Own your payments
Customer card payments run through the Stripe account your business controls, including its balance, payouts and settings.
Shopify alternative for UK merchants
A focused UK Shopify alternative for independent shops.
Vilarina is a hosted ecommerce platform for UK merchants who want a polished online shop without handing a percentage of every order to their ecommerce software provider.
UK-first operations
Manage VAT-aware invoices, delivery and collection options, stock, customer accounts and order status emails.
Useful tools included
Personalisation, variant products, quantity discounts, product documents and AI-assisted product SEO are built into the platform.
How Vilarina differs from Shopify
Vilarina is deliberately narrower than Shopify. It focuses on the day-to-day needs of independent retailers rather than offering a large app marketplace, point-of-sale ecosystem or global enterprise suite.
That focus suits merchants who want their storefront, catalogue, checkout, orders, inventory and customer communication in one manageable service with UK support.
A fair comparison of transaction fees
Shopify does not charge third-party transaction fees when Shopify Payments is used as the sole payment provider. On its current UK pricing page, Shopify lists third-party transaction fees of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced when a third-party provider is used. Rates and terms can change, so check Shopify before deciding.
Vilarina charges a subscription for its software but does not take a Vilarina percentage from each customer order. Stripe still charges its own payment-processing fees.
When Shopify may be the better fit
Choose based on the business you are building. Shopify may be a better fit if a very large app ecosystem, extensive point-of-sale hardware or complex international enterprise features are essential. Vilarina is strongest when an independent UK shop wants practical commerce tools, direct support and control of its Stripe account.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about this type of ecommerce platform
Is Vilarina cheaper than Shopify? +
It depends on your plan, catalogue and payment setup. Compare subscription costs, required apps, payment-processing fees and any platform transaction fees for your expected sales.
Does Vilarina charge transaction fees? +
Vilarina does not add its own percentage fee to customer orders. Your Stripe account still pays Stripe processing fees.
Can I use my own domain? +
Yes. Custom domain setup is available as an additional service, and every shop can begin on a hosted Vilarina address.
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No Vilarina transaction fees
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Ecommerce for independent businesses
Run your small business online with a hosted shop, Stripe checkout, inventory, delivery, customer accounts and approachable UK support from Vilarina.
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Ready to build your Vilarina shop?
Start your 14-day free trial and add your first products today.