Shopify is the strongest default for a serious ecommerce business, while Wix, Squarespace, Hostinger, GoDaddy, BigCommerce, Square Online, and WooCommerce fit different budgets and business models. The right choice depends less on the headline monthly price than on what you sell, how many products you carry, which payment methods you need, and how difficult the platform will be to outgrow or leave.
This comparison focuses on the total cost of running a store: subscription fees, payment processing, platform transaction fees, apps, domains, shipping, tax tools, and maintenance.
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Quick comparison
| Platform | Best for | Platform type | Current starting signal | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Serious ecommerce, multichannel selling, and growth | Hosted | Basic: $29/month annually or $39 monthly | Apps and third-party payment fees can raise the total cost |
| BigCommerce | Established stores wanting more built-in ecommerce tools | Hosted | Core: $29/month annually or $39 monthly | Sales-volume thresholds and more complicated pricing |
| Wix | Business websites that also sell products or services | Hosted | Core: $29/month when billed annually, according to the latest accessible pricing review | Less suitable for complex operations |
| Squarespace | Design-led brands, creatives, and smaller catalogs | Hosted | Fees vary by plan, payment method, country, and billing plan | Advanced inventory and wholesale features may require workarounds |
| Hostinger | Price-sensitive beginners and simple stores | Hosted | Advertised as low as $3.79/month on a 48-month term; renews at $16.99/month | Limited depth for complex or rapidly growing stores |
| Square Online | Local retailers, restaurants, and existing Square POS users | Hosted | Free plan available; payment fees apply | Feature and customization limits can matter at scale |
| GoDaddy | Local businesses combining selling, bookings, and marketing | Hosted | Live pricing should be checked at signup | Limited customization and scalability |
| WooCommerce | WordPress users who want ownership and flexibility | Self-hosted | Free core software; hosting and extensions are separate | You manage hosting, security, backups, updates, and compatibility |
These are use-case recommendations, not universal rankings. A platform that is inexpensive and convenient for 20 products may be a poor financial choice for a 2,000-SKU catalog or a subscription business.
For additional context on the comparison methodology and the original group of builders, see Website Builder Expert’s comparison.
#1 Best Overall
What an online store builder includes
An online store builder typically combines a website editor with the systems needed to sell:
- Product pages, categories, variants, and images
- Shopping cart and checkout
- Payment integrations
- Hosting, SSL, and core security
- Order and inventory management
- Shipping and tax settings
- Discounts, gift cards, and abandoned-cart recovery
- Marketing, analytics, and customer accounts
- Apps or extensions for specialized features
Hosted platforms such as Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Hostinger, GoDaddy, BigCommerce, and Square Online bundle infrastructure into the subscription. You generally do not buy separate hosting or maintain the server.
WooCommerce is different. Its core is free, open-source software for WordPress, but you pay for hosting, extensions, payment processing, security, backups, and potentially technical help. WooCommerce estimates hosting for most stores at $25–$350 per month, with extensions commonly costing $29–$299 per year each.
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Shopify: best default for ecommerce-first businesses
Shopify is the best starting point when selling is the core business rather than an extra feature on a broader website. Its strengths include inventory, multichannel selling, social and marketplace connections, point-of-sale support, APIs, and a large app ecosystem.
US pricing currently lists Basic at $29 per month billed annually or $39 billed monthly, Grow at $79 annually, and Advanced at $299 annually. Shopify’s pricing page shows online card rates from 2.9% + $0.30. If you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, the listed additional platform fee is 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, and 0.6% on Advanced. Check the current Shopify pricing page for your market and promotion.
Choose it if: you expect the catalog, order volume, sales channels, or integrations to grow.
Avoid choosing it solely because it is popular if: you want the lowest possible total cost, need maximum hosting control, or do not want to manage paid apps.
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BigCommerce: best for built-in ecommerce depth
BigCommerce is worth comparing with Shopify when you want more ecommerce functionality included in the platform and less dependence on apps. It is particularly relevant for established stores, larger catalogs, B2B workflows, and businesses with complex operational requirements.
Its current annual-billing prices are $29 per month for Core, $79 for Growth, and $299 for Scale. Monthly equivalents are higher. BigCommerce lists a fully functional 15-day trial and card processing beginning at 2.89% + $0.29 per transaction. Plans use trailing-12-month gross merchandise value thresholds: Core is listed up to $30,000 and Growth up to $100,000. Reaching a threshold can trigger an automatic upgrade. Open-payment-provider fees also vary by plan. Review the current pricing and GMV rules before choosing it.
Choose it if: your store needs substantial built-in functionality and you can forecast sales volume.
Rank #2
Avoid it if: you want the simplest possible editor or your business is still only testing demand.
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Wix: best for a broader business website
Wix suits a business that needs content pages, services, bookings, marketing, and ecommerce in one visual editor. It can be a practical choice for a consultant selling a few products, a studio selling merchandise, or a small business whose website matters as much as its checkout.
The latest accessible pricing review lists a free plan and Core at $29 per month when billed annually; it says online selling requires at least Core. The free plan uses a Wix subdomain and advertising and does not support online selling. Reported US payment processing is 2.9% + $0.30, but verify the live Wix Payments rate for your business and location at signup. See the current Wix pricing review.
Choose it if: you want flexible page design and a store is part of a wider website.
Avoid it if: you need sophisticated inventory, wholesale pricing, or highly specialized integrations.
Squarespace: best for design-led brands
Squarespace is a strong fit for photographers, artists, creators, fashion brands, and service businesses that need polished presentation with a relatively small catalog. Editing is straightforward and templates place considerable emphasis on brand and product visuals.
Fees depend on the plan, payment method, country, and billing plan. Squarespace distinguishes its own transaction fees from payment-processing charges in its official fee documentation.
Choose it if: design, content, and a simple product range are central to the business.
Avoid it if: you need complex catalogs, advanced inventory locations, wholesale workflows, or extensive operational automation.
Hostinger: best for a low-cost test or simple launch
Hostinger is attractive when minimizing initial spending is the priority. Its ecommerce plans advertise 0% platform transaction fees, payment integrations, AI tools, Printful integration, and a stated limit of up to 1,000 products and services.
Rank #3
The important cost detail is the commitment. One current offer advertises $3.79 per month on a 48-month term and renewal at $16.99 per month. That is a long-term promotional commitment, not a normal month-to-month price. Confirm the term, renewal amount, taxes, domain conditions, and available payment methods on the Hostinger ecommerce page.
Choose it if: you have a small catalog and want an inexpensive hosted starting point.
Avoid it if: you expect advanced inventory, complex integrations, international operations, or rapid growth.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSquare Online: best for Square point-of-sale users
Square Online is especially compelling for a physical retailer, restaurant, salon, or service business already using Square for payments or point of sale. The online store can connect to that broader Square system, reducing the need to reconcile separate tools.
Square Free has no monthly subscription cost, but payment-processing fees apply whenever you take a payment. Square says Plus and Premium plans offer a free 30-day trial. Review the Square Online plans for current US features and rates.
Choose it if: your online and in-person sales need to work together.
Avoid it if: you need extensive storefront customization, a large app ecosystem, or advanced ecommerce operations.
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GoDaddy: best for simple local selling and bookings
GoDaddy can work for a local business that wants a quick website, appointment bookings, basic marketing tools, and simple online selling in one service. It is less appropriate as the foundation for a complex product operation.
Pricing and plan structures change, so check the live GoDaddy Online Store page before committing. A comparison may show a starting price that is no longer current or applies only to a particular billing term.
Choose it if: speed and simplicity matter more than deep customization.
Rank #4
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Avoid it if: you need advanced reporting, complex inventory, extensive integrations, or substantial future scale.
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WooCommerce is the main alternative for a WordPress user who wants control over hosting, data, design, and extensions. There is no platform revenue share, and the open-source foundation is highly extensible.
That control transfers responsibility to you. You must arrange hosting, updates, backups, security, uptime monitoring, payment processing, and compatibility testing. Every extension can add an annual fee and another potential failure point.
Choose it if: you already use WordPress or have the technical resources to manage a self-hosted store.
Avoid it if: you want the platform provider to handle infrastructure and maintenance.
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Do not put all expenses into one “transaction fee” column. Separate them:
- Subscription: the recurring platform or hosting charge.
- Payment processing: the processor’s percentage and fixed fee for accepting a card or other payment.
- Additional platform fee: a fee some hosted platforms charge when you use an outside payment provider.
- Apps and extensions: recurring or annual charges for reviews, subscriptions, shipping, accounting, memberships, and other functions.
- Domain: often discounted or free for a first period, then renewed separately.
- Theme and design: premium templates, photography, development, or agency work.
- Operations: shipping, tax services, email, POS hardware, customer support, and developer time.
“0% transaction fees” usually means 0% platform fee, not free payment acceptance. Payment rates vary with merchant country, customer country, card type, currency conversion, processor, and whether the transaction is online or in person.
Three realistic starting budgets
Bare-minimum test store
You may be able to test an idea with a free plan or trial, a platform subdomain, a small catalog, and payment fees only when a sale occurs. This is useful for validating products, but it may include branding, limited checkout, weak analytics, no abandoned-cart recovery, or no custom domain.
Small professional store
Budget for a paid ecommerce plan, a custom domain, payment processing, business email or email marketing, shipping and tax settings, and possibly one or two paid apps. Compare both the first-year total and the renewal-year total.
Growing or complex store
Expect costs for a higher plan, advanced reporting, international payments and currencies, shipping automation, POS equipment, customer-support tools, premium apps, and possibly developers or an agency. With self-hosted software, also budget for maintenance and security work.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Worked cost example
Suppose a US store processes 100 online orders per month, each with a $100 merchandise subtotal. Using Shopify Basic’s listed online card rate of 2.9% + $0.30 as an illustration, payment processing would be:
$10,000 × 2.9% + (100 × $0.30) = $320 per month.
Add the $39 monthly plan price if billed monthly, or allocate the annual-billing cost across the year. Then add any app subscriptions, domain renewal, shipping, tax tools, refunds, chargebacks, packaging, and customer-service costs. This example excludes sales tax and shipping because those depend on the order and business. It also assumes Shopify Payments is used, so the separate third-party payment-provider fee does not apply. Actual rates and eligibility vary; confirm them before signing up.
Choose by business model
| Business situation | Best starting shortlist | What to verify first |
|---|---|---|
| Handmade candle seller with 20 products | Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, or Hostinger | Variants, shipping rules, product photography, and abandoned-cart recovery |
| Local restaurant selling pickup orders | Square Online or GoDaddy | Pickup scheduling, POS integration, menu updates, and payment fees |
| Digital creator selling downloads | Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, or WooCommerce | Secure file delivery, download limits, taxes, and memberships |
| B2B wholesaler | BigCommerce, Shopify, or WooCommerce | Customer-specific pricing, accounts, purchase orders, and integrations |
| Fashion brand with 2,000 SKUs | Shopify or BigCommerce | Variants, inventory locations, bulk editing, APIs, and sales channels |
| Service business selling appointments and merchandise | Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, or Square Online | Booking workflow, staff calendars, deposits, and product checkout |
| Existing WordPress publisher | WooCommerce | Hosting capacity, backups, plugin compatibility, and data ownership |
| Physical retailer already using Square POS | Square Online | Inventory synchronization, pickup, delivery, and plan limits |
Hosted versus self-hosted
Hosted builders reduce technical work. Hosting, SSL, core infrastructure, and much of the security process are bundled, but you accept the platform’s pricing, rules, payment options, and migration constraints.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSelf-hosted software offers more control over data, code, hosting, and customization. It also means you are responsible for backups, security patches, uptime, updates, and troubleshooting. “Free” software can therefore be more expensive in staff time and maintenance than a hosted subscription.
What to test before paying
Build the same small test store on two or three shortlisted platforms. Use five to 10 real or representative products and run this checklist:
- Add variants such as size, color, and quantity.
- Upload multiple images and organize categories.
- Configure shipping zones and rates.
- Set sales-tax rules.
- Connect a payment method.
- Create a discount code or gift card.
- Test abandoned-cart recovery.
- Place a test order and process a refund.
- Review the mobile storefront and checkout.
- Connect a custom domain.
- Export product and order data.
- Invite another staff member.
- Check available customer-support channels.
- Confirm what happens when the trial ends.
The point is not to find the platform with the fastest signup. Test the workflow you will actually repeat every week.
Check how difficult it will be to leave
Before committing to an annual plan, ask whether you can export products, customers, orders, images, variants, and SEO metadata. Check whether your URLs can be preserved or redirected, whether the same domain can be reused, and whether subscriptions or memberships can be transferred.
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Simple decision tree
- Already use WordPress? Start with WooCommerce if you are comfortable managing hosting and maintenance.
- Already use Square POS? Start with Square Online so online and in-person sales can connect.
- Is ecommerce the core business? Compare Shopify and BigCommerce.
- Is the store part of a broader content, service, or portfolio website? Compare Wix and Squarespace.
- Is the lowest initial cost the priority? Compare Hostinger’s promotional term, Square Free, and available trials—but include renewal pricing and payment fees.
- Do you expect rapid growth or complex operations? Choose based on inventory, integrations, staff accounts, APIs, sales channels, and plan thresholds rather than the cheapest introductory offer.
Bottom line
For most serious ecommerce businesses, start by testing Shopify. Compare BigCommerce if built-in functionality and sales-volume rules are important. Choose Wix or Squarespace when the store supports a broader brand or service website. Consider Hostinger for a simple, budget-conscious launch, Square Online for Square users, GoDaddy for straightforward local selling and bookings, and WooCommerce when WordPress ownership and control outweigh maintenance.
Shortlist two or three platforms, recreate the same mini-store, and compare the first-year and renewal-year cost before paying for a long-term plan.
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.
