Best Free eCommerce Website Builders

Creating an online store for your business might seem like an extra chore or expense you're not ready to tackle right now. However, it doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task or a drain on your bottom line.

There are several free eCommerce website builders that can help you expand your business without creating an extra headache. We checked out several options and narrowed the list to nine top choices.

What Are the Best Free eCommerce Website Builders?

Weebly – Best overall free eCommerce website builder
Strikingly – Best for single product sales
Freewebstore – Best free eCommerce website builder for products with age limits
Webstarts – Best free eCommerce website builder for small stores
Mozello – Best multilingual free eCommerce website builder
Adobe Commerce – Best free eCommerce website builder for start-ups
Squareup – Best free eCommerce website builder for brick and mortar stores
WooCommerce – Best free eCommerce option for WordPress users
Ecwid – Best free eCommerce plug-in for any website

Weebly is the best overall free eCommerce website builder because it’s easy to use with convenient drag and drop features, and there are no limits to how many products you can post with the free plan.

Strikingly offers exceptional customer service and works well for single product sales. Webstarts is an excellent choice for smaller stores, and Magento caters to start-ups.

Free eCommerce Website Builder Comparison

	Overall Score	Templates	Upgrade to Paid Plans?	SSL Included with Free Plan?	24/7 Support?
Weebly	4.5	50	Yes	Yes	No
Strikingly	4	200+	Yes	Yes	Yes
Freewebstore	4	40+	Yes	Yes	No
Webstarts	4	160+	Yes	No	Yes
Mozello	4	50	Yes	Yes	No
Adobe Commerce	3.75	10	Yes	No	Yes
Squareup	3.75	25+	Yes	Yes	No
WooCommerce	3.5	75+	No	Yes	No
Ecwid	3.5	40+	Yes	Yes	No

Let’s dig a little deeper on each platform. Read on to learn more about each free eCommerce website builder to see which could work best for you.

Weebly

4.5/5 Best Overall Free eCommerce Website Builder

With more than 50 million websites using Weebly, it’s arguably the most popular eCommerce website builders. It’s easy to use and has several features available with the free package.

Pros

Build your site with drag-and-drop editing.
There’s no limit to the number of products you can list with the free plan.
Includes a blog feature that complements your store and allows you to add a personal touch.
Weebly grows with your store and continues to meet your needs no matter how large you get.
SSL included for safe payments.
You can upgrade to paid plans if you want access to more tools and features.

Cons

You can’t offer offline payments.
There is no free plan outside the United States.
Can't sell digital products with free plan.

Ease of Use: 5/5

It’s tough to find a website builder that’s easier to use. Weebly is intuitive and easy to learn, even for beginners. Choose a template and customize it to meet your store’s needs.

Design Flexibility: 4/5

Even though you choose a template, there are plenty to pick from and a lot of room to customize designs to your tastes. Some users may want a little more control over their design because they are simplistic. However, they look appealing, and you can easily add your own personal flair.

It’s not a bad alternative to building a custom site from the ground up. Who has the time, knowledge, and funds for that?

Website Features: 5/5

Have we mentioned that there’s no limit to the number of products you can list with the free plan? If that’s not enough to win you over on Weebly, they also include a shopping cart, quick shop feature, in-store pickup option, and inventory management.

Help and Support: 4/5

They offer a lot of support in the help center, including SEO guides, to help you improve your Google ranking and keywords. You also have access to community forums, live chat, and email support.

However, Weebly’s customer service leaves a little to be desired. They don’t offer phone support unless you upgrade to a paid plan, and the live chat is not available 24/7 for users.

Strikingly

4/5 Best Free eCommerce Website Builder for Single Product Sales

Strikingly’s free option allows you to sell one product with five pages per site. It’s clean, efficient, and works wonders for people with one product or service seeking a minimal eCommerce site.

Pros

More than 200 modern, responsive, appealing designs to choose from.
It’s quick and easy to set up a free site and start selling.
You can only have one product per site, but you can have unlimited sites.
Invite collaborators to help you operate the store.
You can purchase a custom email to go with your site for $25/year.

Cons

Since your pages are limited, your SEO may suffer.
You have to use a Strikingly.com domain with the free plan.

Ease of Use: 5/5

Strikingly is exceptionally easy to use, and they claim you can create a store in minutes. Since your store is limited to five pages and one product, there’s not much to set up. The layout is easy to navigate and makes for a customer-friendly experience.

Design Flexibility: 4/5

With more than 200 fantastic designs to choose from, there's bound to be something for everyone. The designs are modern and mobile responsive, so you don’t have to worry about taking extra steps on your own.

Website Features: 3/5

Though Strikingly offers a lot of cool features, like pop-ups and reviews, you can't access them with the free plan. You can access site stats, and you can choose from plenty of payment options.

Help and Support: 4/5

Strikingly offers 24/7 support through live chat and email. The company’s page also provides an extensive help feature known as “knowledge base” with more than a dozen categories and loads of information to help you with your store.

Freewebstore

4/5 Best Free eCommerce Website Builder for Products with Age Limits

With a tag line of “free eCommerce for everyone,” it’s tough to pass up Freewebstore. You don’t even have to use a credit card to get started because it’s free until you reach a set level of sales.

Pros

Your site is fully hosted by Freewebstore, so you don’t have to pay for a third-party host.
There are no transaction fees involved.
Several payment options to choose from, including Paypal and Skrill.
Free SSL is included.
You can set age limits for purchasing products.

Cons

You can only sell physical goods, no digital products or services.
Some features only apply to paid plans.

Ease of Use: 4/5

The system is a little out-of-date, but not over-complicated to use. It’s not quite as user-friendly as some of the other options, and you have to find plug-ins for certain features, like printing labels and social media sales.

Design Flexibility: 4/5

Choose from more than 160 different designs that you can customize and make your own. Fortunately, the templates don’t look cheap or dated, and they are mobile responsive. You can edit images and include customized logos and banners.

Website Features: 4/5

For a free platform, Freewebstore offers a lot, including an age verification option for products with age limits. The management features include low stock alerts and automatic stock management.

You also have a selection of marketing features to improve your sales, including a newsletter and Google analytics data. There is plenty of room to engage with your customers on social media.

Help and Support: 4/5

Freewebstore boasts about their commitment to customer service, and they answer more than 99% of all support tickets within 24 hours. The company offers support for DIYers with video tutorials and help guides.

Webstarts

4/5 Best Free eCommerce Website Builder for Small Stores

Webstarts made a name as a website builder, but now you can add a store for free.

Pros

Smooth, easy-to-use platform works for beginners.
You get 1Gb of space with the free plan.
The advertisement for the paid plan is small and placed in the footer.
Several payment options, including Stripe, WePay, and PayPal.
You can upgrade to paid plans if you want access to more tools and features.

Cons

You can’t include a SKU of any kind for inventory tracking.
There are no SEO options, like title tags and personalized URLs.
Mobile responsiveness is only available with paid plans.

Ease of Use: 5/5

Create your store by dragging and dropping features. It’s simple to set up and even easier to use on a day-to-day basis. You don’t have to code, but you can if you want to customize your site further.

Design Flexibility: 4/5

Choose from more than 160 templates, then go to town customizing the design to fit your brand and store’s needs. You can tweak almost any element of the design, including font style, font color, and background images.

Website Features: 3/5

The free plan doesn’t include enough features to make Webstarts work for every business. There are some neat features with the free plan, but it may not be enough to meet your needs.

Help and Support: 4/5

One of the things Webstarts does well is customer service. You don’t have to resort to email just because you use the free plan—they offer live chat for immediate assistance. They also have an extensive FAQ section and video tutorials to guide you along the way.

Mozello

4/5 Best Multilingual Free eCommerce Website Builder

For a free platform, Mozello offers a lot, including multilingual options. Most companies don’t offer the option to sell in multiple languages, but this Latvian company chose to do just that.

Pros

You can sell your goods in fifteen different languages.
Inventory tracking includes alerts, so you know when to restock.
You can offer variations of products, including colors, sizes, and materials.
It’s quick and easy to set up your store and start selling.

Cons

The free plan is basic and only accepts PayPal
You can only sell physical goods.
You have to add SSL yourself.

Ease of Use: 4/5

Thankfully this platform is easy to use. Setting up your store is an intuitive process and takes minutes. However, the set-up is basic and may look too simplistic for some owners.

Design Flexibility: 5/5

Choose from 50 templates that you can fully customize. You can alter fonts, major elements, and adjust general layouts to achieve the look you desire. Of course, most templates have a chic, modern appearance to begin.

Website Features: 4/5

Though Mozello could use some improvement, the multilingual feature and inventory tracking options bring a lot to the table. Larger businesses may not see the appeal, but smaller companies should appreciate the options and convenience.

Help and Support: 3/5

Customer support relies solely on basic tutorials and FAQs or email correspondence. There is almost no troubleshooting help available, especially regarding store creation and function.

Adobe Commerce

3.75/5 Best Free eCommerce Website Builder for Start-ups

Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento, is one of the best-known eCommerce options. It’s an excellent option for start-ups because it works with your business as it grows.

Pros

You can self-host on any PHP web hosting.
There are numerous ways to customize your store, and many developers know how to handle the tech side.
Works well for a single store or companies with multiple locations.
Choose from tons of extensions and plug-ins to make your site work for you.
Easy integration with other Adobe products.

Cons

You have to purchase some necessary features, like the SSL certificate.
There’s a learning curve involved with the program, especially as you add extensions and plug-ins.

Ease of Use: 4/5

The basic builder is easy to use with drag-and-drop features. It’s easy to track inventory and create product recommendations.

One of the biggest benefits of Adobe Commerce is the day-to-day use. Once you manage the set-up of your store, it’s easy to use each day. Plus, Magento created one of the smoothest shopping and transaction experiences for your customers.

Design Flexibility: 2/5

Adobe Commerce doesn’t offer custom designs, but you can go to a third party to find themes or build one yourself. Of note, the base designs are not much to look at, so you definitely want to find something better.

Website Features: 5/5

Adobe thrives because they offer so many features. You can create and set up coupons, manage multiple sales channels, and create product bundles.

Help and Support: 4/5

Now that Adobe owns Magento, you can expect about the same level of customer service as you get with any of their products, including 24/7 support.

Squareup

3.75/5 Best Free eCommerce Website Builder for Brick and Mortar Stores

You may already be familiar with Square, the famous point of sale system for smartphones, desktops, and tablets. The company expanded its offerings to include eCommerce so that you can sell in-person and online.

Pros

Seamlessly merges point of sale business with online selling.
You can sell tickets to future events at your store.
Tracking your physical inventory is easier.
You can sell unlimited products for pickup or local delivery.
SSL included for safe payments.
You can upgrade to paid plans if you want access to more tools and features.

Cons

It’s free to create the store, and there are no monthly fees, but they do take 3% of every transaction.
Unless you have a physical store, there are better options.
Limited SEO opportunities detract from the efficiency.

Ease of Use: 4/5

Fast and easy set-up is a major selling point, but that’s not all you have to look forward to with Squareup. You can offer product subscriptions and easily manage inventory to make your life easier.

Design Flexibility: 4/5

There are dozens of designs to choose from and customize to meet your needs. You can customize your store to fit your needs and even integrate with Pinterest and Instagram.

Website Features: 3/5

For physical businesses seeking to expand their offerings and reach more customers, there are plenty of features you want (and need). Squareup offers incredible marketing features and SEO tools, but the focus is local.

Help and Support: 4/5

The good news is, Squareup offers more support than Square has historically. Unfortunately, it is not available 24/7 unless you pay for it and meet the criteria of a “larger company.” The website does, however, provide several resources to help users navigate common issues.

WooCommerce

3.5/5 Best Free eCommerce Option for WordPress Users

If you already have a WordPress site and want to add a store, WooCommerce may be the best free plug-in available. WooCommerce is a powerful store for WordPress sites, and it works for stores of all sizes, so scalability is not an issue.

Pros

This plug-in can do almost anything as far as eCommerce is concerned.
Integrates a shop with your existing website design.
You can easily integrate SSL.
Product presentation is topnotch with carousels, galleries, and more.
It helps your SEO and Google ranking.

Cons

WooCommerce may be a bit tech-heavy for beginners, and you need to know WordPress well.
Support is non-existent through WooCommerce, you need to reach out to Google and tech forums for answers.

Ease of Use: 2/5

WordPress is a monster in terms of website building, and WooCommerce can turn your site into an eCommerce giant. However, it is highly technical and requires you to know WordPress well before you even start with WooCommerce.

Design Flexibility: 5/5

The only limits to design are your creativity and what you can accomplish with WordPress. There are loads of options for product presentation and several opportunities to customize your shop.

Features: 4/5

From browser extensions to flexible payment options, WooCommerce does it all. You can easily manage orders from your phone and upgrade your store with extensions (like Google Analytics and Facebook) to help you grow.

Help and Support: 3/5

As mentioned, there’s not a lot of support beyond a public forum and Google. Even the WooCommerce webpage explaining their support policies is confusing and difficult to work through. However, you can hire a developer to improve or correct your design.

Ecwid

3.5/5 Best Free eCommerce Plug-in for Any Website

When you have an existing website and want to add a store, Ecwid is an excellent option. Unlike WooCommerce, Ecwid works with any site. It’s a versatile plug-in available in 50 languages.

Pros

The plug-in works with any website for easy integration.
If you don't already have a store, you can create one using Ecwid's platform.
You can sell 5 items with the free plan.
SSL integration is easy.
You can work with more than 20 payment processors, including PayPal.
There are some stylish options for displaying your products.

Cons

You can't sell digital products with the free plan
The free plan customer support options leave something to be desired.

Ease of Use: 3/5

The plug-in is easy enough to use, though it may be a little tricky to initially set it up and learn the interface. However, once it's done, you're set for an easy, user-friendly experience. You also have to integrate some aspects, like SSL.

Design Flexibility: 3/5

The designs are pretty basic when you use Ecwid's website builder. If you’re looking for more templates or special customizations, it may be better to use another platform and use the Ecwid plugin.

Website Features: 5/5

Ecwid has more than a million users because of the phenomenal features. Even the free plan offers a lot, including setting taxes, mobile responsiveness, and point of sale options. You can set up carousels and galleries to showcase your products.

Help and Support: 35

The quality of support depends heavily on the plan you choose. That means the free plan offers the least amount of support and only by email. You could be waiting a bit to get your answer.

How to Choose a Free eCommerce Website Builder

Choosing an eCommerce website builder isn’t something to rush into. You need to take into account what your business needs to succeed.

Small businesses have different needs than larger businesses. Some eCommerce platforms don’t allow the sale of digital goods, so if you only sell digital products you don’t want to sign up for those options.

Understanding your team’s strengths and limitations is a good place to start, but make sure you know what you hope to accomplish. We created a list of considerations to help you create a proper eCommerce website builder wish list.

Ease of Use

Ask yourself (and your team) how tech-savvy you truly are. If coding is your hobby and you know how to rework some HTML, you may be able to go with a more technical platform. However, if you need something simple to set up and navigate, you may want to look for a drag-and-drop platform.

Templates and Design Options

Design matters. From incorporating your branding to creating a visually appealing virtual storefront, you want a platform that provides plenty of room for customization. You also probably want an eCommerce website that looks unique.

Features

What do you need your store to do for you? Think about inventory management, coupons, and blogs. Remember to look at the difference between features that come with free plans and those you need to pay extra to access.

Scalability

Do you want to grow your business? Maybe you have half a dozen products now, but hope to expand to a few dozen over the next few years. Unless you want to swap sites and re-build your store in a year or two, you probably want to choose a platform that can accommodate your growth.

Pricing

Even if you start out with a free plan, you may want to upgrade at some point. You may also need to pay for plug-ins or upgrades to improve your platform. Some eCommerce website builders set sales limits on their free plans, which means you may not have a choice as your company grows.

Help and Support

When things go wrong, you need help troubleshooting. If sending an email and waiting 24 hours (or more) for an answer sounds miserable, you may want to pay attention to customer support options.

Even if you don’t require 24/7 support, you might want access to a live chat or phone call. Not every company allows people on the free plans to access all customer support options. You may have to pay extra for more troubleshooting assistance.

Should You Try a Free eCommerce Website Builder?

If you’re thinking about eCommerce for your business, but you’re not quite sure it’s right for you, you probably don’t want to enter a long-term agreement. Free eCommerce website builders allow you to dip a toe in the water and test things out.

Free plans save you money and give you a sample of what to expect going forward, but there are limitations. Whether you accept a short-term free trial or stick with a long-term free plan, you may eventually need to upgrade your account to access all the features you desire.

Also, some platforms set limits on how much you can make before you need to upgrade. Others set limits on the number of sales you can have each day. If you don’t want to restrict your maximum sales for a day, you won't want to choose an eCommerce website builder that limits you.

Best Free eCommerce Website Builders: Roundup

Making a choice comes down to personal preference. No matter what platform you choose, you can start selling your products and grow your business.

We suggest using Weebly as a free eCommerce website builder, but it’s not the only option. Here’s a reminder of our top nine website buidlers and what makes each one stand out.

Weebly – Best overall
Strikingly – Best for single product sales
Freewebstore – Best for products that require age verification
Webstarts – Best for small stores
Mozello – Best multilingual platform
Adobe Commerce – Best for start-ups
Squareup – Best for physical stores
WooCommerce – Best plug-in for WordPress users
Ecwid – Best plug-in for any website

If you want a store that stands out from the rest, go with Strikingly, but be prepared to upgrade as you grow. For businesses seeking a platform to grow with them, Adobe Commerce is tough to beat.

FAQs

Is SSL important for an eCommerce store?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is important for eCommerce because it protects you and your customers. SSL certificates protect sensitive data, like credit card information and login credentials.

Many of the platforms we listed offer SSL certification with free plans, while others allow you to integrate them on your own. Whichever platform you choose, you definitely want to have SSL certification before you start selling.

Is it important to choose a platform that is mobile responsive?

How many times have made a purchase from your phone? The truth is, mobile commerce is a massive market, and it’s expected to account for 7.4% of all retail sales. Can you afford to miss out on that kind of traffic?

Remember, not all platforms include mobile responsiveness in their free plans. If it’s not clear that a platform is mobile responsive, you may want to reach out to customer service before building a store.

Is it better to add a plug-in to an existing site or create a dedicated eCommerce website?

Again, this situation comes down to personal preference. If you have an existing website that you love, it may be worth integrating a plug-in, like Ecwid, to keep everything in one place.

New businesses or people introducing an eCommerce option may prefer to use a dedicated eCommerce platform. When you choose an eCommerce platform, you may want to consider whether you want to do a blog or how much effort you want to put into SEO.

Which free eCommerce website builder has the best templates?

It all comes down to personal preference, however, some platforms offer more options. Strikingly has the best personalization options because your choices are almost endless. Weebly has more than 50 templates to choose from, and a few others have more than 40 available.

Which free eCommerce website builder offers the cheapest paid option?

Mozello has the cheapest paid plans with a Premium Plus account at $16 per month. If you’re willing to go just a little more, Weebly offers a little bit more by way of features and usability for $29 per month or less.

How long will it take to start selling on my eCommerce website?

It may take a few minutes to start a store, but it takes a little more time to customize and populate it. Consider how easy it is to use the platform and how many products you have to set up. If you only have a few products, you could be up and running in an hour or two.

Remember, there is a difference between setting up a store and actually selling your products. Once you set up the store, you need to attract visitors and convert them to customers. That may require a little more work on your part!