The 5 best Shopify alternatives for small business online stores As a big-name brand, Shopify takes up lots of space in the ecommerce market – but is there something better for your business? Written by Helena Young Updated on 8 March 2023 Our Research When recommending the best ecommerce platforms, our expert team of writers and researchers focus on the features that matter most to small businesses. We rate platforms on their value for money – including setup costs and ongoing transaction fees – design features, including store templates; inventory management; payment processing options; help and support, plus customer feedback. Written and reviewed by: Helena Young Lead Writer According to our research, the best ecommerce alternative to Shopify is Wix, closely followed by Squarespace and Square Online. Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward BEST FOR SMALL BUSINESSES Wix Squarespace Square Online BigCommerce GoDaddy BEST FOR All-round ecommerce platform for small businesses BEST FOR Best for ease of use and great design BEST FOR Best value – start selling for free BEST FOR Best sales features BEST FOR Creating a simple online store Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 4.8 Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 4.6 Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 4.3 Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 4.2 Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 3.9 Pricing £16-119 per month, billed annually£14.40-£107.10 with code “TAKE10” Pricing £17-£35 per month, billed annuallyUse code “SU10” to receive a 10% discount on all Squarespace plans Pricing £0-£64 per month Pricing $29-$299 (around £23-£240) per month Pricing £12.99 per month (first term savings available) Key features Easy to use drag-and-drop builderExtensive app marketInbuilt SEO and CRM products Key features Stunning ecommerce templatesSuperb non commerce featuresGreat value for money Key features Start selling for no monthly feeAutomatically sync with Square POS Key features Top of the range sales featuresMulitchannel integrationSell unlimited products Key features Flexible paymentsFlexible shipping optionsDiscounts and promotions Try Wix Try Squarespace Try Square Visit site Try GoDaddy There are plenty of advantages to Shopify as an ecommerce web builder, including some solid value pricing plans. But – particularly if you’re based entirely online – you want to know you have the best application out there so that there’s no obstacles when it comes to making sales.Maybe you’re looking to learn more about the market before committing to Shopify. Or perhaps you’re an experienced user, and dissatisfied with what the platform is currently giving you.Whatever your reason, it can be hard to navigate the competitive online store builder market and find answers. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.Startups.co.uk is home to all things small business related, and our experts know all about the benefits, deals and discounts the top ecommerce platforms can give you – as well as which to avoid. Read the below guide to find the best alternative tool to Shopify, and the one that matches your business’s specific requirements. 5 best alternatives to Shopify WixSquarespaceSquare OnlineBigCommerceGoDaddy This article will cover: Wix Squarespace Square Online BigCommerce GoDaddy Should you choose Shopify anyway? Best free Shopify alternatives Can you do better than Shopify? How we test ecommerce website builders for small businesses Shopify alternatives FAQs WixBest for website features Wix 4.8 Number one website builder for price, features, and usability. Visit Wix Full review of Wix Free trial 14-day Price from £9 per month Flexible pricing plans Good balance of usability and complex features Customisable, 'drag-and-drop' templates Summary Wix is the most popular website builder in the UK. The platform has undoubtedly earned these accolades, with an unparalleled list of features and wide-ranging payment options for every budget. Whether you’re new to website building, or a seasoned expert looking for endless customisability, Wix is an excellent choice. Its pricing is also practical for small businesses, with the Business plan particularly good value at just £25 per month. Show moreless Wix and Shopify are two heavyweights in the ecommerce website builder division. It’s Wix that comes out on top in our ranking, scoring an unbeatable 4.8 out of 5, compared to runner up Shopify’s 4.6.According to our research, Wix outranks Shopify in four key areas. These are: website features, design functionality, ease of use and value for money.Wix is definitely the winner when it comes to website features. Unlike Shopify, it allows you to edit offline so you can edit your platform design easily and without any code. Both platforms offer a similar number of app and third-party integrations for advanced functions, but Wix outstrips Shopify for features in areas that will generate customer interest like blogging, SEO and marketing. It comes equipped with an SEO dashboard that allows you to track your site’s performance on Google.There are two areas where you’ll be better off buying from Shopify. These are sales features and customer score. Both perform well in the former – and both also offer accounting features, which is a big plus for ecommerce website builders – but Shopify gives you access to a few more crucial tools like added security features and discount code capabilities.That being said, Wix’s sales features have seen significant improvement in the past, which is why we recently boosted its score to push the platform from third place to second.Read our full review of Wix to learn more about its new ranking.Wix Pricing vs Shopify Pricing Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Core Business Business Elite Price £16 per month£14.40 with code ‘TAKE10’ Price £25 per month£22.50 with code ‘TAKE10’ Price £119 per month£107.10 with code ‘TAKE10’ Features Basic ecommerceAccept paymentsBasic site analyticsAbandoned cart recovery Features Standard site analyticsStandard eCommerceAutomated sales tax for 100 transactions per monthAccept pre-orders Features Advanced eCommerceAdvanced developer platformAdvanced site analyticsLoyalty program by Smile.io Free trial? Free trial? Free trial? Try Wix Try Wix Try Wix Wix outperforms Shopify for value for money by more than 20% in our research. That’s thanks to its free plan, cheaper paid-for plans (£16 per month versus Shopify’s £19) and the number of high-quality features included on its paid plans.The former also offers a completely free plan, though you will have to accept a ‘.wix’ subdomain in your URL if you go this route.Find out more in our Wix pricing breakdown. Wix Verdict Wix is the highest-ranked option in our research and a great all-round ecommerce website builder. Still, it lacks sales features compared to Shopify. We would recommend Wix for online-based SMEs that aren’t solely focused on ecommerce, but still want a website that can sell products. SquarespaceBest for design Squarespace 4.6 It might not have the best sales features, but Squarespace’s excellent editing tools make it quick and easy to get your online store up and running. Try Squarespace Squarespace Ecommerce full review FREE TRIAL 14-day free trial PRICE FROM £17 per month Use code "SU10" to receive a 10% discount on all Squarespace plans Ideal platform for digital sales i.e online events Our highest scorer for ease of use Use code "SU10" to receive a 10% discount on all Squarespace plans Summary Squarespace's ecommerce offering has plenty of great selling points to keep its users happy. There have been huge UX improvements since we last tested the platform, moving from 3.4 to a 4.2 ease of use score. The ecommerce platform has also greatly improved its app store and customer support. Although it's the ideal platform for digital sales (where stock is not directly needed) it falls short when it comes to stock monitoring capabilities. It also has very limited ecommerce templates compared to other competitors like Wix, despite charging a higher monthly price of £17 per month on a Business plan. Show moreless Squarespace store creatorIf you’re looking for high-quality design and customisation tools, Squarespace is our joint-top pick when it comes to design functionalities, sharing the spotlight only with Wix.In terms of branding and design, Squarespace’s templates are easier to navigate than Shopify’s, and much more aesthetically pleasing. Squarespace also integrates with Instagram, a favourite amongst creative SMEs, whereas Shopify doesn’t.Squarespace has shown a huge improvement in its user experience score, jumping from 3.4 out of 5 to 4.2 out of 5. This is thanks to the platform’s updated app store and improved customer support and marketing tools.That score is also much higher than the more advanced Shopify’s 3.2, confirming that Squarespace is a much simpler tool with fewer sales features, but a more straightforward app layout. We recommend it for small businesses that don’t have a large online stock and want to focus on showcasing their products, as well as selling them.To find out more about using the Squarespace platform for your ecommerce small business, read our full article.Squarespace Pricing vs Shopify Pricing Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward BEST VALUE Squarespace Business Basic Commerce Advanced Commerce Price £17 per month Price £23 per month Price £35 per month Features Fully integrated ecommerce3% transaction feeSell unlimited products Features No commerce transaction feesPoint of sale integrationCustomer accounts Features Abandoned cart recoveryPowerful ecommerce analyticsAdvanced shipping Squarespace came joint-third in our ranking for value for money, giving users access to lots of advanced features for a relatively low figure in the website builder world. Squarespace Business is its lowest-priced payment tier at just £17 per month, which is also cheaper than Shopify.Unfortunately there is no free plan available for Squarespace, but a 14-day free trial is available for users to test out its capabilities before purchasing.Read our full review of Squarespace pricing to learn more. Squarespace Verdict Great for value for money, but lacks some key sales features. If you’re a creative small business showcasing arts, crafts or homemade products, Squarespace gives you the most flexibility in design and the best-looking templates. Square OnlineBest for: Freemium plan Square Online 4.3 The best platform to use if you want to start selling for free Try Square Online Free plan Yes Price from £0 per month Start selling for free Excellent analytics Supports dozens of payment types Summary Square Online is the only website builder that allows you to start selling products without upgrading to a paid plan. You’ll still have to pay a 1.9% transaction fee for every payment processed, but you won’t find a more cost-effective way of getting an online store up and running anywhere else. It’s a great way to get to grips with things before you upgrade to one of Square's premium plans, which start from £9/month. Show moreless Square Online site builderFreemium tiers are a great way for startups to save money and Square Online is the only platform on this list to offer one. For zero charge it allows users to:Sell unlimited productsSell on Instagram & FacebookOffer pickup, delivery and shippingGet SEO toolsSync with Square POS (point-of-sale) system for processing orders and paymentsHowever, there are also some significant flaws in Square’s free plan. You’ll have to host Square ads on your pages, which may be off-putting or even confusing for your customers. You’ll also have to pay more to get access to advanced features.While it might boast the better value for money, our research shows Square’s free plan scores lower than Shopify Basic in almost every other category – particularly sales features and design functionality. We recommend SMEs move to Square Professional (which costs just £9 per month) as soon as they have grown enough to enable an upgrade, as it doesn’t have these drawbacks.Read our full review of the Square platform for small ecommerce businesses to find out more about the benefits available.Square Online Pricing vs Shopify Pricing Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Free Plus Premium Price £0 per month Price £20 per month Price £64 per month Features Start selling onlineSell on Instagram and FacebookSEO toolsSync with Square POS Features Custom domain10GB storageCustomised font uploadsPassword-protected pages Features Professional featuresAccept PayPalAbandoned basketAdvanced reportingProduct reviews Square’s average pricing plan comes out at just £12.58 – a massive drop compared to Shopify, which has an average of £80.This is also impressive given the number of Square’s pricing plans – with four, it has more than any of its rivals on this list. That means users can rest assured that there is still plenty of opportunity for scalability with Square – although its premium plans are lacking the more sophisticated tools offered by competitors like Shopify. Square Online Verdict With its strong help and support tools and unmatched freemium plan, we recommend Square for new startups or very small online shop owners that want a basic platform to get them up and running – and not much more. BigCommerceBest for: Sales functions BigCommerce 4.2 With the most comprehensive range of sales features around, BigCommerce gives you everything you need to create a fully-optimised online store Try BigCommerce Free trial 15-day Price from $29 per month Quality in-built sales features Excellent SEO support Great for scaling businesses Summary BigCommerce is the big budget option for small businesses with big ambitions. Its plans range from £23/month to £240/month. Quite pricey, but for that you’re getting access to the most extensive range of high-quality, in-built sales features on the market. The costlier the plan, the more advanced the functionality, of course – you also increase your sales allowance. This ranges from an upper limit of $50,000 on the Standard plan to a maximum of $400,000 on the Pro plan. And if your sales are likely to be higher than that, BigCommerce offers custom enterprise solutions. Just get in touch with its sales team to find out more. Show moreless BigCommerce and Shopify are two online shop builders designed for experienced users. Both platforms require you to do a lot of your editing and design through coding – which is why we’ve given each brand low points for ease of use.However, according to our research, BigCommerce outscores Shopify in sales features and design functionality. That’s because BigCommerce is the best platform for managing large inventories, making it excellent for clothing businesses. It can also cope with international payments, boasts double the amount of product filters that Shopify has, and offers tons more third-party marketplace integrations, including Google Shopping.But BigCommerce’s biggest pull factor is that it has zero transaction fees, while Shopify Basic charges at least 0.5% on every purchase. This means you won’t be punished for having customers with large checkouts. Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce also offers transactional (sales confirmation) emails – in fact, it’s the only platform on this list with this feature.So where does BigCommerce lose to Shopify? The answer is website features as the former doesn’t impress when it comes to areas like marketing and blogging, and it also has poor site speed.BigCommerce Pricing vs Shopify Pricing Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Best plan for small businesses Standard Plan Plus Plan Pro Plan Enterprise Plan Price $29 per month (around £23) Price $79 per month (around £64) Price $299 per month (around £240) Price Custom Features Coupons and discountsReporting toolsMulti-channel selling Features Customer groups and segmentationAbandoned cart recoveryStores credit card details Features Google customer reviewsProduct filteringCustom product filtering Features Express routing, priority support, and customer success managementAPI (application programming interface) supportCustom sales limit Pricing plans can be confusing to understand, and Shopify definitely wins over BigCommerce in this regard. It’s important to note that each of the latter’s pricing tiers is determined by your annual turnover, which can be frustrating for companies wanting to grow or scale back.BigCommerce is also the most expensive platform on this list, with its cheapest tier costing $29 (around £23). However, when we compared this price against the quality of its features, BigCommerce achieved the same result as Shopify (7 out of 10). BigCommerce Verdict Experienced, bigger SMEs will want to choose BigCommerce over Shopify, particularly those with over 100 products. New users should note that the platform comes with a confusing pricing structure. GoDaddyBest for: Ease of use GoDaddy 3.9 A simple way to build an online store. Try GoDaddy Free trial Yes Price from £12.99 Easy to use Simple pricing Fairly good value Summary It lacks sophisticated sales and design features, but GoDaddy is still one of the easiest ways to create an online store. It just has one ecommerce plan, for the reasonable price of £12.99 per month. Show moreless Based on our testing, Shopify received a very low ease of use score of just 3.5 out of 5 – meanwhile, this was where GoDaddy really stood out. While the former has an exciting array of features that are great for experienced users, GoDaddy offers a basic feature set and zero transaction fees. We think it should be the go-to for newly-established startups or very small online shops.Our latest testing reveals a big improvement in GoDaddy’s design functionality (14% uplift) as well as advancement in other categories. That means it’s a good platform to keep an eye on for future updates.However, there are still a lot of areas where GoDaddy falls short. It doesn’t support the sale of digital products, which makes it automatically unusable for many startups. Plus, you cannot add more than 5,000 products to your website and you can’t track customer spending, which makes accounting much more difficult.To sum up, Shopify is for those wanting a complex online store, while GoDaddy is for simple website building if you want to be able to sell a few products as a supplement to your main business goals.GoDaddy Pricing vs Shopify Pricing Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Ecommerce Price £12.99 per month, billed annually Features Product listingsFlexible paymentsFlexible shipping optionsDiscount and promotional features Shopify has three main pricing plans whereas GoDaddy has only one, priced simply at £13.99 per month. This is much cheaper than Shopify’s cheapest plan (£19 per month), but is also suitable for companies looking to grow their sales. That’s another reason we think it’s best suited to businesses with a very small online shop. GoDaddy Verdict It’s not the most sophisticated tool, but if you just want a website that’s easy to build and has ecommerce capabilities, GoDaddy is the best option for getting started quickly. Take note that with only one pricing plan, there’s not much room for scalability. Should you choose Shopify anyway? Shopify 4.6 Shopify’s superb features and extensive app market give ambitious ecommerce businesses everything they need to scale rapidly. Try Shopify for free FREE TRIAL 3-day free trial PRICE FROM £19 per month Preempts and predicts what a merchant might need next in all aspects of creating a website Best range of apps and extensions Perfect for dropshipping Summary Shopify is perfect for users looking for that all in one online store solution. Its ability to predict what a merchant will need next when creating a website is a brilliant feature, and its countless apps give you complete control over your business, enabling you to grow through diverse multi channel integration options and automated SMS and email marketing. It is definitely better suited to store owners with complex, larger inventories and because there are fewer built in features, using the platform can get expensive compared to other feature-filled competitors like Squarespace and Wix. Show moreless We’ll be open that we think Shopify is an excellent ecommerce choice for most small businesses.It ranked second-best in our research into the top online shop builders for SMEs, earning particularly impressive marks for sales features and customer satisfaction. In fact, our research shows that 76% of customers would recommend Shopify – making it second only to Squarespace.There’s not much Shopify doesn’t have. It’s a complex tool and almost entirely customisable. Should you require a bespoke feature, you can either find it directly within the builder, on the template you choose, or through its huge app market.In terms of cost, Shopify certainly isn’t a budget ecommerce website builder. But its pricing should be considered in the context of what it offers. Even its lowest payment tier, Shopify Basic (£19 per month) provides a wealth of functionality that can contend with the premium options of many of its rivals. That’s why we think it’s best for growing ecommerce businesses, or those looking to scale.Read our expert review of Shopify for small businesses to get the full breakdown of the platform’s pros, cons and deals. Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward GET FIRST MONTH FOR £1 Starter Basic Shopify Shopify Advanced Price £5 per month Price £1 for first monthThen £19 per month Price £49 per month Price £259 per month Features A simple, instant storefrontUnlimited product pagesFast and secure checkout Features Unlimited productsAbandoned cart recovery Features Professional reports and analytics5 staff accounts Features Advanced reportsCalculated shipping rates Online card processing fees 2.9% + 30p for online sales Online card processing fees 2% + 25p for online purchases Online card processing fees 1.7% + 25p for online purchases Online card processing fees 1.5% + 25p for online purchases Best free Shopify alternativesStarting a new business means learning about lots of new software and tools. If you have to purchase a new subscription every time you want to test something, this can quickly become expensive – which is why it’s a good idea to start with a free plan or trial before upgrading, so you’re not risking your budget on a product you end up disliking.Luckily, there are some brilliant software solutions that offer freemium versions. Amongst them is Square, one of our top-rated ecommerce website builders. We gave it a massive 4.6 out of 5 for value for money in our research, and it also ranks highest for help and support features.Free trials are another good way to save money if you don’t want to risk your budget on a tool you won’t like. Our top ecommerce website builder, Wix, has a 14-day free trial that lets you test the platform out free of charge. Looking to save money? Here are the most affordable online store builders in our list:GoDaddy – £13.99 per monthSquare Online – £12.58 per monthWix – £15 per month However, free ecommerce platforms aren’t the best option if you’re looking to grow your shop, as they often have limited features or user allowances. Because of this, they are best thought of as a short-term option.For example, Square gives you some advanced functions like Instagram integration and SEO tools. However, it doesn’t have as many options for customisation. You’ll need to purchase its lowest-priced tier, Square Professional, to get more personalised choices like fonts and domain names.What are our top 3 freemium ecommerce website builders?Square OnlineThe Square Online store builder has all of the essentials needed to get you up and running online, without overwhelming you if you’re new to ecommerce web building. There are no limits on the number of products you can sell, but you will incur a 1.9% transaction fee on every sale made (this is higher than most competitors’ fees).Big CartelPerhaps you already have a physical stall or Etsy shop, and you want an ecommerce website that can complement it. Big Cartel is your answer. It offers an easy user experience with plenty of helpful guides and a stripped-back approach to sales. We recommend it for side hustles.WooCommerceWooCommerce is an ecommerce plugin for WordPress, rather than an all-in-one platform, which means it works best alongside existing software like WordPress. Smaller sites will benefit from WooCommerce the most, as it boasts core ecommerce features like secure payments, order management and shipping, and marketing. Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward FULLY FREE 14-DAY TRIAL 3-DAY TRIAL 14-DAY TRIAL 15-DAY TRIAL 30-DAY TRIAL FULLY FREE FULLY FREE FULLY FREE Square Online Wix Shopify Squarespace BigCommerce GoDaddy Big Cartel WooCommerce Magento Open Source Platform or software? Platform Platform or software? Platform Platform or software? Platform Platform or software? Platform Platform or software? Platform Platform or software? Platform Platform or software? Platform Platform or software? Software Platform or software? Software Best for Best ecommerce store builder that’s free to use Best for Best all-round ecommerce platform with a free trial period Best for Best range of apps and extensions Best for Best for ease of use and great design Best for Best sales features Best for Best for simplicity Best for Best for small creative brands Best for Best for small retailers using WordPress Best for Best for the technically confident Cheapest paid plan £20 per month Cheapest paid plan £16 per month (billed annually) Cheapest paid plan £19 per month Cheapest paid plan £17 per month10% off with code SU10 Cheapest paid plan $29 (around £23) per month (billed annually) Cheapest paid plan £13.99 per month Cheapest paid plan $9.99 per month Cheapest paid plan N/A – but software does not include hosting costs or domain registration Cheapest paid plan N/A – but software does not include hosting costs or domain registration Free trial? Free trial? Free trial? Free trial? Free trial? Free trial? Free trial? Free trial? Free trial? Free plan? Free plan? Free plan? Free plan? Free plan? Free plan? Free plan? Free plan? Free plan? You can find out more about the best freemium ecommerce platforms for small businesses in our comprehensive guide. Can you do better than Shopify?Shopify has the second-highest rating of all the online store builders we researched, and the highest when it comes to sales features and functions, which means it is still a high-performing option for small business online stores.However, there are lots of different tools out there that might be better suited to your business. Maybe you want to design an online store that’s more about showcasing your products than listing them. In that case, you should choose a platform like Wix, which has a similar price point to Shopify but a bigger focus on website aesthetic and layout.There’s no wrong answer – but we can help you find the right one!Digital SMEs that want not just an ecommerce website, but a platform to host their entire business, should choose WixChoose Squarespace if you’re a creative SME that wants to both showcase and sell your productsBeginner SMEs or those with strict budget requirements should choose Square Online More established small businesses with large product inventories should choose BigCommerce, as it’s the best platform for coping with big inventoriesStartups or small businesses with a very small product inventory should use GoDaddy for a website that does the job simplyNeed a closer comparison? To find the ecommerce website builder that’s the best choice for your business, use our simple online comparison tool and learn more about what the top providers can offer you. How we test ecommerce website builders for small businessesWe tested eight ecommerce website builders to evaluate them in terms of functionality, usability, accuracy, and aesthetics so we can make the most useful recommendations to small UK-based businesses.Our rigorous testing process means these products have been scored and rated in seven main categories of investigation and 47 subcategories – in fact, we covered 341 areas of investigation in total. We then gave each category score a ‘relevance weighting' to ensure the product's final score perfectly reflects the needs of our Startups.co.uk readers.Our main testing categories for ecommerce website builders are:Website Features: the capabilities and functionalities offered by an ecommerce website builder, e.g. blog functionality, SEO capability, and marketing capacity.Sales Features: the sales capabilities and sales functionalities offered by an ecommerce builder, e.g. shipping, inventory capacity, and payment options.Design: the aesthetic appeal and visual layout of a website created using an ecommerce website builder. It encompasses aspects such as page templates and customisable themes.Customer Score: external customer opinion; the feedback and ratings given by customers who have used a particular ecommerce platform – the market position and reputation a builder holds.Ease of Use: how user-friendly and intuitive an ecommerce website builder is for people with varying levels of technical expertise.Value for Money: the balance between the cost of an ecommerce builder and the benefits it provides. It considers factors such as pricing plans, subscription models, and available features.Help and Support: the assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues or need guidance while using an ecommerce website builder.The Startups product testing process Frequently Asked Questions Who are Shopify's top competitors? Shopify is the best-known ecommerce platform brand in the UK, according to our research. It came out on top for brand recognition ahead of other industry leaders Wix and Squarespace. Is paying for Shopify worth it? Compared to other ecommerce platforms, Shopify doesn’t get you as much bang for your buck. But it does outshine the majority of the market on metrics like website features and design functionality, both of which are crucial for creating a successful online shop.</p> <p>The main difference between pricing plans is the number of staff accounts you can have. That’s bad news for large teams, but it also means if you’re a small team needing no more than two account holders, Shopify is your best bet. Is Wix cheaper than Shopify? Wix’s lowest-price payment plan is Wix Business, which costs £16 per month. This is more affordable compared to Basic Shopify (£19 per month). Because of this, we scored Shopify lower in value for money.</p> <p>However, there is a reason for that cost. Shopify offers a more comprehensive range of sales features, which do tend to have a higher price point. Who is Wix for? Plenty of small businesses are based entirely online now, and that means it can be tricky to find a website that performs all of your company requirements – lead generation, customer communication, and branding – without sacrificing some area of your business.</p> <p>Wix is the best all-round solution for entirely digital SMEs that want not just an ecommerce website, but a platform to host their whole business. How much does Shopify cost per month? Depending on the plan you get, Shopify can cost from £5 per month to £259 per month. What are the disadvantages of Shopify? Although Shopify is great at doing lots of things, it's not super budget-friendly. This doesn't make it suitable for small businesses who are trying to cut spending. Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Written by: Helena Young Lead Writer Helena is Lead Writer at Startups. As resident people and premises expert, she's an authority on topics such as business energy, office and coworking spaces, and project management software. With a background in PR and marketing, Helena also manages the Startups 100 Index and is passionate about giving early-stage startups a platform to boost their brands. From interviewing Wetherspoon's boss Tim Martin to spotting data-led working from home trends, her insight has been featured by major trade publications including the ICAEW, and news outlets like the BBC, ITV News, Daily Express, and HuffPost UK.