Top 10 Free Alternatives to Shopify in 2025

In 2025, the e-commerce landscape continues to evolve with free alternatives to Shopify offering various features and capabilities. Whether you are a small business, a startup, or an artist looking to sell your creations, this article explores the top 10 free alternatives to Shopify, detailing their features and benefits.

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1. WooCommerce

Cost: Free core plugin; however, you need to pay for hosting, a domain name, and potentially for premium themes and extensions.
Customization: Highly customizable with numerous themes and extensions.
Scalability: Suitable for small to large businesses.
Ease of Use: User-friendly for those familiar with WordPress, but can have a steeper learning curve for others.
Features: Offers product pages, inventory management, flexible payment options, and a large plugin ecosystem.
Source: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 13, 15, 18 ]

2. Ecwid by Lightspeed

Cost: Offers a free plan for up to 5 products. Paid plans start at $25/month.
Ease of Use: Known for being easy to set up and use.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with many website platforms, such as WordPress, Wix, and more.
Scalability: Suited for businesses that want to start with a few products and expand later.
Features: Includes a variety of payment options, inventory management, and the ability to sell on multiple channels.
Source: [1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18 ]

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3. Wix

Cost: Free plan is available, but to sell online, you will need to use a paid plan starting from $23/month.
Ease of Use: Offers a drag-and-drop interface, making it very beginner-friendly.
Customization: Provides a wide range of templates that can be customized.
Features: Includes integrated payment processing, marketing, and SEO tools.
Scalability: Suitable for small businesses and startups.
Source: [1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18]

4. Square Online

Cost: Offers a free plan, but transaction fees apply.
Integration: Excellent for businesses already using Square's POS system.
Features: It has tools for in-person and online selling, and various payment options.
Ease of Use: Known for its simple setup.
Scalability: Well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses.
Source: [1, 2, 8, 11]

5. Weebly

Cost: Offers a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $12/month.
Ease of Use: Easy-to-use with a drag-and-drop interface.
Templates: Provides a variety of templates that are customizable.
Features: Includes tools for basic e-commerce needs.
Scalability: Good for small businesses or startups.
Source: [1, 4, 6, 8, 13, 15, 18]

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6. Big Cartel

Cost: Free plan available for up to 5 products, paid plans available.
Niche: Ideal for artists, designers, and makers.
Ease of Use: Simple and focused on the essentials.
Features: Includes tools for product management and order processing.
Customization: Offers limited customization options compared to other platforms.
Source: [1, 3, 4, 8, 15]

7. PrestaShop

Cost: Free open-source platform, but you will need to pay for hosting, domain, and potentially for add-ons.
Customization: Highly customizable due to its open-source nature.
Features: Includes many built-in features.
Scalability: Can handle small to large online stores.
Technical: Requires technical knowledge for setup and maintenance.
Source: [1, 8, 13, 15]

8. Shift4Shop

Cost: Free if you use their payment processor and meet the monthly sales requirement, otherwise paid plans apply.
Features: Includes a range of marketing, SEO, and sales tools.
Scalability: Suitable for businesses of all sizes, with features for B2B operations.
Payment Options: Supports various payment methods.
B2B Features: Strong B2B features such as personalized pricing for returning customers.
Source: [1, 8, 9, 12, 15, 18]

9. Jotform

Cost: Free e-commerce app builder with paid options for advanced features.
Ease of Use: No-code, drag-and-drop interface.
Features: Offers free e-commerce app templates, secure payment forms with 40+ payment gateways, accept payments via credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and recurring payments.
Scalability: Ideal for businesses seeking a quick and efficient method to launch a custom e-commerce app.
Source: [7]

10. SimpleSite

Cost: Free plan with limited features and a paid option for a more complete e-commerce store.
Features: Offers ability to create a website with up to 15 pages, it's mobile-optimized, and can add videos. You can set up a limited web store with up to 5 products and accept payments via PayPal.
Ease of Use: Easy to use for beginners.
Scalability: Best for people selling a limited amount of products.
Source: [16]

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FAQ

1. What is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is a free and open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress that allows users to transform any WordPress website into an online store. It is highly customizable with numerous themes and extensions, suitable for small to large businesses, and offers various features including product pages, inventory management, and flexible payment options. Learn more about WooCommerce

2. How does Ecwid by Lightspeed work?

Ecwid is designed to integrate easily with existing websites and is great for quickly setting up online stores. It offers a free plan for up to 5 products and integrates with various website platforms like WordPress and Wix. Ecwid features multiple payment options, inventory management, and the ability to sell on multiple channels. Discover Ecwid

3. Is Wix free?

Wix offers a free plan for building websites, but to sell products online, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan starting from $23/month. It has a drag-and-drop interface that is very beginner-friendly and offers various customizable templates, integrated payment processing, and marketing and SEO tools. Explore Wix

4. What are the costs associated with Square Online?

Square Online offers a free plan but transaction fees apply. It is an excellent choice for businesses already using Square's POS system and provides tools for in-person and online selling, various payment options, and is known for its simple setup. Learn more about Square Online

5. What makes Weebly user-friendly?

Weebly is known for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and offers a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $12/month. It provides various customizable templates and includes basic e-commerce tools, making it a good option for small businesses or startups. Discover Weebly

6. For whom is Big Cartel ideal?

Big Cartel is tailored specifically for artists, designers, and makers. It offers a simple, essential-focused platform with a free plan for up to 5 products and additional paid plans. Ideal for creatives, it features tools for product management and order processing with limited customization options. Explore Big Cartel

7. What are the benefits of using PrestaShop?

PrestaShop is a free, open-source e-commerce platform that requires payment for hosting, domain, and possibly add-ons. It is highly customizable and suitable for small to large online stores, though it is more suited for users with technical knowledge for setup and maintenance. Learn more about PrestaShop

8. How does Shift4Shop offer free services?

Shift4Shop offers a full-featured e-commerce platform for free if you use their payment processor and meet the monthly sales requirement; otherwise, paid plans apply. It includes various marketing, SEO, and sales tools, supports B2B operations, and provides numerous payment options. Discover Shift4Shop

9. What features does Jotform offer?

Jotform is a no-code app builder that allows the creation of custom e-commerce apps and the selling of products online via forms. It offers free e-commerce app templates and secure payment forms with over 40 payment gateways. Explore Jotform

10. Is SimpleSite suitable for beginners?

SimpleSite is very beginner-friendly and provides a simple way to build websites, offering limited e-commerce capabilities. The free plan includes the creation of websites with up to 15 pages, mobile optimization, and the ability to add videos. A limited web store can be set up with up to 5 products, and payments can be accepted via PayPal. Learn more about SimpleSite

References

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.