Learn Shopify Top 9 Instant Alternatives: A Comparison of Key Features, Prices, and Pros & Cons (Updated)

Top 9 Instant Alternatives: A Comparison of Key Features, Prices, and Pros & Cons (Updated)

Updated:
20 minutes read
Instant alternatives

If you are looking for Instant alternatives, you are not alone. As more creators, marketers, and teams search for faster and more flexible tools, the demand for platforms that offer better automation, clearer workflows, and stronger customization has grown rapidly. Instant is a solid option, but it is not always the best fit for every project or budget, especially for users who need deeper control, lower pricing, or more specialized features.

This updated guide compares the top 9 Instant alternatives available today. Each option is evaluated based on its core features, pricing structure, strengths, and limitations so you can determine which tool aligns best with your goals. Whether you are building landing pages, managing content, automating tasks, or optimizing conversions, this comparison will help you choose the most effective and efficient alternative for your needs.

What Is Instant?

Instant is a modern page-building and workflow automation tool designed to help teams create digital experiences quickly without relying heavily on development resources. It focuses on speed, collaboration, and structured design systems, making it popular among startups, marketers, and product teams who need to launch pages or iterative experiments at a fast pace. Instant centralizes design components, content, and publishing workflows into one platform, giving users a way to maintain brand consistency while still moving quickly.

Key Features

  • Component based design system for consistent layouts
  • Visual editor for fast, no code page creation
  • Collaboration tools for comments and approvals
  • Integrated hosting with one click publishing
  • Dynamic content support through data and API integrations
  • Version control for tracking and rolling back changes
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Why Users Look For Instant Landing Page Alternatives

Even though Instant is a capable tool for building pages quickly, it is not the perfect fit for every team. As businesses grow, their design needs, integration requirements, and optimization workflows often become more complex. These evolving demands lead many users to explore platforms that offer more flexibility, stronger ecommerce capabilities, or better long term value. Below are the most common reasons users start looking for Instant landing page alternatives.

Need for More Design Flexibility

Instant’s component system is efficient, but it can feel restrictive for marketers and designers who want total control over layouts, spacing, or mobile responsiveness. Users who need unique sections, advanced styling, or more customization often move to builders that offer greater creative freedom.

Requirements for Deeper Integrations

As businesses scale, they rely on more apps, data sources, and external systems. Instant supports essential workflows, but it does not integrate as deeply with ecommerce platforms, analytics systems, or CRM tools as some teams require. This drives users toward alternatives with larger plugin ecosystems or stronger API support.

Pricing and Scalability Concerns

Instant works well for smaller teams, but costs can rise as you add more pages or users. Companies looking for predictable pricing or lower long term costs often explore alternatives that offer more features at a similar or lower price point.

Desire for Faster Experimentation and A B Testing

Instant makes page building fast, but it is not built specifically for CRO or testing heavy workflows. Teams focused on rapid iteration, campaign optimization, or structured A B testing often switch to platforms that include built in experimentation tools or deeper analytics.

Best 9 Instant Alternatives To Consider

Before diving into the full breakdown of each tool, it helps to get a quick overview of how the top Instant alternatives compare. The table below summarizes their overall strength, general pricing level, and the types of merchants they fit best.

Tool

Rating

Pricing (overall level)

Best for

GemPages

4.9/5

Affordable, multiple pricing tiers

Shopify stores that need fast, flexible landing pages and strong CRO capabilities

Shogun

4.7/5

Mid to premium

DTC brands wanting a stable builder with theme compatibility

PageFly

4.9/5

Very affordable

Beginners and SMBs needing low cost, flexible page building

eComposer

4.9/5

Affordable to mid range

Stores wanting a lightweight builder with many ready-to-use layouts

Zipify

4.6/5

Premium

Marketers focused on funnels, upsells, offers, and aggressive sales tactics

Zeno

4.7/5

Affordable

Shops wanting a simple, fast builder with a clean editing experience

LayoutHub

5/5

Very affordable

Stores needing quick layouts using a block library with minimal customization

Beae

5/5

Affordable

Stores wanting modern templates, section variety, and easy landing pages

Tapita

4.9/5

Freemium

Stores prioritizing SEO, speed, and simple page creation

1. GemPages

gempages

GemPages is one of the highest-rated page builders for Shopify, known for its unmatched design flexibility and conversion-focused feature set. It allows merchants to create custom landing pages, product pages, homepages, and promotional funnels without touching code. Unlike many Shopify builders that rely heavily on templates, GemPages gives users full visual control through an advanced drag-and-drop canvas optimized for ecommerce performance.

Its strength lies in combining creative freedom with CRO capabilities. Merchants can customize every layout element, run experiments, build mobile-optimized sections, and publish pages that work seamlessly with Shopify OS 2.0 themes. For brands investing in ads, design testing, or rapid iteration, GemPages has become the preferred choice for achieving higher conversions with less development effort.

Standout Features

  • Advanced drag-and-drop editor with deep layout control for landing pages, product pages, and funnels
  • High quality template library designed for ecommerce conversion goals
  • Dynamic product elements that pull real-time Shopify data (price, variants, inventory)
  • Native integration with upsell, cross-sell, reviews, subscriptions, and marketing apps
  • Built-in performance optimizations such as lazy loading and clean, lightweight markup
  • GemAI (AI Layout Generator) to instantly build high-converting page structures
  • Full compatibility with GemX, enabling structured A/B testing directly on Shopify
  • Support for custom code for advanced teams wanting pixel-level control
  • Professional library of CRO-oriented widgets like countdowns, badges, sticky ATC, sliders, and bundle designs

Pros

Cons

Industry-leading design flexibility while staying Shopify-friendly

Ideal for landing pages, advertorials, pre-sells, product launches, and bundle pages

Extensive template ecosystem covering holidays, sales, ecommerce niches, and funnels

Lets marketers run fast iteration cycles without developers

Works seamlessly with GemX for A/B testing and page-level experiment insights

Strong mobile editing tools for improving conversions on handheld devices

Excellent value compared to other enterprise-level landing page tools

Supports both creative teams and CRO-focused workflows

The high level of flexibility can overwhelm beginners during the first setup

Sites with too many third-party widgets can slow down without thoughtful optimization

Pricing

GemPages offers four pricing tiers, including a free entry plan and multiple paid options designed for different stages of business growth.

  • Free Plan: Suitable for new Shopify stores creating their first page.
  • Build Plan – 29 USD per month: Recommended for online retailers and dropshippers who need unlimited publish slots and a full set of core builder features.
  • Optimize Plan – 59 USD per month: Ideal for growing businesses focused on higher conversion rates and average order value. Includes all design elements and additional CRO tools.
  • Enterprise Plan – 199 USD per month: Designed for scaling brands or Shopify Plus merchants who need advanced features and prioritized support.
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#2. Shogun

shogun

Shogun is one of the longest-standing page builders in the Shopify ecosystem, best known for its stable editing experience and deep compatibility with Shopify OS 2.0 themes. It is widely used by established DTC brands that want consistent layouts, reusable content sections, and reliable publishing workflows. While Shogun offers less design freedom than GemPages, it focuses strongly on structure, brand consistency, and enterprise-friendly content management.

Shogun is also expanding toward headless capabilities through Shogun Frontend, though the core Page Builder remains its most used product among Shopify merchants.

Standout Features

  • Advanced visual editor designed for structured Shopify storefronts
  • Library of pre built templates for homepages, product pages, and collections
  • Reusable content sections that streamline multi page consistency
  • Page analytics with engagement and performance insights
  • Content scheduling for promotional pages and seasonal campaigns

Pricing plans

Shogun provides three paid plans based on page limits and content management features.

  • Build Plan – 39 USD per month: Includes 25 published pages, advanced visual builder, analytics, all templates, and reusable content sections.
  • Grow Plan – 249 USD per month: Adds unlimited published pages, advanced media tools, content scheduling, and global content sections.
  • Advanced Plan – 499 USD per month: Includes everything in Grow plus content syncing across stores, custom CMS collections, and custom code elements.

All plans include a 10 day free trial.

Pros

Cons

Stable and professional editor trusted by large DTC brands

Strong content consistency tools such as global sections and scheduling

Clean, theme friendly code output that aligns with Shopify OS 2.0 standards

Useful for teams managing multiple stores or multi market content

Less design flexibility compared to modern builders like GemPages or PageFly

Higher pricing makes it less suitable for beginners or small stores

Limited variety of dynamic ecommerce widgets

Heavy features locked behind expensive tiers

Customization may require technical support for complex brand designs

Learn more: GemPages vs Shogun: Which is The Best Page Builder for Your Store?

#3. PageFly

pagefly

PageFly is one of the most widely used and beginner friendly page builders for Shopify, known for its affordable pricing and strong flexibility. It provides a drag and drop editor that balances ease of use with detailed customization, making it a popular choice for small and medium sized businesses that want more control than Shopify themes allow.

Standout Features

  • Drag and drop editor with strong control over spacing, alignment, and responsiveness
  • Large library of niche specific templates for landing pages, product pages, homepages, and collections
  • Section and element library with countdowns, badges, accordions, sliders, forms, and reviews
  • Auto save, version history, and undo/redo functions
  • Device level editing for desktop, tablet, and mobile
  • Integration with major Shopify apps including review tools, upsell apps, and email platforms

Pricing Plans

PageFly uses a simple three tier pricing model based on published slots and feature access.

  • Free: One published slot, all app features, theme section support, and 24 hour live chat.
  • Pay As You Go – 18 USD per month: At least three published slots, full feature access, theme sections, and support.
  • Unlimited – 99 USD per month: Unlimited published slots with full access to all features and priority support.

Annual discounts are available.

Pros

Cons

One of the most affordable Shopify page builders

Ideal for beginners due to simple UI and low learning curve

Strong template library covering many ecommerce niches

Solid responsiveness tools and device level styling

Reliable customer support and helpful documentation

Works well for small to medium sized stores needing quick landing pages

Less design freedom compared to GemPages

Editor can feel slower or heavier on complex pages

Limited CRO specific features

Some advanced widgets require higher tier plans

Design consistency across many pages may require manual adjustments

Learn more: GemPages vs PageFly: Which is Your Best Choice?

#4. eComposer

ecomposer

eComposer is a modern Shopify page builder designed for merchants who want a fast, lightweight editor with plenty of ready made layouts. Compared to traditional builders, eComposer focuses on simplicity and speed, providing a clean UI, well organized widgets, and an extensive library of premade sections for product pages, landing pages, collections, and blogs. It is especially popular among small to midsize stores that want to build pages quickly without managing complex design systems.

Standout Features

  • Lightweight drag and drop editor designed for fast page creation
  • Large library of premade layouts and sections for ecommerce
  • Device specific styling and visibility controls
  • Integrations with major Shopify apps for reviews, upsells, and forms
  • Version history and autosave for safer editing
  • Live chat support available round the clock
  • SEO friendly structure and clean output

Pricing plan

eComposer offers four pricing tiers, including a generous free plan for new stores.

  • Free: One live page or section, access to all elements, hundreds of layouts, and AI tools.
  • Standard – 19 USD per month: Fifteen live pages or sections, fifty saved templates, essential extensions, and 24 hour support.
  • Pro – 39 USD per month: Fifty live pages or sections, one hundred saved templates, global blocks, and CRO extensions.
  • Premium – 99 USD per month: Unlimited live pages, VIP templates, full advanced features, and priority support.

Annual billing includes additional savings.

Pros

Cons

Very easy to use, ideal for beginners

Large collection of modern templates and ready designed sections

Affordable pricing, with flexible pay as you go structure

Strong support team with fast replies

Clean UI and smooth editing performance

Good option for stores needing quick landing pages

Less advanced design control compared to GemPages or PageFly

Some merchants may outgrow the section based structure

Limited CRO specific features

Fewer advanced widgets compared to premium builders

Published slot limits on lower tiers may feel restrictive

Learn more: GemPages vs EComposer: Which Page Builder is Better for Your Shopify Store?

#5. Zipify

zipify

Zipify Pages is a landing page and funnel builder created by ecommerce marketer Ezra Firestone for high intent sales funnels, offer pages, and direct response campaigns. It is built specifically for Shopify merchants who rely heavily on promotions, upsells, and split testing.

Standout Features

  • Funnels and landing pages based on proven direct response frameworks
  • Pre built templates modeled after high performing ecommerce campaigns
  • Split testing capabilities for optimizing page variations
  • Drag and drop editor with conversion focused blocks
  • Product page enhancements for better CTR and AOV
  • Strong analytics for tracking funnel performance

Pricing Plans

Zipify offers four paid tiers, including a development store option for testing.

  • Development Stores – Free: For Shopify development or partner stores; includes landing pages, product pages, custom homepage, and split testing.

  • Starter – 19 USD per month: Five landing pages, one product page, one blog article, one custom home page, and one split test campaign.
  • Basic – 39 USD per month: Everything in Starter plus fifteen landing pages, five product pages, five blog articles, and one split test campaign.
  • Advanced – 99 USD per month: Unlimited pages, unlimited split tests, product page multi assign, one on one expert setup call, and priority support.

Pros

Cons

Templates based on real high converting ecommerce funnels

Strong focus on promotions, upsells, and split testing

Great for marketers running aggressive sales strategies

Tight integration with Zipify OCU and offers

Easy for non designers thanks to structured templates

Less design flexibility compared to GemPages, PageFly, or eComposer

Higher tiers required for unlimited pages or full funnel setups

Editor feels more rigid and template driven

Not ideal for custom brand visuals or advanced layouts

Best suited for marketers, not general store design

6. Zeno

zeno

Zeno is a lightweight Shopify page builder focused on simplicity, speed, and a clean editing experience. It is designed for merchants who want an easy way to create landing pages, product pages, and homepages without the complexity of advanced builders. Compared to tools like GemPages or PageFly, Zeno prioritizes minimalism and efficiency, making it a strong fit for smaller stores or merchants who prefer a streamlined workflow.

Its interface is modern and extremely intuitive, and it performs well even on lower spec devices. While Zeno offers fewer advanced conversion elements, it covers the essentials with solid reliability.

Standout Features

  • Clean drag and drop editor built for ease of use
  • Modern templates for landing, product, and content pages
  • Device based editing and spacing control
  • Pre built blocks for text, media, CTAs, testimonials, FAQs, and forms
  • Multilingual support through app integrations
  • Global style settings to maintain branding
  • Fast loading output thanks to lightweight scripts

Pricing

  • Free Plan: Basic blocks and limited published pages.
  • Paid Plans: Additional templates, unlimited pages, expanded elements, and improved customization options.

Pros

Cons

Very easy to use with minimal learning curve

Lightweight editor with fast performance

Good for simple landing pages and branded content

Clean templates suitable for modern Shopify stores

Supports global styling for consistent branding

Affordable pricing for most merchants

Limited CRO specific features compared to GemPages or Zipify

Smaller integration ecosystem

Fewer advanced elements and customization options

Not ideal for complex funnels or heavily customized layouts

7. LayoutHub

layouthub

LayoutHub is a Shopify page builder known for its ultra fast workflow using a “block and layout library” system. Instead of starting with a blank canvas, merchants can choose from hundreds of professionally designed layouts and sections, making it one of the fastest ways to build pages on Shopify.

It is especially popular among beginners and small businesses that want to launch pages quickly without learning complex design tools. While LayoutHub offers less customization than GemPages or PageFly, its plug and play structure is ideal for merchants who value speed and simplicity.

Standout Features

  • Massive library of pre designed layouts for homepages, product pages, landing pages, and collections
  • Easy drag and drop interface with minimal learning curve
  • Fast publishing workflow optimized for non technical users
  • Mobile optimized layouts ready out of the box
  • Light scripts for fast storefront performance
  • Ability to mix and match different layout blocks to build entire templates

Pricing Plans 

According to the screenshot you shared, LayoutHub offers three pricing tiers:

  • Free: One published slot, access to all editor features (no custom code), ten draft pages, and basic support.
  • Pay As You Go – 19.99 USD per month: From ten published slots (up to one hundred), unlimited draft pages, all editor features, and 24 hour support including video call assistance.
  • Enterprise – 149.99 USD per month: Unlimited publish slots, all app features, advanced business growth tools, and highest priority support.

Pros

Cons

One of the fastest page builders for Shopify

Excellent for users who want ready made layouts

Quick setup for landing pages and collection templates

Affordable entry pricing

Minimal setup needed to maintain design consistency

Limited design flexibility compared to GemPages, PageFly, or eComposer

Harder to create fully unique layouts due to template driven structure

Advanced customization requires workarounds

Some merchants may outgrow the block based system as branding needs expand

 

8. Beae

beae

Beae is a fast growing Shopify page builder known for its modern UI, polished templates, and smooth editing experience. It focuses on giving merchants a balance between ease of use and design flexibility, making it a strong option for small to medium sized stores that want visually appealing landing pages, product pages, and promotional content.

Standout Features

  • Clean drag and drop editor with a highly intuitive interface
  • Large library of modern templates for ecommerce, landing pages, and content pages
  • AI Layout and AI Content tools to speed up workflow
  • Global styles for consistent branding across all pages
  • Integration with over one hundred Shopify apps including reviews and upsells
  • Fast performance output with lightweight scripts

Pricing Plans

According to your screenshot, Beae offers three pricing tiers:

  • Free: One published slot, all editor features (except custom code), ten draft pages, and basic support.
  • Pay As You Go – 19.99 USD per month: Ten to one hundred published slots, unlimited draft pages, all editor features, and 24 hour live chat plus video support.
  • Enterprise – 149.99 USD per month: Unlimited publish slots, all app features, advanced growth tools, and high priority support.

Pros

Cons

Large and modern template library

Very beginner friendly editor

Strong AI powered tools for fast page creation

Balanced mix of flexibility and simplicity

Supports a wide range of integrations

Great fit for design focused Shopify stores

Less advanced customization than GemPages

Fewer CRO specific elements compared to GemPages

Template heavy structure may limit fully unique layouts

Higher tier required for unlimited published page

 

#9. Tapita

tapita

Tapita is a lightweight and SEO focused Shopify page builder known for its extensive library of free sections and blocks. It is ideal for merchants who need a simple solution for building landing pages, optimizing their storefront for speed, and improving search visibility. Tapita also offers speed optimization tools and multilingual capabilities, making it a strong option for small stores and merchants expanding into different markets.

Standout Features

  • Large library of free sections, blocks, and conversion elements
  • One time purchase Pro sections for users who want more advanced layouts
  • Built in SEO tools including meta settings, schema, and image optimization
  • Page speed optimization features across the storefront
  • Multilingual support for international stores
  • Ideal for beginners needing fast setup without complex editing

Pricing Plans 

Tapita uses a very simple pricing structure based on your screenshot:

  • Free to Install: Includes full access to all free sections and conversion blocks, no recurring fees, and a one time purchase option for Pro sections.

Pros

Cons

Very budget friendly thanks to free and one time purchase options

Great for stores that prioritize SEO and site speed

Easy to use for beginners and non technical merchants

Large collection of free sections

Useful multilingual capabilities

Lightweight output that supports fast page loading

Limited design customization compared to GemPages, PageFly, or Shogun

No advanced CRO features or A/B testing tools

One time purchase Pro blocks may still feel restrictive for some brands

Not suitable for complex landing pages or heavy branding work

What Is The Best Alternatives To EComposer?

If you are looking for a more powerful and flexible alternative to eComposer, GemPages is widely considered the best all-in-one Shopify page builder available today. While eComposer is lightweight and easy to use, GemPages offers a deeper feature set designed for merchants who want more control, more customization, and stronger conversion optimization tools.

Why GemPages Is the Top eComposer Alternative

  • More design freedom: GemPages provides a fully open, drag and drop canvas with advanced layout control, giving you far more creative flexibility than eComposer’s section based system.
  • Stronger CRO capabilities: Elements like sticky add to cart, timers, badges, AOV boosters, dynamic bundles, and product highlights are built directly for conversion.
  • AI powered workflow: GemAI can generate layouts and content instantly, helping teams launch pages at scale.
  • Full compatibility with GemX for A/B testing: Brands can build pages in GemPages and test variations through GemX, allowing a complete optimization workflow that eComposer does not offer.
  • Better for scaling stores: GemPages handles advanced landing pages, funnels, advertorials, and high converting product pages that growing stores rely on.

Conclusion

Choosing the right alternative to Instant depends on how much flexibility, speed, and conversion capability your Shopify store needs. While tools like Shogun, PageFly, eComposer, Beae, LayoutHub, and Tapita each offer strengths in simplicity or quick layout building, GemPages stands out as the most complete all-in-one solution for merchants who want full design control and stronger CRO performance.

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FAQs

What is the best alternative to eComposer?
GemPages is widely considered the strongest alternative because it offers deeper customization, more conversion elements, AI powered layouts, and full compatibility with GemX for A/B testing.
Which Shopify page builder is the easiest for beginners?
PageFly and Beae are often the easiest for new users. Both provide simple drag and drop editors, modern templates, and very affordable entry plans.
Which tool is best for CRO focused landing pages?
GemPages and Zipify are top choices. GemPages offers flexible design and CRO widgets, while Zipify provides ready made funnels built for promotions and upsells.
What is the most affordable Shopify landing page builder?
PageFly, LayoutHub, and Tapita offer the lowest cost entry points, with free tiers that include basic features and templates.
Which page builder has the most design flexibility?
GemPages provides the highest level of creative freedom thanks to its advanced canvas editor, mobile specific controls, and customizable sections.

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