Shopify is the safest all-around choice for a dedicated online store, but it is not automatically the best fit for every business. Choose Wix when design flexibility matters as much as selling, BigCommerce for complex catalogs and B2B operations, WooCommerce for maximum WordPress ownership, Squarespace for a design-led brand, Square Online for an existing physical retailer, and Ecwid when you need to add a store to a website you already own.
Hostinger is the strongest low-cost starting point for a simple catalog, while GoDaddy is best reserved for the fastest, least complicated launch. The right decision depends on your products, sales volume, payment provider, technical resources, sales channels, and growth plans—not on the lowest advertised monthly price.
Last verified: August 10, 2026. Prices and features can vary by country, billing cycle, payment provider, account, plan rollout, and promotional period.
Quick comparison: the best ecommerce builders in 2026
The rankings below are editorial recommendations, not market-share rankings. They are based on commerce capability, total cost, ease of operation, scalability, omnichannel selling, customization, marketing tools, and the amount of technical responsibility placed on the merchant.
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| Rank | Platform | Best for | First relevant US pricing or cost | Payment and platform-fee note | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopify | Most dedicated online stores and omnichannel brands | Basic: $29/month annually or $39 monthly | Shopify Payments rates shown from 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic; third-party-provider fees may apply | Apps and payment-related costs can accumulate |
| 2 | Wix | Small businesses prioritizing design flexibility | Core: $29/month annually or $36 monthly | Payment-processing fees vary by country and method | Less suited to highly complex operations |
| 3 | BigCommerce | Growing catalogs, B2B, international, and multi-store operations | Core: $29/month annually or $39 monthly | New 2026 GMV thresholds and Open Payment Provider Fees of 2%, 1%, or 0.6% may apply | Pricing and payment routing are more complicated |
| 4 | WooCommerce | WordPress users needing ownership and customization | Free core software; hosting commonly estimated at $25–$350/month | No WooCommerce revenue share; hosting, extensions, maintenance, and processor fees remain | You manage much of the technical stack |
| 5 | Squarespace | Design-led brands with small-to-medium catalogs | Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced plans are being rolled out; verify the live US price | 2% online-store fee on Basic; 0% on Core, Plus, and Advanced; digital-content fees differ | Commerce depth is lighter than Shopify or BigCommerce |
| 6 | Square Online | Retailers already using Square in person | Free: $0; Plus: $49/month per location; Premium: $149/month per location | Online card rates shown at 3.3% + $0.30 on Free and 2.9% + $0.30 on paid plans | Less storefront and operational customization |
| 7 | Ecwid by Lightspeed | Adding a store to an existing website or social presence | Starter, Venture, Business, and Unlimited plans; verify the live US price | No Ecwid setup or transaction fee; payment processors still charge | Best as embedded commerce, not a deeply customized primary site |
| 8 | Hostinger | Budget-conscious beginners and small catalogs | Ecommerce Starter displayed at $2.99/month on a 12-month offer | Hostinger advertises 0% Hostinger transaction fees; processor fees still apply | Smaller and newer commerce ecosystem |
| 9 | GoDaddy Websites + Marketing | The fastest low-complexity launch | Verify the live price; promotions depend on country and billing term | Fees and payment setup depend on the current Commerce experience | Limited design depth, options, and advanced ecommerce tools |
Prices are US examples captured or supplied for August 10, 2026. Annual, monthly, promotional, renewal, tax, and account-specific pricing are not interchangeable. Confirm the checkout, payment method, and plan available to your business before subscribing.
Choose a platform in five minutes
- You already sell in a physical shop, at markets, or through appointments: start with Square Online if you already use Square. Shopify POS is a stronger alternative when the online brand and multichannel selling are the priority.
- You already have a WordPress website: choose WooCommerce if you have access to WordPress expertise and want control. Choose Ecwid if you want to add a lighter store without rebuilding the site.
- Your business needs B2B accounts, quotes, customer-specific prices, multiple storefronts, or complex catalogs: shortlist BigCommerce first, then Shopify with the required apps or enterprise features.
- Your website is primarily a brand, portfolio, blog, booking site, or editorial publication: Wix or Squarespace will usually provide a more flexible visual and content experience than a commerce-first platform.
- You want the lowest initial commitment for a simple store: compare Hostinger and Square Free, but check what the plan excludes and what it will cost at renewal. GoDaddy is appropriate only if your catalog and product options are simple.
- Your site’s primary job is selling and you expect to add channels, staff, apps, or integrations: choose Shopify unless a specific requirement points to BigCommerce, WooCommerce, or Square.
What an ecommerce website builder actually is
These products fall into three different categories, and that difference affects cost, control, and maintenance.
- Hosted commerce platforms: Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, Square Online, GoDaddy, and Hostinger generally manage hosting, security infrastructure, and software updates for you.
- Open-source commerce software: WooCommerce is free to download and use as a WordPress plugin, but you choose and pay for hosting, themes, extensions, payment providers, backups, security, and maintenance.
- Embedded commerce: Ecwid can be inserted into an existing WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, blog, or other website. It also offers its own Instant Site builder.
A free core product is therefore not necessarily a free store. Conversely, a higher subscription can be cheaper overall if it reduces app costs, payment surcharges, developer work, or operational errors.
How this list was ranked
The ranking uses a transparent editorial framework rather than pretending that one platform is objectively best for every merchant.
| Criterion | Weight | What was considered |
|---|---|---|
| Commerce capability | 20% | Catalogs, variants, checkout, orders, refunds, inventory, and shipping |
| Total cost | 15% | Subscription, payment and platform fees, apps, hosting, themes, domains, and maintenance |
| Ease of launch and operation | 15% | Product entry, theme setup, order management, mobile administration, and support |
| Growth and scalability | 15% | Catalog, GMV, staff, locations, APIs, automation, and international expansion |
| Omnichannel selling | 10% | POS, social, marketplaces, subscriptions, pickup, and local delivery |
| Customization and ownership | 10% | Theme control, custom code, APIs, data export, and migration options |
| Marketing and SEO | 5% | SEO controls, blogging, email, abandoned-cart tools, analytics, and product feeds |
| Security and reliability | 5% | Hosted infrastructure, SSL/TLS, PCI responsibilities, backups, and update burden |
1. Shopify: best overall for a dedicated ecommerce business
Best for: DTC brands, repeat-purchase businesses, subscription sellers, marketplace and social sellers, and companies that expect to add staff, apps, agencies, or developers.
Current US price
Shopify’s US pricing page lists Basic at $29 per month when billed annually or $39 month-to-month, Grow at $79 annually or $105 monthly, and Advanced at $299 annually or $399 monthly. Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 per month. The page also advertises a three-day free trial followed by $1 per month for three months; treat that as a dated promotion rather than a permanent price. See the Shopify pricing page for current terms.
Shopify Payments card rates shown on the pricing page begin at 2.9% + $0.30 for Basic, 2.7% + $0.30 for Grow, and 2.5% + $0.30 for Advanced. If you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, additional Shopify transaction fees may apply. Payment-provider availability varies by country.
What Shopify does well
- It is built around selling rather than treating ecommerce as a secondary website feature.
- Core plans include a hosted storefront, unlimited products, checkout, inventory tools, analytics, SSL/TLS, unlimited bandwidth, and a free
myshopify.comaddress. You can connect a custom domain. - It supports social and marketplace selling, in-person sales through Shopify POS, shipping integrations, and a large app ecosystem.
- It is relatively easy to hand off to employees, agencies, developers, or specialists as the business grows.
Where Shopify costs or falls short
The subscription is only the starting point. Premium themes, email, shipping, reviews, subscriptions, search, loyalty, tax, international selling, and other capabilities may require paid apps or services. Those recurring costs can exceed the platform subscription.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsShopify’s content and blogging tools are generally less flexible than WordPress. Shopify Starter is also not equivalent to a full standalone store, so compare the full Basic plan when evaluating website builders.
Do not choose Shopify if WordPress ownership is your central requirement, if you need deeply native B2B workflows better suited to BigCommerce, or if you already operate a Square-based physical retail business and do not want to maintain a second commerce ecosystem.
Verdict: Shopify is the best default recommendation for a serious new online store because it offers the broadest balance of checkout, operations, integrations, POS, and multichannel support. It is not the lowest-cost option in every scenario.
2. Wix: best for design flexibility and small-business ecommerce
Best for: Local businesses, fashion, food, beauty, creative businesses, and sellers that need an attractive website with products, services, bookings, portfolios, or editorial content.
Current US price
Wix publicly lists annual pricing of $29 per month for Core, approximately $39 for Business, and $159 for Business Elite. Its US pricing content lists monthly prices of about $36, $46, and $172 respectively. Monthly prices are higher, and prices vary by geography. Check the Wix plans page before purchase.
What Wix does well
Wix combines a visual drag-and-drop builder with product variants, inventory, subscriptions, digital products, abandoned-cart recovery, SEO tools, shipping, social selling, and in-person selling. Wix says its ecommerce features can support up to 50,000 products, multiple variants, digital goods, subscriptions, and more than 80 payment gateways, although availability depends on the market. The feature list is available on Wix’s ecommerce page.
The major advantage is that the storefront does not have to feel separate from the rest of the brand website. You can build landing pages, service pages, blog content, booking flows, and promotional pages with more visual control than many commerce-first platforms.
Limitations
Design freedom can create inconsistent layouts if the site is not maintained carefully. Large catalogs, complex B2B pricing, sophisticated fulfillment, and advanced international operations may fit Shopify or BigCommerce better. A Wix subscription also does not eliminate payment-processing charges, and payment methods and rates vary by country and payment type.
Do not choose Wix if your central challenge is multi-warehouse inventory, intricate account-based pricing, large-scale automation, or multi-store operations.
Verdict: Wix is the best general-purpose builder for a small business that wants the store and the rest of the website to receive equal attention.
3. BigCommerce: best for complex catalogs, B2B, and multi-store operations
Best for: Wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, larger catalogs, B2B sellers, companies with multiple brands or regions, and merchants that want more commerce functionality built in.
Current US price and the 2026 changes
BigCommerce changed its self-serve plan structure on June 1, 2026. Older articles that refer only to Standard, Plus, and Pro are outdated.
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- Core: $29 per month billed annually or $39 monthly, with up to $30,000 in trailing-12-month Inclusive GMV.
- Growth: $79 annually or $105 monthly, with up to $100,000 in trailing-12-month Inclusive GMV.
- Scale: $299 annually or $399 monthly, with a $33,333 monthly GMV cap before a 0.9% overage rate.
- Performance: custom pricing starting at $1,499 per month billed annually.
Core and Growth can automatically upgrade when their GMV thresholds are exceeded. BigCommerce calculates Inclusive GMV with a 10% reduction to gross order value for threshold purposes.
There is another important cost: on eligible orders processed by payment providers not included on BigCommerce’s Embedded Payment Provider list, the Open Payment Provider Fee is 2% on Core, 1% on Growth, and 0.6% on Scale. Orders processed through listed embedded providers do not incur that additional BigCommerce fee. The 2026 pricing announcement explains the thresholds, provider rules, and plan changes. Review the provider list before selecting a gateway.
What BigCommerce does well
BigCommerce has unusually strong native commerce depth. Its current B2B materials describe customer groups, price lists, buyer portals, quotes, account hierarchies, shared carts, and reordering workflows. It also supports multi-storefront operations, multiple currencies, real-time shipping quotes, open APIs, and integrations for ERP and other business systems. See BigCommerce’s B2B overview and multi-storefront guide.
Those built-in capabilities can reduce dependence on paid apps, although implementation may require developers, an agency, feed management, ERP work, or more involved setup.
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Limitations
The interface can feel more complicated than Wix or Squarespace. The new GMV thresholds make growth and payment routing part of the pricing decision, not an afterthought. Annual-plan changes may occur at the end of the service period, while threshold-based automatic upgrades can occur when the relevant limit is crossed.
Do not choose BigCommerce without modeling your expected GMV, payment provider, international requirements, and implementation costs. A plan with a lower monthly subscription can be more expensive once the Open Payment Provider Fee applies.
Verdict: BigCommerce is the strongest Shopify alternative for complex catalogs, B2B, multiple storefronts, and merchants who prefer more native functionality.
4. WooCommerce: best for WordPress ownership and customization
Best for: Existing WordPress sites, publishers, educators, content-heavy brands, and businesses that need custom product types, checkout logic, memberships, or integrations.
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WooCommerce’s core platform is free and open source, with no monthly WooCommerce subscription and no WooCommerce revenue share. That does not make the store free. WooCommerce’s own pricing guide estimates hosting for most stores at approximately $25–$350 per month, depending on traffic and performance. Extensions are commonly approximately $29–$299 per year per extension. WooPayments is shown at approximately 2.5%–2.9% + $0.30 per transaction depending on circumstances. Third-party payment providers can be used without a WooCommerce platform surcharge. See the WooCommerce pricing guide.
What WooCommerce does well
- You control the WordPress site, hosting choice, data, theme, code, and migration path.
- The extension ecosystem can support unusual products, memberships, subscriptions, bookings, courses, wholesale pricing, and specialized integrations.
- It is a natural choice when ecommerce is one part of a larger publication, education site, or content business.
- There is no platform percentage taken from revenue by WooCommerce itself.
The responsibility you accept
With WooCommerce, you or your technical provider are responsible for hosting, WordPress and plugin updates, backups, uptime monitoring, malware protection, security configuration, caching, image optimization, compatibility testing, and disaster recovery. Plugin conflicts or an outdated extension can break checkout. Poor hosting can make a successful promotion look like a server failure.
Costs are also less predictable because features are purchased à la carte. A technically capable owner may save money and gain control; a nontechnical owner may pay more for managed hosting, maintenance, and developer support than for a hosted platform.
Do not choose WooCommerce if you want the provider to manage nearly all infrastructure and you do not have a WordPress specialist or budget for one.
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Verdict: WooCommerce is best for ownership and customization, not automatically for ease or total cost.
5. Squarespace: best for design-led and content-rich stores
Best for: Artists, photographers, designers, restaurants, boutiques, lifestyle brands, and businesses combining products with portfolios, editorial content, services, courses, or memberships.
Current US plan and fee structure
Squarespace is rolling out four plans—Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced—that replace or coexist with older Personal, Business, Commerce Basic, and Commerce Advanced names. The rollout can vary by account and location, so existing customers may see legacy plans while new accounts see the newer structure. Verify the subscription amount shown on the current Squarespace pricing page.
The current fee structure is especially important:
- Basic charges a 2% online-store transaction fee.
- Core, Plus, and Advanced charge 0% online-store transaction fee.
- Digital-content and membership transaction fees are listed at 7%, 5%, 1%, and 0% on Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced respectively.
- US Squarespace Payments card rates shown are 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic and Core, 2.7% + $0.30 on Plus, and 2.5% + $0.30 on Advanced.
- International cards add a listed 1.5% surcharge, while currency conversion adds 1% under the listed US rates.
These categories must not be conflated. A plan that is reasonable for physical products may be costly for digital content or memberships.
Strengths and limitations
Squarespace excels at visual presentation and content. It is a strong choice when product pages must sit beside photography, essays, menus, service pages, courses, or a polished portfolio. It is usually less deep than Shopify or BigCommerce for advanced inventory, B2B, marketplace operations, and complex fulfillment.
Do not choose Squarespace solely because the lowest plan looks attractive. First identify whether you sell physical goods, digital content, memberships, or a combination, then model the applicable transaction fees.
Verdict: Squarespace is the best design-first option for a relatively straightforward catalog, provided you select the plan according to product type and transaction volume.
6. Square Online: best for businesses already using Square POS
Best for: Physical retailers, restaurants, local businesses, appointment-based businesses, market sellers, and any merchant already accepting payments through Square.
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Current US price
Square’s unified US plans list Free at $0 per month per location, Plus at $49 per month per location, and Premium at $149 per month per location. Online card processing shown on the current Square Online plans page is 3.3% + $0.30 on Free and 2.9% + $0.30 on paid plans.
Why the ecosystem matters
Square’s main advantage is not simply its website editor. Products, inventory, discounts, gift cards, customer records, reporting, and payments can connect across online and offline sales. The platform supports pickup, local delivery, shipping, product reviews, abandoned-cart emails, subscriptions, bundles, scheduled product updates, and social selling, with availability depending on plan.
This is particularly useful for a shop that sells at a physical location, events, or through curbside pickup. A single inventory and payment ecosystem may be worth more than a more flexible storefront design.
Limitations
Square Online offers less design and ecommerce customization than Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify. It is also a weaker fit for advanced international commerce, complex B2B pricing, and highly customized storefronts. Location-based pricing matters if you operate multiple physical locations.
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Do not choose Square Online just because the Free plan has no monthly subscription if most of your sales will be online. Compare the processing rate at your expected volume and account for any paid features.
Verdict: Square Online is the obvious choice for an existing Square merchant. It is less compelling when you have no Square operation and want a highly differentiated online store.
7. Ecwid by Lightspeed: best for adding ecommerce to an existing website
Best for: A restaurant, nonprofit, blog, service business, or creator that already owns a website and wants to add products without rebuilding the entire site.
Current plans and cost
Ecwid’s current structure includes Starter for up to 10 products, Venture for up to 100, Business for up to 2,500, and Unlimited for unlimited products. The pricing page is dynamic and can show different amounts based on billing cycle, location, and account context, so use the live Ecwid pricing page for the applicable US price.
Ecwid states that it charges no setup or transaction fees on its plans and supports more than 70 payment providers, along with unlimited bandwidth and storage. Subscriptions, abandoned-cart recovery, staff accounts, marketplace selling, multilingual catalogs, and POS integrations depend on plan and region. Payment processors still charge their own fees.
Strengths and limitations
Ecwid can be embedded in WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, a blog, or another existing site. You can also use its Instant Site builder or place the same catalog on multiple sites and social channels. This makes it a practical add-on when the existing website already performs well for content, search, or bookings.
The trade-off is that the overall storefront and content experience may remain constrained by the host site. Product features and marketing tools are tiered, and Ecwid is generally less suited than Shopify or BigCommerce for a highly customized standalone commerce operation.
Do not choose Ecwid if the store itself is the primary website and you expect advanced checkout, catalog, or operational customization.
Verdict: Ecwid is the best embedded-store option and should be compared with the cost of rebuilding a site, not treated as identical to a full commerce-first platform.
8. Hostinger Website Builder and Hostinger Ecommerce: best budget starting point
Best for: Beginners, small catalogs, simple physical or digital products, and sellers prioritizing a low initial price over ecosystem depth.
Do not confuse the two Hostinger products
Hostinger currently offers two related products:
- Hostinger Website Builder: ecommerce is included in the Business Website Builder plan.
- Hostinger Ecommerce: a newer commerce product designed to centralize products, orders, inventory, and sales channels, and connect to Hostinger websites, Horizons, WordPress, or other platforms.
Hostinger Ecommerce currently displays Starter at $2.99 per month under a 12-month offer, with up to five products; Growth at $7.99 per month, with up to 300 products; and Scale at $19.99 per month, with unlimited products and businesses. Hostinger advertises more than 100 payment methods and 0% Hostinger transaction fees. See the Hostinger Ecommerce page.
The separate Website Builder page displays a Business Website Builder offer at $3.79 per month when purchased for 48 months, with a displayed renewal price of $16.99 per month. That is not directly comparable with Shopify’s monthly price because it requires a long initial commitment and uses promotional pricing. The Website Builder page should be checked for the current term and renewal.
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Hostinger offers low upfront pricing, templates, AI-assisted setup, payment support, and a straightforward path to a small store. It can be a sensible way to validate an idea without committing to a more expensive platform.
The risks are renewal pricing, product and integration limits, subscription and customization constraints, and a smaller ecosystem and developer community than Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce. The newer Hostinger Ecommerce product should not be assumed to have the maturity or operational breadth of Shopify.
Do not choose Hostinger if you already know that you need complex fulfillment, extensive app integrations, advanced B2B features, or rapid international expansion.
Verdict: Hostinger offers strong initial value for a small first store, but compare the renewal bill and future migration cost before committing.
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9. GoDaddy Websites + Marketing: best for the fastest simple launch
Best for: A local business, service provider, or existing GoDaddy customer with a small catalog and minimal configuration needs.
Current price and product limits
GoDaddy’s pricing depends heavily on country, billing term, promotional rate, and product packaging. Rather than rely on an old static figure, check the live GoDaddy pricing page and record the country, term, introductory price, renewal price, and included Commerce features.
GoDaddy’s cited product documentation limits a product to three options and the entire store to 100 choices across product options. The online-store catalog has no stated product limit in the cited help documentation, but option and choice limits can quickly become restrictive for apparel, configurable products, parts, or goods with many sizes, colors, or technical attributes. See GoDaddy’s documentation on option and choice limits.
Strengths and limitations
GoDaddy is quick to set up and can combine a domain, hosting, email, marketing, and basic commerce in one account. That convenience is useful when speed matters more than design depth or operational sophistication.
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Its limitations include less flexible templates and layouts, a smaller app and integration ecosystem, and fewer advanced catalog, checkout, fulfillment, and international tools than Shopify or Wix. GoDaddy Payments and catalog synchronization depend on the current Commerce experience and account setup, so test the workflow before migrating a live business.
Do not choose GoDaddy for a complex product catalog, extensive product options, B2B pricing, or a store that you expect to build into a sophisticated operation.
Verdict: GoDaddy is a convenience recommendation for a fast, simple launch—not a leading platform for a high-growth ecommerce business.
Which builder fits your business model?
Physical products
For physical products, compare more than the product-page editor. Confirm support for variants, inventory locations, shipping zones, carrier rates, local delivery, pickup, returns, exchanges, bundles, gift cards, barcodes, backorders, and preorders.
- Shopify: strongest general-purpose option for a growing product business and multiple channels.
- Square Online: strongest when the same products and inventory are sold through Square in person.
- Wix or Squarespace: suitable for small-to-medium catalogs where presentation is central.
- BigCommerce: better when catalog complexity, wholesale pricing, or multiple storefronts drives the decision.
Digital products, courses, and memberships
Look for secure file delivery, download limits, video or course hosting, gated customer access, recurring payments, tax handling for digital goods, and the fees attached specifically to digital content or memberships.
Squarespace is attractive for a content-rich brand, but its digital-content and membership fees—listed at 7%, 5%, 1%, and 0% on Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced—are different from its physical online-store fees. Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, and other platforms may require a dedicated app or extension for courses, memberships, or protected downloads. The relevant feature may therefore cost more than the base subscription.
Subscriptions
Ask four questions before signing up:
- Are subscriptions native or dependent on an app or extension?
- Are they available on the entry commerce plan?
- Do they support the type of recurring sale you make—physical products, services, digital content, or memberships?
- Does the selected payment gateway support recurring billing in your country, and are there extra platform or app fees?
Shopify is a strong default for repeat-purchase and subscription-oriented brands, while Wix also lists subscription capabilities. WooCommerce can be highly customizable through extensions. On every platform, verify gateway compatibility and cancellation, retry, pause, and failed-payment workflows before launch.
B2B and wholesale
B2B selling often requires customer-specific price lists, company accounts, multiple buyers, purchase approvals, quotes, purchase orders, invoices, tax-exempt handling, shared carts, reordering, ERP and CRM integrations, and account hierarchies. A basic coupon code is not a substitute for these workflows.
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BigCommerce deserves the clearest first look because its current B2B materials specifically describe customer groups, price lists, buyer portals, quotes, shared carts, account hierarchies, and multi-storefront functionality. Shopify can serve B2B merchants, particularly with the right plan and apps, while WooCommerce can be customized extensively. Wix, Squarespace, Square Online, Hostinger, Ecwid, and GoDaddy are generally better suited to simpler business-to-consumer operations.
Retail and in-person sales
If you already use Square card readers or Square Register, Square Online can keep online and offline products, payments, inventory, customer records, and reporting in one ecosystem. Shopify POS is a strong alternative for a brand that sells through stores, events, social channels, and an online storefront. Wix POS and Ecwid POS integrations may also work, but availability depends on country, plan, and hardware.
International selling
International capability can mean very different things. Check for local currencies, local payment methods, country-specific domains, duties and taxes, multilingual catalogs, regional pricing, country-specific catalogs, merchant-account availability, and privacy and data requirements in each target market.
Do not assume that a platform supporting multiple currencies automatically handles duties, tax registration, localized checkout, translation, fulfillment, and payment settlement. BigCommerce and Shopify are the most natural first comparisons for complex international operations; Wix, Squarespace, and Ecwid can be appropriate for smaller international catalogs when their regional features are available.
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- WordPress: WooCommerce gives the most control; Ecwid is lighter when you only need to add commerce.
- Wix or Squarespace: their native stores avoid stitching together a separate storefront, but check catalog and operational limits before rebuilding.
- Blog, portfolio, restaurant, or nonprofit site: Ecwid can add products while preserving the existing content and design.
- New store with no website: Shopify is the safest dedicated-commerce default; Wix is better when brand pages and visual editing are equally important.
The real cost of an ecommerce website
Use this formula instead of comparing headline subscriptions:
Total monthly cost = platform subscription + payment processing + platform transaction fees + apps or extensions + hosting + domain and email + shipping or fulfillment software + maintenance and development.
Five fees that are easy to confuse
- Payment processing fee: charged by Stripe, PayPal, Shopify Payments, Wix Payments, Square, WooPayments, or another processor.
- Platform transaction fee: charged by the store platform on top of payment processing.
- Third-party-provider fee: charged by the platform when you use an external payment provider. BigCommerce’s 2026 Open Payment Provider Fee is a prominent example.
- App or extension fee: the recurring cost of subscriptions, reviews, shipping, loyalty, search, email, accounting, or other functionality.
- GMV or revenue-based fee: a charge or plan change tied to sales volume. BigCommerce’s 2026 thresholds make this especially important.
Illustrative $10,000-per-month example
Suppose a business processes $10,000 in monthly sales through 200 orders, producing a $50 average order value. The following examples are illustrations, not universal quotes. They exclude refunds, taxes, chargebacks, shipping, apps, and a domain.
| Scenario | Illustrative calculation | Approximate amount before other costs |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic using the listed Basic Shopify Payments rate | $29 subscription + 2.9% of $10,000 ($290) + $0.30 × 200 orders ($60) | $379/month on annual billing |
| Shopify Grow using the listed Grow rate | $79 subscription + 2.7% ($270) + $60 in per-order fees | $409/month on annual billing |
| Square Free using the listed online rate | $0 subscription + 3.3% ($330) + $60 in per-order fees | $390/month |
| Square Plus using the listed online rate | $49 subscription + 2.9% ($290) + $60 in per-order fees | $399/month per location |
| BigCommerce Core with an eligible embedded provider | $29 subscription + the processor’s own fee | Depends on the provider |
| BigCommerce Core with a non-embedded provider, using a hypothetical processor rate of 2.9% + $0.30 | $29 + $350 processor cost + 2% of $10,000 ($200) | $579/month |
| WooCommerce using the low end of the cited hosting estimate and a hypothetical 2.9% + $0.30 processor rate | $25 hosting + $350 processor cost | $375/month before extensions and maintenance |
The example shows why a lower subscription is not automatically cheaper. A provider’s payment rate, per-order charge, platform surcharge, number of apps, physical locations, and technical workload can matter more than the advertised plan.
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For BigCommerce, specifically, compare the payment provider’s rate and eligibility before comparing plans. For WooCommerce, include the value of backups, security, updates, developer support, and downtime risk. For Hostinger, compare the promotional term with the renewal price. For Squarespace, include the applicable physical-store or digital-content transaction fee.
Free plans and promotional prices: what to check
A free or very low-cost plan may not be a usable store. It may include branding, lack a custom domain or checkout, limit products, exclude payment methods, omit shipping tools, lack customer accounts, or withhold abandoned-cart recovery, subscriptions, marketplace selling, and social commerce.
Always identify the first plan that supports your actual business, not the cheapest plan shown in an advertisement. Record these details before comparing:
- Country and currency
- Monthly versus annual billing
- Introductory or promotional period
- Renewal price
- Whether taxes are included
- Whether the offer is limited to new customers
- Whether the plan is a website plan or a commerce plan
- Product, variant, staff, bandwidth, storage, and sales-volume limits
Also remember that unlimited products may coexist with limits on variants, storage, staff accounts, API requests, marketplace feeds, catalog imports, or performance.
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Changing the storefront design is usually easier than moving the underlying business data. Before cancelling the old platform:
- Export the complete catalog: titles, descriptions, SKUs, variants, prices, cost data, images, dimensions, inventory, SEO metadata, and product URLs.
- Export orders and customers: include order history, addresses, refunds, tax information, customer tags, and marketing-consent records where permitted.
- Document subscriptions: recurring billing relationships and payment tokens often cannot be transferred directly between platforms.
- Save reviews and discount codes: these commonly need to be imported or recreated.
- Map URL changes: create a redirect list for product, collection, category, blog, and policy URLs to protect search traffic.
- Back up media: do not assume that product images, video, downloads, or course files will migrate automatically.
- Rebuild operational rules: shipping profiles, tax rules, warehouse locations, fulfillment integrations, custom checkout fields, and email automations require testing.
- Preserve analytics: document pixels, conversion events, product feeds, attribution settings, and historical reporting.
- Test before launch: place test orders on mobile and desktop, test discounts, refunds, taxes, shipping, pickup, email notifications, account creation, and failed payments.
- Keep the old site available during the transition: do not cancel hosting or payment services until orders, redirects, and customer support workflows work on the new platform.
Customer passwords, subscription relationships, reviews, order history, product IDs, tax rules, shipping profiles, analytics history, and custom checkout fields are among the items most likely to require rebuilding rather than simple export-and-import.
Other platforms worth considering
The nine options above cover the most useful general-purpose choices for the reader deciding how to sell online, but a specialized platform may be better in a narrow case.
- Big Cartel: artists and very small catalogs.
- Webflow Ecommerce: design and development teams willing to accept more technical work.
- PrestaShop: technical teams needing open-source and international commerce.
- Adobe Commerce: enterprise organizations with substantial development resources.
- Bluehost plus WooCommerce: readers who want managed WordPress onboarding rather than assembling hosting themselves.
- Sellfy: creators selling digital products, physical products, or print-on-demand goods.
These are not necessarily better overall; they solve materially different problems. A specialist platform should be compared against the workflow it is designed to support, not merely against its monthly subscription.
Final decision guide
| If your priority is… | Start with… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A dependable dedicated online store | Shopify | Broad commerce ecosystem, checkout, apps, POS, and channels |
| Visual control and brand presentation | Wix | Strong drag-and-drop site building alongside ecommerce |
| B2B, complex catalogs, or multiple storefronts | BigCommerce | Native customer groups, price lists, B2B workflows, APIs, and multi-storefront tools |
| WordPress ownership and custom functionality | WooCommerce | Open-source control and a large extension ecosystem |
| A premium content and portfolio experience | Squarespace | Strong visual presentation and content-commerce integration |
| Online and physical retail in one system | Square Online | Connects online selling with Square POS and inventory |
| Commerce added to an existing site | Ecwid | Embeds into an existing website and can also use an Instant Site |
| The lowest initial price for a small store | Hostinger | Low displayed promotional entry pricing, with renewal caveats |
| The fastest simple launch | GoDaddy | Minimal setup with domain, hosting, marketing, and basic commerce together |
Do not choose based on the platform’s free plan, an introductory price, or a feature checklist alone. Estimate your order volume, payment mix, app needs, fulfillment workflow, and technical support budget for the next 12 to 24 months. That total-cost view is more useful than asking which builder is cheapest today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest ecommerce website builder for beginners?
For a dedicated store, Shopify is the safest beginner-friendly default because hosting, checkout, security infrastructure, inventory, and integrations are managed in one ecosystem. Wix can be easier when the site needs extensive visual editing, while Hostinger is simpler to justify when the catalog is small and the lowest initial price matters. The easiest platform is not always the cheapest after payment fees, apps, and renewal pricing.
Which ecommerce website builder is cheapest?
Hostinger displays the lowest promotional entry prices among the nine platforms, while Square Online has a $0 monthly plan and WooCommerce has free core software. Those figures are not directly comparable: Hostinger’s offer is term-dependent, Square charges payment-processing fees, and WooCommerce requires hosting, extensions, maintenance, backups, and security. Compare the total cost of a usable store rather than the subscription alone.
Can I start selling online for free?
Sometimes, but a free plan may not include checkout, a custom domain, shipping, customer accounts, abandoned-cart recovery, or other essential features. Square Online offers a $0 monthly plan in the US, but online card processing still applies. WooCommerce has no core subscription, but the surrounding WordPress stack costs money. Confirm the first plan that supports your products and payment method.
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Is Shopify better than Wix?
Shopify is generally the stronger choice when selling is the website’s primary function and you need inventory, multichannel selling, POS, apps, or a business that will grow operationally. Wix is generally better when visual editing, landing pages, services, bookings, portfolios, or blog content matter as much as the store. Neither is universally better.
Is WooCommerce really free?
The WooCommerce core software is free and open source, with no WooCommerce revenue share. A real store still needs WordPress hosting, a domain, payment processing, a theme, extensions, backups, security, updates, and possibly developer support. WooCommerce can be cost-effective for a technically capable WordPress owner, but it shifts more responsibility to the merchant.
Which platform is best for a physical retail store?
Square Online is usually the first option to evaluate if you already use Square POS because online and in-person products, inventory, payments, and customer data can share an ecosystem. Shopify POS is a strong alternative for a brand with more ambitious ecommerce and multichannel plans. Compare hardware, locations, inventory synchronization, and card rates before deciding.
Which ecommerce platform is best for subscriptions or digital products?
Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce can support subscriptions, but the exact feature may be native, plan-limited, or dependent on an app or extension and compatible payment gateway. Squarespace is attractive for content-led digital products and memberships, but its digital-content and membership transaction fees differ by plan and can be substantially higher on lower tiers. Check secure delivery, recurring billing, customer access, taxes, and cancellation workflows.
Which builder is best for B2B ecommerce?
BigCommerce deserves the strongest initial consideration because its current B2B materials describe customer groups, price lists, buyer portals, quotes, account hierarchies, shared carts, and reordering workflows. Shopify and WooCommerce can also support B2B through plans, apps, or extensions. The right choice depends on ERP, CRM, pricing, approval, tax, and purchasing requirements.
Can I move my store to another platform later?
Usually, but migration is not just a design change. Export products, variants, inventory, orders, customers, reviews, discounts, media, SEO metadata, and URLs. Plan for customer passwords, subscription billing relationships, payment tokens, analytics, shipping rules, tax settings, integrations, and redirects to be rebuilt or handled separately. Test the new checkout before cancelling the old platform.
Do ecommerce website builders include payment processing?
They usually connect you to a payment processor or provide an integrated option, but processing is not free. A payment-processing fee is charged by providers such as Shopify Payments, Square, Wix Payments, or WooPayments. A separate platform transaction fee may also apply. BigCommerce’s 2026 Open Payment Provider Fee is an additional example for eligible orders routed through non-embedded providers.
Do I need a business license, tax registration, privacy policy, and return policy?
Platform tools do not replace your legal and tax responsibilities. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, product, business structure, sales locations, and customer location. Obtain advice appropriate to your situation about business registration, sales-tax or VAT obligations, privacy, consumer protection, accessibility, marketing consent, returns, and payment compliance. Tax automation features can help with calculations but do not determine your legal obligations.
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The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Choose Shopify for the safest general-purpose ecommerce foundation, Wix for design-first small-business selling, BigCommerce for B2B and complex growth, WooCommerce for WordPress control, Squarespace for visual content brands, Square Online for existing physical retail, Ecwid for an embedded store, Hostinger for a low-cost simple launch, and GoDaddy only when speed outweighs operational depth. Before subscribing, calculate the full cost of payment processing, platform fees, apps, hosting, fulfillment, renewal pricing, and maintenance for the business you expect to run—not merely the store you can launch today.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
