6 Best Adobe Commerce Alternatives for 2026

Adobe Commerce remains a powerful enterprise ecommerce solution, but its $22,000-$125,000 annual licensing costs, complex infrastructure requirements, and months-long implementation timelines push many growing businesses toward modern alternatives. From API-first headless commerce platforms like Swell to established SaaS solutions like Shopify Plus, these six alternatives deliver enterprise-grade capabilities without enterprise-level complexity. This guide examines each platform's strengths, pricing models, and ideal use cases to help ecommerce teams find the right fit for their growth trajectory.

Key Takeaways

• Total cost of ownership varies dramatically: Adobe Commerce requires $122,000 to over $450,000 in first-year costs including licensing, development, and maintenance, while alternatives like Swell deliver comparable functionality starting at $29/month with all features included
• Native subscription capabilities eliminate app dependency: Platforms with built-in subscription billing save $300-$1,000 monthly on third-party apps while providing seamless mixed-cart experiences for physical, digital, and recurring products
• Headless architecture accelerates time-to-market: Modern headless platforms launch significantly faster compared to 3-6 months for traditional Adobe Commerce implementations, enabling faster revenue generation
• API-first design future-proofs your tech stack: Platforms offering full API access let development teams build custom storefronts in React, Vue, or Svelte while maintaining a unified commerce backend
• Transaction fee structures impact profitability at scale: Some platforms charge 0.5-2% on third-party payment gateways, making fee-free alternatives increasingly attractive as revenue grows

1. Swell — API-First Headless Commerce with Native Subscriptions

Swell stands as the premier Adobe Commerce alternative for businesses seeking enterprise flexibility without enterprise complexity. Built from the ground up as an API-first platform, Swell enables merchants to launch stores in minutes and scale to millions in revenue without re-platforming.

Core Capabilities:

• Native subscription billing built into the core platform—no third-party apps required
• Unlimited product options, variants, and custom attributes (compared to Shopify's 3-option, 100-variant limit)
• Mixed cart support combining one-time purchases and subscriptions in single checkout
• Full REST and GraphQL API access for custom storefront development
• Multi-currency pricing with explicit per-currency rules
• Content localization through dashboard or API

Transparent Pricing:

• Starter: $29/month (up to $50K annual sales, 2 admin users)
• Basic: $79/month (up to $250K annual sales, 5 admin users)
• Standard: $299/month (up to $1M annual sales, priority support, international price lists)
• Unlimited: $2,250/month (up to $5M annual sales, 100% uptime SLA, unlimited API requests)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for merchants exceeding $10M annually

Swell's architecture eliminates the hidden costs plaguing Adobe Commerce migrations. All platform features remain accessible through a unified Backend API—the same API powering Swell's own dashboard and checkout—ensuring developers can replicate or customize any native functionality. This approach delivers significantly lower annual costs compared to Adobe Commerce while maintaining enterprise-grade capabilities.

For B2B and wholesale operations, Swell provides customer-group-based pricing, flexible fulfillment with split payments per order item, and order editing post-purchase—features that require costly custom development on legacy platforms.

2. Shopify Plus — Fastest Time-to-Market for D2C Brands

Shopify Plus dominates the managed ecommerce space, serving brands seeking rapid deployment with minimal technical overhead.

Platform Strengths:

• Fastest time-to-market with extensive template library
• Largest app ecosystem with 8,000+ available apps
• Fully managed infrastructure with 99.99% uptime guarantee
• Integrated POS system for omnichannel retail operations
• Hydrogen framework for headless implementations

Pricing Structure:

• Starting at $2,500/month minimum
• Custom pricing for higher-volume merchants
• 0.5-2% transaction fees on third-party payment gateways

Considerations:

Shopify Plus excels at speed-to-launch but presents limitations for complex use cases. Subscriptions require apps like Recharge or Bold ($300-$1,000 monthly), adding integration complexity and ongoing costs. Checkout customization remains restricted even on Plus plans, and B2B requires apps for advanced wholesale functionality.

3. BigCommerce Enterprise — Native B2B Without Heavy Customization

BigCommerce positions itself as the enterprise platform with robust B2B capabilities built directly into the core product.

B2B-Focused Features:

• Native customer groups and tiered pricing without apps
• Multi-storefront management for multiple brands from single dashboard
• Quote management and approval workflows
• Advanced catalog management with support for large inventories
• No transaction fees on any payment gateway

Pricing Model:

• Custom enterprise pricing based on requirements
• Typically $1,000+ monthly for enterprise tiers
• Revenue-based tier increases as business scales

Considerations:

BigCommerce offers a smaller app ecosystem (approximately 1,000 apps) compared to Shopify's extensive marketplace. Like Shopify, subscriptions require integrations rather than native platform support.

4. WooCommerce — Open-Source Flexibility for WordPress Ecosystems

WooCommerce powers a significant portion of ecommerce sites through its WordPress integration, offering maximum flexibility for technically-capable teams.

Open-Source Advantages:

• Free core platform with extensive customization options
• Massive plugin ecosystem for extended functionality
• Complete ownership of codebase and data
• Familiar WordPress interface for content management

Cost Considerations:

• Free core software
• Hosting: $30-$500+ monthly depending on scale
• Premium plugins and extensions: Variable costs
• Development and maintenance: Requires dedicated resources

Considerations:

WooCommerce's flexibility comes with operational overhead. Self-hosted infrastructure requires security management, performance optimization, and ongoing maintenance that managed platforms handle automatically. Plugin complexity can create integration challenges, and scaling to high-volume operations demands significant technical investment.

For businesses with existing WordPress infrastructure and in-house development capabilities, WooCommerce offers unmatched ownership and control.

5. commercetools — Enterprise Composable Commerce

commercetools leads the composable commerce category, providing modular microservices architecture for enterprises building fully custom commerce experiences.

Composable Architecture:

• MACH-certified architecture (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless)
• Modular components assembled based on specific requirements
• Enterprise-grade scalability for global deployments
• Extensive API capabilities for complex integrations

Pricing Reality:

• Enterprise-only pricing model
• Typically requires significant implementation investment
• Best suited for organizations with dedicated development teams

Considerations:

commercetools targets enterprise organizations with substantial technical resources and complex multi-brand, multi-region requirements. Implementation complexity and cost position it beyond reach for most growing businesses, but for Fortune 500 companies with specific composable commerce needs, it delivers maximum architectural flexibility.

6. Salesforce Commerce Cloud — Enterprise CRM Integration

Salesforce Commerce Cloud serves enterprises already invested in the Salesforce ecosystem, providing deep CRM integration and AI-powered personalization.

Salesforce Ecosystem Benefits:

• Native integration with Salesforce CRM, Marketing Cloud, and Service Cloud
• Einstein AI for personalized customer experiences
• Enterprise reliability with global infrastructure
• B2B and B2C commerce capabilities in unified platform

Enterprise Pricing:

• Custom pricing based on GMV and requirements
• Significant investment required for full platform deployment
• Additional costs for Salesforce ecosystem products

Considerations:

Salesforce Commerce Cloud makes sense primarily for organizations already committed to the Salesforce ecosystem. Standalone implementations face high costs and complexity that alternatives handle more efficiently. For existing Salesforce customers seeking unified commerce and CRM data, the integration value justifies the investment.

Choosing Your Adobe Commerce Alternative

Platform selection should align with your specific business requirements and growth trajectory:

Choose Swell when you need:

• Native subscription commerce without third-party dependencies
• Headless flexibility at accessible price points
• Mixed product types (physical, digital, subscriptions) in unified experience
• Fast implementation with full developer control

Choose Shopify Plus when you need:

• Fastest possible time-to-market with minimal technical resources
• Extensive app ecosystem for functionality extension
• Integrated POS for physical retail operations

Choose BigCommerce when you need:

• Native B2B features without heavy customization
• Multi-storefront management for multiple brands
• No transaction fees on third-party gateways

Choose WooCommerce when you need:

• Complete codebase ownership and control
• Integration with existing WordPress infrastructure
• Maximum flexibility with in-house development resources

Choose commercetools or Salesforce when you need:

• Enterprise-scale global deployments with dedicated development teams
• Deep integration with existing enterprise systems (Salesforce ecosystem)
• Composable architecture for complex multi-brand requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main advantages of choosing a headless commerce platform over Adobe Commerce?

Headless platforms separate frontend presentation from backend commerce logic, enabling development teams to build custom storefronts using modern frameworks like React, Vue, or Next.js while maintaining a unified commerce backend. This architecture delivers faster page loads compared to traditional monolithic platforms, accelerates development cycles by 2-3x, and allows multiple customer touchpoints (web, mobile, IoT) to connect to a single backend. Platforms like Swell provide managed headless infrastructure, eliminating the DevOps overhead that self-hosted solutions require.

How does Swell compare to Shopify Plus in terms of flexibility and transaction fees?

Swell offers several structural advantages: unlimited product options and variants (versus Shopify's 3-option, 100-variant limit), fully customizable checkout via API (Shopify restricts checkout modifications), and 0% transaction fees on external payment gateways (Shopify charges 0.5-2% on non-Shopify payments). Swell's native subscription billing eliminates the need for third-party apps that cost $300-$1,000 monthly on Shopify. For a $1M annual revenue business, Swell's Standard plan costs $3,588/year compared to Shopify Plus starting at $30,000/year.

Can I migrate my existing store from Shopify or WooCommerce to a new platform?

Yes. Most modern platforms offer built-in migration tools or partner with specialized services. Migration from Shopify can range from a few hours for basic migrations to several days for more complex implementations depending on catalog complexity, while WooCommerce migrations require similar timelines. Key steps include exporting product catalogs, customer data, and order history via CSV or API, then implementing 301 redirects for SEO preservation. Swell specifically supports uploading and customizing Shopify themes within its environment, providing migration flexibility for existing Shopify merchants.

What kind of businesses are best suited for headless commerce solutions?

Headless commerce fits businesses requiring custom frontend experiences, multi-channel selling (web, mobile apps, IoT devices), or complex product configurations. Subscription-first businesses, D2C brands selling mixed product types (physical + digital + recurring), B2B operations needing customer-specific pricing, and multi-vendor marketplaces all benefit from headless architecture. Companies under $10M annual revenue particularly benefit from platforms like Swell that deliver headless flexibility without enterprise-level complexity or cost.

How important is native subscription billing when evaluating ecommerce platforms?

Native subscription billing proves critical for businesses selling recurring products or memberships. Platforms with built-in subscriptions enable mixed carts (one-time + recurring purchases in single checkout), flexible billing intervals decoupled from fulfillment schedules, and automated dunning for failed payments—all without third-party dependencies. Third-party subscription apps add $3,600-$12,000 annually in costs, introduce integration complexity, and often limit functionality compared to native implementations. For subscription-first businesses, platform-native capabilities reduce technical debt while improving customer experience.