Top 5 Best Shopify Alternatives Compared

If you have ever been looking for a shopping cart software then it certain your search list might have been topped by this one platform called as Shopify. In case you still do not know much about Shopify and its various alternatives with their pros and cons, then this informative article is definitely for you. First things first, Shopify is an e-commerce platform which has it headquarter based in Ottawa. The must-known fact about Shopify is that it is a platform that allows any seller to sell his/her products online as well. And when we are living in an era where everything seems to be going through a major breakthrough in terms of technology, then there seems no point in lagging behind. Letting your business expand itself to online platforms is a going to be a prudent choice and a lucrative deal for sure. Being a businessman, you can use Shopify as an exclusive ecommerce platform for not only establishing your business online but also promoting it at a very reasonable cost. Though the application has a number of shortcomings as well, it is still one of the major destinations for myriad merchants all across the globe.

Shopify was developed almost a decade back when Tobias Lütke faced some extreme problems in selling snowboards. The company was then called Snowdevil. After musing upon the issue, Tobias Lütke himself took the initiative to come up with a solution to this problem. And that is how the giant Shopify was born. It’s one feature which makes it extremely popular amongst merchants is that it is suitable for all types of businesses. Whether your business is in its initial stage or it has already established itself, Shopify is a great option not only to help you promote it but also to give a boost to your sales as well. No matter what product or service you deal in, ranging from a jewellery designer to a musician, one can use it in his/her best possible means. Over 175 countries in the World can have an access to Shopify.

Whether you have just decided to take to Shopify or are already using it, the below-mentioned bullet points may prove out to be beneficial for you.

Here is a list of some products that can be sold on Shopify.

1) Physical Items – To be made clear first, physical products refer to those products that can be manufactured, seen and shipped to customers. They can be anything between huge machineries to tiny hair clips well.

2) Digi-Products – When the entire world is making a transition to digital business, there can be witnessed a tremendous change in the way business is conducted. You must be finding E-books, Audio-books, E-templates and Online courses pretty common these days. Well, Shopify can be an ideal platform for all these digital products.

3) Consultancy Services – Whether you are a doctor, a life coach or an interior designer; in all the cases you need to deliver consultancy services. Through Shopify you can offer your Consultancy Services in a hassle-free way. Even your customers can book your free and paid sessions just in a couple of minutes.

4) Online Classes – If you someone who has to offer the services of online classes to your clients then Shopify can be used an ideal platform to do away with the conventional technicalities involved and book classes in no time.

5) Rental Services – In the recent times, Shopify has featured itself in such a way that businessmen dealing in Rental Service can easily carry out their business through this platform as well. For example, if you renting clothes or props, then you too have a chance to give a shot of Shopify.

List of Best Shopify Alternatives

There are a number of Shopify alternatives to choose to build your online store. But with a lot of options come tremendous confusions. And hence we have decided to give you a list of top 5 Shopify alternatives which have been evaluated on the basis of their striking features with their pricing.

1. BigCommerce

The features you looking forward to availing in BigCommerce depends upon the plan you subscribe to. There is a remarkable difference in all the various plans which are offered by BigCommerce. But still there are certain features which are common in all. The below-mentioned points deal with same.

• Integrated Information Medium

One can have an access to a wide range of relevant stuff related to building, promoting and selling one’s product through an online store. BigCommerce makes you familiar with that necessarily required elements which you need to inculcate in your online business as soon as possible. Through videos, statistics and business-oriented articles, WooCommerce proves out as profitable platform to invest in.

Once you take to BigCommerce, you can integrate yourself with a lot of payment gateways like that of PayPal.

• Speedy Website Loading

Even if you feel that everything is on its appropriate place, there can be definitely be an underlying issue which might turn out as a rain on your parade. And that problem is time-taking loading process. Customers feel extremely frustrated if they are compelled to waste their time in letting the website load. But BigCommerce helps you to get rid of this problem by providing you a hassle-free and secure web loading.

• Pricing

The basic or the standard plan of BigCommerce starts at just $29.95 a month. If you want to upgrade it to an even advanced plan then your need to pay $79.95 monthly. Besides the two, the premium plan is available at just $299.5 a month.

2. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is an ecommerce platform for entrepreneurs all across the World. Its mind-blowing feature is that it offers the feature of customization up to 90%. And that is the reason it is being said that when on WooCommerce, you can not only sell but can also give way to your imagination to take it to the next level. Having been powered on WordPress which covers almost 35% of the web, WooCommerce gives you an assurance of being in good hands. It significantly provides you with everything in a platter right in front of you. Ranging from physical products to consultancy services, WooCommerce provides you with the option to sell anything. Being an open-source ecommerce platform, you have numerous modification and customization options for your content.

• Global Community

The community of WooCommerce developers stretches from Norway to South Africa besides covering everything between Canada to Japan.

• Part of the most popular Management System

Being a part of a highly proficient Management System, WooCommerce adopts a no-compromise attitude towards quality. It simply integrates all the relevant content in such a way that tends to be in best interest of not only merchants but also the customers.

• Pricing

The pricing policy of WooCommerce is pretty reasonable with a 24/7 service. WooCommerce is perhaps free in one aspect but when it comes to hosting, getting a domain name, plugin, extension, developer cost and theme charge may cost you somewhere between $20-$25 a month.

3. Magento

The way digital revolution has altered the way of business, Magento has done to Ecommerce. With a lot of runners in the list, Magento is probably the forerunner to make it to the top. A simple-to-understand reason being the perfection in the services it offers. It is one such open source ecommerce platform which is highly flexible in nature. To be straightforward, it can be mentioned that when using Magento, you can transform your source code as per requirements. Many a time you can avail the services of a third party as well because of the third-party integration feature it offers.

• Multiple Features usually lacked by others

The most beneficial feature of Magenta is that it allows you to cater to multiple locations, and deal in multiple locations besides the multiple language feature. On this platform you can give way to a different price policy for you new members and the premium/VIP member. This feature of Magenta is probably the biggest facet of it which draws a line of demarcation between itself and the other open source platforms.

• Mobile-friendly in nature

Magento is mobile-friendly in nature which is probably a major contributor to the success of an e-commerce company. As a survey, it is being revealed that almost one-fourth of the online shoppers feel the need of shopping through an e-com platform that is mobile-friendly. For all the users who are browsing your site through your phone can get an experience devoid of difficulties.

• Pricing

The striking feature of Magento is its pricing policy which suits the budget of almost all the retailers out there. Its various features like that of hosting, customization, themes, templates and custom development all can be availed right within the range of $20,000 to $25,000 a year.

4. Squarespace

Squarespace is one of the leading e-com platform which offer rich features to build a better ecom store. With Squarespace, one can set up online store very easily in cloud with drag and drop feature. At the present moment, it has expanded itself to approximately 65 languages with almost 1.25 online stores. The user-interface which Squarespace provides is very fast in response and customer-friendly in nature.

• Easily Installation Process

First things first, the feature which draws a thick line of demarcation between itself and others is the easy-to-install process. All one has to do is to download the file from the official website. As soon as one downloads the file, setting up a store is not a hard task.

• Budget-friendly

No license is required to set up a store on Squarespace. And that is why is it is best suited for all those retailers who do not have much means to grab a lot feature at place and that too at a reasonable cost. With all the personalization options, it is quite easy to add and delete features.

• Pricing

Though the application is free of cost, in order to incorporate due add-ons to it; you might need to pay $50-$100 per module. With Squarespace, a number of payment gateways open up. For instance, PayPal and Google Pay are a part of it which are safe, secure and robust in nature.

5. Wix Store

Wix Store is perhaps at the top of all the web developing platforms in 2020. Wix has gained a lot of popularity in the last couple of years. If you are also looking for very professional and an up-to-date website for your business then Wix is bound to be given a shot. The amazing feature about Wix Store is its free plan. You can enjoy a lot of advantages offered by Wix without even spending a single penny. There is not any need to installing a software while you are availing the free plan. The payments can be made through Credit Cards, PayPal and even through offline modes as well. The test purchase mode allows you to take a trail plus there isn’t any additional cost involved in the transaction process. Unlike some other E-com platforms, additional charges are selective.

• Ease of Use

It is pretty easy and comprehensible to understand the working and the modules of Wix Stores. Simplicity is something which almost all the merchants and customers out there are in the pursuit of. Wix provides that all. Starting from Web Hosting to Cost Calculator, Wix offers everything to its customers in a very quick and easy way.

• Demographic Advantages

With its business expanded to almost the entire world, it makes Wix Store the epitome of a virtual platform which knows no limits to business. It provides a common gateway to all the different streams joining into one.

• Pricing

Wix costs an amount which can be as low as $23 a month. If you want to come up with your own improvisations to the whole set-up, then with a very reasonable additional charges Wix stands to its excellency in providing quality.

In this article we have done in-depth analysis of how you can make a smart choice while choosing the most appropriate platform for your business. All of them have their own pros and cons but the key point lies in being sure about the demands of your business and the budget your business would be supportable to. Keeping all the points in mind, including the pricing policy of each, you can definitely manage to redefine your business in a very short period of time.