Top 10 Shopify Alternatives I Put to Test in 2025

If you’re thinking about opening your online store, you’ve probably been advised to use Shopify by everyone and their granny. It’s arguably the biggest and most well-known e-commerce platform, but starting your business here might be a huge mistake.

Why? There are at least three reasons:

1. Shopify has a ton of hidden costs. It’s cheap on the surface: the basic subscription is only $29 a month. However, it’s very barebones out of the box, as you are forced to add apps to add necessary functionality and customize Shopify. An average Shopify store runs about 7 apps, costing roughly $66 a month each, so you do the math.

2. Shopify takes an extra 1-2% transaction fee from every sale through a third-party processor (GPay, ApplePay, PayPal), while their in-house gateway, Shopify Payments, is only available in 37 countries. The payment processing fees might seem small, but they constitute the majority of Shopify’s revenue – 74%. Let that sink in.

3. You don’t fully control your Shopify store. They can shut you down without warning, cutting your revenue and destroying your SEO rankings for whatever reason – for example, false copyright infringement claims by your competitors. Shopify is also very fussy about merchants’ products and pricing policies.

If you want full control over your online business, flexibility, and cost efficiency, there are many options that are better than Shopify. With this survey, I hope to help you find the best Shopify alternatives for your store.

How did I review Shopify alternatives?

I focused my attention on Shopify alternatives that are strong competition for specific use cases and business types. That said, I did my best to find apps that match Shopify’s scope of features as closely as possible.

To compare Shopify’s features with the alternatives on this list, I viewed the platforms both from the perspective of a small creator and a growing business. My main goal was to establish how well each solution serves the needs of a specific type of online seller. Here is what I assessed:

• Ease of use: how intuitive the creation of a shop and dashboard navigation is, especially for newbies with no eCommerce experience
• Native features vs. third-party apps: how versatile the platform is out of the box, do plans include native features or require plugins
• Integrations: if third-party integrations are required, how big is the choice, and how easy is it to plug them in
• Range of products: what are the capabilities for selling digital and physical items, creating courses, setting up subscriptions, etc.
• Product handling: how easy it is to add new products/variations, create categories, track inventory, etc.
• Upfront prices vs. hidden costs: how each tool’s offerings in different tiers compare in terms of value and cost, are there any fees and commissions that might crop up
• Marketing and sales: how many built-in features are there for email campaigns, automation, affiliate programs, funnels, etc.
• SEO functionality: built-in tools for researching and integrating keywords, URL management, control over the domain name, blogging features, etc.
• Analytics: what is the potential for gathering actionable data for each platform

To test each platform, I went through the following steps:

1. Sign up for the free tier or trial period.
2. Build a basic store with available templates.
3. Add digital and/or physical products.
4. Test integrated marketing and automation tools (emails, funnels, popups, and upsells).
5. Publish a demo store and view how it performs on desktop and mobile.

Since I had only days to test and verify all listed features, I based some of my evaluations on each platform’s potential to grow with your business rather than long-term live performance. For example, marketing efficiency, customer conversion, and analytics were assessed this way based on my prior experience in the niche.

Disclaimer: All the pricing, features, trial periods, and stats I offer here are based on the data publicly available at the time of my researching and writing this article. Things change quickly, so some details might be different by the time you read this. For getting the most up-to-date information, please always check directly with the platform.

Alternatives to Shopify at a glance

	Most well-rounded platform to replace Shopify	Flexibility, scalability, digital, physical, POD products, built-in email marketing, sales, and SEO tools
		Advanced funnels and analytics, customizable checkout, native LMS, affiliate management, one-time payment, tax automation	Standard $495 (one-time); Pro+ $790 + $295/yr
		Drag-and-drop website builder, built-in email marketing, SEO tools, responsive design, blog, and memberships	Business $23/mo; Commerce Advanced $52/mo
	SEO and content marketing	WordPress plugin, full customization, rich blogging tools, inventory control, advanced SEO, vast plugin ecosystem	Free core; WordPress hosting from $25/mo
	Startups looking to scale up	AI website builder, 150+ templates, 0% transaction fees, built-in marketing, scalable hosting, speed optimization	Premium $2.49/mo; Business $3.29/mo (4-year term)
	Easy customization and beautiful layouts	Drag-and-drop builder, AI site creation, 100+ templates, no coding, SEO tools, built-in blog	Light $17/mo; Business $39/mo
	Easy print-on-demand creation	Built-in POD design tools, sustainable production, intuitive store builder, AI mockups, blog, marketing tools	Basic Free; Pro £10/mo (~$13.5)
	Tinkerers looking to save money	Unlimited products, advanced SEO, loyalty tools, inventory, blog, affiliate system, free migration service	Free (if using Shift4 gateway); Unlimited $41/mo
	International selling with access to a marketplace	Global marketplace, easy setup, huge customer base, low barrier to entry, community support	One-time $29 set-up fee; $0.20 per listing + 6.5% per sale
		Link-in-bio storefront, built-in calendar and chat, funnels, email automation, affiliate program, video sessions

Top 10 Shopify alternatives I tested this year

1. Sellfy: The best Shopify alternative for creators

Sellfy is a leaner and more streamlined alternative to Shopify that still has all the core features necessary for an e-commerce business. Initially created for digital products, Sellfy excels in this niche, but constantly adds new features for managing physical products, including print-on-demand.

Why I picked Sellfy

Sellfy perfectly balances versatility with newbie-friendly simplicity. It has everything that a small to medium business might need and makes it easy to fine-tune and oversee everything from your dashboard. What I experienced creating and testing my online shop is the epitome of user-friendly and effortless.

You can set up a functional and clean storefront in 5 minutes or spend time thoughtfully crafting the look of each page – it just flows. Marketing, SEO, analytics, order management, financial tools – everything is there, easy to find and apply.

Standout features

• All-in-one hosted e-commerce solution
• Intuitive drag-and-drop website builder
• 12 free themes + multiple color schemes
• Easy adding pages or modules, including an embedded “buy now” button
• Built-in advanced marketing tools (including timed promos, discounts, bundles, abandoned cart management, and affiliate program)
• Integrated email marketing tools, with unlimited templates and one-click import of your email list
• Easy product management with customizable categories and inventory
• Print-on-demand feature is built in
• Native financial tools, including automated tax handling and invoicing
• Integrated tips and information support for newbie sellers
• Multi-currency functionality for global selling

Products you can sell

Digital products (downloadables, subscriptions, pay-walled content, freebies, software), physical products (including print-on-demand), services (coaching, design, development, etc.)

Integrations

Google Analytics, Google Merchant Center, Facebook pixel, Twitter Ads, Zapier, +DIY integrations via webhooks.

Pricing

Starter Plan: Starter ($22 a month)

• Up to $10k in sales per year
• Downloads, subscriptions, and merch
• Unlimited products
• Email marketing features
• Core marketing features

Best Value Plan: Business ($59 a month)

• Everything from Starter, plus:
• Custom fields
• Product upselling
• Cart abandonment functionality
• Affiliate marketing

Sellfy is a pleasure to work with, with seamless customization all the key features for selling and promoting under the hood. Its digital product functionality is superb, while features for physical products has some room for growth. Still, for a small to medium-sized business, Sellfy has everything. It’s an elegant self-contained solution with all the core features and no complicated corporate fluff.

For more detailed information, check out this expert review.

2. ThriveCart: Best for large businesses

ThriveCart is a platform that online businesses could graduate to after a quick start with something more casual. Websites like Shopify are popular because they offer a quick, beginner-friendly way to set up a storefront and start selling. ThriveCart, on the other hand, equips you with a professional toolkit for marketing and sales. 

Analytics, A/B testing, customized checkout experience, funnel management, etc., are particularly attractive for digital creators with a polished product that they want to promote on another level.

Why I picked ThriveCart

ThriveCart offers the most powerful sales funnel, checkout customization, and conversion features, which, combined with the built-in course builder and membership management, make it great for selling any content, including educational products, at scale.

One-time upfront payment is also beneficial for the coaching business, where demand ebbs and flows throughout the year with spikes and lean times.

Standout features

• Advanced marketing and sales customization for a tailored growth strategy
• Elegant and clean layout
• Intuitive dashboard interface
• Proprietary Learning Management System (LMS Learn) for creating and managing courses
• Built-in analytics on conversion data, traffic sources, customer profiles, etc.
• Customizable checkout pages with conversion features (countdown timers, upsell messages, personalized bundles, etc.)

Products you can sell

Digital downloads, online courses, memberships, coaching sessions, etc. There is also functionality for selling physical products.

Integrations

Google Analytics, Google Sheets, Convertri, Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Demio, Slack, MailChimp, ConvertKit, Drip, GetResponse, Printiful, Teachable, etc.

Pricing 

Starter plan: ThriveCart Standard ($495 upfront payment)

• Customization for carts and checkout pages
• Integrations with payment processors
• Marketing tools for A/B testing, coupons, discounts, upsells, bundles, etc.
• Basic version of LMS Learn (proprietary course management system)

Best value plan: ThriveCart Pro+ ($790 upfront payment + $295 a year from year 2)

• Everything from ThriveCart Standard
• Custom domain
• Affiliate management center
• Tax and invoicing automation
• Possibility to allow crypto payments
• Advanced business analytics
• Multi-user permissions

ThriveCart is best for someone with an established business. It allows you to build a growth strategy and focus on perfecting sales tactics. A dedicated LMS Learn course builder will also benefit solo entrepreneurs with quality educational content. 

However, the platform might not be the best choice for beginners due to the steep upfront cost, no trial period, and advanced professional functionality. For those who are only starting up, Shopify is a more comfortable option.

Learn more about ThriveCart and how it compares to other e-commerce platforms in ThriveCart Vs Kajabi vs Sellfy.

3. Squarespace: Best for small businesses

Squarespace is rarely listed among sites like Shopify because it’s a website builder first, and an eCommerce platform second. Still, it has a lot to offer for a small business or a hobbyist who wants to start earning online doing what they love. It’s focused on design and offers many customization features, but takes some time to get the hang of it.

Why I picked Squarespace

Squarespace has a gentler learning curve and is more affordable than Shopify, but it still favors a determined newbie or someone with website-building experience. The interface is intuitive enough, even if it will take some tinkering to create something that fits your vision. 

It’s relatively easy to construct a course, set memberships, or create a physical product listing, and all the basic tools for marketing, analytics, and finances are there. Squarespace even offers an AI website builder, although it’s rather underwhelming compared to similar features in other platforms.

Standout features

• All-in-one website platform with e-commerce functionality
• AI-powered drag-and-drop builder
• Mobile-friendly responsive design
• Built-in email marketing tool and sales analytics
• Built-in course builder, membership functionality, blog, etc.
• SEO tools allow tracking traffic sources, search keywords, geography, engagement with site content, etc.
• Possibility to manage several websites from one dashboard

Products you can sell

Digital products like downloadable files, courses, memberships, access to paywalled content, consulting services etc., as well as physical products.

Integrations

Apple Pay, Apple News, Google Workspace, Google Analytics, Mailchimp, Disqus, PayPal, Stripe, FedEx, USPS, Facebook and Instagram, Dropbox, Weglot, Zapier, etc.

Pricing

SquareSpace has four subscription tiers, with the Personal one being the least expensive, but it doesn’t have all the eCommerce functionality apart from invoicing.

Starter Plan: Business ($23 a month)

• 0% fee on invoices, 3% fee on online store transactions
• 200+ clean templates
• Custom domain registration
• Mobile-friendly responsive design
• Unlimited bandwidth and storage
• SSL security certificate
• Video hosting
• Advanced website analytics
• Checkout, shipping, and merchandising functionality
• 24/7 support

Best Value Plan: Commerce Advanced ($52 a month)

• 0% transaction fees (yet there are credit card fees dependent on the payment processor)
• Everything from the Business, plus:
• Subscription functionality
• Advanced sales tools (bundles, promotions, product suggestions, etc.)

Squarespace will work if you are a designer at heart, prepared to spend time and effort building a nice-looking website, and want to sell a couple of core products. Choose it for fine-tuned customization to sell courses, merch, or subscriptions as a content creator or a niche boutique. However, it’s not going to support scaling up to a serious e-commerce endeavor. 

Read more about the platform in the Squarespace vs. Etsy comparison.

4. WooCommerce: Best for SEO and content marketing

WooCommerce is not an all-in-one solution like some Shopify competitors on this list, but instead a free plugin for WordPress-powered websites. It does require a bit more learning and technical expertise, but it offers unparalleled customization, lower costs, and control over your website, content, and store.

Why I picked WooCommerce

WooCommerce is perfect if you want to promote your store via content marketing and SEO tools, which yours truly is clearly partial to. While Shopify offers a native blogging feature, it’s awkward, limited, and has clunky, uncustomizable URLs, which I consider a crime against SEO. 

WordPress, on the other hand, is the best blogging platform in the world, powering about 40% of the entire internet. It can be glitchy when you add too many features, but I appreciate that keywords, tags, and descriptions are there on the surface, and you cannot ignore them, even if you try.

Standout features

• Freemium with core features available at no cost
• Extended website ecosystem with a vast library of plugins
• Works with rich website and blogging tools powered by WordPress for content marketing
• Built-in marketing tools (coupons, gift cards, promotions)
• Built-in performance and business analytics
• Inventory management
• Possibility to categorize and group products

Products you can sell

Absolutely anything: physical goods (yours or dropshipping), print-on-demand items, downloadable files, courses, subscriptions, bundles, access to pay-walled content, etc. You can also accept donations and tips.

Integrations

Google Analytics, AutoDS, Yoast SEO, Wordfence Security, WP Super Cache, VaultPress, BackWPup, Performance Lab, Akismet Anti-spam, and countless more.

Pricing

WooCommerce itself is free, but it requires a WordPress-compatible hosting plan (Commerce), plus some associated costs (domain registration, SSL certificate, extensions for shipping, marketing, and premium payment processing, etc.) Hence, here is the breakdown of the WordPress plans:

Starter Plan: Business ($25 a month)

• 2% transaction fee
• 50 GB storage
• Unlimited pages, users, visitors, and bandwidth
• Priority 24/7 support
• Developer tools
• Advanced security (brute-force, spam, malware, and DDoS protection)
• Minute customization (including layouts, colors, and fonts)
• Inventory management
• Streamlined checkout
• Customized marketing tools (both built-in and available with plugins)

Best Value Plan: Commerce ($45 a month)

• No transaction fees
• Everything from Business
• Advanced features integrated without the need for plugins (design, marketing, sales, analytics, and SEO tools)

WooCommerce is not for everyone – you need to be a tech-savvy DIYer and problem solver, because things are going to break sometimes. Yet if you value freedom, flexibility, seek full ownership over your online business, and plan to lean on rich content for promoting your products, WooCommerce is one of the best solutions out there.

Find more information on WooCommerce and other ways to sell through WordPress here.

5. Hostinger: Best for fast-growing startups

Hostinger is an all-in-one hosting provider with a very intuitive and beginner-friendly AI-powered website builder that isn’t just a gimmick (looking at you, Squarespace!). It is a newer and very affordable platform that makes it very easy to set up your first e-commerce website with zero programming knowledge. Hostinger combines the ease of Shopify with the full ownership of your online store.

Why I picked Hostinger

While companies like Shopify usually target a specific niche: small businesses or larger enterprises, Hostinger is perfect for growing from the ground up. Your website, built with Hostinger, can potentially be transferred to WordPress and WooCommerce, or PrestaShop at no additional cost as your business evolves.

Standout features

• Easy drag-and-drop AI website builder
• AI-powered features for product descriptions, optimizing SEO, and generating domain names
• 150+ free templates
• 100+ payment methods
• 0% transaction fees
• Support for 8 languages
• Entry-level shared hosting solution for migrating from pricier providers
• Free SSL certificate
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Speed and uptime allow loading momentarily even with a lot on your page
• Advanced security for customer data safety

Products you can sell

Physical products (clothing, electronics, print-on-demand, books), digital products (downloadables, courses, memberships), and services (design, ads, etc.)

Integrations

Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Hotjar, Mailchimp, Sync, Supabase, Stripe, WhatsApp, AdSense, Jira, Trello, Asana, Zapier, Hostinger Horizons, etc.

Pricing

Hostinger offers three pricing tiers for hosting: Single, Premium, and Business. While Premium allows you to sell by adding “Buy” buttons and links to PayPal or Stripe, the full e-commerce functionality is only available in “Business”.

Best Value Plan: Business ($3.29 a month and renews at $13.99 a month after 4 years)

• Up to 50 websites
• 50 GB of NVMe storage
• 5 mailboxes per website
• Daily and on-demand backups
• AI agent for WordPress
• CDN for maximum website speed
• WordPress Multisite website management

Another caveat is that Hostinger offers a whole load of tiered product ranges: hosting, domain name (.com, .io, or .shop will all cost differently), Horizons (AI product for managing and improving your website). I’ve spent some time chatting with Kodee (their AI assistant) and contacting support just to find out what I’ll really need and what the total cost is going to be after their promotion period is over.

Hostinger has a perfect mix of affordability, scalability, reliable performance, security, and openness to user feedback. It allows you to open and maintain an online store at a very modest total cost and gives you time to grow your business. On the flip side, its limited customization and caps in entry-level plans might be a deal breaker for some.

6. Wix: Best for customization and flexibility (with no coding)

Wix is one of those competitors of Shopify that give you more control over how your website looks and feels while still being affordable and easy to navigate. This website builder has been known among bloggers and photographers since 2006, but it has since then developed powerful e-commerce features.

Why I picked Wix

Wix’s responsive AI assistant adds features and shapes your website’s look and functionality based on your goals, unique propositions, and other requests. You say what you want, and Wix creates it as if by magic. Yet even without the AI, Wix has been offering many more templates and customization options than Shopify.

Standout features

• Drag-and-drop website builder
• Choice between manual control and AI-generated design
• Hundreds of free polished templates
• Auto-save and revision history
• 6 product options and 1,000 product variants
• Layouts and plugins are automatically added depending on the store’s needs
• Built-in blog and SEO features
• Built-in sales and finance features
• Native SEO and marketing analytics

Products you can sell

Physical products (including print-on-demand and dropshipping), digital products (downloadables, memberships), and services.

Integrations

Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Omnisend, Stripe, Shopify, AliExpress, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Zapier, etc.

Pricing

Starter Plan: Core ($29 a month)

• 5 collaborators
• 50 GB storage space
•  Basic e-commerce and marketing suite
• Customer accounts
•  Abandoned cart recovery
• Pre-orders, discounts, loyalty program, back-in-stock notifications
•  Advanced shipping
• Unique domain registration is free for 1 year
• Unique branding without the Wix logo
• Site analytics
• Events Calendar, Get Found Today apps free for 1 year
•  Google Ads with Wix
•  10 lead-capture forms, 50 fields each
•  24/7 customer support

Best Value Plan: Business ($39 a month)

• 10 collaborators
•  100 GB storage space
• 50,000 products with 5 additional pages per product
• Six currencies
• 25 lead-capture forms, 75 fields each
• Automated sales tax on 100 transactions per month
• Advanced features for loyalty program (tiers, loyalty points expiration, referral program)
• Unlimited “back in stock” notifications

Wix is a solid alternative to Shopify if you want a primarily content-driven website with a beautiful layout and some easy-to-use e-commerce features for a small selection of products. Creating a website was really fun for me, but I could already see the limitations on POS, dropshipping, and currencies. For bigger businesses, it’s a no.

7. Teemil: Best for print-on-demand

Teemil is created around print-on-demand, but unlike Printify or other apps, it allows building an entire website, managing designs, and selling products from one dashboard. Its other advantage is a sustainability focus: organic materials, no plastic packaging, closed-loop systems, and renewable power sources in factories and storage facilities.

Why I picked Teemil

Teemil has a user-friendly website builder, intuitive tools for designing products, managing orders, production, and shipping. It allows you to set up a store and easily sell print-on-demand items without the need for inventory management or upfront investment. It also combines clean production with affordability.

Standout features

• All-in-one eCommerce website
• Intuitive website builder
• User-friendly layout with tips and prompts
• Library of product templates and AI mockups
• Built-in marketing tools and site analytics
• Native blogging feature
• Native graphic design tool and possibility to upload your photos
• Sustainability and work rights ethic at the core of supply chain
• No need for third-party print-on-demand apps like Shopify requires
• Community support and extensive learning materials for newbies

Products you can sell

Most popular print-on-demand items: clothes (t-shirts, hoodies, kids’ clothing, vests, baseball caps, etc.), home goods (posters, mugs, towels, water bottles, jigsaw puzzles), and accessories (totes, backpacks, stickers, etc.)

Integrations

Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Tracking, Instagram Shopping, Product Feed, Pinterest Catalogue, YouTube Merch Shelf, Etsy, etc.

Pricing

Starter Plan: Basic (Free)

• Allows creating a store with 5 pages and 30 products
• All the core print-on-demand options
• 150MB of cloud storage for photos
• Free design library to start from scratch
• Remill (recycled organic cotton range)
• Complete functionality with limits on scale

Best Value Plan: Teemil Pro ($13,5 a month)

• Everything from Free, plus
• Custom domain
• 10GB storage space
• Advanced mail marketing tools 
• Professional SEO tools
• Wider product range
• Thousands of AI mockups, designs, and graphics
• Etsy and TikTok Shop integrations
• Community chats with founders and experts

As a user-friendly integrated solution, Teemil is a great choice for a newbie who wants to focus on creativity and play around with designs. I also must give it some brownie points for sustainability and conscientious business practices, which seem genuine and should attract a lot of eco-aware customers. However, Shopify has more customization and scalability potential for a bigger business. 

8. Shift4Shop: Best free Shopify alternative

Shift4Shop used to be called 3dcart and has been around since 1997. It somehow never got quite as popular as Shopify, which is a shame, since it’s one of the most complete and cheapest e-commerce platforms like Shopify on the market. It has its downsides, but for the features it offers, it’s a steal.

Why I picked Shift4Shop

This is a free (with a caveat) enterprise-level platform offering advanced features that would cost an extra fee each on Shopify. Everything is included out of the box, and you don’t have to upgrade your plan or pay for third-party app integrations.

Standout features

• Fully hosted PCI-compliant platform with free SSL certificate and unlimited storage
• Free if you meet the criteria (US resident with at least $1,000 processed via the Shift4 payment gateway monthly)
• Unlimited products and staff accounts
• Built-in blogging feature
• Great SEO and content creation tools
• Sales functionality (loyalty programs, gift registries, daily deals)
• Free email marketing functionality
• Comprehensive inventory management is built in
• Built-in affiliate program
• Customizable URLs
• Multiple payment gateways can be added via Shift4, including PayPal, Apple Pay, GPay, and even cryptocurrency
• Convenient feature customization via Modules

Products you can sell

Everything you can sell on Shopify: digital products (downloadables, courses, software, music, etc.), physical products (clothing, electronics, collectibles), and services (consulting, design, etc.)

Integrations

Google Analytics, Google Cloud, Mailchimp, Axis LMS, Stripe, Klarna, PayPal, Square Payments, Katana Cloud Inventory, TrueLoyal, LiveChat, Amazon, Zapier, etc.

Pricing

Starter Plan: Free

• Standard Shift4 payment rates 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
• 100+ free mobile-friendly themes
• Unlimited staff users
• Access to all core features, including marketing, blog, SEO, inventory, etc.

Best Value Plan: Unlimited ($41 a month)

• 100+ free themes
• Advanced SEO, marketing, customer service, and inventory management toolkits
• AI-driven fraud protection
• Free migration service from your previous eCommerce website

Shift4Shop is a great choice for US-based small to medium businesses that are looking for Shopify alternatives free of immediate monthly fees. Of course, “free” doesn’t mean zero-cost, since you are going to incur payment processing fees. Still, it’s a robust and cost-effective option for a small business, especially if you don’t mind a bit of DIY.

9. Etsy: Best for international selling

What separates Etsy from other platforms like Shopify is a huge marketplace with millions of daily shoppers. It’s a powerhouse worth considering if you haven’t built a customer base yet. Etsy is commission-based, so you don’t have to splurge on a subscription to tap into this channel for sales and exposure. 

Why I picked Etsy

Etsy is best known for its handmade crafts and vintage items, so the majority of users come to the platform looking for a unique piece of clothing, home décor, or an accessory, making it the best for physical products. That said, there is a thriving community of digital artists selling downloadable files on Etsy, so it’s pretty versatile.

Standout features

• Relatively easy setup
• No monthly payments
• Renowned marketplace with nearly 100 million active buyers globally
• Allows flexibility and pivoting
• FAQs and comprehensive guides on starting out
• Huge supportive community

Products you can sell

All kinds of digital and physical products. Pretty much anything that doesn’t violate the platform’s rules on dangerous, violent, hateful items, nudity, etc. Common listings include website templates, eBooks, and courses with downloadable videos, workbooks, and journals.

Integrations

Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, Printful, Mad Mimi, ReferralCandy, TaxJar, MySocialPig, Marmalead, Billbee, Spreesy, FotoFuze, Craftybase, etc.

Pricing

Etsy doesn’t have recurring subscription fees. The platform charges a one-time $29 set-up fee to open your shop, $0.20 per listing, and 6.5% per sale, with taxes based on location.

Etsy is a good option if you are only starting and looking for a niche in the market. The platform gives you access to millions of primed buyers and allows you to find your unique place through trial and error. However, if you already have a customer base, Shopify gives you more marketing and SEO tools.

Find a more detailed comparison in a dedicated Sellfy vs Etsy article.

10. Pensight: Best for ease of use

Pensight is a link-in-bio storefront. It’s very similar to Shopify, but allows selling without building a full website. Pensight is more focused on educational content with personalized client interactions. The platform has better tools for scheduling, consultations, and client management (built-in DMs, client portal, landing page builder, calendar, etc.) 

On the flip side, Pensight doesn’t offer as much in terms of product variety, detailed analytics, or native integrations.

Why I picked Pensight

Pensight is a lighter solution than Shopify, but it offers more for creators who want to sell their expertise and digital products. There are discount codes, payment in installments for your customers, unlimited funnels, email marketing, automation, pixel tracking, and your own affiliate program. 

Standout features

• Built-in marketing features (email automation, broadcasts, funnels, affiliate program, etc.)
• Custom domain
• Unlimited links
• Unlimited video calls (+recordings)
• Customizable design (no Pensight logo, various themes, background colors, fonts, Open Graph customization)
• Advanced native analytics (earnings, page traffic, link clicks, etc.)
• Native marketing tools (partner programs, coupons, website embeds)
• Built-in chat

Products you can sell

Courses, one-on-one sessions, video Q&A, memberships, group programs, subscriptions, pay-for-what-you-want, and digital downloads.

Integrations

Pensight only supports integrations through Zapier. You can connect to Mailchimp, MailerLite, Flodesk, Sendy, Google Sheets, Google Calendar, Gmail, Outlook, ActiveCampaign, OpenAI, Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, TikTok Pixel, etc.

Pricing

Starter Plan: Pro ($29 a month)

• 0% transaction fees
• 3% Stripe fees
• Buy-now-pay-later support from Klarna and Affirm
• Analytics and marketing features
• Email collection
• Automated testimonials

Best Value Plan: Biz ($99 a month)

• Everything from the Pro plan
• Growth support package (onboarding with an expert, free courses migration, 1:1 marketing review, etc.)

Overall, Pensight wins for digital stuff, offering more features for the price. However, this might not last long, since they’ve already axed their free Basic tier. I’d recommend Pensight for building a highly personalized coaching business. Yet if you are looking for something more versatile with, say, branded merch, Shopify is more suited for that.

How to migrate from Shopify

To migrate from Shopify, you must export the data you need and use it to set up your new online store. After that, test that everything is working, tell your customers about the change, and update your links everywhere to point people to the new platform. The table below tells you what you can and cannot export from Shopify.

Steps to migrate from Shopify

1. Export everything from Shopify
Download products, customers, and orders as CSVs. Save a list of every product, with name, price, description, and images. Screenshot your homepage layout, product pages, and any checkout apps or form customizations. Copy down email flows, shipping settings, and any key rules or automations.

2. Build on your new platform
Pick your new eCommerce platform and create your store. Depending on the platform you choose, upload your product CSV if supported or add everything manually. Recreate your categories, pricing, and delivery methods. Set up payment processors, taxes, and shipping rules.

3. Test before you flip the switch
Place a test order. Make sure payment works, confirmation emails are sent, and any digital products are delivered. Double-check that your shipping, tax, and fulfillment flows are right. If you used customer accounts, test that logins and resets work as expected. Fix anything that breaks.

4. Let customers know what’s happening
Email your list and tell them about the move. Let them know how to access past purchases and what’s changing. Provide dates and instructions for logging in or reordering. Make an FAQ to explain anything important. Be ready to help anyone who needs support.

5. Make the switch
Change your domain settings so your website now points to the new store. Update all links in emails, ads, and social. Monitor orders and fix bugs fast. Keep Shopify live a little longer if needed. Once the new platform handles everything smoothly, cancel Shopify.

The process can vary depending on the platform you’re moving to. If you’re switching to Sellfy, the steps are mostly the same, but there are a few Sellfy-specific details to know.

On the Starter plan, I’ll need to manually import my data into Sellfy after exporting it from Shopify, as product migration is only available on the Business and Premium plans. However, email list import is free and available on all plans and will take about 1-2 business days to complete. That makes it easy to let people know I’ve moved to Sellfy and keep my audience in the loop.

Which Shopify alternative should you choose?

After comparing all these platforms, I can confidently say that we have a clear winner: Sellfy gives you everything you need and some things that you didn’t even know you needed. All that without nickel-and-diming you with commissions, and overall at a lower cost for the value it offers.

However, which is the perfect fit specifically for you depends largely on your vision for your online store and your unique talents. Etsy will suit you if you want to expose your creations to a global audience. 

If you own a large business or plan on growing fast soon, ThriveCart or Hostinger might be what you are looking for, especially if you value a hands-on approach or have a developer on your staff. SquareSpace, Wix, and Pensight will offer elegant and easy-to-use solutions to display your work as a small independent creator.

Every platform has its unique value and serves a specific type of seller it was created for. Try to weigh all your strengths and goals realistically before you invest any of your hard-earned money in a long-term subscription – believe me, sunken cost fallacy is very real, and choosing the right one from the start is easier than migrating.