Shopify is a ready-made solution that helps entrepreneurs and startups to launch their eCommerce platform. Undoubtedly it provides several tools for the success of the eCommerce business. Yet there are several reasons why you should go for Shopify’s alternatives. Covered in this blog are the reasons why you should look for other options and the top 8 shopify alternatives for small businesses in 2022.
Why Should You Try Shopify Alternatives?
Shopify is an extremely popular eCommerce solution, but a few reasons for which you should consider its alternatives are as follows:
- Over time Shopify gets expensive- The starter fee of Shopify is not much as compared to other eCommerce platforms. However, with time, Shopify gets expensive. As your business grows, you will need to add other important features and integrations such as checkout analytics, international pricing, and so on, so you will be prompted to pay more.
- Shopify payments cannot be used in every country- Shopify accepts major payment methods like credit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay and more. But in certain countries, sellers don’t get to use Shopify Payment. If you happen to live in such a country, you will have to find a way for this, otherwise look for Shopify alternatives.
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- Customization is limited- Shopify has a lot of good functionalities but in comparison to its alternatives like WooCommerce, its customization is limited. It only allows you to change certain parts of a functionality (unlike self-hosted platforms that can potentially allow you to enhance almost anything). Though Shopify uses a unique setup for customization of its themes, it can still be annoying for individuals who would prefer full on customization.
- Customization is limited- Shopify has a lot of good functionalities but in comparison to its alternatives like WooCommerce, its customization is limited. It only allows you to change certain parts of a functionality (unlike self-hosted platforms that can potentially allow you to enhance almost anything). Though Shopify uses a unique setup for customization of its themes, it can still be annoying for individuals who would prefer full on customization.
- Poor content management- Shopify is not really a content management system as it is only optimized for selling products. But if there is a requirement to add videos, carousels and more, then it’s better to go with Shopify alternatives as much importance is not given to content marketing by Shopify.
Top Shopify Alternatives
Mentioned below are the top 8 Shopify alternatives for your reference with their pros and cons.
1. Yo!Kart
Yo!Kart is a great Shopify alternative that has been designed and developed by FATbit Technologies to enable startups as well as SMBs and large enterprises to launch their eCommerce marketplace with ease. This multi vendor platform comes with a set of impeccable features and an intuitive design that provides a seamless shopping experience to its users. Moreover, Yo!Kart is fully customizable and scalable and applications for iOS and Android platforms are also provided. With a one-time licensing fee, no recurring payments, free installation, 1 year of free technical support, and more, Yo!Kart makes for a compelling eCommerce marketplace software.
Pros
- Whitelabel multi vendor solution with no recurring fees
- Free 12 months technical support
- Storefront is customizable
- Lifetime license and source code ownership
- Multilingual and multi currency is supported
- Advanced reports and analytics
- Native readymade buyer apps
- Pre-integrated APIs and payment gateways
- Offers product catalog module and much more
Cons
- Upgradation if needed, is paid
- Customization of themes is at an additional cost
2. Adobe Commerce
Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento is a popular eCommerce platform that was first released in 2007. It is built with open-source technology and offers a wide list of features from marketing to client analysis. The Shopify alternative also offers various themes and an array of extensions to enhance businesses. The solution is popular among companies with complex requirements. Moreover, Magento is an open and customizable platform that can be deployed on the cloud.
Pros
- Customizable as it is an open-source platform
- Has a large network of developers worldwide that work on creating additional functionality for the platform
- Offers plenty of marketing tools
- Includes rich inventory
- Is a free plan
Cons
- You need professional web development experience to set up a store
- There is no built-in payment processing
- There is no live technical support
- It does not provide hosting
- The set-up is extremely extensive and this can lead to high costs
3. Yo!Rent
Yo!Rent is an excellent Shopify alternative to launch a single vendor and multi-vendor eCommerce marketplace with advanced features. Yo!Rent provides more value to businesses by adding renting and selling functionalities at no additional costs. It is a complete white label online rental software available at a one-time cost and free tech support for 12 months.
Shopify requires additional plugins to extend the functionalities of the website that slow down the platform while Yo!Rent comes with in-built features that help in scaling the business to any level.
Unlike Shopify, Yo!Rent doesn’t require third-party plugins and add-ons to extend its functionalities. The advanced features of Yo!Rent include inventory management, order management, agreement management, late return module, product comparison, etc.
Pros
- Industry-specific designs
- Multi-vendor/Single vendor capability
- Rental add-ons
- Quick and easy document verification
- Agreement management & e-sign
- Tiered pricing
- RFQ management
- Invoice generation
- Renting and selling
- Data Visualization and reports
Cons
- No drag and drop builder
- Limited themes
4. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is another comprehensive SaaS based eCommerce platform that facilitates business owners to set-up their online store with ease. It is API driven and feature-rich. A wide range of custom templates are also offered to get you started with your eCommerce platform. The BigCommerce builder comes with the support for search engine optimization, unlimited bandwidth, a range of checkout options, and more. It also provides convenience in the form of included hosting and software updates.
Pros
- In-built visual tools to help build your eCommerce store
- There is no transaction fees to be worried about
- It supports multi-channel selling
- Unlimited storage, bandwidth and product options
- It offer multilingual and multi currency support
- Offers reports and analytics
Cons
- Limited themes are free, others are available at an additional cost
- Is not easy to set up
- Pricing can be a little complicated
- Can be expensive for high volume stores
5. Shift4Shop
Shift4Shop is a cloud hosted shopping cart platform that is capable of building an eCommerce website for apps like furniture, fashion, food, grocery, and more. The solution is packed with robust features that make it a highly scalable platform for growing businesses. The functionality offered is versatile, with an in-house web design service that will tailor your shop’s UI/UX for a reasonable price. Moreover, you’ll have access to SSL certificates and advanced security. In addition, Shift4Shop’s comprehensive payment goes beyond Shopify’s as it takes care of the credit card payments with ease.
Pros
- Supports multiple payment gateways
- No additional transaction fee
- In-house web design service
- Unlimited product listing
- Fast load time
- Support for selling offline
- Offers free trial
Cons
- Difficult for beginners to set-up
- Issues with upgrading
- Negative reviews for support
6. WooCommerce
Launched in 2011, WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce platform that offers a free plan to date. It is an open-source, WordPress specific plugin that allows you to build an intuitive, mobile-friendly eCommerce site. It is fully customizable and unlike Shopify you need not pay for extra extensions on a monthly basis as you can get several with a single payment. Further, every aspect of the WordPress eCommerce store (from beginning to end) can be managed via WooCommerce. It can also be used to track things like abandoned carts.
Pros
- It is fully customizable
- The configuration is simple
- Several add-ons and useful extensions are available
- The plugin of WooCommerce is free
- There are numerous features that enhance creativity
- Freedom to sell unlimited products
Cons
- Hosting is not included
- Technical skills are needed
- No direct technical support
7. Volusion
Volusion is a leading eCommerce software solution and a popular choice as Shopify alternative. It is user-friendly and offers attractive features like responsive themes, custom domain, CSS editor, homepage slideshow, and much more. Just like Shopify, Volusion is also a SaaS based platform so you need not worry about hosting. Designed for business owners, Volusion is a perfect blend of unlimited bandwidth and real-time support.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Supports in-depth reporting and analytics
- Calculates shipping and tax easily
- There are unlimited options for products
- Multiple payment processors
- Access to tools for SEO
Cons
- Monthly bandwidth limit
- The product search function can get better
- Limited design features
- No add-on store is available
8. Prestashop
Prestashop is another feature-rich eCommerce platform that empowers users to create stores online. It will even provide a choice to its users whether to use its hosted service or to go the self-hosted way. Cloud-deployed and downloadable software are the two options that are offered by Prestashop. Moreover, as it is an open-source platform, troubleshooting solutions are easily available (as it has built an international community). Besides a plethora of add ons, modules, themes, and so on are provided by this eCommerce platform. Though the solution might be free, add-ons will cost money.
Pros
- Free to use
- Easy access to numerous creative options
- It supports multiple currencies and languages
- Is easy to install and use
- Incorporates useful SEO and marketing tools
- Provides hosting options
- Powerful site and catalog management
Cons
- No customer support
- Adds-ons are expensive
- The platform is heavy that can lead to multiple crashes
- Limited scalability
Conclusion
Shopify has been a bespoke eCommerce platform that started out as an easy-to-use and an affordable solution. However, with technological advancements, many eCommerce platforms are now available in the market that are faster, cost-effective and robust. If as a beginner, you are looking for an eCommerce solution, then it is better to look for Shopify alternatives. We hope that with the information provided above, you will be able to streamline an eCommerce platform that will best suit your business needs. For more information you can get in touch with a leading software development company as it can assist you with the launch of your eCommerce platform.
