Shopify alternatives in 2027: 9 options for beginners, with real fees
Real prices, the fee on a $25 sale, and which option fits which kind of beginner.
By Polina Beletskaya, Marketing Director at Sellvia · 7 min read
Quick answer
The best Shopify alternatives depend on what you sell. Your own digital files: Gumroad or Payhip. Crafts or printables, with shoppers already browsing: Etsy. A full store at the same price as Shopify: BigCommerce. Free software and you don’t mind hosting: WooCommerce. Got stuck on setup before: a ready-made store such as Sellvia.
- No monthly fee: Etsy, Gumroad and Payhip’s free plan take a cut of each sale instead.
- Already have a website: Wix, Squarespace or Square Online can add a shop to it.
Is Shopify worth it?
For a lot of people, yes. Shopify Basic is $39 a month ($29 billed yearly), it’s reliable, and it grows with you. It’s worth it if you want your own brand, plan to sell physical products, and enjoy building.
It’s a weaker fit if you sell a handful of digital files, want to skip setup, or got lost in themes and apps before. On Shopify you pick the theme, connect the apps, add the products and write every page yourself.
Shopify alternatives compared
| Option | Monthly cost | Per-sale fees | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic | $39 ($29 billed yearly); 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months | 2.9% + 30¢ with Shopify Payments | Your own brand, physical products |
| BigCommerce Core | $39 ($29 billed yearly) | Card processing from 2.89% + 29¢ | A full store, priced like Shopify |
| WooCommerce | Free plugin; hosting about $25 to $350 a month | Up to 2.9% + 30¢ with WooPayments; extensions $29 to $299 a year each | People already on WordPress |
| Wix / Squarespace | A paid site plan with selling (prices vary by region) | Card processing; check each plan | Adding a shop to a site you already run |
| Square Online | Free plan; paid plans add features | Square’s card processing fees | Shops that also sell in person with Square |
| Etsy | None | $0.20 per listing, 6.5% transaction, 3% + $0.25 processing | Handmade goods and printables |
| Gumroad | None | 10% + $0.50 per direct sale; 30% via Discover | Selling your own digital files fast |
| Payhip | Free, $29 or $99 | 5%, 2% or 0% by plan, plus PayPal or Stripe fees | Digital products and courses, lower fees as you grow |
| Sellvia | $39 after 14 days free | You keep 50-70% of each sale | Beginners who want a built store loaded with products |
Wix and Squarespace show different prices by region; check their pricing pages. Square Online’s paid plan prices are on squareup.com.
What a $25 sale costs on each platform
Monthly prices tell half the story. Here’s what each platform takes from one $25 digital sale:
Per-sale fees only. Shopify and BigCommerce also charge a monthly plan ($39, or $29 billed yearly), and WooCommerce needs paid hosting; Etsy, Gumroad and Payhip Free have no monthly fee. Card rates: Shopify Payments 2.9% + 30¢, BigCommerce from 2.89% + 29¢, WooPayments up to 2.9% + 30¢, Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ on Payhip. Etsy: $0.20 listing + 6.5% + 3% + $0.25.
Sellvia works differently, so it isn’t on the chart: the product comes from the Sellvia catalog, and you keep 50-70% of each sale. On a $25 sale, that’s about $17 for you.
Free Shopify alternatives
Once you sell, nothing is fully free. Some options skip the monthly fee and take a bigger cut per sale instead:
- Etsy: no monthly plan; $0.20 per listing plus about 9.5% and $0.25 per sale.
- Gumroad: no monthly plan; 10% + $0.50 per direct sale.
- Payhip Free: $0 a month; 5% per sale plus PayPal or Stripe fees.
- Square Online: a free plan, with card fees per sale.
- WooCommerce: free software, and you pay for hosting.
Free plans make sense while sales are small. As sales grow, a monthly plan with lower per-sale fees often costs less.
Shopify vs Etsy
Etsy is a marketplace. Shoppers are already there, and your listings sit next to everyone else’s. You pay per listing and per sale.
Shopify is your own store. Nobody arrives unless you bring them, and the brand and customer list are yours. You pay a monthly plan plus card fees. Some sellers start on Etsy to test products, then open their own store once something sells.
Who each alternative fits
BigCommerce
A full store platform at the same entry price as Shopify ($39, or $29 billed yearly). A fit if you want Shopify-style control and are comparing the two. Either way, budget for apps, a theme and ads on top: here’s the full cost of starting a store.
WooCommerce
Free software that turns a WordPress site into a store. You handle hosting, updates and extensions, so it suits people who already run WordPress.
Wix, Squarespace and Square Online
A good fit if you already have a site on one of them, or sell in person with Square and want an online shop to match.
Etsy
Great if you make things, handmade or digital, and want buyers who are already browsing a marketplace. You share that marketplace with competitors, and fees come out of every sale.
Gumroad and Payhip
The quickest way to sell your own digital files: a simple page and a checkout. Gumroad has no plans; Payhip lets you trade a monthly fee for lower per-sale fees. You still create the products and send people to the page. Ideas are in our list of digital products to sell.
Sellvia
We make Sellvia, so weigh this one accordingly. It fits beginners who want to start with a finished store: it comes designed, with checkout set up and 1,000+ ready-made digital products loaded, and you can restyle it from a set of ready themes. You promote it, choose your ad budget and approve each order with one tap. A Growth Manager walks you through setup on a live call and stays one click away. The trade-off: you sell from a shared catalog, and you keep 50-70% of each sale. Is it legit? Here’s how to check.
If setup is where you got stuck
On our client calls, the same story comes up again and again: people tried to build a store themselves and stopped before it was ready. A ready-made store takes that part off your plate, and the rest is still yours: here’s what runs on its own and what doesn’t.
I tried with Shopify some years ago. It was just so much stuff. Nothing was really explained, there was no guide to help you.
Chanda · Sellvia client · onboarding call, Oct 2026
I’ve tried Shopify, but I didn’t understand the system. I actually tried it a few different times. What I’m seeing with Sellvia, it just seems more beginner-friendly.
Lashay · Sellvia client · onboarding call, Sep 2026
If that sounds like you, a store that is already built removes the part where most people give up. If you enjoy building and want full control, Shopify or BigCommerce is the better tool. Every store, whichever you pick, needs promotion to sell.
Start with the store already built
Skip the theme, the apps and the empty catalog. Your store comes ready, and you launch when you are ready.
Build my free store14 days free · Then $39/month · Cancel anytime · Card required.
Questions
What is the best alternative to Shopify?
It depends on what you sell. BigCommerce for a full store at the same price, Etsy for handmade goods and printables, Gumroad or Payhip for your own digital files, WooCommerce if you already use WordPress, and a ready-made store such as Sellvia if you want to skip setup.
Is there a free alternative to Shopify?
Etsy, Gumroad, Payhip Free and Square Online have no monthly fee and take a cut of each sale instead. WooCommerce is free software, and you pay for hosting.
Is Shopify worth it for beginners?
Yes, if you want your own brand and enjoy building. If setup is where you got stuck before, or you sell only a few digital files, a simpler option may fit better.
What is the easiest Shopify alternative for a beginner?
If you make your own digital files, Gumroad or Payhip is the simplest. If you want a complete store without building it, a ready-made store such as Sellvia skips the setup.
Which option is cheapest?
Etsy, Gumroad and Payhip Free have no monthly fee and take a cut of each sale. Store platforms charge a monthly plan, around $29 to $39 for an entry plan, plus card processing.
Is Sellvia like Shopify?
Your store runs on Sellvia. It comes built and styled, ready to launch, with no apps to connect, and you can restyle it from a set of ready themes.
Do I need tech skills for Sellvia?
No. Setup is done for you, and your Growth Manager walks you through the rest on a live call.
Sources
- Shopify pricing (US), checked Nov 2, 2026
- BigCommerce pricing, checked Nov 2, 2026
- WooCommerce pricing, checked Nov 2, 2026
- Payhip pricing, checked Nov 2, 2026
- Etsy fees and payments policy, checked Nov 2, 2026
- Gumroad pricing, checked Nov 2, 2026
- Square Online plans, checked Nov 2, 2026
About the author
Polina Beletskaya
Polina is Marketing Director at Sellvia and writes about ecommerce for Entrepreneur as a contributor. She has also worked as a strategy consultant, helping small business owners market their products online.
Sellvia makes one of the options in this guide. So we list every Sellvia cost, check other providers’ prices on their own pages, and say where Sellvia doesn’t fit.