Top 10 Ecommerce Site Builders With Free Plans In 2024

This article will explore the top 10 free eCommerce site builders that website-building experts and newbies should pay attention to in 2024. 

10 Popular Ecommerce Site Builders With Free Plan In 2024

Shopify

Overview

Founded in 2004, Shopify is the best free ecommerce website builder with a straightforward and intuitive process. The Basic Shopify plan, priced at $39 per month, covers web hosting and offers extensive integration with various apps.

Free plan features

While Shopify is not free, you can explore its features through a 3-day free trial. Shopify’s Free Plan is designed to help new entrepreneurs and small businesses launch their online ventures without hefty upfront costs. It offers essential features, allowing you to start your journey without breaking the bank. 

Key features include:

• Easy Website Builder: Build and customize your online store effortlessly with user-friendly drag-and-drop tools. 
• Secure Shopping Cart: Ensure a safe and reliable shopping experience for customers with Shopify’s built-in, PCI-compliant shopping cart.
• Mobile-Friendly Design: Your online store will be fully responsive, providing a seamless experience across different devices.
• Basic Analytics: Gain insights into your store’s performance with simple analytics tools, helping you make informed business decisions.

Pros

• The permission of the basic plan to sell digital and physical goods and the access to marketing tools.
• Seamless integrations for inventory synchronization with an Etsy storefront.
• A user-friendly website-building process without the need for coding experience. 
• A wide range of professionally designed themes to give your online store a unique and appealing look.
• App ecosystem with your addition of features and functionalities tailored to your business needs.
• 24/7 responsive customer support, receiving assistance whenever needed.

Cons

• Transaction fees with third-party providers.
• Customization limits for coding skills, posing a challenge for non-technical you.
• Expensive premium themes
• Free creation of your store, but actual selling requires a financial commitment.
• Subscription costs when upgrading to higher-tier plans, impacting the overall budget.

Wix

Overview

Wix stands tied with Shopify as the top-rated ecommerce platform in our research and is our high-rated free online ecommerce website builder. It offers a comprehensive package with nearly every feature you could need, eliminating the reliance on third-party apps and consistently introducing new implementations.

Free plan features

• Drag-and-Drop Builder: Create and customize your online store effortlessly.
• Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence): Use AI to easily tailor your website to your preferences.

• Sales Features: Even with the most affordable Wix plan, you can sell unlimited products and extend your sales to social platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
• Secure Hosting: Enjoy secure hosting for a trustworthy online shopping experience.
• Mobile Optimization: Your online store adapts to various devices for a seamless user experience.

Pros

• User-friendly interface for all skill levels to build and manage their online store.
• Extensive app market for personalized business functionalities.
• Visually stunning templates for a unique and appealing look.
• Customer support for assistance and guidance.

Cons

• Advertisements on Free Plan.
• Limited E-Commerce functionality.
• Template customization constraints.

Square Online

Overview

Square Online is a free ecommerce website builder, ideal for those starting an online business or looking for a cost-effective solution. This overview highlights its Free Plan’s key features and limitations, demonstrating its appeal to entrepreneurs who value cost-efficiency in their online endeavors.

Free plan features

• Integration with Square POS: facilitating offline product sales linked to your online store. This feature makes Square Online particularly appealing to food businesses, allowing them to sell in person, where customers can experience the aroma and taste of the food.

• Easy Website Builder: Create and customize your online store easily with Square Online’s simple and user-friendly tools.
• Secure Payments: Your customers can shop safely with Square Online’s secure payment processing.
• Mobile-Friendly Design: Your online store looks good and works well on smartphones and tablets.
• Basic Analytics: Get essential insights into how your store is doing to help you make good decisions.

Pros

• Social media integration, coupon code creation, order-status text alerts, and contact forms. 
• No limit on the number of digital or physical products you can sell.
• Integrated payments.
• Inventory management.
• Customer support whenever you need it.
• Discounts on shipping
• Acceptance of Afterpay
• Acceptance of donations, Google Pay, Square Pay, Cash App, and Apple Pay

Cons

• Limited customization in comparison with some other platforms.
• Transaction fees for Free Plan for some types of payments, affecting your overall earnings.
• A flat fee of 2.9% and an additional 30¢ per transaction for payment processing.
• Need a paid plan for a custom URL.
• The presence of Square ads unless paying for a plan.
• To accept PayPal, you must opt for the Performance plan or higher.

Mozello

Overview

Mozello distinguishes itself by offering a unique feature that many ecommerce website builders lack – the ability to create multilingual websites. Their Free Plan, suitable for small retail shops with physical products, allows up to 5 products in the online store, each with one product option and five product variants.

Free plan features

• Mobile Device Support: Ensures your website is optimized and functions seamlessly on various mobile devices, providing an enhanced user experience for customers accessing your online store on smartphones or tablets.
• Multilingual Websites: Mozello’s standout feature allows you to create websites in multiple languages, catering to a diverse audience. This is particularly beneficial for businesses that aim to reach customers who speak different languages, enabling effective communication and engagement.
• Marketing Features: Mozello’s Free Plan includes basic marketing features to promote your online store. While specific details may vary, typical marketing tools may involve options for SEO optimization, social media integration, or other promotional functionalities.
• Endless Design Variations: Provides flexibility in designing your website with numerous variations. you can explore different layouts, color schemes, and styles to create a unique and visually appealing online store.

• SSL Security: Ensures the security of your website by implementing SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. This is crucial for protecting sensitive customer data and building trust in online transactions.
• 500 MB of Storage: Offers 500 megabytes of storage space for your website content, including images, product information, and other media. This limitation is generally sufficient for small to medium-sized online stores with a manageable product catalog.

Pros

• No transaction fees, inventory tracking, or multilingual options.
• Simple interface for people with different technical skills.
• Multiple languages to reach a diverse audience.

Cons

• Limited advanced features for e-commerce needs, the sale of digital products, and the number of products you can sell without charge.
• Branding on the Free Plan affects how professional it looks.

Strikingly

Overview

Strikingly offers various pricing plans, including a Free Plan, designed to help users build their brand. The Free Plan is suitable for single-product sites, allowing the creation of unlimited free sites but limiting each to one product. Strikingly could be a viable option if your goal is a single-page layout for showcasing just one product.

Free plan features

• Unlimited Free Sites: You on the Free Plan can create unlimited websites, offering flexibility for those with multiple projects or ideas to showcase.
• Invite Collaborators: The ability to invite collaborators allows multiple people to work on and contribute to the same website. This is beneficial for team projects or when seeking input from others.

• 5 GB Monthly Bandwidth: Strikingly provides 5 gigabytes of monthly bandwidth, indicating the amount of data that can be transferred between the website and its visitors. This is a crucial metric for managing website traffic.
• 500 MB Storage: You get 500 megabytes of storage space for your website content, including images, text, and other media. While this storage may be limited for larger websites, it’s generally sufficient for smaller projects.
• 24/7 Support: Strikingly offers around-the-clock customer support, ensuring you can access assistance whenever they need help with their website or encounter issues.

Pros

• Sleek, modern, and responsive website designs for a visually appealing and user-friendly experience.
• Variety of payment processors on their websites.

Cons

• Limited SEO capabilities in comparison with some other website builders. you may find constraints in optimizing your sites for search engines.
• Limitation of the diversity of user design choices due to a cap selection of templates.
• Single-product restriction on the Free Plan. This limitation may not be suitable for those with a more extensive product catalog.
• No support for digital products on the Free Plan, limiting the types of goods that can be offered.

Freewebstore

Overview

Freewebstore provides a fully hosted eCommerce website with a custom domain name at no cost. Unlike any other ecommerce site builder free, Freewebstore doesn’t limit the number of products you can sell on your Free Plan. However, they do restrict annual turnover, capping it at $30,000. 

Free plan features

• Customer Account Options: you have the ability to provide customer account options, allowing shoppers to create accounts on the website. This feature can enhance the user experience by enabling order tracking and a more personalized shopping journey.

• Unlimited Products, Storage, and Bandwidth: Freewebstore’s Free Plan allows you to list unlimited products on their eCommerce website. Additionally, there are no restrictions on storage space and bandwidth, ensuring flexibility as your business grows.
• 0% Commission: With Freewebstore’s Free Plan, there are no commission fees on your sales. This means you can retain all your revenue without any deductions for platform fees.
• Standard Customer Care: The Free Plan includes standard customer care services. While the specific level of support may vary, you can typically access assistance for general inquiries or issues related to your eCommerce website.
• Custom Domain Options: Freewebstore allows you to utilize custom domain options on the Free Plan. This means you can choose a personalized domain name for your eCommerce website, contributing to brand identity and professionalism.

Pros

• Free SSL (Secure Socket Layer), ensuring that data transmitted between the website and its visitors is encrypted and secure. This is crucial for protecting sensitive customer information during online transactions.
• No transaction fee, providing a cost-effective solution for eCommerce businesses.
• Multiple online payment processors for a diverse customer base with different payment preferences.
• No limitations on the number of products you can sell. This is particularly advantageous for businesses with an extensive and varied product catalog.

Cons

• Limitation of selling digital products.
• Dated platform design.

Sellfy

Overview

Founded in 2011 with a mission to empower creators globally, Sellfy is a free ecommerce platform catering to the needs of creators who aim to earn a living doing what they love. With Sellfy, you can sell digital and physical products, offering a unique product that blends versatility and simplicity.

Free plan features

• Up to 10 Products: The Free Plan allows you to list up to 10 products on your online store. This feature suits those with a smaller product catalog or are just starting their ecommerce venture.
• Print-on-Demand Products: Sellfy’s Free Plan includes the capability to offer print-on-demand products. This feature is particularly beneficial for creators who want to sell customized merchandise without the need for upfront inventory costs.

• Physical Products: you on the Free Plan can sell physical products through your Sellfy online store. This is advantageous for creators with tangible goods to offer alongside digital products.

Pros

• SEO options. This can improve the visibility of your products in search results.
• With zero transaction fees, you can retain the total value of your sales without deductions.
• User-friendly and non-technical, you can easily set up and manage your online store without advanced technical skills.

Cons

• Digital products require a paid plan.
• Credit card details for sign-up, while this is common for order fulfillment in print-on-demand, some of you may prefer alternative sign-up processes.
• Use of sellfy.store Free Domain for your online store. This may impact branding for those who prefer a custom domain.

Weebly

Overview

Weebly is a famous website builder with an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, making creating and managing their sites easy. Offering a Free Plan, Weebly is notably generous, allowing unlimited product listings and setting it apart from competitors.

Free plan features

• SSL Security: It includes SSL (Secure Socket Layer) security, ensuring that data transmitted between the website and its visitors is encrypted and secure. This is crucial for safeguarding sensitive information during online transactions.
• Tax Calculator: The tax calculator feature helps you automatically calculate applicable taxes on your products, streamlining the checkout process and ensuring compliance with tax regulations.
• Unlimited Products: Weebly’s Free Plan allows you to list unlimited products on your online store. This is particularly beneficial for businesses with diverse product catalogs.
• Inventory Management: The inventory management feature assists you in keeping track of your product stock levels. This ensures an accurate representation of available products and helps prevent overselling.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Weebly provides SEO tools that empower you to optimize your online store for search engines. This includes adding meta tags, descriptions, and other elements to enhance visibility in search results.

• Lead Capture: The lead capture feature enables businesses to collect information from potential customers, helping build a subscriber list for marketing purposes.
• Instagram Feed: Weebly allows you to integrate an Instagram feed into your online store. This enhances visual content and enables businesses to showcase their products dynamically.
• Chat & Email Support: Weebly’s Free Plan includes support through both chat and email, providing you with assistance and guidance when needed.

Pros

• User-friendly interface, making it easy for individuals, even those without technical expertise, to create and manage their websites.
• Robust blog feature for complementing online stores and providing a platform for content marketing and customer engagement.

Cons

• No offline payments – a limitation for businesses that prefer or require offline transaction methods.
• Limited access to the Free Plan for international users outside the U.S. potentially impacts the availability of certain features in certain regions.
• No selling of digital products on the Free Plan.

WebStarts

Overview

Webstarts is known for its free ecommerce website builder, attracting over 4 million users with its generous Free Plan. Offering an easy-to-use platform similar to Wix, it allows for the creation of online stores. 

Although its templates are not automatically mobile-responsive, they can be manually adjusted. Despite an interface that may seem somewhat dated, Webstarts is effective as a free service.

Free plan features

• Unlimited Pages: Webstarts’ Free Plan allows you to create unlimited pages for your website. This flexibility is beneficial for businesses with diverse content and information to showcase.
• 1 GB Cloud Storage: you on the Free Plan can access 1 GB of cloud storage. Without external hosting, this space can store website files, images, and other content.
• 1 GB/Month Bandwidth: The Free Plan includes a monthly bandwidth allowance of 1 GB. This determines how much data can be transferred between the website and its visitors, ensuring smooth accessibility.
• Notification Center: Webstarts’ Free Plan features a Notification Center, providing a centralized hub for managing and receiving notifications related to website activities, updates, or user interactions.
• Live Chat: The inclusion of a Live Chat feature allows website owners to engage with visitors in real time, enhancing customer support and interaction.

Pros

• Sell digital and physical goods, this versatility caters to businesses with diverse product offerings.
• Several payment methods include PayPal, Stripe, WePay, and Authorize.Net. This provides flexibility for businesses and accommodates different customer preferences.
• Footer ad placement, ensuring that it doesn’t disrupt the visual aesthetics of the website. 

Cons

• Limited SEO options.
• No SKU Numbers – a limitation for businesses requiring a specific tracking system for their inventory. However, basic inventory tracking is still available.

WooCommerce

Overview

WooCommerce is a free online e-commerce website builder that functions as a plugin for WordPress, available at no cost to you with a WordPress account. While the essential plugin is free, additional features require a fee.

For those familiar with WordPress, WooCommerce is user-friendly. As your website expands, paid add-ons become necessary for advanced features. Despite occasional update issues, it’s a reliable tool for ecommerce, leveraging WordPress’s strong SEO capabilities.

Free plan features

• Free Plugin for WordPress: WooCommerce is a free plugin designed for WordPress that provides a foundation for creating e-commerce functionality within WordPress websites without an additional cost.
• Paid Add-ons for Advanced Features: While the essential WooCommerce plugin is free, you seeking more advanced features must opt for paid add-ons. These add-ons enhance the capabilities of the ecommerce platform and cater to the evolving needs of growing online stores.
• User-Friendly for WordPress: WooCommerce is user-friendly, especially for those familiar with the WordPress environment. Its integration with WordPress makes it accessible for you with existing WordPress sites.

• SEO Features and Performance of WordPress: Leveraging WordPress’s SEO capabilities and overall performance, WooCommerce ensures that online stores built with this plugin have a solid foundation for search engine visibility and overall site functionality.
• Powerful Features in Free Plan: Even with the Free Plan, WooCommerce provides powerful features, including tax management, inventory control, secure payments, and shipping integrations.

Pros

• SEO Integration and SSL compatibility, ensuring secure data transmission.
• Impressive product presentation, enhancing the visual appeal of the online store and leaving a positive impression on customers.
• Selling digital products with the help of plugins, extending its versatility to accommodate various product types.

Cons

• Not beginner-friendly for web design.
• Increasing costs with add-ons and themes.

FAQs

Bottom line

From our experience in the eCommerce website building area within the last 10 years, these 10 free site builders in 2024 stand out for their reliability and adaptability, empowering businesses of all sizes to thrive in the competitive online marketplace. Select your favorite platform and start building your own eCommerce business for free.