Find The Best WordPress Alternatives To Create A Website For Your Business

Best for vendors seeking an easy all-in-one eCommerce solution.

Shopify is an easy-to-use eCommerce option that’s priced to fit nearly every budget and sales plan, with subscriptions ranging from a basic free option to an entrepreneur-level plan that can meet even the biggest users’ needs. A fully hosted platform, Shopify offers reliable customer service and a solid feature set with eCommerce basics plus a few advanced features that will be more than enough to get you started. A fully stocked app store with more than 3,500 add-ons allows advanced users to fill in missing features with apps and integrations.

Shopify starts off right by offering a free trial, so you can test the software against your needs before you pull out your wallet. If you decide to sign up after the trial ends, you can choose a month-to-month plan with no contract, or purchase a yearly plan to save 10% on your subscription price.

Setting up an online store using Shopify is relatively easy, even for novices with little to no web design or coding experience. And Shopify stores can be built on beautiful, clean, and modern themes. Choose from more than 100 Shopify themes, including eight free ones. Check out our full Shopify review for information on the range of pricing plans, and more details that will help you decide if Shopify is the right WordPress alternative for you.

Best for online vendors looking for a scalable eCommerce solution that can grow with their business.

When you’re searching for WordPress alternatives, one of the first names you may run into is BigCommerce. A fully hosted, cloud-based, and user-friendly platform, BigCommerce is a good option for vendors of any size and any level of experience with web design and site management. With a free 15-day trial, users have the chance to test out the platform before making a decision. If you sign up for a plan, you can pay monthly, or pay annually to save 10%. And there’s no contract to sign, setup fees, or cancellation penalty.

BigCommerce offers four pricing plans, starting at $29.95 per month, with tiered benefits and features. Most users will find the Standard plan has all they need to set up a functional store, though many will soon be eyeing the advanced features available on higher-level plans. All plans include unlimited product listings, storage and bandwidth, and staff accounts, and other desirable features such as single-page checkout and a built-in blog.

Known for its ability to grow with your business, BigCommerce attaches revenue caps to each sales plan. You’ll find full details on pricing and features in our complete BigCommerce review. When your annual sales hit that cap, you’ll automatically bump up to the next service level. Fortunately, the limits are relatively generous, and moving up in plan level gives users access to better features. Whatever plan you’re on, you’ll probably appreciate how easy BigCommerce is to use, with an intuitive user interface that helps you figure out how to make the most of all the features available to you as you build your store and your online sales.

Best for small to mid-sized online stores as well as restaurants, hotels, photographers, and design firms.

Wix is one of the world’s most popular website builders, and certain plans support eCommerce. When it comes to Wix VS WordPress, how does Wix stack up?

When you sign up for a Wix trial, you’ll quickly see one of the platform’s strengths. With more than 600 templates to choose from, customers in virtually any niche can select the perfect layout. Don’t have a good eye for design or any coding experience? No problem! Although the templates are easy to use and the design process is easy enough for novices to navigate, you can let Wix’s ADI build your website for you if you choose.

Although Wix offers a free plan, if your plans include eCommerce you’ll need to sign up for one of the paid Business & eCommerce plans, starting at $28 per month. Each subscription includes unlimited bandwidth and products, no transaction fees, and a freedom domain for one year, with an exceptional range of features accruing as you go up in plan level. Certain advanced features, like abandoned cart recovery and recurring payments, are available at all levels.

Best for merchants already using Square products or whose plans include a mix of online and in-person sales.

Perhaps best known for its point of sales (POS) services, Square has diversified its software offerings and now includes an online store builder and eCommerce platform known as Square Online. Merchants can use Square Online to set up and run a full online store, or use Square to accept payments online without even setting up an online store. That alone makes it an appealing alternative to WordPress for some users who want to add an eCommerce element to the mix without establishing a full store. But that doesn’t mean Square Online isn’t a solid eCommerce option, as our full Square Online review shows.

Most sellers — especially those already using Square products — find Square Online to be incredibly easy to use, even without having any web design or software experience. Its ease of use appeals to many, though some large vendors may find the software a bit limiting. However, those limitations are offset by the fact that Square Online allows you to set up a store for free. Subscribing to a paid plan, starting at $16 per month, removes Square advertisements from your site, gives you more storage space, lets you use a custom domain, and allows you to use payment processors other than Square.

The free plan is actually surprisingly robust, allowing users to post unlimited numbers of products, including digital and physical goods, services, tickets, and donations. The free plan lets you track inventory and orders and syncs with Square POS. You can access Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest integrations, use coupon codes and Square gift cards, and offer customers in-store or curbside pickup as well as delivery options. Add a paid plan, and you unlock even more eCommerce functions, like product reviews and abandoned cart recovery tools. Despite Square’s roots in payments, it has a lot to offer online sellers looking for a good WordPress alternative.

Best for small to mid-sized vendors looking to set up a budget-friendly, no-fuss sales site.

Best known as an easy, drag-and-drop website builder, Weebly is a user-friendly option for setting up a website. And with a solid set of eCommerce tools, it’s good for setting up an online store, too. But how does it stack up as an alternative to WordPress?

Owned since 2018 by Square Online, Weebly also operate independently, catering to restaurants, photographers, musicians, exercise studios, and brick-and-mortar shops looking to set up an online shop. There’s a free plan that includes all the basics, including unlimited product listings and a shopping cart, with paid plans starting at $9 per month that deliver more advanced tools for those who are more serious about building online sales. No matter what plan you choose, you’ll be about to use Weebly’s preprogrammed content blocks, such as image galleries, contact forms, text boxes, and so on, organizing them in unique configurations to build your store. Though advanced users may find the design options limited, it makes for a user friendly experience even for tech-hesitant users.

Although the platform doesn’t offer a lot of bells and whistles, users will find all the features required to set up shop online. That includes basic tax functions, blogging capabilities, inventory management, SEO tools, and digital coupons. There’s even a mobile app you can use to manage your store on the go.

Best for startups and small businesses.

Volusion offers a free 14-day trial, meaning new users can test the software themselves to see how it stands as an alternative to WordPress. If you like what you see and decide to sign up for a paid plan, you’ll have five plans to choose from, starting at $29 per month, with added features and support options as you advance in plan level. All plans include the basics of eCommerce, including unlimited products, storage, and bandwidth. Even on the lowest service tier, you’ll have access to some advanced eCommerce tools, such as coupons, automatic tax calculator, shipping rates, and options for dropshipping. All plans include access to a mobile app.

Volusion is an easy-to-use platform. It’s simple to set up a basic store, add products, set shipping policies, and more. It’s not as simple to use as other WordPress alternatives can be, although most of the features are more than adequate. Take the choice of themes, for example. Though they’re all mobile responsive and attractive, there are only 11 free themes and 34 themes you can purchase for $180. That’s certainly enough, but it’s not exactly an embarrassment of choices. Still, you’ll probably find something to your liking. A basic drag-and-drop editor allows those without coding expertise to customize content blocks (text, images, headers, and footers), though you won’t be able to hit the highest levels of customization.

Again, in the area of add-ons, Volusion offers just enough options to make the “best of” list. With just about two dozen integrations available, you might think you won’t find all you need to customize your site. However, with the inclusion of Zapier, you’ll be able to integrate multiple additional third-party options. And there’s an API available if you’d like to build new connections. Learn more about the benefits and some of the limits of this software in our full Volusion review.