commercetools alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave commercetools: expensive, contract-based pricing, and needs significant engineering to assemble. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces commercetools, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Commerce Layer currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	BigCommerce	Paid	No	Web, iOS, Android	4 of 4	59.6
2	Shopify	Paid	No	Web, iOS, Android	4 of 4	55.3

1. BigCommerceTop pick
Best for: Growing and B2B merchants who want rich built-in features and gateway choice
PaidWeb, iOS, Android
59.6
score / 100
Why switch from commercetools
Hosted platform with headless APIs at lower cost.
Pros
Many features built in, fewer paid apps needed
No extra fee for third-party payment gateways
Strong B2B and headless capabilities
Cons
Plans auto-upgrade as annual sales grow
Smaller theme and app ecosystem than Shopify
Admin can feel complex for small shops
Visit BigCommerce Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.377
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is BigCommerce a good commercetools alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
Free trial
15 days
Checked Oct 25, 2026bigcommerce.com(opens source in a new tab)
Core plan
$29/month billed annually
Checked Oct 25, 2026bigcommerce.com(opens source in a new tab)
Growth plan
$79/month billed annually
Checked Oct 25, 2026bigcommerce.com(opens source in a new tab)
Sales-based plans
Auto-upgrade above thresholds
Checked Oct 25, 2026bigcommerce.com(opens source in a new tab)
2. Shopify
Best for: Most merchants who want a reliable hosted store that can grow from first sale to enterprise
PaidWeb, iOS, Android
55.3
score / 100
Why switch from commercetools
Shopify Plus for enterprises that want less to assemble.
Pros
Fast, trusted checkout with Shop Pay
Largest ecommerce app and theme ecosystem
Built-in POS and multichannel selling
Cons
Apps and plan upgrades push monthly costs up
Extra fees when using third-party payment gateways
Deep checkout customisation reserved for higher plans
Visit Shopify Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.363
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Shopify a good commercetools alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
Free trial
3 days
Checked Oct 25, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)
App Store
21,000+ apps
Checked Oct 25, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)
Themes
200+ pre-built
Checked Oct 25, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)
US ecommerce share
About 10% of US ecommerce sales
Checked Oct 25, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best commercetools alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Best commercetools alternative for most people

Commerce Layer

API-first SaaS commerce with a free developer plan and transparent tiers.

Best commercetools alternative for a free option

Saleor

Open-source headless platform you can self-host.

Best commercetools alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Commerce Layer

API-first SaaS commerce with a free developer plan and transparent tiers.

Best commercetools alternative for open source

Saleor

Open-source headless platform you can self-host.

Best commercetools alternative for self-hosting

Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Enterprise platform with a full storefront and agency ecosystem.

Best commercetools alternative for iPhone and Android

BigCommerce

Hosted platform with headless APIs at lower cost.

Best commercetools alternative for working in the browser

Shopify

Shopify Plus for enterprises that want less to assemble.

commercetools alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to commercetools?

Commerce Layer ranks first right now. API-first SaaS commerce with a free developer plan and transparent tiers. Adobe Commerce (Magento) and BigCommerce follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to commercetools?

Yes. Commerce Layer (free plan + paid) and Saleor (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to commercetools?

Yes: Saleor. Saleor can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from commercetools?

The complaints we hear most: expensive, contract-based pricing; needs significant engineering to assemble; no built-in storefront.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces commercetools, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.