Shopify alternatives in India: what to look for in 2026

The best Shopify alternative for a business selling in India is the one that handles Indian payments, GST and delivery without extra apps, and whose total monthly cost you can predict. Rather than a list of brand names, this guide gives you a checklist to test any platform against, so you can choose on facts. We use UpMinutes as one worked example, and we are clear about when Shopify may still be the better fit.

Shopify is a trademark of Shopify Inc. UpMinutes is not affiliated with Shopify. Shopify prices below are as listed on shopify.com/in/pricing on 20 October 2026; Shopify changes prices and offers from time to time, so check Shopify's current pricing before you decide.

Why do Indian sellers look for a Shopify alternative?

Shopify is a large, capable platform used around the world. Sellers in India usually start looking elsewhere for three practical reasons:

• Payments. Shopify Payments is not available for businesses in India, so Indian stores connect a third-party provider such as Razorpay, PayU or Cashfree. On Shopify's plans, a third-party transaction fee then applies on top of the gateway's own fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus.
• Local needs. GST invoices, cash on delivery rules by PIN code or order value, and Indian-language storefronts often mean adding apps, and apps can carry their own monthly fees.
• Cost in rupees. On the India pricing page, Basic is listed at ₹1,994 a month on monthly billing (₹1,499 a month billed yearly). The page does not say whether GST is included, so check before you compare.

None of this makes Shopify a bad choice. It means the real question is what you will pay and set up to run an Indian store well. Our guide to how paid apps add up goes deeper on that second point.

What should a Shopify alternative in India include?

Use this checklist during a free trial. If a feature needs an app, a plugin or a developer, write down what it costs.

Payments: whose account does the money go to?

Ask where the money sits. With your own gateway account, payouts go straight to your bank and you can see every fee. Also check whether the platform adds a percentage on each order, separate from the gateway. Our explainer on transaction fees, gateway fees and commission shows how these stack up on a single order.

In UpMinutes, you connect your own Razorpay account for UPI, cards, EMI where your Razorpay offers it, net banking and wallets. UpMinutes charges no commission on sales and no app fees; Razorpay charges its own payment fees.

Cash on delivery: can you control it?

COD is still how many first-time buyers prefer to pay, and refused parcels cost you shipping both ways. Look for a COD limit by order value, a minimum order value, and the ability to allow or refuse COD in particular delivery zones. On Shopify, COD is available as a manual payment method; rules such as limits by cart value or PIN code often need an app. UpMinutes includes these controls and a COD confirmation email the shopper can click.

GST: is the invoice built in?

If you are GST-registered, every order needs a proper tax invoice. Check that the platform numbers invoices, prints your GSTIN and the HSN code per product, and splits tax correctly for in-state and out-of-state buyers. UpMinutes does this on every order, with bulk invoices and tax reports. Our GST basics guide covers the rules; confirm specifics with your CA.

Delivery: does it understand PIN codes?

A single flat rate rarely fits a country this size. Check that you can set zones by PIN code, city, state or region, charge by weight or order value, and show a delivery estimate. A "check delivery" box on the product page saves many WhatsApp questions.

Languages and customers abroad

If your buyers read Hindi, Tamil, Telugu or Kannada, a translated storefront and checkout helps. If you also sell abroad, check how prices are shown to overseas visitors and which currency they are charged in. UpMinutes shows guide prices in up to 12 currencies for visitors abroad, while orders are charged in rupees through your Razorpay account.

How do the costs compare?

Here is a fair, simple comparison using listed prices. Gateway fees apply with both and are left out because they depend on your gateway contract.

Say you sell ₹2,00,000 a month through a third-party gateway. On Shopify Basic, the 2% transaction fee would be ₹4,000 that month on top of the plan and gateway fees. That is an illustration, not a forecast; work it out with your own sales. UpMinutes plans and limits are on the pricing page, and the full side-by-side is on UpMinutes vs Shopify.

When might Shopify suit you better?

Be honest about your plans. Shopify may be the better choice if you:

• Sell mainly to customers abroad and need checkout in many currencies.
• Run several physical shops and want POS hardware connected to one system.
• Depend on a specific app from Shopify's app store that has no equivalent elsewhere.
• Have a large in-house development team building a custom storefront.

UpMinutes, for example, has no POS hardware, no app store and no foreign-currency checkout. If one of those is central to your business, weigh it heavily.

How should you test an alternative before switching?

1. Start a trial and import ten real products, with photos and variants.
2. Connect your gateway in test mode and place a UPI order and a COD order.
3. Download the GST invoice and check it with your accountant.
4. Set two delivery zones and test a PIN code in each.
5. Open the store on an inexpensive phone over mobile data.
6. Add up the full monthly cost, including any apps, for your expected sales.

If you decide to move, plan the switch so your search rankings carry over: permanent redirects from old product addresses, the same domain, and the old store running until the new one is ready. The switching guide walks through the steps, and moving from Shopify to UpMinutes covers the CSV columns in detail. For more side-by-side guides, browse the comparisons category.

Filed under Comparisons. More guides on the UpMinutes blog.