People's love for shopping online has led to the birth of the eCommerce industry. Global eCommerce retail sales are projected to grow to $6.3 trillion in 2023.
Mobile purchases accounted for 72.9%, a total of $3.56 trillion. By 2025, retail m-commerce sales should more than double, to reach $728.28 billion, and account for 44.2% of retail eCommerce sales in the US.
Entrepreneurs are rushing to get a piece of the pie, and they're busy setting up stores on different platforms to sell their products. However, choosing a reliable platform is hard.
Besides, your needs will vary depending on the stage of business growth that you're in. You might be interested in a platform that makes your site load faster, ensures data security, or one that you can optimize for mobile… All of which improve customer experience, and therefore, your bottom line.
In this article, we've listed the best free eCommerce platforms for you to consider when setting up your online store.
Three types of free eCommerce platforms
Cheap is not always bad, and expensive is not always good. Thus, you can still get the best eCommerce platform for free. Basically, there are three different types of eCommerce solutions that are available at no cost: free trial, free plan and free to download.
- Free trial lets you test out more robust paying plans before placing an order. A trial period often lasts for around two weeks. However, there might be poor onboarding and eventually you will have to pay if you wish to continue using this software.
- Free plan allows you to sell without out-of-pocket expenses, but many also have stringent restrictions and/or commission fees.
- Free-to-download tools are more robust and complex, in comparison with the other options, that can be installed for free but can require additional costs in the future.
Top 10 free eCommerce platforms: pros and cons
Now that we've discussed each type of free eCommerce solutions, let's dive into the platforms themselves!
1. nopCommerce
Started in 2008, nopCommerce established itself as a free open source eСommerce platform that can suit any size and type of business. Its functionality, security and stability corresponds to expensive enterprise solutions, but remains completely free.
Key Features
Flexible and scalable
nopCommerce can power not only simple basic stores but also large customized ones, so you will not have to look for a replacement platform with the growth of your business. Built-in functionality includes multi-store and multi-vendor features, stock management, headless eCommerce framework and an unlimited number of products to upload. Due to open-source code, you can add any custom features with the help of developers.
An individual approach for each customer
Create a loyalty system according to your clients' specifics with flexible discounts and different price options for each group of your customers. Set up automatic reminders for abandoned carts and offer your clients various payment and shipping methods, as well as multiple languages and currencies in the store.
Advanced business analytics
Manage your business efficiently with advanced analytics. Besides Google Analytics integration, you can set up the low-stock notifications and view customer reports, list of bestsellers, and country sales statistics.
Built-in security
Essential feature given the recent news about a large number of hacked stores. nopCommerce is based on secure Microsoft technologies and provides built-in security.
View the full list of features
Pros
- Completely free to install and use without any hidden fees or monthly costs
- The open source code and pluggable architecture allow to customize and scale the platform to any technical requirements and business needs
- Built-in B2B functionality without additional payments (PCI DSS complianсe, multi-store, multi-currency, multi-language, etc.)
- A possibility to add unlimited products to your webshop (regardless of their types and without any other restrictions)
- Convenient customer reminders: incomplete registration, abandoned cart, unpaid orders, etc.
Cons
- You need basic technical skills or developer's help to set up your nopCommerce store initially
- It is not always possible to find ready-made integrations with third-party services on the marketplace if they are the local ones or have appeared recently.
2. Wix
Wix is probably the best free eCommerce website builder. It helps small business owners design beautiful websites without having to pay expensive designers. It is popular for its drag and drop user interface, which makes it easy to use, especially if you are a beginner.
However, a free plan has its limitations. To accept online payments and remove Wix ads, you have to upgrade to a paid plan.
Key features
Intuitive editors
When editing your eCommerce store, you'll see how your edits affect the final outlook of your storefront design. You don't have to wait until you finish to preview your changes.
Multilingual sites
Create a global eCommerce site by having different sites with different languages for each country.
Integrated email campaigns
Setup professional emails for your eCommerce store then install their abandoned cart recovery plugin to follow up with customers who left items during checkout.
Security
Wix helps you protect customer information through its 256-bit SSL encryption, and works with secure payment options with high levels of encryption.
Pros
- Stable online presence with free eCommerce hosting
- Hundreds of fully customizable and mobile-friendly templates
- Access to an extensive collection of icons, images, clip art, and free apps
- Free Wix domain (username.wixsite.com/siteaddress)
- Email marketing, SEO assistance, and other marketing tools included.
Cons
- You don't get alerts when your products are running low, meaning that you will disappoint customers who buy products that are out of stock
- If you want to get access to more advanced eCommerce features, you'll have to upgrade to the paid plan.
3. Square
Having been around for ten years now, Square has managed to capture the attention of merchants by being the first platform to accept mobile payments.
It has an advanced mobile processing solution without monthly fees. If you're a low volume merchant with a small online presence, Square might be the best free eCommerce platform for small business. You don't need to be a skilled web designer or know how to write code to create your site on Square.You only pay 2.9% +30 cents per transaction.
Besides, they have great integrations for content marketing and blog posts.The only downside is that a free plan cannot give you a full command over the solution.
Key features
It makes it easier to manage your inventory
Square syncs your list automatically, so you don't have to track the missing products manually.
Customize your dashboard
The dashboard has different apps allowing you to manage backend features in your store. You can also view the information you need from your site through the widgets provided.
Collect customer feedback instantly
Square feedback asks your customers to share their shopping experience with you so you can implement the feedback you get immediately. It's easier to manage your store's reputation and meet your customers' expectations.
Shipping
Choose a shipping carrier, buy and print labels, track your shipments, and update your customers on the status of their purchase. Using the free plan, you can set a rate based on weight, the number of orders, or the quantity of items a customer buys. You still have an option to have a flat rate or offer free shipping.
Pros
- Full-fledged low cost eCommerce website with essential pages (contact form and more)
- Option to add unlimited products with physical and digital variants
- Includes point-of-sale (POS) software for in-person sales
Cons
- Some of the best features are restricted to paid accounts e.g. shipping features or multi-language support
- Payment options are limited to Square as compared to other platforms that provide different payment options for your commerce site.
4. Prestashop
Prestashop is yet another free open-source eCommerce software. It is a good option for small and midsize businesses, allowing you to create your store the way you want by adding the functionality that serves your needs.
Key features
Active user community
Prestashop's user community has more than 1 million members and 1,000 + contributors. As a new user, you won't get stuck because all you have to do is post a question in their community and someone will respond.
Allows you to provide good customer service
Prestashop will enable you to send emails to customers who abandon their shopping carts and send automated emails after they buy.
You can also segment your customers and run relevant sales prospecting campaigns based on the offers they opted in to.
Flexible payment options
It makes it easier for customers to make payments at their convenience, either through checks or wire transfers.
Inventory management
Prestashop helps you track your products and alerts you whenever you need to restock a specific product.
Pros
- Basic and advanced inventory management
- Payment processing: invoicing, cash on delivery (COD), check, bank transfers, credit cards and subscriptions
- Built-in marketing tools: promo codes, price rules, abandonment cart recovery, and engagement emails
- Supports over 75 languages
Cons
- It has a steep learning curve for people who lack tech experience
- Customer support is expensive.
5. OpenCart
Small to midsize business owners with web development experience find Opencart as a viable option for two reasons: keep their operating costs low and have a ton of options to customize their sites.
That said, this free eCommerce software has an intuitive user interface making it easy to learn, so you have all the functionality you need to create your site and start selling your products.
Key features
Customer feedback
Opencart allows your customers to share their thoughts about the products they buy and their shopping experience. To avoid spam, moderate their reviews to avoid distracting other customers who need to read them before making a purchase.
Offers multiple checkout options
To prevent customers from leaving their carts open, OpenCart allows you to provide them with a guest checkout option for first-time buyers. It saves them the hassle of having to register before making a purchase.
Enhanced reporting
Know what's going on in your store by looking at sales reports, types of products your customers viewed, and what they bought.
Large marketplace
OpenCart has a large community of developers who create different themes and extensions for users.
Pros
- Possibility to create an affiliate system to promote specific products
- Features to manage multiple stores from the same account
- Best free ecommerce apps to expand the store functionality
- Сomplete set of reports and metrics.
Cons
- You need to buy add ons to achieve the functionality you need with OpenCart
- Support is limited to forums and user documents.
6. WooCommerce
If you know anything about WordPress and blogging to drive traffic to your store, then you've probably heard of WooCommerce. It allows merchants to sell what they want without having to pay any transaction fees. Also, being based on WordPress, users have access to different themes and plugins to design and run their sites.
Key features
Stable content management system
WooCommerce runs on WordPress, meaning that you have access to the content management system that allows you to create and post content quickly, manage user accounts for influencers, and more.
Customized checkout
To reduce the likelihood of cart abandonment, WooCommerce offers guest checkout plugins to help customers make payments faster.
Read also nopCommerce vs. WooCommerce: the open-source eCommerce showdown
Variety of templates and designs
Build your eCommerce website that looks exactly how you want from the vast number of templates available.
Pros
- Free WooCommerce themes
- Full-fledged content management system
- Sell anything: physical or digital goods, including subscriptions
- Multiple currencies for international transactions.
Cons
- Customer support is limited
- If you haven't used WordPress before, it will take some time before understanding how to create your store on WooCommerce
- WooCommerce pricing isn't as straightforward as it seems with many hidden costs and additional fees.
7. Magento Open Source
Magento Open Source is a good choice for small to medium-sized businesses that want to create fast and affordable sites. Their code allows you to customize different features of your shopping cart to make it easier for customers to buy from your free eCommerce website.
View also Magento or nopCommerce: what to choose for your project and when
Key features
Multi-store functionality
Create and run more than one store on the platform, especially if you are selling different products to different audience segments.
Flexible shipping and payment options
You won't lose customers simply because they can't pay for a product they want to buy.
Active community
In case you get stuck, posting your problem inside the community will help you find a solution from the responses you get.
Pros
- Rich feature list (multiple stores, order management, one-page checkout, )
- Wide range of product types: simple, configurable, bundle, downloadable, etc.
- Extensive analytics and reporting
Cons
- Hard to learn for no-technical business owners and finding developers who understand the platform is hard
- Shipping integrations don't provide accurate shipping rates.
8. X-cart
Since its launch in 2001, X-Cart has established itself as one of the best free eCommerce solutions. It offers two options to merchants: build your online store or build a marketplace with several vendors.
Key features
Mobile-friendly design
Manage your store from your mobile device while at the same time, allow users to access your store from their mobile devices.
Easy Checkout process
Provide your customers with a one-step checkout process. For first-time buyers, give them a guest checkout option to avoid losing them during registration. With 75% of customers taking their business elsewhere if the checkout process is too difficult, an optimized checkout experience greatly improves conversion rates.
Marketing tools
Use customer reviews to convince buyers to make a purchase. Provide upsells and downsells to increase your profit margins.
Multilingual capabilities
Sell your products all over the world by using relevant languages and currencies in your target countries.
Pros
- No transaction fees across all plans
- Native multi-vendor support
- 120 payment gateways, including PayPal and Stripe
- The platform is responsive and has a mobile app
Cons
- You will need to pay for an annual subscription to enjoy new features they release
- They don't have many templates, so you have to custom write everything for products and their descriptions.
9. Big Cartel
Big Cartel is the best free shopping cart for artists, designers and crafters who manage a modest inventory. It is hard to beat if you only need to sell a few items. Unlike many of its rivals, the platform doesn't include intrusive advertisements.
However, limited product selection and absence of inventory tracking makes this solution unsuitable for building an eCommerce business. With the free plan, there is also a small Big Cartel logo in the footer you can delete using a special code.
Key features
Custom domain
Big Cartel is one of the few free ecommerce website builders that permits you to connect a custom domain, such as www.yourstore.com. Use a Big Cartel subdomain, such as yourstore.BigCartel.com, if you don't have a unique domain of your own.
Maximum five products on sale
One photo is included with each of the five unique products listed in the free plan. Customers can use PayPal or Stripe to process their credit card payments. Digital goods like e-books and films cannot be sold, though.
Pros
- Everything necessary to create a complete website with numerous pages and a contact form
- Big Cartel offers a variety of fashionable themes that you can personalize with your own brand and colors.
Cons
- Digital coupons can be created only in the paid versions of Big Cartel
- The title and descriptions of products cannot be changed in any editions. Big Cartel generates SEO data automatically.
10. Shift4Shop
Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart) is last but not least in the list of the cheapest eCommerce platforms. Compared to more famous competitors, the platform provides a number of sophisticated eCommerce features at no cost. Search engine optimization, mobile-friendly website layouts, sales tracking, and free domain name registration are a few of its advantages.
Despite the fact that its free plan seems too good to be true, Shift4Shop doesn't have any additional fees. However, keep in mind that US-based businesses can only take use of Shift4Shop's free End-to-End plan if they use its integrated payment processor – Shift4Payments.
Key features
Product management features
Sell as many categories, photos, and products as you like, including digital ones. Additionally, you can set up waiting lists, cross-sell and up-sell opportunities for your products.
Omnichannel support
Sell your goods across several channels, including Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, eBay, and Google Shopping Feed.
Marketing tools
Product reviews, wish lists, gift cards, affiliate programs, coupons and discounts, and Mailchimp or Aweber integrations are available even in the free plan.
Pros
- 50+ mobile-ready themes and a built-in blog
- Custom domain available
- No transaction fees
Cons
- Shift4Payments is the only payment gateway option for free plans
- Steep learning curve
- No mobile app included.
What is the best free eCommerce platform?
The platform you choose to build your eCommerce website for free will determine how well you do as a merchant. And before settling for one, you need to look at what you want to achieve, and the features that align with your business needs in each platform.
Another thing to consider is what each platform is doing to meet its users' needs. Is the platform releasing new integrations, themes, and other features that help you run your site smoothly? Since your store will grow, your needs will change, so you want a platform that stays ahead of you by providing relevant features.
All the platforms I have mentioned come with a free demo. Keeping this in mind, pick the best three from the list. Sign up for a demo in each and narrow down to one that best serves your needs and start building your store. Even if you see that the chosen platform doesn't meet your business needs and objectives, you can always migrate to another platform via Cart2Cart.
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Adam Enfroy is a full-time blogger at www.adamenfroy.com who teaches his 500,000+ readers
how to start and scale profitable blogging businesses.
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