You can buy pretty much anything online. It’s fast, easy, and it’s quickly becoming the preferred way to shop.
Ecommerce sales jumped from 13.6% to nearly 20% over the past two years. Projections show it’s only going to keep growing.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking to break into ecommerce. You’ve probably heard of options like Shopify that are supposed to make it quick and easy to get started.
But is it really?
While it may be well known, Shopify is not your only option. In fact, there are many Shopify alternatives, and many websites like Shopify to choose from. Some are even better than Shopify.
We’ll do a deep dive comparison of one in this blog: StoreBuilder.
Keep reading to learn more about StoreBuilder, Shopify, and all the considerations you need to make before creating an online store.
Websites Like Shopify: Meet StoreBuilder
Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce platform that hosts your online store. You can use its templates to build your store too. The platform handles all the hosting and technical aspects of your site.
On the other hand, StoreBuilder is just like it sounds — an online store creator. From a high level, StoreBuilder is a website like Shopify in that it creates ecommerce stores for users. Using an intelligent wizard, StoreBuilder makes the site creation process easy, and with no coding required.
StoreBuilder is open source. It’s based on WooCommerce, which is an ecommerce plugin for WordPress. StoreBuilder also comes backed with fully managed hosting from Nexcess.
Both Shopify and StoreBuilder can be used to build an ecommerce website, and take care of hosting it too. But there are some key differences between the platforms — some of which make StoreBuilder better than Shopify.
4 Ways StoreBuilder is Better Than Shopify
Now that you have a high level understanding of StoreBuilder and Shopify, let’s break down some of the features and differences between these two options.
StoreBuilder is Open Source
Why is open source such a big deal when it comes to ecommerce? Simply put, there are zero licensing fees when you use open source vs. proprietary, which on the other hand has licensing fees.
You may be wondering, is Shopify open source? Shopify is a closed source platform. With Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions like Shopify, you can be subject to monthly or annual fees. But that’s not the only reason selecting an open source ecommerce solution is important for your online store.
When you are building an online store, it takes time and effort. If you spend the time creating an online store, you don’t want to have to rebuild it in the future if you switch platforms. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what you’d have to do if you left Shopify.
With a closed source option like Shopify, you have to rebuild your site from scratch if you choose to move your site elsewhere. With Shopify, you’re using the space until you stop paying for it.
On the other hand, StoreBuilder is open source. When you’re using StoreBuilder, you’re running off WordPress and WooCommerce. These open source platforms allow you to migrate to another platform easily if you choose to do that. With StoreBuilder, you’re creating an asset you can bring anywhere.
No Hidden Fees With StoreBuilder
Knowing what you’re paying for is important if you’re going to be successful in ecommerce. A low cost plan that seems too good to be true can be just that. And with Shopify, all the fees and add-on costs really add up.
Shopify has two main types of fees: plan fees and selling fees.
Your plan fee is the monthly or annual cost to use the Shopify platform. Then there are transaction fees and credit card payment fees. These cut into your profits on every hard-earned sale you make.
Related reading: 8 Best Online Payment Methods for Ecommerce Stores >>
You can avoid some of these by using Shopify Payments, which isn’t available in all countries and may not be the preferred payment processor of your customers. PayPal, for example, is Shopify Payments’ main competitor. You can get someone all the way to the “Submit Order” page and have someone abandon their cart if they can’t pay you the way they want to.
Want a faster theme with Shopify? It’ll cost you. Want the best apps to build your store? You’ll have to open your wallet again. Suddenly, your cost effective plan is jumping from affordable to regrettable — and fast.
With StoreBuilder, you’re not paying a license fee or being charged piece by piece. You have an entire library of free plugins and themes at your disposal.
Sure, there are paid WooCommerce themes and plugins, but there are also free versions of pretty much everything. Nothing you need is going to break the bank. Nexcess plans come with a curated library of both premium and free plugins and extensions that are tried and true, including Kadence Theme Pro, Kadence Blocks Pro, and more.
Plus, StoreBuilder pricing is upfront and actually cheaper than Shopify.
StoreBuilder Scales for Traffic Spikes
We all have slow days now and again. Sometimes we have days when customers are banging down your door. When you’re running an online store, being able to meet demand is one of the biggest ecommerce challenges.
Get an unexpected boost in traffic? With StoreBuilder by Nexcess, you’re autoscaled for free. We give you what you need to get you through the storm — and then put you right back to where you were once the influx of customers slows down.
With Shopify, autoscaling isn’t an option. Your site can only handle so much traffic, and then you’ll be directed to Shopify Plus options. That’s an expensive upgrade for a temporary influx of visitors. It doesn’t make sense to upgrade for a day when you historically don’t need that level of bandwidth.
StoreBuilder Has Unrestricted Customization and Portability
The beauty of using an open source solution like StoreBuilder is that you can edit every single detail. Your site is your canvas.
Unfortunately, the same is not true of Shopify. Shopify uses templates that are not completely customizable. That’s why every Shopify site looks the same — limited template offerings.
With StoreBuilder, your beautiful site will be up and running quickly. You can make every facet of it truly yours. You don’t need to learn to code. You don’t need to be a web developer (though, it wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings). You load your assets, select your options, and you’ve got a unique store that’s all yours.
Thinking about switching providers? Not an issue — you make it, you take it!
StoreBuilder runs off an open source platform. You never have to worry about losing all the work you put into your site.
Bottom Line: StoreBuilder is Better Than Shopify
You have many options when it comes to ecommerce. If you’re looking for websites like Shopify, consider StoreBuilder. We may be a bit biased, but we think StoreBuilder is definitely better than Shopify.
After all, your store should be your store in every way possible.
- You want a price you’re comfortable with? Check.
- Want the ability to make everything fully yours? Check.
- Want to avoid having to change plans to meet demand? Check.
Come check out why StoreBuilder is the fastest, easiest way to create an ecommerce store.
