How we make this list: we compare vendor pricing pages, product documentation and plan limits, and print the month we checked each price. We don’t accept payment for rankings.
QUICK ANSWER
Shopify is the best website builder for ecommerce in 2026 because Basic at $29 a month billed annually gives unlimited products, abandoned checkout and a full app store. Square Online ranks second for a free start, and Wix is the best pick for ease.
Key takeaways
5 of 8 tools in this list have a free plan, and the lowest paid start is $2.49 a month (Hostinger, 48-month term) (Nov 2026).
Shopify ranks first for ecommerce because Basic at $29 a month gives unlimited products and a full app store.
Square Online gives a free store with no monthly fee, only a per-sale processing fee.
Squarespace Basic at $19 a month billed annually has a 2% store transaction fee.
WordPress.com Business at $25 a month adds plugins for WooCommerce.
Website builders for ecommerce should be judged on selling first and design second. The store needs unlimited products, abandoned checkout, payment options and a fee structure that stays fair as sales grow. This list covers the 8 best website builders for ecommerce in 2026, with the current price and fee of every pick, so you can compare the real cost of selling. Start with our best website builders for small business guide if you want the wider picture.
Starting price$39/month (Basic), or $29/month billed ann…
Free planNo
Free trial3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, API
Shopify is the best website builder for ecommerce because Basic at $29 a month billed annually gives unlimited products, abandoned checkout recovery, discount codes and a full app store. The 3-day trial runs into $1 a month for 3 months, and the online card rate is 2.9% plus $0.30 per sale.
The catch is the extras on top of the plan. Basic at $29 a month billed annually, or $39 month to month, includes the store, checkout and 2.9% plus 30 cents online card rates, but apps for reviews, email or loyalty are billed separately, and a third-party gateway adds a 2% fee. Grow is $89 a month billed annually and Advanced $359.
What we like
Basic costs $29 a month billed annually with hosted checkout (Nov 2026).
Payments, shipping and POS work in one system.
App and theme ecosystem is the largest in ecommerce.
Watch out for
No free plan, only a 3-day trial and $1 months.
App subscriptions can add a lot to the monthly cost.
A 2% fee applies when you use a third-party payment gateway.
Squarespace is the best website builder for a design-led store. Basic at $19 a month billed annually gives unlimited pages and a store with a 2% transaction fee, and Plus at $49 removes the fee. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
The catch is the missing free tier and the Basic fee. Basic at $19 a month billed annually, or $25 month to month, covers a site with up to 2 contributors and a 2% transaction fee on store sales. Core at $29 removes the store fee and adds unlimited contributors and CSS control, and Plus at $49 cuts payment processing fees further.
What we like
Basic costs $19 a month billed annually with a free domain year (Nov 2026).
Templates are polished and consistent across the site.
Hosting, commerce and marketing sit in one bill.
Watch out for
No free plan, only a 14-day trial.
Basic adds a 2% transaction fee on online store sales.
Custom code needs Core at $29 a month billed annually.
Wix is the easiest website builder for a store. Business at $39 a month billed annually gives online payments, no store transaction fee and 10 GB of storage, and Business Elite at $159 adds priority support. Light at $17 does not include selling.
The catch is the lock-in and the Light limits. The free plan publishes on a Wix subdomain with ads and 500 MB of storage. Light at $17 a month billed annually, or $24 month to month, adds a custom domain, 2 GB of storage and no ads, but no payments. Core at $29 adds basic ecommerce, and Business at $39 adds standard ecommerce.
What we like
Light costs $17 a month billed annually with a custom domain (Nov 2026).
Free plan includes hosting, templates and the AI builder.
Drag-and-drop editing suits first-time site owners.
Watch out for
Free plan shows Wix ads and uses a Wix subdomain.
Light cannot accept payments; selling needs Core at $29 a month.
Starting priceFree software; WordPress.com Personal $9/m…
Free planYes
Free trialNot confirmed
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, API
WordPress.com is the cheapest website builder for a store with full control. Business at $25 a month billed annually adds plugins and custom themes, so you can run WooCommerce with any payment gateway. Personal at $4 does not include selling.
The catch is the two WordPresses. WordPress.com Personal at $4 a month billed annually, or $9 month to month, adds a custom domain, 6 GB of storage and plugin access, with Premium at $8 and Business at $25. Self-hosted WordPress.org is free software, but you pay for hosting, a domain and upkeep yourself, and plugin conflicts are yours to fix.
What we like
WordPress.com Personal costs $4 a month billed annually (Nov 2026).
Plugins and custom themes now work on every paid plan.
Self-hosted WordPress.org software is free and portable.
Watch out for
Self-hosted sites need updates, backups and security work.
Hosting and premium plugins add to the real cost.
The free plan shows WordPress.com ads and uses a subdomain.
Starting price$0/month (Free); Plus is $49/month per loc…
Free planYes
Free trial30 days on Plus and Premium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android
Square Online is the best website builder for a store on a budget. The free plan gives a store with no monthly fee, and Plus at $49 a month per location adds a custom domain and no Square branding. The card fee is per sale, so a slow month costs nothing.
The catch is the per-sale fee and the design ceiling. The free plan costs $0 a month with a Square subdomain, and you pay a processing fee on every sale. Plus at $49 a month per location adds a custom domain, QR ordering and SEO tools, and Premium at $149 a month per location cuts the online rate and adds abandoned cart recovery. The free plan is the cheapest way to start selling online.
What we like
Free plan has no monthly fee and unlimited products (Nov 2026).
Syncs natively with Square POS and inventory.
Pickup, delivery and QR ordering are built in.
Watch out for
Free plan charges a higher online card rate per sale.
Design flexibility is limited next to Squarespace or Webflow.
Webflow is the best website builder for a design-led store with custom layouts. Basic at $15 a month billed annually gives a site, and the ecommerce add-on starts at $29 a month for a store with products and checkout. The free Starter plan gives 2 pages on a webflow.io domain.
The catch is the missing CMS on Basic. At $15 a month billed annually it covers a static site with a custom domain, but a blog or dynamic pages need Premium at $25 a month billed annually, which replaced the old CMS and Business plans in May 2026. Ecommerce is a separate add-on from $29 a month.
What we like
Basic costs $15 a month billed annually with a custom domain (Nov 2026).
Free Starter plan gives full access to the Designer.
Built-in CMS and fast managed hosting suit content sites.
Watch out for
Basic has no CMS, so no blog or dynamic content.
Pricing splits across site plans, workspaces and add-ons.
Free plan is limited to a webflow.io domain and 2 pages.
Starting pricePremium from $2.49/month on a 48-month ter…
Free planNo
Free trial14 days
PlatformsWeb
Hostinger is the cheapest website builder for a small store. Premium from $2.49 a month on a 48-month term, renewing at $10.99 a month, gives a custom domain and selling tools, and Unlimited renews at $16.99 a month. The term is long, so check the renewal price before you buy.
The catch is the renewal. Premium at $2.49 a month needs 48 months paid upfront, about $119.52 at once, and renews at $10.99 a month. Unlimited, the plan that adds ecommerce, starts higher and renews at $16.99 a month. Budget on the renewal price, not the headline, and note the 30-day money-back guarantee.
What we like
Premium starts at $2.49 a month on a 48-month term (Nov 2026).
Hosting, domain and email come in one bill.
AI site generation builds a first draft in minutes.
Watch out for
No free plan, only a 14-day trial.
The low price needs 48 months paid upfront.
Premium renews at $10.99 a month, over four times the intro rate.
GoDaddy Airo is the fastest website builder for a store launch. Starter at $9.99 a month billed annually covers AI design, social posts and a custom domain, and Professional at $24.99 adds selling tools. The free plan gives 50 AI credits a month to build and preview.
The catch is the credit meter and the renewal. The free plan gives 50 AI credits a month for building and previews. Starter at $9.99 a month billed annually, or $19.99 month to month, covers 1 site with 150 credits, and Professional at $24.99 adds bookings, payments and a catalog. Annual prices are first-year rates, so check the renewal at checkout.
What we like
Starter costs $9.99 a month billed annually (Nov 2026).
Free plan gives 50 AI credits a month with no card.
Paid plans let you download your site code as a zip.
Watch out for
Publishing a custom-domain site needs a paid plan.
Sources used: vendor pricing pages, vendor product pages and vendor help pages, checked Nov 2026.
Criterion
Weight
What we looked at
Selling features
35%
We compared products, checkout, abandoned cart recovery and discounts, since a store lives on selling tools.
Fees and transaction costs
30%
We compared monthly fees, card rates and store transaction fees, since fees eat margin as sales grow.
Ease of use
20%
We weighed templates, AI building and the editor, since a store owner has no time to learn a complex tool.
Room to grow
15%
We checked apps, plugins and product limits, since a store should still work when sales grow.
What is the best website builder for ecommerce in 2026?
Shopify is the best website builder for ecommerce in 2026, with Basic at $29 a month billed annually for unlimited products, abandoned checkout and a full app store. Square Online is best for a free start, and Wix is the easiest store to build at $39 a month for Business.
How much does it cost to build an online store?
An online store costs from free on Square Online, with a per-sale processing fee, or $2.49 a month on Hostinger Premium with a 48-month term. Shopify Basic is $29 a month billed annually, Squarespace Basic is $19, Wix Business is $39, and WordPress.com Business is $25 a month.
Can I sell online for free?
Yes, Square Online lets you sell on a free plan with no monthly fee, charging only a per-sale processing fee. WordPress.com, Wix and Webflow have free plans, but selling needs a paid plan. Wix Business at $39 a month and WordPress.com Business at $25 a month both add online payments.
What is the cheapest ecommerce website builder?
Square Online is the cheapest ecommerce website builder, with a free store and no monthly fee. Hostinger Premium is from $2.49 a month on a 48-month term, Squarespace Basic is $19 a month billed annually, and WordPress.com Business is $25 a month with plugins for WooCommerce.
Should I use Shopify or Wix for ecommerce?
Shopify is better for a serious store, with unlimited products, abandoned checkout and a full app store at $29 a month for Basic. Wix is better for a small store that values ease, with 1,000+ templates and no store transaction fee at $39 a month for Business. Pick Shopify for scale, and Wix for simplicity.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best website builder for ecommerce?
Shopify is the best website builder for ecommerce because Basic at $29 a month billed annually gives unlimited products, abandoned checkout and a full app store. Square Online ranks second for a free start, and Wix is the best pick for ease.
What is the cheapest ecommerce website builder?
Square Online is the cheapest ecommerce website builder, with a free store and no monthly fee, charging only a per-sale processing fee. Hostinger Premium is from $2.49 a month on a 48-month term, and Squarespace Basic is $19 a month billed annually with a 2% store transaction fee.
Is Shopify good for small business ecommerce?
Yes, Shopify is good for small business ecommerce, with unlimited products, abandoned checkout recovery, discount codes and a full app store. Basic at $29 a month billed annually, or $39 month to month, is the entry plan, and the 3-day trial runs into $1 a month for 3 months.
Can I sell on Wix for free?
No, Wix needs a paid plan to sell. Light at $17 a month billed annually does not include selling, and Business at $39 a month adds online payments with no store transaction fee. The free plan gives 500 MB of storage and a Wix subdomain, with Wix ads.
How much does Shopify cost per month?
Shopify Basic costs $29 a month billed annually, or $39 month to month, with unlimited products and abandoned checkout. The 3-day trial runs into $1 a month for 3 months. The online card rate is 2.9% plus $0.30 per sale, and third-party gateways add a 2% fee.
What is the best free ecommerce website builder?
Square Online is the best free ecommerce website builder, with a store on the free plan and no monthly fee, charging only a per-sale processing fee. WordPress.com, Wix and Webflow have free plans, but selling needs a paid plan. Plus at $49 a month per location adds a custom domain and no Square branding.
Do website builders charge transaction fees?
Some do. Squarespace Basic charges a 2% store transaction fee, and Shopify charges 2% for third-party gateways on Basic. Wix Business has no store transaction fee, and Square Online charges only a per-sale card fee. Check the fee on your plan before you sell, since it eats margin.
Final verdict
Pick Shopify if you want the best ecommerce platform overall.
Pick Squarespace if you want the best design-led store.
Pick Wix if you want the easiest store to build.
Pick WordPress.com if you want the lowest-cost store with plugins.
Pick Square Online if you want a free store.
Pick Webflow if you want a design-led store with CMS.
Pick Hostinger if you want the lowest headline price.
Pick GoDaddy Airo if you want the fastest store launch.
Looking for the best free website builders? We compared 8 options on pricing, free plans, key features and trade-offs so you can pick the right one fast.
