switchpoint

Ecommerce · 2026

The 3 best
Shopify alternatives

App fees and transaction costs compound quickly; some merchants want full ownership.

Reviewed by Switchpoint Editors ·

Our take

Shopify's app fees compound. By the time you've added Klaviyo, Loop, Recharge, Gorgias, and a build-a-box app, you're paying $400/mo on top of the platform. If your apps are 50%+ of your monthly cost, audit them — many teams discover they can consolidate to Shop's native features or move to a leaner platform.

Switching cost

Product, customer, and order CSV exports are clean; theme + custom apps + integrations are the work. Plan 2-3 months for a non-trivial store including SEO redirect map and Shop Pay churn. App data (subscriptions, reviews) is the hardest part — most apps don't export portably.

What Shopify does

Hosted ecommerce platform powering millions of stores.

Ranked picks

Our shortlist

  1. 1

    WooCommerce

    Open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress.

    Top pickVisit

    Best for

    Stores already on WordPress.

    Pricing

    Free plugin. Pay for hosting + extensions.

    Pros

    • Open source
    • Total control

    Trade-offs

    • You manage the stack
    Compare Shopify vs WooCommerce
  2. 2

    Medusa

    Composable, open-source commerce engine.

    Visit

    Best for

    Engineering-led brands wanting headless commerce.

    Pricing

    Free, open source.

    Pros

    • Headless
    • Highly extensible

    Trade-offs

    • Requires devs
    Compare Shopify vs Medusa
  3. 3

    BigCommerce

    Hosted commerce with no transaction fees.

    Visit

    Best for

    Mid-market stores leaving Shopify Plus.

    Pricing

    From $39/mo.

    Pros

    • No platform transaction fees
    • Strong B2B

    Trade-offs

    • Smaller theme ecosystem
    Compare Shopify vs BigCommerce

Section

At a glance

ToolBest forPricing
WooCommerceStores already on WordPress.Free plugin. Pay for hosting + extensions.
MedusaEngineering-led brands wanting headless commerce.Free, open source.
BigCommerceMid-market stores leaving Shopify Plus.From $39/mo.

Deep dives

More on Shopify

Shopify pricing breakdown Free Shopify alternatives

Migration guides

Shopify → WooCommerceShopify → MedusaShopify → BigCommerce

Themes from real users

What buyers actually say about Shopify

Paraphrased from public reviews on G2, Reddit, and Hacker News. Not vendor copy.

  • Transaction fees off Shop Pay are the most-cited grievance.
  • Theme limitations push power users to headless or custom builds.
  • Checkout extensibility limits drove the move off Checkout.liquid.
  • App ecosystem is the genuine moat — and the cost story.
  • Shopify Markets simplified international but is pricey.

Some outbound links are affiliate links. They never change our rankings.