6 WooCommerce Alternatives for CBD Brands

CBD brands face a unique set of challenges when selling online—from high-risk payment processing to age verification requirements and state-specific shipping restrictions. While WooCommerce offers flexibility as an open-source platform, many CBD merchants find themselves battling constant plugin updates, payment gateway limitations, and scalability concerns. The global cannabis e-commerce market is projected to reach $33.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit $134.4 billion by 2030, making the right platform choice critical for CBD brands positioning themselves for growth. This guide examines six alternatives to WooCommerce, starting with Swell—an API-first, headless commerce platform built for the flexibility and compliance requirements CBD businesses demand.

Key Takeaways

• Transaction fees matter at scale: Swell and BigCommerce charge 0% transaction fees on external payment gateways, while Shopify charges from 0.5% to 2% on third-party processors, depending on the plan—a significant cost difference for high-revenue CBD stores
• Native subscriptions eliminate app dependency: Platforms with built-in subscription billing save CBD brands $600-$2,400+ annually on third-party apps while reducing performance issues
• Payment gateway access varies dramatically: Swell integrates with 9+ CBD-friendly payment gateways, BigCommerce offers 65+ options including high-risk processors, while WooCommerce users can use payment processors like Square or Viva Payments
• Product customization affects CBD catalog management: Shopify caps variants at 100 with 3 options, BigCommerce allows 600 variants with 250+ custom fields, and Swell provides unlimited variants with 4+ option types
• Headless architecture enables compliance flexibility: API-first platforms allow CBD brands to build custom age verification, Certificate of Analysis (COA) management, and state-specific shipping workflows without third-party apps

1. Swell — API-First Platform with Native CBD Commerce Features

Swell stands as the top WooCommerce alternative for CBD brands seeking complete control over their commerce infrastructure without the technical maintenance burden. Swell reports that teams using their platform see 50-70% faster page loads compared to traditional platforms weighted down by app dependencies.

Key Features:

• Unlimited product variants with 4+ option types—ideal for CBD products with multiple strengths, flavors, and sizes
• Native subscription billing with flexible intervals, mixed carts, automatic payment retry, and dunning management
• 0% transaction fees on all external payment gateways
• Multi-currency support across 230 currencies with explicit pricing rules
• Content localization in 170 languages for international CBD expansion
• Custom data models for COA management, batch tracking, and compliance documentation
• Tax calculation integration with Avalara and TaxJar for region-specific compliance

Pricing Structure:

• Starter: $29/month (up to $50K annual sales)
• Basic: $79/month (up to $250K annual sales)
• Standard: $299/month (up to $1M annual sales)
• Unlimited: $2,250/month (up to $5M annual sales)
• Custom/Enterprise: Negotiated for $10M+ annual sales

Best for CBD Brands When:

• You need custom compliance workflows without relying on third-party apps
• Subscription-first business models drive recurring revenue
• Your product catalog requires unlimited variants and custom attributes
• International expansion is part of your growth strategy
• Developer resources are available for headless implementation

Swell's developer-friendly API provides access to all store data, enabling CBD brands to build custom age verification systems, state-specific shipping restrictions, and COA display features directly into their storefronts. The platform supports hosted checkout for PCI compliance or custom checkout via API for brands requiring specialized payment flows.

Brands like Velobici have leveraged Swell's product bundling capabilities—with 75% of their revenue coming from bundles—and multi-currency pricing across 17 currencies. This demonstrates the platform's ability to handle complex product configurations that CBD brands frequently require.

2. BigCommerce — Built-in B2B Features with High-Risk Gateway Support

BigCommerce positions itself as a strong WooCommerce alternative with native wholesale capabilities and an extensive payment gateway network that includes high-risk processors essential for CBD merchants.

Key Features:

• 65+ payment gateways including high-risk CBD processors
• 250+ custom fields per product for COA data, lab reports, and compliance information
• 600 product variants with advanced inventory tracking
• Native customer groups and wholesale pricing tiers
• 0% transaction fees across all pricing plans
• Built-in multi-currency and multi-language support

Pricing Structure:

• Standard: $29/month (up to $50K annual sales)
• Plus: $79/month (up to $180K annual sales)
• Pro: $299/month (up to $400K annual sales)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for high-volume merchants

Best for CBD Brands When:

• Wholesale and B2B sales represent a significant revenue channel
• Extensive product data fields are needed for compliance documentation
• Your team prefers a more traditional, non-headless platform architecture
• Budget constraints require lower entry-level pricing

BigCommerce's CBD solutions page specifically addresses the needs of hemp and CBD merchants, signaling platform commitment to this market segment. The platform's native B2B features eliminate the app dependency that plagues other platforms when serving wholesale customers.

3. Shopify — Largest App Ecosystem with CBD Policy Compliance

Shopify maintains market leadership with millions of active stores and offers CBD brands access to the largest third-party app ecosystem, though with notable cost and customization trade-offs.

Key Features:

• 8,000+ apps for extended functionality
• Hemp-derived CBD products permitted (under 0.3% THC)
• Template-based store setup for fast launch
• Extensive theme marketplace
• Native multi-channel selling (social media, marketplaces)
• 24/7 customer support across all plans

Pricing Structure:

• Basic: $19/month
• Grow: $49/month
• Advanced: $299/month
• Plus: $2,300/month for enterprise

Key Considerations for CBD:

• From 0.5% to 2% transaction fees on third-party processors, depending on the plan (Shopify Payments unavailable for CBD)
• Variant cap at 100 with maximum 3 option types
• Subscription functionality requires paid apps (estimated $600-$2,400+ annually)
• B2B features require apps $50-200+/month
• Checkout customization restricted even on Plus plans

Best for CBD Brands When:

• Fast time-to-market is the primary concern
• Your team has limited technical resources
• Multi-channel social selling is a key strategy
• You're willing to invest in apps for advanced functionality

While Shopify's ease of use attracts many CBD startups, brands should calculate total cost of ownership including transaction fees and app subscriptions. A store processing $250K annually could pay $1,250-2,500 in fees alone before adding subscription and B2B app costs.

4. Shift4Shop — Budget-Friendly Option with Built-in SEO

Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart) offers CBD brands a free tier option for merchants using Shift4 payment processing, making it an attractive entry point for budget-conscious startups.

Key Features:

• Free plan available with Shift4 payment processing
• Built-in SEO tools and blog functionality
• Unlimited products on all plans
• Native subscription capabilities
• 0% transaction fees
• PCI-compliant checkout

Pricing Structure:

• Free tier: $0/month (transaction limits apply)
• End-to-End: $229/month (premium features)

Best for CBD Brands When:

• Starting with minimal budget and seeking to test market fit
• SEO-driven content marketing is your primary acquisition channel
• Shift4 payment processing aligns with your merchant account strategy
• Simpler product catalogs don't require advanced variant management

Shift4Shop's free tier removes platform subscription costs entirely, though CBD brands should verify Shift4's current policies on high-risk merchant processing before committing.

5. Square Online — Omnichannel POS Integration

Square Online appeals to CBD brands operating both online and physical retail locations, offering seamless point-of-sale integration that synchronizes inventory and customer data across channels.

Key Features:

• Integrated POS system for retail locations and events
• Unified inventory management across channels
• Built-in payment processing through Square
• Free tier available with limited features
• Mobile-optimized checkout
• Order pickup and local delivery options

Pricing Structure:

• Free: $0/month (Square branding, limited features)
• Plus: $49/month
• Premium: $149/month

Best for CBD Brands When:

• Physical retail or event sales complement your online business
• Omnichannel inventory synchronization is essential
• Simplicity takes priority over advanced customization
• Local pickup and delivery are key fulfillment methods

CBD brands should note that Square's payment processing policies for CBD products may vary by region and product type, requiring verification before platform commitment.

6. Wix — Design-First Simplicity for CBD Startups

Wix provides CBD startups with an intuitive visual builder for creating professional storefronts without coding knowledge, though the platform's simplicity comes with commerce feature trade-offs.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop website builder
• 800+ designer templates
• Built-in hosting and SSL
• Basic e-commerce functionality
• Integrated blog and content management
• Mobile app management

Pricing Structure:

• Light: $17/month
• Core: $29/month
• Business: $39/month
• Business Elite: $159/month

Best for CBD Brands When:

• Brand presentation and visual storytelling are top priorities
• Your product catalog is relatively simple
• Limited technical resources require visual, no-code solutions
• You're testing product-market fit before investing in a robust platform

Wix works well for CBD brands prioritizing design during early growth stages, though merchants should plan for eventual migration as sales volume and product complexity increase.

Why CBD Brands Outgrow WooCommerce

WooCommerce's open-source flexibility initially attracts many CBD merchants, but several factors drive platform migrations as businesses scale:

Payment Processing Complexity

WooCommerce CBD merchants can use payment processors like Square (US) or Viva Payments (EU) for payment processing. This constraint can impact checkout conversion rates and limit expansion into new markets where these processors don't operate.

Maintenance Overhead

The platform requires constant updates, security patches, and plugin management that consume technical resources better spent on growth initiatives. CBD brands particularly face challenges maintaining compliance-related plugins as regulations evolve.

Scaling Limitations

Industry analysis indicates WooCommerce has "limited functionality for large operations and requires dev resources to scale"—a critical concern as CBD brands grow beyond startup revenue levels.

Hidden Cost Accumulation

While WooCommerce's core plugin is free, premium themes, essential plugins, quality hosting, and developer time create a total cost potentially reaching $6,300-14,600 in year one for a serious CBD operation.

For brands ready to evaluate alternatives, platforms like Swell offer migration support through their API-first architecture, enabling data transfer while building custom compliance workflows from day one. Explore Swell's platform features to understand how headless commerce addresses CBD-specific requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a good WooCommerce alternative for a CBD brand?

CBD brands should prioritize platforms offering high-risk payment gateway integrations, native subscription capabilities, unlimited product variants for complex formulations, and flexible customization for compliance workflows. Transaction fee structures matter significantly at scale—platforms charging 0% fees on external gateways save thousands annually compared to percentage-based models. The ideal platform should also support custom age verification, COA management, and state-specific shipping restrictions. Look for platforms with proven CBD merchant success stories and explicit policy support for hemp-derived products.

Why are subscription features particularly important for CBD businesses?

Subscription models drive predictable recurring revenue crucial for CBD business sustainability. Platforms with native subscription billing—like Swell's built-in subscription management—eliminate the $600-$2,400+ annual cost of third-party apps while providing features like mixed carts (combining one-time and subscription items), automatic payment retry, and customer self-service for pause/resume functionality. Native subscription features also reduce site performance issues and integration complexities that third-party apps introduce.

How does a headless commerce approach benefit CBD brands?

Headless architecture separates the frontend presentation layer from backend commerce functionality, enabling CBD brands to build custom storefronts in any framework (React, Vue, Next.js) while connecting multiple touchpoints to a single commerce backend. This flexibility allows implementation of custom age verification, COA display systems, and state-specific shipping restrictions without depending on third-party apps that may lack CBD-specific features. Headless platforms also deliver faster page loads and better mobile experiences, improving conversion rates.

Can a CBD brand avoid transaction fees with alternative platforms?

Yes, Swell charges 0% transaction fees regardless of payment gateway choice, and BigCommerce similarly waives transaction fees across all plans. This contrasts with Shopify's 0.5-2% fee on third-party gateways—fees that CBD brands must pay since Shopify Payments isn't available for CBD products. On $250K in annual sales, this difference represents $1,250-5,000 in savings annually, making zero-fee platforms significantly more cost-effective at scale.

What international features should CBD brands look for in an e-commerce platform?

CBD brands targeting international markets should evaluate multi-currency capabilities (Swell supports 230 currencies with explicit pricing rules per currency), multi-language content localization (Swell offers 170 languages), and tax calculation integrations like Avalara and TaxJar for region-specific compliance. The ability to create custom tax rules by location and product type proves essential for managing varying CBD regulations across jurisdictions. International shipping restrictions and region-specific payment gateway support are also critical considerations.