It’s a fact: Shopify is the most popular and recommended Ecommerce platform available in the market today. But despite this, why do people still look for Shopify alternatives?
While Shopify is a helpful tool for many online stores and businesses, there might come a point when you will need new design capabilities, features or just paying less fees.
The good news is that there are now Shopify competitors that can live up to expectations and answer to your needs and requirements.
What is Shopify?
It was in 2006 when Tobias Lutke wanted to develop a website where he can sell snowboards. This was when he realized how tricky it was to create, manage, and run an online business and website. This inspired him to create Shopify, an Ecommerce platform that aims to make online selling as easy and simple as a hobby.
Shopify is a solution that helps you create your online store where you can present, sell, and distribute your products. The platform can handle small and large businesses to make online selling seamless and effortless. But if your shop is making millions of dollars, you should take a look at Shopify Plus.
Top 7 Best Shopify Alternatives and Competitors
Shopify may be popular, but it is not always a one-size-fits-all solution. For some, it may not provide the same level of freedom and flexibility that other similar platforms have to offer. Having said that, here 7 Shopify alternatives for your store this 2022.
1. Wix
Wix always cuts to the chase as its easy-to-use interface provides everything you need on top of its budget-friendly plans. With highly customizable theme options, a wide selection of apps, a sleek editor, and over 100 well-designed templates, Wix is the number one go-to solution for both seasoned and new users.
2. Squarespace
If your product portfolio is a bit small and you want to get your business off the ground, Squarespace is one of the Shopify alternatives you can try. The platform provides an outstanding tool that will help you build your website with an exceptional selection of attractive templates to choose from. All it takes is a few tweaks and you can have an excellent online shop in no time.
3. Webflow
Webflow is one of the Shopify competitors that serves as a website designing tool, a server, and content management software all in one. This has one of the slickest and sleekest interfaces you can find in the market today, making it a great choice for business owners who don’t want to bother with all those codes as much as possible.
4. Big Cartel
Big Cartel has become one of the top choices among artists thanks to its inventory tracking, unlimited bandwidth, CSS and customization, essential features, and affordability. Although its features are more limited than Shopify, its cheaper price makes up for it, which also allows it to work well for small businesses and solopreneurs. You can set up your online store in no time even if you don’t have any coding experience at all.
5. Woocommerce
Many entrepreneurs often agree that WooCommerce is currently one of the best Shopify competitors for a good reason. WooCommerce is open-source, free to use, and is highly rated in terms of gauging visitor experience. There are even users who claim that it is the strongest out of all Shopify competitors and is sometimes better than Shopify in many aspects.
6. Volusion
Volusion is another popular alternative for Shopify. It is a cloud-based shopping cart that caters to over 200,000 businesses and is a favorite among companies and smaller businesses that are getting ready to scale upwards.
The nifty single-click checkout feature of Volusion can make the experience more convenient for your store’s customers. The platform also provides access to numerous features and plugins you can integrate into your store.
7. Big Commerce
Big Commerce is the best tool to try if you are looking for a no-sweat and smooth experience and the remarkable flexibility of a drag-and-drop editor. It is one of the well-known Shopify competitors that offers a full cycle solution for Ecommerce websites. Big Commerce provides stunning themes and advanced features for content marketing that lets you promote your products online and increase your conversion rates.
How to Choose the Right Shopify Alternative?
You see, there are many Shopify alternatives out there. With this wide range of choices, finding the right Shopify alternative for you can quickly feel confusing and overwhelming.
However, the first step in choosing an alternative tool to use in place of Shopify is to determine what you don’t like about it. After you have identified a certain weak spot, it will be a matter of finding a platform that excels in that area.
What is Your Budget?
How much are you willing and ready to spend for your eCommerce tool?
One of the main reasons why people look for Shopify alternatives is because it doesn’t have an available free version and high fees on sales. This is why you need to set a budget before anything else. If you love Shopify but it's too expensive for you, there is still Shopify Lite available.
It doesn’t matter if you are already an established brick-and-mortar shop poised to move online or a small business that is just getting started, you need to know how much you will be paying.
When Do You Need a New Store?
During your search for Shopify competitors, you also need to determine your timeline for setting up a new store for your business. The good news is that most alternatives for Shopify can help you have your online shop up and running in a matter of minutes. But some will need months of development. Be careful with this point.
How Many People are Managing the Store?
Determine how many people will manage your store. If you have a whole team managing the store, each of them will need to learn how to use the new solution. Some will even need hours of coaching on the new solution. Think about it.
Shopify is a popular and obvious choice for today’s online store owners. However, there will come a time that you will outgrow it, or you simply need a more flexible Ecommerce solution. When it comes to searching for Shopify competitors, it is about choosing the worst or best. Instead, it is all about having a realistic understanding of your budget, skills, and needs.
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