WooCommerce vs Shopify vs Becho vs Wix vs BigCommerce: Shopify Alternatives India

Building an online store in India is no longer a complicated, modern-only practice. Platforms like Shopify, Shopify Alternative India such as Becho, WooCommerce, Wix, and BigCommerce, and their pre-loaded eCommerce website hosting services have simplified everything on the surface.

The template-based web hosting concept enabled users to host their "own" online store in India and start selling online nationwide without incurring full-stack or other high-end web development fees.

This also led to the mass adoption of eCommerce in the low-tier cities of India, making online selling an all-India feature and not just a metro thing. But since so many web hosting platforms are available in India, it is equally crucial to understand all their services and other factors.

But, before we explore the top eCommerce web hosting platforms in India, let's look at the growth of India's lower-tier cities to help you design your services and choose the finest platform for your online store in India according to the current happenings in the market.

From being over-looked to becoming the trend of 2023: Low-tier city growth of eCommerce in India

The eCommerce trend in India's low-tier cities started with necessary internet penetration led by the pandemic. The advent of tech devices, and the introduction to fashion culture during the pandemic in all corners of India, contributed to more than 75% of GMV driven by parallel platforms.

The pandemic introduced around 40-50% of new shoppers to India's eCommerce market, with approximately 30-35% growth over the pre-pandemic online shopping base. The new consumers were largely millennials from tier 2 and 3 cities.

Fashion was the most popular shopping category among these online newcomers to the market. Today, the growth of eCommerce volumes in India's tier-2, tier-3, and smaller cities much outpaces that of tier-1 cities, making it the new target market for merchants.

The broad usage of mobile technology significantly shifted India's tier-2 and tier-3 sectors to a digital transformation. The affordable smartphone technology with India-made models and rising connectivity coverage is at the center of the surge, which no online retailer in India should ignore.

We have written an in-depth guide detailing the emergence of Online Shopping in India to help you understand the history, development, and evolution of online shopping and rising customer demands, as well as the methods that will determine the future of online shopping in India.

Smaller cities account for a greater percentage of eCommerce sales, and the number of online merchants is also increasing.

Furthermore, the game is changing dramatically from relying on a B2C distributor to opting for D2C approaches using eCommerce web hosting platforms such as Shopify alternatives and selling online.

The game-changing technology of the eCommerce web hosting platform simply made it easier to start an online store and sell PAN-India. We recently wrote an article on how to launch an online store from scratch and eCommerce in India; this article will help you change "your game" and easily adopt the trend.

Now that you have the theoretical content help you need to start an online store, let's look at the geography and see how the expansion of eCommerce in India is flowing and spreading. It is critical for both online buyers and sellers to carefully read and understand.

Understanding the Geography of Target Markets for eCommerce in India

Did You Know? Due to pandemic-led social limitations, India's 2021 Census was postponed to 2022 and later in June 2023. However, due to the general elections in 2024, the 2021 Census of India may now possibly take place in late 2024.

According to the 2011 Census of India, India has eight tier-1 cities, over 3,133 tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and 1,233 rural hubs. One-third of India's 1.2 billion people reside in tier-1 to tier-4 cities, with only 8% living in tier-1 cities.

According to the 2011 Census of India, the rising online shopping trend in India currently focuses on meeting the needs of more than 4,500 low-tier cities and towns that comprise most of the population.

Several online retailers in India have transitioned from attracting English-only customers towards incorporating many local languages by enabling the mass incorporation of Hindi, the national and common language for everyone.

Vernacular searches and interfaces and various eCommerce solutions to serve lower-tier cities are popular and trending in India. To help you understand the current market demography, we have written a comprehensive article on eCommerce Trends in India.

This article will help you understand India's ongoing local online shopping trends. However, let’s move forward and now learn the geography of eCommerce in India and how you can apply this demographic practice to your product and service delivery alongside other solutions.

The top 3 eCommerce markets in India

1. Karnataka
2. Maharashtra
3. Delhi NCR

Ranking tier-1 cities for eCommerce in India

1. Bengaluru
2. Delhi
3. Mumbai
4. Hyderabad
5. Chennai
6. Pune
7. Kolkata
8. Ahmedabad

The top 4 low-tier cities for eCommerce in India from all four dimensions

• Jamshedpur (East)
• Vadodara (West)
• Chandigarh (North)
• Coimbatore (South)

The top 5 tier-2 cities for eCommerce in India

• Guwahati
• Kochi
• Bhubaneshwar
• Mysore
• Lucknow

Top 10 emerging low-tier markets to target in eCommerce India (a-z)

• Bemetara
• Bhatinda
• Bilaspur
• Dakshin Dinajpur
• Karamsad
• Kodungallur
• Margao
• Panchkula
• Ponnamaravathy
• Rudrapur

India's tier-2 and tier-3 cities are growing at an unprecedented rate. Tier 2 and 3 markets of India will soon be influenced by rising competition as wide usage of Internet service, eCommerce platform adoption, and digitally educated locals will be witnessed soon nationwide.

D2C market of India: The foundation of low-tier eCommerce growth

India is experiencing a major shift in eCommerce approaches, with online vendors focusing more on small city trends as India's tier-2 and tier-3 cities emerge as fast and rising business hubs, empowering entrepreneurship and opportunity compared to tier-1.

People in every tier city or town in India now have higher brand awareness and consciousness. This is largely due to the growing popularity of a culture of consumerism that encourages single-sellers, new brands, and handcrafted products.

Direct selling possesses established itself as very demanding and popular in tier-2 and tier-3 cities of India, and it is now India's most dynamic and fastest-growing sector. It has significantly impacted and contributed to driving adoption in smaller cities and the growth of the eCommerce economy in India.

Direct selling eCommerce, or D2C, has opened up new prospects in various markets, creating huge opportunities for employment for all, particularly young people and women in India. It has also contributed heavily to the government's vision of independent India, "Atmanirbhar Bharat."

Today's online vendors and customers in India are willing to try things available locally or in their immediate vicinity. This resulted in the widespread adoption of the direct selling industry, which now rose to the forefront, catering to the rising local demands.

The metro and tier-1 cities of India, as well as low-tier cities, now prefer to purchase something that is local, rooted-Indian products where they get the sensation of hard work from a local seller, the sense of India and its unique culture while encouraging small sellers to grow nationwide, online.

The D2C sector has seen an increase in new entrants displaying their talent and selling online in India. This sector boom has also contributed to micro-entrepreneurs rise by creating more job opportunities.

It also allowed some locals to earn a living, expand outside their regional limits, and grow autonomously without being tied to a specific third-party seller where you can't deliver a personalized experience.

With the aim of constant innovation and technology adoption, wisely aligning itself to growing consumer and market requirements, and being an immersive experience, the industry has maintained its pace for growth and emerged as a winner.

The direct-to-consumer industry transformed and addressed rising personalized operations by offering flexibility, decentralization, and remote working capability rather than being limited to a seller's criteria or working models, constraints, and guidelines and caged in a walled brick-and-mortar store where sales are also blocked by geography.

D2C gave rise to various digital marketing tactics that made it easier for local businesses to expand their visibility online via social media and other communicational channels. We have written an exclusive article on Digital marketing strategies to help you flourish with top tactics and strategies to sell online.

Digital awareness has been a crucial driver for rising sales, which has considerably helped many expand their online store and product reach nationwide. Another rising factor is integrating several payment solutions focusing on all-tier category solutions incorporating COD, credit cards, and wallet payments in India.

It has been the key for low-tier shoppers in India to order online using their preferred way of payment, "Cash on Delivery." To help you assist with other payment methods available in the market, we have a dedicated article written on several Payment gateways for India.

This was perfectly blended and materialized with the rise of eCommerce platforms in India, enabling average individuals to start and sell online PAN-India without needing high-end development costs or other administrative expenses.

Running an eCommerce store in India, on the other hand, can be thrilling and rewarding. When done correctly, using proper research and methodology allows you to effectively sell your products and services nationwide rather than being geographically bided.

And to be prosperous, eCommerce web hosting platforms have helped in servicing this sector in every corner of the country. It has provided a platform for local vendors, the hidden talent of women in India, budding entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers to execute their ideas and sell online.

Building an eCommerce store in India with the support of a developer costs between ₹15,000 to ₹35,000 as a minimum investment for a small business requirement, with costs rising to 1+ lakhs depending on the size of the firm.

Using an eCommerce web hosting platform, the basic plan starts at ₹501, which is suitable for single-seller, home-made sellers, requirements with all the operational functions, which scales based on additional requirements and features but is completely worth it.

This clearly defines the difference between an eCommerce web hosting platform and hiring traditional developers. It should now be evident why there has been a significant increase in online merchants and shoppers in India.

Several customers are already hosting their eCommerce websites on this platform due to its simple interface, convenient experience, customer-management services, and various other features used by the greatest eCommerce websites in India.

We have also written a comprehensive guide about Best eCommerce Websites in India to help you learn about the operations and business management tactics of the leading websites in India, which are prime examples of eCommerce empowerment and growth.

Now that we've covered the D2C growth and the groundwork that lead to broad adoption and the expansion of eCommerce in India, let's go a little further into the foundation and understand in-depth eCommerce platforms in India.

Now that we've gone through some FAQs comprehending eCommerce and its scalable solutions using eCommerce platforms in India, let's dive into the strategies & considerations before we explore the tools.

Advocating: eCommerce store hosting platform

eCommerce store hosting services alleviate online sellers of the developmental and operational weight by performing system configuration, system updates, security patches, and other time-consuming tasks associated with website operations, saving you time, money, and various resources.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) was merely a victim of inflexibility in the early days of eCommerce web hosting platforms. That was the case before, but things have changed substantially now that eCommerce web hosting solutions have become quite flexible.

The benefit of customizing with web hosting services is that the service provider's technical professionals handle all coding and development on your behalf. However, not all eCommerce web hosting services are adaptable, so we've hand-picked a couple for you below, packed with all the details you'll need.

Time is the highest priority in the eCommerce industry (probably everywhere), and nothing compares to the speed-to-market convenience of web hosting service providers that are way faster to launch an eCommerce store when compared to the traditional hire-a-developer approach.

You can be guaranteed that your store will be up and running in no time, meaning that web hosting makes your eCommerce websites available to customers and prospects fast and smoothly compared to hassle-full-of website development.

Another benefit of using an eCommerce website hosting platform for your online store is its great architecture, which is suitable for all levels of clients, sellers, merchants, customers, and manufacturers.

All you have to do is leverage the services offered by these eCommerce web hosting platforms and enable functions you require for your eCommerce store operations without any need for coding or developmental integration for operations.

For this reason, we have hand-picked top and leading eCommerce web hosting platforms for the growing need of India and sellers nationwide. Be it from metro cities, tier-1, tier-2, tier-3, or smaller, these alternatives are simply the best possible for your online store.

These platforms provide solutions for MSEs, solo sellers, newcomers to the sector, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to sell online in India. But, before we get there, here are some factors to consider while choosing the most suitable platform.

A few considerations when choosing the right eCommerce store hosting platform

Now that you've read this far, you're probably enticed by this affordable alternative to standard eCommerce store development that matches your standards. Still, conducting your research and relieving some of that burden is necessary, so here's the research you need.

Remember that no matter what platform you choose, you can always change hosts at any moment, but transferring your site can be a nuisance for you and your clients; if it's for the best, do it.

We have compiled a list of the best and most popular platforms for eCommerce website hosting. You can select any of them, but there are some aspects you should be aware of to help you determine the best option for you and how to avoid selecting the wrong eCommerce host.

Consideration 1: Identify your requirements

Before looking for an eCommerce web hosting service, you must evaluate your business requirements. You can begin by determining your budget, considering your previous experience, and then determining your required assistance.

You may have a very low budget because you are new to the field and want to start by selling your produced products but do not have enough money to divide the cost, for which you may start with as little as ₹501 and can extend up to 25k.

All eCommerce web hosting firms provide affordable packages. You have to understand what you will receive from a certain plan and then determine whether it is cost-effective and capable of meeting your eCommerce needs.

Paying more does not guarantee the best experience. Therefore it's always best to piece together a bundle from multiple providers and their features before settling on the best platform for you.

So, make sure your budget is in order and, based on that, figure out what you need. If you have existing web development skills, you can purchase your hosting eCommerce platforms and extensions individually.

Factor 2: Available & Reliable

Another critical matter to consider when selecting an eCommerce platform to host your online store in India is how long your website stays operational. If your website goes down after certain hours or at night, so do your potential customers and business revenue.

Look for an eCommerce web hosting platform that offers 99% uptime and allows you to examine reports and reviews online to see how dependable the hosting service is. This also ensures that your presence does not simply go away.

Factor 3: Website Performance

Another thing to consider when choosing an eCommerce web hosting company is website performance. Customers expect fast-loading websites and a slow website can lead to a terrible user experience, as previously stated.

Look for an eCommerce web hosting service with fast load times and features such as higher storage and content delivery networks CDNs that can assist in speeding up your website's performance, as this is what your visitors will experience first.

Factor 4: Security

Since eCommerce websites handle sensitive client information such as credit card numbers, security is critical. So, seek a service provider with comprehensive safety features such as SSL certificates, malware scanning, etc.

Furthermore, determine whether the service provider you choose offers frequent backups and recovery solutions in case of a security breach or data loss.

Everything should be handled correctly, and you won't have to worry about unforeseen events because the server has a solution if you opt for an eCommerce platform such as Shopify and several Shopify alternatives we mentioned below.

Factor 5: Scalability

It's unlikely that your company will remain the same forever. As your business grows, so does your website traffic and other customer requirements expand. Look for a provider offering flexible and adaptable hosting plans to update your service to meet your needs.

Look for a platform that provides a personalized plan where you can modify your services freely rather than being restricted to a predefined set of tools and tactics for your operation, which also has some negative implications.

A customizable strategy just enhances the likelihood of saving money on unnecessary integrations. It simply refers to the variables, features, integrations, tools, and tactics that you believe are necessary for your business operations.

Factor 6: Support

When running an eCommerce website, having technical support available 24/7 is a must. Having it available by any channel, such as live chat, email, phone, or even a trending AI bot solution, is merely a need, be it you or your customer.

Ensure that the eCommerce web hosting platform you choose has a specialized knowledge base, such as FAQs, to pre-solve your issues before dialing customer assistance. This is another key feature you shall locate on its website.

Factor 7: Add-ons

Some eCommerce web hosting providers have numerous alternatives for integrating add-ons that allow you to improve your website's functionality and user experience, such as several payment gateways or logistics solutions that help you reach PAN-India.

Also, ensure your chosen platform provides dedicated tools or integration solutions, such as a website builder and some bright templates. As said, always analyze your business's needs before selecting an eCommerce solution provider.

Factor 8: Price Comparison

Now, on to the final, most significant, and frequently questioned and searched problem that impacts everyone, regardless of how big or little the business is, cost comparison. It is critical since we frequently hope for the best plans but spend money on useless features.

Several basic plans and some common packages might assist you with simple management. To retain confidence and seamless operation, be sure a hosting company offers reasonable pricing options with no hidden fees.

Compare the features and functions of different hosting providers and choose the best fit for your budget. However, if the features and other variables match your operations without additional bloatware, simply go for it.

Here are several essential eCommerce web hosting service platforms to create an online store in India to help you choose the best from the finest. Also, we have a complete guide ready to help you Launch your online store; it will help you learn more about these platforms.

Shopify

Shopify is the world's leading eCommerce platform and (very) well-known in India. Shopify has aided countless Indians in launching their eCommerce store and starting to sell online by eliminating geographical barriers and enabling them to dream large.

Shopify also allows merchants to sell their products in person through the Shopify POS system. Tobias Lütke and Scott Lake founded Shopify in 2006. Tobias planned to sell snowboards through his company Snowdevil, and he quickly realized the difficulties of selling online.

This resulted in creation of Shopify, the top eCommerce platform for businesses of all sizes. Whether you want to sell online, on social media, in a shop, in a garage, in your car, offline, or anywhere else, Shopify has a solution.

What is Shopify? How does it work?

Shopify is a SaaS-based eCommerce web hosting service with a subscription model that allows customers to log in, develop a website in minutes without coding and using its templates, upload their products, monitor inventory, and start selling online & offline.

Shopify combines online and retail sales through its single sales platforms, which anybody may use to host services and handle product sales. It is a cloud-based program that provides access to its platforms from any internet-enabled device anywhere in the world.

It enables you to integrate marketing, payments, inventory management, and logistics shipping features. These are the fundamental aspects of every eCommerce platform in India, and integrating such facilitation tools is merely an add-on for business operations.

Because it is a fully hosted eCommerce service platform, users developing an online store from Shopify do not need to worry about having a pre-loaded website, as it allows them to launch their website inside its package with some additional cost and all other services included.

But what makes Shopify stand out? Let's learn its features and then hunt for other Shopify alternatives.

Shopify Key Features

Here are some features that make Shopify one of the top 5 leading eCommerce web hosting platforms in India, which may help you determine what meets your requirements and comprehend alternative options with extensive analysis below.

Feature 1: Personalized Experience

Shopify has an extensive selection of more than 100+ professional and attractive themes in its "Shopify Theme Store" that is mobile responsive and easily adaptable, making it simple to match your catch.

It encourages you to have your online store developed, planned, and colored elegantly according to your specific image, which is why it has such a large library. It also provides a custom domain name if you don't already have one, and you can buy one directly from Shopify.

Feature 2: Cart Recovery

Abandoned carts are like pals to eCommerce websites. No matter how big, small, or medium your business and operations are, they always stick with you. Most customers simply visit the website, add numerous items to the cart, and then forget or do not purchase.

Shopify includes abandoned cart recovery tools that let you track these abandoned carts automatically and send emails to consumers urging them to complete their purchases at the checkout page. This is an excellent approach to potentially generate more sales.

Feature 3: Marketing

Regarding eCommerce web hosting services, Shopify provides the greatest SEO services in the world, allowing your customers to easily locate your store via search engines. It increases sales and customer participation by providing the option to create and write SEO-friendly product reviews for the website.

You may also boost sales and customer loyalty by providing Gift Cards, Promotional coupons, and so on. It also incorporates social media integration and a range of sales channels to sell omnichannel products, such as a Facebook shop, Pinterest, Instagram Shop, etc.

Feature 4: Analytics

The Shopify globe, which can be seen in its dashboard, is appealing (random POV). It provides an actionable dashboard that displays essential statistics such as orders, sales reports, and online store visitors, from which region, and so on.

Using finance data, administrators can access vital information about the business, such as an overview of sales, pending orders, and payment details. Product reports enable administrators to analyze and gain insights into which products are in demand and which are piling up in inventory.

Feature 5: Multiple Payment

Shopify has over 70+ payment channels integrated into its platform and also offers its "own," which is powered by Stripe. If you utilize its payment gateway, no transaction fees are changed.

Shopify benefit from lower credit card costs and do not require a merchant account. Numerous payment gateways are the greatest any platform could give because we have all types of consumers in India, from cash to credit to BNPL.

Feature 6: Management

Shopify's packages allow you to add a limitless number of products, sell them online, and provide variations on products such as SKU, cost, weight in logistics, etc. Admins can add several photos to products as well as an SEO-enhanced description.

Admins and staff can also manually monitor, update, and track product inventory and manage it from the back-end panel. It also allows you to import/export items using CSV files and sell them online in India.

Feature 7: Secured Shipment

Shopify provides free SSL certification for your eCommerce business in India, ensuring the security of all data, page content, and transaction details. Furthermore, you will receive automatic shipping costs from major shipping carriers such as FedEx, Ekart, UPS, and others if you are a seller.

It automatically manages key government and state tax rates based on your location. It is available in over 50 languages globally. You can also increase the average order size of your Shopify store by offering clients free shipping and expressing various price points.

Feature 8: Support

Shopify has a dedicated support team for customer service that is available 24/7 via email, phone, or live chat and is reasonably quick to respond. Various community discussion forums are available, such as Shopify Forums, Shopify User Guides, Shopify FAQs, etc.

It also provides Shopify eBooks and webinars to help them connect and engage with their audience, which can be their customer or the customer's customer, as well as a wide range of sophisticated Shopify University Guides.

Feature 9: Administration

Shopify makes it simple for admins to learn more about their customers and their buying habits and to drive customer loyalty by providing a guest checkout or account creation option at the moment of checkout.

Admins can categorize and export the client list depending on their purchase history, geography, etc. Users can also host and launch "Shopify dropshipping" on its platform because it does not require inventory. Shopify also helps integrate auto-services with sources like eCommHub, etc., making dropshipping simple.

It also facilitates the refund and exchange procedure, where some or all of an order is to be reimbursed when the payment method is utilized, and store inventory also automatically gets updated. This feature has aided some struggling eCommerce stores keep track of and developing client relationships.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Install & Sell on Shopify

Selling on Shopify is not a complex premise; it is one of the most convenient options due to the numerous unwelcome technical problems it allows us to avoid. However, now that we've learned about Shopify's features let's delve into how to install it and start selling online in India.

Step 1: Sign up & Create a Shopify Account

No matter where you go on Web2 or what platform you launch, the first step is to open a website, sign up with your credentials, and then create your account. It will need your email address and password before setting up the store.

It then asks you to explain a little about yourself, similar to an interview, and to describe your business. The fields automatically update based on your responses to get the greatest picture of how you want your store to be described.

Then you must enter your business address so they can pay you, and your customers may have confidence in your operations. Then you click "Enter my store," which takes you to your Shopify dashboard to find information about your store's activities.

Step 2: Buy Domain

You will need a unique domain to host a website. If you don't, your ranking may suffer because your business will be visible to consumers with a URL describing your business name tied to dot-Shopify-dot-com, which is neither effective nor appealing.

Click on the online store part of your dashboard on the left-hand side, and then click on the domain to see the default domain name for your store name and numerous options, and if you have previously purchased one, simply integrate it.

If you don't already have a domain and wish to get one, click the big green button that says "Buy a new domain." This will assist you in searching for available domains, and once you find one that meets your requirements, purchase it, and your new simple URL that only says your name is ready to go.

Step 3: Design Your Website

Now that you have an account and a dedicated domain name, let's start creating an appealing visual representation for your website. This begins with identifying the ideal subject matter for your product and service.

You will be presented with a Shopify default theme. However, it is up to you whether to continue or customize yourself. If you want to buy something else, simply click the Green Button on the same page, where you can also find other themes at the bottom.

You can check through free Shopify themes and paid alternatives in the Shopify Theme Store. This will assist you in designing your website theme, which will serve as your customer's identity, first impression, and reputation.

Step 4: List Your Products

Let's now add products and their details, as this is the most crucial aspect of the process and features we've gone through. Now, on the left side of the dashboard, click on the "Products" tab to begin adding your products to the inventory.

You may also put key data such as the product's title, description, photos, pricing, SKU, shipping details, SEO, variations, and barcode on the product page, making it easier for customers to learn about the product and preserve transparency.

Step 5: Look For Additional Integrations

This is not a necessary step, but if you want, you can simply browse the integrations and other offerings it has for you and incorporate them into your business operations if you believe there is a need or place to fill.

Now that everything is in order and your products are published, you can start creating marketing strategies and campaigns as you are ready to sell online in India.

You can look in the Shopify App Store for more solutions, but learn and apply everything that comes with your bundle. You have many personalization possibilities for both the consumer interface and experience, as well as your team and you.

Shopify in India

Shopify has been operating in India for the past ten years when it first became notable around 2010-12, but the last five years have seen a growth rate that exceeds the overall growth rate of Shopify India.

In 2015, Shopify India reached a $10 billion annual GMV, resulting in a surge in D2C operations in India. Several brands began to sell directly rather than through a third-party seller, which also limited personalization features.

With the increased adoption of online D2C companies and the rise of various niche-based industries taking steps and selling directly online PAN-India, eCommerce became a $25 billion business in 2018.

It gave rise to categories such as fitness accessories, apparel, jewelry, and so on, which are truly niche-based businesses that no one could have predicted. Traditional brands then began to catch up with the trend, transitioning from primarily offline to now entirely online.

Last year alone, the growth in Indian business and Shopify contributed to a 78% increase in economic activity and the support of approximately 200,000 employees. However, because Shopify is a global industry, implementing the trend in smaller Indian cities proved difficult.

The language barrier is still Shopify's main disadvantage. Furthermore, the packages are easy in terms of the features they provide. Still, because small sellers in India do not require tonnes of integrations, etc., which are included in the packages, it has been difficult for some to learn about it.

Shopify was the first to join the Indian eCommerce sector, which led to widespread acceptance, although other rivals to Shopify have emerged since then. These Shopify alternatives in India used Shopify as an example and developed solutions to address the requirements and gaps it left.

Today, we'll talk about Shopify alternatives for online sellers in India, so they may learn about various alternatives and decide what's ideal for their business.

WooCommerce: Shopify Alternatives India

As we can see throughout the text, the world of eCommerce and online retailing is expanding. Moving on from Shopify, WooCommerce is a leading eCommerce platform in the world and India and a competitive alternative to Shopify.

It controls over 27% of all eCommerce websites online and rapidly expands in India as more consumers look for Shopify alternatives and learn about other market features.

Compared to Shopify, WooCommerce provides one of the most user-friendly solutions for developing and managing eCommerce websites on WordPress, and it is also free to use (Yes). If you are unfamiliar with WooCommerce, this post will teach you all you need to know.

Also, we will compare WooCommerce vs Shopify at the end, so read carefully and don't leap to a conclusion.

What is WooCommerce? How does it work?

WooCommerce is an eCommerce plugin for WordPress that allows you to create and operate an online store with affordable levels of flexibility and various essential functions such as inventory, secure payment solutions, tax administration, and shipment solutions.

This software solution enables anyone to convert their standard website into a fully functional online store by completing the necessary eCommerce steps we'll go over shortly. It enables customers to manage their online stores effortlessly by providing free space to set up, display, collect a payment, and manage orders.

This is one of the primary factors of WooCommerce that has led to its widespread adoption in India and worldwide. The free option allows users to test the service and try their dream execution before committing to a specific pricing plan.

WooCommerce also includes a beginner-friendly interface that eliminates the need for you to have an IT background and understand coding or the fundamentals of programming; all you need to do is join up, build your store, and start selling online using WooCommerce.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Install & Sell on WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a convenient online marketplace for selling products and services. The vast majority of users host WooCommerce-based eCommerce websites to sell online services. So, here's how to install WooCommerce and start selling online.

Step 1: Sign up & Create a WooCommerce Account

Since we're here today to understand everything in detail, we'll start by signing up with WooCommerce, which we recommend starting with a clean WordPress installation with a default theme and no plugins.

This will help you minimize the odds of compatibility difficulties with WooCommerce down the road. The first thing you must do is set up WooCommerce itself, which you can do by accessing your WordPress dashboard, moving to the Plugins tab, and selecting "Add New."

On the following screen, type WooCommerce into the search bar, and when the plugin appears, click the "Install Now" option. When it is ready, click the "Activate" button, and it will begin its configuration wizard, which will assist you in configuring your store's primary parameters.

It will ask you basic questions about your online business, such as your location, address, the currency you wish to sell your store, and the type of product you wish to offer, such as digital, physical, etc.

Step 2: Select Payment Processors

The next step is to choose a payment processor for your WooCommerce online store; it allows you to integrate Stripe, PayPal, and offline payments. Offline payments are usually unsafe, so we advise you to stick to the other two options.

WooCommerce will install plugins and enable integration with whichever gateway you select; you can use one, both, or neither, depending on your requirements. If you choose the offline option, you can set up an alternate platform for managing the shipments.

Step 3: Select Shipment Zones

It's time to establish your store's shipping settings, which will ask you which zones you want to ship the products to and what changes you want to apply based on distance, zone, time, and other factors.

Shipment zones are geographic pin codes to which you want to apply a certain delivery rate. You can offer rates based on distance or have distinct pricing for within-city orders, within-state orders with less shipping, and out-of-state shipping with a dedicated amount.

Shipping costs vary depending on the delivery services you use and how you want to recoup the costs of the products you want to sell. We recommend checking the rates at your local post office if you're unsure what to charge.

You may always modify the pricing, but make sure you're not overcharging your clients, as this will only impact conversions. It also provides the WooCommerce Shipping Extension, which allows you to print tags at home and save time.

Step 4: Add Integrations

WooCommerce is a full-featured eCommerce framework that offers many possibilities for adding extra features and plugins and recommending a few options that can be useful for a wide scale of online businesses.

It suggests that you install certain themes; it does have a default theme, but it does have customization capabilities. You can also look for a WooCommerce theme matching your branding and switch themes.

It assists you in developing a brand reputation and creating an aesthetically pleasing first impression. It also integrates with the Automated Taxes Plugin and Mailchimp. The Automated Taxes extension saves you time on administrative tasks, making it a wise choice to enable.

When you're finished, Woocommerce will automatically install the plugin you chose in the background. Before proceeding to the final step, the wizard will ask if you want to link your store to Jetpack if you activated Automatic taxation.

To use Jetpack, you must have a WordPress.com account, which will ask you to connect to WordPress and, if necessary, establish an account.

Step 5: Recheck Configurations

Now that you've completed the configuration process, you can start working on publishing your first products. However, before you do so, double-check that everything is working properly and that no information is missing.

Every online store necessitates several pages, which WooCommerce generates automatically. To test it, go to the website and search for your shop, then add the Shopping Cart and checkout pages.

Because this is a simple WooCommerce installation for now, you will still have a lot of work to do before you can start selling online in India, but the foundation is the most important thing, and now that you know it, you are ready to go.

Suppose you want to make any additional changes to your WooCommerce settings. In that case, you may do it through the WooCommerce official dashboard by going to the "Setting" section, where you will discover options to adjust your shipment, payment processors, tax management, and so on.

Make sure you go to Payments and click on the "Set Up" button to finish personalizing it. If you want to set up PayPal, you must input your email address as an identity token, which makes it safe for management.

Follow the above procedures precisely, and you'll be all set to start selling online in India without the burden of web development or cold programming experience.

Wix: Shopify Alternatives India

Wix has an excellent website builder for India's small and medium-sized eCommerce enterprises. It has 200 million users worldwide and is slowly expanding its border in India for its cost-effective solutions.

Wix has some reasonably priced selections. It began in 2006, the same year that Shopify started, and it is a top Shopify Alternative. Avishai Abrahami, Nadav Abrahami, and Giora Kaplan established it to provide an economical platform for individuals to easily host online websites.

It also provides free and premium plans with hundreds of design templates, built-in SEO optimization, and a plethora of in-demand tools to assist you in creating a fully functional and appealing online presence.

What is Wix? How does it work?

Wix is an all-in-one solution for hosting a website and an eCommerce store in India. Wix has a solution for everyone, whether you are a student looking to showcase your portfolio or a full-fledged business owner looking to expand online.

This web-building platform allows you to develop and publish your website without coding or design knowledge. You can build a website in minutes using Wix's drag-and-drop interface and using one of its dedicated in-built templates.

Once your website is live, you can utilize Wix's built-in tools to add content to your eCommerce store and create a blog, which is the best SEO practice. We recently wrote an in-depth analysis on how to Start a blog in India with all the tips and strategies for having a successful SEO for your business in India.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Install & Sell on Wix

Compared to its competitors, such as WooCommerce, installing and registering an account on Wix is simple. So, here's how you set up Wix and start selling online in India with its dedicated eCommerce platform.

Step 1: Create an Account on Wix

If you want to start using Wix, you must first register an account with a valid email address, and the first question it will ask you is what type of website you desire to construct. Since we're discussing eCommerce today, let's go with "Online Store."

You can also decide what type of online store you want to construct. If you don't find your specialization in the drop-down options, don't panic; you can always customize anything after that, but for now, let's assume your niche is available.

When you select a niche, it will understand that you want to start selling online through its eCommerce platform and will tailor your service to that niche. Next, you must answer questions such as your store's name, how many things you plan to sell, and what tools you'll need to run your business.

Step 2: Select Your Website Niche

Once you've completed the initial setup, you can choose how your website will look. Wix gives you two options: choose from one of their professional and appealing templates, or you can allow Wix ADI, an AI designer, to build the website for you.

If you choose from the templates, you will have access to a large library of options. Don't worry too much about it now because you can start over and choose another template anytime; it is flexible and fixable.

However, if you choose an AI designer, you must first choose whether to import existing text and photographs from an existing website or images from your account on Google My Business. This stage is only necessary if you already have a business; otherwise, you can skip it.

Then you can go over your company information, and you should already have a domain name (if not, buy one) and an email address. Add a logo, physical location, phone number, and other social media integrations to create a smooth omnichannel experience.

Choose a theme and the font and color scheme you want to employ; the AI tool will utilize this to build your website, and the options you see are simply a starting point. Once you've chosen a theme, you'll then be able to customize your homepage.

The options you see will vary depending on your theme, such as #1 about, #2 FAQ, #2 Policies, #4 contact, #5 support, #6 collection, #7 gallery, and so on. If all you want is a single homepage for your eCommerce site, then skip it.

Step 3: Edit Your Website

Wix provides creative options and straightforward and user-friendly website construction solutions that allow you to customize every part of your pages, such as adding new pages, changing the primary colors, fonts, and animations, and managing applications to your liking.

Suppose you are having trouble with specific sections of the website builder. In that case, Wix includes an extensive help section that you can access immediately from the editor, eliminating the need to navigate between tabs while designing and reading tutorials.

Step 4: Add your products

You cannot sell anything without first uploading your products online, which varies depending on where your products are sourced. If you dropship, you will use whatever dropshipping tool you choose from the various extensions Wix has.

However, you can go to the "Products" tab to sell your products. To access the product page, go to the Wix website editor and, click on the "manage" button at the top, then select "store."

Your shop dashboard will now display; navigate to the "Store Products" page or click "Add a Product" on the setup wizard, then click "+New Product" and select either a digital file or a physical product, and then customize the product.

You can now name your product, add photographs, post videos, write a dedicated product description, establish the pricing, and configure the inventory and shipment details. You can also create a collection in which your product will be categorized.

You can add as many products as you want and start with one or import many products from a CSV file. Wix offers adaptable solutions to all of your needs.

Step 5: Select the Payment & Shipment Solutions

Customers cannot pay or purchase your products if you do not connect a payment method. Wix will also display a warning when you add a product without a payment processor, so all you have to do is click on "Add Payments" and select a dedicated option.

Ensure your business location is correct; if you choose the incorrect country, your consumers will pay you in the incorrect currency. Wix payment processor accepts credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal, AfterPay, Pinwheel, and other payment methods.

Once all payment choices are in place, choose the locations where you want to ship your items and services. You may add shipping regulations and costs based on the Pincode and distance from your hub.

Step 6: Associate SEO

Will visitors be able to find your store or a similar product on search engines if you do not have a dedicated SEO practice in place? SEO is essential regardless of the service or online platform you host.

When you select SEO tools from the Marketing & SEO page, Wix will ask you three questions to create a personalized SEO checklist. You will now have a list of tasks based on your answers; simply follow the directions to complete the details.

Step 7: Let’s publish & Sell

If you meticulously adhere to all of the above steps, you will arrive at the "Wix Editor" page, which means all you have to do now is click the large blue "publish" button, and you will have a life, and you can start selling online in India.

BigCommerce: The Shopify Alternatives

BigCommerce is the most popular Shopify alternative in India, with over 95,000 live websites worldwide and an open SaaS platform for cross-channel transactions that provides a full, cloud-based eCommerce solution.

It claims that its SaaS-based solution provides industry-leading capabilities, flexibility, scalability, and utilization to all customers, regardless of size. Its multi-tenant architecture provides a tempting Shopify alternative for selling online in India.

It is presently regarded as one of the largest eCommerce web hosting providers and one of the top five biggies for eCommerce service in India among Shopify India due to its practicable and effective interface, which makes it simple to host an eCommerce shop and start selling online in India.

What is BigCommerce? Hows does it work?

BigCommerce is a SaaS-based eCommerce web hosting platform that enables anyone, including business owners, to create an eCommerce store and start selling online. It provides simple options for creating and running online stores remotely and is a strong competitor to Shopify India.

BigCommerce includes several personalized models that can assist you in creating an excellent layout for your online store in India. You may use it for advertising your business's physical and digital products, making it simple to commercialize your brand with the various tools provided.

BigCommerce is frequently used and employed by large enterprises because it allows business owners to build up an online store, customize it, and then sell an endless number of items, whether digital, physical, or service-based, online with large-scale solutions.

It states that as long as you have access to a web browser and the Internet, you can develop and manage your store from anywhere, and BigCommerce does not require you to pay for web hosting or install any plugins on your computer to use it.

It is a SaaS platform, meaning you only have to pay a monthly subscription. It provides many options for customizing your online store, with sophisticated tools to help you market whatever you sell.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Install & Sell on BigCommerce

Now that we've learned about BigCommerce's potential impact on large eCommerce businesses and pre-existing operations let's look at how to install and start selling online with BigCommerce in India.

Step 1: Create an Account

To create a dedicated BigCommerce account, go to the BigCommerce website and sign up with your credentials. It will then ask you to fill out some information about yourself and your business before directing you to the "Open Your Store" link, which you should select and advance to the next step.

Step 2: Customize Your Website

Before you can start customizing the store, you must first launch the wizard. Next, enter your store's name, address, email, and phone number, and then click "Update" to save all of your changes.

Scroll down to the "Measurement Unit" and BigCommerce SEO settings on the store name, add the address and check and fill in all the details before clicking the "save" button. Afterward, you can choose a theme and add a logo to your storefront.

Step 3: List Your Products

Click "Product" and "Add" on the dashboard to create a new page where your newly added products will display. Next, save before exiting, and add product details such as a description, photographs, shipping charges, etc.

Step 4: Set up Payment & Shipment

Setting up payments is necessary for every eCommerce firm, and you can do so on BigCommerce by simply clicking "set up payment methods." You will be given a variety of payment alternatives from which you can pick based on your business and audience preferences.

Next, enter the shipment data for your products and then click the blue "choose shipping options" button to enter your professional address, create and select delivery zones, and configure pricing based on the zone.

Set up all of your tax management for how you're dividing and covering all of your expenses. You can zone them by adding state or government guidelines to each product listing and distributing tax accordingly.

Step 5: Publish It

Once you have completed all the steps outlined, return to the Quick Launch Wizard and click the "launch" button, then return to the BigCommerce website and click the orange symbol "launch your store," and you are done. With this, you are set to start selling online in India with the BigCommerce web hosting platform.

Becho: Shopify Alternatives India

Becho is a modern Shopify alternative that works solely in India for Indians to meet India-specific standards. This platform is the ideal eCommerce platform source for anyone looking to launch an eCommerce store in India from home to enterprise level.

It is cost-effective and wants to cater and provide an online home to millions by the end of 2023, owing to its extremely particular features that suit all of the requirements of selling online in India, making it a competitive Shopify alternative in India.

It will be introduced soon, in May 2023. It has thoroughly investigated market competition, present eCommerce dynamics in India, and the needs of the new small-tier market, and modified services accordingly.

Sahil Kohli and Heena Vinayak founded Becho. They established this India-specific solution to advance and cater to India's rising eCommerce requirements, as well as empower every home, woman, young entrepreneur, rather everyone to start selling online in India.

There is currently no platform that provides India-specific target market-based solutions and operations. Becho has successfully understood the current dynamics and begun its quest to break all geographical and execution constraints.

What is Becho? How does it work?

Becho is an eCommerce platform that provides economical solutions for creators, online sellers, and merchants in the SME sector to start selling online in India by allowing them to establish their eCommerce website and manage business operations without any pre-developmental requirements.

It offers full-stack management and template-based web design options to let you start selling aesthetically. It contains an independent dashboard supporting numerous tools and connections, such as payment processors, logistics panels, SEO, etc.

One of its driving elements is that it is meant to meet the catering needs of India's rising population and is geographically limited to Indians. It is not targeted to a worldwide audience, implying that it would always be quick to respond to development trends in India.

India is a massive economy, while other Shopify alternatives focus on a worldwide market, leaving no room for local-specific requirements. Becho nailed it because it only focuses on a specific market and has solutions based on its niche-specific rising demand.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Install & Sell on Becho

Compared to other Shopify alternatives in India, Becho is incredibly straightforward to implement, and we encourage you to consider selling online in India with Becho. It offers a straightforward, user-friendly layout that solely encourages selling online and no additional and unwanted bloatware.

It includes multiple features in its dashboard that a user needs to run, start, or upgrade an eCommerce site in India. Due to its easy India-specific UI/UX and, more crucially, it's Hindi integration, it enables rapid growth and success in acceptance.

Here’s how to install & sell on Becho, the Shopify alternative:

Step 1: Get Started

Unlike other platforms, Becho offers a more aesthetic approach to account setup. All you have to do is visit its official website and click the "Get Started" button to display various themes.

It offers a large variety of themes, or templates, that are extremely decent, elegant, and aesthetic simultaneously and are adept for the eyes because of their cool, vibrant, and warm blend. Both free and premium themes are available; choose your favorite and click "Start with (theme)."

Then it prompts you to enter information about your eCommerce store, such as its name, address, description, and other credentials describing your business or eCommerce store that you want to host with Becho, and it merges the template design accordingly.

It then assigns you a subdomain that is linked to your store name. If you already have a domain, you may merge it and click "Continue" to go to the next, most important stage.

Step 2: Select your business type

Once you have filled out all of the information regarding your eCommerce store, it will ask you to select your business type, with options for those just starting out, small businesses, and medium-sized businesses, which is critical since it will customize setups and assist you accordingly.

After that, it will prompt you to sign in using your email address and password. Once you've signed in, you'll be directed to the Becho dashboard, which has everything you need to establish an eCommerce store in India.

When you sign your credentials, your 14-day free trial commences. Once on the dashboard, you will see the setup guide, which will assist you in setting up your eCommerce store and reviewing all of the functions available to assist you in managing your eCommerce operations.

Step 3: Add Products

This is where you'll discover more about Becho since it allows you to upload limited content according to your plan unless you have the "premier" plan, which gives you access to all features in unlimited usage.

Add a photo of the product and attach an SEO-friendly description, metadata, and other aspects like font and display to see how it will look from the website's perspective. Make sure to verify and adjust the inventory as required.

You can either manually update the inventory or rely on Becho to perform the following for you. However, if there is a change offline, please update the following. Make sure to add relevant brand assets.

Step 4: Select Payment Processor

This is another critical component that you must ensure you are doing appropriately. Since Becho only caters to Indians, everything is geared toward them. It accepts Cash on Delivery, Barcode/card payment, and other quick and secure payment methods.

Also, choose your logistics carrier to ensure your orders arrive and leave your warehouse (haha). This is critical because it holds your eCommerce store's complete reputation.

Payment and logistics are areas where you should never hold back and invest the most, and though you are saving a lot of money with Becho and its low-cost plans, make sure you choose wisely what you integrate into your business operations.

You can also add taxes based on your preferences, as most eCommerce stores ship to neighboring locations for free and charge taxes after a particular geographical border. Some have a single central tax for everyone. Be specific in this phase because it contains the most technical and reputational information about your store.

Step 5: Start Selling Online

After you've completed all of the processes outlined above, it's time to start selling online. But first, go over the other options, such as checkout modification, email settings, SEO settings, and adding brand policies.

Once everything is set up, double-check everything, and then simply start posting your products live and efficiently selling and promoting them online in India with Becho.

Becho offers the most simple aesthetic store-building solution and is very quick, so you won't have any problems constructing a store if you follow the step-by-step mentioned process.

Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Wix vs BigCommerce vs Becho: Shopify Alternatives

We've previously discussed all of Shopify's features and how large an eCommerce web service provider is, so let's compare it to other alternatives causing huge development growth for and in the eCommerce market in India.

We will employ many features and compare them to all Shopify Alternatives India to help you understand all the platforms and select the most appropriate and preferable platform for your online store in India.

Let’s Compare!

Feature 1: Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a business model in which an online store acts as a middleman between buyers and vendors, allowing them to operate and sell online without keeping inventory and only presenting and connecting sellers to clients.

A dedicated eCommerce platform that supports your business operations and requirements (integrations) is required to run a successful dropshipping business in India. Here's a comprehensive comparison of all dedicated eCommerce platforms for dropshipping in India.

Shopify

Shopify is an excellent platform for dropshipping in India because it includes many extensions and add-ons that can help you enhance your store. Some of the top Shopify Dropshipping Extensions are Spocket, MIIUT, Ali orders: Ali Express Dropship, and CJDropshipping.

Shopify also integrates with third-party dropshipping marketplaces like Oberlo, AliExpress, and Printify, making it easy for anyone looking to make money online from the comfort of their home.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is well-known for its dropshipping solutions due to its easy installation and integration of plugins. The WordPress repository contains several dropshipping extensions and third-party extensions such as "WooCommerce Dropshipping Extension."

Additional third-party WooCommerce plugins for dropshipping solutions include WooDropship, YouDroop, AliDropship, and DropshipMe. WooCommerce supports various plugins and themes, making it a very customizable platform.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce, as the name says, is ideal for huge chain stores, large organizations, or major businesses that wish to get online. BigCommerce is the finest alternative for these high-end eCommerce firms that require considerable management infrastructure.

You can, however, use BigCommerce for dropshipping by installing a third-party app from Bigcommerce's app market. BigCommerce provides several third-party dropshipping apps, including:

• Ali-Express Dropshipping
• CustomCat
• Inventory Source
• Printful
• Printify
• Syncee
• Wholeale2B

Wix

Wix did not previously offer to drop ship. Still, because it is a global platform and everyone is adjusting to trends, it now offers a variety of platform connections that permit dropshipping for ambitious earn-from-home sellers.

Dropshipping with Wix is possible using integrations such as Modalyst, Syncee, Printful, Spocket, and Printify. The Modalyst is included with the Business Unlimited and Business VIP subscriptions, but you must first check the product limit as it restricts you in the listing.

Becho

Becho has various features and services that set it apart from other platforms. Its primary foundation is India-specific, making it the best choice for any upcoming, new, current, or established e-commerce company in India.

Becho is expected to start operations in May 2023, but we don't know all the facts about dropshipping. However, the platform provides dedicated help for young entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, and the MSE sector to easily host and launch a business online.

Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Wix vs BigCommerce vs Becho: Which is better?

WooCommerce and Shopify are both excellent options for running a dropshipping business. Still, WooCommerce has a minor advantage due to its ease of use and many extensions accessible on the platform, which allows for greater flexibility than Shopify's constraints.

Compared to BigCommerce and Becho, both platforms are not wholly dedicated to dropshipping. BigCommerce focuses mostly on major businesses and huge corporational activities, and Becho focuses entirely on SME business operations.

Although BigCommerce offers integrations, when comparing overall Shopify Alternatives India, WooCommerce wins in terms of plugin integrations, tools to use, and dedicated solutions. In contrast, Shopify wins regarding ease of use and hosting service.

Feature 2: Usage, Setup & Accessibility

Time is essential, and for those who run an online store, the entire 24-hour time circle is critical, as saving the most from unwanted allows you to focus on critical activities such as acknowledging customer feedback, responding to inquiries, processing orders, and so on.

Rather than relying on traditional sources, having an outlet that allows you to access and maintain consumption while also delivering an appropriate solution matched to your needs and business management is better, so here's a rundown comparison of all the top 5 eCommerce platforms.

Shopify for India

Establishing an online eCommerce store in India is quite easy, which appears to be a pleasant breeze blowing in one direction using Shopify. Fill in the details and click "Next" until your Shopify India store is running.

Once the store is constructed, you will have access to the dashboard. You can add the products, as mentioned in the above step guide. All that remains is to save the button once the previous processes have been done.

You can now use Shopify to start selling online in India. It only takes 15-20 minutes to fill out all of the information and get your store up and running; the rest of the time is spent on building the website and other customization elements; at the very least, you will not have to configure plugins necessarily, which makes it competitive in terms of usage, setup, and accessibility.

WooCommerce Shopify Alternative

After installing WooCommerce, you will see various options on your WordPress dashboard, like adding products, processing orders, adding coupons, and many other intriguing features that will assist you in developing successful business strategies and management solutions.

You can add products and customize the dashboard's appearance with a few clicks. However, remember that WooCommerce is more sophisticated because it is a WordPress plugin that requires some WordPress knowledge to be used efficiently.

It also necessitates a more complex initial setup. As previously noted, you must install and configure WordPress and the WooCommerce plugin, complicating the installation process for average or new users.

BigCommerce Shopify Alternative

BigCommerce is a simple option for starting, maintaining, and managing eCommerce operations because it is a completely hosted platform that does not require any software or plugin installation to begin and use its features.

To see if the features are right for your business, join up for the 15-day trial plan and set up your store in the simple steps shown above. However it takes some time to set up a store, but once done, the dashboard includes some easy options and services.

You can see how it looks on the front end, and if you want to modify the design, you can change the theme and customize it anyway with the available options, but you cannot integrate pre-made designs or scripts.

All other settings and options may be found in the admin panel on the right-hand side. It also offers various options for managing orders, products, customers, analytics, and other application access, making it simple to administrate.

BigCommerce also provides a free subdomain similar to your domain name but with the extension (name)-dot-mybigcommerce-dot-com. If you want a custom domain name, purchase one from the registry or incorporate the one you already have.

If you already have a website, you can use the BigCommerce WordPress plugin to run an eCommerce store alongside WordPress, making it simple and SEO-friendly to manage your content and services.

Wix Shopify Alternative

Wix provides strong and simple tools for building your eCommerce store, and its intuitive drag-and-drop interface is convenient and appealing. You may change any element on your site using a WYSIWYG interface, which means it appears exactly as it does to your customer.

Drag and drop items anywhere on the site, reorganize the listing on your pages, write content, and upload product photographs and images, all in a user-friendly environment. It is one of the best alternatives for beginners because it considerably reduces their requirement to code for customization.

Regarding eCommerce development, it is certainly complicated for people unfamiliar with plugins, particularly WordPress. Still, once you get the hang of it, it will be a piece of cake because the platform offers some fantastic features and plugins.

Becho Shopify Alternative

Becho is a robust but lightweight platform regarding usage, setup, and accessibility. As previously stated, the setup measures are convenient and distinct compared to other alternatives, and the utilization is unique.

It is dedicated particularly to the Indian audience, and the solutions it hosts are simple, clear to all of India, and also support Hindi, making it accessible and acceptable countrywide.

It provides a large selection of templates for developing and customizing your website. It supports multiple payment channels tailored to the Indian market and includes a logistics page for tracking your shipments.

It features a specific marketing tab for SEO and email setup, which helps you develop your organic SERP results while engaging with your visitors weekly and actively via email services, subscription offers, discounted coupons, etc.

Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Wix vs BigCommerce vs Becho: Which is better?

When compared to WooCommerce, Shopify's usability and accessibility are simply exceptional because it features a clear and intuitive interface that allows even non-technical people to set up and maintain their online stores.

WooCommerce makes it a little more challenging because it involves WordPress connections and plugins, which may become complicated for typical people. Still, it certainly becomes a simple answer for those familiar with it because the platform is also easy on storage and other features.

BigCommerce is a competitive rival that offers everything identical to Shopify with a very professional interface and solutions that cater to the needs of large businesses with substantial package plans, making it the top choice for large businesses.

Becho is another competitive Shopify Alternative in India that does not provide similar solutions as the others because it comes with ease of use, convenience of setup, ease of access, and ease of managing operations due to its India-specific interface catering to SME challenges.

Regarding usability, accessibility, and setup, all Shopify alternatives have their mark with their signature and specific solutions. Therefore we would recommend all, but if we were to pick one, Becho has the mark for its simplicity, serving SME challenges.

Feature 3: Scalability

When running an eCommerce business in India, scalability is critical. If your platform cannot manage increasing orders, your business will suffer. Let's examine which platform wins the scalability comparison.

Shopify India

Shopify handles most technical components, such as web hosting, making it simple for businesses to manage their massive storefronts and significant order processing. Scaling with Shopify is also simple because you can easily upgrade to a higher plan as your company grows.

Shopify is a costly platform, but it is a one-stop-shop that offers a solution to all difficulties and saves you from searching for a reputable hosting provider and eCommerce theme rather than employing additional technical assistance.

WooCommerce Shopify Alternative India

The scalability of WooCommerce is determined by the hosting provider you select. The more powerful the hosting provider, the more scalable your WooCommerce store will be, which means that hosting costs will rise.

This makes WooCommerce a wonderful choice, but it is also pricey and not at all budget-friendly compared to other options. If you host with WooCommerce, you'll need a dependable hosting service for growth and scalability.

BigCommerce Shopify Alternative India

BigCommerce is a fully hosted solution that eliminates the need for you to worry about technical issues such as storage, backups, downtime, upgrades, and security. All you have to do when your business expands is upgrade your plan, and BigCommerce will manage the rest.

Wix Shopify Alternative India

Wix has made its platform completely flexible, so no matter how big you want to go, the website has a solution for you. It has a dedicated staff of professionals working around the clock to handle this ambitious network and maintain its 99.98% update rate.

You won't have to worry about how your expanding website will maintain its speed. Even during a massive traffic rush, Wix uses cutting-edge technologies to ensure your website can be visited swiftly and securely worldwide and in India.

It also ensures that your eCommerce store in India meets the highest international security standards and PCI DSS compliance, which means that your data and all your customers' data are safe and secure.

Becho Shopify Alternative India

Becho is a completely flexible platform that provides scalability from the bottom of the chain to the top of becoming a fully established and operational eCommerce business in India, whether you are just establishing your first online store or have an established one.

Becho provides plans for all of your eCommerce problems, as this SME-based eCommerce platform scales from its basic lite plan, which promotes new entrants in the market, to its pro plan, which caters to medium startups, and its premier plan, which supports medium, and large -sized firms.

Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Wix vs BigCommerce vs Becho: Which is better?

This is a difficult category to choose a platform for. Still, aside from WooCommerce and its convoluted plugin-based scalability solutions, the rest of the Shopify alternatives in India performed an excellent job of providing top-scalable solutions.

We recommend BigCommerce for businesses with large-enterprise operations generating hundreds of thousands of dollars or more in revenue. Shopify best suits those with a high-quality budget and pre-established business operations, mostly effective sellers.

We recommend Becho for those just starting in business or with small or medium-sized operations and Wix for all basic levels of enterprises that rely on lite website-based services.

Feature 4: Technical Support

Your online store's success in India depends entirely on the support you receive from your eCommerce solution. Here's a technical support comparison to help you choose a trusted source and, if you already have one, learn about it.

Shopify eCommerce

Shopify provides 24/7 assistance via live chat, phone calls, and emails, making it simple and accessible to its users. It also provides a large knowledge library and tutorials to answer frequent issues, reducing the need to contact assistance for every issue.

You can also engage Shopify experts if you believe some additional or severe difficulty frequently occurs. This is unlikely because the platform is designed to handle all business problems, particularly medium and large ones.

WooCommerce Alternative to Shopify

WooCommerce is an open-source plugin with no official support channel. Still, its official website includes various tools such as tutorials, a knowledge base, and videos to help you learn and solve technical issues.

There are numerous blogs on the internet that cover WooCommerce in depth. Cloudways, a WooCommerce-managed hosting provider, can assist you with 24/7 assistance by ticket system, phone, and email.

BigCommerce Alternative to Shopify

BigCommerce has many helpful assistance options via its dashboard, including calls, chat support, email, community help, etc. When you have a problem with BigCommerce, simply click "Request support."

It is available 24/7 and can help you find answers to your queries. It has a large knowledge library to assist you in using BigCommerce correctly. It also offers a question-and-answer community and a blog with BigCommerce news and updates.

Wix Shopify Alternative to Shopify

Wix's help support and its other features and integration have improved significantly. The technical assistance has been significantly improved, with the addition of a "question mark" button throughout the editor for offering step-by-step guides.

No matter where you are in the development process, these buttons are little but useful at times. Each of its buttons opens a box containing useful information on the tool and is linked to Wix's enormous Help Centre.

Some pop-ups even include a video tutorial, and if you want a more personalized touch, you can use Wix's live chat service, which is accessible 24/7.

Becho Shopify Alternative to Shopify

Becho offers a dedicated support team that you may contact via email if you have any technical issues or difficulties accessing its services. However, this will not be an issue because the platform is already developed.

Even if it does, its website features pre-loaded libraries with problem-solving FAQs and a help center panel where you can submit your ticket and worries, and its crew will reach out to assist you.

It includes a pre-loaded Becho guide, blogs, and tutorials to assist you in setting up your account and dealing with any technical issues that may arise. Because the platform has already made the essential resources available, additional support steps are extremely rare.

Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Wix vs BigCommerce vs Becho: Which is better?

Technically, we chose these five platforms for the top five leading eCommerce platform lists based on their features and security measures for their customers. If the platform is on the list, then there is no doubt that each platform is exceptional in this category.

Whatever platform you choose, whether Shopify, Shopify alternatives in India such as Becho, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Wix, each platform has dedicated customer service, resources, and security features that cater to all of your modern problems, except for WooCommerce and its complicated but secured service.

Feature 5: Integrations

As your online business expands, you must add extra features to streamline growth. Integrations and add-ons are exactly what you need, as they come with various helpful solutions that may help you improve and speed up your process.

Shopify in India

Shopify has an extensive collection of add-ons available in the Shopify App Store, some of which are free. In contrast, others demand a one-time premium fee or a monthly membership and have an add-on solution for every problem.

WooCommerce Alternative to Shopify India

WooCommerce is an open-source platform, and because it is integrated with WordPress, it has a large library of plugins and extensions that you can quickly search and download from the WordPress repository.

Furthermore, it provides free add-ons on WooCommerce.com, but some require a one-time price. However, regarding plugins and extensions, WooCommerce is unquestionably dependable.

BigCommerce Alternative to Shopify India

BigCommerce includes hundreds of third-party apps and integrations to help you build an effective eCommerce store in India. The BigCommerce marketplace has both free and paid add-ons.

It features six featured app collections that are categorized according to eCommerce needs. There are also thousands of business analytics applications since the platform mainly focuses on nurturing large commercial enterprises and eCommerce stores.

Wix Shopify Alternative to Shopify India

Wix has over 200 apps that you can add to your eCommerce website. These apps offer various services, such as contact forms, social media buttons, email marketing, and so on, which are useful for building an omnichannel and personalized experience.

Many of these applications are free, and some even have a lite version available to the public, while others are subscription-based and vary in price. There are a limited number of applications, but it has everything to meet your needs.

Becho Shopify Alternative to Shopify India

Becho provides many features to assist you in operating effectively in India and selling online nationwide. It supports many payment gateways and includes a dedicated logistics panel to assist you in handling shipment tracking and other services.

It includes marketing tools and everything you need to expand and improve your online store in India. Regarding other integrations, as the platform has yet to be launched, not all of its information has been disclosed, but as far as we know, it will be thrilling to unlock.

Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Wix vs BigCommerce vs Becho: Which is better?

Integrations are critical for scaling a business; each platform has an equal share in this category. Since Becho offers specific internal scaling solutions with dedicated plans and features, we have not explored integrations since they are not yet published.

On the other hand, the rest of the platforms have many integration options for improving eCommerce administration and operation of your online store in India with specialized solutions in many sectors to help you expand in all ways.

Feature 6: Pricing

Pricing is a very important element for many people, and it should be treated as a major concern for small eCommerce stores, startups, new-to-the-field online sellers, and so on in India, and when choosing an eCommerce platform, the starting cost, maintenance cost, and so on all matter.

Shopify App

Shopify offers a variety of plans ranging from small to large company budgets. It offers a three-day free trial in which you are not required to provide any financial information and merely sign up for and use its service, making it a risk-free, pressure-free trial.

All you need is an email address to sign up, and then you can try out Shopify for INR 20 for three months before paying $20 a month. Compared to other Shopify options, three days may appear to be a relatively short trial period to decide on a platform. Still, the other 3-month period is just a positive add-on balancing everything.

But it's all covered by the $20 monthly for three months. Furthermore, you receive a longer non-committal timeframe with Shopify's free trial and $1 bargain, whereas some eCommerce web hosting services lock you in for a higher premium pricing after one to two weeks.

Shopify Starter Plan: ₹399/- per month

It only allows you to add eCommerce to social media sites, chat channels, and an existing website, and it charges a 5% transaction fee when you utilize Shopify Payments.

Shopify Basic Plan: ₹1,994/- per month

This is Shopify's most affordable package for anyone wishing to launch an eCommerce store in India. It assists you in building a store, provides the necessary tools for launching a new online business, and charges a 2% transaction fee unless you use Shopify Payments.

Shopify Shopify Plan: ₹7,447/- per month

This is Shopify's Shopify plan, which is suited for all business activities and includes features such as gift card creation. It is a recommended plan for all developing eCommerce stores. This strategy also demonstrates its scalability. It has a 1% transaction fee when utilizing Shopify Payments.

Shopify Advanced Plan: ₹30,164/- per month

Expensive plan but geared to medium-large and larger organizations dealing with 24/7 order processing and those looking to scale up their firm. It comes with sophisticated reporting, third-party computed shipping rates, and a 0.5% transaction fee when using Shopify Payments.

Shopify Plus Plan: ₹1,52,000/- per month

This bespoke pricing is dedicated only to large-scale enterprises with large budgets and turnovers; there is no predetermined pricing, and the owner can request a custom estimate.

The Shopify Basic, Shopify Shopify, and Shopify Advanced plans are essential for hosting and scaling an eCommerce site in India. They include unlimited product listing, discount creation, abandoned cart recovery, and other features.

The Shopify Starter plan, unlike its other plans, only allows you to sell through social media networks and other messaging channels such as WhatsApp or Email. It is focused on social commerce rather than D2C commerce.

The Shopify Plus plan is extraordinary, with an extreme opposite that gives a tailored package for firms who make significant sums and want the highest level of expert assistance. It is not suitable for small businesses because it would devastate their finances.

However, if you look closely, you will notice that it has developed its plan logically, beginning with a social commerce-based starter plan and progressing to basic, standard, advanced, and finally, plus, which exhibits all business growth tiers.

WooCommerce vs Shopify

When compared to other options, WooCommerce pricing is a little more complicated. The WooCommerce WordPress plugin and the WordPress content management system are free to download. However, there are some charges to be aware of.

A WooCommerce website can be inexpensive if you find the cheapest hosting, utilize a free theme, and avoid paying for plugins, extensions, or web design services. Hosting, domain name, SSL, themes, and other maintenance expenditures are also incurred.

Choosing the correct hosting is one of many basic decisions, and because it greatly impacts store performance, it considers speed, scalability, and so on. Prices will vary depending on the hosting provider and its features.

WooCommerce hosting fees typically vary from $5 to $30. Then comes your domain name, which you may obtain in two ways: through your hosting provider or from domain registrars, and then connect, which incurs an additional cost.

SSL certificates are crucial for online retailers since they encrypt confidential data such as credit cards and other data between the customer's browser and your server. Some hosts supply SSL for free, but if your host does not, the cost ranges between $8-65.

Technically, a domain name would cost you $10-20 per year, web hosting would cost you $5-30 per month, and SSL certification would cost you $8-65, as previously stated.

Even though the WooCommerce WordPress Plugin is free to install, the additional charges for managing and running an online business with WooCommerce are complicated and pricey.

Furthermore, it charges you a 2.9% transaction fee of $0.3 for every transaction, in addition to additional payment processing costs and logistics integration costs, making it nothing more than an add-on to your budget.

BigCommerce vs Shopify

BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial with no transaction processing necessary when starting its platform. It allows you to explore the platform without committing to its Shopify-like plans, making it an authentic Shopify alternative.

If you decide to sign up, there are no contract, setup, or cancellation fees, and you can get a discount if you choose the yearly plan rather than the monthly one. BigCommerce, unlike most Shopify alternatives in India, centered its pricing levels on the store's annual sales.

It records your online sales volume on a 12-month basis. If your company's revenue surpasses the predetermined level for a certain plan, you will be immediately bumped up to the next pricing tier, allowing for the automatic scalability of business operations.

Although everything happens by itself, some people prefer to stick to a regular or ongoing plan before converting to another, which is a key disadvantage of auto-switching to a higher pricing tier.

In terms of pricing, all BigCommerce plans include unlimited product listings, storage, and bandwidth, as well as unlimited staff accounts, sitewide HTTPS, dedicated SSL, and a built-in blog.

BigCommerce Standard Plan: $29/- per month (annual)

Compared to Shopify and other Shopify alternatives in India, the BigCommerce Standard Plan is quite pricey. However, it has features worth mentioning, such as POS integration, dedicated SSL, multiple currencies, discounts, and so on, and 2.59% with a transaction fee via PayPal + $0.49 per year.

BigCommerce Plus Plan: $79/- per month (annual)

This BigCommerce Plus plan costs an average of $105 per month. It permits $180,000 in yearly sales and includes everything from the regular plan, abandoned cart recovery, stored payment cards, persistent cart, and a 2.35% transaction fee via PayPal.

BigCommerce Pro Plan: $299/- per month (annual)

This pro plan contains everything from the standard plans and additional features such as product filtering (+custom) and Custom SSL with a transaction charge of 2.05%.

If your monthly revenue and volume expand, you may anticipate paying an additional $150/- per month for each additional $200k in sales and receive calls from BigCommerce representatives to switch to its Enterprise plan.

BigCommerce Enterprise Plan: Call 1-866-991-0872 for custom pricing or connect to its sales team

As the name suggests, this high-volume enterprise plan is for suppliers with bigger sales statistics than the abovementioned plans. To use this plan, BigCommerce's sales staff customizes personally according to your pricing and features requirements.

The company states that if you have a significant order value or make a lot of B2B transactions, the Enterprise is the way to go, which puts it at the top and running Shopify Alternative in the enterprise eCommerce market.

Wix vs Shopify

Wix has eight different pricing plans, but its eCommerce users have four separate plans. This Shopify alternative is best recognized for its pricing, which includes highly practical choices for Indians to create an eCommerce business and sell online.

Due to its pricing options, this Shopify alternative has many more Becho-like plans ideal for the Indian market.

Wix Business Basic Plan: ₹225/- per month (annual)

This is Wix's entry-level eCommerce plan, which includes basic product sales tools, unlimited product listings, and social network integration for omnichannel sales. It distinguishes itself through advanced event hosting, appointment booking capabilities, hotel suitability, etc.

Wix Business Unlimited Plan: ₹300/- per month (annual)

Along with the basic plan features, such as subscriptions, recurring payments, and increased storage, this plan unlocks a few more capabilities, such as 10 hours of video upload, 0-250 products available for dropshipping, and 1000 product reviews using KudoBuzz.

Wix Business VIP: ₹500/- per month (annual)

This is Wix's most expensive eCommerce website plan, which includes unlimited online storage. Compared to other eCommerce alternatives, it is similar to Becho, which contrasts the two regarding the Indian market, its requirements, and price strategy.

It includes all of the features of the previous plan plus additional extras for product sellers, such as sales tax computation, dropshipping, and so on, all powered by third-party apps. It offers unlimited video hours, dropshipping, a customer loyalty program, and 0-3000 product reviews.

Becho vs Shopify

Becho starts with a 14-day free trial, indicating that the platform is adaptable to its customers, allowing them to try and then choose a plan. The free trial period is average compared to other platforms, or you can say the same as others.

It has three plans with scalable solutions, ranging from the most basic to the most expensive. We will examine this mystery plan in the following section as we study the pricing features.

Becho Lite Plan: ₹501/- per month (annual)

Becho refers to this as the small startup plan for newcomers and recently established startups. It includes 20 product listings, 2 staff accounts, a large selection of free templates, professional business reports, and a 6% commission.

Becho Pro Plan: ₹1240/- per month (annual)

This plan is for everyone who wants to sell online in India; it is inexpensive to solo sellers, small startups, and even medium-sized organizations, and it includes up to 100 product listings, three staff accounts, a variety of free themes, professional store reports, and a 3% fee.

Becho Premier Plan: On-request Plan (customizable)

This is Becho's most enticing package, which includes all the features and solutions available on its platform with unlimited staff accounts, catering to all business kinds, particularly medium internet stores in India, and charging customized commission rates.

Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Wix vs BigCommerce vs Becho: Which is better?

We believe pricing is the category in which you should pick and identify your right platform by analyzing the features and criteria we covered and the pricing plans mentioned above. Simply ensure that the features you receive are worth the amount you pay.

4 Reasons Why eCommerce Platform is Important for Your eCommerce Store in India

To conclude, let us go over four major reasons why an eCommerce platform is crucial for your eCommerce store in India since it helps in various ways, including expenditure, infrastructure, operations management, payment processing, web development, and so on.

From startups to small businesses to large enterprises, plenty of businesses profit significantly from using eCommerce platforms that allow them to sell products without investing in web development or hiring dedicated technical support staff.

Customers have long abandoned the street shop in favor of a web-based surf shop in this competitive online culture, making eCommerce a flexible solution for businesses, shoppers, and new sellers to develop and sell online in India, rather than everyone.

We hope that after reading all of the benefits, considerations, features, and so on about the platforms mentioned above, you are not on the fence about going here or there, but to assist you even further, here are the top five reasons why eCommerce platforms are vital for your business.

Reason 1: Stretch your reach

eCommerce is an excellent approach to transition your business from a traditional brick-and-mortar store to a cutting-edge online operation that is convenient and easy to run. You can provide products and services 24/7 with online customer service and engagement approaches.

In today's age, you are less likely to stick to a single store confined by a geographical boundary. It allows you to dramatically and successfully extend the scope of your business and reach every corner of India with no effort and simply by selecting a platform from the list above and following the installation instructions to start selling online in India.

Reason 2: It is (very) convenient

An online store is open to customers 24 hours/7, which means that your customers may visit your store at any time and, regardless of their schedule, they can visit, buy, surf, and add to cart products at their leisure.

All of this is feasible with the help of eCommerce platforms like Becho and other Shopify alternatives in India, which allow you to easily host an eCommerce store in India without worrying about web development issues.

Furthermore, because of the internet's accessibility, millions across the country can now view your eCommerce anytime, implying that you are receiving orders from inside the state or city and from all across India.

eCommerce platforms allow you to run an online store in India with economical solutions that are simple to operate and easy to launch, and, most importantly, the Becho.io eCommerce platform supports Hindi for the people of India, whereas Shopify offers various worldwide languages.

Reason 3: Greater Opportunity

An eCommerce website is a greater marketing tool providing numerous growth and success options. You can utilize SEO while creating or uploading products and categories, but you can also use PPC and other models to increase the flow.

eCommerce platforms have made the majority of the administration procedure as easy as a feather, allowing anyone, even those who are entirely unaware and new to the business, to set up their store online and start selling PAN-India.

As highlighted in the first panel, Shopify, as mentioned in Alternatives India, is the essential platform for this mass adoption of eCommerce, particularly in the D2C sector. This will increase even more if Shopify Alternative Becho contains nationwide language support.

Reason 4: Scalability

We've addressed this and will do so again because most of the plans and pricing we outlined above and the features are geared towards scalability, as Shopify alternatives in India support all stages of business growth.

If you use Shopify alternative India Becho, you can start with its basic package and gradually develop your business up to the pro package. Then you may progress to the premium package, where you can customize the entire operation to your specifications.

This is how eCommerce platforms, including Shopify Alternatives, divide their pricing, considering the many stages a firm or startup goes through. In the eCommerce sector, one-night success is common.

eCommerce provides a variety of business chances by connecting any working industry to start selling online, whether it is a product or a service. It links easy marketing possibilities, enhances leads and revenues, and optimizes business growth.

This is made possible by Shopify Alternatives India, which lets even the most ordinary people dream big and, more importantly, execute.