Alternatives · Online Stores
Swell alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Swell alternative for most people is Shopify (2.8 GPA), first in our ranking of online store builders. The best free one is Medusa (2.4 GPA).
Swell compared with 5 alternatives: Shopify, Medusa, Saleor, Subbly and BigCommerce.
Swell is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $29 per month, billed yearly. 2 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 3 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Swell sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| SwellThis tool | Free trial · from $29/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Shopify | Free trial · from $29/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Medusa | Free plan · from $29/mo | Yes | Web |
| Saleor | Free plan · from $1599/mo | Yes | Web |
| Subbly | Free trial · from $59/mo | Trial only | Web |
| BigCommerce | Free trial · from $29/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
Price against what you get
Swell starts at $29 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 5 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
Shopify and BigCommerce score higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Swell
Shopify
Hosted commerce platform for online, in-person and social selling
- Shopify starts at $29 per month, billed yearly ($39 billed monthly).
- Shopify also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Shopify also covers email campaigns and shipping labels.
- Shopify does not cover digital downloads, which Swell does.
Suits: Brands that sell online and in person from one stock count
Medusa
Open-source commerce framework for developers
- Medusa starts at $29 per month and up, billed monthly (Cloud Develop).
- Medusa has a free plan, which Swell lacks.
- Medusa is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Medusa does not cover inventory and digital downloads, which Swell does.
Suits: Developer teams building custom or headless stores in JavaScript
Saleor
Open-source headless commerce with managed Cloud hosting
- Saleor starts at $1599 per month (Cloud Select, up to $200,000 monthly GMV).
- Saleor has a free plan, which Swell lacks.
- Saleor is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Saleor does not cover inventory and digital downloads, which Swell does.
Suits: Growing or high-volume merchants that want a custom headless build
Subbly
Store and subscription platform for subscription-box businesses
- Subbly starts at $59 per month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly).
- Subbly also covers AI agents and shipping labels.
- Subbly does not cover digital downloads, which Swell does.
Suits: Subscription-box, meal-kit and replenishment businesses
BigCommerce
Hosted ecommerce platform with plans set by yearly sales
- BigCommerce starts at $29 per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly).
- BigCommerce also lists iOS and Android apps.
- BigCommerce also covers reports.
- BigCommerce does not cover digital downloads, which Swell does.
Suits: Stores that want many built-in features without adding paid apps
Limits worth knowing in Swell
- Each plan has a trailing 12-month sales ceiling; above it a percentage fee applies: 2% on Starter, 1.5% Basic, 1% Standard, 0.4% Unlimited.
- API requests, function calls and storage are capped per plan; extra usage is billed at $5 per 100K requests or calls and $5 per extra GB.
- Role-based permissions and developer support appear only on the Unlimited plan, and the trial length is not stated.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Swell?
The alternatives to Swell in this directory are Shopify, Medusa, Saleor, Subbly and BigCommerce. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Swell.
Is there a free alternative to Swell?
Yes. Medusa and Saleor have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Swell alternatives work on Android?
The Swell listing does not include an Android app. Shopify and BigCommerce list one.
Which Swell alternatives work on iOS?
The Swell listing does not include an iOS app. Shopify and BigCommerce list one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Swell?
Medusa and Saleor are described as open source on their own sites.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 18, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.