If you’re setting up an online store, you may be worried about one thing: your budget. You may be concerned about your budget when you’re creating an online store. If that’s the case, we recommend looking into one of the free ecommerce website builders below:
If this is the case, you should consider one of the free ecommerce site builders below.
The 4 Best Free Ecommerce Platforms
The 4 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Free
| Platform | Plan | Best For | Overall Rating | Starting Price | Transaction Fees | Free Plan or Free Trial | Sales Features | Review Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Online | Free plan | For food businesses selling online and offline | 3.8 | $29 | 2.9% + $0.30 | Free plan | 3.3 | See Review |
| Shopify | Free trial | For selling manufactured products online | 4.8 | $29 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 3-day free trial, then 1 month for $1 | 4.8 | See Review |
| Wix | Free to build, not sell | For selling hand-crafted products online | 4.8 | $29 | 2.9% + $0.30 | Free plan | 4.2 | See Review |
| WooCommerce | Free to install | For international sellers | 4.2 | $26.10 with code “TAKE10” | 2.9% + $0.30 (+1% for non-US customers) | Free to install | 4.1 | See Review |
Square Online is the only platform that lets you sell for completely free. You can build a store and start selling for nothing, albeit with some limitations.
Square Online is the sole platform that allows you to sell completely for free. You can build a store and start selling for nothing, albeit with some limitations.
Square Online allows you to create a store for free and begin selling, but with some restrictions. Meanwhile, the other providers listed will let you build for free or give you a free trial, but you will need to upgrade to a pricing plan later on.
Other providers will allow you to build for free, or offer a free trial. However, you will have to upgrade later to a paid plan.
But which of these free ecommerce platforms is best equipped for the type of online store you want to create?
Which of these free ecommerce tools is best suited to the type of store you are looking to create? To answer that question, we’ve found the four best candidates, so let’s jump in.
We’ve identified the four best candidates to answer this question. Let’s dive in.
Why you can trust us
At Website Builder Expert, our unbiased reviews, guides, and comparisons are backed up by solid research, data, and hands-on testing.
Our unbiased reviews, comparisons, and guides are backed by solid research, data and hands-on tests. Our team conducted over 200 hours of research to bring you our independent recommendations of the top website builders for creating your own site.
Our team spent over 200 hours researching the best website builders to create your own site.
You can read more about our unique research methodology here.
Compare the Best Free Ecommerce Website Builders
Need to see the provider side-by-side?
Need to compare providers? Look through our helpful comparison table:
Compare the providers using our comparison table.
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SELL ON FREE PLAN – BEST IN TEST
| Platform | Overall Rating | Starting Price | Transaction Fees | Free Plan or Free Trial | Sales Features | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Online | 3.8 | $29 | 2.9% + $0.30 | Free plan | 3.3 | See Review |
| Shopify | 4.8 | $29 | 2.9% + $0.30 | Free trial | 4.8 | See Review |
| Wix | 4.8 | $29 | 2.9% + $0.30 | Free to build | 4.2 | See Review |
| WooCommerce | 4.2 | $26.10 with code “TAKE10” | 2.9% + $0.30 (+1% for non-US customers) | Free to install | 4.1 | See Review |
You can also see where each platform falls in terms of the amount of sales features you get versus the average price.
You can also compare the number of features that each platform offers compared to the average price. Take a look at the quadrant graph below for a quick comparison; the top left part of the graph is the ideal location!
Check out the quadrant chart below to make a quick comparison. The top left corner of the graph is ideal! Here we can see where each provider falls.
You can see the location of each provider. The top left quadrant is the ideal location.
The top left quadrant is ideal. Source: Website Builder Expert
Or try our handy quiz!
What type of online store do you want to create?
What type of online shop do you want to build?
- Fashion and apparel
- Jewelry or beauty products
- Food and alcohol
- Art and handmade goods
Find Your Store Builder for Fashion and apparel, Jewelry or beauty products, Food and alcohol, Art and handmade goods.
Can You Sell for Free?
Short answer: Yes!
Long answer: It’s not that simple… while Square Online does indeed have a free plan which you can sell on, you will have to pay a fee of 2.9% + 30¢ on every transaction.
The short answer is: it’s not as simple as that. While Square Online has a free plan, which you can use to sell on, you will have to pay 2.9% + 30¢ for every transaction. There are also limited features to deal with, as you’ll have no access to vital ecommerce features like taking PayPal payments or abandoned cart recovery unless you upgrade to a paid plan.
You’ll also have to deal with limited features, as you won’t be able to access vital ecommerce functions like accepting PayPal payments or recovering abandoned carts unless you upgrade to a paid plan.
All the builders on this list give you some kind of free access, but to sell and reach each provider’s true ecommerce potential will require paying.
All builders on this page offer some form of free access. However, to reach the true ecommerce potential of each provider you will need to pay. There are four different variations of what can be described as a ‘free ecommerce platform’:
There are four different types of ‘free ecommerce platforms’
- Selling for Free
- Selling Free of Charge
- Free Trial
- Free To Build
- Free To Install
Selling for Free – Square Online
Square Online allows you to sell for free.
Free Trial – Shopify
Shopify, our best-rated ecommerce provider, offers a 3-day free trial in which you can test out all its features and build your store – but you won’t be able to actually sell till you choose a plan.
Shopify is our top-rated ecommerce service provider. They offer a 3-day trial where you can test all the features and build your own store. However, you won’t have the ability to sell until you upgrade.
Shopify also offers a 3-month paid trial of only $1 per month for new customers which you will be able to sell.
Free To Build – Wix
Wix allows you to build your online store for free for as long as you want, but cannot accept any payments till you upgrade to a plan.
Free To Install – WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an ecommerce plugin for WordPress, which means you can download and install it for free – however, you will have to be responsible for things like hosting and integration of any third-party features you need, all of which have subscription fees.
Sell for Free – Square Online
Square Online is the only ecommerce platform on this list that actually lets you sell for free.
Square Online is the only platform on this list to allow you to sell completely for free. This is a major advantage for those starting a new online business or wanting a fresh start, as the money saved on start-up costs can now be put wherever else they may be needed.
This is a great benefit for those who are starting a new business online or want a fresh start. The money saved on the start-up costs will now be able to be used elsewhere.
What also sets Square Online apart is its range of POS systems, providing seamless synchronization between online and offline sales.
Square Online’s POS systems provide seamless synchronization of online and offline sales. For this reason, Square Online is perfect for food-related businesses, allowing you to sell your products in person in a store or market stall while still advertising your website.
Square Online is ideal for food-related business, as it allows you to sell products in person at a market stall or store while still advertising your site.
This is what a finished Square Online site can look like.
Here is an example of a completed Square Online website. Key West Cocktail Company uses large, professional images which is great for enforcing your brand image.
Key West Cocktail Company uses professional images that are large and can reinforce your brand image.
While Square Online does indeed let you sell for free, it’s not as strong a platform as Shopify and Wix, only scoring 3.6 out of 5 overall in our research.
Square Online is a good platform for selling online, but it’s not quite as strong as Shopify or Wix. In our research, Square Online scored only 3.6 out of 5 in the overall category. Its design flexibility is very limited, not letting you choose a store theme till you upgrade.
Square Online’s design flexibility is limited. You can’t choose a theme for your store until you upgrade. While you do get unlimited items to sell on the free plan, you have transaction fees to pay on each sale – 2.9% + $0.30 on each card payment.
You can sell unlimited items on the free plan but you will have to pay transaction fees on each sale. These are 2.9% + $0.30 per card payment. Though the plan is advertised as free, there’s always some cost.
Although the plan is advertised for free, there are always costs. Once I uploaded a handful of products, I could then add sections for featured items or categories to the page.
I added sections to the page for featured products or categories once I had uploaded a few products. Source: Website Builder Expert
Who Do We Recommend Square Online For?
Square Online is recommended for who?
Square Online is recommended if you run a restaurant or business in the food industry.
Square Online is a good choice if you own a restaurant or work in the food industry. You can use its POS integrations to sync your online and offline sales, making it easy to keep track of all your payments in one place.
Square Online’s POS integrations allow you to sync online and offline sales. This makes it easy to track all payments in one place.
However, avoid Square Online if you run a very large store.
Avoid Square Online, however, if you have a large store. Compared to platforms like Shopify, you’ll have fewer ways to sync your store across multiple sales channels.
Limitations
- Ads – Large, unmovable footer at the bottom of your website.
- No custom domain – On the free plan, your site’s URL will have a .square.site/ following your website’s name.
- No website themes
- No PayPal integration
- No abandoned cart recovery
- No product reviews
All free plan Square Online users will have to contend with a large Square Online-branded footer for their website.
Upgrade Cost: $29 per month
Square Online’s pricing has two paid plans available:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Plus | $29 per month billed annually | Includes PayPal access, removal of ads, custom domain name (free for one year), product reviews, subscriptions, item badges, and gifting options. |
| Premium | $79 per month billed annually | All features of Plus plan plus additional customer support, real-time shipping rates, and a lower transaction fee of 2.6% + $0.30. |
Read our full Square Online Review for more.
Who Do We Recommend Shopify For?
Shopify is ideal if you’re at the helm of a large or scaling business that sells manufactured products online.
Shopify is the best choice if you are running a large business or scaling up that sells manufactured goods online. Its key sales features, from inventory management tools to integrations across multiple sales channels, will help you manage your store.
Avoid Shopify if you’re only selling a few products.
Shopify is not for you if you only sell a few items. Paying for an upgraded plan will be a waste of money if you don’t need the powerful sales features offered to run your store.
Limitations
- Free on trial only – Free trial ends after three days and paid after one month
- No selling for free – You cannot sell on Shopify’s free trial and must choose the paid trial or upgrade
- No custom domain – Your free trial store will have a .myshopify.com at the end of it
Shopify’s free trial does not allow you to sell. You must upgrade or pay for the trial.
Your free trial will end with .myshopify.com. The domain name automatically created for my trial store was pretty clunky and unprofessional, and ends in .myshopify.com. Source: Website Builder Expert
Upgrade Cost: $29 per month
Shopify’s pricing has three paid plans, plus the social media-only Starter plan:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 per month billed annually | Social media link, basic features. |
| Basic | $29 per month billed annually | All essential quality features for small businesses. |
| Shopify | $79 per month billed annually | Advanced features and support. |
| Advanced | $299 per month billed annually | All features with additional support and analytics. |
While the Starter is the cheapest option, you do not get a full store, just a link you can attach to a social media page.
If you want an online store to design and run your business out of, we recommend the Basic plan as it offers all the essential quality features you get to use during the trial.
The Basic plan is perfect for small businesses, and if you find your store getting larger, the Shopify and Shopify Advanced plans await, bringing further support and stronger features.
Read our full Shopify Review for more.
Who Do We Recommend Wix For?
With its flexible design customization tools, Wix is a great option if you’re selling hand-crafted products online.
Wix’s flexible design customization tools are a great choice if you sell hand-crafted items online. You can use the editor to design a site that matches your unique style as an artisan.
Avoid Wix if it’s likely that you’ll want to switch templates further down the line.
You should avoid Wix if you are likely to want to change templates in the future. You can’t switch designs once your website has gone live.
Limitations
- Ads – On the free plan, Wix places a banner ad at the top of your website, which is quite distracting and looks unprofessional.
- No custom domain – You can’t have a personal domain unless you upgrade.
- No selling for free – You can’t sell on Wix unless you upgrade to one of its ecommerce plans.
- Limited storage – Wix only gives you 500MB of storage on its free plan, reducing the number of images you can have.
All free plan Wix users will have to contend with a large Wix-branded banner ad on their website.
Upgrade Cost: $29 per month
Wix’s pricing has three commerce plans to choose from:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $29 per month billed annually | Remove ads, use a custom domain, increase storage to 50GB. |
| Business | $36 per month billed annually | Advanced features for growing businesses. |
| Business Elite | $159 per month billed annually | All features with maximum support and capabilities. |
If you just can’t wait to try out the premium plans, then Wix does offer a 14-day money-back guarantee, meaning you can test out some of the ecommerce features, but you can only receive payments once you upgrade to a plan.
If Wix’s plans are too expensive for you, then we’re proud to reveal that you can get 10% off Wix if you use our exclusive code TAKE10 at checkout.
Read our full Wix Ecommerce Review to find out more.
Who Do We Recommend WooCommerce For?
WooCommerce is a strong fit, since it gives you multilingual capabilities alongside automatic currency converters, making it much easier to sell to global audiences.
WooCommerce is the best option for international stores, as it offers multilingual capabilities and automatic currency converters.
Avoid WooCommerce if you’re not comfortable with more technical skills like coding.
WooCommerce is not for those who aren’t comfortable with coding. You’ll need to have a good grip of these to add the key features you need to your website.
Limitations
- No built-in hosting – You will have to provide your own hosting for your online store from a hosting provider like Bluehost.
- No security – Most website builders include an SSL certificate in their plans.
- No storage – When choosing a hosting provider, you will have to decide how much storage to allocate to your store.
- No help and support – WordPress doesn’t have a formal help center like Shopify or Wix.
- Complicated editor – WordPress is not a drag-and-drop builder like Wix or Shopify.
Upgrade Cost: $6.99 per month
Bluehost’s pricing has two plans for WooCommerce-specific plans:
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Online Store | $6.99 per month billed annually | Includes WooCommerce, analytics, 40GB storage, a free domain, a free SSL certificate plus Yoast SEO. |
| Online Store + Marketplace | $12.95 per month billed annually | Includes 100GB storage and multichannel selling. |
While both these plans seem great value, remember that a WooCommerce store is not only more work to make but more work to upkeep than a regular website builder.
There’s also the cost of securing your own domain name and all the plugins you’ll need.
Domains can be purchased for as little as $10 to $15 per year. However, if the domain is highly sought-after, they can cost thousands of dollars. Plugins can be free to use, but if you are looking for quality then a monthly subscription of around $10 – $20 will be expected, and that’s just for one. While plugins are free, if you want quality, a monthly subscription will cost around $10 to $20. In total, your WordPress store could cost nearly $200 per month.
Read our full WooCommerce Review for more.
4 Best Free Ecommerce Platforms: Summary
While free plans make perfect sense for money-conscious business owners, they do have their limitations.
Free plans are great for business owners who are looking to save money, but they have limitations. Square Online provides the best deal by letting you sell for free, but you are cut off from a lot of essential features and have to feature ads with no custom domain.
Square Online offers the best deal, allowing you to sell for free. However, you are restricted from many essential features and must use ads without a custom domain. This will make your site look unprofessional to consumers.
With other platforms like Wix or Shopify, you can only build your store for free, but to actually make money through your online store, you’ll need to spend some money.
You can build your online store for free on other platforms, like Wix and Shopify. But to make money, you will need to invest some money. Overall, we recommend signing up for a free ecommerce plan today – or testing a free trial – to really get the most out of selling your products online.
We recommend that you sign up for a free plan or test a trial to get the most from selling your products online.
That’s all from us! We wish you well on your ecommerce journey!
