Shopify alternatives: what to look for and how they compare

Why people look for a Shopify alternative

The reasons we hear most often are simple. The monthly bill grows with the store. A fee applies when you want to use a payment provider other than Shopify's own. You want more control over code and hosting. Or you need something specific, such as cash on delivery with rules, B2B price lists or a storefront in many languages, without adding several apps.

None of these make Shopify a bad choice. They make it worth checking whether another platform fits your store better.

Shopify as the baseline

On its Irish pricing page, in euro, Shopify lists:

New stores get a 3-day free trial, then €1/month for 3 months on most plans. There is no free plan. The third-party fee is the one to watch: if you want to use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, Shopify adds that percentage on top of the provider's own fees. Our Shopify fee calculator works it out for your numbers.

What to look for in an alternative

1. How the price grows with your sales

Look for three things: a commission on each sale, a fee that applies only with certain payment providers, and a sales ceiling that moves you to a more expensive plan. A plan that looks cheap at €500 a month in sales can look very different at €20,000.

2. Who runs the software

Hosted platforms include hosting, updates and security. Self-hosted, open-source software gives you full control, but hosting, updates, backups and security become your job or your developer's. Neither is wrong; just be honest about who will do the work.

3. Payment options where your customers are

Check that you can use the processor you want, that wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay work, and that local habits are covered: bank transfer, local processors, or cash on delivery in markets where many buyers pay the courier.

4. Selling internationally

If you sell abroad, look at storefront languages, hreflang tags for search engines, and prices in local currencies.

5. What is built in vs added with apps

Count the apps or extensions you would need for your must-haves: B2B, subscriptions, dropshipping, marketing channels. Each one is a cost and one more thing to keep working.

6. How easy it is to move

Check whether there is an automatic import from where you are today, and whether it helps you keep your URLs and search rankings.

How five alternatives compare

Omniterra

Omniterra is a hosted platform with a free plan and 0% commission on every plan. Card payments go through your own Stripe account, connected in one click, with card fields in the checkout and Apple Pay / Google Pay. PayPal, Revolut, local processors and bank transfer are supported, and so is cash on delivery with rules, a "Refused on delivery" status and COD Guard risk scoring.

For international stores, the storefront works in 19 languages with hreflang, with multi-currency markets on the paid plans (see what each plan includes). B2B (company accounts, price lists, net terms), subscriptions, dropshipping supplier sync and sales channels for Meta, Google, TikTok and Pinterest are part of the platform. You get themes with a visual editor, a custom domain with automatic SSL, and an AI assistant that works through MCP. There are automatic imports from Shopify and WooCommerce. Plans and limits are on our pricing page.

Where Shopify is stronger: its app and theme ecosystem is much larger, and it has a long track record at every size of business.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is free, open-source software for WordPress, with no monthly subscription and a 0% revenue share. WooCommerce puts hosting at $25–$350/month for most stores, and paid extensions at $29–$299/year each.

Where it beats Shopify: full ownership of code and data, hosting anywhere, and a natural fit if your traffic already comes from a WordPress site. The trade-off: you or a developer look after updates, security and plugin compatibility. More in Omniterra vs WooCommerce.

Wix

Wix is a website builder with online store features. Its plans page has a free plan, but online payments and e-commerce start with the Core plan, with Business and Business Elite above it. Wix notes that prices and currency vary by location, so check the page for your country. Payment processing fees for Wix Payments are listed by country and method on its fees page; in the United States, cards are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

Where it beats Shopify: if your business is mainly a website, with a shop alongside, Wix's drag-and-drop editor and templates make that easy. The trade-off: you can't sell on the free plan.

BigCommerce

Since 1 June 2026, BigCommerce has four plans, in US dollars: Core ($39/month, $29 billed yearly), Growth ($105, $79 yearly), Scale ($399, $299 yearly) and Performance (custom, from $1,499/month billed yearly). Plans are tied to trailing twelve-month sales: above $30K on Core or $100K on Growth, you are upgraded automatically, and Scale charges 0.9% on sales above $33,333 a month. Per its 2026 update, orders through an "Open Payment Provider" carry 2.0% on Core, 1.0% on Growth and 0.6% on Scale, while embedded providers such as Stripe, PayPal and BigCommerce Payments carry no extra fee.

Where it beats Shopify: a long list of payment providers with no extra fee, and several storefronts from one account. The trade-off: your plan follows your revenue. More in Omniterra vs BigCommerce.

Shopware

Shopware has a free, open-source Community Edition (MIT licence) that is self-hosted only, with setup and maintenance your responsibility. The paid plans are Rise (from €600/month excl. VAT), Evolve (from €2,400/month) and Beyond (custom), priced on your GMV and other individual factors. They can run as Shopware SaaS, PaaS or self-hosted.

Where it beats Shopify: open source, deep customisation, and strong B2B features on the higher plans. The trade-off: a significant budget for the paid plans, or a development team for the Community Edition. More in Omniterra vs Shopware.

Which alternative fits which store

• You want to start for free and keep sales fees at zero: Omniterra.
• You run WordPress and want full control: WooCommerce.
• Your website matters more than the shop: Wix.
• You want many payment providers and several storefronts, and your plan can grow with your revenue: BigCommerce.
• You have developers or complex B2B needs and the budget for them: Shopware.

Moving from Shopify

If you decide to switch to Omniterra, the Shopify import brings your catalogue over, keeps Shopify-style URLs (/products/…, /collections/…) and carries over the redirects you already set up. Follow our guide on how to migrate without losing SEO, compare the numbers in Omniterra vs Shopify, or start with a free account.

Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, BigCommerce and Shopware are trademarks of their respective owners. Omniterra is not affiliated with them.