How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Shopify is the safest default for a beginner who expects the store to grow, with the deepest app store and no platform fee when you use its own payments.
- Square Online and Big Cartel let you sell a small catalogue for free, which makes them the lowest risk way to test an idea.
- Wix and Squarespace suit beginners who care about design and sell services alongside products, though Squarespace's entry plan takes a 2 percent transaction fee.
- The monthly plan price is not your total cost: card processing, apps, themes, and transaction fees decide what a store really costs.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Shopify | Growing product businesses | $39 per month | No |
 Wix | Design led small catalogues | $29 per month | No |
 Squarespace | Creatives selling products and services | $25 per month | No |
 WooCommerce | WordPress users wanting control | Free | Yes |
 Square Online | Shops that also sell in person | Free | Yes |
 Ecwid | Adding a store to an existing site | $5 per month | No |
 Big Cartel | Artists with tiny catalogues | Free | Yes |
 BigCommerce | Larger catalogues and B2B growth | $39 per month | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
#1Shopify
Best for: Growing product businesses4.4/5 on
G2 (5,144 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit shopify.com
Starting price$39 per month
Free planNo
What we like- Shopify's Basic plan at 39 dollars a month, or 29 dollars billed annually, is the most complete starting point in ecommerce: products, payments, shipping labels, discounts, abandoned cart recovery, and sales channels for social and marketplaces in one dashboard. With Shopify Payments there is no extra platform transaction fee, and the app store covers almost any feature a growing store needs. A short free trial plus an introductory low price period lets you build before the full rate starts.
Watch out for- Costs grow with apps, and a store with several paid apps and a premium theme can pay far more than the plan price suggests. Using a third party payment gateway adds a 2 percent fee on Basic. Shopify is a rental: your store design and setup do not transfer if you leave, so the convenience locks you in.
#2Wix
Best for: Design led small catalogues4.2/5 on
G2 (1,888 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit wix.com
Starting price$29 per month
Free planNo
What we like- Wix's Core plan at 29 dollars a month billed annually adds selling to one of the easiest website editors available, with strong templates and a guided setup that suits owners building their first site. Wix adds no platform transaction fee of its own, so you pay card processing only. It handles products, bookings, and services together, which suits small businesses that sell time as well as goods.
Watch out for- The free Wix plan cannot sell, so testing a store means paying from the start, softened by a money back window. Wix's app and feature depth for serious retail, such as advanced inventory and shipping rules, trails Shopify and BigCommerce. Changing templates later means rebuilding the design rather than reskinning it.
#3Squarespace
Best for: Creatives selling products and services4.4/5 on
G2 (1,133 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit squarespace.com
Starting price$25 per month
Free planNo
What we like- Squarespace's Basic commerce plan at 25 dollars a month, or 19 dollars billed annually, wraps selling inside the best looking templates in this category, which is why photographers, makers, and consultants start here. It covers physical and digital products, subscriptions, and appointments in one system. The Core plan at a higher price removes the transaction fee and adds stronger selling tools.
Watch out for- The Basic plan charges a 2 percent transaction fee on top of processing, which quietly makes it dearer than it looks at volume. Product and variant handling is simpler than Shopify's, and the extension library is small. There is no phone support, so help runs through chat and email.
#4WooCommerce
Best for: WordPress users wanting control4.4/5 on
G2 (1,283 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit woocommerce.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
What we like- WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a full store, with no platform transaction fees and total control over design, data, and features through thousands of extensions. Your costs are hosting, typically 7 to 25 dollars a month at beginner level, plus any paid extensions you choose. For anyone already on WordPress, or who wants to own their store outright, nothing else matches the economics.
Watch out for- You are your own IT department: hosting, updates, backups, and security sit with you, and a neglected store is a real risk. Costs creep through premium extensions for subscriptions, bookings, or advanced shipping. Setup takes longer than any hosted rival, even with good managed WordPress hosting softening the work.
#5Square Online
Best for: Shops that also sell in person4.2/5 on
G2 (482 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit squareup.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
What we like- Square Online has a genuinely free plan that sells online and syncs with Square's point of sale, so a market stall, cafe, or small shop can run one inventory in person and online. Setup is among the fastest here, and there is no platform transaction fee: you pay card processing, 3.3 percent plus 30 cents per online order on the free plan. For a local business testing online orders, the risk is zero.
Watch out for- The free plan's processing rate drops to 2.9 percent plus 30 cents only on the paid Plus plan, reported around 29 to 49 dollars depending on billing and location options. Design freedom and advanced ecommerce features are limited compared with Shopify or Wix. Pickup and local delivery are strengths, but complex shipping and large catalogues strain it.
#6Ecwid
Best for: Adding a store to an existing site4.7/5 on
G2 (405 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit ecwid.com
Starting price$5 per month
Free planNo
What we like- Ecwid by Lightspeed is built to plug a store into a website, blog, or social profile you already have, with a Starter plan at 5 dollars a month for up to 10 products and no Ecwid transaction fees. Higher tiers lift product limits and add features such as abandoned cart emails. For a beginner whose audience already lives on an existing site or Instagram page, it avoids rebuilding anything.
Watch out for- Product limits define the plans, so growth means upgrading tiers quickly. As an embedded store, your site design lives elsewhere, which splits management between two systems. Ecwid removed its free plan from current listings, so the very cheapest route in now costs a small monthly fee.
#7Big Cartel
Best for: Artists with tiny catalogues4.6/5 on
G2 (102 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit bigcartel.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
What we like- Big Cartel was made for artists and makers with a handful of products: its free Gold plan lists up to 5 products, and the Platinum plan at 15 dollars a month lifts that to 50 with more features. Setup takes minutes, there are no platform transaction fees, and the whole product assumes you sell a small range well rather than a warehouse. Bands, illustrators, and small batch makers have used it for years for exactly this shape of shop.
Watch out for- The catalogue ceiling is the point and the limit: beyond 50 products you must move platform. Features such as advanced discounts, shipping rules, and marketing tools are basic. It does not grow into a serious retail operation, so treat it as a first shop rather than a final one.
#8BigCommerce
Best for: Larger catalogues and B2B growth4.2/5 on
G2 (580 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit bigcommerce.com
Starting price$39 per month
Free planNo
What we like- BigCommerce's entry plan at 39 dollars a month, or 29 dollars billed annually, includes features Shopify charges apps for, including product reviews, more built in reporting, and strong multi channel selling. It takes no transaction fee with its embedded payment providers, and its B2B and multi storefront tools sit further up the same platform, so a growing store rarely needs to migrate. Beginners with a big catalogue skip the app hunt entirely.
Watch out for- The dashboard and theme system have a steeper learning curve than Wix or Squarespace for a first time owner. Checkout and account features assume a more serious retail operation than a five product shop needs. Some newer plan structures add fees with outside payment providers, so confirm the terms on your exact plan.
How we chose
We compared platforms on the total beginner experience: setup effort, the cheapest plan that can actually sell, transaction and processing fees beyond the plan price, free plans and trials, design tools, and the upgrade path when a store grows. We favoured platforms a first time owner can run without a developer, while keeping WooCommerce for readers who value ownership over ease. We excluded marketplace only routes such as selling solely on Etsy or Amazon, since this guide covers owning your own store.
Match the platform to the shape of your selling. If you sell in person already and want online orders on the side, Square Online's free plan is the obvious start. If you have five products and an audience, Big Cartel costs nothing to try. If the store is the business and growth is the plan, Shopify and BigCommerce earn their monthly fee by removing limits you would otherwise hit within a year.
Then run the real cost test at your expected order volume. Add the plan price, card processing at roughly 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per order, any platform transaction fee, and the two or three apps or extensions you know you need. That total, not the headline price, is what each platform costs. Check the exit door too: product data exports everywhere, but your design and setup stay behind, so pick a platform you can live on for at least two years. Finally, keep expectations straight: a platform provides the shop, not the customers, and no feature on this list guarantees sales. Budget time for traffic, whether that is search, social, or your existing audience. Prices are October 2026 published figures and promotions change them often.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to start selling online?
A free plan: Square Online and Big Cartel both let you list products and take payment at no monthly cost, leaving only card processing per order. Ecwid starts at 5 dollars a month for up to 10 products, and WooCommerce is free software if you already pay for WordPress hosting. The trade for free is limits on products, design, and processing rates.
Do I need Shopify, or is it more than a beginner needs?
Shopify earns its price when the store is your main business: the dashboard, shipping, and app ecosystem remove work every week. If you sell occasionally, have a tiny catalogue, or mainly need a checkout beside an existing site, Square Online, Big Cartel, or Ecwid will do the same job for less. Many successful shops start small and move to Shopify when limits bite.
What fees should I expect beyond the monthly plan?
Three layers. Card processing, typically around 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per order, applies almost everywhere. Some platforms add a transaction fee: Squarespace Basic takes 2 percent, and Shopify charges 2 percent on Basic if you use an outside payment gateway. Then come optional costs: premium themes, apps or extensions, and a domain name. Add all three layers at your expected volume before comparing.
Can I move my store to another platform later?
Your products, customers, and order history export as data files from every platform here, and most offer import tools, so moving the catalogue is routine. What does not move is your design, your app setup, and some subscription and discount logic, which must be rebuilt. Redirecting your old page addresses matters for search traffic, so plan a move carefully rather than treating platforms as interchangeable.
Which platform is best for digital products or services?
Squarespace and Wix handle digital products, appointments, and services inside the same system as physical goods, which suits consultants, teachers, and creators. Shopify covers digital delivery through apps. Big Cartel and Square Online focus on physical goods first, so service sellers will feel their limits sooner.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.