If you only sell digital products, Shopify is often more than you need and sometimes the wrong fit entirely.
Shopify is excellent at physical product logistics: shipping rules, fulfilment, inventory, variants, tax calculations across regions.
Digital products sit awkwardly inside that model.
You pay for infrastructure you don’t use, accept platform rules you didn’t choose, and work around limitations that exist because Shopify is not designed primarily for digital-only businesses.
This is why many developers and small digital businesses start looking for a self-hosted alternative.
Not because they hate Shopify but because their needs are simpler, more specific, and better served elsewhere.
The real requirements of a digital-only store
Before comparing tools, it’s worth being clear about what a digital downloads store actually needs.
At its core:
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A secure way to upload and store files
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A checkout and payment system
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Controlled access to downloads after purchase
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Order records and basic customer data
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A reliable admin interface
That’s it.
No shipping zones.
No stock levels.
No fulfilment providers.
No abandoned cart recovery dashboards.
When you strip ecommerce back to those essentials, the architecture becomes simpler and the trade-offs change.
Where Shopify becomes a compromise
Shopify can sell digital downloads. But doing so means:
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Paying monthly fees regardless of sales
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Relying on apps (often paid) for basic digital delivery
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Accepting platform-level constraints on data ownership
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Working within Shopify’s roadmap, not your own
For many developers, the biggest issue isn’t cost — it’s control.
You can’t version your store like code.
You can’t self-host.
You can’t decide how updates happen.
You can’t remove platform branding without higher plans.
That’s fine for many businesses. But not all.
What “open-source alternative” actually means in practice
An open-source ecommerce platform for digital products typically offers:
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Full access to the codebase
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Self-hosting on your own VPS
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No enforced subscriptions
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Transparent storage and database behaviour
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The ability to modify or extend without permission
This doesn’t mean “free forever” in a naive sense. It means choice.
You choose:
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Where it runs
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How it’s updated
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Whether it’s branded or white-label
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How much automation you want
Djangify eCommerce Builder was built around this idea: digital commerce without unnecessary layers.
Things to consider before leaving Shopify
Switching platforms isn’t about ideology - it’s about fit.
Consider the following honestly:
Do you only sell digital products?
If yes, most Shopify features won’t benefit you.
Are you comfortable managing a VPS hosting and config files?
If no, managed hosting is a better route than SaaS lock-in.
Do you want long-term predictability over rapid feature churn?
Self-hosted tools change slower intentionally.
Do you need full ownership of files and customer data?
If that matters, SaaS platforms always involve compromise.
Practical steps you can take today
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List the Shopify features you actually use
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Identify which ones exist only because of physical commerce
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Estimate your true monthly Shopify + app cost
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Decide whether convenience or control matters more long-term
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Test a self-hosted digital store locally before committing
You don’t have to migrate immediately. But understanding the trade-offs puts you back in control of the decision.
