Which Is Your Best Shopware Alternative: 11+ Options 2024

Despite its flexibility and robust feature set, Shopware might not be an excellent fit for some businesses due to the heavy development and price tag. If you’re searching for a Shopware alternative to better manage and grow your store, you’ve come to the right place.

In this blog, LitExtension will provide a list of the best alternatives and competitors to Shopware. So you can find the option that fits you the most.

Have a look at the names we’re examining today:

• Shopify 
• BigCommerce
• Salesforce Commerce Cloud
• Ecwid
• WooCommerce
• Magento Open Source (Adobe Commerce)
• PrestaShop 
• Drupal Commerce
• Commercetools
• Other Shopware alternatives to consider.

🔎 Finding the best Shopware alternative is a big decision. Here's what to keep in mind: How much does the platform cost overall? Look at the starting price, monthly fees, fees for each sale, and extra costs for add-ons or special features. Is it easy for you to learn and use? Check how simple the main screen is, if tutorials or help are available, and if it's easy to set up and run your online store. Can you change the look of your store, add special features, or connect it to other tools you use? Some platforms let you customize more than others. Will the platform work as your business grows? Make sure it can handle more products, lots of visitors, and any additional features you might need.

💡 Check out our Shopware Review if you’re new to Shopware and want to know more detailed info about its pricing, features, pros & cons.

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1. Shopify

Category: Cloud-Based, SaaS (Software as a Service)

Shopify is a top eCommerce platform that helps businesses build, customize, and manage online stores easily. With a user-friendly interface, various built-in features, and an extensive App Store, Shopify is one of the best Shopware alternatives for businesses of all sizes.

Core strengths of Shopify:

• Shopify's interface is highly intuitive
• The Shopify App Store has over 8,000 robust eCommerce apps
• Shopify is well-packed with great built-in sales and marketing features.

Why Shopify might be a better fit than Shopware?

Shopify is easier to use than Shopware, especially if you're new to setting up online stores. It's easy to understand and use, even without technical skills. With Shopify, you can access a broader selection of tools and apps to expand your store's features. There are over 8,000 Shopify apps, while Shopware has just over 1,500 extensions. This means you have more options to customize your store and add functionality.

If you sell to customers worldwide, Shopify makes supporting multiple languages and currencies easier through Shopify Markets. This allows you to create a seamless shopping experience for customers in different countries.

However, consider these factors:

• Shopware may offer more flexibility for custom solutions for users with technical expertise
• Using Shopify can become expensive with additional apps and transaction fees.

Our recommendations:

• Best for: Businesses of all sizes looking for an easy-to-use, scalable eCommerce platform.
• Not recommended for: Businesses with high customization requirements.

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2. BigCommerce

Category: Cloud-Based, SaaS (Software as a Service)

BigCommerce is a leading eCommerce platform known for its scalability and comprehensive feature set, making it one of the best Shopware competitors. To name a few, BigCommerce supports multi-channel selling, integrates seamlessly with various third-party applications, and provides robust SEO tools to help enhance your store's visibility.

Core strengths of BigCommerce:

• BigCommerce is famous for its capabilities to support high-volume stores
• Though BigCommerce is a hosted solution, the platform gives you great flexibility through API access
• You can do multi-channel selling across various platforms seamlessly.

Why choose BigCommerce over Shopware?

BigCommerce makes it simple to open and run your online shop. With easy-to-follow guides and a clear layout, it's easy for anyone to understand, even if you're unfamiliar with technology. BigCommerce provides all the tools you need to sell online right within the platform. This saves you time and effort, as you won't need to search for and add extra features from other places.

Unlike Shopware, BigCommerce doesn't charge extra fees when you make a sale, no matter which plan you choose. This means you get to keep more of the money you earn.

However, consider these factors:

• BigCommerce is not as easy to set up as some other hosted platforms
• The platform has limited sales per plan, which could restrict growth
• BigCommerce offers limited SEO capabilities compared to some competitors

Our recommendations:

• Best for: Businesses of all sizes looking for a scalable eCommerce platform with strong built-in features.
• Not recommended for: Businesses requiring highly specific customizations or those looking for the easiest setup experience.

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3. Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Category: Cloud-Based, SaaS (Software as a Service)

Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a comprehensive eCommerce platform designed to support medium-to-large-sized businesses. Known for its extensive built-in eCommerce features and AI-powered functionalities, Salesforce Commerce Cloud will allow you to run seamless multi-channel retail operations and provide advanced personalization capabilities to your customers.

Core strengths of Salesforce Commerce Cloud:

• The platform integrates seamlessly with Salesforce CRM to give you a unified view of your customer data
• You get access to advanced personalization tools for your merchandising and marketing campaigns
• AI-powered recommendations and predictive analytics allow you to optimize your store continuously

Why choose Salesforce Commerce Cloud over Shopware?

If you need to manage multiple online stores, Salesforce is easier than Shopware. It's designed for growing businesses with many customers and has better tools for marketing your products and reaching more customers. Salesforce can automatically adjust your product displays, test different versions of your website, and even create special offers for each customer.

When your website gets very busy with many visitors and orders, Salesforce is built to handle it without slowing down. This makes it a reliable choice for growing businesses.

However, consider these factors:

• Salesforce Commerce Cloud can be complex to set up and may require technical expertise
• The platform is more expensive than some other eCommerce solutions, which may not be suitable for smaller budgets

Our recommendations:

• Best for: Medium to large-sized businesses looking for a scalable, feature-rich eCommerce platform with strong CRM integration.
• Not recommended for: Smaller businesses with tight budgets or simpler needs.

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4. Commercetools

Category: Open source

This list would be incomplete without Commercetools, one of the best Shopware alternatives with high flexibility over your e-store.

Thanks to its API-first approach, Commercetools allows businesses to create customized and innovative shopping experiences across various channels. The platform’s modular architecture promises to empower enterprises to integrate their eCommerce store seamlessly with any third-party tools.

Core strengths of Commercetools

• Commercetools offers a highly flexible and scalable API-first platform
• The platform supports multi-channel selling and seamless integration with various touchpoints
• The architecture enables extensive customization through its modular design
• Commercetools facilitates innovation with its headless commerce approach

Why choose Commercetools over Shopware?

Commercetools is an excellent choice for online stores that want to be flexible and grow quickly. It uses a special approach (API-first) that Shopware doesn't do as well. Thanks to its modular and microservices-based architecture, Commercetools supports more extensive customization.

For example, you can independently develop and deploy specific services like payment processing, inventory management, etc., without affecting other parts of the system.

Commercetools also uses a modern design (headless commerce) that makes creating a fast and smooth shopping experience for your customers easier. This design also helps ensure that your store is ready for future changes and updates.

However, consider these factors:

• The initial setup and integration process can be complex and time-consuming
• Commercetools can be more expensive due to custom development and integration costs
• You may need to rely on external developers for advanced customizations

Our recommendations:

• Best for: Large enterprises and businesses looking for a highly customizable and scalable eCommerce platform with a headless architecture.
• Not recommended for: Small businesses with limited technical expertise.

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5. Ecwid

Category: SaaS

Next up, I’m going to talk about Ecwid, or “eCommerce Widget,” a flexible eCommerce platform designed to help small businesses set up and manage online stores. What I particularly like about Ecwid is its flexibility as it enables businesses to integrate their store into existing websites, social media channels, and even marketplaces.

Core strengths of Ecwid:

• Ecwid has a free forever plan and does not charge transaction fees on any of its plans
• You can easily add Ecwid eCommerce widgets to your websites, social media, and marketplaces

Why choose Ecwid over Shopware?

If you want to save money and sell online quickly, Ecwid is among the best free Shopware alternatives. You can start for free, and even with the paid plans, Ecwid doesn't charge transaction fees on any of its plans, so you keep more profits.

Turning your website into an online store is also simple with Ecwid. It's designed for beginners and is easier to set up than Shopware. If you're looking for a way to sell online without spending a lot or needing technical skills, Ecwid is the perfect solution.

However, consider these factors:

• Ecwid offers limited customization options compared to Shopware
• Advanced features are largely in higher-tier plans, which can increase costs quickly as your store grows
• The platform may lack some third-party tool integrations found in other eCommerce solutions.

Our recommendations:

• Best for: Small businesses looking for an easy-to-use, flexible eCommerce platform that integrates with existing online presences.
• Not recommended for: Large businesses that require extensive customization or a wide range of third-party integrations.

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6. WooCommerce

Category: Open-source plugin for WordPress

WooCommerce is the next Shopware alternative I’d like to examine. It is a powerful and flexible eCommerce plugin designed for WordPress websites. Thanks to WooCommerce’s open-source nature and its deep integration with WordPress, the platform is famous for its unlimited customizations and various plugins.

Core strengths of WooCommerce:

• WooCommerce provides extensive flexibility in design and functionality
• The platform integrates directly with WordPress– the most popular CMS worldwide
• WooCommerce supports a wide range of payment gateways
• The platform includes extensive plugin support, allowing you to extend your store functionality how you like it.

Why choose WooCommerce over Shopware?

WooCommerce is perfect if you want to start selling online without spending any money upfront. Because it's built on WordPress, it's great for creating websites that focus on content, like blogs or articles, alongside your products.

With WooCommerce, you have tons of options to make your store look and function exactly how you want it to. Compared to Shopware, there are way more themes and extra plugins available. This gives you much flexibility to create a unique and customized online store.

However, consider these factors:

• The WordPress plugin lacks some of the advanced eCommerce features found in Shopware, like B2B functionalities, multi-site management, and omnichannel support
• From my experience, WooCommerce’s heavy reliance on third-party plugins can lead to potential security risks, compatibility issues, and increased maintenance.

Our recommendations:

• Best for: Businesses already using WordPress or those seeking a highly customizable and flexible eCommerce platform.
• Not recommended for: Businesses seeking an all-in-one solution with minimal setup and maintenance requirements.

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7. Magento Open Source 

Category: Open-source

Magento Open Source will be a great solution if you are looking for a scalable Shopware alternative to cope with your growth. This platform is one of the most robust and highly customizable eCommerce platforms designed for businesses that require extensive flexibility and control over their online stores.

Core strengths of Magento Open Source

• Magento provides extensive customization options for design and functionality
• The platform supports a wide range of payment gateways and shipping methods
• Magento offers robust product management features, including complex product types and inventory management
• The platform includes a large ecosystem of extensions and themes

Why choose Magento Open Source over Shopware?

If you need a powerful online store that you can change to fit your exact needs, Magento is a better choice than Shopware. It's great for selling all types of products, even those with several options and variations. Magento has a massive library of extensions, with over 4,415 compared to Shopware's 1,500+. This means you can easily add new features and functions to your store.

If you need to manage multiple stores at the same time, Magento makes it simple to do this from one central location. It's designed for growing businesses that need a lot of flexibility.

However, consider these factors:

• Magento can suffer from performance issues, particularly in standard hosting environments
• Magento often requires complex and time-consuming upgrades, which can result in significant downtime

Our recommendations:

• Best for: Businesses seeking a highly customizable and flexible eCommerce platform with extensive features.
• Not recommended for: Small businesses with limited technical expertise.

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8. PrestaShop

Category: Open-source

PrestaShop is a flexible and feature-rich eCommerce platform designed for businesses of all sizes. As PrestaShop supports multiple languages and currencies, it’s the option I highly recommend if you’re looking for a platform with cool internationalization functionalities.

Core strengths of PrestaShop

• PrestaShop’s open-source nature will give users extensive customization options with multiple languages and currency support
• PrestaShop provides a robust set of product management features, including inventory management and product variations
• The platform includes a large marketplace of modules and themes to extend store capabilities

Why choose PrestaShop over Shopware?

Even though PrestaShop is an open-source software, it's simpler to set up a store with PrestaShop than Shopware. This platform offers over 4,000 modules, more than what Shopware provides, so you have more options to add extra features to your store.

PrestaShop is used by over 300,000 stores globally, much more than the 27,000+ sites using Shopware. This means PrestaShop has a bigger community where you can find help and advice. PrestaShop is especially popular in France, where it has a strong support network. Its headquarters is located in Paris, making it easier to get help in French.

However, consider these factors:

• PrestaShop may require additional modules for certain advanced features, increasing overall costs
• The content management features of PrestaShop are not as advanced and flexible as Shopware

Our recommendations:

• Best for: Businesses looking for a highly customizable platform with a strong presence in France.
• Not recommended for: Businesses seeking a solution with more advanced built-in content management features.

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9. Drupal Commerce

Category: Open-source

Last but not least, Drupal Commerce is the last Shopware alternative we’d love to examine. Drupal Commerce is one of the best Shopware alternatives, thanks to its flexibility and seamless integration with the Drupal CMS.

Drupal Commerce's core system includes comprehensive product management, a shopping cart, and a checkout process. What I like most about Drupal Commerce is that the platform has fantastic globalization features like language translation, dynamic currency conversion, localized tax, etc.

Core strengths of Drupal Commerce

• Drupal Commerce offers deep integration with Drupal, which I believe to be quite handy if you want to build a content-driven eCommerce website
• Drupal Commerce supports a wide range of payment gateways and shipping methods
• The platform includes robust product management features and flexible taxonomy systems

Why choose Drupal Commerce over Shopware?

If you want to create an online store that is tightly connected to your website content, Drupal Commerce is a great option. It lets you manage your products and website content all in one place.

Drupal Commerce is designed to make your online store run fast and smoothly. It does this by separating the front end (what customers see) from the back end (how your store works), resulting in a better user experience. This is particularly important if you have a large or complex store.

However, consider these factors:

• Drupal Commerce requires significant technical expertise to set up and manage, especially for advanced customizations
• Drupal Commerce may require more frequent maintenance and updates to ensure security and performance

Our recommendations:

• Best for: Businesses seeking a highly customizable and content-driven eCommerce platform with deep integration with Drupal CMS.
• Not recommended for: Small businesses with limited technical expertise or those looking for a more straightforward eCommerce solution

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10. Other Shopware Alternatives Worth Considering

• OpenCart: OpenCart is an open-source eCommerce platform known for its extensive customization options, various extensions & themes, and support for multiple languages and currencies.
• Wix: If you prioritize ease of use, I highly suggest trying Wix eCommerce. The platform’s drag-and-drop editor, beautiful templates, payment gateway integrations, and built-in SEO tools will let you quickly build a functional online store.
• nopCommerce: As a free, open-source eCommerce platform nopCommerce is famous for supporting multi-store setups with advanced product management, flexible shipping options, and various payment integrations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Final Words

Choosing the right Shopware alternative is like finding the perfect tool for the job. It needs to fit your business, your goals, and your budget. Today, I showed you many popular Shopware alternatives:

• Shopify is great for beginners and businesses of all sizes. It is easy to use and offers everything you need in one place.
• BigCommerce has powerful features with API access, which is great for growing businesses.
• Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a top choice for large enterprises with complex needs.
• Ecwid is simple and affordable, which is perfect for small shops.
• WooCommerce is flexible and customizable, ideal for those who already have a WordPress website.
• Magento Open Source is highly customizable but requires technical expertise.
• PrestaShop is free and open-sourced, making it a good option for those on a tight budget.
• Drupal Commerce is another open-source option, highly flexible but requires technical knowledge.
• commercetools is a headless platform, offering maximum flexibility, but best suited for experienced developers.

Finally, I just wanted to remind you that the best platform for you really depends on your unique needs. I understand that this decision is essential for your online store to thrive, so I encourage you to take some time to explore different options.

For more eCommerce platform insights, visit LitExtension Blog and our eCommerce community to gain more understanding and connect with numerous eCommerce users and experts.