Shopify is the best online shop platform for most new sellers, at $29 per month on annual billing for Basic, with unlimited products and 10 inventory locations. Square Online is the cheapest way to start, at $0 per month on Square Free, while WooCommerce gives full control, at $0 for the plugin with hosting from $25 to $350 per month. Ecwid prices by catalog size, not by sales, so 10 products cost $5 per month while 2,500 products need Business at $49 per month on annual billing.
Pick a platform by catalog size, sales volume, and how much setup you want to handle. A hosted platform includes hosting, security, and checkout, so you can launch faster. A self hosted option gives you more control, but you arrange hosting, updates, and extensions yourself. Prices below are entry selling prices from official pricing pages opened on 12 November 2026, and card processing fees sit on top of the subscription in most cases.
On this page
Best online shop platforms: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopify | New sellers who want a full hosted store | $29 per month | Free trial (3 days) | Visit |
| 2 | BigCommerce | Growing stores that need built in selling tools | $29 per month | Free trial (15 days) | Visit |
| 3 | Wix | Small stores that also need a website builder | $29 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 4 | Squarespace | Design led stores with a small catalog | $19 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 5 | Square Online | Local sellers who also sell in person | $0 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 6 | Ecwid | Sellers adding a store to an existing site | $5 per month | No | Visit |
| 7 | WooCommerce | WordPress owners who want full control | $0 for the plugin | Yes | Visit |
| 8 | GoDaddy Online Store | Simple stores that need a fast setup | $20.99 per month | No | Visit |
The 8 best best online shop platforms, in detail
Shopify
Best for: New sellers who want a full hosted store
Shopify Basic costs $39 per month on monthly billing, or $29 per month on annual billing, which is $348 for the year. The plan includes unlimited products, discounts, gift cards, abandoned checkout recovery, and shipping labels with discounts of up to 87 percent. Online card sales cost 2.9 percent plus 30 cents, while in person card sales cost 2.6 percent plus 10 cents.
- If you use another payment provider, Shopify adds a 2 percent fee on Basic.
- Shopify suits a solo seller who wants a complete store without arranging hosting or security.
- Grow costs $89 per month on annual billing, and adds up to 5 staff accounts and a lower online card rate of 2.7 percent plus 30 cents.
- Advanced costs $359 per month on annual billing, and adds live third party shipping rates and up to 15 staff accounts.
Pros
- Unlimited products on Basic
- 10 inventory locations
- checkout, hosting, and SSL included
Cons
- No additional staff accounts on Basic
- 2 percent fee on sales through a payment provider other than Shopify Payments
BigCommerce
Best for: Growing stores that need built in selling tools
BigCommerce Core costs $39 per month on monthly billing, or $29 per month on annual billing. Growth costs $105 per month on monthly billing, or $79 per month on annual billing. Scale costs $399 per month on monthly billing, or $299 per month on annual billing, for up to $33,333 per month in gross merchandise value, with a 0.9 percent overage rate above that amount.
- Performance starts at $1,499 per month on annual billing.
- Core includes unlimited products, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited staff accounts.
- BigCommerce suits a store that expects steady growth and wants many selling features without adding a large set of apps.
- The sales threshold is the detail to watch.
Pros
- Unlimited products on every plan
- no extra platform fee on orders through approved payment providers
- 15 day free trial with no card required to start
Cons
- Core has a $30,000 trailing 12 month sales threshold
- phone support starts on Growth, not on Core
Wix
Best for: Small stores that also need a website builder
Wix Core costs $29 per month on annual billing, Business costs $39 per month on annual billing, and Business Elite costs $159 per month on annual billing. Light costs $17 per month on annual billing, but it does not accept payments, so Core is the first plan that can sell. Core includes 50 GB of storage, a free domain for one year, basic ecommerce, and abandoned cart recovery.
- Business adds 100 GB of storage, automated sales tax for up to 100 transactions per month, and 10 site collaborators.
- Wix suits a small business that wants a website, a blog, bookings, and a store in one place, with a visual editor and many templates.
- The free plan lets you build and put a site live, but you need Core or a higher plan to take payments.
- Choose Wix if design control and an all in one site matter more than deep catalog tools.
Pros
- Free website plan for building before you sell
- Core accepts payments and includes basic ecommerce
- no platform transaction fee on main ecommerce plans
Cons
- Core has 50 GB of storage and 5 site collaborators
- automated sales tax needs Business at $39 per month on annual billing
Squarespace
Best for: Design led stores with a small catalog
Squarespace Basic costs $25 per month on monthly billing, or $19 per month on annual billing. Core costs $39 per month on monthly billing, or $29 per month on annual billing. Plus costs $65 per month on monthly billing, or $49 per month on annual billing.
- Advanced costs $139 per month on monthly billing, or $99 per month on annual billing.
- All plans include selling, secure hosting, unlimited bandwidth, and mobile optimized templates.
- Basic includes 10 AI credits as a one time allowance, while Core includes 20 per month.
- Squarespace suits a seller who wants a polished store with strong templates and simple setup, and who does not need a large team at the start.
Pros
- Unlimited products on every plan
- unlimited bandwidth and SSL on every plan
- free custom domain for one year on annual billing
Cons
- Basic adds a 2 percent online store transaction fee
- Basic allows only 2 contributors
Square Online
Best for: Local sellers who also sell in person
Square Free costs $0 per month per location, Square Plus costs $49 per month per location, and Square Premium costs $149 per month per location. Square Pro uses custom pricing for businesses that process over $250,000 per year. Online card sales cost 3.3 percent plus 30 cents on Free, and 2.9 percent plus 30 cents on Plus and Premium.
- In person card sales cost 2.6 percent plus 15 cents on Free, 2.5 percent plus 15 cents on Plus, and 2.4 percent plus 15 cents on Premium.
- Square Online suits a shop, cafe, market stall, or service business that already uses Square for in person sales, because the online store shares the
- The free plan lets you put a working store live with pickup, local delivery, and shipping, but you cannot connect your own domain, and abandoned cart
- Premium adds real time shipping rates.
Pros
- Free plan with no monthly fee
- items, stock, and discounts sync with Square point of sale
- unlimited items on the free plan
Cons
- Free plan uses a Square web address and charges 3.3 percent plus 30 cents on online card sales
- a custom domain needs Plus at $49 per month per location
Ecwid
Best for: Sellers adding a store to an existing site
Ecwid Starter costs $5 per month for up to 10 products. Venture costs $35 per month on monthly billing, or $29 per month on annual billing, for up to 100 products plus digital goods. Business costs $65 per month on monthly billing, or $49 per month on annual billing, for up to 2,500 products.
- Unlimited costs $149 per month on monthly billing, or $119 per month on annual billing, for unlimited products.
- Annual billing saves 16 percent on Venture, Business, and Unlimited.
- Ecwid charges no setup fee and no transaction fee on any plan, although your payment provider charges its own processing fee.
- Ecwid suits a seller who already has a website and wants to add a store without rebuilding the site.
Pros
- No transaction fee charged by Ecwid on any plan
- adds a store to WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or another site
- unlimited bandwidth and storage on every plan
Cons
- Starter allows only 10 products and no staff accounts
- Venture at $29 per month on annual billing is needed for 100 products
WooCommerce
Best for: WordPress owners who want full control
WooCommerce is a free, open source plugin for WordPress, so the platform itself costs $0 and charges no revenue share. The real bill comes from the parts around it. WooCommerce puts hosting at $25 to $350 per month for most stores.
- Extensions cost $29 to $299 per year each, and they add features such as subscriptions, bookings, and memberships.
- WooPayments charges about 2.5 percent to 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction, with no extra fee for using a third party payment provider.
- WooCommerce suits a WordPress site owner who wants to own the store, the data, and the checkout, and who is comfortable with updates, backups, and plu
- It allows unlimited product variants, while Shopify caps variants at 2,048 per product.
Pros
- Core plugin is free with no monthly subscription and no revenue share
- unlimited products and unlimited product variants
- choose any host and any payment provider with no extra platform fee
Cons
- Hosting costs $25 to $350 per month for most stores
- extensions cost $29 to $299 per year each
GoDaddy Online Store
Best for: Simple stores that need a fast setup
GoDaddy Commerce costs $20.99 per month on annual billing, while Basic costs $9.99 per month on annual billing without a shopping cart. That gap is the key fact for this platform, because the cheapest plan does not sell products with a full checkout. Commerce includes a cart and checkout, flat rate and free shipping options, local pickup and delivery, and real time rates from USPS and UPS in the United States.
- GoDaddy Payments charges 2.7 percent plus 30 cents per online transaction, with a 0 percent online store transaction fee on Commerce.
- GoDaddy suits a small seller who wants a simple store, a domain, and a website builder in one account.
- The Commerce plan covers the basics for a small catalog.
- Choose GoDaddy if speed and a low entry selling price matter most.
Pros
- Commerce plan includes a cart, checkout, and shipping options
- GoDaddy Payments charges 2.7 percent plus 30 cents online with no platform transaction fee
- free custom domain on annual plans
Cons
- Basic at $9.99 per month on annual billing has no shopping cart, so a real store needs Commerce
- recurring billing for subscriptions is not available on Website Builder plans
How we chose
We chose platforms that are still sold as a real online store in November 2026, with a listed entry price or a clear free starting point on an official pricing page. We opened the official pricing pages for Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Square, Ecwid, and WooCommerce on 12 November 2026, and we checked Wix and GoDaddy prices against their official pricing pages on the same date. We compared entry price, transaction fees, product limits, and staff limits. We did not test any tool hands-on, and we did not install a store, run a checkout, or contact support. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor pricing pages opened today, 12 November 2026.
What to check before you buy
- Add card processing to the subscription. A $19 per month plan with a 2 percent platform fee can cost more than a $29 per month plan with no platform fee once monthly sales pass $1,000, because 2 percent of $1,000 is $20.
- Check the product limit that forces an upgrade. Ecwid Starter stops at 10 products, Wix Core caps storage at 50 GB, and BigCommerce Core has a $30,000 sales threshold.
- Check the domain and staff limits. Square Free uses a Square web address, Squarespace Basic allows only 2 contributors, and Shopify Basic has no additional staff accounts.
- Check the renewal price and the billing basis. Annual billing lowers the monthly rate, but the full year is charged up front, and first year prices can differ from renewal prices.
Frequently asked questions
Which online shop platform is best for most new sellers?
Shopify Basic is the best choice for most new sellers, at $29 per month on annual billing, because it includes unlimited products, hosting, checkout, and 10 inventory locations. Square Online is a better start if you want no monthly fee, and WooCommerce is a better choice if you already run WordPress.
What is the cheapest online shop platform to start?
Square Online is the cheapest to start, at $0 per month on Square Free, with online card sales at 3.3 percent plus 30 cents. WooCommerce is also $0 for the plugin, but hosting costs $25 to $350 per month for most stores. Ecwid Starter is the cheapest subscription option here, at $5 per month for up to 10 products.
Which platform has no transaction fee from the platform itself?
Ecwid charges no transaction fee on any plan, and GoDaddy lists a 0 percent online store transaction fee on Commerce, although card processing still applies. Squarespace Core, Plus, and Advanced charge no Squarespace transaction fee, while Basic adds a 2 percent fee. Shopify adds a 2 percent fee on Basic only when you use another payment provider.
Which platform is best for a store that also sells in person?
Square Online is the best choice for a store that also sells in person, because the online store shares items, stock, and discounts with Square point of sale. Shopify also covers in person sales, with in person card rates of 2.6 percent plus 10 cents on Basic, and POS Pro costs $89 per month per location.
Which platform is best for adding a store to an existing website?
Ecwid is the best choice for adding a store to an existing website, because it adds a store to WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or another site without a rebuild. Starter costs $5 per month for up to 10 products, and Venture costs $29 per month on annual billing for up to 100 products.
Do I need a higher plan to sell on Wix or Squarespace?
Yes, in most cases you need the right selling tier, not just any website plan. Wix Light does not accept payments, so Core at $29 per month on annual billing is the first selling plan. Squarespace Basic can sell, but it adds a 2 percent fee, so Core at $29 per month on annual billing is the first plan with no Squarespace transaction fee.
Sources
- https://www.shopify.com
- https://www.shopify.com/pricing
- https://www.bigcommerce.com
- https://www.bigcommerce.com/pricing/
- https://www.wix.com
- https://www.wix.com/pricing
- https://www.squarespace.com
- https://www.squarespace.com/pricing
- https://squareup.com
- https://squareup.com/us/en/pricing
- https://www.ecwid.com
- https://www.ecwid.com/pricing
- https://woocommerce.com
- https://woocommerce.com/pricing/
- https://www.godaddy.com
- https://www.godaddy.com/websites/online-store/selectplan
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.