WooCommerce is certainly a powerful WordPress plugin for setting up a fully functional online store. I’ve written about them in the past, along with other online store builders.
Regrettably, because WooCommerce runs on WordPress, you’re in charge of the hosting and maintenance of your online shop. This means that when your website goes down, you have to figure out why.
If you’re tech savvy, this might not seem intimidating. But, if you’re like me, you just want technology to work. You don’t want to have to think about whether or not your website is online. You just want to focus on what you do best!
I put together this list of WooCommerce alternatives with this mindset in mind. At the end, I will also include solutions out there that will require some web development muscle. I hope you find the list to be useful!
1. Shopify
The #1 reason that I like Shopify is that’s is SOO easy to use. There are a whole host of themes that you can choose from to make your online store look beautiful. You can also extend the functionality of your website with Shopify’s app marketplace.
While some ecommerce store owners might not like $29 – $299 monthly fee, others recognize that they’re basically paying to eliminate headaches. I put a high price on my time, so any tool that saves me confusion is worth it.
2. SquareSpace
While SquareSpace is not as sophisticated as Shopify, it has a lot of great features that will help you set up a proper website and start selling things online. This is a perfect solution if you’re a beginning store owner and don’t want to deal with the hassle of hosting your own website.
There are many different templates that you can choose from to customize the look and feel of your store. Like Shopify, you’ll also get access to analytics that give you insights into your website visitors. At the time of writing, pricing ranges from between $26 – $40/month.
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is the big competitor to Shopify, in my opinion. While they aren’t as large, they offer a compelling solution for new and intermediate store owners. If you’re wondering, YES, they do host your store, so you don’t have to worry about getting your own hosting.
You can use BigCommerce to set up a basic or enterprise level ecommerce website. You’ll gain access to a bunch of themes to improve the design of your site, along with standard features like analytics, integrations, and payment processing. At the time of writing, BigCommerce costs between $29.95 – $199.95.
4. Volusion
Volusion is an all-in-one fully hosted ecommerce solution that you can use to start selling products online. The software comes with payment processing options, website integrations (like Amazon), and marketing tools to help you get more traffic. At the time of writing, Volusion will cost you between $15 – $135/month.
5. 3dCart
3DCart gives you all of the tools that you need to start accepting payments and selling products online. Their website has much of functionality that’s promised in the above options, though they have a bit more personality when it comes to their brand. You’ll be able to use their analytics, high quality themes, and shipping tools to grow your brand. The pricing ranges from $19.99 – $99.99 per month.
6. Magento
Magento is an open source e-commerce platform that uses the PHP programming language. The company offers a Community Edition and an Enterprise Edition for larger businesses. If you choose to download Magento, you’re going to have to set up your own website and your own hosting.
No doubt, Magento is a very robust system with all of the features that you’ll need as an ecommerce entrepreneur. My only caveat is that unless you have technical chops, you’re going to need a developer to help you set up the store.
7. Prestashop
Finally, Prestashop is another open source free e-commerce platform that you can look into. Prestashop integrates with other apps/websites and has mobile responsive templates that you can choose from. This can be an inexpensive way to get started with your online business! Just remember that it’s best to have some development experience before going with this option.
