What Shopify does well
- Fastest possible setup, sell in an afternoon
- Huge app ecosystem and themes
- POS, B2B, and multichannel built in
- 24/7 chat support and a polished mobile app
Shopify Alternative: ecommerce Hosting Compared
Shopify is a great product with a fee on every sale. Ecommerce is open source: you get the store, you keep the checkout, and you pay card rates only.
Free migration · No contract · 30-day refund
Side by side
Ecommerce on Last Hour vs Shopify
The cost of a store is more than the monthly plan. Transaction fees, app subscriptions, and checkout control add up.
| Ecommerce on Last Hour | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly platform cost | $29/mo flat | Basic is $39/mo month-to-month, $29/mo billed yearly |
| Platform transaction fee | ✓ None | Up to 2% on third-party payment providers (Basic) |
| Card processing | Your processor's rates, no platform markup | Shopify Payments from 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Checkout control | ✓ Full, you own the code | Limited below Plus |
| Staff / admin accounts | Unlimited, you host it | Up to 5 on Grow, 15 on Advanced |
| Software license | Open source (ecommerce, OSL) | Proprietary, hosted platform |
| Store ownership | You hold the database and files | Data lives on Shopify's platform |
| Free migration | ✓ Done for you | ✕ Not offered by Shopify |
| Support | US-based engineers, email | 24/7 chat, large support org |
| App ecosystem | Ecommerce add-on marketplace | Very large (thousands of apps, many paid) |
Straight talk
Where each one wins
Where Shopify may still be the better fit
- You want zero technical involvement in hosting
- You rely on a specific Shopify app or POS hardware
- You sell in many marketplaces and want native sync
- You'd rather pay a fee than manage a server at all
Our honest take: Shopify wins on convenience, and if you sell a small number of items with a fast launch, it's excellent. Once transaction fees and paid apps add up, ecommerce on our managed hosting can save real money, and you own the store.
Making the move
How to switch from Shopify
Moving from Shopify to Managed ecommerce e-commerce hosting on Last Hour Hosting is a guided process. Here is what it looks like, step by step.
Step 1
Export your Shopify products, customers, and orders as CSV files.
Step 2
Send us the data and we import it into ecommerce, mapping your categories and variants.
Step 3
Recreate your theme, payments, shipping, and tax settings on the new store.
Step 4
Place test orders end to end, then switch DNS once the store checks out.
The upside
Why Managed ecommerce e-commerce hosting is a strong Shopify alternative
- Ecommerce is open source and self-hosted, so you avoid Shopify's monthly plan plus transaction fees on sales.
- A flat $29/mo covers your store instead of Shopify's tiers that rise with revenue and add-on apps.
- You own the storefront and data outright, with no platform deciding which apps or features you can use.
Frequently asked questions
Does ecommerce charge transaction fees like Shopify?
No. Ecommerce is open-source software. You only pay your payment processor's normal card rates. There is no platform fee on top of each sale.
Can I migrate my Shopify store to ecommerce?
Yes. We help migrate products, customers, and orders from Shopify to ecommerce. Migration is handled by our team so your catalog and history stay intact.
Is Shopify better than ecommerce?
Shopify is much easier to start with and has a larger app ecosystem. Ecommerce gives you full control, no transaction fees, and no platform lock-in, which often saves money at scale.
Does leaving Shopify mean I avoid transaction fees on every sale?
Ecommerce itself charges no transaction fees, since it is open source software. You pay only your payment processor's normal rates. That is often the biggest saving compared with Shopify's per-sale cut.
How do product variants and images transfer from Shopify?
We import products with their variants, SKUs, prices, and image URLs, then verify the catalog. Some theme-specific display settings need recreating, but your actual product data moves across cleanly.