For most first-time sellers, Shopify is the simplest store-first choice because hosting, checkout, products, payments and selling channels sit in one subscription. WooCommerce fits better when you already use WordPress and want control over hosting and extensions. Squarespace or Wix suits a small, design-led shop, while BigCommerce suits a larger operation and Zoho Commerce suits sellers already using Zoho tools.
The cheapest subscription is not always the cheapest store. Your real first-year cost includes the platform, payment processing, transaction fees, domain, apps or extensions, shipping, taxes and any hosting you must arrange separately. Before you pay, define your product type, catalog size, order value, shipping method and whether WordPress is already part of the site.
Key takeaways
- Choose Shopify for a managed, store-first setup with the fewest technical decisions.
- Choose WooCommerce when WordPress flexibility matters more than bundled support and hosting.
- Compare payment processing and store transaction fees, not only the monthly subscription.
- Treat annual billing as an upfront commitment and confirm the renewal price before paying.
- Check product limits, staff accounts, tax tools, domain renewal and trial conversion terms.
Choose the store builder by catalog, WordPress and growth needs
Start with what you sell and how the store will operate. Physical products usually need inventory, shipping and tax settings. Digital products need file delivery and payment handling. Services may need bookings or forms instead of warehouse features. Subscriptions, multiple product options, marketplaces, in-person sales and several staff members can change which plan fits.
Catalog size matters, but operating work matters more. A small catalog with complex shipping can require more setup than hundreds of simple products. Estimate the number of products, variants, inventory locations, expected order value and realistic growth for the next year.
Your existing website also affects the decision. If WordPress already hosts your content, WooCommerce keeps the store beside it. If you want hosting, checkout and store maintenance managed together, Shopify is easier to own day to day. WordPress.org describes WordPress as the foundation, while WooCommerce adds the commerce layer.
Wix and Squarespace work well when the store is one part of a broader business website. Their visual editing can matter more than advanced catalog operations for a photographer, consultant, local maker or small service business. BigCommerce is a better fit when sales volume, inventory processes or payment-provider choices are likely to become more demanding. Zoho Commerce makes more sense when your business already depends on Zoho tools.
Treat support and performance as plan-specific questions. Confirm the current service commitments, response terms and included support before purchase, especially when comparing a hosted platform with a WordPress site assembled from several services.
The shortlist: Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce and Zoho
Shopify is the clearest general recommendation for a first store that needs managed hosting, checkout, product tools and selling channels in one place. Shopify Basic lists unlimited products and 10 inventory locations, but no additional staff accounts. Its tradeoff is recurring subscription cost and a possible third-party payment fee.
WooCommerce itself has no monthly platform fee. The tradeoff is that hosting, payment processing, backups, security and extensions become separate decisions. Before choosing it, check the current price of the hosting plan, payment account, backup service and extensions your store actually needs. Prices checked October 31, 2026.
Wix is suited to a business that wants flexible visual editing with a shop attached. Wix Core lists 50 GB of storage, payment acceptance and five site collaborators. Confirm the final US checkout amount and renewal price because Wix says displayed prices vary by location and annual subscriptions are paid in full.
Squarespace is a reasonable choice for a polished content-led site with a small catalog. Its Basic plan supports two contributors, up to 1,000 pages and 30 minutes of video storage. The tradeoff is a 2% online-store transaction fee on Basic.
BigCommerce is aimed at stores with more operational demands. Core tracks a trailing-12-month sales volume threshold (check the current figure on BigCommerce's pricing page), and exceeding it can trigger an automatic move to Growth. The plan can also add a 2% Open Payment Provider fee.
Zoho Commerce is worth considering when Zoho integration and a lower subscription matter. Standard lists two users and 10 campaign pages. Its comparison page displays 0% transaction fees, while its terms allow fees above a plan’s sales-order threshold and include usage restrictions.
What each platform costs in the first year
The figures below are US prices checked October 30, 2026. Annual plans are paid upfront where the provider states that condition. A free trial, introductory offer or bonus time is separate from paid service and is not a renewal price.
A comparable example makes the subscription differences clearer. Assume one US store, annual billing where published, 100 domestic card orders averaging $50, and $5,000 in gross sales. Exclude sales tax, domain cost, refunds, chargebacks, inventory, shipping and subscription taxes.
Shopify Basic is $348 for the year on yearly billing (12 x $29). Shopify Payments at 2.9% plus $0.30 per order adds $175 (2.9% of $5,000 is $145, plus 100 x $0.30 is $30), producing a $523 platform-and-card-fee subtotal. WooCommerce has a $0 platform fee, but hosting is a separate cost; check the current price of the hosting plan you would use, and add the same $175 processing example plus any extensions.
Wix Core displays $29 per month, so confirm the billing term and the upfront amount at checkout. Adding $175 in card processing gives a monthly-equivalent figure to compare, not a total. Squarespace Basic is $19 per month on annual billing (12 x $19 = $228), plus $175 in processing and $100 from its 2% store fee, producing $503.
For BigCommerce Core and Zoho Commerce Standard, check the current plan price on each pricing page. With a listed Embedded Payment Provider, the additional BigCommerce provider fee is $0. With an Open Payment Provider, its 2% fee adds $100 on $5,000 of sales, before that processor’s rate. Add the same $175 processing example for Zoho.
These are arithmetic examples, not forecasts. A domain, app, extension, processor, tax, inventory or shipping requirement can change the total. Confirm the US checkout total and renewal price before paying.
How payment processing and transaction fees change the total
Payment processing is usually a percentage of each order plus a fixed amount. Shopify Payments lists Basic online card rates from 2.9% plus $0.30. Wix Payments lists US card processing at 2.9% plus $0.30. Squarespace Payments lists Basic domestic-card processing at 2.9% plus $0.30. Zoho Payments lists US domestic cards at 2.90% plus $0.30. Prices checked October 28, 2026.
A store transaction fee is separate from card processing. Squarespace Basic adds 2% to online-store transactions. Shopify Basic may add a 2% third-party-provider fee when you use a provider other than Shopify Payments. BigCommerce Core applies a 2% Open Payment Provider fee to eligible orders, while listed Embedded Payment Providers carry a $0 BigCommerce provider fee. The processor still charges its own rate.
WooCommerce does not take a WooCommerce revenue share, but the payment provider sets the processing cost. WooPayments commonly ranges around 2.50% or 2.90% plus $0.30 depending on conditions. Confirm the rate shown in your merchant’s WooPayments account rather than using a general example.
Price the exact processor and payment methods your store will use. Bank payments, wallets, international cards, refunds and chargebacks may have different terms. A lower platform subscription can cost more if its processor or transaction fee does not fit your order pattern.
Which platform fits a small catalog, WordPress store or growing business?
For a small catalog where presentation matters, Squarespace is a practical fit if you accept its 2% Basic store fee. Wix is more flexible for page design and offers a broader small-business site structure, but confirm its displayed Core price at US checkout.
For a WordPress store, WooCommerce is the natural fit because it keeps commerce beside the existing site. Choose it when you are willing to manage hosting, updates, payment setup, backups, security and extensions. Shopify vs WooCommerce: Real Costs and Which Fits Your Store is the next useful comparison if this is your main fork.
For a first-time seller who wants one managed system, Shopify is the conditional pick. It combines the main store functions and has no product-count limit on Basic, but its subscription and possible third-party provider fee reduce the value of using an outside processor.
For a growing business with more operational needs, BigCommerce fits when its sales threshold and payment-provider rules work for you. Zoho Commerce fits when your business already uses Zoho and its lower subscription matters more than a wider commerce ecosystem.
Store limits, tax tools and operating tradeoffs
Shopify Basic lists 10 inventory locations and no additional staff accounts. That can work for a small owner-operated store, but it may become a staffing limit. BigCommerce Core tracks a trailing-12-month sales threshold and can automatically upgrade after it is exceeded. Prices checked October 31, 2026.
Wix Core lists 50 GB of storage and five collaborators. Squarespace Basic supports two contributors, up to 1,000 pages and 30 minutes of video storage. Higher Squarespace plans remove the online-store transaction fee, but the subscription and payment-processing charges remain.
Zoho Commerce Standard lists two users and 10 campaign pages. Its terms allow plan usage limits and may restrict activity when a limit is reached. They also prohibit activities such as counterfeit goods, gambling, regulated products, spam, phishing and unlawful activity.
Tax automation reduces manual entry but does not transfer legal responsibility to the platform. Shopify lists automated sales-tax calculations and tax-liability tracking. Squarespace offers automated tax calculations as a paid percentage of eligible transactions on certain plans. Confirm the states, products and filing workflow before relying on automation.
Your store still needs records for sales, refunds, payment fees, shipping and tax collected. Check business registration, tax IDs, sales-tax duties and local licenses for the places where you operate. An LLC is one possible structure, not an automatic requirement for an online store.
What to confirm before you pay and publish
Review the checkout terms and refund policy before paying. Confirm the billing interval, amount charged upfront, renewal price, trial conversion and cancellation deadline. A free trial is not the same as a money-back window. Shopify’s 3-day trial and Squarespace’s 14-day trial are separate from paid-plan refunds.
Price the domain separately and confirm its renewal rate. Squarespace says its annual plan includes one eligible free domain-registration year, after which the domain renews at the standard rate plus applicable taxes. Do not treat a free first year as a permanent domain discount.
Check payment availability in the US, the processor’s rate, refund treatment and dispute process. Wix says refunded-payment processing fees remain in the Wix Payments account. Confirm that the payment methods your customers need are available before publishing.
Test a complete order on the live setup. Check product variants, inventory, shipping, taxes, confirmation email, refund flow, mobile checkout and privacy information. Confirm whether backups, migration, email accounts, tax filing, fraud tools and extensions are included or remain your responsibility.
Choosing between Shopify and WooCommerce next
The final choice is managed convenience versus WordPress control. Shopify Basic is $29 per month on yearly billing (12 x $29 = $348 over the year) in the US, checked October 31, 2026, and $39 per month when paid monthly. WooCommerce has a $0 platform fee, but hosting, payment processing and extensions are separate.
Choose Shopify if you want one company to provide the main store infrastructure and you accept the subscription and possible third-party fee. Choose WooCommerce if WordPress is already central to the business and you can manage several vendors and maintenance tasks.
Before subscribing, compare the specific hosting, payment and extension costs with Shopify’s annual commitment. Then follow the Shopify and WooCommerce cost comparison that fits this decision.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best website builder for creating an online shop?
Shopify is the clearest general-purpose pick for a first store because hosting, storefront, checkout and payment tools are combined. WooCommerce fits an existing WordPress site, while Squarespace, Wix, BigCommerce and Zoho Commerce fit different catalog and operating needs.
Which platform is best for building an online store?
Shopify is the simplest store-first choice for many small businesses. Its tradeoff is recurring subscription cost plus a possible third-party transaction fee, so compare the processor you will actually use.
What is the best free website builder for building an online store?
A free tier can help you draft a site, but a free website plan is not the same as a paid commerce plan. Shopify has a 3-day free trial, Squarespace has a 14-day free trial, and a seller should budget for paid commerce features before accepting orders.
Do I need an LLC for an online store?
No, an LLC is not automatically required because a store sells online. A sole proprietorship may operate without forming an LLC, but it does not separate business liabilities from personal assets. Check state and local structure, tax, license and permit requirements.
Is Wix or Shopify better for online stores?
Wix fits better when visual site editing and a broader business website lead the decision. Shopify fits better when checkout, selling channels, store operations and ecommerce growth lead it. Wix Payments and Shopify Basic both list US card processing at 2.9% plus $0.30, while Shopify Basic may add a 2% third-party-provider fee. Prices checked October 28, 2026.
What is the cheapest way to start an online store?
WooCommerce has the lowest platform subscription at $0, but hosting, payment processing, domains and extensions remain separate. For Zoho Commerce Standard, check the current plan price on Zoho's pricing page and confirm renewal terms. The lowest subscription is not always the lowest total cost.
How do I build my own online store?
Choose the platform, connect a domain, select payment methods, add products and prices, configure shipping and taxes, publish refund and privacy information, place a test order and then open checkout. WooCommerce setup also requires choosing hosting, activating payments and managing compatible extensions.
Is Zoho better than Shopify?
Zoho fits better when you already use Zoho or want a lower subscription with 0% transaction fees displayed on its comparison page. Shopify fits better when you want a mature hosted commerce system with broad selling channels. Zoho’s terms include plan thresholds and usage limits.
What is the easiest website builder for a small business?
For a store, Shopify is the simplest single-purpose choice. For a business website with a small shop, Wix or Squarespace may be easier to shape visually. If WordPress already runs the site, WooCommerce may avoid rebuilding it.
Is Wix or Squarespace better?
Wix fits better when visual flexibility and a free starting tier matter most. Squarespace fits better for a polished content-led site with a small catalog and published commerce fees. Squarespace Basic adds a 2% online-store fee, while Wix requires confirmation of the provider’s current US checkout price.
How much will it cost to build an eCommerce website?
A lean setup includes a platform, domain, payment processing and any required apps or extensions. In the stated $5,000-sales example, Shopify Basic comes to $523 and Squarespace Basic to $503 before domain, tax, inventory, shipping, apps and other extensions; check the other platforms' current prices before comparing.
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