warebyinstagram shop alternatives, now that checkout is gone
instagram still sells your work, but it no longer checks people out. here’s where to send them.
meta ended checkout inside instagram and facebook shops in the us in 2025, so shoppers who tap a product now go to your own website. you need somewhere to send them: a shop link on wareby (free to open, with shoppers within 25 miles finding you too), hotplate for drops, square online’s free plan, or a shopify store. put the link in your bio and stories, and keep posting.
what changed?
meta’s developer changelog says checkout directly on facebook and instagram for shops has been sunset, and bigcommerce reported the us end date as september 4, 2025. shoppers who tap a product are sent to the merchant’s own website instead.
the best instagram shop alternatives, compared
in no particular order. we make wareby, so weigh our take on it with that in mind.
wareby
best for: local makers who want people nearby to find them and order ahead
- what it costs
- free to open. 10% + 3% + 30¢ a sale on the free plan
- who finds you
- shoppers within 25 miles, plus your own link
how wareby compareswhat’s good- only verified, independent local shops: a real person checks each one
- pickup windows and your own delivery area built in
- one cart across shops, so neighbors can order from several makers at once
- no listing fees, no ad fees, no service fee for shoppers
watch out for- a sale fee on every order, higher than running your own store
- it’s new, so there are fewer shoppers today than on the giant platforms
hotplate
best for: chefs and bakers who sell in drops to a following they already have
- what it costs
- $0 a month. you pay 2.9% + 30¢, customers pay 5% + 55¢
- who finds you
- your own followers, through your link
wareby vs hotplatewhat’s good- built around preorder windows and pickup times
- followers get a text every time you post a menu
- instant or next-day payouts
watch out for- not a marketplace: it won’t bring you new customers
- customers pay a service fee on every order by default
square online
best for: market vendors and cafes who already use a square card reader
- what it costs
- free plan: 3.3% + 30¢ a sale. plus: $49 a month
- who finds you
- people you send to your site
wareby vs square onlinewhat’s good- a real free plan, with pickup and local delivery
- online and in-person sales in one account
watch out for- the free plan shows square’s branding and can’t use your own domain
- retail preorders need plus, at $49 a month
shopify
best for: sellers with their own audience who want full control
- what it costs
- $39 a month ($29 billed yearly) + 2.9% + 30¢ a sale
- who finds you
- people you send to your site
wareby vs shopifywhat’s good- your own brand, design and web address
- low per-sale fees as you grow
- local pickup, local delivery and in-person selling included
watch out for- you bring every visitor
- a monthly fee from the start, plus paid themes and apps if you want them
big cartel
best for: artists and small shops with a handful of products
- what it costs
- free for up to 5 products. $15 a month for more
- who finds you
- people you send to your site
what’s good- no transaction fee from big cartel, just card processing (2.9% + 30¢ with stripe)
- simple, and made for artists
watch out for- product limits on every plan
- your own domain needs a paid plan
- you bring every visitor
how do you sell from instagram now?
- pick one place to take orders and payment, from the list above.
- put that link in your bio, and in every post and story that shows something for sale.
- use instagram for what it’s good at: showing the work, the process and when the next batch drops.
- move regulars to texts or email, so you’re not at the mercy of the feed.
questions people ask
can you still sell on instagram?
yes, but not with checkout inside instagram in the us. shoppers go to your own site or shop link to buy.
when did instagram checkout end?
in the us in 2025. bigcommerce reported september 4, 2025, and meta’s developer changelog says checkout on facebook and instagram for shops has been sunset.
what’s the best link-in-bio shop for a maker?
one that takes payment and handles pickup or shipping. wareby adds shoppers within 25 miles who don’t follow you yet.
sources
- meta for developers: graph api v26.0 changelog (shops checkout sunset)
- bigcommerce: updates to meta shops checkout (2025)
- hotplate help center: understanding hotplate’s pricing
- square: online store plans
- shopify: pricing
- big cartel: the gold plan
- wareby: seller plans
we checked every fee and fact about other companies on october 12, 2026, on their own pages. fees change, so check theirs before you decide. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com and we’ll fix it.
etsy, amazon handmade, ebay, shopify, square online, wix, squarespace, big cartel, hotplate, bakesy, castiron, instagram, facebook marketplace, nextdoor, doordash, uber eats and grubhub are trademarks of their owners. wareby isn’t affiliated with any of them, and we make wareby, so weigh our opinions with that in mind.
we started tandoco, a small bakery in minneapolis, and sold under a blue tent at farmers markets before we built wareby. our story
