Ecommerce platform costs include monthly fees, transaction fees, hosting, and payment processing. This guide ranks platforms by total cost of ownership so you can see what you will actually pay.
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1. Square Online - $0
Square Online $0 - Free Store
Square Online gives you a free online store with unlimited products. You only pay payment processing (2.9% + $0.30). Includes basic templates, order management, and pickup/delivery options.
- Free: Unlimited products, free subdomain, order management
- Plus: $29/mo - custom domain, no Square branding
2. Big Cartel - $0 (5 Products)
Big Cartel $0 - Artists/Makers
Big Cartel's free plan supports 5 products with a basic storefront. Built for artists, makers, and creators. The Platinum plan at $10/mo supports 50 products with inventory tracking and discount codes.
- Free: 5 products, basic store, Stripe/PayPal payments
- Platinum: $10/mo - 50 products, inventory, discounts
3. Ecwid - $0 (5 Products)
Ecwid $0 - Add to Any Site
Ecwid lets you add a store to any existing website. The free plan supports 5 products. Venture plan at $15/mo adds 100 products and discount coupons. Works with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or any HTML site.
- Free: 5 products, embed on any website
- Venture: $15/mo - 100 products, discounts, social selling
4. Shopify Starter - $5/mo
Shopify Starter $5/mo
Shopify's Starter plan at $5/mo gives you a checkout link to sell anywhere - social media, messaging, or email. No full storefront, but the highest-converting checkout in ecommerce for just $5.
- Starter: $5/mo - shareable checkout links, Linkpop page
- Basic: $39/mo - full online store, shipping labels
5. WooCommerce - $0 (Self-Hosted)
WooCommerce $0 + Hosting
WooCommerce is free but requires WordPress hosting ($5-15/mo). Total cost: $5-15/mo with zero transaction fees beyond your payment processor. Maximum flexibility and no vendor lock-in.
- Plugin: Free - unlimited products, no transaction fees
- Hosting: $5-15/mo for shared hosting
Total Cost Comparison
| Platform | Monthly Fee | Transaction Fee | Products (Free) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Online | $0 | 2.9% + $0.30 | Unlimited |
| Big Cartel | $0 | Processor only | 5 |
| Ecwid | $0 | Processor only | 5 |
| Shopify Starter | $5 | 5% + processor | Unlimited |
| WooCommerce | $5-15 hosting | Processor only | Unlimited |
| Shopify Basic | $39 | 2.9% + $0.30 | Unlimited |
Bottom Line
Square Online is the cheapest way to sell unlimited products online - $0/month with standard processing fees. For artists with few products, Big Cartel's free plan is purpose-built. For maximum control, WooCommerce + $5/mo hosting gives you a full store with zero platform transaction fees.
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