Shopify alternatives for UK sellers: what to compare

The main Shopify alternatives for UK sellers include WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce, Ecwid, ShopWired and newer UK-built platforms. Rather than looking for a single “best” one, compare them on the things that affect you: the total monthly cost with add-ons, any fees on your sales, how well they handle UK delivery and VAT, which payment methods your customers can use, and how easy they are to run day to day.

Shopify is a capable, popular platform, and for many shops it’s the right choice. But it isn’t the only one, and it’s worth comparing before you commit.

Why people look for an alternative

The reasons vary. Common ones include:

• Wanting a lower or more predictable monthly bill once paid apps are added up.
• Wanting to use a payment provider of their choice without an extra fee.
• Wanting features built in rather than spread across several apps.
• Preferring a platform built around UK selling and UK delivery.
• Wanting more control over their site and code.

Knowing your own reason helps you pick the right alternative, because each one is strong in different areas.

Know what Shopify costs first

To compare fairly, start with a clear baseline. When checked in autumn 2026, Shopify’s UK pricing page listed Basic at £25 a month (£19 a month billed yearly), Grow at £65 (£49 yearly) and Advanced at £344 (£259 yearly). Online UK card rates through Shopify Payments started at 2% + 25p on Basic, and Shopify listed an extra fee on sales made through third-party payment providers (2% on Basic). Prices change, so check Shopify’s own pricing page for the latest.

Then add the monthly cost of any apps you’d need. That total is what you’re really comparing against.

The main alternatives, briefly

WooCommerce

Free, open-source shop software for WordPress. Very flexible with a huge range of extensions. You arrange hosting and look after updates and security, or pay someone to.

Wix

A general website builder with shop features. Friendly drag-and-drop editing; well suited to smaller shops and sites where content matters as much as products.

Squarespace

A website builder known for polished design templates. Popular with creative businesses and smaller product ranges.

BigCommerce

A hosted platform with many features built in, aimed at growing and larger shops, including those selling wholesale.

Ecwid

A shop you can add to an existing website or social page. Handy if you already have a site you like.

ShopWired

A UK-based hosted platform aimed at UK businesses.

Marketplaces

Etsy, eBay and Amazon bring ready-made traffic, but you work within their rules and fees, and the customer relationship is mostly theirs. Many sellers use them alongside their own shop.

Each of these has its own pricing and fee structure. Check each provider’s current UK pricing page directly, as plans and fees change often.

What to compare, side by side

Make a simple table with your shortlist across the top and these rows down the side:

• Monthly plan cost for the plan you’d actually need.
• Paid add-ons you’d need, and their monthly cost.
• Platform fee on sales, if any, separate from payment processing.
• Payment options: which providers, and which methods (cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, buy now pay later).
• UK delivery: named services, cut-offs, next-day, delivery date shown to shoppers.
• Fulfilment: does it connect to your warehouse or courier?
• Selling abroad: separate prices, currencies and delivery per country?
• Built-in marketing: abandoned-basket emails, reviews, discount codes, product feeds for Google Shopping.
• Ease of editing pages without a developer.
• Exporting your data if you ever leave.

Things that are easy to miss

• Checkout control. Some platforms let you change the checkout layout; others keep it fixed.
• Reviews. Can you import reviews from your old shop, and do they show as stars in Google?
• Customer service tools. Can you see a customer’s order next to their email?
• Team access. Can you give staff limited access, and does everyone use two-step sign-in?
• Help and support. Is there clear documentation and someone to ask?

A UK-built option

Merchella is a newer hosted platform from a UK company whose team run their own online shops. It has two plans, Basic at £29.99 a month and Full at £89.99 a month, with no Merchella fee on sales. Checkout runs through PayPal (PayPal, cards, and Apple Pay or Google Pay where PayPal supports them), and you pay PayPal’s own rates. It’s worth knowing it doesn’t yet offer an app store, in-person tills, Stripe checkout or Klarna, so if you rely on those, factor that in.

Before you switch

If you already run a Shopify shop, moving takes planning. You’ll want to export products, customers and order history, keep your domain, and redirect every old page to its new address so you don’t lose search traffic. Our guide to moving your shop without losing sales or SEO covers the full process.

In short

There are good Shopify alternatives for UK sellers, and Shopify itself is a strong option too. Work out your real total cost on each, check the UK details that matter to your customers, and test your shortlist with real tasks. Pick the one that fits how you sell, not the one with the longest feature list.