The Best Alternatives to Shopify in 2019
Last Updated on August 18, 2026 by Dimitri Akhrin
Shopify Is Still Strong, but It Is Not the Only Choice
The best Shopify alternatives in 2026 give merchants different levels of control over their website, payment processing, hosting and technology stack. Shopify remains one of the strongest all-in-one eCommerce platforms available but some businesses eventually want more control over how their store operates or how their payments are processed.
That is where platforms such as WooCommerce, Magento Open Source, Adobe Commerce and BigCommerce remain relevant.
The right choice depends on more than the monthly platform price. Merchants should also consider development requirements, hosting, integrations, payment-processing flexibility, security and the cost of maintaining the store over time.
Shopify is a great platform, and its ease of use has resulted in skyrocketing popularity over the last few years. But as an all-in-one solution, Shopify also comes with some major downsides, namely the costs. As with all third-party payment processors, the fees charged by Shopify on transactions are higher than the fees charged by traditional merchant accounts. That’s no big deal for smaller sellers doing a low volume of sales with low revenues, but for bigger companies bringing in significant revenues, keeping the percentage fees on transactions as low as possible is key. For those companies, a much better solution is to combine a traditional merchant account with a dedicated eCommerce platform. Luckily, there are plenty of great alternatives to Shopify for merchants to choose from.
2026 pricing clarification: Shopify’s current payment structure is more nuanced than the original paragraph suggests. Merchants using Shopify Payments do not pay Shopify’s separate third-party transaction fee on those orders. Merchants that use an outside payment provider may pay an additional Shopify transaction fee depending on their plan.
That means a traditional merchant account is not automatically cheaper in every case. High-volume merchants should compare the complete cost of the platform, card processing, third-party transaction fees, gateway services, apps and other recurring expenses before deciding.
WordPress/WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an eCommerce platform designed to integrate seamlessly with WordPress, the most popular content management system (CMS) on the web. WooCommerce offers some major benefits, not the least of which is that it can be employed for free by companies with stripped-down needs. For larger businesses engaging the paid version, WooCommerce is highly secure, completely modular, and has a sea of third-party applications designed to integrate everything from cryptocurrency payments to advanced shopping carts to robust analytics platforms and beyond. It is incredibly flexible, has a large developer community, and is generally very easy to use.
2026 WooCommerce update: The core WooCommerce platform remains free and open source. There is not a separate paid version that larger merchants must purchase. Instead, businesses choose their own hosting and can add free or premium extensions, themes and services based on what their store needs.
That model gives merchants considerable control over the store. WooCommerce currently positions itself around ownership of the checkout, store data, hosting and payment choices rather than locking merchants into one predefined commerce stack.
That freedom is one of its biggest advantages over an all-in-one platform. It is also one of the tradeoffs.
With WooCommerce, the merchant or its technology partner takes greater responsibility for hosting, software updates, extension compatibility, performance and security. A Shopify merchant can leave more of that infrastructure to the platform itself.
Who Is WooCommerce Best For?
WooCommerce makes sense for businesses already using WordPress or merchants that want strong control over the website and its payment setup.
It can also work particularly well when content plays a major role in the company’s acquisition strategy. Product pages, landing pages, blog content and the store can all operate within the same WordPress environment.
BAMS maintains a dedicated WooCommerce integration catalog for merchants that want to connect their store with compatible payment technology.
Magento
Magento is an open-source, PHP-driven eCommerce platform that has been a leader in the space since its initial release in 2008 and Magento 2.0 currently handles over $100 billion in merchandise volume annually and serves a huge number of major brands. Unlike WooCommerce, which runs on the WordPress back end, Magento can integrate with essentially any website. Magento boasts a user-friendly interface, relatively simple installation and integration, excellent speed, and a robust set of features including advanced analytics, user dashboards, ERP, inventory management, and more. It can also act as a standalone content management system to allow websites to be built from scratch completely from within the Magento platform.
2026 Magento update: Magento now exists in two closely related forms. Magento Open Source remains the free open-source platform while Adobe’s commercial enterprise product is called Adobe Commerce.
Magento Open Source remains actively maintained. Adobe released the Magento Open Source 2.4.9 line in May 2026 with regular support scheduled through May 2029.
Adobe Commerce builds on the Magento foundation with a broader enterprise feature set aimed at complex B2C and B2B commerce operations.
Magento Open Source or Adobe Commerce?
The distinction matters when comparing it with Shopify.
Magento Open Source gives businesses extensive freedom but usually requires stronger development resources than a hosted SaaS platform. The merchant controls more of the environment and therefore takes on more responsibility for hosting, deployment, maintenance and extensions.
Adobe Commerce moves further toward the enterprise market. It is better suited to businesses that need complex catalogs, B2B functionality, customer-specific pricing, advanced workflows or highly customized commerce experiences.
For a small merchant that mainly wants to put a few hundred products online quickly, that flexibility may create unnecessary complexity.
For a larger company whose store needs to fit around existing systems rather than the other way around, it can be a major advantage.
BAMS maintains Magento payment integrations for businesses using Magento-based commerce environments.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is an open-source SaaS eCommerce platform that currently supports over 17 billion dollars in annual sales for merchants spanning 120 countries. As with Magento, BigCommerce is a standalone platform that enables entire eCommerce sites to be built without the need for additional infrastructure or content management systems. Their feature-rich platform offers a cloud-based hosting environment, a user-friendly website builder, an app marketplace with a large number of third-party integrations available, excellent security and PCI mitigation, drag and drop merchandising, built-in search engine optimization, and much more. For those that wish to use an additional CMS, WordPress can be easily integrated to handle the content duties while BigCommerce takes care of the shopping side.
2026 BigCommerce clarification: BigCommerce is a hosted SaaS eCommerce platform rather than an open-source platform. Its openness comes primarily from its API-driven architecture, integration options and support for headless and composable commerce.
That gives BigCommerce an interesting position between WooCommerce and Shopify.
Like Shopify, BigCommerce handles much of the hosting, platform maintenance and underlying infrastructure for the merchant. Businesses do not need to maintain their own commerce server in the same way they generally would with Magento Open Source or a self-hosted WooCommerce installation.
At the same time, BigCommerce emphasizes APIs and open architecture for merchants that need custom front ends or want to connect specialized business systems.
Who Is BigCommerce Best For?
BigCommerce can work well for businesses that want the convenience of SaaS without giving up as much integration flexibility.
A growing merchant may want hosting and platform updates handled by the provider while still connecting the store with outside ERP, inventory, content or payment systems.
BAMS maintains a dedicated BigCommerce integration catalog for merchants building that type of payment setup.
Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Magento vs BigCommerce in 2026
WooCommerce, Adobe Commerce and BigCommerce offer different levels of control, hosting and customization for merchants considering alternatives to Shopify.
| Platform | Model | Strongest Advantage | Main Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Hosted SaaS | Simple setup and tightly integrated commerce tools | Less control over parts of the commerce and payment stack |
| WooCommerce | Open source on WordPress | High control over the store, hosting and integrations | Merchant manages more of the technology environment |
| Magento Open Source / Adobe Commerce | Open source / enterprise commerce | Deep customization and complex commerce capability | Higher technical complexity |
| BigCommerce | Hosted SaaS with open architecture | Managed infrastructure with strong API flexibility | Less infrastructure control than a self-hosted platform |
Do Not Choose an eCommerce Platform Based Only on the Monthly Fee
Platform pricing is only one part of the economics of running an online store.
A self-hosted platform may have no platform subscription but still require hosting, development, maintenance and premium extensions.
A SaaS platform may charge a predictable monthly subscription while taking responsibility for hosting, security updates and much of the underlying infrastructure.
Payments add another layer.
Visa’s current guidance for businesses accepting payments online distinguishes between the merchant account, the payment processor and the payment gateway or hosted checkout used to securely collect customer payment information.
Modern Treasury makes a similar distinction between a payment gateway, which captures and transmits transaction information, and the processor that handles the transaction through the payment ecosystem.
Those components may be bundled together or purchased separately depending on the eCommerce platform and payment setup.
Payment Flexibility Can Matter More as a Store Grows
An all-in-one payment setup can be convenient when a business is starting because there are fewer vendors and fewer integrations to manage.
As transaction volume grows, merchants may want more control.
They may want to compare processor pricing, use a specific gateway, improve funding speed or connect payments with accounting and fulfillment systems.
That does not automatically mean a merchant should leave Shopify. It means payment flexibility deserves more attention as the economic impact of each transaction becomes larger.
When comparing platforms, ask:
- Can I use the payment processor I want?
- Does the platform add a fee if I use an external payment provider?
- Which payment gateways can I integrate?
- How quickly do processed funds reach my bank account?
- Can the payment setup grow with higher transaction volume?
- Can I change providers later without rebuilding the entire checkout?
Security Responsibilities Also Change by Platform
Hosted and self-hosted platforms distribute technical responsibilities differently but every merchant accepting cards still needs to understand its payment-security obligations.
The PCI Security Standards Council states that PCI DSS applies to merchants regardless of their size or transaction volume.
The exact scope can change based on the checkout configuration and which systems handle payment information. A hosted payment page may reduce the merchant’s direct exposure to card data while a custom checkout can create a broader security responsibility.
That is another reason to evaluate the complete eCommerce and payment architecture rather than choosing a platform based only on its feature list.
Merchant Services for eCommerce Platforms
Companies choosing to use one of these three eCommerce platforms over a fully all-in-one solution like Shopify will need to set up a merchant account in order to be able to accept electronic payments through their online stores. Luckily, doing so can result in significant savings on transaction fees when compared to all-in-one systems like Shopify or third-party payment solutions like PayPal. BAMS offers a unique five-step price comparison in which we analyze your existing merchant bills to identify, line-by-line, each area in which we can reduce your costs, guaranteeing you the lowest-fee merchant account possible. For more information or to get your five-step price comparison underway today!
2026 clarification: WooCommerce, Magento and BigCommerce stores do not all require the exact same merchant-services configuration. Available processors and gateways depend on the platform, integration and merchant’s business requirements.
The potential advantage is choice. A merchant using a platform that supports several payment gateways or processors can compare transaction costs and payment features rather than automatically accepting a single bundled payment arrangement.
BAMS continues to maintain integrations across WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, payment gateways and other eCommerce technology through its integration ecosystem.
Which Shopify Alternative Is Best in 2026?
The right eCommerce platform depends on how much control, customization and technical responsibility a business wants.
There is no single winner for every merchant.
Choose WooCommerce if you already use WordPress or want strong ownership and customization without paying a platform revenue share.
Consider Magento Open Source or Adobe Commerce when customization, complex integrations or enterprise commerce requirements justify a more technical platform.
Consider BigCommerce when you want managed SaaS infrastructure but still value APIs, third-party integrations and headless flexibility.
Stay with Shopify if the simplicity of an all-in-one platform outweighs the benefits you would gain from greater control elsewhere.
The better question is not simply which platform has the longest feature list. It is which platform fits your technology, payment requirements, internal resources and growth plans without creating unnecessary cost or complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best alternatives to Shopify in 2026?
WooCommerce, Magento Open Source, Adobe Commerce and BigCommerce remain strong Shopify alternatives in 2026. Each offers a different balance of hosting, control, customization and technical complexity.
Is WooCommerce free?
The core WooCommerce platform is free and open source. Merchants still need hosting and may choose to pay for premium extensions, themes, development or other services.
Is Magento still available in 2026?
Yes. Magento Open Source remains actively maintained while Adobe Commerce is the commercial enterprise platform based on Magento technology.
Is BigCommerce open source?
No. BigCommerce is a hosted SaaS platform. It offers significant integration flexibility through APIs and an open architecture but the underlying platform is not open-source software.
Is Shopify more expensive than WooCommerce?
Not necessarily. Shopify has subscription and payment-processing costs while WooCommerce may require hosting, development and paid extensions. Merchants should compare the complete annual cost instead of one advertised fee.
Does Shopify charge extra for using another payment processor?
Shopify can apply third-party transaction fees when merchants use an outside payment provider instead of Shopify Payments. The applicable fee depends on the Shopify plan and payment arrangement.
Can WooCommerce use a traditional merchant account?
WooCommerce supports a broad range of payment integrations. The exact merchant account and gateway configuration depends on the payment provider and integration selected.
Which platform gives merchants the most control?
WooCommerce and Magento Open Source generally provide the greatest infrastructure and customization control because merchants can manage their own hosting and software environment. That additional control also means taking on more technical responsibility.
Which Shopify alternative is easiest to manage?
BigCommerce is likely to feel closest to the managed SaaS approach of Shopify because the platform handles hosting and much of the underlying infrastructure. WooCommerce and Magento generally require more merchant or developer involvement.
Does switching eCommerce platforms automatically lower payment costs?
No. Payment costs depend on transaction mix, processor pricing, gateways and other account terms. Switching platforms only creates savings if the new payment and platform structure actually costs less.
