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eCommerce

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Dec 2, 2024

13 Less expensive Shogun alternatives for Shopify store owners

team discussion on alternatives - Shogun Alternatives
team discussion on alternatives - Shogun Alternatives
team discussion on alternatives - Shogun Alternatives

Instant Team

13 Less expensive Shogun alternatives for Shopify store owners

If you're into Shopify web design, you know that creating a standout online store can be a puzzle. Shogun has been a go-to for building custom pages, but its cost might have you looking for something easier on the wallet. This article is here to help by exploring less expensive Shogun alternatives for Shopify store owners, letting you get the most out of your budget without compromising on quality.

One option worth considering is Instant's Shopify product page builder, a tool designed to make your life easier and your costs lower.

Table of Contents

What is a Shogun?

Shogun landing page - Shogun Alternatives

Landing Page Builder improves the customization and efficiency of Shopify stores. It’s a no-code page builder that helps merchants create engaging, conversion-optimized pages without the need for deep technical expertise. Using Shogun's simple visual editor, merchants can easily create various pages such as:

  • Blogs

  • Product pages

  • Collections

  • Home pages

  • Landing pages

The app includes a wide range of features, such as:

  • Image sliders

  • Videos

  • Countdown clocks

  • Product tabs

Making it easy to customize pages in detail. 

Customization and flexibility for your Shopify store

While Shogun is designed to be accessible for users without coding knowledge, it also offers advanced features for developers. These include creating custom elements using:

  • Liquid

  • HTML

  • CSS

The app provides over 70 ready-made templates, simplifying quick customization. It also allows for creating product page templates that can be universally applied across multiple SKUs, helping to keep a consistent look across the brand.

Pros & cons of using Shogun

woman discussing ideas - Shogun Alternatives

Shogun’s advanced options for developers

If you're equipped with coding skills, Shogun opens up a new world of possibilities. With its "Custom Templating" feature, you can create one-of-a-kind elements using Liquid, HTML, and CSS. This is a game-changer for developers who want to push the boundaries of what Shogun can do.

SEO and analytics: Shogun’s secret weapon

Shogun’s SEO content creation copilot is like having a personal assistant for your website’s search engine optimization. Available on all paid plans, it simplifies the process, even if you’re not an SEO expert. Shogun provides page analytics that goes beyond what basic Shopify offers, giving you deeper insights into your site’s performance.

Shogun’s stellar support system

Shogun’s support is fast, efficient, and knowledgeable. Subscribers to the Grow and Advance plans get priority support, but users find the support team responsive and helpful, even on lower-tier plans. Shogun also offers plenty of resources, including video tutorials and a blog, to help users make the most of the app.

No free plan: A barrier for some

One downside to Shogun is that there’s no free plan. This can make it less accessible for smaller stores or those just starting. While there’s a 10-day free trial, you must commit to a paid plan to keep using Shogun’s features.

High cost compared to other apps

Shogun’s pricing can be a hurdle for budget-conscious users. The app is designed for large-scale businesses, and its advanced tools and team collaboration features come at a premium. If cost is a major concern, you may want to explore other Shopify page builder options before committing to Shogun.

Limited design options

Shogun’s pre-designed templates, sections, and elements library is smaller than some other page builders. With around 70 templates, 60 sections, and 30 elements, users might struggle to find options that match their brand’s aesthetic. Plus, the more advanced page types require higher-tier plans, which can limit some users.

Limited customer support availability

While Shogun’s support is excellent, access to 24/7 live chat is only available on the highest-tier plans. This can be a drawback for users on more affordable plans who may need help navigating Shogun’s features.

Steep learning curve

Shogun’s powerful tools come with a learning curve. Users will need to invest time and effort to master the app. This can be a hurdle for beginners or those new to page builders, but the payoff is worth it for those willing to do the work.

Shopify page builder

Instant is a user-friendly Shopify product page builder that allows eCommerce teams and agencies to create fully customizable and advanced pages without any coding knowledge. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, users can quickly design and publish high-converting:

  • Landing pages

  • Blog posts

  • Product pages

  • Sections, all while maintaining complete control over their store's design

Instant also offers seamless integration with Figma and other eCommerce tools, making it a versatile choice for enhancing online store performance and increasing conversions. Try Instant's Shopify product page builder today!

13 Less expensive Shogun alternatives for Shopify store owners

1. Instant: The drag-and-drop Shopify page builder solution for non-coders

Instant for team - Shogun Alternatives

Instant is a user-friendly Shopify landing page builder that allows eCommerce teams and agencies to create fully customizable and advanced pages without any coding knowledge. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, users can quickly design and publish high-converting:

  • Landing pages

  • Blog posts

  • Product detail pages

  • Sections, all while maintaining complete control over their store's design

Instant also offers seamless integration with Figma and other eCommerce tools, making it a versatile choice for enhancing online store performance and increasing conversions. Try Instant's Shopify landing page builder today!

Best for:

  • Businesses prioritize quick deployment and highly tailored pages, especially those integrating with tools like Figma for seamless design workflows.

Features:

  • Rapid customization: Create landing pages and blog posts tailored to your brand in under five minutes without writing code.

  • Integrations: Full compatibility with Figma and eCommerce tools, streamlining design and performance optimization.

  • Subscription support: Ideal for supplement brands offering subscription-based products.

  • Product variants: Easily showcase different flavors, sizes, or product types.

Why it stands out

Instant is perfect for brands aiming to establish their online presence quickly with sophisticated designs. Its speed and versatility cater to brands with fast-changing campaigns or frequent product updates.

2. EComposer landing page builder: The all-in-one Shopify page-building solution

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Are you looking for an all-in-one solution to build your Shopify store page? Look no further. EComposer Landing Page Builder has multiple layouts and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
The page builder has unique add-ons, such as an image optimizer, cross-selling, and color swatch. When building the page, you will find many elements and even templates for sections.

EComposer landing page builder highlights:

  • AI content generator

  • Page analytics

  • Global blocks

  • CRO Extensions

  • Templates for the page and sections

EComposer is one of a few page builders that, with its free version, allows you to build up to three pages. You can also choose from over 70 free page layouts, 200 section templates, and select over 20 integrations. This and even more are available from $19/month.

3. GemPages landing page builder: A familiar solution for wordpress users

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

If you’ve previously worked with various WordPress page builders, the GemPages Landing Page Builder will be up your street. But of course, GemPages is more than a familiar face. It also has modern, fully responsive templates that align with today’s web design standards, over 60 individual elements, and over 30 third-party apps.

GemPages landing page builder highlights:

  • AI-generated layouts

  • Built-in sales boosters

  • Builds Home, Product, Collection, FAQ, Blog Posts, and Landing Pages

  • Page Scheduling

  • SEO/ Speed Optimization

GemPages does have a free version that allows you to publish one page by selecting from 80+ CRO Templates and using various elements, integrations, and SEO optimizations. The premium plans start from $29 a month and give you additional themes, A/B testing tools, options for custom code, and more.

4. PageFly: A simple solution for building custom Shopify pages

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Looking to build a page for a specific goal? A sales page, a “coming soon” page, a collection, a blog? PageFly has all that – and then some. It’s a simple solution that lets you choose your preferred type of website and have a fully custom solution published within minutes. You simply choose one of the available nine types of pages, including product pages, and then either drag and drop the relevant elements onto a blank canvas or pick one of the pre-made template pages.

PageFly highlights:

  • Flexible design options

  • 9 template options

  • Intuitive drag-and-drop builder

  • SEO optimizations

  • Adapted for mobiles

PageFly’s premium plans start at $24/month, but you can also try it all out with a free version. It includes access to all features, page analytics, one page per page type, one saved section, and three history versions.

5. Automizely page builder: A Shopify page builder optimized for better sales

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Automizely, the Shopify page builder offers templates coded and designed by professional UX/UI experts and optimized for the best user experience – which, in turn, means better sales. However, themes are only the starting point, and the Automizely editor is also quite impressive. It lets you use these templates as a starting point, giving you full freedom to drag and drop individual blocks to make the site uniquely yours.

Automizely page builder highlights:

  • Built-in lazy-loading

  • 30+ codeless page elements

  • Analytics dashboard

  • User-friendly drag-and-drop editor

  • Sticky add-to-cart widget

Automizely page builder is available for free or for at least $35/month. The free version allows you to build one page, use a full library of elements, and choose from basic templates. The paid version allows you to build 150 pages using pro templates and other premium features.

6. Layout hub easy page builder: A Shopify page builder with a huge library of layouts

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Layout Hub offers a wide variety of layouts – around 150 fully-custom website options are already available. This app offers users a large, constantly improving library bigger than all the Shopify page builders we tested. Each layout has plenty of sections you can edit or rearrange using a built-in drag-and-drop editor.

Layout hub easy page builder highlights:

  • Regularly increasing number of layouts

  • Intuitive editor

  • Lazyload images

  • Highly customizable

Trying out Layout Hub is free – the app’s free plan lets you use all premium layout options. The limits are the app’s branding in your site’s footer; you can build up to 3 pages; customer support is limited to only email. For more published pages, you may check a paid plan, which can cost starting from $14.99/month.

7. Zipify pages builder & editor: A Shopify page builder optimized for sales

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Zipify is a Shopify page builder optimized for one main mission: increasing your store’s sales.
Speed and SEO-optimized page templates are divided into five categories: 

  • Home

  • Blog

  • Product

  • Collection

  • Landing pages

We loved how straightforward this app was in putting a page together.

Zipify pages builder & editor highlights:

  • Product page multi-assign

  • Global blocks and styles

  • AI-driven page editor

  • Split Test Campaign

Zipify offers a pretty generous free version that allows you to publish one page using fully-fledged page builder functionality, all templates, third-party integrations, and dynamic discounts. You can build more pages by paying at least $66/month, using slots for articles, products, and home pages.

8. Hypervisual page builder: A simple Shopify page builder for beginner users

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Hypervisual uses giant images in its templates and offers simple on-screen options on the Shopify page editor to let you quickly and easily edit the site with all custom information. It’s a simple solution that is well suited for beginner users and, in our opinion, a superior approach to Shopify’s stock minimalist design solution.

Hypervisual page builder:

  • Google indexes page content

  • Automatically optimized images

  • Add-to-cart forms, embedded collections, and videos

  • Built-in email opt-in forms

  • Suitable for blog posts

Hypervisual Page Builder doesn’t have a free version. It does have a 14-day free trial that allows you to test its paid plans. The starting price is $24/month.

9. Tapita landing page builder: A Shopify page builder with ai-generated content

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

If you’re into blogging as much as selling your products, then Tapita Landing Page Builder is for you. This user-friendly page builder will help you get your content seamlessly with its AI-generated content from OpenAI and ChatGPT. And to make everything eye-catching, you can choose from over 100 different page layouts.

Tapita landing page builder highlights:

  • 100+ templates for the blog page, about us, age verification

  • Widget builder

  • AI-generated content from OpenAI or ChatGPT

  • Translation is included

  • SEO optimization

Tapita is a versatile solution that is not only for paying customers. With its free version, you can build up to 5 pages, choose from all templates and elements, use SEO tools, and contact customer support via live chat. Premium plans start from only $9/month and allow you to publish more pages and add the translation feature, among other features.

10. AfterShip page builder: A free Shopify page builder with all the features you need

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Another free app with all the features you need to build and customize your Shopify store is AfterShip Page Builder. You have complete control over designing each page from scratch or using pre-made templates, editing it, and publishing it in about three minutes. Without requiring any coding or technical knowledge, 5 minutes. With either individual blocks or flexible drag-and-drop options, their editor is fairly easy to use. Professional UX/UI experts created and coded the AfterShip templates. This app is a great choice for any Shopify business because you can benefit from premium features like tracking important page metrics and advanced style settings without paying anything. Their support team's response was so slow that we didn’t receive an email response within 48 hours.

Key features:

  • Create all types of pages

  • Hundreds of pre-defined templates designed and coded by UX/UI experts

  • Provide endless options for page design

  • Customize the landing pages with advanced text, color, and font functionalities

  • Display attractive product recommendations on pages

Pricing

  • Starts at $35 per month

  • Free plan available

11. Zeno: A simple Shopify page builder for non-technical merchants

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Zeno offers pre-made templates and sections that merchants can use to get started easily. It also promises no “bloat or unnecessary libraries” for better loading times. This tool is ideal for beginners who want to build their landing pages immediately without too many bells and whistles.

Key features:

  • Design multiple pages, including blog posts, product pages, collections, carts, and 404

  • Extremely easy to use for non-technical merchants

  • Design elements include count-up/countdowns, newsletters, testimonials, and more

  • Built-in add-ons include a currency converter, Messenger chat box, announcement bar

  • Lots of pre-built templates and sections

Pricing:

  • Free community plan: Allows users to test the app out and includes one landing page and one blog post

  • Starter plan: $19/month, with unlimited pages and blog posts

  • Professional plan: $29/month, with unlimited collection and product pages and unlimited landing pages and blog posts

12. Buildify: A generous Shopify page builder for beginners

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Buildify offers a generous package for beginning eCommerce merchants: more than 50 free page templates and 80+ widgets. Its drag-and-drop landing page builder allows for creating or customizing collections, producing blog pages, and more without needing to code anything.

Key features:

  • 80+ widgets, including basic media, icons, buttons, comments, analytics, and more

  • More than 50 free page templates

  • Fully responsive widgets and templates

  • Live preview mode to see what the page looks like before publishing

Pricing:

  • Free plan: Allows three published pages

  • Paid plan: Starts at $9.99/month with a seven-day free trial for up to 15 published pages

  • Advanced plan: $19.99/month with a seven-day free trial for up to 50 published pages

  • Unlimited Plan: $29.99/month with a seven-day free trial for unlimited pages and a dedicated support manager

13. Beae: A conversion-focused Shopify page builder

Best tools - Shogun Alternatives

Beae has a drag-and-drop interface, mobile-responsive designs, and pre-built templates. The app supports various page types, including home, product, and collection pages. It also provides SEO optimization tools and integrates with popular third-party apps to help you design high-converting pages without requiring technical expertise. With Beae’s conversion-focused templates, you can target CRO strategies so your pages are well-positioned to generate more leads and increase conversions.

Key features:

  • Drag-and-drop editor for creating landing pages, home pages, product pages, and other page types

  • Mobile-responsive design capabilities

  • Library of 100+ conversion rate optimization (CRO) focused templates

  • Integration with 95+ popular apps and multi-language support

  • Built-in SEO optimization tools

Pricing:

  • Free plan: Comes with one published page

  • Pay as you go: Starts at $19.99/month for 10 published pages

  • Unlimited: $99/month for unlimited published pages

5 Factors to consider when choosing Shogun alternatives

woman helping junior UI designer - Shogun Alternatives

1. Template quality

The quality of templates stands as the linchpin in constructing an aesthetically pleasing and uniquely branded online presence in Shopify store design. A well-crafted template captures attention and provides a solid foundation for customization, ensuring your brand identity is effectively communicated to your audience.

To evaluate this criterion of a Shopify page builder, answer these questions:

  • Are the templates visually striking and aligned with modern design trends?

  • How versatile are the templates in catering to your industries and aesthetics?

  • Are the templates high-converting? (considering urgency effect, actionable headline, AIDA model-followed structure, etc.)

2. App UI and UX

The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of Shopify page builders are pivotal aspects that can significantly impact the efficiency of the Shopify store design process. An intuitive app UI and UX ensures that users can leverage the full potential of the builder to design a Shopify website with a positive and productive experience.

To evaluate this criterion of a Shopify page builder, answer these questions:

  • Is the interface intuitive and user-friendly?

  • How efficiently does the Shopify page builder facilitate the design process from start to finish?

3. Responsive layout

In an era when 60% of global internet traffic comes from mobile users, and more than 56% of all eCommerce transactions are completed on mobile devices, a responsive layout is imperative to serve users across various devices. Any Shopify page builder should be able to adapt its design to different screen sizes, ensuring a consistent and enjoyable user experience across devices.

To evaluate this criterion of a Shopify page builder, answer these questions:

  • Does the Shopify page builder ensure a seamless transition and consistent visual appeal across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices?

  • How well does it handle the challenges of diverse screen sizes and resolutions?

4. Flexibility 

Creativity lies at the core of website design and Shopify store design. An effective Shopify page builder must empower users to customize the following:

  • Layouts

  • Colors

  • Images

  • Typography, etc.

Or have the flexibility to bring their design vision to life. The more flexible the design capabilities, the more effectively businesses can differentiate themselves in the competitive online landscape.

To evaluate this principle of a Shopify page builder, answer these questions:

  • How flexible is the Shopify page builder in accommodating diverse design preferences and branding needs?

  • Can users easily implement unique design elements without compromising on functionality?

5. Advanced features

Beyond the basics lies advanced features that can elevate your online store’s functionality and user experience. Integration capabilities, compatibility with third-party apps, and unique functions contribute to a website's dynamic and robust backbone. The presence of advanced features ensures that your chosen Shopify page builder meets your current needs and grows with your business, adapting to evolving industry trends and customer expectations. 

To evaluate this criterion of a Shopify page builder, answer these questions:

  • How many third-party apps and services does the builder integrate with?

  • What unique features does the Shopify page builder offer that contribute to an enhanced user experience and store functionality?

Optimize your Shopify store for conversions without breaking the bank with Instant's Shopify product page builder

Instant redefines what Shopify design is possible. You know how crucial creating an engaging online store is, but coding can be a drag. With Instant, eCommerce teams and agencies can craft pages that aren't just functional but beautiful. It’s all about giving you the tools to make something that looks great and converts without making you learn to code.

Drag-and-drop simplicity

Instant's drag-and-drop interface is where the magic happens. You can easily build anything from landing pages to product sections. It's like playing with digital building blocks, but these blocks can increase your sales. 

You might be thinking about how tedious it can be to switch between design tools. Instant integrates seamlessly with Figma and other eCommerce platforms, making your job easier.

Total design control

One of the standout features of Instant is the level of control it gives you. You can tailor your store’s appearance to fit your brand. Want to experiment with different layouts and styles? Instant makes it easy to try new things without worrying about breaking your site. It’s great for those who want to push the boundaries of their design without any risk.

Boosting conversions

Instant is engineered to help you create high-converting pages. You don’t have to be a marketing expert to see results. The platform offers pre-designed templates and elements proven to drive engagement. 

As you build, Instant guides you with data-backed insights so you can optimize your pages in real-time. Every decision you make is informed by what works, not guesswork.

Why Instant stands out

There are a lot of page builders out there, so what makes Instant unique? It’s all about the user experience. Everything you need is at your fingertips; you can customize it to fit your needs. Instant is designed to help you succeed whether you’re looking to:

  • Increase sales

  • Improve design

  • Streamline your workflow

Seamless integration

Instant plays well with others. Whether you’re using Figma for design or Shopify for your store, Instant connects with your existing tools so you can work smarter, not harder. This means you can keep using the platforms you love while adding the power of Instant to your toolbox.

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