Ecommerce · Ranked by price to features
10 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Small Business of 2026
By the Rankozo research desk · Updated November 9, 2026 · Next review December 24, 2026
Shopify is the best ecommerce platform for most small sellers in 2026, with Basic at $29 a month billed annually and no extra transaction fee on Shopify Payments. BigCommerce suits sellers who want more built-in features at the same $29 a month, and Square Online is the cheapest way to start with a $0 plan that charges 3.3% + 30¢ per online card payment.
- Tools ranked
- 10
- With free plan
- 4
- Cheapest paid plan
- Ecwid by Lightspeed, $5
- per month
By the numbers
- $340.2 billionUS retail ecommerce sales were $340.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted, up 3.8% from the first quarter.US Census Bureau
- 17.1%Ecommerce accounted for 17.1% of US retail sales in the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted.US Census Bureau
- $1,233.7 billionUS retail ecommerce sales totaled $1,233.7 billion in 2025, up 5.4% from 2024.US Census Bureau
- $275.1 billionAdobe forecasts $275.1 billion in US online holiday spending for November and December 2026, up 6.7% year over year.Adobe
- $198.25 billionUS merchants paid $198.25 billion in card processing fees in 2025, a new record according to the Nilson Report.Nilson Report
Comparison table
| Tool | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | 01 | 8.8 | 8.2 | $29per month | No |
| BigCommerce | 02 | 8.5 | 8.6 | $29per month | No |
| Square Online | 03 | 8.4 | 9.0 | $49per location per month | Yes |
| Ecwid by Lightspeed | 04 | 8.3 | 8.7 | $5per month | No |
| WooCommerce | 05 | 8.3 | 9.0 | Freeper month | Yes |
| Big Cartel | 06 | 8.0 | 8.8 | $15per month | Yes |
| Wix | 07 | 8.0 | 7.4 | Free plan | Yes |
| Shift4Shop | 08 | 7.9 | 8.0 | $41per month | No |
| Sellfy | 09 | 7.8 | 8.2 | $22per month | No |
| Squarespace | 10 | 7.7 | 7.0 | Check price | No |
Click a column to sort. Prices are the cheapest paid plan quoted from each vendor's US pricing page; "Check price" means the US price check is pending.
How this ranking works
One method for every tool. We compared documented features and published prices; we did not run hands-on tests. Value carries the most weight.
Full methodThis list is for small sellers opening their first online store who want to know what a sale really costs: the monthly plan plus the fee taken on every order. We compared documented features and published prices for ten platforms, using each vendor's own pages as fetched on November 9, 2026. For every entry we show the cheapest paid plan, whether the vendor adds its own transaction fee and what the card processing rate is where the vendor publishes it. Prices marked pending were not shown in US dollars from our location.
The verdict
Shopify is the safest pick for a new store: $29 a month billed annually, a 3-day trial followed by $1 a month for three months, and no transaction fee when you use Shopify Payments. BigCommerce matches that $29 price and lists zero fees with its embedded payment providers, though the Core plan auto-upgrades once trailing sales pass $30K. Square Online is the cheapest place to start with a $0 plan, at the cost of a higher 3.3% + 30¢ online rate. WooCommerce has no platform fee at all if you are happy to run WordPress hosting yourself.
- 01Top value
Shopify
8.8/10A hosted store builder with its own payments, point of sale and an app store of 8,000 apps.
Price
$29per month
Basic $29 per month billed annually ($39 monthly); 3-day free trial, then $1 per month for 3 months
“The most popular plan, Shopify Basic, costs $29 per month when billed annually.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 3 days
- Value (40%)
- 8.2
- Features (35%)
- 9.4
- Ease of use (25%)
- 9.0
Best forSmall sellers who want a full online store with room to add in-person and social selling later.
Shopify is the most complete starting point for a small online store. The Basic plan costs $29 a month billed annually or $39 month to month, and new accounts get a three-day trial followed by three months at $1 a month, which lowers the cost of testing a real store. For a seller watching fees, the key line is that orders paid through Shopify Payments, Shop Pay or PayPal Express carry no extra Shopify transaction fee, so the cost per sale is the card rate alone. The platform covers selling online, in person and on social and marketplace channels, and the app store lists 8,000 apps for anything the core does not do. Shopify Collective lets you list products from other Shopify brands without holding stock. The trade-off is that features add up through paid apps, and moving up to Grow for more staff accounts is a large step in price. Most small sellers will not need that early.
- ✓Basic plan at $29 a month billed annually covers a full store
- ✓No added transaction fee when you use Shopify Payments
- ✓First three months cost $1 a month after the trial
- ✕Basic costs $39 when paid month to month
- ✕Many extras come from paid apps
- ✕Trial is only 3 days
- Entry plan:
- Basic
- Price:
- $29 per month billed annually, $39 monthly
- Platform transaction fee:
- None with Shopify Payments
- Free trial:
- 3 days, then $1 per month for 3 months
- Apps:
- 8,000
Bottom line: The best all-round pick for a first online store. Use Shopify Payments to keep the per-sale cost to the card rate.
- 02
BigCommerce
8.5/10A hosted ecommerce platform with revenue-based plans and many selling features built in.
Price
$29per month
Core $29 per month billed annually for up to $30K in trailing sales; Growth $79; Scale $299; 15-day free trial
“Core New businesses with up to $30K in annual sales. $29 Save 25% per month, billed annually” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 15 days
- Value (40%)
- 8.6
- Features (35%)
- 9.0
- Ease of use (25%)
- 7.8
Best forSmall brands that want built-in features and zero platform fees, and expect steady growth.
BigCommerce prices by revenue rather than by feature set, which suits a small seller who wants a lot built in from day one. The Core plan costs $29 a month billed annually and covers businesses with up to $30K in trailing twelve-month sales; above that it auto-upgrades to Growth at $79, and Scale costs $299. On fees, the pricing page lists zero fees with its embedded payment providers on every plan, so the per-sale cost is the processor's rate. Core also allows selling from up to four retail locations and includes 24/7 chat and email support. The 15-day trial is fully functional, needs no credit card and lets you launch and take payments once a payment partner is set up. The trade-off is that your bill rises with sales whether or not you need new features, and the quoted prices include a 25% saving for annual billing. The admin is deeper than Square or Big Cartel, which takes longer to learn.
- ✓$29 a month billed annually matches Shopify Basic
- ✓No platform fee with embedded payment providers
- ✓Trial is fully functional and needs no credit card
- ✕Core auto-upgrades to Growth at $79 past $30K in trailing sales
- ✕The 25% saving needs annual billing
- ✕Admin has more settings to learn than simpler builders
- Entry plan:
- Core
- Price:
- $29 per month billed annually
- Sales cap:
- Up to $30K trailing twelve-month sales
- Platform transaction fee:
- Zero with embedded payment providers
- Free trial:
- 15 days
Bottom line: The strongest alternative to Shopify at the same entry price. Budget for the jump to $79 once trailing sales pass $30K.
- 03
Square Online
8.4/10A free online store builder tied to Square payments and point of sale.
Price
$49per location per month
Square Free $0 per month; Square Plus $49 per month per location; Square Premium $149
“With Square Plus and Square Premium, the monthly fee applies to each location you run. $0/mo. per location $49/mo. per location $149/mo. per location” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Value (40%)
- 9.0
- Features (35%)
- 7.4
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.8
Best forLocal shops and cafes that already use Square in person and want a store without a monthly fee.
Square Online is the lowest-risk way for a local business to open a store, because the Square Free plan costs $0 a month and includes the online store builder. The cost moves into the payment fee instead: online card payments on the free plan cost 3.3% + 30¢, while Square Plus at $49 a month per location lowers that to 2.9% + 30¢. That makes the break-even easy to work out from your sales. Every plan includes a website builder with SEO tools, pickup, local delivery and shipping, and selling on search and social, and Plus adds expanded site customization, advanced item settings, QR code ordering and subscriptions. The strongest reason to choose it is the link to Square point of sale: in-store and online sales share one item library and one account. Design control is narrower than Shopify or Wix, and multi-location shops pay the monthly fee for each location. Businesses processing over $250,000 a year can ask Square for custom pricing.
- ✓Permanent $0 plan with an online store
- ✓Works with Square point of sale in the same account
- ✓Fees are listed per plan on one pricing page
- ✕Free plan has the highest online card rate in this list at 3.3% + 30¢
- ✕Paid plans are charged per location
- ✕Fewer store design options than Shopify or Wix
- Entry plan:
- Square Free
- Price:
- $0, or $49 per location for Plus
- Online card rate:
- 3.3% + 30¢ (Free), 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus)
- In-person card rate:
- From 2.6% + 15¢ (Free)
- Custom pricing:
- Over $250,000 processed per year
Bottom line: The cheapest way for a Square shop to sell online. Move to Plus once the lower card rate covers its $49 fee.
- 04
Ecwid by Lightspeed
8.3/10A store you can add to any existing website, social page or its own Instant Site.
Price
$5per month
Starter $5 per month for up to 10 products; Venture $29 per month billed annually ($35 monthly); $0 Ecwid transaction fees
“Starter For beginners $ MX$ £ AU$ ₹ 5 5 5 8 99 450” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 8.7
- Features (35%)
- 7.6
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.6
Best forSellers with a small catalog who want to add a cart to a site they already have.
Ecwid by Lightspeed is built for sellers who already have a website and want to add a store to it. The Starter plan costs $5 a month and covers up to 10 products, a default company.site domain and email support, and the pricing table lists $0 in transaction fees charged by Ecwid on every plan. That makes the per-sale cost just the payment provider's rate. Venture costs $29 a month billed annually or $35 monthly and raises the limit to 100 products plus digital goods, with selling on Instagram and Facebook, a mobile management app, automated tax calculations and discount coupons. Business at $49 billed annually moves to 2,500 products and marketplace selling. The same store can be embedded on several sites and managed from one account, or run on Ecwid's Instant Site builder with 70+ templates. The limits are the catch: 10 products is tight, and selling in person through the POS integration starts on the Unlimited plan at $119.
- ✓$5 a month is the lowest paid entry price in this list
- ✓Ecwid charges $0 in transaction fees on every plan
- ✓Plugs into an existing site instead of replacing it
- ✕Starter allows only 10 products
- ✕Social selling and a custom domain start on Venture at $29
- ✕In-person selling needs the $119 Unlimited plan
- Entry plan:
- Starter
- Price:
- $5 per month
- Products:
- 10 (Starter), 100 (Venture), 2,500 (Business)
- Ecwid transaction fee:
- $0
- Templates:
- 70+
Bottom line: The cheapest paid way to add a cart to an existing site. Expect to need Venture at $29 once the catalog passes 10 items.
- 05
WooCommerce
8.3/10A free, open source ecommerce plugin for WordPress.
Price
Freeper month
Free plugin with a $0 platform fee; hosting $25 to $350 per month for most stores; extensions $29 to $299 per year each
“Monthly platform and hosting fees $0 platform fee Choose the host that makes sense for your business” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Value (40%)
- 9.0
- Features (35%)
- 8.8
- Ease of use (25%)
- 6.6
Best forSellers with a WordPress site who want full control and no platform fee.
WooCommerce turns a WordPress site into a store without a monthly subscription. The plugin is free and open source, and its pricing page states a $0 platform fee with no revenue share, so the only cut on each order is your payment processor's rate. WooPayments is listed at about 2.50% to 2.90% + 30¢ per transaction, and you can choose another processor if you prefer. The real costs sit elsewhere: WooCommerce puts hosting at $25 to $350 a month for most stores and extensions at $29 to $299 a year each, so a store with a few paid add-ons can cost as much as a hosted plan. In return you own the site, can move hosts and can customize anything. The trade-off is the work. You are responsible for updates, security and backups, and the setup takes longer than on Shopify or Square. It suits sellers who already run WordPress or have someone technical on hand.
- ✓$0 platform fee and no revenue share
- ✓You own the site and can move hosts
- ✓Large extension catalog
- ✕Hosting costs $25 to $350 a month for most stores
- ✕Paid extensions run $29 to $299 a year each
- ✕You handle updates, security and backups
- Platform fee:
- $0
- Hosting:
- $25 to $350 per month for most stores
- Extensions:
- $29 to $299 per year each
- WooPayments rate:
- About 2.50% to 2.90% + 30¢
- License:
- Open source
Bottom line: The best choice when you want no platform fee and full control. Add hosting and extensions to the bill before comparing it with hosted plans.
- 06
Big Cartel
8.0/10A simple shop builder for artists, makers and musicians.
Price
$15per month
Free limited Gold plan; Platinum $15 per month after a 7-day trial; Diamond $30 per month
“Platinum $0 To Start Tools to grow your sales Start free trial 7 days free, then $15/mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Value (40%)
- 8.8
- Features (35%)
- 6.4
- Ease of use (25%)
- 9.0
Best forMakers with a small catalog who want the simplest paid store.
Big Cartel keeps selling online simple and cheap. The Platinum plan starts with a seven-day free trial and then costs $15 a month with no commitment, and it covers custom domains, physical and digital products, shipping labels and order tracking, plus shop design customization. A free, limited Gold plan is there if you only want to test the idea. Platinum also includes sales tax autopilot, discounts and promotions, inventory tracking, a Google Shopping connection and the ability to sell in person from your phone, and you can import products from Etsy, Squarespace and Shopify. Payment options include cards, PayPal and Afterpay. The Diamond plan at $30 a month adds abandoned cart recovery, scheduled product drops, password-protected products, Zapier connections to 7,000+ apps and priority support. The limits show as a shop grows: marketing and app options are narrower than on Shopify or BigCommerce, so Big Cartel fits a focused catalog better than a fast-scaling brand.
- ✓$15 a month with no commitment
- ✓Free Gold plan for testing
- ✓Very short setup for a small shop
- ✕Abandoned cart recovery needs Diamond at $30
- ✕Fewer built-in marketing tools than larger platforms
- ✕App options are narrower than Shopify's
- Entry plan:
- Platinum
- Price:
- $15 per month after a 7-day trial
- Free plan:
- Gold, limited features
- Next plan:
- Diamond, $30 per month
- Zapier apps:
- 7,000+ on Diamond
Bottom line: The simplest paid store for makers at $15 a month. Pick Diamond if abandoned cart recovery matters to you.
- 07
Wix
8.0/10A drag-and-drop website builder with ecommerce on its paid plans.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Value (40%)
- 7.4
- Features (35%)
- 8.2
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.8
Best forSmall businesses that want a design-led site where the store is one part of it.
Wix is a website builder first and a store second, which is the right order for a small business whose site does more than sell products. The free plan gives you hosting and the drag-and-drop editor, so you can build and test a site before paying, but accepting payments starts on the Core plan with basic eCommerce, and the Business plan moves up to standard eCommerce. Both include scheduling and services, so a studio can sell classes and products from one site. The template library has more than 2000 designs, and paid plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee. For this list the gap is pricing: the plans page showed local prices from our location, so we could not confirm the US dollar cost or the fee terms for a US store, and the entry is marked pending. Sellers focused purely on products will find deeper ecommerce tooling on Shopify or BigCommerce, but Wix has more layout freedom.
- ✓Strong design control for a builder
- ✓Permanent free plan to test the editor
- ✓14-day money-back guarantee on paid plans
- ✕Payments need a paid plan from Core upward
- ✕We could not confirm US dollar prices from our location
- ✕Ecommerce depth scales with plan tier
- Free plan:
- Yes
- First plan with payments:
- Core
- Templates:
- 2000+
- Refund window:
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Bottom line: A good fit when the store is part of a broader business site. Check the US price of Core on the Wix plans page before you compare it with Shopify.
- 08
Shift4Shop
7.9/10A hosted ecommerce platform from payments company Shift4 with features built into the core.
Price
$41per month
Unlimited plan $41 per month
“An unlimited, enterprise-grade plan for $41/month.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 8.0
- Features (35%)
- 8.4
- Ease of use (25%)
- 7.0
Best forSmall sellers who want many built-in features without buying apps.
Shift4Shop takes the opposite approach to app-store platforms: it puts most features into one plan. The homepage lists an unlimited plan at $41 a month that includes marketing, inventory management, SEO and customer tools, and it calls out stackable promotions, optional one-page checkout and real-time shipping as part of the core software. Card payments run through an integrated processing solution from PayPal, and fraud protection is provided by Kount. You get more than 100 free themes, which you can edit through the designer or directly in HTML and CSS, and Shift4Shop offers to migrate an existing store for free. Built-in tools also cover abandoned cart recovery, email marketing, discounts, coupons and daily deals. The downside is cost and polish: $41 a month is above the entry plans of Shopify and BigCommerce, and the interface and ecosystem are smaller than theirs. It suits a seller who would otherwise pay for several apps.
- ✓Many features that other platforms sell as apps are included
- ✓Free store migration
- ✓Editable HTML and CSS
- ✕$41 a month is above Shopify Basic and BigCommerce Core
- ✕Editor and admin feel dated next to newer builders
- ✕Fewer third-party integrations than the leaders
- Plan:
- Unlimited
- Price:
- $41 per month
- Themes:
- 100+ free
- Fraud protection:
- Kount
- Migration:
- Free
Bottom line: A good value when you would otherwise buy several apps. Simpler shops will spend less on Big Cartel or Ecwid.
- 09
Sellfy
7.8/10A store builder for creators selling digital downloads, subscriptions and print-on-demand merch.
Price
$22per month
Starter $22 per month billed yearly ($29 monthly) for up to $10,000 in sales per year; 14-day free trial
“Starter Creators' favorite $29 $22 /mo For creators starting to sell online Up to $10,000 in sales per year” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Value (40%)
- 8.2
- Features (35%)
- 6.8
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.6
Best forCreators selling digital products or merch who want no transaction fees.
Sellfy is aimed at creators rather than general retailers, and its pricing is built around that. The Starter plan costs $22 a month billed yearly or $29 monthly, covers up to $10,000 in sales per year and comes with unlimited products, email marketing and the ability to sell downloads, subscriptions and merch. The pricing page promises no transaction fees and no hidden costs, so a creator only pays the payment provider on each sale. Print-on-demand is built in, which lets you sell shirts or mugs without holding stock. Business at $59 a month billed yearly lifts the cap to $50,000 and adds product upselling, cart abandonment and affiliate marketing, and Premium at $119 raises it to $200,000 with priority support. The sales caps are the main thing to watch: a creator who outgrows $10,000 a year moves to a plan nearly three times the price. For a mostly physical catalog, Shopify or Big Cartel fits better.
- ✓No transaction fees and no hidden costs
- ✓Unlimited products on every plan
- ✓Print-on-demand without a separate app
- ✕Starter is capped at $10,000 in sales per year
- ✕Cart abandonment and upselling need Business at $59
- ✕Less suited to large physical catalogs
- Entry plan:
- Starter
- Price:
- $22 per month billed yearly, $29 monthly
- Sales cap:
- $10,000 per year on Starter
- Transaction fees:
- None
- Free trial:
- 14 days
Bottom line: The best fit here for selling digital products and merch with no transaction fees. Plan for Business once yearly sales pass $10,000.
- 10
Squarespace
7.7/10A template-led website builder with online store, content and membership tools.
Price
Check price
See vendor pricing (USD check pending); 14-day free trial
US price check pending. Vendor pricing page
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Value (40%)
- 7.0
- Features (35%)
- 7.8
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.8
Best forSmall brands that care most about polished design and sell a modest catalog.
Squarespace is the builder to pick when the look of the store matters as much as the checkout. Its templates are polished, the editor is easy and the pricing page notes there is no limit on the number of products and services you can sell. For this list the important detail is the fee structure. The Basic plan can accept payments but applies a 2% online store transaction fee on products, services and donations, on top of card processing, and a 7% fee on digital content and memberships. Upgrading removes the store fee, so a seller doing steady volume should price the next plan rather than Basic. Squarespace also includes courses, memberships, blogs and built-in AI tools, which suits brands that sell content alongside products. Prices on the plans page showed in local currency from our location, so the US dollar cost is pending. Sellers who want lower fees on the entry plan will spend less on Shopify or BigCommerce.
- ✓Polished templates for brand-led stores
- ✓Unlimited products and services on store plans
- ✓14-day free trial
- ✕Basic adds a 2% transaction fee on online store sales
- ✕Digital content and memberships carry a 7% fee on Basic
- ✕We could not confirm US dollar prices from our location
- Free trial:
- 14 days
- Store transaction fee:
- 2% on Basic, 0% on higher plans
- Digital content fee:
- 7% on Basic
- Product limit:
- None
Bottom line: A strong design choice for brand-led shops. Skip Basic if you sell regularly, because its 2% fee is avoidable on higher plans.
What to check before you pay
Add the plan price and the per-sale fee together
A cheap plan with a high fee can cost more than a pricier plan once orders pick up. Square Free costs $0 but charges 3.3% + 30¢ per online card payment, while Square Plus at $49 a month drops that to 2.9% + 30¢. Squarespace Basic adds a 2% online store transaction fee that higher plans remove. Work out your expected monthly sales and compare the total.
Separate platform fees from card processing
Card processing is charged by the payment provider on almost every platform. A platform transaction fee is an extra cut on top. Shopify, BigCommerce, Ecwid and Sellfy say they add no platform fee in the cases they describe, and WooCommerce lists a $0 platform fee. Check the fine print for when that applies, such as using the vendor's own payments.
Watch sales caps on entry plans
Some platforms tie the plan to your revenue. BigCommerce Core covers up to $30K in trailing twelve-month sales before it auto-upgrades to Growth at $79, and Sellfy Starter covers up to $10,000 in sales per year. If you expect fast growth, price the next plan up as well.
Count products and staff before you commit
The cheapest plans often limit the catalog. Ecwid Starter allows up to 10 products and Venture up to 100. Big Cartel and Shopify do not need a large plan for a small catalog, but staff accounts and multi-location selling sit on higher tiers on most platforms.
FAQ
Which ecommerce platform has the lowest fees for a small business?
WooCommerce lists a $0 platform fee and no revenue share, but you pay for hosting. Among hosted platforms, Shopify adds no transaction fee on Shopify Payments, BigCommerce lists zero fees with embedded payment providers, and Ecwid and Sellfy charge no transaction fees of their own. Card processing still applies on all of them.
What is the cheapest way to start an online store?
Square Online has a $0 plan with an online store, with online card payments at 3.3% + 30¢. Big Cartel has a free limited Gold plan, and Ecwid Starter costs $5 a month for up to 10 products.
Is Shopify or BigCommerce better for a small business?
Both start at $29 a month billed annually. Shopify is easier to learn and has 8,000 apps. BigCommerce includes more features in the core plan, but Core auto-upgrades to Growth at $79 once trailing twelve-month sales pass $30K.
Do I pay transaction fees on top of card processing?
It depends on the plan. Squarespace Basic adds a 2% online store fee and 7% on digital content. Most other platforms in this list say they add no platform fee in the cases they describe, so you pay only the payment provider's rate.
How did we rank these platforms?
We compared documented features and published prices from each vendor's pages and scored value, features and ease of use. Value carries the most weight because this list compares plan prices against per-sale fees.
Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.
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