Compare ecommerce starter plans
A cheap start can become expensive later
Most ecommerce platforms promote an affordable starter plan. The real difference is what the plan includes before you need upgrades, paid apps, extra tools or a more expensive package.
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Entry-level ecommerce plans compared
A good starter plan should help you launch a real online store, not just open the door to more upgrades.
Before choosing a platform, compare what matters after launch: product limits, design quality, payment costs, POS, apps and the cost of growth.
Platform & starter price
What to know before choosing
RECOMMENDED
Finqu Essentials
$39/month billed yearly
$39/month billed yearly
The starter plan with serious commerce built in. Premium themes, unlimited products, full point-of-sale, no Finqu platform fees on sales and a modern AI-ready commerce foundation from day one.
Shopify Basic
$24/month billed yearly
Shopify vs Finqu pricing$24/month billed yearly
Shopify Basic is a strong ecommerce starter plan, but the monthly price is only part of the cost. External payment providers add third-party transaction fees of up to 2%, advanced retail features require POS Pro, and paid apps increase the total cost as the store grows.
Wix Core
$29/month billed yearly
$29/month billed yearly
Wix Core gives merchants a basic ecommerce setup inside a website builder. It works for simple sites, but serious commerce needs stronger product, POS and operational tools.
Squarespace Basic
$16/month billed yearly
$16/month billed yearly
Squarespace is a website builder with ecommerce features, not a full commerce platform for growing stores. The Basic plan also adds a 2% online store transaction fee.
BigCommerce Core
$29/month billed yearly
$29/month billed yearly
BigCommerce Core has a $30K annual GMV cap and a 2.0% Open Payment Provider fee. It also leaves key growth features, such as customer groups, abandoned cart saver and product filtering, to higher plans.
WooCommerce
Free plugin
Free plugin
WooCommerce starts as a free plugin, not a finished ecommerce platform. A real store needs hosting, themes, extensions, updates, security, maintenance and technical work.
MyCashflow Basic
$56/month billed yearly
$56/month billed yearly
MyCashflow Basic is a legacy-style starter plan with a tight 200-product limit and 500 MB disk space. That small catalog limit pushes growing merchants toward the next plan, which is roughly twice the price.
Vilkas Now S
$41/month with annual contract
$41/month with annual contract
Vilkas Now S is a traditional starter plan with only 100 products. That limit becomes tight quickly and pushes growing merchants toward higher plans.
Shopware
Community Edition Free download
Rise from about $680/month
Community Edition Free download
Rise from about $680/month
Shopware is a powerful open-source commerce platform, but the free version is not a ready hosted starter plan. A real store needs hosting, implementation, maintenance, extensions and technical ownership. The first commercial plan starts much higher than typical starter plans.
EKM
$438/month
$438/month
EKM has moved away from low-cost starter pricing into a high monthly managed package. That makes the entry price heavy for merchants who want to start lean.
ShopWired Essentials
$47/month
$47/month
ShopWired Essentials is a traditional ecommerce starter plan with product and turnover limits. That makes growth part of the pricing decision early.
Volusion Personal
$35/month
$35/month
Volusion Personal is an older ecommerce starter plan with a 100-product limit, one staff account and a $50K annual GMV cap. That keeps the entry plan small.
PrestaShop Hosted
$27/month billed yearly
$27/month billed yearly
PrestaShop Hosted is based on an older open-source platform model with hosted services added on top. The ecosystem still depends heavily on modules, themes and technical decisions.
Price note: Prices are shown in USD using rounded exchange rates and the lowest publicly listed annual, one-time or starter price. Taxes, campaigns and local market pricing may change the final price.
RECOMMENDED STARTER PLAN
Finqu Essentials: the starter plan with serious commerce built in
The benchmark for this comparison: a starter plan that already includes the foundation merchants normally need when the store starts to grow. Finqu Essentials gives you the design, selling tools and growth room to launch properly without being pushed into upgrades the moment your store starts to grow.
No platform fees on sales
Use the payment methods that fit your customers without Finqu taking a percentage of your sales.
No product limit
Add products without growing into a higher plan because of catalog size.
Premium design included
Start with professional themes and ready-made sections without buying a paid theme.
Full POS from the start
Sell online and in person without upgrading to a separate retail plan.
Do you know what Shopify really costs?
Shopify needs its own cost breakdown. The advertised monthly plan is only part of the real cost. Third-party transaction fees, paid apps, POS Pro and premium themes all change what Shopify really costs.