Looking for Shopify alternatives? Compare top design and frontend tools with unique features, pricing, and benefits to find your ideal match.
Irvin Zhan
•
2025-01-13
While Shopify is a widely-used platform for e-commerce, it might not be the best fit for everyone. You might be looking for a more cost-effective solution, or perhaps a platform that offers different features tailored to your specific needs.
In this article, we’ll explore ten of the best alternatives to Shopify for building and managing your online store. We’ll cover their pricing, key features, and who they are best suited for, helping you make an informed decision.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a comprehensive commerce platform that allows businesses to sell online, in person, locally, globally, direct, and wholesale. It provides tools for building and customizing online stores, managing products, payments, and shipping, and leveraging marketing and customer insights.
Shopify supports businesses from solo entrepreneurs to large enterprises, helping them grow and manage their sales. The platform offers a variety of tools and features to help businesses manage their online and offline sales, marketing, customer engagement, and operations.
What to Consider When Selecting a Shopify Alternative?
Pricing: Evaluate the cost of the platform, including subscription fees, transaction fees, and any additional costs for premium features or plugins. This helps in budgeting and understanding the total cost of ownership.
Ease of Use: Consider how user-friendly the platform is, especially if you lack technical skills. A platform with a simple, intuitive interface can save time and reduce the learning curve.
Customization Options: Look for the ability to customize your store's design and functionality. This includes access to themes, templates, and the flexibility to modify code if needed.
Integration Capabilities: Ensure the platform can integrate with other tools and services you use, such as payment gateways, email marketing software, and inventory management systems. This ensures seamless operations and better efficiency.
Customer Support: Check the availability and quality of customer support, including live chat, email, phone support, and community forums. Reliable support can be crucial when you encounter issues or need assistance.
Best Alternatives to Shopify in 2025
1) Subframe
Subframe is a UI design tool that bridges the gap between design and code. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, a custom component library, and real-time collaboration. With Subframe, you can generate production-ready code in React and Tailwind, making it easier to bring your designs to life.
Pros of Using Subframe
Subframe offers a range of features that make it a powerful tool for UI design and development.
Design with real components: Utilize a visual UI editor with drag-and-drop functionality on a responsive canvas, ensuring pixel-perfect designs every time.
Stunning UI templates: Access a variety of templates inspired by world-class products, hand-crafted by designers, and built with reusable components, so you never have to start from scratch.
Skip handoff: Generate high-quality front-end code that you can copy and paste directly into your codebase, allowing you to focus more on adding business logic rather than tweaking CSS.
Build UI visually for free: Start designing without any upfront costs or the need for a credit card, making it accessible for everyone.
Real-time collaboration: Work seamlessly with your team in real-time, enhancing productivity and ensuring everyone is on the same page.
These are just a few of Subframe's many features. Check them out here to learn more.
Who Should Use Subframe?
Subframe targets founders, designers, and developers who need to streamline their UI design process. It's particularly beneficial for startups, freelancers, and large teams or agencies looking to integrate AI into their design workflows and generate production-ready code efficiently.
Subframe Pricing
Subframe offers three pricing options:
Free: $0 per user/month
Pro: $29 per user/month
Custom: Requires contacting support
Subframe Reviews
Subframe has received a perfect score of 5/5 based on 4 reviews. Users generally have a very positive opinion about Subframe, appreciating its ease of use, time-saving features, and the ability to create clean and professional UIs without needing extensive design or coding skills. The product is praised for its intuitive drag-and-drop editor and the quality of the templates provided.
Here are some of the positive comments from users:
Erin Kim: "Without subframe, the frontend build of this tool would've taken a lot longer and a lot more financial resources. Thank you to the subframe team for partnering with us from ideation to execution, starting day 1."
Carl Peterson: "Subframe helped us make a super clean UI for our console without designers."
Amartya Jha: "Huge shoutout to Subframe guys! Super easy to create UI, and the support is great. Highly recommend!"
Laura Sinisterra: "Just joined, will spend more time on it but so far it is incredible, really love it."
Filmon Arefayne: "Great product, amazed by the accuracy of the pages generated by the AI."
Raunak Shaw: "Loved this product! The visual editor saves loads of time and is really a cool feature."
Nikit Phadke: "Very good design app. Loved it."
2) Blocs
Blocs is a visual web design tool available for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, enabling users to build responsive websites quickly and easily without needing to write any code. The software is designed to be user-friendly and powerful, catering to both beginners and experienced web designers.
Pros of Blocs
Visual Web Design: Blocs offers a visual interface for designing websites, eliminating the need for coding.
Responsive Design: The software ensures that websites are responsive and work well on different devices.
Developer API: Allows developers to create custom add-ons to enhance the software's capabilities.
Cons of Blocs
Formatting Issues: Users have reported encountering odd formatting behaviors that can be frustrating, especially for first-time users. These issues can disrupt the design process and require time to adjust to the software's quirks.
Plugin Issues: The availability of plugins is limited, which can restrict the functionality and customization options for users. This limitation can be a significant drawback for those looking to extend the capabilities of their websites beyond the basic features provided by Blocs.
Blocs Pricing
Blocs 6 Free: Free
Blocs 6 Standard: $112.99 (including tax)
Blocs 6 Plus: $179.99 (including tax)
Blocs Reviews
Blocs has an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. Users have reported encountering bugs and formatting issues, and some have mentioned a learning curve and limited customization options.
3) AppMaster
AppMaster is a no-code platform that enables users to build comprehensive web and mobile applications without writing any code. It offers powerful visual editing tools, real AI-generated backend, and one-click deployment to any cloud provider or private server, making it an ideal solution for both non-technical users and experienced developers.
Pros of AppMaster
Real AI-generated Backend: The platform uses AI to generate backend code, ensuring best practices and eliminating the need for human developers.
One-click Export Full Source Code: Users can export their entire project as a clean, repo-ready package with a single click, providing full control and customization.
Autogenerated Documentation: The platform generates comprehensive documentation from the source code, making it easier to understand and maintain the application.
Cons of AppMaster
Steep Learning Curve: Despite its user-friendly interface, AppMaster can be challenging for complete beginners. Users often find themselves needing to invest significant time to fully understand and utilize the platform's features.
Limited Deep Customization: While AppMaster offers powerful tools, it falls short in providing extensive customization options. This limitation can be a significant drawback for users looking to tailor the platform to their specific needs.
AppMaster Pricing
Learn & Explore: FREE
Startup: $195/mo
Startup+: $299/mo
Business: $955/mo
Enterprise: Get a Quote
AppMaster Reviews
AppMaster has an overall rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars based on 102 reviews. Users generally mention that the platform is stable and suitable for developing channel management, with some noting that it is easy to use and affordable for non-IT users. Others highlight the platform's no-code approach and the wide range of pre-built components that speed up the development process.
4) Graphite
Graphite is a next-generation web design editor that empowers users to create responsive, pixel-perfect web pages without writing any code. It combines familiar graphic editor tools with modern frontend technologies, offering customizable grids, instant publishing, and professional-grade animation capabilities.
Pros of Graphite
Hybrid Grid: Combines absolute and grid-based positioning, offering unparalleled flexibility in design layout.
Instant Publishing: Allows for one-click publishing of web pages, streamlining the process from design to live site.
Professional-Grade Animations: Enables the addition of high-quality animations to web pages, enhancing user experience and engagement.
Cons of Graphite
Complicated User Interface: Some users find Graphite's interface too complex, making it challenging to navigate and use effectively, especially for those who are not experienced in web design.
Issues with Publishing Websites: Users have reported difficulties in publishing their websites, which can be frustrating and time-consuming, potentially hindering the overall user experience.
Graphite Pricing
Business: $49 per user/month
Enterprise: $99 per user/month
Custom: Contact support for pricing
Graphite Reviews
Graphite has an overall rating of 4.24 out of 5 based on 50 reviews. Users generally find it more developer-friendly than user-friendly and have reported issues with publishing websites.
5) Siter
Siter is a no-code website builder designed to help users create websites effortlessly without writing any code, featuring a freehand editor, intuitive design tools, and seamless Figma integration.
Pros of Siter
Freehand Editor: Allows users to design websites without any limitations, providing creative freedom and the ability to publish websites live without coding.
Animation Settings: Users can select presets or design custom animation styles for any element, choosing the ideal trigger type to make elements stand out.
Import from Figma: Allows users to import their designs from Figma and launch websites without additional coding using the official plugin.
Cons of Siter
Learning Difficulty: Users have reported that Siter has a steep learning curve, making it challenging for beginners to get started and fully utilize the platform's features.
Missing Features: Some users have noted that Siter lacks certain essential features, such as tables for communicating information to website visitors, which can limit the functionality and effectiveness of the websites created.
Siter Pricing
Start: Free
Solo: $7 per month
Plus: $12 per month
Pro: $24 per month
Siter Reviews
Siter has an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars based on user reviews. Users generally mention that the platform has a steep learning curve and lacks certain essential features, such as tables for communicating information to website visitors.
6) Versoly
Versoly is a no-code platform designed to help users build and host pixel-perfect landing pages and websites quickly. It offers a drag-and-drop editor, customizable components, and a built-in code editor for advanced use cases, all optimized for fast loading times and seamless third-party integrations.
Pros of Versoly
Built-in Code Editor: Versoly includes an advanced code editor that allows users to import, edit, and export code, providing flexibility for those who want to customize their websites beyond the drag-and-drop interface.
Fast Loading Pages: The platform is optimized for speed, ensuring that websites load quickly, which helps reduce bounce rates and improve user experience.
Customizable Components: Versoly offers a wide range of customizable components, including 300+ blocks, 50+ components, and 10+ templates, allowing users to create unique and visually appealing websites.
Cons of Versoly
Limited Customization Options: Users have reported that while Versoly offers a range of customizable components, it falls short in providing extensive customization options, which can be a significant drawback for those looking to tailor their websites beyond the basic features provided.
Steep Learning Curve: Despite its user-friendly interface, Versoly can be challenging for complete beginners. Users often find themselves needing to invest significant time to fully understand and utilize the platform's features.
Versoly Pricing
Business: $59 per month
Enterprise: $199 per month
Custom: Contact support for pricing
Versoly Reviews
Versoly has an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5 based on 57 reviews. Users generally find the platform effective for building websites quickly.
7) Plasmic
Plasmic is an open-source visual editing and content platform that integrates seamlessly with existing codebases, enabling rapid development of websites and apps. It supports popular data sources and APIs, custom UI design, and offers deployment flexibility and scalability.
Pros of Plasmic
Open-source visual editing and content platform: Plasmic is an open-source tool that allows for extensive customization and flexibility, making it a unique choice for developers looking to integrate it into their existing workflows.
Integration with existing codebases: Unlike many other platforms, Plasmic seamlessly integrates with your current codebase, allowing you to build and deploy without the limitations of a walled garden.
Figma to React code conversion: Plasmic offers the ability to convert Figma designs directly into React code, streamlining the design-to-development process and saving valuable time.
Cons of Plasmic
Steep Learning Curve: Despite its user-friendly interface, Plasmic can be challenging for complete beginners. Users often find themselves needing to invest significant time to fully understand and utilize the platform's features.
Limited Deep Customization: While Plasmic offers powerful tools, it falls short in providing extensive customization options. This limitation can be a significant drawback for users looking to tailor the platform to their specific needs.
Plasmic Pricing
Starter Plan: $39/month (billed yearly)
Pro Plan: $103/month (billed yearly)
Scale Plan: $399/month (billed yearly)
Enterprise Plan: Custom (contact for details)
Plasmic Reviews
Plasmic has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 based on 36 reviews. Users generally mention that the platform combines no-code features with coding capabilities, changing their approach to frontend development.
8) UI Bakery
UI Bakery is a low-code platform designed to help developers build custom web applications quickly, offering tools like a drag-and-drop UI builder, workflow automations, and integrations with various databases and APIs.
Pros of UI Bakery
Drag-and-Drop UI Builder: Utilize a WYSIWYG editor with 75+ components to build complex interfaces without needing to learn CSS and JS frameworks.
Git Version Control: Synchronize changes, view release history, and work in parallel using Git integration, enhancing collaborative development.
Workflow Automations: Implement scheduled jobs and webhooks to automate repetitive tasks, streamlining your development process.
Cons of UI Bakery
Limited Customization: Users have reported that while UI Bakery offers a range of customizable components, it falls short in providing extensive customization options, which can be a significant drawback for those looking to tailor their applications beyond the basic features provided.
Learning Curve: Despite its user-friendly interface, UI Bakery can be challenging for complete beginners. Users often find themselves needing to invest significant time to fully understand and utilize the platform's features.
UI Bakery Pricing
Business Plan: $10 per month per user (annually)
Business Plan: $12 per month per user (monthly)
Business UNLIM Plan: $250 per month for unlimited users (annually)
Business UNLIM Plan: $300 per month for unlimited users (monthly)
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing
UI Bakery Reviews
UI Bakery has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars based on 64 reviews. Users generally mention a learning curve, limited customization options, occasional performance issues, and thin documentation for edge use cases.
9) Budibase
Budibase is an open-source platform that enables users to build internal tools and automate workflows efficiently. It offers features like connecting to external databases, generating apps from data with one click, and designing user-friendly apps, making it a versatile solution for various organizational needs.
Pros of Budibase
Open-source and Self-hosting: Budibase is open-source, allowing users to self-host via Docker or Kubernetes, or let Budibase manage everything.
One-click App Generation: Users can generate powerful apps, forms, and workflows from their data in just a few seconds without any coding.
Automation: With a few clicks, users can automate manual processes and streamline operations within their apps and business.
Cons of Budibase
Complexity: Some users find Budibase complex to use, especially when dealing with advanced features. This can make the platform challenging for those who are not highly technical or familiar with no-code tools.
Limited Mobile Functionality: Budibase's functionality on mobile devices is limited compared to its desktop version, making it less convenient for users who need to work on the go.
Budibase Pricing
Premium Plan (Yearly): $50 per app creator/month, $5 per app user/month
Premium Plan (Monthly): $60 per app creator/month, $6 per app user/month
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing (Contact sales for details)
Budibase Reviews
Budibase has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on user reviews. Users generally mention that the platform is complex to use, especially when dealing with advanced features, and its functionality on mobile devices is limited compared to its desktop version.
10) Play
Play is a collaborative tool that leverages the power of iOS and SwiftUI to design, prototype, and ship mobile apps. It integrates seamlessly with Xcode, allowing users to create high-fidelity prototypes using native iOS elements and gestures, and export projects directly to the App Store.
Pros of Play
Import from Rive: Allows users to import Rive animations and access native Rive events within Play, enhancing the interactivity and visual appeal of prototypes.
Native Gestures: Provides access to gestures like drag, pan, and scroll, enabling designers to create more dynamic and responsive user interfaces.
Share with App Clips: The fastest way to share native prototypes without web simulations or app installs, making it easier to test and showcase designs.
Cons of Play
Steep Learning Curve: Despite its user-friendly interface, Play can be challenging for complete beginners. Users often find themselves needing to invest significant time to fully understand and utilize the platform's features.
Limited Customization Options: While Play offers a range of powerful tools, it falls short in providing extensive customization options. This limitation can be a significant drawback for users looking to tailor the platform to their specific needs.
Play Pricing
Starter: $12 per Editor / month (billed annually)
Pro: $30 per Editor / month (billed annually)
Enterprise: Request a Quote
Play Reviews
Play has a rating of 4.91 out of 5 based on 11 reviews. Users generally mention that the tool is easy to use and has unique inputs, but the feedback is more factual and neutral in tone.
Which One Should You Go With?
Choosing the right tool for your web app development needs can be challenging, given the variety of options available. Each platform has its unique strengths, making them suitable for different types of projects and user requirements.
While any of these platforms could be a great choice, we recommend Subframe if you're looking for an alternative that simplifies the design-to-code process. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, real-time collaboration, and AI-powered design capabilities make it a standout option for both technical and non-technical users.
Join thousands of happy builders.
Subframe lets you build stunning UI with beautifully crafted components and a drag-and-drop visual editor.