Shopify alternatives
The main Shopify alternatives are Waise, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, WooCommerce, Ecwid and Big Cartel. Waise suits owners who want a flat plan, 0% of sales and a store run by chat. BigCommerce suits large operations, Squarespace design-led sites, Wix any website, WooCommerce full code control, Ecwid an existing site, and Big Cartel few products.
We’re Waise, so we’re on this list. But not every store needs us: here is who each alternative suits, by the official price lists.
Why people look for one
- A fee on every sale On Shopify, with a processor other than Shopify Payments: Basic 2%, Grow 1%, Advanced 0.6% of every sale, by plan. Checked on Oct 4, 2026.
- A bill for every app A typical Shopify store adds apps, usually $50 to $100 a month for a mid-size store.
The alternatives
- Waise For small and mid-size stores that want one flat price, apps included, and a store run by chat. On Waise: Basic $29 · Growth $59 · Pro $129 · Company $299 a month. 0% fees and no per-order fee, on every plan. Your plan is never tied to your sales. The full comparison
- BigCommerce For stores growing into large operations, with an enterprise plan. From $39 a month. The plan moves up with yearly sales caps. The full comparison
- Squarespace For sites where design and content lead and the store is small. From $19 a month, with a 2% fee on the Basic plan. The full comparison
- Wix For any kind of website, with a free-form drag-and-drop editor. The full comparison
- WooCommerce For people who want full control of the code and will manage hosting and extensions. A free plugin. Hosting $25 to $350 a month for most stores. The full comparison
- Ecwid For adding a store to a site you already have. From $5 a month for up to 10 products, with no Ecwid transaction fees, per its pricing page.
- Big Cartel For artists and makers with few products. A free plan for up to 5 products, and $15 or $30 a month for up to 50 or 500 products.
When to stay on Shopify
- You’re on Shopify Payments with almost no apps Then the gap is small. Check your own bill in the calculator.
- You rely on a specialized app or in-store POS Shopify has a huge app store and point-of-sale hardware.
Sources
Every price is from the official US page, billed monthly, on the date beside the source.
- shopify.com/pricing Checked on Oct 4, 2026.
- bigcommerce.com/essentials/pricing Checked on Nov 8, 2026.
- squarespace.com/pricing Checked on Nov 8, 2026.
- woocommerce.com/pricing Checked on Nov 8, 2026.
- ecwid.com/pricing Checked on Nov 8, 2026.
- bigcartel.com/product/pricing Prices. Checked on Nov 8, 2026.
- bigcartel.com/resources/help/article/unlock-premium-features Product limits. Checked on Nov 8, 2026.
The online store that runs itself, with brakes
- AI that acts, with brakes. Pulse changes orders, prices, discounts and content from one conversation. A sensitive change first shows a before-and-after card and waits for your approval, and almost any change can be undone.
- Your money is protected on the server, not by a promise. Anything touching money needs a confirmation tied to the exact values you saw, and the margin guard blocks a price below your minimum, even when an outside AI asks for it.
- Profit, not just sales. An order counts only once your payment provider confirms the money, and profit is worked out after fees, shipping, cost of goods and refunds.
- Open to your own AI. Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini connect to your store over MCP and pass through exactly the same brakes.
- Five ways to build, one system behind them. A ready theme, designing by chat with Pulse, your own code, outside builders like Lovable or Webflow, or your own AI. Checkout, orders, customers and money stay in one place.
- 0% of your sales. One flat monthly plan. When your store grows, our cut doesn’t, because there isn’t one.
- Built by someone who sold. Or Avrahami, a practical electronics and computer engineer, ran an online store on Shopify and built what that store needed. That became Waise.
Updated
Written and checked by Or Avrahami, Founder of Waise ·
Open your store free See all pricing
14 free days with up to 5 real orders · No credit card to start · Cancel anytime