Shopify Alternative: Custom E-Commerce Software

01What Is Shopify, and Why Is It So Popular?

Shopify is one of the most widely used hosted e-commerce platforms in the world. It works on a subscription: you open an account, pick a theme and put your store live in a short time. You do not deal with servers, security or updates. Thanks to a broad theme and app store, many needs are met in a few clicks.

These strengths are real, and Shopify can be a good choice, especially for brands focused on selling abroad and using global payment methods. But the needs of a business selling to Turkish customers in Türkiye are different. The search for a Shopify alternative usually arises from these local needs.

Platform terms, plans and fees can change over time; always check current information on Shopify’s official site. In this article, instead of exact figures, we cover the criteria you should look at when deciding.

02What Stands Out in Türkiye?

The day-to-day operation of an e-commerce business in Türkiye departs from the default setup of global platforms in several places. Though these points look small, they repeat with every order, so they determine the total workload.

• Installment payments: Turkish consumers expect installments on credit cards, which requires a connection to local banks and payment providers.
• E-invoice and e-archive invoice (Turkish e-invoicing): a legal invoice must be issued for every sale and the correct document type chosen.
• Local shipping companies: shipment code, label and tracking number generated automatically.
• Marketplaces: stock and order synchronization with channels such as Trendyol, Hepsiburada and N11.
• Pricing in TL and updating prices when exchange rates change.
• Turkish-language support: a contact who speaks the same language and works in the same time zone when a problem arises.

03Payment and Commission Comparison

Shopify’s own payment system is not offered in every country; in countries where it is not offered, an external payment provider is connected. When an external payment provider is used, Shopify may apply an additional transaction fee that varies by plan. This fee is added on top of the payment provider’s own commission.

On a custom local platform, the payment connection is set up directly with your bank or a payment provider such as PayTR or iyzico. With Aurora Smart E-Commerce, the software takes no commission per sale; the only commission you pay is the agreement you make with the payment provider. We explain how a virtual POS works in our what is a virtual POS article.

04E-Invoice, Shipping and Marketplace Connections

On a global platform, connections specific to Türkiye are usually set up with third-party apps from the app store. Each app means a separate company, a separate subscription and a separate support contact. When a connection breaks, working out whether the problem is in the platform or in the app takes time.

At Aurora, all of these connections are inside the system and no integration middleware is used: e-invoice integration through Uyumsoft, EDM Bilişim and Park Entegrasyon; shipping integration with Yurtiçi, Aras, DHL eCommerce (MNG) and DHL Express; and marketplace integration with Trendyol, Hepsiburada, N11, Amazon, Çiçeksepeti, idefix, Pazarama and PttAVM all work in the same panel.

05Design: Theme or Custom-Built?

On Shopify, a store starts with a theme; the theme store has many free and paid options and they can be customized with coding knowledge. This approach is fast, but it can lead to similarity with other stores using the same theme and to page layouts that do not quite fit your product structure.

On a custom platform, the design is prepared from scratch around your product portfolio and brand. Aurora uses no ready-made themes; category, product, cart and checkout pages are built uniquely for your company in the concept design process, and the logo, fonts and homepage blocks can later be edited from the panel. This design is included in the package.

06How Do You Compare Total Cost?

When comparing two platforms, looking only at the monthly subscription fee is misleading. The subscription, paid themes, the monthly fee of each app, additional transaction fees and the exchange rate must be calculated together. For services priced in foreign currency, a rate increase changes your budget outside your control.

Aurora Smart E-Commerce is offered as a single package; design, integrations, features, the mobile management app, training and support are all included, and there are no hidden costs that appear later. For an item-by-item comparison method, see our e-commerce website pricing guide.

1. Write down the monthly or annual platform fee.
2. Add the fee of every app you will need.
3. Calculate the additional transaction fee for external payments against your annual revenue.
4. Add the cost of paid themes and design changes.
5. Factor in exchange rate risk for items priced in foreign currency.

07Language, Currency and Selling Abroad

One of Shopify’s strongest areas is global selling; it supports multiple languages and currencies. For a brand focused on selling abroad, this is a major advantage.

At Aurora, selling abroad is a standard feature too: you enter content only in Turkish, the store is translated automatically into 27 languages and you can correct the translations yourself when needed. For products priced in euros and dollars, the TL price updates automatically as the exchange rate changes. That way both local needs in Türkiye and sales abroad are managed in the same panel.

08Which One Is Right for You?

Your product and market decide. For a brand that sells mostly abroad, uses global payment methods and has its own technical team, Shopify can be a sensible choice. For a business that sells in installments in Türkiye, issues e-invoices and works with local shipping companies and marketplaces, a single-contact platform with local connections ready makes daily work noticeably easier.

Whichever platform you choose, the real factor affecting conversion is how simple the checkout step is; we cover this in our cart abandonment rate article. For more platform-focused content, see the Shopify tag.

• Do most of your sales happen in Türkiye or abroad?
• Are installments, e-invoicing and local shipping part of your daily work?
• Do you also sell on marketplaces?
• Do you want a single contact for technical problems?