warebyshopify alternatives for small sellers
shopify is powerful, but $39 a month is a lot when you’re selling a few orders a week. here are the alternatives, and what each one costs.
if shopify’s $39 a month ($29 billed yearly) is more than you need, square online’s free plan and big cartel’s free plan (up to 5 products) cost nothing a month, just card processing on each sale. squarespace and wix start at $19 to $29 a month billed yearly. and wareby is free to open, takes a fee only when you sell, and lists your shop for shoppers within 25 miles, which no store builder does.
why do sellers look for shopify alternatives?
- the monthly fee. $39 a month, before any paid apps or themes, whether you sell or not.
- more than you need. a few products and pickup orders don’t need a full store.
- no shoppers included. shopify is your own site, so every visitor is one you bring.
the best shopify alternatives, compared
in no particular order. we make wareby, so weigh our take on it with that in mind.
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
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
squarespace
best for: a polished site with a small store
- what it costs
- $19 a month billed yearly + a 2% transaction fee, or $29 with none
- who finds you
- people you send to your site
what’s good- clean templates that look good with little work
- a free domain for the first year on yearly plans
watch out for- the basic plan adds a 2% fee to every sale
- you bring every visitor
wix
best for: a full website you design yourself, with a store on it
- what it costs
- $29 a month billed yearly to sell (core) + 2.9% + 30¢
- who finds you
- people you send to your site
what’s good- drag-and-drop design, lots of templates
- a free domain for the first year on yearly plans
watch out for- the free plan and the $17 light plan can’t take payments
- you bring every visitor
wareby
best for: local shops that want neighbors to find them, without a monthly fee
- what it costs
- free to open. 10% of the items + 3% + 30¢ a sale
- who finds you
- shoppers within 25 miles, plus your own link
wareby vs shopifywhat’s good- no monthly fee to start, no listing or ad fees
- never a fee on your delivery or shipping
- your own web address on the found plan
watch out for- a sale fee on every order, higher than a store builder’s
- local reach: shoppers within 25 miles
what does each cost?
| monthly | on a $35 sale | |
|---|---|---|
| shopify basic | $39 ($29 yearly) | $1.32 |
| square online, free | $0 | $1.46 |
| big cartel, free (5 products) | $0 | $1.32 |
| squarespace basic | $19 yearly, $25 monthly | $2.02 |
| wix core | $29 yearly | $1.32 |
| wareby, free plan | $0 | $4.85 |
try your own numbers in the selling fee calculator.
questions people ask
what is the cheapest alternative to shopify?
square online’s free plan and big cartel’s free plan cost $0 a month, with card processing on each sale. wareby is free to open, with a fee only when you sell.
is there a free version of shopify?
no. shopify has a 3-day free trial, then $1 a month for 3 months, then $39 a month on basic.
what’s better than shopify for a small business?
for a few products and local customers, a free plan like square online’s or a local marketplace like wareby usually fits better than a $39-a-month store.
sources
- shopify: pricing
- square: online store plans
- square support: the square online website footer
- big cartel: pricing
- big cartel: the gold plan
- squarespace: pricing
- wix: plans
- wix help center: upgrading wix stores
- 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
