The best free Shopify alternatives in 2026
Shopify's plans start at $29 a month billed yearly, and add a fee on every order if you pay with anything other than Shopify Payments. If you are looking for something that costs less, or nothing, there are real options in 2026. Each one is free in a different way, and the catch is different too. Here they are, with what each really costs.
The options at a glance
| Platform | Monthly fee | Platform fee per sale | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payly | $0 | None | PayPal and Stripe only; no point of sale or app store |
| Square Online, Free plan | $0 | None, but a higher card rate: 3.3% + 30¢ | Built around Square's own payments |
| Big Cartel, Gold plan | $0 | None | 5 products, 1 photo each, no custom domain |
| WooCommerce | $0 for the plugin | None | You pay for hosting and maintain the site |
| Etsy | $0 | 6.5% plus $0.20 a listing | A marketplace, not your own store |
| PayPal or Stripe payment links | $0 | None | No store, cart or stock tracking |
Payment processing is charged on top in every case, by PayPal, Stripe, Square or Etsy. For a standard US card it is about 2.9% + 30¢ almost everywhere.
1. Payly: a complete store with no monthly fee
Payly is the closest thing to Shopify without the bill. It is a complete ecommerce platform with hosting built in: a store design you edit by drag and drop, product pages, a cart and checkout, stock, variants, shipping zones, sales tax, discount codes, product reviews, customer accounts and sales reports. Subscriptions, memberships and digital downloads are included too.
It is free: no monthly fee, no transaction fee and no commission. Customers pay your own PayPal or Stripe account directly, and the only fee on a sale is theirs. Your store runs on your own free Cloudflare account, which covers about 5,000 visitors a day; if you outgrow it, Cloudflare's paid plan is $5 a month, paid to Cloudflare.
Best for: anyone who wants a real online store without paying for the platform. Not for: stores that need in-person point of sale, payment providers other than PayPal and Stripe, or a marketplace of add-on apps.
Coming from Shopify? Payly can import your products from your store's address in a few minutes. See also our full Shopify vs Payly comparison.
2. Square Online's Free plan
Square's website plans include a Free plan that can sell online with no monthly fee. The cost is in the card rate: 3.3% + 30¢ per online card payment on the Free plan, compared with 2.9% + 30¢ on Square's paid plans, which start at $49 a month per location.
Best for: businesses that already use Square in person and want a simple online store beside it. Not for: sellers who want to use their own PayPal or Stripe account.
3. Big Cartel's Gold plan
Big Cartel has long been popular with artists and makers. Its free Gold plan sells up to 5 products, counting variations, with one photo each. It takes card and PayPal payments and adds no transaction fee, but you cannot use your own domain or offer discount codes. The Platinum plan, at $15 a month or $12 a month billed yearly, raises the limit to 50 products and adds a custom domain.
Best for: an artist with a handful of prints or pieces. Not for: anyone with more than five products.
4. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin for WordPress, with no platform fees at all. You do need hosting, which WooCommerce itself estimates at $25 to $350 a month for most stores, and features such as subscriptions ($279 a year) and memberships ($199 a year) are paid extensions. You are also responsible for updates, backups and security.
Best for: people already on WordPress who want full control. Not for: anyone who wants to avoid hosting bills and upkeep. See WooCommerce vs Payly.
5. Etsy
Etsy has no monthly fee and brings its own shoppers, which no store of your own can match on day one. It charges $0.20 per listing, a 6.5% transaction fee and 3% + $0.25 for payment processing on each US order, and Offsite Ads can add 12% to 15% to an order an ad brings in.
Best for: handmade and vintage sellers looking for their first buyers. Not for: sellers who want their own brand, customer list and margin. See Etsy vs Payly.
6. PayPal or Stripe payment links
Both PayPal and Stripe let you create a payment link or button for free, to share on social media or paste into any website. You pay only their processing fee. There is no catalog, cart, shipping or stock, so it suits one or two products at most.
Best for: a single product, a deposit or a pre-order. Not for: a store.
Not free, but often listed
Some platforms appear on lists of free Shopify alternatives but charge before you can sell:
- Wix: the free plan cannot take payments. Selling starts on Core, $29 a month billed yearly. See Wix vs Payly.
- Squarespace: a 14-day free trial, then from $19 a month billed yearly, plus a 2% fee on the Basic plan. See Squarespace vs Payly.
- BigCommerce: a 15-day free trial, then from $29 a month billed yearly, rising with your sales. See BigCommerce vs Payly.
How to choose
- You want a full store and no monthly fee: Payly.
- You already take payments in person with Square: Square Online.
- You sell five things or fewer: Big Cartel's free plan, or Payly.
- You want total control and do not mind hosting: WooCommerce.
- You need buyers before you have an audience: Etsy, ideally alongside a store of your own.
Prices and fees as published by each company for the US in October 2026. Prices can change; check each company's own pricing page.
