ToolProven
Search tools and lists/All lists
We earn a commission if you buy through some links. It never changes a score or a rank.How we test →

Best Ecommerce Platforms in 2026

Hosted store builders, open-source carts and enterprise commerce suites, compared on what each maker publishes: free access, starting price and five store features.

Compared
23
Facts read
97
Read on
Oct 23
✓ ChampionBig Cartelfrom $15/mo7.5Best freeWeeblyfrom $13/mo · yearly6.7Best for online + in-personEcwid by Lightspeedfrom $5/mo7.4Best valueHostinger Ecommercefrom $4.99/mo · yearly6.5
1

Big Cartel

✓ Champion
Artists and makers selling on a small scale

Shop builder for small sellers; Platinum is $15/month after 7 free days and sells physical and digital products.

7.5
out of 10
Pricing
Freemium
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
7 days
Paid from · Platinum
$15/mo
  • ✓Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • –No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #1
Platinum is $15/month with physical and digital products and a 7-day trial.
Watch for
Abandoned cart recovery is listed only from the $30/month Diamond plan.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from bigcartel.com/pricing
Score: features 3.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 1.54
2

Ecwid by Lightspeed

Best for online + in-person
Adding a store to an existing site on a small budget

Store plugin and site builder; Starter is $5/month and Ecwid states no transaction fees on any plan.

7.4
out of 10
Pricing
Paid
Free plan
Not published
Free trial
Not published
Paid from · Starter
$5/mo
  • ✓Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✓No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #2
The page states no setup or transaction fees on any plan.
Watch for
Starter caps at 10 products, and POS, e-goods and abandoned cart recovery sit on higher plans.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from ecwid.com/pricing
Score: features 4.0 · free access 0.0 · price published 1.5 · value 1.88
3
Stores that sell online and in person from one admin

Hosted store builder; Basic is $29/month billed yearly and includes in-person selling, abandoned checkout recovery and local-currency prices.

7.3
out of 10
Pricing
Free trial
Free plan
No
Free trial
3 days
Paid from · Basic
$29/mo, billed yearly
  • ✓Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✕No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • ✓Multi-currency
Why #3
Basic ($29/mo billed yearly) lists in-person selling and abandoned checkout recovery.
Watch for
The Basic plan lists a 2% third-party transaction fee, and local-currency prices are marked as requiring a condition (*).
Score: features 4.0 · free access 0.75 · price published 1.5 · value 1.08
4
Design-led shops that also sell digital content

Website builder with commerce plans; Basic is $19/month billed yearly with POS, digital products and abandoned cart recovery.

6.7
out of 10
Pricing
Free trial
Free plan
No
Free trial
14 days
Paid from · Basic
$19/mo, billed yearly
  • ✓Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✕No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #4
Basic at $19/month billed yearly lists POS and digital products.
Watch for
Basic carries a 2% online store transaction fee and a 7% fee on digital content and memberships.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from squarespace.com/pricing
Score: features 3.0 · free access 0.75 · price published 1.5 · value 1.42
5

Weebly

Best free
Small shops that want a free starter store with a cart

Square-owned site builder; Free plan $0, Personal $13/month billed annually, with a shopping cart on every plan and digital goods listed.

6.7
out of 10
Pricing
Freemium
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
Not published
Paid from · Personal
$13/mo, billed yearly
  • –Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • –No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #5
Free plan at $0/month; Personal is $13/month billed annually and the table lists Digital Goods.
Watch for
Abandoned Cart Emails appear once in a four-plan table, so they sit on a higher plan; Personal is $16 month-to-month.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from weebly.com/pricing
Score: features 2.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 1.65
6
Creators selling downloads, subscriptions and merch

Creator store platform; Starter is $22/month billed yearly with 0% transaction fees and a 14-day trial.

6.6
out of 10
Pricing
Free trial
Free plan
Not published
Free trial
14 days
Paid from · Starter
$22/mo, billed yearly
  • –Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✓No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #6
States 0% transaction fees on all plans and includes digital products on Starter.
Watch for
Cart abandonment is not included on Starter and starts at the $59/month (yearly) Business plan.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from sellfy.com/pricing
Score: features 3.0 · free access 0.75 · price published 1.5 · value 1.31
7
Small shops that want 0% platform fees and digital delivery

Hosted store builder; the 12-month plan is $4.99/month promo and the page states 0% transaction fees plus instant digital delivery.

6.5
out of 10
Pricing
Paid
Free plan
Not published
Free trial
Not published
Paid from
$4.99/mo, billed yearly
  • –Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✓No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #7
The page states 0% transaction fees and sends digital products automatically after purchase.
Watch for
$4.99/month is a 12-month promo (Black Friday banner); the page says it renews at $8.99/month.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from hostinger.com/ecommerce
Score: features 3.0 · free access 0.0 · price published 1.5 · value 2.0
8
WordPress sites that want a self-hosted store

Open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress; core is free, hosting and extensions cost extra.

6.2
out of 10
Pricing
Free
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
Not published
Paid from
$25/mo
  • –Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • ✓No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • ✓Multi-currency
Why #8
Core platform is free with no monthly subscription and no platform fees.
Watch for
Hosting is extra: the page gives $25 to $350/month for most stores, and extensions are paid.
Score: features 2.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 1.19
9
Developers building custom headless commerce

Open-source commerce framework with a managed Medusa Cloud; Develop is from $29/month.

6.1
out of 10
Pricing
Free
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
Not published
Paid from · Cloud Develop
$29/mo
  • –Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • ✓No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • ✓Multi-currency
Why #9
Lists unlimited regions and currencies on every Cloud plan, with no GMV-tax.
Watch for
Open-source use needs your own hosting; Medusa Cloud starts at $29/month and is a developer framework.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from medusajs.com/pricing, medusajs.com
Score: features 2.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 1.08
10
Creators selling digital goods with no monthly fee

Creator marketplace with no subscription; it takes 10% + $0.50 per direct sale.

6.0
out of 10
Pricing
Free
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
Not published
Paid from
Free
  • –Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✕No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #10
No monthly fee, and it handles sales tax as merchant of record.
Watch for
It charges 10% + $0.50 per direct sale and 30% through Discover.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from gumroad.com/pricing
Score: features 1.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 2.0
11
Growing stores that want multi-currency without apps

Hosted ecommerce platform; Core is $29/month billed annually with a 15-day trial and multi-currency selling.

5.3
out of 10
Pricing
Free trial
Free plan
Not published
Free trial
15 days
Paid from · Core
$29/mo, billed yearly
  • –Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • ✕No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • ✓Multi-currency
Why #11
Includes a 15-day trial and multi-currency selling on the listed plans.
Watch for
Orders through payment providers not on its embedded list carry an Open Payment Provider fee, 2.0% on Core.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from bigcommerce.com/essentials/pricing
Score: features 2.0 · free access 0.75 · price published 1.5 · value 1.08
12
Stores wanting many built-in features in one plan

Hosted cart platform; the page advertises an unlimited plan at $41/month with Digital Downloads and Abandoned Cart Saver.

5.2
out of 10
Pricing
Paid
Free plan
Not published
Free trial
Not published
Paid from · Unlimited plan
$41/mo
  • –Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✓No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #12
Lists Digital Downloads and Abandoned Cart Saver among included features.
Watch for
The page gives one $41/month plan price and a separate $229 figure in another place, with no clear explanation.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from shift4shop.com/pricing.htm
Score: features 3.0 · free access 0.0 · price published 1.5 · value 0.73
13
Small stores that want a plain hosted builder

Hosted ecommerce builder; Personal is $35/month and the site offers a 14-day free trial.

5.1
out of 10
Pricing
Free trial
Free plan
Not published
Free trial
14 days
Paid from · Personal
$35/mo
  • –Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • –No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • ✓Multi-currency
Why #13
The features page lists abandoned cart reminder messages and prices shown in shoppers' native currency.
Watch for
The pricing page says additional fees may apply if you are not on a preferred payment gateway.
Score: features 2.0 · free access 0.75 · price published 1.5 · value 0.85
14
Creators selling digital downloads

Digital-download storefront; Free Forever has a 5% fee, Plus is $29/month with 2%.

5.1
out of 10
Pricing
Freemium
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
Not published
Paid from · Plus
$29/mo
  • –Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✕No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #14
A Free Forever plan exists, and all plans share the same features.
Watch for
Plus carries a +2% transaction fee; only the $99/month Pro plan has none.
Score: features 1.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 1.08
15
Designers who want a custom-built store

Visual site builder with ecommerce plans; Standard is $29/month billed yearly and caps at 500 items.

5.1
out of 10
Pricing
Paid
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
Not published
Paid from
$29/mo, billed yearly
  • –Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✕No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #15
Plus and Advanced plans list a 0% transaction fee.
Watch for
The entry Standard ecommerce plan has a 2% transaction fee and 500 items.
Score: features 1.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 1.08
16
One-page sites with a few products

Simple site builder; the Limited plan is $8/month billed yearly and sells a single product.

4.8
out of 10
Pricing
Freemium
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
Not published
Paid from · Limited
$8/mo, billed yearly
  • –Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • ✕No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #16
Limited is $8/month billed yearly and the VIP plan lists a 0% transaction fee.
Watch for
The Limited plan sells a single product with a 5% transaction fee.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from strikingly.com/pricing
Score: features 0.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 1.77
17
API-first stores with subscriptions or B2B

Headless-capable store platform; Starter is $29/month billed yearly with a trial available.

4.6
out of 10
Pricing
Free trial
Free plan
Not published
Free trial
Not published
Paid from · Starter
$29/mo, billed yearly
  • –Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • –No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • ✓Multi-currency
Why #17
Lists priced currencies with checkout in that currency and abandoned cart recovery.
Watch for
Starter is capped at USD $50K annual sales, with a 2% fee above the ceiling.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from swell.is/pricing
Score: features 2.0 · free access 0.0 · price published 1.5 · value 1.08
18
Merchants who want self-hosted open-source control

Open-source ecommerce software; Classic is a free download and Hosted is from €24 excl. VAT/month with a 14-day trial.

4.5
out of 10
Pricing
Freemium
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
14 days
Paid from
€24/mo, billed yearly
  • –Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • –No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #18
Classic is a free download, and Hosted has a 14-day free trial from €24 excl. VAT per month.
Watch for
Classic costs extra for hosting and domain; Hosted price is €24 excl. VAT/month billed annually, €29 monthly.
Score: features 1.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 0.5
19
Dropshippers selling in many markets from one store

Hosted store builder; Basic is $29.25/month billed annually with up to 50 markets from one store.

4.2
out of 10
Pricing
Paid
Free plan
Not published
Free trial
7 days
Paid from · Basic
$29.25/mo, billed yearly
  • –Point of sale
  • ✓Digital products
  • ✕No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #19
Basic lists unlimited products and up to 50 markets in one store.
Watch for
Basic carries a 2% transaction fee, falling to 1% on Advanced.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from shoplazza.com/pricing, shoplazza.com
Score: features 1.0 · free access 0.75 · price published 1.5 · value 0.96
20
Retailers who want one system for store and web

Retail POS bundled with built-in eCommerce; Basic is $89/month and includes one register.

4.1
out of 10
Pricing
Free trial
Free plan
Not published
Free trial
Not published
Paid from · Basic
$89/mo
  • ✓Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • –No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #20
Basic bundles Retail POS with one register and built-in eCommerce.
Watch for
Entry price is $89/month, and extra registers and locations are priced separately.
Score: features 2.0 · free access 0.0 · price published 1.5 · value 0.62
21
Sellers who already take card payments in person

Free-to-start Square website and store tied to Square POS; abandoned cart emails and in-person POS are listed.

3.5
out of 10
Pricing
Freemium
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
Not published
Paid from
Not published
  • ✓Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • –No platform fee
  • ✓Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #21
A Free tier exists and lists a POS app plus abandoned cart emails.
Watch for
Online card payments are listed at 3.3% + 30c on Free, versus 2.9% + 30c on higher tiers.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from squareup.com/us/en/pricing
Score: features 2.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 0.0 · value 0.0
22
Teams needing composable, API-first commerce

Open-source commerce platform with Saleor Cloud; Select is $1599/month, with a free sandbox tier.

3.5
out of 10
Pricing
Freemium
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
Not published
Paid from · Cloud Select
$1,599/mo
  • –Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • ✕No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • –Multi-currency
Why #22
Offers a Forever Free sandbox plus an open-source option.
Watch for
Cloud Select is $1599/month and adds 0.8% on orders above $200,000 monthly GMV.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from saleor.io/pricing
Score: features 0.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 1.5 · value 0.5
23
Latin American sellers who want a free start

Latin American store builder; free Inicial plan, Esencial from 20,999 ARS/month billed annually.

2.5
out of 10
Pricing
Freemium
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
7 days
Paid from
Not published
  • –Point of sale
  • –Digital products
  • –No platform fee
  • –Abandoned cart
  • ✓Multi-currency
Why #23
Has a free Inicial plan and lists multiple languages and currencies.
Watch for
Prices are in Argentine pesos, and other-gateway fees are 1-2% on lower plans.
Read Oct 23, 2026 from tiendanube.com/planes-y-precios
Score: features 1.0 · free access 1.5 · price published 0.0 · value 0.0

All 23 side by side

#ProductScoreFree planTrialPaid fromPoint of saleDigital productsNo platform feeAbandoned cartMulti-currency
1Big Cartel7.5✓Yes7 days$15/mo✓✓–✓–
2Ecwid by Lightspeed7.4–Not publishedNot published$5/mo✓✓✓✓–
3Shopify7.3✕No3 days$29/mo · yearly✓✓✕✓✓
4Squarespace6.7✕No14 days$19/mo · yearly✓✓✕✓–
5Weebly6.7✓YesNot published$13/mo · yearly–✓–✓–
6Sellfy6.6–Not published14 days$22/mo · yearly–✓✓✓–
7Hostinger Ecommerce6.5–Not publishedNot published$4.99/mo · yearly–✓✓✓–
8WooCommerce6.2✓YesNot published$25/mo––✓–✓
9Medusa6.1✓YesNot published$29/mo––✓–✓
10Gumroad6.0✓YesNot publishedFree–✓✕––
11BigCommerce5.3–Not published15 days$29/mo · yearly––✕✓✓
12Shift4Shop5.2–Not publishedNot published$41/mo–✓✓✓–
13Volusion5.1–Not published14 days$35/mo–––✓✓
14Payhip5.1✓YesNot published$29/mo–✓✕––
15Webflow Ecommerce5.1✓YesNot published$29/mo · yearly–✓✕––
16Strikingly4.8✓YesNot published$8/mo · yearly––✕––
17Swell4.6–Not publishedNot published$29/mo · yearly–––✓✓
18PrestaShop4.5✓Yes14 days€24/mo · yearly–✓–––
19Shoplazza4.2–Not published7 days$29.25/mo · yearly–✓✕––
20Lightspeed eCommerce4.1–Not publishedNot published$89/mo✓––✓–
21Square Online3.5✓YesNot publishedNot published✓––✓–
22Saleor3.5✓YesNot published$1,599/mo––✕––
23Tiendanube (Nuvemshop)2.5✓Yes7 daysNot published––––✓

✓ the maker says yes · ✕ the maker's page shows it is not offered · – not published

Head to head

Big Cartel vs Shopify#1 vs #3 · $15/mo vs $29/mo · yearlyShopify vs Squarespace#3 vs #4 · $29/mo · yearly vs $19/mo · yearlyShopify vs WooCommerce#3 vs #8 · $29/mo · yearly vs $25/moSellfy vs Gumroad#6 vs #10 · $22/mo · yearly vs FreeWooCommerce vs BigCommerce#8 vs #11 · $25/mo vs $29/mo · yearlyGumroad vs Payhip#10 vs #14 · Free vs $29/mo

How to choose

What the 23 makers publish

  • 12 of 23 publish a free plan.
  • The lowest published US-dollar entry price is Hostinger Ecommerce at $4.99/mo, billed yearly; the median is $29 a month.
  • 2 do not publish a price at all.
  • Most common confirmed features: Digital products (13) and Abandoned cart (13).

Check before you pay

  • Add up the plan price, the card-processing rate and any platform transaction fee at your monthly sales volume.
  • Check which features need paid apps or a higher plan — abandoned-cart emails and multi-currency often do.
  • If you sell in person, price the POS plan and hardware, not just the online store.
  • Open-source carts are free to download; hosting, security patches and updates are yours to pay for.

How we score

Every fact on this page was read from the maker's own pricing, feature and help pages on Oct 23, 2026 and links to the page it came from. One formula scores every product out of 10; anything a maker does not publish earns nothing, so a hidden price or an unstated limit costs points.

5 pointsShare of the five features below that the maker confirms on its own pages.
1.5 pointsA free plan (0.75 for a free trial instead).
1.5 pointsA published price — or the product is free outright.
2 pointsHow cheap the entry plan is against the other US-dollar monthly or yearly prices in this list. A price in another currency, a one-time fee or a price with no stated period gets the minimum (0.5).
±1.0 maxEditor adjustment, printed on the card with its reason. Commission is never a reason.
The five features: Point of sale — Built-in or first-party point of sale for in-person selling. Digital products — Sells digital downloads natively, without a third-party app. No platform fee — The maker states it charges no transaction fee of its own on at least its cheapest paid plan (card-processing fees aside). Abandoned cart — Abandoned-cart recovery built in. Multi-currency — Sells in multiple currencies natively.

Questions

Big Cartel ranks #1 of 23 with 7.5/10 on our published formula. Platinum is $15/month with physical and digital products and a 7-day trial.

More best-of lists

Best AI Video Generators26 compared · Champion CreatifyBest AI UGC Video & Ad Generators24 compared · Champion CreatifyBest AI Writing Tools26 compared · Champion Junia AIBest Online Learning Platforms20 compared · Champion Udemy