Shopify Alternatives
Shopify is the biggest name in eCommerce for a reason. It handles site hosting, SEO, and inventory management including offering order and shipping workflows and payment processing.
Real Mojo Dojo clients, on the record.
Not sure about Shopify? Explore the best eCommerce options with Mojo Dojo.
Mojo Dojo has conducted a comprehensive analysis of ecommerce landscape and we believe the following are the top alternatives for Shopify.
WooCommerce. If you are using WordPress then WooCommerce may seem like an obvious choice for good reason.
BigCommerce. A hosted solution with automated sales tax management, shipping integration, and multi-channel selling.
PrestaShop. An open-source eCommerce platform that's free to download and use.
Magento. Released in 2007 as an eCommerce platform that was meant for enterprise businesses.
What Shopify gives you
Shopify is a fully managed eCommerce platform that provides batteries included eCommerce store for selling your products online. Customizable, mobile-friendly design templates are also included as a part of Shopify stores subscription. It's a comprehensive solution for your digital storefront. If you talk to experienced Shopify developers, they may say that it covers 80% of most eCommerce use case.
Why look elsewhere?
While Shopify offers a complete suite of tools and services that covers everything, it might be too much for some users whose use case may be very simple. You might not need all of Shopify's features. Maybe you just want a dynamic website with some bells and whistles or perhaps you only need to manage large sales volumes.
Four platforms worth considering.
Each has its own trade-offs. We build and grow stores on all of them, and can help you decide which platform to choose for your project.
WooCommerce
Launched in 2011, WooCommerce is an open-source WordPress plugin. It converts WordPress sites into eCommerce sites.
BigCommerce
A hosted solution meaning they take care of all your security and infrastructure. Heavily focused on volume of sales.
PrestaShop
A popular choice for small to medium-sized businesses that need a cart that is not WordPress.
Magento
Acquired in 2018 by Adobe. Popular amongst enterprises that have invested in the Adobe ecosystem.
Not sure which platform is right for you?
Get a strategy session and we'll help you decide which platform to choose for your project — Shopify or one of its alternatives.
How each alternative compares.
What each platform does well, where it falls short, and how we can help.
WordPress WooCommerce
If you are using WordPress then WooCommerce may seem like an obvious choice for good reason. WooCommerce, launched in 2011, is an open-source WordPress plugin. It converts WordPress sites into eCommerce sites.
WordPress offers thousands of customizable design templates, giving you flexibility and speed to production. You can host your site separately, gaining more control over your hosting, server infrastructure and more control over your WooCommerce SEO.
Pricing is tricky to compare due to extras like plugins and fees. However, WooCommerce will likely cost less than Shopify for similar features.
Pros of WooCommerce
- Free to use as a plugin on WordPress
- Easily integrates with WordPress and your theme
- Open source
- Many free and paid extensions to extend it even further
- WooCommerce SEO is relatively easier given many open source SEO frameworks and guides available
Cons of WooCommerce
- It is not self hosted and you need to host it
- You will probably need a developer to keep it updated
- Requires dev work to extend the core of the plugin
- Extensions may or may not be compatible with all versions of WooCommerce and can sink valuable business time
We can help with WordPress development or WooCommerce SEO and can help you decide which platform to choose for your project.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers a range of features to streamline your eCommerce operations. These include automated sales tax management, shipping integration, and multi-channel selling on platforms like Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and more.
Additionally, BigCommerce handles site hosting logistics, ensuring a seamless and secure online store experience. It is also a hosted solution meaning they take care of all your security and infrastructure. Plus, with many readily available design options, you can tailor your store's look and feel to match your brand, going beyond just sales and shipping needs.
BigCommerce's app store is not as extensive as Shopify but in our research and working with many BigCommerce clients it is generally good enough for most use cases. BigCommerce is also heavily focused on volume of sales and thus if you are a small business then it may not be the most ideal platform for your use case.
Pros of BigCommerce
- Built in page builder and drag and drop visual editor
- Large ecosystem of apps
- Good SEO support
- Scalable and hosted solution so that you don't have to worry about infrastructure and security
Cons of BigCommerce
- Bigger learning curve with BigCommerce compared to WordPress or Shopify
- Limited option for plugins
- Only five free themes on the platform
We can help you decide if BigCommerce is right for you. We can help with BigCommerce development and extending it for your specific requirements.
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is an open-source eCommerce platform that's free to download and use. It offers a flexible solution for online stores, with thousands of templates and modules available to build your store.
PrestaShop supports various payment gateways and shipping integrations, making it a popular choice for small to medium-sized businesses that need a cart that is not WordPress. The platform also features a user-friendly interface and multilingual support, making it easy to manage and grow your online store.
PrestaShop originally started as a student project in EPITECH IT School in Paris, France.
Pros of PrestaShop
- Open source
- Many free themes and extensions available
- Large ecosystem of apps
- Good SEO & meta data support
- Good catalog support
Cons of PrestaShop
- Bigger learning curve compared to other platforms
- Self hosted meaning you are in charge of infrastructure and security
- Isn't backward compatible to prior major versions
- Limited option for plugins built for your local market
We can help you decide if PrestaShop is right for you. We can also take over development of your existing PrestaShop store and help you convert to other platforms of your choice.
Magento
Magento was released in 2007 as an eCommerce platform that was meant for enterprise businesses. It was released as an open source solution with some really good built in enterprise level features including good enterprise SEO support.
Magento was acquired in 2018 by Adobe and now offers Magento Commerce for enterprise and Magento Open Source for small businesses. Magento may be popular amongst enterprises that use Adobe's other products or have invested in the Adobe ecosystem.
Magento does require a solid infrastructure to host, run and manage.
Pros of Magento
- Open source system
- Large ecosystem of apps and many developers invested into the ecosystem
- Good SEO and catalog support
- Can be hosted on AWS as a managed offering
Cons of Magento
- Has been backward incompatible and Version 1.0 was abandoned from support leaving a lot of online store owners unhappy
- Requires extensive server resources to run and likely requires some devops and technology expertise
- Isn't easy to customize and requires help from Magento specialists
Let us help you manage or grow your Magento store.
Online store results, whatever the platform.
Real results from Australian online stores we have grown with SEO, conversion optimization and paid media.
Babylon Flowers
787% increase in revenue
Avenel Hats
276% increase in revenue
Camino Kids
143% increase in organic conversion rate
Melbourne HIFI
178% increase in online revenue
Smoked & Cured
111% increase in organic revenue
ABC Tarps
1,534% increase in revenue
“Their team understood our business before we even had to explain it. Inquiries are up 250% and the quality is better than ever.”
The framework behind the stores we grow.
Most stores are optimized for traffic. This one is about revenue — the ten changes to a store that move the number at the bottom of the report, in the order to make them.
Send me the Ecommerce Playbook →
Free. 14 pages. In your inbox. Magic-link delivery — it arrives in about two minutes, and there's no sales call attached to reading it.
Get your free SEO audit.
Submit your website and we'll send you a comprehensive audit within 48 hours. No calls, no obligations, just a clear diagnosis of your biggest SEO bottleneck.
Sticking with Shopify? We can help there too.
We offer a comprehensive suite of services to help your business leverage its full potential on Shopify Plus.