Shopify Competitors and Alternatives

Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce software solutions on the market for business owners looking to set up an online store. The platform is popular for good reason: it is incredibly easy to use and you can get a nice-looking site up and running fast without too much technical know-how. However there are some downsides to the software. Since Shopify uses templates to simplify the site-building experience, customization is limited and your site can end up looking generic and lifeless. Plus, if you do want to engage in deeper customization, you have to use Shopify’s proprietary code, “Liquid,” which can be a pain. Also, Shopify’s pricing structure leaves much to be desired, as its more affordable plans come with a 1-2% transaction fee, which can add up fast. Luckily there are plenty of Shopify competitors on the market which can stand in as excellent alternatives. Below are three of the more popular Shopify competitors.

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Yahoo! Merchant

Yahoo! Merchant is a popular ecommerce solution that is easy to use and affordable. The platform offers simple site design with templates, SEO friendly controls, loyalty programs, email marketing, social media integration, useful analytic tools, and more. However, the software does have limitations: there are limited payment options, limited shipping management, and there is crummy mobile store support. Also, the program does not offer a free trial, so you’re kind of locked in when you jump aboard. This is one of the weaker Shopify competitors, but still a decent platform.

Volusion

Volusion is another popular Shopify competitor, and the program has been around for quite some time. Like Shopify, the software is easy to use and you can set up a store in no time. Volusion offers mobile optimization, social media integration, SEO tools, plenty of payment and shipping options, customer support and more. This ecommerce platform has downsides too. Customization isn’t as robust or advanced as some competitor products, and many of the program’s more useful tools are only available at higher pay packages, such as integration of third party and custom APIs, eBay integration, batch order processing, and daily deals. Despite its flaws, Volusion is one of the better Shopify competitors that is constantly being updated.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is probably the best Shopify alternative in my opinion. BigCommerce offers robust capabilities in all of its pay packages, as well as solid customer service to back it up. With BigCommerce, building a site is easy and intuitive, but if you need to customize deeper there are robust tools available for doing so. BigCommerce also provides excellent shipping options, strong analytics tools, easy inventory management, SEO tools, social media integration, MailChimp integration, mobile optimization, plenty of marketing tools, and much more. Like every ecommerce platform, BigCommerce has its share of issues as well. Basic site setup is relatively straightforward, but if you want to do any customization, the learning curve goes up and you have to spend more time. Also, there is a limitation on featured product amounts until you subscribe to a higher pay package. Other than that, BigCommerce is one of the best Shopify competitors.

Getting the Help of a Professional

Want to build a great online store, but you’re not sure where to start? Overwhelmed with all the Shopify competitors? Want to just get on with running your business? Coalition Technologies has plenty of experience building online stores with many different ecommerce platforms. We know how to maximize your investment on any given ecommerce solution, and we can build you a unique and attractive website so you can get back to running your business.  Give us a call today at 1-888-993-7639 and get your free quote.

Published by

Joel Gross

Joel Gross is the CEO of Coalition Technologies.