Best Shopify Alternatives For Ecommerce Development

You are a business owner, running your business, and want to grow. Tried an Ecommerce platform like Shopify, but still seeing slow growth? You must be looking at the Shopify alternatives due to rising costs, increasing level of competition in the market, limited design choice, and the need for more scalable, omnichannel ecommerce solutions. Comparing alternatives to Shopify will help you explore platforms that are better suited to your business needs. 

Choosing the right ecommerce platform is important for the regular growth and scalability of your business. Shopify holds a very big market when it comes to an Ecommerce platform. They are the dominating force in the industry, but businesses are looking for Shopify alternatives which suit better for their business, along with better pricing and customization. Let us now explore the best Shopify alternatives for ecommerce in 2026. 

Why Look for Shopify Alternatives?

There are several reasons to look for an alternative of Shopify. Those are discussed below.

Monthly Cost and App Cost

Shopify’s price package goes sky high as soon as you add essential apps. Many brands look for cheaper alternatives to Shopify to reduce their recurring expenses. If you are a startup or a small brand, looking for a Shopify alternative is not a bad idea. 

Customization Limitations

Shopify does provide flexibility, but there is still scope for more server-level customization. These restrictions by the platform force the businesses to look for Shopify alternatives. Ecommerce Developers for hire often prefer platforms that give more options. 

Full Control Needed

If you are looking for full control in code access, custom checkout flows, or complex integration, go for an alternative ecommerce platform like Shopify that offers deeper flexibility. The other ecommerce platforms might give better server control compared to Shopify. 

Multi-vendor and Enterprise Needs

If you have ever tried Shopify or Shopify Plus alternatives, you can see that some platforms handle catalogs, marketplaces, and workflow. A better enterprise workflow is what you will get if you use Shopify alternatives. 

Search for Region-Specific Platforms

If you are a local ecommerce business in India or Asia, looking for Shopify alternatives India might not be a bad ploy. It provides better payment support and localization. 

Scalability Option Will Be More

Due to the dependence on third-party apps, growing brands will look for Shopify alternative platforms. They do not require dozens of third-party apps, and the chance for more scalability will be open for small businesses. 

Best Shopify Alternatives for Ecommerce in 2026

Here are the top 10 Shopify competitors that stand out in 2026.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a highly recognised and one of the best free Shopify alternatives. One of the best things about this platform is that it is a free-to-use app that has control over hosting. It has a massive plugin system and unlimited customization. This Shopify alternative is best for content-driven businesses, small businesses, and SEO focused brands. It is an open-source and completely customizable app that integrates with WordPress. 

BigCommerce

If you are looking for the best alternatives for Shopify, BigCommerce might be a go-to option for brands. It has powerful built-in features with no plugin dependency for essentials. If you are a growing brand or mid-size business, looking for better multi-channel selling, BigCommerce is a very useful Shopify alternative. It also provides strong SEO functionality, which is a must in today’s times. 

Magento (Adobe Commerce)

Magento, also known as Adobe Commerce, is one of the most robust ecommerce sites like Shopify. It is far more customizable and is best for large ecommerce businesses. Why choose Magento? Because it has total control over the server and code and offers good chances of scalability. Megento is good for enterprises, global brands, and large ecommerce stores. 

Wix eCommerce

Wix is also a website builder like Shopify. If you are a beginner, don't know much about coding, tech, or how to build an ecommerce platform, you can start with Wix eCommerce, rather than Shopify, which has some complexities. Wix eCommerce has a drag-and-drop facility, which simplifies things for beginners. It is very easy to set up, with built-in marketing tools. The platform is cheaper than Shopify and provides services at very cheap rates. Even local sellers prefer Wix eCommerce because of its simplicity. 

Squarespace Commerce

One of the best Shopify alternatives is Squarespace Commerce, known for its creativity and stunning designs. It is best for small businesses and lifestyle brands that always look for creativity. The Squarespace Commerce provides some of the most beautiful templates.

OpenCart 

OpenCart is a free-to-use platform, ideal for startups and for those who have just started. It is an open-source, easy-to-manage, and low-development-cost platform. It is a free Shopify alternative that a business can use. 

PrestaShop

If you are running a business in India, PrestaShop is a one-stop solution for your ecommerce platform. It is a flexible, region-friendly Shopify alternative India. With multi-vendor scalability and low cost, it is best for SMBs and mid-sized businesses. 

Shift4Shop

Shift4Shop is one of the other ecommerce platforms like Shopify. It is good for SEO, known for its versatility, feature-rich options. There will also be no transaction fees for the platform, giving small businesses and startups an edge over using Shopify. 

Salesforce Commerce Cloud

There are a few benefits of using Salesforce Commerce Cloud, like AI-powered recommendations, unlimited scalability, and omnichannel solutions. It is one of the best Shopify Plus alternatives, best for large enterprises. 

Shopline 

It is one of the fastest-growing ecommerce platforms, giving a tough fight to Shopify. Day by day, Shopline is emerging as one of the best Shopify alternatives for ecommerce, especially in Asian markets. It is one of the other region-specific platforms, providing specific features at an affordable price. The platform is also very easy to manage and one of the best in business. 

Comparison Table: Best Shopify Alternatives for Ecommerce Development

Here is the comparison table of the best Shopify Alternatives for ecommerce website development.

How to Choose the Best Alternatives for Shopify?

Choosing the best Shopify alternative needs proper planning and understanding of the requirements and platform. Here are the things to consider before choosing an alternative.

Budget

Consider Shopify alternatives, free options like WooCommerce, OpenCart, or PrestaShop. They provide all the basic ecommerce platform services for free, with customization. These platforms are good for beginners who are looking for a reduction in recurring costs. 

Customization Needs

Before choosing any Shopify alternatives, consider the customization requirements you need. You can choose alternatives like Magento, OpenCart, or WooCommerce for deeper control. 

Omni-Channel Needs

A very useful option if you need the best alternatives for Shopify for omnichannel ecommerce solutions could be BigCommerce or Salesforce. It is a highly recommended option for multi-channel selling and enterprise workflows. 

Region-Specific Selling

If you are an Indian brand and keep searching for a Shopify alternative India, you can go with options like Dukaan and Shopline. It is a good fit for region-specific selling. 

Development Support

After selecting the platform, you have to hire Shopify experts and an ecommerce website development company. You will also have to hire ecommerce developers and a Shopify website development company. The right agency will also guide you on Ecommerce development cost, and the Shopify website development cost. Local Ecommerce development companies can help you with integration, maintenance, and scaling.
 

Conclusion

In the final thoughts, determining your budget, customizability, scalability, and target audience is important before choosing any Shopify alternatives. The above-mentioned platform options provide cheaper alternatives to Shopify with more flexibility and region-specific features. 

For more control, reduced cost, and better scalability, platforms like WooCommerce, BigCommerce or Magento, and Shopline are some of the best alternatives to Shopify. The business needs the right development support, and it can be achieved either from a Shopify development company, ecommerce website development company, or by choosing to hire ecommerce developers. They provide a future-ready, scalable ecommerce business.