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Free alternatives to Shopify

Shopify costs $25/mo on the Basic plan, or $300 a year. Here are 5 free and open-source options, what each one does, and what you give up compared with paying.

Prices checked Aug 14, 2026Can AI replace it? Nah

01At a glance

AlternativeTypeWhere it runsWorks on
BagistoOpen sourceYou host itWeb, Your server
Magento Open SourceOpen sourceYou host itWeb, Your server
OpenCartOpen sourceYou host itWeb, Your server
Shopware Community EditionOpen sourceYou host itWeb, Your server
VvvebOpen sourceYou host itWeb, Your server

02Each alternative, in detail

BagistoOpen source

A proper Laravel storefront and admin; the free bit ends where hosting and Laravel operations begin.

Versus paying: Bagisto lacks Shopify's managed checkout, hosting, app ecosystem, multichannel operations and support; Laravel operations become the merchant's job.

Setup: Install with Composer/Git and run php artisan bagisto:install, or use the supplied Docker route

Watch for: The first obstacle is a Laravel stack: compatible PHP, Composer, Node build tools, database and web-server configuration

27,900 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

bagisto.com →
Magento Open SourceOpen source

A vast store engine for anyone who thought running WooCommerce did not involve enough infrastructure.

12,200 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

business.adobe.com →
OpenCartOpen source

Old-school PHP commerce that still does the whole job instead of selling you ten add-ons first.

Versus paying: OpenCart's themes, admin, integrations and multichannel operations are much less refined, and the merchant owns the server.

Setup: Upload a stable PHP release to hosting, create a database, then complete the browser installer

Watch for: PHP hosting, database and permissions work come first, followed by payment, shipping, mail and extension configuration

8,174 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

opencart.com →
Shopware Community EditionOpen source

A serious modern store; free licence, expensive appetite for RAM and competent administration.

Versus paying: Shopware Community Edition demands far more infrastructure and administration and has a smaller plug-and-play ecosystem than Shopify.

Setup: Use Shopware's official Docker/CLI setup or its web installer on a supported server

Watch for: The Docker route asks for roughly 8 GB minimum and 16 GB recommended RAM, plus competent server administration

3,399 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

shopware.com →
VvvebOpen source

A visual CMS and complete shop in one PHP install; obscure, capable and still your server.

Versus paying: Vvveb cannot match Shopify's app ecosystem, multichannel operations, managed checkout reliability or support.

Setup: Download and upload the PHP release, open the site URL, and complete the browser installer

Watch for: PHP hosting, a database, writable files, mail and payment configuration, plus ongoing server updates

1,200 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

vvveb.com →

03What you give up by leaving Shopify

  • trusted checkout
  • payment risk
  • app marketplace
  • themes
  • shipping/tax integrations
  • POS
  • support
  • scale

They pay because ecommerce failures cost real revenue and trust.

04Questions

Is there a free alternative to Shopify?

Yes. This page compares 5: Bagisto, Magento Open Source, OpenCart, Shopware Community Edition and Vvveb. All of them are open source, so you can run them yourself.

How much does Shopify cost?

$25/mo on the Basic plan (monthly), which is $300 a year. Prices checked Aug 14, 2026.

What do you give up with a free alternative to Shopify?

Most often: trusted checkout, payment risk, app marketplace and themes. Each alternative on this page lists its own gap under “Versus paying.”

Can AI build me my own version of Shopify?

Nah. You can build a small store, but Shopify's product is hosted checkout, payments, tax/shipping integrations, app marketplace, fraud/risk tooling, and merchant operations.

Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.