vs Shopify
The Honest Shopify Alternative for
Australian Businesses (2026)
Shopify works — until it doesn't. You start at $39/month for Basic, then the transaction fees kick in, then you need a half-dozen paid apps to hit feature parity with what you want, then a theme edit costs $500 because the Liquid templating system is its own skill, and by year three you're paying more than it would have cost to build it once, properly, and own it forever. This is the honest alternative — a custom Stripe-powered shop you own outright.
Published 25 April 2026
Side by side
| Custom OwnStack build | Shopify Basic | Shopify Advanced | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | From $2,000 (one-time) | $0 | $0 |
| Monthly platform fee | $0 | $39/mo | $399/mo |
| Transaction fees (3rd-party payments) | Stripe only (1.7% + 30c AU) | 2% + Stripe | 0.5% + Stripe |
| Own the source code | Yes | No | No |
| Own the database (products, orders, customers) | Yes | No — export only | No — export only |
| Custom features without paid apps | Yes — built in | No — $10–$50/mo per app | No — $10–$50/mo per app |
| Page speed (95+ PageSpeed) | Yes | No — theme-dependent | No — theme-dependent |
| Design is fully custom | Yes | Themes only (or $$$ custom) | Themes only (or $$$ custom) |
| Break-even vs Shopify Basic | — | ~year 4 | ~year 1 |
Real example
How this played out for Carrara Collective
Common questions
Frequently asked
Does a custom Shopify alternative really cost less over time?
For most Australian SMB e-commerce, yes. Shopify Basic is $39/month ($468/year) before transaction fees, apps, and theme extensions. Real-world costs run $100–$300/month by year two. A custom Stripe-powered shop costs $2,000–$6,000 up-front, then around $20–$40/month in hosting. Break-even falls between year 2 and year 4 depending on volume — and you own the system outright from day one.
What happens if I need a new feature later?
Because you own the code, a developer (us or anyone else) can add features directly. Shopify's answer to 'we need X' is usually 'install this $19/month app.' Our answer is 'we can build it for you once.' Long-term, owning beats renting.
Can I migrate my existing Shopify products and customers?
Yes. Shopify lets you export products, orders, and customers as CSV. We import those into your new database on day one so you launch with your data intact. It's a standard migration — we've done it before.
Is Stripe as good as Shopify Payments?
Stripe is arguably better — it's the same underlying infrastructure Shopify uses, plus it's more flexible for subscriptions, marketplace setups, and custom checkout flows. Stripe's AU rates are 1.7% + 30c for domestic cards, which is competitive with or cheaper than Shopify Payments. And no platform middleman.
What about SEO? Won't a custom site rank worse?
The opposite. Our sites are built bespoke and hit 95+ on Google PageSpeed — most Shopify themes don't. Structured data, clean URLs, proper canonicals, fast loads — these are ranking signals custom-built sites handle out of the box. Carrara Collective scores in the 90s; their previous Shopify theme did not.
How long does the build take?
Most Shopify-alternative shops launch in 4–8 weeks depending on scope. Simple catalogue shops (20-50 products, standard checkout): 4–5 weeks. Configurable products (model × size × variant — like Carrara's stone furniture): 6–8 weeks. Custom post-purchase workflows (invoicing, dispatch, subscriptions): longer, scoped separately.
Who hosts it? Where does my data live?
Your site runs on Cloudflare Pages (for the frontend) and Cloudflare Workers (for the API), with a Postgres database on Neon. All accounts are set up in your name — OwnStack never holds your credentials, your data, or your billing relationships. Total hosting cost typically $15–$40/month.
Want to see what this looks
like for you?
Tell us about your project →Every project is different. Tell us your situation and we will give you an honest answer — even if the honest answer is "stay on the platform you are on."