NERDY PICKS · E-COMMERCE
Best E-commerce tools
Write product listings, make product photos and run an online store.
Prices checked Oct 26, 2026
Which e-commerce tool should I start with?
If you want free, start with WooCommerce, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy. Write product listings, make product photos and run an online store. Below you'll find 26 tools with what each one does, the free plan and the cheapest solo plan in US dollars, checked Oct 26, 2026.
| Tool | What it does | Free plan | Paid from | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | The most popular platform for building an online store and selling anywhere. | No | Basic: US$39/month, or US$29/month on a yearly plan (US$348/year) | Oct 28, 2026 |
| BigCommerce | Online store platform for growing brands, with plans set by yearly sales. | No | Core: US$39/month, or US$29/month on a yearly plan (US$348/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| WooCommerce | Free, open-source store plugin that turns a WordPress site into a shop. | Yes | Free core; hosting and extensions extra | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Ecwid | Adds an online store to an existing website or social page. | Unclear | Starter: US$5/month | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Gumroad | Simple way for creators to sell digital products with no monthly fee. | Yes | Free, then 10% + US$0.50 per sale | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Lemon Squeezy | Sells digital products and software subscriptions and handles sales tax for you. | Yes | Free, then a cut of each sale | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Sellfy | Store builder for creators to sell digital products, merch and subscriptions. | No | Starter: US$29/month, or US$22/month on a yearly plan (US$264/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Printful | Prints and ships your custom-designed products when customers order them. | Yes | Printful Growth: US$24.99/month | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Printify | Print-on-demand marketplace that makes and ships custom products for your store. | Yes | Premium: US$39/month, or US$24.99/month on a yearly plan | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Square Online | Free-to-start online store that ties into Square payments and in-person sales. | Yes | Square Plus: US$49/month | Oct 26, 2026 |
| SHOPLINE | Online store platform with tools for selling across social and marketplaces. | No | Starter: US$29/month, or US$24/month on a yearly plan (US$288/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Big Cartel | Simple online store for artists and makers. | Yes | Platinum: US$15/month, or US$12/month on a yearly plan (US$144/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Podia | All-in-one place to sell courses, downloads and memberships. | No | Mover: US$49/month, or US$42/month on a yearly plan (US$504/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Kajabi | All-in-one platform to sell courses, coaching and memberships. | No | Basic: US$179/month, or US$143/month on a yearly plan (US$1,716/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Thinkific | Course platform for creating and selling online courses and memberships. | No | Start: US$109/month, or US$82/month on a yearly plan (US$984/year) | Oct 25, 2026 |
| Teachable | Lets you create and sell online courses and digital products. | Yes | Starter: US$39/month, or US$29/month on a yearly plan (US$348/year) | Oct 30, 2026 |
| Ko-fi | Lets creators accept tips, run memberships and sell products. | Yes | Ko-fi Gold: US$12/month | Oct 26, 2026 |
| SamCart | Checkout and sales-page tool for selling products, courses and subscriptions. | No | Core: US$79/month, or US$59/month on a yearly plan (US$711/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| SendOwl | Sells and delivers digital products from your own site or social links. | Yes | Launch: US$39/month, or US$32.50/month on a yearly plan | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Payhip | Online store for selling digital downloads, courses, coaching and memberships from your own branded shop. | Yes | Plus: US$29/month | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Re:amaze | Help desk and live chat built for online stores, with order info next to each chat. | No | Basic: US$29/month, or US$26.10/month on a yearly plan | Oct 26, 2026 |
| PicWish | Removes backgrounds and makes clean product photos with AI. | Yes | Pro: US$9.99/month, or US$4.99/month on a yearly plan | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Claid.ai | Creates and enhances product photos, including AI photoshoots, for online stores. | Yes | Essentials: US$15/month, or US$9/month on a yearly plan (US$108/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Pebblely | Puts your product photos into AI-generated scenes for listings and ads. | Unclear | Basic: US$9/month, or US$7.50/month on a yearly plan (US$90/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Gorgias | Help desk built for online stores, priced by tickets rather than agents. | Unclear | Starter: US$10/month | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Weebly | Drag-and-drop website builder for simple sites and small online stores. | Yes | Personal: US$16/month, or US$13/month on a yearly plan (US$156/year) | Oct 26, 2026 |
All 26 tools
Shopify
The most popular platform for building an online store and selling anywhere.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Basic: US$39/month, or US$29/month on a yearly plan (US$348/year)
Discounts: Try 3 days free, then US$1/month for the first 3 months on most plans; yearly billing lowers Basic to US$29/month.
Cheaper or similar: BigCommerce, Wix
Checked Oct 28, 2026
BigCommerce
Online store platform for growing brands, with plans set by yearly sales.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Core: US$39/month, or US$29/month on a yearly plan (US$348/year)
Discounts: Save 25% with annual billing.
Cheaper or similar: Shopify, WooCommerce
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
WooCommerce
Free, open-source store plugin that turns a WordPress site into a shop.
Free plan: Yes: Core plugin free, no monthly subscription.
Price: Free core; hosting and extensions extra
Cheaper or similar: Shopify, Ecwid
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Ecwid
Adds an online store to an existing website or social page.
Free plan: Unclear: Not shown in what we read.
Paid from: Starter: US$5/month
Discounts: Annual billing saves 16% on Venture and higher.
Cheaper or similar: Shopify, Square Online
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Gumroad
Simple way for creators to sell digital products with no monthly fee.
Free plan: Yes: No monthly fee; pay a cut of each sale.
Price: Free, then 10% + US$0.50 per sale
Cheaper or similar: Lemon Squeezy, Sellfy
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Lemon Squeezy
Sells digital products and software subscriptions and handles sales tax for you.
Free plan: Yes: Free to start; no monthly charge for ecommerce features.
Price: Free, then a cut of each sale
Cheaper or similar: Gumroad, Sellfy
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Sellfy
Store builder for creators to sell digital products, merch and subscriptions.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Starter: US$29/month, or US$22/month on a yearly plan (US$264/year)
Discounts: Yearly saves 25%.
Cheaper or similar: Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Printful
Prints and ships your custom-designed products when customers order them.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan with Design Maker and mockups.
Paid from: Printful Growth: US$24.99/month
Discounts: Growth becomes free once you reach $12K/year in sales.
Cheaper or similar: Printify, Sellfy
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Printify
Print-on-demand marketplace that makes and ships custom products for your store.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan ($0/month).
Paid from: Premium: US$39/month, or US$24.99/month on a yearly plan
Discounts: Yearly saves 36%.
Cheaper or similar: Printful, Sellfy
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Square Online
Free-to-start online store that ties into Square payments and in-person sales.
Free plan: Yes: Not confirmed in what we read.
Paid from: Square Plus: US$49/month
Cheaper or similar: Ecwid, Shopify
Checked Oct 26, 2026
SHOPLINE
Online store platform with tools for selling across social and marketplaces.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Starter: US$29/month, or US$24/month on a yearly plan (US$288/year)
Discounts: Pay annually for 2 months free.
Cheaper or similar: Shopify, BigCommerce
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Big Cartel
Simple online store for artists and makers.
Free plan: Yes: A free, limited plan is offered.
Paid from: Platinum: US$15/month, or US$12/month on a yearly plan (US$144/year)
Cheaper or similar: Sellfy, Shopify
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Podia
All-in-one place to sell courses, downloads and memberships.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Mover: US$49/month, or US$42/month on a yearly plan (US$504/year)
Cheaper or similar: Teachable, Thinkific
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Kajabi
All-in-one platform to sell courses, coaching and memberships.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Basic: US$179/month, or US$143/month on a yearly plan (US$1,716/year)
Discounts: Annual saves 20% ($432/year on Basic).
Cheaper or similar: Podia, Teachable
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Thinkific
Course platform for creating and selling online courses and memberships.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Start: US$109/month, or US$82/month on a yearly plan (US$984/year)
Discounts: Annual saves 25% ($330 on Start).
Cheaper or similar: Teachable, Podia
Checked Oct 25, 2026
Teachable
Lets you create and sell online courses and digital products.
Free plan: Yes: 'Start for free' option.
Paid from: Starter: US$39/month, or US$29/month on a yearly plan (US$348/year)
Discounts: Yearly 22% off (US$120 saved on Starter).
Cheaper or similar: Thinkific, Podia
Checked Oct 30, 2026
Ko-fi
Lets creators accept tips, run memberships and sell products.
Free plan: Yes: Free with a 5% platform fee.
Paid from: Ko-fi Gold: US$12/month
Cheaper or similar: Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy
Checked Oct 26, 2026
SamCart
Checkout and sales-page tool for selling products, courses and subscriptions.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Core: US$79/month, or US$59/month on a yearly plan (US$711/year)
Discounts: Yearly 25% off.
Cheaper or similar: Kajabi, Thinkific
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
SendOwl
Sells and delivers digital products from your own site or social links.
Free plan: Yes: Free sign-up offered.
Paid from: Launch: US$39/month, or US$32.50/month on a yearly plan
Discounts: Annual billing gives 2 months free.
Cheaper or similar: Gumroad, Sellfy
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Payhip
Online store for selling digital downloads, courses, coaching and memberships from your own branded shop.
Free plan: Yes: Free Forever plan with all features and unlimited products, plus a 5% transaction fee.
Paid from: Plus: US$29/month
Cheaper or similar: Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, SendOwl
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Re:amaze
Help desk and live chat built for online stores, with order info next to each chat.
Free plan: No
Paid from: Basic: US$29/month, or US$26.10/month on a yearly plan
Discounts: Save with annual billing.
Cheaper or similar: Help Scout, Tidio
Checked Oct 26, 2026
PicWish
Removes backgrounds and makes clean product photos with AI.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan with limited AI trials.
Paid from: Pro: US$9.99/month, or US$4.99/month on a yearly plan
Cheaper or similar: Photoroom, Removal.AI
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Claid.ai
Creates and enhances product photos, including AI photoshoots, for online stores.
Free plan: Yes: Free trial.
Paid from: Essentials: US$15/month, or US$9/month on a yearly plan (US$108/year)
Discounts: Lower per-month price with yearly billing (page shows 'Save $120').
Cheaper or similar: Pebblely, Photoroom
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Pebblely
Puts your product photos into AI-generated scenes for listings and ads.
Free plan: Unclear: Not stated on the pricing page as read.
Paid from: Basic: US$9/month, or US$7.50/month on a yearly plan (US$90/year)
Discounts: Yearly: '2+ months free'.
Cheaper or similar: Claid.ai, Photoroom
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Gorgias
Help desk built for online stores, priced by tickets rather than agents.
Free plan: Unclear: 'Sign up free' shown; plan not stated.
Paid from: Starter: US$10/month
Discounts: Annual billing on Basic and higher is about 17% lower.
Cheaper or similar: Re:amaze, Freshdesk
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Weebly
Drag-and-drop website builder for simple sites and small online stores.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan for basic use on a Weebly address.
Paid from: Personal: US$16/month, or US$13/month on a yearly plan (US$156/year)
Discounts: Lower monthly price when billed annually.
Cheaper or similar: Wix, Mobirise
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Other jobs
FAQ
What's the best free e-commerce tool?
14 of the 26 e-commerce tools here have a free plan, including WooCommerce, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Printful. Start with the one whose job description matches yours, and check the free-plan limits in each card before you commit.
What's the cheapest paid e-commerce tool?
Of the prices we could confirm, PicWish is cheapest: its Pro plan is US$9.99/month, or US$4.99/month on a yearly plan. Next is Ecwid: its Starter plan is US$5/month. Prices are in US dollars before tax, checked Oct 26, 2026.
How do you check these prices?
We read each tool's official pricing page (or the maker's own help pages) in US dollars before tax, and note the date. If a price isn't shown clearly, we leave it blank rather than guess.
Want to spend less? Tick the tools you pay for in the Nerdy Savings calculator.