WooCommerce
Ecommerce plugin for WordPress
Pros
- Full code control
- Thousands of extensions
- Massive community
Cons
- Requires technical maintenance
- Hosting and SSL separate
#5
Ecwid (Lightspeed)
Add a store to your existing website
Pros
- Embeddable in any site
- Free plan up to 5 products
- Social media sync
Cons
- Free plan very limited
- Design depends on host site
#6
BigCommerce
Enterprise-grade ecommerce platform
Pros
- No transaction fees on any plan
- Multi-channel selling (Amazon, eBay, Facebook)
- Robust B2B and B2C features
Cons
- Plans auto-upgrade based on revenue threshold
- More features than small sellers need
#7
Square Online
Store + POS for brick-and-mortar businesses
Pros
- Synced with physical POS
- Payments integrated
- No monthly fee on free plan
Cons
- Higher per-transaction fee
- Better in US than in Europe
#8
Big Cartel
Store for artists, makers, and bands
Pros
- Built for artists
- Useful free plan
- Extremely easy to use
Cons
- Limited for larger catalogs
- Few advanced features
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Shopify alternative?
It depends. If you sell mainly via WhatsApp and Instagram, Shourly is the simplest and always-free option. If you need a broader catalog with internal checkout, Big Cartel (up to 5 products) or WooCommerce (free plugin + hosting) are solid alternatives.
Why look for a Shopify alternative?
The most common reasons: monthly price that grows with sales, transaction fees that pile up, complexity for small sellers who do not need all the features, and the lack of direct WhatsApp integration where many Spanish-speaking buyers already are.
Can I migrate from Shopify to another platform?
Yes. Most platforms support importing products via CSV or XLSX. Migrating historical orders and customers is more complex and depends on each platform; some offer dedicated tooling, others require manual export/import.
Which one has the best SEO?
Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix all have decent SEO foundations. But SEO ranks more on content and site speed than on platform brand. Platforms that ship static pages (Astro-backed for example) tend to have stronger Core Web Vitals than client-rendered ones.
Do I need technical skills?
No for Shourly, Tiendanube, Wix, Big Cartel, Yupop or Square Online: each has a visual editor and chat support. WooCommerce does require installing WordPress and maintaining plugins. Ecwid embeds into any site, but you need an existing site.
Start with the free alternative
If you sell through WhatsApp or Instagram, you do not need to pay for Shopify or configure anything complex. Create your Shourly catalog in 5 minutes and start selling today.