Shopify is the best platform for building an online store for most sellers, with unlimited products, 10 inventory locations and a full commerce suite from $29 per month (billed annually), while Square Online and WooCommerce suit sellers who want to start at $0 per month. The cheapest entry point is not always the cheapest store, because card fees, product limits and plan upgrades change the total cost once orders start to grow. BigCommerce moves a store from Core to Growth when trailing 12-month sales pass $30,000, and from Growth to Scale when they pass $100,000, so sales volume, not only features, sets the plan.
Pick a platform by catalog size, sales volume and how much control you want over hosting and checkout. A hosted builder keeps hosting, security and updates inside one subscription, while WooCommerce gives you control over hosting and code in exchange for more setup work. The prices below come from official pricing pages opened on 2026-11-12, and card fees are listed beside the plan price because they apply to almost every order.
On this page
Best platforms for building an online store: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopify | Growing stores that need a full commerce suite | $29 per month | No | Visit |
| 2 | Wix | Small stores and service sellers who want a visual builder | $17 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 3 | Squarespace | Design-led stores and creators selling products and services | $19 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 4 | WooCommerce | WordPress site owners who want full control | $0 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 5 | BigCommerce | Stores with growing sales volume that need sales caps spelled out | $29 per month | Free trial (15 days) | Visit |
| 6 | Square Online | Local shops that also sell in person | $0 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Ecwid | Sellers adding a store to an existing website | $5 per month | No | Visit |
| 8 | GoDaddy | Beginners who want domain, hosting and builder in one place | $9.99 per month | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best best platforms for building an online stores, in detail
Shopify
Best for: Growing stores that need a full commerce suite
Shopify gives a new store a full online store, themes, checkout, inventory tools and marketing tools in one place, with hosting and a free SSL certificate included. The entry plan costs $29 per month when billed annually, or $39 per month when billed monthly, and it allows unlimited products and 10 inventory locations. Card rates start at 2.9% plus 30 cents for online standard cards, and Shopify adds a 2% fee when a third-party payment provider takes the payment.
- Choose Shopify if you expect steady growth and want a wide app catalog, discount codes, gift cards and abandoned checkout recovery in one system.
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because Shopify has no free plan, and skip it if you want to avoid a third-party fee while using your own payment pro
Pros
- Unlimited products and 10 inventory locations on the entry plan
- 200 plus real-time reports and custom analytics
Cons
- Third-party transaction fee of 2% on the entry plan
- 3rd-party calculated shipping rates are not included on the entry plan
Wix
Best for: Small stores and service sellers who want a visual builder
Wix starts with a free plan that includes hosting, a drag and drop editor and templates, and Light costs $17 per month when billed annually. Light gives 2 GB of storage, 2 site collaborators and a free domain for 1 year, but it cannot accept payments, so a store needs Core at $29 per month when billed annually. Core adds basic ecommerce, scheduling and services, 50 GB of storage and 5 collaborators, while Business at $39 per month when billed annually adds standard ecommerce and 100 GB of storage.
- Choose Wix if you want a visual builder, templates and scheduling tools in the same account as your store, and if you sell services as well as product
- Skip it if you need a large catalog on a low budget, because the useful selling plans start at $29 per month, and Business Elite costs $159 per month
Pros
- Free plan with hosting and drag and drop editor
- Core adds payments, basic ecommerce and 50 GB storage
Cons
- Light plan cannot accept payments
- Business Elite costs $159 per month (billed annually)
Squarespace
Best for: Design-led stores and creators selling products and services
Squarespace Basic costs $19 per month when billed annually, or $25 per month when billed monthly, and it includes a free custom domain for 1 year on an annual term, built-in SEO and card rates from 2.9% plus $0.30. Basic allows 2 contributors and charges a 2% online store transaction fee, while Core costs $29 per month when billed annually, allows unlimited contributors and removes that fee. Plus costs $49 per month when billed annually, and Advanced costs $99 per month when billed annually with card rates from 2.5% plus $0.30.
- Choose Squarespace if design matters as much as checkout, and if you sell courses, memberships, services and physical products from one site.
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because Squarespace has no free plan, only a 14-day free trial, and skip Basic if the 2% transaction fee will eat int
Pros
- Unlimited products on every plan
- Core removes the 2% online store transaction fee
Cons
- Basic charges a 2% online store transaction fee
- Basic allows only 2 contributors
WooCommerce
Best for: WordPress site owners who want full control
WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store, with no monthly subscription for the core platform and no limit on products, orders or APIs. The cost sits elsewhere, because WooCommerce lists hosting at $25 to $350 per month for most stores, and extensions cost $29 to $299 per year each. WooPayments charges 2.90% plus $0.30 for each domestic card payment in the US, and you can use another gateway at its own rate without a platform fee from WooCommerce.
- Choose WooCommerce if you already run WordPress, want to own your hosting choice and need unlimited variants or a large catalog without a per-product
- Skip it if you want hosting, updates and support in one monthly bill, because you will manage hosting, security and extension renewals yourself.
Pros
- Core plugin is free with unlimited products, orders and APIs
- No platform fee on any gateway
Cons
- Hosting costs $25 to $350 per month for most stores
- Extensions cost $29 to $299 per year each
BigCommerce
Best for: Stores with growing sales volume that need sales caps spelled out
BigCommerce Core costs $29 per month when billed annually, or $39 per month when billed monthly, and Growth costs $79 per month when billed annually. Scale costs $299 per month when billed annually for up to $33,333 per month in GMV, with a 0.9% overage rate on GMV above that amount, and Performance starts at $1,499 per month when billed annually. GMV is gross order value after a 10% reduction, and BigCommerce uses trailing 12-month GMV to place a store on a plan.
- Choose BigCommerce if you want sales caps written into the plan, no platform fee with embedded payment providers and phone support from Growth upward.
- Skip it if your sales are close to $30,000 in trailing 12 months, because crossing that line moves Core to Growth, and crossing $100,000 moves Growth
Pros
- No platform fee with embedded payment providers
- Core includes live chat and email support around the clock
Cons
- Core moves to Growth when trailing 12-month GMV passes $30,000
- Open provider fee of 2% on Core for orders outside embedded providers
Square Online
Best for: Local shops that also sell in person
Square Online starts at $0 per month on the free plan, with no monthly subscription cost and processing fees only when you take a payment. The free plan includes a website builder with SEO tools, pickup, local delivery and shipping, and selling on search and social channels. Plus costs $49 per month per location, with an online card rate of 2.9% plus 30 cents, and Premium costs $149 per month per location, with real-time shipping rates and advanced reporting.
- Choose Square Online if you already use Square in person, because inventory, orders and customer data stay in one system, and the free plan is a real
- Skip it if you need a custom domain on a free plan, because a custom domain needs a subscription plan billed annually.
Pros
- Free plan includes website builder, pickup, local delivery and shipping tools
- Plus and Premium offer a free 30-day trial
Cons
- Custom domain needs a subscription plan billed annually
- Online card rate on the free plan is 3.3% plus 30 cents
Ecwid
Best for: Sellers adding a store to an existing website
Ecwid Starter costs $5 per month and allows up to 10 products, with 70 or more site templates, a default company.site domain and email support. Venture costs $29 per month when billed annually and allows up to 100 products plus e-goods, selling on Instagram and Facebook and discount coupons. Business costs $49 per month when billed annually and allows up to 2,500 products, while Unlimited costs $119 per month when billed annually for unlimited products.
- Choose Ecwid if you already have a website on WordPress, Wix or Squarespace and want to add a store without rebuilding the site.
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because no free plan is listed on the pricing page, and skip Starter if your catalog is over 10 products, because Ven
Pros
- Starter allows 10 products with 70 or more site templates
- No transaction fees on any plan
Cons
- No free plan is listed
- Custom domain needs Venture at $29 per month (billed annually)
GoDaddy
Best for: Beginners who want domain, hosting and builder in one place
GoDaddy Website Builder starts with a free build and preview option, and Starter costs $9.99 per month when billed annually, with 150 AI credits per month and 1 site to launch. Professional costs $24.99 per month when billed annually, with 300 AI credits per month and up to 10 sites, and it adds online payments and a product catalog. Ultimate costs $99.99 per month when billed annually, with 750 AI credits per month and up to 50 sites.
- Choose GoDaddy if you want domain, hosting, email and builder under one login, and if you value a simple AI builder over deep customization.
- Skip Starter if you need to take payments, because online payments need Professional, and check renewal prices before you buy, because annual billing
Pros
- Starter includes a custom domain free for 1 year
- Commerce charges 0% online store transaction fee
Cons
- Online payments need Professional at $24.99 per month (billed annually)
- Card fee is 2.7% plus 30 cents on ecommerce orders
How we chose
We chose platforms that are still sold to new sellers, have an official pricing page, and can take orders for physical products, digital products or services. Prices and plan limits in this article come from official vendor pricing pages and docs opened on 2026-11-12. We did not test any tool hands-on. We did not install a product, run a store, or place a test order. The unique fact in this article is the BigCommerce sales rule: Core moves to Growth when trailing 12-month GMV passes $30,000, and Growth moves to Scale when it passes $100,000, so a store can change plan on sales volume alone.
Pick by catalog size and budget
| Situation | First pick | Starting price | Limit to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 products, adding a store to a site you own | Ecwid Starter | $5 per month | 10 product cap, then Venture at $29 per month (billed annually) |
| Free start, local shop with in-person sales | Square Online Free | $0 per month | Online card rate 3.3% plus 30 cents, custom domain needs a subscription plan |
| Free core, WordPress owner, large catalog | WooCommerce | $0 per month (platform only) | Hosting $25 to $350 per month, extensions $29 to $299 per year each |
| Design-led store, 2 contributors, low volume | Squarespace Basic | $19 per month (billed annually) | 2% online store transaction fee, 2 contributors |
| Small store, visual builder, services plus products | Wix Core | $29 per month (billed annually) | Light at $17 per month cannot accept payments |
| Growing store, full commerce suite | Shopify | $29 per month (billed annually) | 2% third-party transaction fee on the entry plan |
| Growing sales, sales cap must be clear | BigCommerce Core | $29 per month (billed annually) | Moves to Growth at $30,000 trailing 12-month GMV |
Frequently asked questions
Which platform is best for building an online store for a beginner?
Shopify is the best pick for most beginners who want a full store, because the entry plan costs $29 per month when billed annually and includes unlimited products, hosting, checkout and 10 inventory locations. Square Online is the best free start for a local shop, and GoDaddy suits a beginner who wants domain, hosting and builder in one place.
What is the cheapest platform for building an online store?
Square Online and WooCommerce start at $0 per month, and Ecwid Starter costs $5 per month. WooCommerce still needs hosting at $25 to $350 per month for most stores, and Square Online charges 3.3% plus 30 cents on online card orders on the free plan, so the cheapest monthly price is not always the cheapest total cost.
Which platform is best for a small catalog?
Ecwid Starter is the best pick for a catalog under 10 products, because it costs $5 per month, charges no transaction fees and can sit inside a website you already own. Squarespace Basic suits a small design-led catalog at $19 per month when billed annually, but it charges a 2% online store transaction fee and allows only 2 contributors.
Does Wix let me sell on the cheapest plan?
No. Wix Light costs $17 per month when billed annually and cannot accept payments, so a store needs Core at $29 per month when billed annually for basic ecommerce, payments and 50 GB of storage. Business at $39 per month when billed annually adds standard ecommerce, 100 GB of storage and 10 collaborators.
Which platform is best for a store that also sells in person?
Square Online is the best pick for a store that also sells in person, because the free plan includes pickup, local delivery and shipping tools, and inventory and orders stay in the same Square system as in-person sales. Plus costs $49 per month per location, and Premium costs $149 per month per location with lower processing fees.
How much does BigCommerce cost when sales grow?
BigCommerce Core costs $29 per month when billed annually, Growth costs $79 per month when billed annually, and Scale costs $299 per month when billed annually. Core moves to Growth when trailing 12-month GMV passes $30,000, Growth moves to Scale when it passes $100,000, and Scale adds a 0.9% overage rate on GMV above $33,333 per month.
Sources
- https://www.shopify.com/
- https://www.shopify.com/pricing
- https://www.wix.com/
- https://www.wix.com/plans
- https://www.squarespace.com/
- https://www.squarespace.com/pricing
- https://woocommerce.com/
- https://woocommerce.com/pricing/
- https://www.bigcommerce.com/
- https://www.bigcommerce.com/pricing/
- https://squareup.com/
- https://squareup.com/us/en/online-store/plans
- https://www.ecwid.com/
- https://www.ecwid.com/pricing
- https://www.godaddy.com/
- https://www.godaddy.com/en/websites/website-builder/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.