Are you looking for the best WooCommerce alternatives? If you are, keep reading this article.
When building an online store with WordPress, WooCommerce is often the first name that comes to mind. It’s a powerful and flexible eCommerce plugin that has become a go-to solution for many store owners. However, it’s not the perfect fit for everyone.
Some users may find WooCommerce too complex, lacking in performance, or not aligned with their specific needs or business model.
Fortunately, several excellent WooCommerce alternatives are available—each with unique strengths, features, and ease of use.
Whether you’re looking for better scalability, a more streamlined setup, or want to try something new, this list will introduce you to the best 7 WooCommerce alternatives that can help you build a successful online store.
Let’s dive in and find the platform that best matches your eCommerce goals.
Table of Contents
WooCommerce: An Introduction
WooCommerce is a powerful, open-source eCommerce plugin built for WordPress. Thanks to its flexibility, extensive customization options, and a vast library of themes and plugins, it’s one of the most popular solutions for creating online stores.
With WooCommerce, users can sell physical products, digital downloads, subscriptions, bookings, and more from within their WordPress dashboard.
One of WooCommerce’s main advantages is its tight integration with WordPress, allowing users to manage content and eCommerce features seamlessly in one platform. Additionally, it offers robust support for payment gateways, shipping options, tax configurations, and inventory management.
However, as versatile as WooCommerce is, it’s not the perfect fit for every store.
Some users may find it too complex, especially when scaling up or integrating with external systems. Others may face performance issues or prefer a platform with built-in hosting and simpler setup processes. This is where exploring WooCommerce alternatives becomes essential.
Why You Should Look for WooCommerce Alternatives
While WooCommerce is undeniably a top-tier eCommerce solution for WordPress, it’s not always the best choice for every store owner.
Depending on your business model, technical skill level, and performance expectations, you might find WooCommerce falling short in a few areas. Here are some reasons why you might consider exploring other options:
- Performance Issues: As your store grows, WooCommerce can become resource-intensive. Without proper optimization, it might slow down your website and impact user experience.
- Complex Setup and Maintenance: For beginners, WooCommerce can feel overwhelming due to the number of extensions, configuration steps, and third-party integrations required to build a complete store.
- Too Many Add-ons: While flexibility is a strong point, many essential features in WooCommerce require separate paid plugins, which can drive up costs and increase the maintenance load.
- Better All-in-One Solutions: Some alternatives include built-in features like marketing tools, analytics, and customer management, eliminating the need for multiple plugins.
- Different Business Needs: If you’re building a digital products store, a subscription-based site, or a service marketplace, there might be platforms better suited to those specific needs than WooCommerce.
Exploring WooCommerce alternatives allows you to find a solution that’s more aligned with your goals, easier to manage, and optimized for your specific use case.
Best 7 WooCommerce Alternatives to Build an Online Store
In a nutshell, the best 7 WooCommerce alternatives are:
- Shopify
- BigCommerce
- Wix eCommerce
- Squarespace
- Magento
- PrestaShop
- Easy Digital Downloads
| Platform | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Easy to set up and use, even for beginners. Fully hosted solution with 24/7 customer support. A vast library of apps and integrations. | Monthly subscription fees can be high, especially with added apps. Limited customization without coding knowledge. |
| BigCommerce | Excellent scalability for growing businesses. Built-in features like multi-currency support, tax rates, and shipping options. No additional transaction fees. | Steeper learning curve for beginners. Limited themes available compared to other platforms. |
| Wix eCommerce | Extremely user-friendly with drag-and-drop builder. Affordable pricing plans, especially for small businesses. Built-in SEO tools to improve search rankings. | Limited scalability for large, growing stores. Less flexibility compared to WooCommerce and Shopify. |
| Squarespace | Easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface. Beautiful, high-quality templates for online stores. Great for smaller businesses and creatives. | Limited eCommerce features compared to specialized platforms. Less flexibility in customization. |
| Magento | Extremely user-friendly with a drag-and-drop builder. Affordable pricing plans, especially for small businesses. Built-in SEO tools to improve search rankings. | Highly customizable and flexible, which is great for developers. Robust product management and inventory control. Ideal for large enterprises with complex requirements. |
| PrestaShop | Open Source Highly Customizable Multilingual Support | Complex Setup Performance Issues Cost of Modules |
| Easy Digital Downloads | Ideal for selling digital products such as software, eBooks, and music. Seamless integration with WordPress. Simple and easy-to-use interface. | Limited support for physical products. Fewer themes and plugins compared to WooCommerce. |
Below, we will show you what each tool offers. Based on your preferences and requirements, you can choose an option.
Without any further ado, let’s get into the listicle.
1. Shopify
Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms, renowned for its simplicity and robust features.
Whether you are a small business owner or an enterprise-level company, Shopify offers a comprehensive solution to build, manage, and grow your online store. With its user-friendly interface and fully hosted environment, you don’t need technical expertise.
Shopify provides various customizable templates, allowing users to create a unique and professional-looking storefront. The platform also boasts powerful integrations with numerous third-party apps and tools, making it easy to extend its functionality.
Features
- User-Friendly Interface
- Mobile Optimization
- Payment Gateway Integration
- Customizable Themes
- App Integrations
2. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a powerful, cloud-based eCommerce platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It provides an easy-to-use interface and many tools that help merchants build and scale their online stores.
With BigCommerce, users can sell physical, digital, or service-based products. It offers a range of built-in features for managing products, processing orders, handling payments, and shipping.
BigCommerce is suitable for small startups and large enterprises because it is known for flexibility and scalability. It offers seamless integrations with various third-party apps and services, allowing businesses to enhance functionality and reach a broader audience.
The platform’s robust SEO tools ensure your store ranks well on search engines, while its mobile-responsive themes guarantee a smooth shopping experience across devices.
Features
- Cloud-based platform with no hosting required
- Fully customizable themes with drag-and-drop functionality
- Built-in SEO tools to enhance search engine rankings
- Multi-channel selling (sell on Amazon, eBay, Facebook, etc.)
- Secure payment processing with multiple payment gateway options
3. Wix eCommerce
Wix eCommerce is a powerful, user-friendly platform designed to help entrepreneurs create stunning online stores. Offering a range of customizable templates, Wix enables users to build their eCommerce websites without any coding knowledge.
It provides an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, making setting up and managing an online store quick and seamless. Wix eCommerce supports various features such as secure payment gateways, automated tax calculations, and inventory management.
It also integrates with popular marketing tools and offers built-in SEO features, helping users increase their store’s visibility. With its mobile optimization, your online store looks great on any device, ensuring a positive shopping experience for your customers.
Features
- Easy drag-and-drop website builder
- Customizable, responsive templates
- Secure payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, etc.)
- Automated tax calculations
- Inventory management tools
4. Squarespace
Squarespace is a user-friendly website builder that offers an all-in-one solution for building and managing a professional online store.
Known for its elegant design templates and drag-and-drop functionality, Squarespace makes creating stunning websites easy for beginners and experienced users. It provides an intuitive interface emphasizing design, allowing users to create visually appealing online stores with minimal effort.
Squarespace offers various built-in eCommerce features, including inventory management, secure payment processing, and integration with shipping carriers. It also provides marketing tools to help store owners grow their business, such as email marketing, social media integration, and SEO features.
Features
- Drag-and-drop website builder
- Fully customizable templates
- Built-in eCommerce functionality
- Secure payment processing (via Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay)
- Inventory management system
5. Magento
Magento is a robust and open-source eCommerce platform designed for businesses of all sizes. Known for its flexibility and scalability, Magento allows you to create a highly customizable online store with many features.
It is suitable for small and large businesses due to its powerful capabilities and ability to handle complex product catalogs, large amounts of traffic, and high volumes of transactions.
With Magento, you can easily manage and expand your store with its extensive library of extensions, modules, and third-party integrations. It offers advanced search capabilities, personalized customer experiences, and a range of built-in marketing tools.
Features
- Advanced SEO tools and marketing features
- Multi-store and multi-language support
- Mobile-friendly design options
- Extensive library of third-party integrations and extensions
- Flexible product management and categorization
6. PrestaShop
PrestaShop is an open-source eCommerce platform designed to help businesses easily create, manage, and scale online stores.
Known for its flexibility and extensive customization options, PrestaShop allows users to build an online store tailored to their specific needs, whether a small startup or a large enterprise. The platform supports many add-ons, themes, and modules, allowing businesses to easily expand their store’s functionality.
With an intuitive interface and powerful features, PrestaShop helps users manage products, orders, and customers efficiently. Its open-source nature also means that developers have full access to the codebase for custom development, making it a highly customizable solution for businesses with unique requirements.
Features
- Open-source and fully customizable
- Easy-to-use admin interface for managing products, orders, and customers
- Supports multiple languages and currencies for global reach
- Extensive marketplace for add-ons, themes, and modules
- SEO-friendly features to optimize online store visibility
7. Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is a WordPress plugin for selling digital products. It’s an intuitive and powerful tool that simplifies setting up an online store for digital goods such as eBooks, software, and music.
EDD has features that make managing and selling digital downloads easy, from tracking sales to managing licenses and offering discounts. Whether you’re an individual creator or a small business, Easy Digital Downloads provides everything you need to start selling digital products without any hassle.
One of EDD’s key highlights is its extensive library of add-ons, which allows you to extend the plugin’s functionality.
Features
- Simple, intuitive, and customizable interface
- Advanced reporting and analytics tools
- Multiple payment gateway support
- Integration with email marketing tools
- Built-in discount codes and promotions
Frequently Asked Questions
Now, let’s see some frequently asked questions regarding this topic.
What should I consider before switching from WooCommerce?
Before switching, consider your store’s current needs, the missing features, budget, ease of use, available integrations, and the new platform’s long-term scalability.
Will I lose my data if I move away from WooCommerce?
Not necessarily. Many platforms offer migration tools or services to help you transfer products, customer data, and order history. However, it’s wise to back up everything and test thoroughly.
Do I need technical skills to use alternatives to WooCommerce?
It depends on the platform. Some alternatives are beginner-friendly, with drag-and-drop builders, while others may require more advanced knowledge. Choose one that aligns with your technical comfort level.
Are WooCommerce alternatives better for SEO?
SEO performance largely depends on how the platform is built and optimized. Some alternatives have strong built-in SEO features, while others may require third-party tools or manual tweaks to reach similar results.
Conclusion
While WooCommerce is a powerful and widely used eCommerce solution, it’s not the only option available.
Several WooCommerce alternatives might better fit your business needs, technical expertise, and desired level of control.
Whether looking for a more beginner-friendly platform that offers built-in marketing tools or a more streamlined experience, exploring other options can lead to better long-term results. Take the time to assess your goals and choose the platform that best aligns with your vision for your online store.
Which plugin or platform would you use to build an online store?
Let us know in the comments.
Thanks for the guide.
You’re welcome.