When you decide to build an online marketplace in India you need more than just basic marketplace software with workaround to create the marketplace functionality.
For enterprises looking to scale in India’s fast-evolving market, the choice of their ecommerce platform can make or break their business. While Shopify is widely known, it doesn’t always meet the specific needs of Indian enterprises, especially those building multi-vendor marketplaces. Thankfully, several Shopify alternatives like StoreHippo, BigCommerce, Magento etc. that offer more flexible, scalable, and India-specific solutions.
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7 Most Popular Shopify Plus Alternatives to Build Online Marketplaces in India
Here’s a look at the 7 most popular Shopify competitors that cater to the Indian market, with a special focus on how they can help your business build a successful online marketplace.
1. StoreHippo
StoreHippo is an all-in-one eCommerce platform built with Indian enterprises in mind and trusted by many B2B and B2C enterprises as one of the most comprehensive Shopify alternative marketplace software. Offering multi-vendor marketplace functionality out of the box, StoreHippo provides a mobile-first, scalable, and customizable solution for businesses. Its built-in multi-currency, multi-language, and built-in support for diverse business models ( B2B, B2C, D2C, B2B2C, Quick Commerce, Hyperlocal commerce, etc.) make it ideal for businesses targeting diverse audiences across India and globally.
Pros:
- Plug-and-play multi-vendor marketplace features.
- End-to-end vendor onboarding to vendor commissions and payment mechanism.
- Dedicated dashboard and frontend seller store feature for each seller.
- Seller ledger to manage all seller receivables and payouts.
- Built-in mobile apps builder, mobile-first architecture with PWA support.
- Multilingual support, even for regional Indian languages.
- Supports B2B, B2C, B2B2C, and hyperlocal marketplaces.
- Seamless integration with Indian payment gateways and payments solutions UPI and Paytm etc.
- Transparent, cost-effective pricing with no hidden transaction fees.
Cons:
- Primarily focused on medium and large enterprises.
- Doesn’t have a POS system
Why it’s perfect for India:
StoreHippo is a good Shopify Plus alternative and excels in catering to the unique needs of the Indian market. With native support for Indian payment gateways, compliance with GST, and localization features, it ensures a smooth experience for both businesses and customers. Additionally, the ability to easily scale from a local to a global marketplace makes StoreHippo the most versatile platform for Indian enterprises.
2. Magento (Adobe Commerce)
Magento is an open-source platform known for its customization capabilities and flexibility. It’s a popular choice for enterprises looking for Shopify alternatives to build marketplace websites. Many enterprises go with Magento due to its vast marketplace ecosystem and the ability to manage large product catalogs. Magento offers a multi-vendor extension called Marketplace, which transforms a standard online store into a fully functional marketplace.
With the Magento Marketplace extension, you can easily register and approve vendors on your platform. It also allows you to set fixed or flexible commission rates for each vendor. Vendors get a dedicated dashboard to manage their business.
Pros:
- Extensive customization with open-source architecture.
- Huge marketplace ecosystem with numerous third-party extensions.
- Scalable and capable of handling large product catalogs.
- Strong community support and a wide range of developer resources.
Cons:
- Requires significant technical expertise to manage and customize.
- Expensive hosting, development, and maintenance costs.
- Complex setup and slower time-to-market.
- Prone to bugs and updates.
Why it’s perfect for India:
While Magento offers high flexibility, its need for heavy customization may not suit smaller Indian enterprises looking for Shopify Plus alternatives. However, for businesses with significant development resources, it offers strong scalability and the ability to handle complex, large-scale marketplaces. But for those looking for a more streamlined solution, the steep learning curve and cost might be a challenge.
3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a SaaS-based eCommerce platform offering a wide array of features that cater to both B2B and B2C businesses. Known for its robust multi-channel selling capabilities, BigCommerce allows businesses to build an online marketplace and set up different commission levels for vendors, whether based on orders, percentage, or subscription. Additionally, it offers a streamlined payment management system for efficient handling of vendor payments.
Pros:
- Easy to convert a regular website into a marketplace.
- Strong multi-channel selling features.
- Built-in SEO and marketing tools.
- Highly scalable for fast-growing businesses.
Cons:
- Expensive solution to build an online marketplace as you have to pay for regular subscription as well as marketplace extension
- Fewer built-in multi-vendor marketplace features.
- Limited customization compared to open-source platforms.
- Pricing escalates with the sales volume, making it costly for larger enterprises.
Why it’s perfect for India:
BigCommerce works well for Indian businesses that want to sell across multiple channels and expand globally. However, its lack of native multi-vendor marketplace functionality means businesses have to buy premium extensions, making it less streamlined than StoreHippo.
4. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that turns a website into a full-fledged eCommerce store. Its open-source nature allows a high degree of customization, making it a popular choice for businesses looking for control over their marketplace. While WooCommerce is primarily a single seller ecommerce solution, Indian enterprises are using it as Shopify alternative for marketplace software by using popular plugins like Dokan, WC Vendors, or WCFM Marketplace.
Pros:
- Completely customizable with hundreds of plugins.
- Large community and developer support.
- Cost-effective for small to medium-sized businesses.
- Integrates easily with WordPress websites.
Cons:
- Does not provide a seamless multi vendor functionality.
- Heavily dependent on third-party plugins for added functionality.
- Requires technical knowledge for setup and customization.
- Performance issues with large product catalogs.
- Higher maintenance and security risks due to its open-source nature.
Why it’s perfect for India:
WooCommerce is suitable for Indian businesses with moderate traffic that already use WordPress. It is a good Shopify alternative to build cost-effective small marketplaces with a few vendors but might struggle with performance and scalability issues as businesses grow, making it a less viable option compared to StoreHippo for large Indian enterprises.
5. Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart)
Shift4Shop is a cloud-based eCommerce platform with a focus on ease of use and affordability. It comes with many built-in features to launch online stores quickly and supports both B2B and B2C businesses. Businesses considering this Shopify Plus alternative get multi-vendor solutions that come with tools for reporting and inventory management, which are essential when handling a large product range from various vendors. The platform is SEO-friendly, integrates easily with third-party providers and includes built-in tools for shipping and accounting.
Shift4Shop offers a feature-rich, intuitive admin dashboard that provides full control over business operations, enabling seamless management and growth. It also includes both free and premium design templates, allowing you to customize your multi-vendor marketplace website to suit your specific industry.
Pros:
- Free plan available for Shift4 payments users.
- Comprehensive SEO tools and social media integration.
- Simple setup process with minimal technical skills needed.
- Built-in support for various eCommerce tools and features.
Cons:
- Limited functionality to build an online marketplace.
- Some users report outdated templates compared to competitors.
- Less flexibility for advanced customization.
Why it’s perfect for India:
Shift4Shop is ideal for small businesses looking for a low-cost solution to build simple marketplace websites with limited catalogs. However, its limited multi-vendor features and customization options may not suit enterprises looking to build complex marketplaces like StoreHippo can.
6. Yo!Kart
Yo!Kart is specifically built for multi-vendor marketplace solutions. It comes with a suite of tools that allow businesses to launch large marketplaces. Yo!Kart offers both self-hosted and hosted versions and hence is a viable Shopify alternative for Indian markets.
Yo!Kart provides mobile apps for both vendors and the marketplace itself. Its built-in CMS and extensive SEO tools simplify the process of publishing optimized content for your multi-vendor marketplace. With its responsive, user-friendly design, Yo!Kart makes it easy to create visually engaging and functional marketplace store layouts.
Pros:
- Ready-made multi-vendor marketplace features.
- Intuitive admin dashboard and vendor management tools to build an online marketplace and run it seamlessly.
- Supports both B2B and B2C marketplaces.
- High level of security with built-in features.
Cons:
- High upfront costs for the self-hosted version.
- Limited customization compared to open-source solutions.
- Requires technical knowledge for advanced setup and scalability.
Why it’s perfect for India:
Yo!Kart provides robust marketplace tools that make it easy to launch multi-vendor platforms quickly. However, the higher upfront costs and limited scalability for large enterprises make it less flexible than StoreHippo, especially for businesses that want to grow beyond India.
7. WIX
Wix is a cloud-based eCommerce platform known for its ease of use and design flexibility. It’s a good Shopify alternative for small to medium Indian businesses that prioritize quick setup and user-friendly tools for building online stores. Wix has a Multivendor MArketplace app to convert your online store into a marketplace. Using the app you get a dashboard to access products, orders, sellers, and sellers' products. You can also add unlimited sellers and products, assign existing products to sellers, and create seller plans.
Pros:
- Drag-and-drop interface for easy website building.
- Add unlimited sellers , products etc.
- Wide variety of customizable templates.
- Built-in tools for SEO, marketing, and analytics.
- Affordable plans with no need for coding skills.
- App integrations for extending functionality.
Cons:
- Limited scalability for large enterprises or complex ecommerce needs.
- Less robust multi-vendor marketplace features.
- Transaction fees on lower-tier plans.
- Restricted customization compared to open-source platforms.
Why it’s perfect for India:
Wix’s simplicity and affordability make it a great Shopify alternative for small Indian businesses looking to quickly launch an online marketplace with minimal effort. However, for enterprises requiring advanced eCommerce features and scalability, platforms like StoreHippo provide a more robust, scalable, and feature-rich marketplace solution tailored to the Indian market.
Conclusion
When comparing these Shopify alternative marketplace software, it’s clear that StoreHippo emerges as the most comprehensive and India-specific solution for building online marketplaces. With its mobile-first architecture, built-in multi-vendor marketplace features, and seamless integration with Indian payment gateways, StoreHippo is perfectly suited for businesses that want to scale quickly and efficiently in the Indian market.
While other platforms like Magento, WooCommerce, and Yo!Kart offer great functionality, StoreHippo’s plug-and-play capabilities, low total cost of ownership, and tailored support for Indian enterprises make it the superior choice for building successful, scalable online marketplaces in India.
Ready to replicate the success of big marketplace brands and build an online marketplace for your business? Explore the extensive StoreHippo features, start your 14-day free trial now.
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