Shopify alternative

A free Shopify alternative for social sellers in South Africa.

Shopify was built for sellers setting up a store from scratch. Aurelua is built for sellers who already have customers, on Instagram, on WhatsApp, and just need a real storefront and checkout behind them. No subscription, no commission, free to set up.

Start selling. It's free

	Aurelua	Shopify
Monthly fee	R0, free, no subscription	Monthly subscription, tiered by plan
Commission on sales	0%, you keep 100%	Per-transaction fees on top of the subscription
Import from Instagram	Yes: connect Instagram to pull in your posts	No: manual product setup
WhatsApp checkout	Built in, out of the box	Not native, needs a third-party app
South African payments	Card + instant EFT (Paystack, Ozow)	Card only, via international processors
Payout cost	Flat R10 per payout, not a % of sales	Payment-processor fees per transaction

Shopify pricing and features change on their side. Check shopify.com for their current plans. Aurelua figures are our own, current pricing (see /pricing).

The risk is on us

Five reasons to start today,
nothing to lose

We back every claim on this page. If something doesn't work the way we said, we make it right.

Keep 100%: zero seller fees

You keep 100% of every sale, paid straight to your bank. No commission, no monthly fee. Buyers cover one small, transparent Buyer Protection fee at checkout.

14-day first-sale guarantee

Don't make your first sale within 14 days of going live? Our founder personally schedules a 1-on-1 session to get it working. No tickets. No bots. Real founder.

Free setup, or we build it for you

Your data is yours

Export your full customer list, order history, and product catalogue anytime, standard CSV / JSON. We will never hold your data hostage.

Cancel anytime, no contract

No card required. No monthly subscription on the free tier. No notice period. Your existing orders complete normally, no surprises.

Questions

Everything you want to know

Is my store really free?

Yes. Free to build, free to preview, no card on file, and free to sell. You keep 100% of every sale with zero seller fees or commission; card processing is covered by the buyer's protection fee, not deducted from you. Buyers pay one small, transparent Buyer Protection fee at checkout.

If it's free for me, how does Aurelua make money?

The buyer pays a small Buyer Protection fee at checkout: that is our only revenue on a sale. It covers holding their money until they confirm delivery, the card and EFT processing, and running the platform. You are not the one being charged: the buyer is paying for the guarantee that makes them comfortable buying from a stranger on Instagram. The only thing you ever pay us is R10 when you cash out, which covers the interbank transfer.

How does WhatsApp checkout work?

Every product has an "Order on WhatsApp" button. One tap opens a pre-filled message to you with the product and price.

Does my Instagram need to be public?

Yes. We only read public posts. If your account is private, switch to public for a minute while we build, then switch back.

What if the AI gets my products wrong?

You are always in control. Edit names, prices, photos, and branding anytime after you claim your store.

Can I edit my store after it is built?

Yes, you’re always in control. Edit products, prices, and branding anytime. No code.

How do I get paid?

You keep 100% of every sale, paid to your bank. Buyers pay by card, instant EFT or WhatsApp, and every order is covered by Buyer Protection.

Is there a subscription fee?

No. Zero subscription, zero monthly minimum, zero seller fees. You keep 100% of every sale. Buyers pay one small Buyer Protection fee at checkout.

Keep your customers. Skip the subscription.

Start selling for free