Website builders · 8 alternatives to Shopify
8 Shopify alternatives (2026): online store builders compared on price and fees
BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, WooCommerce, Square Online, Ecwid, Big Cartel and Hostinger compared with Shopify on monthly price, transaction and card fees, free plans and the limits of each cheap plan.
Shopify is the default for online stores: hosting, checkout and payments in one place, with apps for almost anything. Basic is $29 a month billed yearly, or $39 monthly, after a 3-day free trial and three months at $1.
The fees add up around it. Shopify Payments charges 2.9% + 30¢ per online card payment on Basic, using another payment provider adds a 2% transaction fee, and Basic has no extra staff accounts.
So we compared eight alternatives on what a small store really pays: the monthly price, transaction and card fees, the free plan and the limits of each cheap plan. Every price comes from each platform’s own pricing page, in US dollars, checked on October 18, 2026.
At a glance
| # | Tool | Paid from | Free | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BigCommerceOur pick | $29/month billed yearly (Core); $39 monthly | 15-day free trial, no card; it can take real payments | Growing stores that want to avoid extra fees |
| 2 | Squarespace | $19/month billed yearly (Basic); $25 monthly | 14-day free trial, no card; no free plan | A polished site with a small catalog |
| 3 | Wix | $29/month billed yearly (Core, the cheapest plan that takes payments) | Free plan (cannot take payments); 14-day money-back guarantee | Design-led small stores |
| 4 | WooCommerce | Free plugin; you pay for hosting, any paid extensions and payment fees | The core plugin is free, with no monthly subscription | WordPress users who want full control |
| 5 | Square Online | $0/month (Square Free, card fees only); Square Plus $49/month per location | Square Free at $0/month; 30-day free trial of Plus and Premium | Shops that already use Square in person |
| 6 | Ecwid by Lightspeed | $5/month (Starter); Venture $29/month billed yearly, $35 monthly | No free plan or trial listed | Adding a store to a site you already have |
| 7 | Big Cartel | Free Gold plan (5 products); Platinum $12/month billed yearly, $15 monthly | Free Gold plan: 5 products, 1 template | Artists and makers |
| 8 | Hostinger Website Builder | $3.99/month on a 48-month term (Unlimited, $191.52 upfront), renews at $16.99/month | 14-day free trial of the builder; 30-day money-back guarantee | The cheapest small store, if you commit for four years |
Prices are the cheapest paid plan in US dollars as each tool shows it, checked Oct 18, 2026.
1 BigCommerceOur pick
- Paid from
- $29/month billed yearly (Core); $39 monthly
- Free
- 15-day free trial, no card; it can take real payments
- Best for
- Growing stores that want to avoid extra fees
BigCommerce is a hosted commerce platform like Shopify, at the same $29 a month on yearly billing. The difference is fees: there are no extra order fees when you use one of its embedded payment providers (Stripe, PayPal or BigCommerce Payments), where Shopify charges 2% if you don't use Shopify Payments.
Plans follow your sales. Core covers up to $30,000 in the last 12 months, then moves you to Growth ($79 a month billed yearly), and a payment provider outside its embedded list adds a 2% fee on Core.
What's good
- No extra order fees with an embedded payment provider such as Stripe, PayPal or BigCommerce Payments
- Card processing from 2.89% + $0.29 with PayPal Braintree for US businesses
- The free trial is fully functional and can take real payments
Watch out for
- Core is capped at $30K in trailing-12-month sales and auto-upgrades to Growth ($79/month yearly)
- A 2% fee on Core for payment providers outside its embedded list
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on bigcommerce.com
2 Squarespace
- Paid from
- $19/month billed yearly (Basic); $25 monthly
- Free
- 14-day free trial, no card; no free plan
- Best for
- A polished site with a small catalog
Every Squarespace plan can sell products, services and subscriptions, and Basic is $19 a month on yearly billing, $10 less than Shopify Basic. You get Squarespace's designs and a free custom domain for the first year on annual plans.
Basic takes a 2% transaction fee on store sales (7% on digital content and memberships). Core, at $29 a month billed yearly, removes the store fee.
What's good
- All paid plans can sell products, services and subscriptions
- Card rates from 2.9% + $0.30 with Squarespace Payments
- Annual plans include a free custom domain for the first year
Watch out for
- Basic charges a 2% transaction fee on store sales (0% from Core, $29/month yearly)
- Digital content and membership sales carry a 7% fee on Basic
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on squarespace.com
3 Wix
- Paid from
- $29/month billed yearly (Core, the cheapest plan that takes payments)
- Free
- Free plan (cannot take payments); 14-day money-back guarantee
- Best for
- Design-led small stores
Wix's Core plan is the cheapest that can take payments and run a store, at $29 a month billed yearly, with 50 GB of storage and a free domain for a year. Wix Payments charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction in the US.
The Free and Light plans can't accept payments, and Wix shows only yearly prices, paid upfront.
What's good
- Core includes payments, basic eCommerce, 50 GB storage and a free domain for 1 year
- Wix Payments charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction in the US
- 2,000+ templates and a free plan to build the site before you pay
Watch out for
- The Free and Light ($17/month) plans cannot accept payments
- Prices shown are for yearly plans paid in full upfront, before tax
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on wix.com, support.wix.com
4 WooCommerce
- Paid from
- Free plugin; you pay for hosting, any paid extensions and payment fees
- Free
- The core plugin is free, with no monthly subscription
- Best for
- WordPress users who want full control
WooCommerce is a free, open-source store plugin for WordPress. There are no platform fees or revenue share, and the core handles unlimited products and orders, with any payment gateway you like (WooPayments is about 2.5 to 2.9% + 30¢).
You pay for everything around it: hosting (WooCommerce estimates $25 to $350 a month for most stores) and paid extensions at $29 to $299 a year each.
What's good
- No platform fees and no revenue share
- Unlimited products, orders and APIs in the free core
- Use any payment gateway without penalty
Watch out for
- You pay for your own hosting: $25 to $350/month for most stores, by WooCommerce's estimate
- Paid extensions cost $29 to $299/year each
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on woocommerce.com, woocommerce.com
5 Square Online
- Paid from
- $0/month (Square Free, card fees only); Square Plus $49/month per location
- Free
- Square Free at $0/month; 30-day free trial of Plus and Premium
- Best for
- Shops that already use Square in person
Square Online comes with every Square plan, including the free one, and syncs with Square's point of sale. The free plan includes a website builder, pickup, local delivery and shipping, and you pay only processing fees.
Online card fees are higher on the free plan, 3.3% + 30¢ (2.9% + 30¢ on Plus), and the paid plans are charged per location.
What's good
- The free plan includes a website builder with SEO tools, pickup, local delivery and shipping
- Sell on search and social from the free plan
- Works with Square POS (2.6% + 15¢ in person on Free)
Watch out for
- Online card payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free (2.9% + 30¢ on Plus)
- Square Plus ($49/month) and Premium ($149/month) are charged per location
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on squareup.com
6 Ecwid by Lightspeed
- Paid from
- $5/month (Starter); Venture $29/month billed yearly, $35 monthly
- Free
- No free plan or trial listed
- Best for
- Adding a store to a site you already have
Ecwid adds a store to the website you already have, whether it's on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or anything else, or runs as its own Instant Site. There are no setup or transaction fees, and it works with 70+ payment providers.
Starter, at $5 a month, is small: 10 products on a company.site address. Social selling and a custom domain start on Venture.
What's good
- No setup or transaction fees on any plan
- Add a store to a site built on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or any other platform
- Works with 70+ payment providers, including PayPal and Stripe
Watch out for
- Starter allows only 10 products and the default company.site domain
- Instagram and Facebook selling and a custom domain start at Venture
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on ecwid.com
7 Big Cartel
- Paid from
- Free Gold plan (5 products); Platinum $12/month billed yearly, $15 monthly
- Free
- Free Gold plan: 5 products, 1 template
- Best for
- Artists and makers
Big Cartel is a simple store builder for makers and musicians, with a free plan that sells up to five products. Platinum, at $12 a month billed yearly, adds a custom domain and print-on-demand apps.
Everything stays simple: shipping labels, order tracking and automatic sales tax are included, while abandoned-cart recovery needs Diamond ($24 a month billed yearly).
What's good
- Sell physical and digital products, and accept cards, PayPal and Afterpay
- Print shipping labels and track orders; automatic sales tax
- Platinum supports custom domains and print-on-demand apps
Watch out for
- The free Gold plan is limited to 5 products and 1 template
- Abandoned-cart recovery and priority support need Diamond ($24/month yearly)
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on bigcartel.com
8 Hostinger Website Builder
- Paid from
- $3.99/month on a 48-month term (Unlimited, $191.52 upfront), renews at $16.99/month
- Free
- 14-day free trial of the builder; 30-day money-back guarantee
- Best for
- The cheapest small store, if you commit for four years
Hostinger's builder takes 0% transaction fees on store sales, supports 100+ payment methods and includes hosting, a domain and mailboxes for the first year. Its store features start on the Unlimited plan.
The $3.99 price needs a four-year prepay ($191.52) and renews at $16.99 a month.
What's good
- 0% transaction fees on store sales
- 100+ payment methods, with inventory, orders and shipping in one dashboard
- Free custom domain and mailboxes for the first year
Watch out for
- The $3.99 price needs a 48-month prepay ($191.52) and renews at $16.99/month
- The cheaper Premium plan does not list ecommerce; it starts on Unlimited
Checked Oct 18, 2026 on hostinger.com, hostinger.com
Our pick
BigCommerce
For a growing store that wants what Shopify offers, BigCommerce is the closest swap: Core is the same $29 a month billed yearly, with no extra order fees when you use an embedded payment provider such as Stripe or PayPal. Its plans are tied to sales, so Core moves you up once you pass $30,000 a year.
For a small catalog, Squarespace starts at $19 a month billed yearly (2% transaction fee on Basic). If you already sell in person with Square, Square Online is free and pays only card fees. If you run WordPress, WooCommerce is free and takes no platform fees.
Questions
What is the cheapest Shopify alternative?
Square Online and Big Cartel have free plans that can sell (Square's charges 3.3% + 30¢ per online card payment; Big Cartel's allows 5 products). WooCommerce is free but needs paid hosting. Among paid builders, Ecwid starts at $5 a month and Squarespace at $19 billed yearly, against Shopify's $29.
Which Shopify alternative has no transaction fees?
BigCommerce charges no extra order fees with its embedded payment providers, Ecwid charges no transaction fees on any plan, WooCommerce takes no platform fees, and Hostinger takes 0% on store sales. Card processing fees still apply everywhere.
Is Squarespace or Wix cheaper than Shopify for a store?
Squarespace Basic is $19 a month billed yearly, but takes a 2% fee on store sales; its Core plan ($29) removes it. Wix's cheapest plan that can take payments, Core, is $29 a month billed yearly, the same as Shopify Basic.
How we compare: we read each tool's own pricing and documentation and note the date. We haven't run these tools hands-on for this article, so we don't score them. See our editorial policy.
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