How much does it cost to start an online store in 2026?
Starting an online store can cost almost nothing, or several hundred dollars a year before you sell anything. The difference is mostly in the platform you choose. Here is every cost involved, with real 2026 prices, so you can see what you have to pay and what you can avoid.
The short answer
- The least you can spend: $0 to start. On a free platform such as Payly you pay only a payment processing fee when you make a sale, about 2.9% + 30¢ per card payment.
- A typical paid platform: about $350 to $470 a year for the plan, plus paid apps and, on some platforms, an extra fee on every sale.
- A self-hosted store: hosting from about $300 a year, plus paid extensions and your time.
Every cost, line by line
1. The ecommerce platform
This is the biggest choice and the biggest range. Prices per month, as published in October 2026:
| Platform | Cheapest plan that sells, billed yearly | Billed monthly | Extra fee per sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payly | $0 | $0 | None |
| Shopify Basic | $29 | $39 | 2% unless you use Shopify Payments |
| Wix Core | $29 | $36 | None |
| Squarespace Basic | $19 | $25 | 2% |
| Squarespace Core | $29 | $39 | None |
| BigCommerce Core | $29 | $39 | None with PayPal or Stripe |
| Big Cartel Platinum | $12 | $15 | None (50 products) |
A 2% fee sounds small, but on $2,000 a month of sales it is $480 a year, more than most plans cost.
2. Payment processing
Every store pays this, on every sale, to whoever handles the payment. US rates as published in October 2026:
| Payment | Fee |
|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout | 3.49% + 49¢ |
| Card payment through PayPal | 2.99% + 49¢ |
| Stripe, standard US card | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Shopify Payments, Wix Payments, Squarespace Payments (cheapest plans) | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Etsy Payments | 3% + 25¢ |
On a $50 order, that is about $1.75 with Stripe. It is not something a platform can make free; what matters is that nothing extra is added on top.
3. Hosting
Hosted platforms include hosting in their plan. Self-hosted software such as WooCommerce needs a host, which WooCommerce estimates at $25 to $350 a month for most stores. On Payly, your store runs on your own free Cloudflare account, which covers about 5,000 visitors a day; a busier store can move to Cloudflare's paid plan at $5 a month.
4. A domain name
An address such as yourshop.com typically costs about $10 to $20 a year from a domain registrar. Some platforms include the first year with a yearly plan. It is optional: every Payly store gets a free address, and connecting your own domain is free.
5. Apps and extensions
This is the cost that surprises people. On many platforms, features such as subscriptions, memberships, product reviews or digital downloads come from paid apps or extensions with their own monthly or yearly fees. WooCommerce's official Subscriptions extension, for example, is $279 a year. Before choosing a platform, list the features you need and check which are included. On Payly, all of these are included at no cost.
6. Design
Every major platform includes free templates, and most stores start with one. Paid themes and hiring a designer are optional. Payly comes with ready-made store designs that you can change in its editor.
7. Product photos
Good photos sell. A phone with a good camera, daylight from a window and a plain background are enough to start, and cost nothing extra.
8. Packaging and shipping
If you sell physical products, budget for boxes, mailers and postage. You can pass shipping costs to customers at checkout with flat rates or rates by zone, or build them into your prices and offer free shipping.
Three starting budgets
Here is the first year of a store selling $2,000 a month in $50 orders, with payment processing left out because it is about the same everywhere:
| Free platform (Payly) | Shopify Basic | WooCommerce | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | $0 | $348 (billed yearly) | $0 |
| Extra fee per sale | $0 | $0 with Shopify Payments; $480 with another provider | $0 |
| Hosting | $0 | Included | From $300 |
| Domain (optional) | About $15 | About $15 | About $15 |
| Subscriptions feature | Included | App pricing varies | $279 |
| First year | About $15 | About $363 to $843, plus apps | About $594 and up |
How to start for close to nothing
- Create a free Payly account. No credit card is asked for.
- Choose a design and make it yours in the editor.
- Add your products, or import them from Shopify, Etsy, Wix, Squarespace or WooCommerce.
- Connect PayPal or Stripe, so payments go straight to you.
- Publish to your free Cloudflare account, and add your own domain whenever you like.
Your only costs are the processing fee when you make a sale, and a domain if you want one.
Questions
Can I start an online store with no money?
Yes. On Payly, the store, checkout and hosting are free, and payment processing is only charged when you make a sale. A domain name is optional.
What is the cheapest way to sell online?
A free platform that adds no fee of its own, so you pay only the payment processor's standard rate. For many products, that is a store of your own on Payly; for one product, a PayPal or Stripe payment link.
How does Payly make money if it is free?
Payly is an official PayPal and Stripe partner, and that partnership lets Payly run the platform without charging you. Your money never passes through Payly.
Prices and fees as published by each company for the US in October 2026, except domain prices, which vary by registrar and ending. Worked examples are our own arithmetic. Prices can change; check each company's own pricing page.
