How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Shopify at $39 a month remains the default choice for a first serious store: the app ecosystem and checkout convert, and the pricing is transparent.
- WooCommerce and PrestaShop cost nothing for the software itself, but hosting, themes and extensions move the real bill to $20 to $100 a month.
- BigCommerce renamed all its plans in June 2026 (Standard is now Core) at the same $39 starting price, and it still charges no platform transaction fees.
- Wix, Squarespace and Weebly suit stores where the website matters as much as the checkout, while Ecwid is the cheapest way to add selling to an existing site.
- Adobe Commerce is the enterprise answer, and Shift4Shop is free if you process payments through Shift4.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Shopify | first serious store that needs to scale | $39/month ($29/month billed annually) | Free trial |
 WooCommerce | WordPress sites wanting full control | Free (hosting and extensions extra) | Yes |
 BigCommerce | growing stores avoiding transaction fees | $39/month ($29/month billed annually) | Free trial |
 Wix | design-led small stores | From $17/month (Core with ecommerce $29/month, billed annually) | Yes |
 Squarespace | beautiful stores for brands and creatives | From $19/month (billed annually) | Free trial |
 Ecwid | adding a store to an existing website | Free (Venture $19/month) | Yes |
 Adobe Commerce | enterprise and B2B commerce | See website | No |
 PrestaShop | self-hosted open-source selling in Europe | Free (hosting extra) | Yes |
 Shift4Shop | free platform tied to Shift4 payments | Free with Shift4 payment processing | Yes |
 Weebly | simple stores on a tight budget | Free | Yes |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Starting price$39/month ($29/month billed annually)
Free planFree trial
Shopify is the default recommendation for a reason. The Basic plan at $39 a month ($29 on annual billing) includes unlimited products, abandoned checkout recovery, discount codes and a checkout that has been optimized by billions of transactions. New stores get a short free trial followed by $1 a month for the first three months, which makes the launch quarter nearly free.
The costs beyond the subscription are where budgets break. Card processing runs 2.9% plus 30 cents on Basic, and using a third-party gateway adds a 2% platform fee on top. Apps for reviews, loyalty, subscriptions and advanced shipping commonly add $100 to $500 a month. Still, for a store that plans to grow, starting on Shopify avoids the migration most businesses face at year two.
What we like- Best checkout conversion in the business
- 8,000+ app integrations
- Scales from one product to enterprise without migrating
Watch out for- 2% extra fee if you skip Shopify Payments
- App costs stack up fast
- No staff accounts on Basic
Starting priceFree (hosting and extensions extra)
Free planYes
WooCommerce turns any WordPress site into a store for the price of hosting. The plugin itself is free and takes no cut of your sales; you pay only your payment processor's rate. For content-driven businesses, bloggers and publishers who already run WordPress, keeping everything in one system is a genuine advantage.
The freedom has a maintenance cost. You are responsible for updates, backups, security and speed optimization, and the extension bills add up: a typical store pays $10 to $30 a month for hosting plus annual fees for key plugins. At high volume, performance tuning becomes a real job. Choose WooCommerce when control matters more than convenience.
What we like- Free core with no transaction fees from the platform
- Total ownership of data and code
- Enormous extension library
Watch out for- You manage hosting, updates and security
- Costs scatter across many small bills
- Performance needs attention at scale
Starting price$39/month ($29/month billed annually)
Free planFree trial
BigCommerce matches Shopify's $39 starting price but plays a different game: no transaction fees on any plan, more features built in natively, and multi-storefront support for selling across brands or regions. In June 2026 it renamed its plans, Standard became Core, Plus became Growth and Pro became Scale, with base prices unchanged.
Watch the growth mechanics. BigCommerce moves your store to a higher plan automatically when trailing-12-month sales pass thresholds, starting at $30,000 for Core, so budget for Growth at $105 a month as you scale. A 2026 pricing update also added a fee on orders through payment providers outside its approved list. For B2B and multi-brand sellers, the native feature depth still makes it the strongest Shopify alternative.
What we like- No platform transaction fees on any plan
- Strong built-in features reduce app spending
- Multi-storefront support
Watch out for- Plan auto-upgrades as sales grow
- 15-day trial is short
- Themes and design flexibility trail Shopify
Starting priceFrom $17/month (Core with ecommerce $29/month, billed annually)
Free planYes
Wix wins on ease. The Core plan at $29 a month on annual billing adds basic ecommerce to the friendliest site builder in this list, and every paid plan includes a free domain for the first year. Wix takes no cut of your orders beyond the payment processor's standard 2.9% plus 30 cents, and the free plan lets you build the whole site before paying.
It is a website builder with a store attached, not a commerce platform, and it shows as you grow: inventory, shipping and marketing tools are thinner than the dedicated platforms. The Light plan at $17 cannot sell anything, so the real entry price for commerce is Core. Pick Wix when the site's look matters most and the catalog is small.
What we like- Easiest drag-and-drop builder here
- Free plan for trying ideas
- No platform transaction fee on orders
Watch out for- Ecommerce features are basic next to Shopify
- Light plan cannot sell at all
- Templates cannot be switched after launch
Starting priceFrom $19/month (billed annually)
Free planFree trial
Squarespace is the choice for brands where aesthetics sell. Plans start at $19 a month on annual billing for Basic, rising through Core at $29, Plus at $49 and Advanced at $99, with a 14-day free trial and no free tier. The templates look expensive out of the box, and the blogging tools are strong enough to run content marketing without a second system.
The commerce side is competent rather than deep. The Basic plan charges a 2% transaction fee on sales, which disappears on Core and above, and the extension ecosystem is a fraction of Shopify's. For photographers, designers, restaurants and boutiques selling under a few hundred SKUs, the design quality outweighs the commerce limits.
What we like- Best-looking templates with no design skill needed
- Solid blogging and content tools
- All-in-one hosting and support
Watch out for- No free plan
- Basic plan takes a 2% transaction fee
- Smaller app ecosystem than Shopify
Starting priceFree (Venture $19/month)
Free planYes
Ecwid takes the opposite approach from everyone else: instead of building a new site, it drops a store into the one you have. The free plan handles up to 5 products with an Instant Site included, and paid tiers run Venture at $19, Business at $39 and Unlimited at $99 a month, lifting product limits and adding features like abandoned cart emails and social selling.
It is the cheapest credible way to start selling online, especially for businesses with an established site or social following. The trade-off is depth: design customization and advanced commerce features trail the full platforms. Use Ecwid to validate demand or to add commerce to a content site; migrate to Shopify or BigCommerce when the store becomes the business.
What we like- Free plan sells up to 5 products
- Embeds in any existing site
- Sell on social channels from paid tiers
Watch out for- Free plan is very limited
- Design control is thinner than full platforms
- Advanced features need Unlimited at $99
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Adobe Commerce, the enterprise evolution of Magento, is the platform for businesses that have outgrown every SaaS option. Custom pricing typically starts around $22,000 a year for the cloud Pro version, which buys hosting, B2B modules, AI features and dedicated support. The open-source Magento edition remains free to download for teams with their own developers and hosting.
Nothing about Adobe Commerce is self-serve. Implementations run months, need experienced developers and carry real ongoing costs in hosting and extensions. But for complex B2B catalogs, custom pricing rules, quote workflows and multi-brand architectures, it does things the SaaS platforms structurally cannot.
What we like- Unmatched customization for complex catalogs and B2B
- Strong multi-store and multi-brand architecture
- Deep Adobe ecosystem integration
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing aimed at seven-figure businesses
- Needs developers for nearly everything
Starting priceFree (hosting extra)
Free planYes
PrestaShop is the European answer to WooCommerce: a free, open-source store you host yourself, with no platform fees on sales. It is particularly strong in France, Spain and Italy, with tax, language and payment integrations tuned for European commerce. The module marketplace covers most needs, from carriers to marketplaces.
Like all self-hosted options, the real costs are hosting, premium modules and your time on maintenance and security. Budget $30 to $200 a month for decent hosting plus module licenses. Choose PrestaShop over WooCommerce mainly if your business, developers or market are already in its European orbit.
What we like- Free open-source core with no sales commission
- Very strong in European markets
- Large module marketplace
Watch out for- You handle hosting, security and updates
- Premium modules add up
- Smaller English-language community than WooCommerce
Starting priceFree with Shift4 payment processing
Free planYes
Shift4Shop's deal is simple: use Shift4 for payment processing and the entire platform is free, with unlimited products and no monthly fee. For a US store doing steady volume, the math can beat every subscription platform here, since you pay only standard card processing rates.
The lock-in is the price of free. Leaving Shift4 for another processor moves you to paid plans, so you are betting the relationship lasts. The template designs and app ecosystem are serviceable but a generation behind Shopify. It suits established small businesses with predictable volume who want to minimize fixed costs.
What we like- Full-featured platform at no monthly cost
- No transaction fees beyond processing
- Unlimited products on the free plan
Watch out for- Free plan requires Shift4 as your processor
- Design and apps trail the leaders
- Switching processors means paying
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Weebly, now part of Square, remains the simplest path to a basic online store. The free plan lets you sell with Square processing, and paid tiers add a custom domain and remove ads. For a side business, a farm stand or a first test of an idea, it asks almost nothing of you.
Expectations should match the price. Product options, shipping rules and marketing tools are basic, and Weebly's development has slowed as Square's focus moved elsewhere. It is a fine starting line and a poor finish line; plan to outgrow it if the store works.
What we like- Free plan with basic selling
- Simplest builder for non-technical owners
- Square integration for in-person sales
Watch out for- Ecommerce features are basic
- Design flexibility is limited
- Development pace has slowed since the Square acquisition
Picking by business shape, not feature lists
Match the platform to how you sell, not to a comparison table. Content businesses and publishers belong on WooCommerce or Squarespace, where the site is the asset. Single-product and dropshipping sellers do best on Shopify, where the checkout and app ecosystem carry the weight. B2B, wholesale and multi-brand operations should shortlist BigCommerce and Adobe Commerce. Existing sites that need a buy button, not a new site, should start with Ecwid's free plan.
Then model two years of total cost, not the sticker price. A $29 platform with $200 in apps and a 2% transaction fee loses to a $39 platform with everything included once volume rises. Self-hosted options look free until hosting, modules and your maintenance hours appear. And check the exit: how hard is it to export products, customers and order history if you outgrow the platform.
The hidden costs that double the sticker price
The subscription is the smallest line on most store budgets. Payment processing takes 2.5% to 3.5% of every sale, which dwarfs the monthly fee at any real volume. Apps and extensions for reviews, email, loyalty, subscriptions and shipping commonly add $50 to $500 a month on SaaS platforms. Themes cost up to $500 one-time, custom development starts in the thousands, and transaction fees for using your own gateway add 0.6% to 2% per order on several platforms here.
The practical defense is a spreadsheet before you sign up. List the subscription, processing on your expected volume, the five apps you will definitely need, and any gateway fees. Run it for Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce side by side. The cheapest sticker price rarely survives that exercise, and the winner is usually decided by your sales volume, not the monthly fee.
How we chose
We compared platforms a real store owner can buy today, covering hosted SaaS, open-source self-hosted and free-with-processing models. Pricing comes from vendor-published pages and recent independent pricing research checked in October 2026, including BigCommerce's June 2026 plan rename. We weighed public reviews on G2, Capterra and Reddit for recurring complaints about fees, migrations and support. We did not build test stores, and regional pricing varies, so confirm figures on the vendor's pricing page for your country before committing.
Frequently asked questions
Which ecommerce platform is cheapest for a new store?
Ecwid's free plan and Weebly's free plan cost nothing to start, and Shift4Shop is free with Shift4 processing. Among serious platforms, Shopify's $1-a-month introductory offer makes the launch quarter nearly free, and WooCommerce costs only hosting. The cheapest sticker is rarely the cheapest at volume, so model processing fees too.
Can I migrate from one platform to another later?
Yes, but it is work. Products and customers usually export cleanly; order history, URL structures, SEO rankings and custom functionality do not. Migration services and apps handle the basics for a few hundred dollars, but plan for a few weeks of cleanup. This is why starting on a platform you can grow into, like Shopify or BigCommerce, saves money long term.
Do I need a separate payment processor?
On SaaS platforms, usually not: Shopify Payments, Wix Payments and Squarespace Payments are built in. Using your own gateway is possible but often adds a platform transaction fee of 0.6% to 2%. On WooCommerce, PrestaShop and Adobe Commerce, you choose and connect your own processor.
How much do transaction fees actually cost?
On a $50 order, 2.9% plus 30 cents is $1.75, or 3.5% of the sale. At $10,000 a month in sales, that is about $350 in processing alone, before any platform fee. Small average order values suffer most because of the fixed 30 cents. This is why platforms without extra transaction fees, like BigCommerce, win at volume.
Is WooCommerce really free?
The software is free and open source, and it takes no cut of sales. The costs are hosting ($10 to $30 a month for a decent plan), a theme, premium extensions and your time on updates and security. A typical small store spends $300 to $1,000 a year all-in, which still beats most SaaS subscriptions once you are established.
When should a store move to Adobe Commerce?
When SaaS limits start costing real money: complex B2B pricing, custom checkout flows, multi-brand architectures or integrations the APIs cannot handle. Adobe Commerce implementations start around $22,000 a year plus development, so the business case needs seven-figure revenue or B2B complexity to make sense.
Sources we checked (11)
- https://www.shopify.com
- https://woocommerce.com
- https://www.bigcommerce.com
- https://www.wix.com
- https://www.squarespace.com
- https://www.ecwid.com
- https://business.adobe.com/products/commerce.html
- https://www.prestashop.com
- https://www.shift4shop.com
- https://www.weebly.com
- https://elogic.co/blog/what-is-bigcommerce/
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 spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.