Summary
Shopify is a huge e-commerce system, there is no doubt, but not necessarily the most cost-effective one in India, especially when it comes to startups and small enterprises. As the costs of subscriptions rise, the cost of transacting and changing currency constantly increases, a lot of Indian entrepreneurs actively seek more suitable, cheaper services. Read on to know about the best alternatives to Shopify in India, the ones that have rich features, good support, and are localized to meet the needs of the Indian sellers. This guide will assist you in making the best, economical decision, whether you are still in the early stage of your online experience or ready to expand an already running business.
Introduction: Why Look Beyond Shopify?
Shopify has opened the door to e-commerce to millions of people across the world, yet it may not be an ideal choice of the business least in India. This could be costly, in US dollars, and the paucity of local payment gateways and other app-related expenses could prove to be too much to bear on the lean budget of startups and small enterprises.
Fortunately, this is not all bad news. Several Shopify alternatives in India offer competitive pricing, local features, and ease of use without sacrificing professionalism. Is it a no-code platform or a storefront that you require to develop? The Indian ecosystem of e-commerce is rapidly expanding with potent platforms designed for local companies.
So, it is time to explore the most cost-effective alternatives to Shopify that could be found in India these days and why they may be suitable to your business startup or SME.
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1. Dukaan: Made for Indian Sellers
Dukaan is a non-technical but powerful electronic commerce that was popularized in the pandemic. It enables companies to have an online store within a few minutes without coding. It was designed keeping the needs of Indian sellers in mind and features UPI payment support, local shipments, and other integrations, and prices that can be paid by startups.
Easy to Set up and Easy Interface
Dukaan is so simple to use- even by a person with no experience in creating websites. The selling process will be very easy as you can upload your products, choose your own price and begin selling on the same day. It is ideal in kirana shops, home bakers and small shops.
Economical Rates to New Enterprises
With plans starting as low as ₹500 per month, Dukaan is one of the cheapest Shopify alternatives in India. You need not concern yourself with the foreign exchange and hidden fees. Moreover, they tend to give special prices in case of a yearly subscription.
2. Instamojo: E-commerce + Payment Gateway in One
Instamojo started with the effort of being a payment gateway but soon transitioned into being a full fledged e-commerce solution. It currently provides online shops that are hosted, digital product selling, and marketing tools, and they are all intended to be used by Indian users.
Payment Trashing
Instamojo has payment support of the highest level as it began as a payment provider in the first placeUPI, wallets, cards, plus even the possibility of paying later are supported. You need not have a different payment gateway contract.
Digital Products Services Suited
When you are a creator, coach, or freelancer who sells digital downloads, workshops, or services, Instamojo simplifies it by means of making the process exceptionally painless. They have customized their e-commerce functions to the increasing gig economy in India.
3. Zoho Commerce: For Those Who Want Flexibility
With a proven track record of success by the product Zoho ecosystem, Zoho Commerce is an ideal alternative to be used by a startup with the desire to establish a brand presence online, under control in terms of cost. It perfectly combines with other Zoho applications such as Zoho Books, CRM, and Inventory.
One Stop Solution to Growth
Hosting, analytics, SEO tools, and inventory are out of the box in Zoho Commerce. You will not have to manage to maintain several subscriptions with basic things.
Small Businesses can Afford it
Zoho Commerce may be expensive, but it is a good value. There are plans as low as 2000 rupees/month and you get the level of tooling as an enterprise to run a small business.
4. Ecwid by Lightspeed: Sell Anywhere, Anytime
Ecwid is a worldwide e-commerce platform, and yet it is very effective among the Indian sellers as well. It even has a free plan where you can list as many as 5 products so it is a desirable choice when trying to test the waters. Ecwid can be added to an already existing web page or social networking page.
Incorporation of Social Media and Site
Do you already own a web site or have a good Instagram following? Ecwid allows you to create such sales channels without starting anew.
Free Plan to Keep a Tight Budget Startups
As opposed to Shopify, with Ecwid there really is a free plan that can be used, no credit card needed. This would be a perfect solution to a solopreneur and even hobby sellers who would want to minimize expenses
5. Wix eCommerce: Design Meets Simplicity
Wix may be regarded as a website builder, but it also has well-developed e-commerce possibilities on reasonable prices. Wix is an inciting alternative for Indian SMEs that pays attention to visual attractiveness.
Drag and Drop Store Design
Wix offers complete freedom of creativity with its editing tool. It is possible to create a store that communicates your brand, even without paying a designer.
Local Competitive Pricing
Wix has a number of packages and their eCommerce plans are more budget friendly compared to Shopify since you will get more with it like hosting, templates, and customer support.
Why Indian Startups Need India-Focused Platforms
International platforms such as Shopify are great-but not always best when it comes to India based businesses. Constraints such as currency conversion charges, absence of local e-commerce language support, and a limited number of integration initiatives with the Indian logistical partners may act as major drawbacks.
Indian platforms, in their turn, provide services, which are perfectly compatible with local payments, Indian tax regimes (GST), and local shipping services. That’s why exploring Shopify alternatives in India can be a game-changer for your startup or small business. For social media marketing Optimisation or the online presence of your business, constructing a website on any e-commerce platform matters.
FAQs: Shopify Alternatives India
Dukaan is excellent when used by complete novices. It has a simple interface, it works with Indian payments and does not provide a user with a lot of technical terms.
Such platforms as Ecwid provide free plans but they have limited features. Instamojo further enables you to open up a store at no cost and only takes commission payments when sales come in.
Instamojo is among the best selling platforms in terms of the digital download, courses, or services in India.
The Indian substitutes can be more competitively priced, support local teams and integrate natively with Indian payment gateways, which is why they are the wiser decision to make in the case of startups and SMEs.
