Featured Partner · #1 eCommerce 2026
Shopify — 3-day free trial, then $1/mo for 3 months
4M+ stores · 8,000+ apps · 175+ countries · 24/7 support
Pick a platform, set up products, configure payments, ship your first order — all the steps from idea to live store, with current pricing on Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
Every online store starts the same way: a dozen browser tabs, three platform comparisons, and the nagging feeling that whichever one you pick will turn out to be wrong. It won't be — not if you match the platform to how you actually plan to sell, rather than to whichever tool a YouTube ad convinced you was "the best."
Before you touch a single platform, answer one question honestly: what are you selling, and how much control do you need over the technical side? A handmade-goods seller shipping ten orders a week has completely different needs than a wholesaler launching a 2,000-SKU catalog with custom checkout logic. The platform is a means, not the goal — the goal is a working store that takes your first payment without drama.
It also helps to know how this typically plays out in the real world. Most new sellers spend two to three times longer agonizing over the platform decision than they spend on the decision that actually drives early sales: what they're selling and to whom. The platforms compared below are all genuinely capable of running a profitable store — the difference between them shows up in monthly cost, how much you'll touch code, and how the bill grows once you're doing real volume, not in whether you can launch at all.
All three can run a real store. The difference is who carries the technical weight — the platform, or you.
| Platform | From | Hosting | Transaction Fees | Best For | Setup Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | $39/mo | Fully hosted | 0% with Shopify Payments | Fastest path to launch | Easiest |
| WooCommerce | Free + hosting (~$5–25/mo) | Self-hosted (your own host) | Set by your processor (~2.9%+30¢) | Sellers already on WordPress | Moderate |
| BigCommerce | $39/mo | Fully hosted | 0%, no forced gateway | Mid-size catalogs, built-in features | Easy |
The comparison table tells you the numbers. This is the part that tells you what it actually feels like to run the store day to day.
Work through these in order. Skipping ahead to "install apps" before step 6 is the single most common way new stores bleed money before they've made any.
The "from" price in the comparison table is just the entry point. Here's where the bill goes as you grow.
| Platform | Entry Tier | Growth Tier | Top Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Basic — $39/mo | Shopify — $105/mo | Advanced — $399/mo |
| WooCommerce | Free core + ~$10/mo hosting | Free core + ~$25/mo hosting & extensions | Free core + enterprise hosting (varies) |
| BigCommerce | Standard — $39/mo | Plus — $105/mo | Pro — $399/mo |
If you want to launch this week and never think about hosting again — Shopify. If you already run WordPress and want zero platform lock-in — WooCommerce. If you're scaling a mid-size catalog and want built-in features without an app tax — BigCommerce.
There's no universally "best" pick here — there's only the one that matches how much technical work you want to own.
Read The Full Shopify vs WooCommerce ComparisonIt depends on your location and what you're selling, but most regions let you start as a sole proprietor without formal registration for low-volume sales. Check your local rules once revenue becomes meaningful — registering early is cheap insurance, not a launch blocker.
Realistically $0–$50 to get a store live: a domain (~$12/year), a platform plan ($0 on WooCommerce's core software to $39/mo on Shopify or BigCommerce), and hosting if you go the WooCommerce route (~$5–25/mo). Apps and paid themes are optional, not required, at launch.
Yes, though it's work — most platforms support CSV exports for products and customers, and migration apps exist for the popular routes. It's easier to migrate early with a small catalog than late with years of order history, so don't let "what if I switch later" paralyze the initial choice.
No. Dropshipping and print-on-demand apps let you sell physical products with zero inventory — a third party prints, packs, and ships on your behalf. Margins are thinner than holding your own stock, but the upfront cost and risk are far lower.
They're not mutually exclusive. Many sellers start on a marketplace for the built-in traffic, then build their own store once they have proof of demand and want to own the customer relationship without paying marketplace fees on every order. Running both at once is common.
A simple store with a small catalog can go from zero to live in a weekend if you work through the 9 steps deliberately. Custom themes, large catalogs, or complex tax and shipping setups usually stretch that to two to four weeks.
Not for a standard store on any of these three platforms — themes and built-in tools cover most needs. Bring in a developer only once you need custom functionality that the app ecosystem genuinely can't provide.
This guide covers the decision framework — our category page covers every current price, feature, and score across the full eCommerce platform shortlist.