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Shopify is our best overall pick for merchants who want sales channels, managed operations and a large app ecosystem—but fees and app costs can add up. WooCommerce suits stores that want more control and can handle hosting, extensions and setup. For smaller or more specialized needs, Payhip and Sellfy cover creators, while Big Cartel and Ecwid suit simpler shops. We ranked nine options by fit across common store types and the trade-offs in the published pricing and product notes. Listed prices are starting points, not a full cost comparison.
Quick picksThe shortlist
ShopifyShopifyBest overall · CHF 21/mo
WooCommerceWooCommerceBest for store control · Free
BigCommerceBigCommerceBest for B2B selling · $29/mo
PayhipPayhipBest for creators · $29/mo
Big CartelBig CartelBest for small shops · $15/mo
EcwidEcwidBest for existing websites · $5/mo
SellfySellfyBest for digital products · $22/mo
PrestaShopPrestaShopBest for source access · €24/mo
SHOPLINESHOPLINEBest for multichannel retail · $24.17/mo
01Compared at a glance
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShopifyShopify | 7.2 | CHF 21/mo | Yes | 3 days |
| WooCommerceWooCommerce | 7.1 | Free | Yes | — |
| BigCommerceBigCommerce | 7.5 | $29/mo | No | 15 days |
| PayhipPayhip | 7.5 | $29/mo | Yes | — |
| Big CartelBig Cartel | 7.3 | $15/mo | Yes | 7 days |
| EcwidEcwid | 6.4 | $5/mo | No | — |
| SellfySellfy | 6.7 | $22/mo | No | 14 days |
| PrestaShopPrestaShop | 6.0 | €24/mo | Yes | 14 days |
| SHOPLINESHOPLINE | 6.5 | $24.17/mo | No | 14 days |
02The picks, in detail
- Best overallShopifyShopify
Shopify is the broadest fit in this shortlist for merchants selling across multiple channels and teams that want managed store operations. The pricing page puts it at $21 to start and notes a free plan. Its large app ecosystem is useful, but the same listing warns that fees and app costs can make the convenience expensive, so budget beyond the entry price.
What works
- Supports online, in-person, social, and AI-channel sales
- 21,000+ commerce apps listed in the App Store
- Centralizes payments, fulfillment, and retail management
What doesn't
- Basic is CHF 21/month yearly or CHF 29 monthly
- Third-party transaction fees range from 2% to 0.2%
- Apps can add substantially to the monthly bill, Reddit users report
- Best for store controlWooCommerceWooCommerce
WooCommerce is a fit for merchants who want checkout customization and a choice of hosting, rather than a more managed setup. The pricing page describes its core as free, with no starting price listed, and flags hosting, extensions and setup as trade-offs. That means a free core does not tell you the total cost; account for the work and add-ons your store needs.
What works
- Free, open-source core platform
- Unlimited products, orders, and APIs
- No platform fees or revenue share
What doesn't
- Hosting costs $25–$350 per month for most stores
- Extensions cost $29–$299 per year each
- WooPayments processing fees apply per transaction
- Best for B2B sellingBigCommerceBigCommerce
BigCommerce is worth considering for B2B sellers that need account-specific pricing, or stores selling across channels and markets. The pricing page starts it at $29 and highlights API and code access for teams that need them. Check the GMV limits and fees before switching: the entry price alone does not show whether your sales volume will fit the plan.
What works
- B2B features include quotes, reorders and invoice payments
- Supports multiple languages and currencies from one storefront
- Includes one-page checkout and digital wallet options
What doesn't
- Core auto-upgrades above $30K trailing-12-month GMV
- Eligible open-provider orders incur fees on Core, Growth and Scale
- Scale charges 0.9% above its $33,333 monthly GMV cap
- Best for creatorsPayhipPayhip
Payhip is a good fit for creators starting without a subscription, sellers of courses or memberships, and stores that want to embed checkout on a website. The pricing page shows a free plan and a $29 starting price. Its selling tools cover several creator needs, but compare the transaction fee with your expected sales volume before deciding whether the free option is economical.
What works
- Free Forever plan costs $0/month
- Unlimited products and revenue on every plan
- All features included across the three plans
What doesn't
- Free Forever charges a 5% transaction fee
- Plus costs $29/month and still charges 2%
- Pro costs $99/month to remove Payhip's transaction fee
- Best for small shopsBig CartelBig Cartel
Big Cartel suits independent sellers building a standalone shop for physical or digital goods, particularly if they can bring their own traffic. The pricing page shows a free plan and a $15 starting price, and describes it as good value for a simple shop. It is not a substitute for marketplace discovery, so sellers relying on a platform to find buyers should compare other options.
What works
- Free Gold plan available
- Paid plans start at $15/month
- Supports physical and digital products
What doesn't
- Free-plan feature limits are not listed
- Annual prices are not published
- A standalone shop needs its own traffic
- Best for existing websitesEcwidEcwid
Ecwid is aimed at small stores with compact catalogs and businesses adding a store to a site they already have. The pricing page starts at $5 and notes multiple sales channels. That makes it a low entry-price option for a limited shop, but the listing warns that growing stores may hit limits. Check those limits against your catalog and plans for expansion.
What works
- Can add a store to an existing website
- Supports marketplace, social, and in-person sales
- Includes inventory and order management tools
What doesn't
- Starter is capped at 10 products in pricing notes
- Annual billing price is not published
- Pricing notes conflict with Reddit reports of free plans
- Best for digital productsSellfySellfy
Sellfy covers creators selling digital downloads, stores mixing products and subscriptions, and sellers looking for built-in marketing tools. The pricing page starts at $22 and describes its tools as a fit for creator commerce. Its main caution is plan caps on subscriptions and sales, which may rule it out for smaller sellers as well as stores expecting to grow.
What works
- No-code store builder with free templates
- Unlimited products on every listed plan
- Supports downloads, subscriptions and physical products
What doesn't
- No free plan; trial lasts 14 days
- Starter is capped at $10,000 annual sales
- A 2% overage fee may apply above plan limits
- Best for source accessPrestaShopPrestaShop
PrestaShop is a candidate for stores seeking a free platform and teams that want source-code access, with the choice of hosted or self-installed setups. The pricing page shows a free plan and a $24 starting price. The trade-off is that setup and add-on costs can complicate the savings, so compare the full requirements rather than treating the platform price as the total.
What works
- Classic source-code download is free
- Hosted option handles technical aspects
- Hosted includes 50 GB storage
What doesn't
- Hosted price excludes VAT
- Marketplace prices vary
- Enterprise pricing requires a custom quote
- Best for multichannel retailSHOPLINESHOPLINE
SHOPLINE is suited to merchants selling online and in physical channels who want built-in POS and inventory tools. The pricing page starts at $24.17 and also points to subscriptions and marketing automation. Its channel coverage is a plus, but transaction fees and add-ons affect the final bill. Check those costs against your current setup before switching.
What works
- Website builder offers customizable themes without coding
- Supports social, marketplace, and physical retail selling
- POS connects physical and digital store operations
What doesn't
- Starter charges a 2% third-party transaction fee
- Starter limits teams to five staff accounts
- POS add-on starts at $39/month
03How we chose
We compare the listed ecommerce platforms on fit for building and managing an online store, catalog, checkout, and sales. We weigh published pricing and plan limits, check product documentation for stated capabilities and constraints, and consider Reddit sentiment as user-reported context—not proof of performance. We distinguish listed prices from costs that are not published, and avoid filling gaps with estimates. Our focus is the cost and work of choosing or switching platforms, not feature counts in isolation. We do not claim hands-on testing.
04Choose for your store model, not a feature checklist
Start with what you sell and how you sell it. Write down the catalog structure you need, the checkout experience you want, and the sales channels your business depends on. Then separate must-haves from features that would be nice to have. A platform that suits a simple catalog may not suit a more involved operation, and a long feature list does not prove a tool fits your workflow.
Compare candidates such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and the other platforms on this page against the same requirements. Check the product documentation for stated limits and confirm that a feature is included on the plan you are considering. If pricing or a limit is not published, treat it as an open question to resolve with the vendor—not as an included capability.
05Price the switch, not just the starting plan
A plan’s displayed price is only one input to a platform decision. Before switching, compare the plans you would actually need and check each pricing page for listed limits, fees, and paid add-ons. Record anything the vendor does not publish, including migration costs or the price of a capability your store depends on. Do not assume that a low entry price covers your full setup.
Make a migration checklist for product data, customer records, store content, checkout, and connected tools. Verify in the documentation what can be moved and what requires a separate process. Ask vendors about unanswered costs before committing. Reddit comments can help surface questions to investigate, but treat individual reports as anecdotes; they may describe a different plan, setup, or point in time.
Questions people ask
How should I compare ecommerce platform pricing?
Compare the plans that meet your requirements, not just the lowest advertised price. Check published limits, fees, and add-ons on each pricing page. Keep a separate list of costs that are not published, and ask the vendor to clarify them before you decide.
What should I check before switching ecommerce platforms?
List the store data and workflows you need to keep, then check the documentation for how each can be moved or recreated. Confirm plan limits, connected-tool requirements, and any unlisted migration costs with the vendor. Include time and operational disruption in your decision.
Should I choose a hosted or open-source ecommerce platform?
Start with the responsibilities your team can support. Compare each candidate’s documented setup requirements, plan limits, and pricing. Do not assume either approach will cost less overall; include any services or technical work you need, and verify costs that the vendor does not publish.
How much should I trust Reddit reviews of ecommerce platforms?
Use Reddit posts as user-reported context, not as a verdict. Check whether a comment describes the same plan and use case you have, and look for details you can verify in pricing pages or documentation. Treat isolated reports as prompts for questions, not established facts.