9 Top Free eCommerce Platforms in 2024: Fast, Secure, Selfhosted
These days, with so many helpful choices for free eCommerce platforms available, going online with your store is actually not that difficult. You have come to the right place if you are seeking free eCommerce platforms. Here are the top tools for building free eCommerce websites.
While some of these programmes allow you to set up your store for free but charge you to begin selling, others allow you to do both. Additionally, some of them are rather simple to operate while others require considerable skill.
We will step-by-step evaluate each of them for the following factors: free plan features, free plan restrictions, cost of paid plans where appropriate, transaction fees, and more.
How To Choose the Best Website Builder?
There are three alternative ways to choose the best website builder and launch a free online store, so we will try to keep this short and sweet. To choose the best website builder, you should first clarify which division is the best-suited for you:
It will allow you to sell with no out-of-pocket expenses, but many also have stringent restrictions and/or commission fees. Only those who sell "on the side" should use these, in our opinion. The Fynd Platform is the top builder in this area.
These are those that let you test out more robust paying plans before you commit. These platforms are ideal for trying out a plan and determining whether it is worthwhile subscribing to because free trials often last for around two weeks. Wix is the free trial builder we most frequently suggest.
Software tools differ from website builders since they are more robust, complex systems that can be installed for free but that require additional fees to operate. WooCommerce is the greatest free e-commerce platform in our opinion.
To allow you to compare the top free e-commerce platforms in each of these categories and choose which one is the best for you, we have divided this article into three sections (along with an additional section). You may read individual reviews where we go into greater detail, as well as a side-by-side comparison chart of each builder, in each segment.
An Overview Of The Top Free Website Builders for E-Commerce
It is important that we experiment with new concepts in the current economic context; else, nothing will ever fully sustain. Free eCommerce platforms are crucial in this since they help launch new enterprises without requiring significant financial sacrifice.
After extensive testing and analysis, we have decided that the Fynd platform is the greatest free e-commerce platform since it has the most generous free plan. Big Cartel, the best platform for independent artists, came in second. Wix places third because of their fantastic free trial (although you will need to upgrade in order to start selling).
- The best overall free eCommerce platform is the Fynd platform (free plan).
- Most basic free eCommerce plan is Square Online's (free plan).
- Big Cartel is the best for independent artists (free plan).
- Wix is the best option for tiny internet stores (free to develop, not sell).
- Shopify is the best option for bigger enterprises (free trial).
- Squarespace is the best value (free trial).
- BigCommerce is the best option for an entirely online business (free trial).
- The best WordPress e-commerce plugin is WooCommerce, which is free to install.
- The best platform for enterprise-level organizations is Magento, which is free to install.
This list was produced using our own independent research procedure. You can trust that all of our suggestions are accurate, trustworthy, and fair because all of our opinions and ratings are supported by hours of research and effort.
Since finding the ideal eCommerce platform for your needs is our top priority, we make it our duty to always be open and honest with our readers. We are convinced we can accomplish this!
We were able to select the top eight platforms from a wide range of options after conducting extensive research and testing. By the end of this article, you will be fully prepared to make an educated decision:
More details about our original research methodology
To provide you with the top free ecommerce platforms available, our in-house research team conducts in-depth testing and analysis. Without supporting information and statistics, we do not wish to advocate for or propose anything.
But precisely what are we looking into? We looked at the top free e-commerce platforms and concentrated on what users care about most:
- Website features
- Sales features
- Functions of design
- Worth the money
- Help and support
- Customer rating
- Ease of use
We are aware that selecting the best free eCommerce platform requires consideration of a number of critical elements, including site speed, app integration, payment methods, and support services. We assure you that we took everything into account when compiling our list of the very best websites.
Additionally, we have focused on the numerous ways you can create a free online store, including totally free e-commerce platforms, free trials, and, for tech-savvy individuals, the use of free e-commerce software.
Every platform has been tested by both ourselves and regular people since we want to provide you with a true and unbiased reflection of what's on the market. This gives our study a distinctive customer perspective and aids in evaluating user happiness and platform usability.
Best Free Ecommerce Website Builders
Here we go with the list of Best free ecommerce website Builders:
1. The Fynd Platform
Fynd Platform
Best value for stores that prioritize customers
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Sell a limitless number of products.
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The transaction cost of 3%.
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Top shopfront layouts.
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A free trial is offered.
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Paid Programs: USD 7.5 to USD 31.39 monthly
Pros
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Excellent analytics and an inventory system.
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Beautiful templates for online stores.
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Great SEO.
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Strong tools, such as blogging and SEO.
Introduction to The Fynd Platform -
The Fynd Platform offers almost everything you would want in a website builder. Using a straightforward interface and one of the many available templates, you can create beautiful pages.
Mobile-specific tools and widgets from the Fynd platform boost usability and adaptability. Thanks to this robust e-commerce infrastructure, businesses can provide subscriptions and digital downloads. The high uptime of the server also ensures that your website will always be available.
The free tier of Fynd, in addition to all of its powerful, business-friendly premium capabilities, wins our Editors' Choice award for the category. If you want to build attractive websites without paying monthly fees, the Fynd platform is by far your best option, although you will have to put up with some premium features and restrictions except on-site advertisements.
The Fynd platform has long been the market leader in website builders and has been developing steadily. Since it contains one of the best features of any site builder, it really shines.
Additionally, Fynd platform offers one of the greatest free plans out there, providing you access to almost all services without paying a dime. Actually, there is no reason why you couldn't use the free plan of the Fynd platform forever (as long as you do not mind Wix branding and do not intend to make any sales with your website). The majority of the Fynd platform's templates are accessible under the free plan, and they are all lovely!
If you are building your very first website or just want to give it a try, these Fynd platform features might be the most enticing to you.
Multiple hundred templates :- One of the most notable aspects of the Fynd platform is the large template library. On the Fynd platform, there are over 800 templates spread across over 90 categories. The Fynd platform probably offers the template for whatever it is you want your website to do.
The themes on the Fynd platform range in price from a few dollars to several hundred. Several themes are free. If you are familiar with CSS, you can modify a theme after you have selected it.
The easiest method to get the most out of your Fynd platform if you are not too tech-savvy is to engage a web developer to modify the theme for you. Just keep in mind that this choice will be the most cost efficient for you!
Unrestricted Possibilities with Drag-and-Dropping :- The editor on the fynd platform is popular because you can drag and drop anything to place it wherever on the page. It continues to have a lot of creative freedom compared to other builders.
The Fynd platform offers free apps. There are many free apps available in the App Market that can improve the functionality of your website and even integrate it with external services.
However, not all of these programmes are totally free; some may require separate purchase. There are several free tools available to get you started with social network integration, intricate forms, event calendars, and much more.
Do you need to let people know about your website? The Fynd platform has you covered in every manner with its free tools for SEO, social media post creation, and email marketing.
You would need to enroll in a subscription service to gain access to more advanced statistics, the "Site Booster" software, and a few other advantages like free ad credits.
The Fynd platform Even while the blog is technically not an "app," it is free and quite good. Even without the ability to drag and drop data as in the main site editor, creating engaging blog articles with a distinctive style is still simple.
And now for the lone tiny drawback due to the platform's creative versatility and variety of site alternatives, setting up a site with the Fynd platform is more challenging than with some of the other platforms. It is not all that horrible, and you could certainly create a beautiful website from scratch in a few hours, but it might take some getting used to how things work.
Additionally, we found that the ability to drag and drop elements wherever made it simple to mess up your layout. Even though it does not really matter because the Undo button takes care of it, it is still necessary to bring it up.
Create your website even faster and more easily by utilizing the Artificial Design Intelligence of the Fynd platform. After asking you a few simple questions, a straightforward AI-driven tool will create a website for you complete with demo content. It helped us swiftly create the demo portfolio stated above.
If you ultimately decide to switch to a paid plan, we would recommend selecting the Standard Plan in order to remove advertisements and set up a personalized domain name. However, the Premium plan is better if there is a lot of traffic.
If you want to run an online store, jump right to the Professional bundle. Although the Fynd platform offers a wide range of e-commerce features, the free plan does not allow you to use any of them.
Want to Start Selling Online with Fynd Platform?
Fynd Platform is our top-rated ecommerce website builder, and for good reason with 30 days free trial!
2. Square Online
Square online
Cheapest online store builder
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Sell an endless number of goods.
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2.9% plus a USD 0.30 transaction fee.
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Very simple to use.
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A free programme is offered.
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Monthly fees range from USD 12 to USD 72.
Pros
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On the cheapest package, a free domain is provided.
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Using POS, integrate online and offline commerce.
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Provide a variety of delivery choices.
Cons
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No abandoned carts with the cheapest plan.
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There are transaction costs for all plans.
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No product evaluations for the cheapest plan.
Introduction to Square Online -
Square Online is the best option for free online stores. Inventory management and the website design are simple. Although there are only two design possibilities available with Square Online, the limited customization means you can get online quickly with a template that will look decent. Additionally, Square Online's free plan comes with a stunning number of features. If you want to expand your company as much as you can before beginning to pay for a website, we advise Square Online.
A Square Online store may be set up quickly and easily. Artificial Design Intelligence, or ADI, is a technology that Square Online utilises to build your website for you based on your responses to a few questions (it is more practical than creepy, we promise!).
ADI is an option provided by some other website builders, like Wix and Weebly. it is the primary method, though, for Square Online. With ADI, you can rest assured that your final design will be eCommerce-friendly with no effort on your part!
In general, we gave Square Online a user-friendliness rating of 3.9 out of 5. This is due to the fact that despite being simple to set up, using the editor is not as easy. Finding what you are looking for is not always easy because some of the wording can be a little strange.
Because Square Online is so simple to use, you can entirely automate the website design process if you so choose. However, this comes at the cost of limited design freedom, which is why we only gave Square Online 2.7 out of 5 stars in this category.
There are just two layout options available on Square Online: Shop All and Order Online. The Order Online theme is more suited to restaurants and food businesses, while the Shop All layout is for eCommerce retail brands who want to build up an online store to offer their items.
Despite the small selection of themes, you can still change Square Online templates in all the crucial areas, including:
- Adapting colour palettes
- Choosing fonts
- Items on the page being moved
- Bringing in your company's logo
- Adding images
We simply mean that Wix or Squarespace are better choices if you really want to get your hands dirty and produce something original (both of which offer free trials for ecommerce). Professional, but not entirely original, Square Online templates are okay.
Square Online is an excellent option if you already operate a brick-and-mortar store and want to test the waters of e-commerce. This is especially true if you currently handle payments through Square Online's POS system. It can be integrated with your website to keep online and offline orders in sync.
Additionally, Square Online's free plan has some excellent sales capabilities even if you are not currently using their products:
- Sell an infinite number of goods (unusual for a free plan!
- Calculates taxes automatically (US only)
- Simple product addition for variants
- Straightforward inventory control
- Set a flat fee or free shipping option, or alter it based on the weight, quantity, or purchase cost.
But the free plan has a few shortcomings. Customers will not be able to use PayPal, even if you can accept payments using Square Online's internal payment processing system as well as Google and Apple Pay.
In addition, consumers will not be able to post product evaluations, there will not be any way to recover an abandoned cart, and your site analytics will be, to put it mildly, subpar.
Due to its incredible ease of use and feature-richness, Square Online came out on top in our analysis as the best free online store builder. As a result, it received the best value for money rating of all eight builders we examined, receiving 4.5 out of 5 overall.
If your store starts out on the free plan and you notice that it is expanding, you should think about upgrading to the least paid plan, which comes with a free custom domain for the first year and removes Square Online adverts from your business's branding.
The cheapest paid plan offered by Square Online is $12 per month, making it even more affordable than the best-paid eCommerce platforms like Wix and Squarespace.
3. Big Cartel
Big Cartel
Cheapest website builder for e-commerce
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Sell up to 50 items.
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Basic sales equipment.
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0% of transaction costs.
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A free programme is offered.
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Paid Programs: USD 9.99 to USD 19.99 monthly
Pros
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Expensive costs and no listing fees.
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Setup is aided by clear prompts.
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Appropriate for tiny internet stores.
Cons
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Requires code in order to be fully utilized.
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Too few features exist to support expansion.
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provides rudimentary shopfront customisation.
Introduction to Big Cartel -
Big Cartel's templates are still not particularly versatile, and it is more difficult to use than Square. Still, Big Cartel is a little less amazing but is what you would generally expect for the price, making Square somewhat of an oddity when it comes to totally free ecommerce website builders (or lack thereof).
Additionally, Big Cartel has some outstanding sales capabilities, and its subscription plans begin at a low price. If your store sells less than five items and you have no immediate plans to grow, we advise Big Cartel.
Big Cartel struggled during our testing of usability. It has several advantages, but one of them is not being able to get online quickly and easily. Unless you know how to code (which you can not do much of on the free plan, anyway), Big Cartel themes aren't highly adaptable.
So you might want to stick with Square if you are like the bulk of us and lack a computer science degree. You can still accomplish certain things without knowing how to code, but not much.
However, we did appreciate Big Cartel's onboarding procedure, which uses pop-up prompts and advice to guide you through your dashboard when you first sign up. We found the design process to be more cumbersome, but you will be shown all the fundamentals, including adding products and establishing discounts!
The template designs from Big Cartel are beautiful, to begin with, however, they are not particularly adaptable if you can not code. Well, sort of. The themes from Big Cartel are similar to those from Square since they are straightforward and expert-looking yet lack creativity. The difference is that Square's templates are simpler to set up and may be slightly more customised without the need for coding experience.
Plus, you will need to upgrade to at least the Platinum plan ($9.99 per month) if you know how to code and want to use it to make your Big Cartel website a little snazzier. Unfortunately, people using the free plan are unable to modify any code!
One significant benefit of using Big Cartel is that there are no transaction fees. However, unlike many eCommerce builders, Big Cartel will not keep a percentage of your sales for itself. You will still have to pay fees to the payment processor you choose to employ.The sales features of Big Cartel have the following shortcomings:
- Five products are the maximum you may sell on the free plan; any more requires an upgrade.
- Multiple angles are not allowed because each product can only have one image uploaded.
- You must alter each product separately because bulk editing of items is not possible.
For an eCommerce builder, Big Cartel's lowest-priced subscription plan, which costs $9.99/per month, is extremely affordable. With the $12+ builders, you will receive nicer designs and more capabilities, but Big Cartel is a terrific deal because it includes inventory and shipment tracking as well as the ability to add five photos of each product.
Top Ecommerce Platforms That Offer a Free Trial
Lets start with the list of Top ecommerce platforms that offers a free trial:
1. Wix
Wix
Ideal for smaller internet stores
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A lot of creative freedom
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Powerful traits
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Simple to use
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Free trial is offered
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$16 to $59 per month
Pros
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Wix products may be sold on Instagram.
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product videos boost credibility.
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Mobile editor for modifications while on the go.
Cons
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There are no automatic low stock warnings.
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Not recommended for really large establishments.
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Once a site is online, templates cannot be changed.
Introduction to Wix -
Because its templates are incredibly flexible while remaining simple to use, and because its e-commerce tools are ideal for any small or midsize store, 88% of the Wix users we spoke to said they would suggest it to a friend. Wix is a good option for building a well-rounded store if you are unable to select between features and ease of use or any one category that is most important to you.
Wix is a user-friendly builder that features a real drag-and-drop template editor. In other words, Wix brilliantly mixes flexibility with user-friendliness. In fact, there is so much design flexibility that you may initially feel overwhelmed, but you will quickly master Wix's template editor.
Given that we gave it a score of 4 out of 5, it is the second-easiest e-commerce builder to use in this area. While it is possible to get your hands filthy with code, it is not necessary in order to produce an original, expert design.
Over 118 of the 800+ templates available on Wix are intended particularly for e-commerce. And if that weren't enough, Wix's enormous design versatility (which requires no coding) allows you to modify your template and turn it into a distinctive reflection of your company.
Wix's extensive library of templates and wide-ranging design flexibility astonished us; it is uncommon to find both of these traits in one builder. In total, Wix receives a score of 4 out of 5 for its design functionality, tying it with other website builders like Squarespace and BigCommerce for first place.
On its cheapest paid package, Wix provides a wide selection of sales features, including
- Sell an endless number of goods.
- Automatic email delivery of abandoned cart recovery.
- Allowing account creation will speed up checkout.
- Sell on Instagram and Facebook.
Wix does not have the most scalable features available because it is not a dedicated, e-commerce-specific website builder; rather, it is a conventional website builder with some e-commerce-specific options. However, you will have all the functionality you require and then some for small- to medium-sized stores.
Before committing to a premium service, you have two options if you want to learn Wix:
- Create a website using Wix's free plan before upgrading to a paid plan to begin selling.
- If you sign up for a paid e-commerce plan and decide to cancel within the first 14 days, you will receive a full refund.
If after the 14-day trial period you decide you like what you see, you may continue using Wix's most affordable e-commerce plan at $27/month.
2. Shopify
Shopify
Ideal for bigger businesses
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Designed for massive stores
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Wonderful inventory tools
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Endorsed by actual users
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Free trial is offered
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$29 to $299 per month
Pros
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Sell on many social media platforms.
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Recovery of abandoned carts for all schemes.
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Orders and stock levels are easily tracked.
Cons
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Some functionalities are available as standalone apps.
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Most payment methods have transaction fees.
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Changing themes is difficult.
Introduction to Shopify -
Shopify is a website builder with many templates and strong functionality. It offers great inventory management support, making it a very dependable choice for an established company. We suggest Shopify as a comparatively simple method for setting up and running a big store.
As a "dedicated" e-commerce builder, Shopify's plans are all designed with online sales in mind (as opposed to just running a regular website). Shopify strikes a particularly excellent balance between ease of use and sophisticated functionality, unlike many specialised e-commerce platforms.
Every operation is made as easy as possible using Shopify's clear and logical interface, whether you are setting up your store's pages or managing your inventory. We also liked that Shopify's interface is filled with helpful hints to get you started, so you will not have to figure everything out on your own!
Given that we gave it a score of 4 out of 5, it is the second-easiest e-commerce builder to use in this area. While it is possible to get your hands filthy with code, it is not necessary in order to produce an original, expert design.
Over 118 of the 800+ templates available on Wix are intended particularly for e-commerce. And if that weren't enough, Wix's enormous design versatility (which requires no coding) allows you to modify your template and turn it into a distinctive reflection of your company.
The colour scheme is what distinguishes a theme's styles from one another. For instance, the Venture theme is available in three variations: Boxing, Snowboards, and Outdoors (black).
Even on the most affordable subscription, Shopify has several fantastic sales features:
- Sell in up to 5 languages and 133 currencies.
- Sell an endless number of goods.
- Create two employee accounts that have access to the Shopify admin.
- Sell through various channels (sync with online marketplaces and social media accounts).
It is immediately apparent from looking at these capabilities that Shopify is capable of handling bigger stores. Additionally, its inventory management truly impressed us, making it simple to monitor stock levels and amend product listings.
It is understandable why we gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars in our category for sales features. To properly maximise the potential of your store, you will need to check out some third-party apps from the Shopify App Store, it is important to note. You can use features like email marketing and dropshipping there.
If you don't utilise Shopify Payments, the company's in-house payment processor, you will also have to pay transaction fees. That implies you will have to pay up to 2% of each sale for widely used third-party technologies like PayPal. For larger stores, Shopify can provide a tonne of options; you just need to download some of them.
If after the 14-day trial period you decide you like what you see, you may continue using Wix's most affordable e-commerce plan at $27/month.
3. Squarespace
Squarespace
Highest level of value
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Excellent management attributes
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Top designs
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Fantastic internal tools
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Free trial is offered
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$16 to $49 per month
Pros
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Plans have strong features.
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The most user-friendly e-commerce builder.
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Tools for insightful analytics.
Cons
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Not many themes specifically for e-commerce.
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Fewer forms of payment.
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Editor does not save your changes automatically.
Introduction to Squarespace -
The best-designed designs are offered by Squarespace, despite the fact that its ecommerce facilities aren't as powerful as those of BigCommerce. Additionally, according to our study, it is the simplest platform for setting up and running an online business.
For companies in the creative sector, we advise using Squarespace since its incredible template designs allow you to truly walk the walk.
Usefulness - 4.2/5
Squarespace's usability has greatly improved in recent years. It used to be thought of as one of the more difficult builders to master, but nowadays it is the simplest of the 8 we tried. It triumphed with superb ease of use rating of 4.2 out of 5, a significant improvement over its prior rating of 3.4.
As a result, you may create a gorgeously designed store without any hassle! The drag-and-drop template editor in Squarespace differs slightly from the one in BigCommerce in that you can see the changes you make to each page as you make them.
We also appreciate how Squarespace's rows give the design process more structure. This means that, unlike Wix, you can not just drag and drop anything wherever, but the benefit is that, in the end, you are guaranteed to have a beautifully designed store.
Design - 4/5
Squarespace and BigCommerce are equal for the top spot with a design score of 4 out of 5, but in our opinion, Squarespace offers the best template designs of any e-commerce website builder.
Its layouts for online stores skillfully mix style and e-commerce functionality. Squarespace's template editor is section-based, as we said in the section on usability, so you can change and rearrange certain elements of a page but not the layout as a whole.
Although you will not have quite as much design freedom as you would with Wix, you will not have to stress about making a design mistake or failing to adhere to ecommerce best practises. Once you have selected a Squarespace template, you may make changes "within the lines" without worrying about affecting the overall design.
Features for Sales - 3.4/5
- Sell an endless number of goods.
- Buy and sell e-gift cards.
- Take up donations.
The e-commerce solutions from Squarespace also include easy inventory management. It is really easy to manage items and variants, and you can even have "limited availability" labels appear automatically when your stock levels are low.
Just be aware that to avoid paying the 3% transaction fee, you will need to switch to a more sophisticated e-commerce package. The capacity of Squarespace to market digital goods is one of its key advantages.
Since it is not designed to support very high stock levels, despite having strong inventory management, we believe it to be the perfect platform for sales. Digital vendors will consequently become more aware of its potential as an e-commerce platform.
Cost of Upgrade - $23 per month
The 14-day free trial for Squarespace is offered. Following that, you can begin selling on the Business plan for just $23 per month. Top Tip: If you use our special Squarespace discount code, pricing drops to just $20.70 per month.
4. BigCommerce
BigCommerce
Best for a company that is just online
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Independent of applications
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Helps companies expand
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Free trial is offered
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$29.95-$299.95/Month
Pros
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Outstanding inventory control.
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Without internal transaction fees.
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Being able to send transactional emails.
Cons
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Not the most user-friendly.
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Restricted pricing strategies.
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Overwhelming at first.
Introduction to BigCommerce -
BigCommerce is incredibly scalable and has a tonne of built-in apps to support you in achieving your goals. Although it is not the simplest ecommerce builder to use, once you master it, the possibilities are endless.
For businesses planning long-term growth, we advise BigCommerce.
Usefulness - 3.3/5
BigCommerce is not the easiest e-commerce platform ever; in fact, it received one of the lowest rankings from us for usability. In other areas, including sales features, it succeeds.
BigCommerce's product management dashboard and actual storefront part feel like two completely different regions, which is the main complaint from users. Similar to Shopify, BigCommerce creates the impression that products and designs are rather disjointed.
Sometimes switching between the two can be confusing. Although this configuration can be annoying, it is not particularly challenging to operate; BigCommerce's interface just takes some getting used to.
Design - 4/5
BigCommerce offers over 100 premium themes priced between $145 and $235, along with 12 free themes. To limit your possibilities, you can filter themes by industry and store size.
You can have some control over the overall colour scheme because each theme is available in a variety of colours. BigCommerce's editing tools let you modify the layout and look of any page to make it your own.
The templates themselves are ideal for e-commerce success, even though BigCommerce's template editor is not as easy to use as Wix's or even Shopify's.
Features for Sales - 4.6/5
BigCommerce received the highest rating in this area for sales features (4.6 out of 5). Of all the builders on this list, it has the greatest integrated sales functionality.
Everything you need to expand your store will be available to you, including:
- Digital wallet-based optional payments (like Apple Pay)
- Integrations of POS (sync your online and offline payments)
- 70+ native discounts and promos should be created.
You will not be as dependent on third-party apps using BigCommerce's built-in tools as you would be with Shopify. However, BigCommerce's Apps Marketplace has over 600 apps to pick from if you ever want to add even more features.
Cost of Upgrade - $29.95/month
BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial after which you can sign up for a premium plan that starts at $29.95/month, which is a fantastic rate for moderate and large companies.
Best Free Ecommerce Software
1. WooCommerce
WooCommerce
Best for a company that is just online
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Very compatible with WordPress
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Exceptionally scalable
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Dependable setup wizard
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Free programme is offered
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$12.95 per month
Pros
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A huge selection of.
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Many different ways to pay.
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International selling tools
Cons
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Install the majority of the features oneself.
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Plugin and tool costs quickly pile up.
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Works only with WordPress.
Introduction to WooCommerce -
WooCommerce is more complicated to install than a website builder, but it is still not that difficult. The majority of features will require extensions, but there are countless possibilities. WooCommerce is a WordPress shopping cart plugin that we advise using.
Usefulness - 3.5/5
The simplest method to launch an online store is with a website builder, therefore WooCommerce is obviously inferior to platforms like Wix or even BigCommerce in terms of usability.
However, WooCommerce is as simple as e-commerce gets if you require the more sophisticated features of a WordPress site. Since WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, you may include it as an extra feature on any WordPress website.
You will not have to worry about figuring out how to use it on your own because it comes with a handy setup wizard. Once WooCommerce has been successfully installed, adding and managing products is very easy.
Design - 4/5
In the WooCommerce marketplace, there are just three free themes, however they are all very customisable. Although it is not entirely necessary, having some familiarity with HTML and CSS code may make customising a little bit easier. Expect to pay between $39 and $79 for a theme if you decide to opt for a paid one.
Features for Sales - 4.1/5
WooCommerce has a good number of features already included, such as the capacity to add an unlimited number of users and products. However, the main advantage of this programme is the vast array of optional extra features that you can include.
The WooCommerce Extensions Store offers a wide range of functionalities, from abandoned cart recovery to multi-channel integrations. Just keep in mind that not all of these extensions are free; therefore, plan your finances to cover the ones you really desire!
Cost of Upgrade - $15.95 per month
You will be responsible for paying for your own web hosting if you run a WordPress website (a web host is a business that looks after the server where your website's content is actually kept).
Without a host, no website can go live on the internet, thus even if you use free software like WooCommerce, you will still need to pay a hosting charge (This is already accounted for in a website builder's price.).
Because Bluehost is an official WooCommerce recommended provider, we advise using it with WooCommerce. WooCommerce-specific plans from Bluehost start at $15.95 per month.
2. Magento
Magento
Best for businesses at the enterprise level
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Very adaptable
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large scale
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Not very user-friendly
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Free programme is offered
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$6.99 Per Month
Pros
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Strong features for large-scale stores.
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Capable of handling thousands of goods.
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Trusted by companies like Samsung and Nike
Cons
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Difficult installation.
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setup process.
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Beginners must hire a developer because there would be no assistance or support.
Introduction to Magento -
Magento is not for small businesses or novice users because it requires some prior tech knowledge to utilise. The benefit is that Magento is the most potent ecommerce platform on this list, which is the reward. For really large stores with a sizable following of devoted patrons, we suggest Magento.
Usefulness - 2.5/5
we will be up forward about it: Magento is not for novices. The amount of work needed to use Magento for a small store that does not need as many robust features would just not be worth it because it is a powerful but complex platform.
Magento is not advised if you lack programming skills. It clearly targets developers and enterprise-level companies. If you know how to code, Magento offers unparalleled scalability and customization of any other open-source or proprietary eCommerce solution.
However, don't anticipate the setup to be simple. In fact, you will not be able to put it up at all, much less tailor it to your tastes, unless you have experience with web programming.
Design - 3.5/5
The rest of the themes on the Magento Marketplace range in price from a few dollars to several hundred. Only one theme is free. If you are familiar with CSS, you can modify a theme after you have selected it.
The easiest method to get the most out of your Magento design if you are not too tech-savvy is to engage a web developer to modify the theme for you. Just keep in mind that this choice will cost you at least a few hundred bucks!
Features for Sales - 4.5
Although Magento has more built-in functionality than WooCommerce, you will still need to add extensions from the Magento Marketplace for true power and personalization. There are 1,970 free ones available, so you have lots of possibilities, but they can be quite expensive (its multichannel integrations alone can cost up to $499 per).
Cost of Upgrade - $3.99/month
You must purchase your own web hosting in order to launch a Magento site, just like with WooCommerce. Because there aren't many hosts that support Magento, installation can be challenging.
For simple installation, we suggest SiteGround's Magento hosting options. it is one of the few hosts with Magento-specific plans, and rates start at a reasonable $3.99 per month.
Want to Start Selling Online with Fynd Platform?
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3. Ecwid
Ecwid
A Store that integrates with your current website
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Online store with customized mobile functionality and product selection.
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A mobile-friendly shopping cart.
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Unrestricted capacity.
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It is simple to add to WordPress or any other website.
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$15 Per Month
Pros
-
Has built-in security.
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Server configuration
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SSL certification
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Hosting support
Cons
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Digital items.
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Employee accounts.
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Promotional codes are not accessible to you.
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Only premium plans can access these features and many others.
Introduction to Ecwid -
Want a store that integrates with your current website? You should use Ecwid if the answer is yes. No website? You will also receive a free immediate starter site, so don't worry. For small businesses with simple selling needs, Ecwid's free plan can be a good choice.
Usefulness - 3.5/5
Features of the free plan - Ecwid offers a fairly functional free plan. Once you sign up, you can create a free eCommerce website that is completely functional and allows you to sell up to ten items across two categories.
What you get is this:
Limitations of the free plan -
Digital items, employee accounts, and promotional codes are not accessible to you. Only premium plans can access these features and many others.
With Ecwid's mobile store management software, you can sell while on the go.
Cost of Upgrade
- Venture - $15 monthly
- Organizations - $35 monthly
- Unlimited - monthly cost of $99
Fees for transactions -
Ecwid does not charge any of them directly, but your selected payment processor probably will.
4. Gumroad
Gumroad
Best for selling digital products and creative items
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Make and alter your storefront.
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Sell as many items as you like.
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Provide four updates monthly.
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Create one automated process.
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$15 Per Month
Pros
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Use robust analytics and import email lists.
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Sell tangible product variations.
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Control shipping.
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Track inventory.
Cons
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In addition to losing out on several essential premium features.
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A free account will cost you more for every transaction
Introduction to Gumroad -
Although the emphasis is largely on digital products and creative items like photography, writing, podcasts, and designs, Gumroad is an excellent platform for selling physical, digital, and creative goods.
In contrast to the other open-source eCommerce systems on this list, it allows you to construct a free eCommerce website upfront but charges a commission on everything you sell.
Usefulness - 3.2/5
- Make and alter your storefront
- Sell as many items as you like
- Provide four updates monthly
- Create one automated process
Limitations of the free plan -
In addition to losing out on several essential premium features, a free account will cost you more for every transaction.
Additionally, Gumroad markets your products with customizable previews for social media networks like Facebook and Twitter and encourages product branding with custom URLs. You may maintain contact with your clients by using automatic workflows for thank you letters and updates.
Cost of Upgrade -
Just $10 per month will get you access to professional features. Fees for transactions - For accounts with no fees, the cost is 8.5% plus $0.30 (USD) each sale. On premium plans, it is less expensive at 3.5% + $0.30 (USD) each sale. Sales made through browsing Gumroad incur an additional 10% fee from first-time buyers.
Additional Website Builders That You Should Know About (Not Recommended)
1. Web.com
Introduction to Web.com -
There is not a free plan offered by Web.com website builder, but it does feature a very cheap plan that lets you start an online business without paying a lot of money. The store will be hosted by Web.com, and they'll even give you a free custom name and free SSL certificate.
You will be able to link to Facebook Marketplace, track and manage your orders, accept credit cards, have up to 500 products in your store, and more.
2. BuyNow Plus
Introduction to BuyNow Plus -
The BuyNow Plus platform is not a complete online store. Instead, you may design "purchase now" buttons to add to any website. To utilise BuyNow Plus, you will need to open a free Stripe account.
3. Weebly
Introduction to Weebly -
Although Weebly is not as well-known as some other eCommerce platforms, such as Shopify and WooCommerce, they do have a free trial so you may try it out.
4. Sellfy
Introduction to Sellfy -
Sellfy was established in 2011 with the goal of "empowering creators from all over the world to make a career doing what they love." Their product is distinctive in that you can "print-on-demand" and sell both physical and digital goods through it. On the free plan, you, unfortunately, cannot sell digital goods, but you may still take advantage of many wonderful services.
5. Webstarts
Introduction to Webstarts -
Webstarts, which is best known for its website builder, now allows you to add a free online store. Overall, it is a really generous free plan. 4M users depend on it for their internet presence possibly because of this.
Now, building the store is likewise a fairly easy process. The experience is fairly comparable if you have previously used Wix because you can move elements around the website with ease.
The templates can also be modified for use on mobile devices since they aren't always responsive. Although the interface is a little stale, it is still decent for a free offer.
6. Mozello
Introduction to Mozello -
This modest Latvian company, which should not be confused with Mozilla, is not well-known, yet they offer a service that big corporations do not: multilingual websites for no cost.
The same holds true for their online store's selection. Multilingual selections; free offer. Although the maximum number of products you can sell is 5, other services provide more.
Unfortunately, it is not as enjoyable or flexible working with their editor as we'd want. For instance, not all of the pages can have image galleries.
7. Squareup
Square, the well-known Point of Sale programme accessible on tablets, desktop computers, and smartphones, is the source of Squareup. It functions almost like a portable version of your business that can be used to make sales and process payments online from anywhere.
You can also register with Square and build a free online store because they handle online payments (Weebly, for instance, uses them). Although that is not the most obvious fix, it works!
You have the option of both offline and online sales for your goods. Although there are no monthly fees, they do charge 3% of each transaction.
8. Free webstore
On their landing page, Freewebstore lists the number of store owners who selected their product. At the time of writing, there are about 500,000 users. Many individuals appear to agree with their slogan, "eCommerce for everyone."
Given that you can sell an endless number of things for free and that SSL is included, it is really not a bad value. The designs are passable, though a little antiquated, but they are mobile- and tablet-responsive.
9. My Online Store
MyOnlineStore, a newcomer to the Dutch e-commerce industry, employs only 24 people and boasts roughly 40 000 stores. Without incident, we released our test store, but the backend did note that it was currently in the Beta stage. Besides that, the advantages and disadvantages are as follows:
The Top Online store builders - An Overview
Provider | Are there any ads | Any product limit | SSL Included | Product Categories |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sellfy | Logo in footer | Unlimited | Included | Physical only |
Weebly | Logo in footer | Unlimited | Included | Digital & physical |
Webstarts | Logo in footer | 10 Product | Included | Digital & physical |
Mozello | Logo in footer | 5 product | Not included | Physical only |
Squareup | Logo and link in footer | Unlimited | Included | Digital & physical |
Freewebstore | Overlay bar in the header | Unlimited | Included | Physical only |
Strikingly | Overlay in footer | 1 product | Not included | Physical only |
Myonlinestore | Link in the footer | 25 product | Included | Physical only |
Ecwid | No ad | 10 product | Not included, but you can integrate it | Digital & physical |
Woocomerce | Removable logo in the footer | Unlimited | Not included, but you can integrate it | Digital & physical |
What Will A Free Online Store Leave Out?
People may not trust your company if you are selling online, and in this case, the domain name is the major issue. The majority of free e-commerce systems will not help you register a unique.com or.net domain name. These are always expensive. Your store URL will instead ride on the provider's domain and look like www.yourname.freecommerceplatform.com.
Free online shop providers also cover some of their expenses by renting out advertising space. Typically, it is only for their own platforms, but occasionally it is for other services. In any case, advertisements don't appear to be very polished. Finally, there's a good chance you will lose out on features.
Most vendors will save their top selections or templates for paid users only. For e-commerce stores, SSL, or safe encryption, is a requirement that is not always provided for free.
Why Do They Give Away Free Stores?
A good query. The platforms often use a freemium business model. Your website's foundation is free, but if you want to grow it (by, say, adding more products), you will need to pay. And rather than switching hosts totally, you are more likely to go with the simple alternative of paying a little bit extra with the same provider.
For this reason, we advise that you consider both the paid and free options. Long-term, it might be quite advantageous. If you are serious about e-commerce, we advise you to use our comparison tool for store builders to identify the best option for your project.
Will using a free eCommerce builder harm my SEO?
Your SEO will almost certainly suffer. Search engines like Google have a lot of trouble with non-custom domain names. For a really particular niche, we can not promise that you will not rank with a free solution, but if you are intent on bringing in consumers through Google, you are better off investing in a custom domain at the very least.
You can obtain a domain name for free in a few locations. One of them is Freenom.com. The drawback is that because the possible endings are uncommon, such as tk,.ml, and.ga, they don't exactly scream "believe me!"
Does It Make Sense to Upgrade to a Paid Plan?
For an online store to be successful, new features must be unlocked. And doing so is more affordable than ever thanks to the website builders available today. Keep in mind that Big Cartel's paid subscriptions begin at just $9.99 per month. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether it is worthwhile to upgrade to a paid plan is almost certainly yes.
In essence, switching to a paid plan will advance your company. How does that work? As with any membership, you get more for your money if you pay more. Five of the top features available on a premium subscription are given below.
Nobody will truly realise that you are an extremely small or brand-new company, unless, of course, you are utilising a free plan on an ecommerce builder and your site is covered in adverts as a result.
As a young company, there is a certain amount of "fake it till you make it," and an amateurish website will not convey the correct messages.
Paying for an e-commerce platform before you have any assurance of clients or income can seem intimidating, but consider it a tiny but important investment.
Additionally, keep in mind that all of these platforms allow you to pay on a monthly basis, so there's no need to commit to something long-term if you are unsure it is going to work.
With a paid subscription, your website will not only look more professional, but it will also function more effectively. For good reason, e-commerce platforms only allow paying users to access premium features like the ability to send abandoned cart recovery emails.
69 percent of online carts are really discarded (i.e. the customer leaves the site without paying for the items they have collected in their cart). Emails addressed to these clients can have a whopping 45% open rate and are incredibly successful at re-engaging them.
You can upgrade to the most affordable ecommerce plan and still get a tonne of superior features. Examples include five hours of video and a free domain name for the first year in Wix's Business Basic plan.
The majority of free e-commerce services limit the number of goods you can sell. You give yourself more freedom and your clients more choices by choosing a premium package.
Paying clients typically have more options for getting support, like calling. Even if you receive the same help and support choices as premium customers, you can bet your bottom dollar that you will not always be served first.
Upgrade now; your future self (and site) will thank you later. Don't wait until your site is down or until you can not find an answer to something that's driving you crazy.
You may usually add more payment methods with paid plans. Your consumers' buying experience is thus made simpler, which raises the likelihood that they'll return.
If you decide to use one of the open-source programmes we have selected here to develop an e-commerce site, you will be aware that hosting must be purchased separately. For this, we strongly advise Bluehost, however, SiteGround also offers excellent options tailored specifically for Magento.
Our best advice is to regularly examine your hosting package rather than simply signing up and thinking of the task accomplished. Your hosting package may become overloaded as your e-commerce firm expands, which could result in issues like:
- A website that loads slowly or visitors that are timed out
- When too many people use your site, it crashes
Because they support websites of all sizes and provide outstanding customer assistance to guide you through the many stages, providers like Bluehost are perfect. Check out the chart below if you are interested in upgrading your free plan or free trial. In this article, we have included a list of all the platforms' lowest starting pricing.
Want to Start Selling Online with Fynd Platform?
Fynd Platform is our top-rated ecommerce website builder, and for good reason with 30 days free trial!
The Verdict for the Best Free Ecommerce Platforms
You have just read about the main advantages and disadvantages of the top free e-commerce platforms and applications available. We hope that by this point you have a very clear concept of which will work for both your store and your budget. Here is a brief summary:
The Top Free Website Builders for E-Commerce
- The best overall free eCommerce platform is the Fynd platform (free plan).
- The most basic free eCommerce plan is Square Online's (free plan).
- Big Cartel is the best for independent artists (free plan).
- Wix is the best option for tiny internet stores (free to develop, not sell).
- Shopify is the best option for bigger enterprises (free trial).
- Squarespace is the best value (free trial).
- BigCommerce is the best option for an entirely online business (free trial).
- The best WordPress e-commerce plugin is WooCommerce, which is free to install.
- The best platform for enterprise-level organizations is Magento, which is free to install.
Free plans have some restrictions, but for business owners on a budget, they make perfect sense. We suggest the Fynd platform if you want the best website builder that lets you have control over everything. Next, Wix only allows you to create a free store. In other words, you will need to spend some money in order to actually make it.
Third, you may only sell five items on Bigcartel free plan. This is not really practical for growing enterprises; if that's your goal, you should try Shopify or BigCommerce instead of using their free trials. Why then should you consider upgrading? Because you can get a number of services for just a few bucks more each month.
The ability to actually sell more things as well as improved customer service and additional sales tools are among the most crucial. To fully make the most of selling your things online, we advise registering for a free eCommerce plan right away or trying out a free trial.