prices and fees
The first thing to consider when choosing a Shopify alternative is price. Many of the platforms we reviewed offer free plans, but all have paid plans at various price points. If you're just starting your online store, we recommend starting with the free plan to see how the platform works. However, if you're serious about growing your business, you'll eventually need to upgrade to a paid plan.
Another consideration is fees. Does the platform charge both a monthly fee and processing or transaction fees for each purchase? Do I need to use a separate payment gateway or can I use the platform's built-in payment processing? These are important questions to ask when evaluating.
hosting
Another important consideration is hosting. Some platforms, like Shopify and Wix, include hosting as part of your monthly subscription fee. Other services like Ecwid and WooCommerce don't include hosting, but you can easily set up your store on a hosting platform like WordPress.
If you're not sure which option is right for you, think about how much control you want over your store's hosting. If you want a platform to handle everything, a hosted solution like Shopify or Squarespace may be the right choice. However, if you're comfortable setting up your own hosting, a self-hosted solution like WooCommerce may be a better option.
Themes and design options
When setting up your online store, you want it to look professional and branded. This means you should choose a platform with a wide range of themes and design options. Some platforms like Shopify and Wix have hundreds of themes to choose from. Other services like Ecwid and Squarespace offer fewer theme choices but allow you to customize the look of your store more.
Think about how important design is to your business. If you want to choose from a wide range of themes, a customizable platform could be the right choice. Additionally, if you're comfortable working with code and want more control over the design of your store, a platform with an open source or API may be your best option. These types of platforms often allow you to find themes provided by the platform, hire a web designer, or purchase ready-made themes from marketplaces like Etsy.
ease of use
Another important consideration is ease of use. Especially if you're new to e-commerce, you want a platform that's easy to set up and use. Even if you're new to e-commerce and simply looking to migrate to a new platform, consider whether there are migration services or step-by-step guides for migrating to a new platform. The last thing you want is a platform that is so complex that it takes weeks or months to learn.
To evaluate ease of use, take advantage of free trials and demos offered by various platforms. Think about how long it takes to set up a basic store, how easy it is to add products and categories, and how intuitive the platform's interface is.
safety
Security is always a top concern when running an online store. You want to make sure your customer's data is safe and your store is safe from hackers. To assess security, look for platforms that offer features like SSL encryption and PCI compliance. SSL encryption is important to protect your customers' data, while PCI compliance keeps your store safe from hackers.
You should also look for a platform that is regularly updated with the latest security patches. This ensures that your store is always protected from the latest threats.
Payment processing options
We mentioned payment gateways in the pricing and fees section, but they're worth mentioning again. You need to make sure that the platform you choose offers a wide range of payment processing options. This includes credit and debit cards, as well as popular payment providers such as PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay.
You should also consider whether the platform offers additional features such as subscription-based payments or the ability to set up recurring orders. These features are extremely valuable to businesses that regularly sell products or services.
SEO features
If you want your store to be successful, you need to make it visible to potential customers. This means optimizing your site for search engines like Google. To evaluate the platform's SEO capabilities, look for features like built-in blogs, customizable URLs, meta tags, and social sharing buttons. These features help you optimize your site for search engines and drive traffic to your store.
You should also consider whether the platform offers additional features that can help with SEO, such as creating custom pages or adding structured data. These features help improve your site's ranking in search results and drive more traffic to your store.
customer support
Finally, you should consider customer support when choosing an e-commerce platform. It's inevitable that you'll run into problems from time to time, and you need to be able to rely on your platform's customer support team to help you resolve them.
To evaluate customer support, look for features like 24/7 support, live chat, community support groups, email support, and a knowledge base. These features can help you get the support you need, when you need it. You should also consider the quality of your customer support team. Look for reviews from other users to see what their experience is like. Do their marketing promises live up to the hype?
