What's the cheapest way to create an ecommerce website? A free no-code store builder — here's the honest math
The cheapest way to sell online in 2026 isn't Shopify, WordPress, or hiring a developer — it's a free no-code store builder. Below are the real ₹/$ numbers for every option, when paying or hiring actually makes sense, and how to get a live store for ₹0.
The cheapest way to create an ecommerce website is a free no-code builder. On SitesPlaced you can build and publish a real online store for ₹0 — unlimited products, unlimited orders, COD + UPI + WhatsApp checkout, inventory and coupons — at 0% commission. No hosting bill, no developer, no installation. You only pay (₹499/month) when you want your own domain and online card payments.
TL;DR
- • Cheapest overall: a free no-code store builder — SitesPlaced free plan publishes a live store at ₹0, 0% commission.
- • Cheapest with your own domain: SitesPlaced Ecommerce, ₹499/mo ($14.99) — still cheaper than Shopify before apps.
- • Shopify / WordPress: ~$29/mo+ or hosting + domain + plugins; both cost more on day one than free.
- • Hiring someone: freelancer ₹5k–₹50k+, agency ₹30k–₹5L+ — worth it only for genuinely custom apps.
- • Watch the add-ons: domains, transaction fees and paid apps are where “cheap” gets expensive.
Real cost comparison
| Option | Price | Domain | Sale fees | Notable extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free builder (SitesPlaced free plan) | ₹0 / $0 | Free subdomain | 0% commission | Build + publish a real store, unlimited products |
| SitesPlaced Ecommerce | ₹499/mo ($14.99) | Your own domain | 0% commission | Razorpay, Shiprocket, AI, setup person |
| Shopify | From ~$29/mo (₹2.4k+) | Paid add-on | Up to ~2% external gateway | Many apps add monthly cost |
| WordPress + WooCommerce | Software free; ~₹3k–₹15k+/yr | Paid (~₹800–₹1.5k/yr) | Gateway fees only | You pay hosting + theme/plugins + setup |
| Freelancer / Fiverr | ~₹5k–₹50k+ ($50–$1000+) | Usually extra | Depends on platform | One-time build; you maintain it |
| Web agency (custom) | ~₹30k–₹5L+ ($1k–$10k+) | Quoted separately | Depends on stack | Best for complex custom apps |
All figures are approximate, entry-tier and region/2026-dependent — always confirm current rates on each provider's site. SitesPlaced figures are the published rate.
The honest ranking, cheapest to most expensive
- 1. Free no-code builder — ₹0. The genuine cheapest option for a standard catalogue and checkout. You build it yourself in an afternoon and publish on a free subdomain. SitesPlaced's free plan goes further than most by letting you publish a real store, not just a “coming soon” page, at 0% commission.
- 2. Paid no-code plan — a few hundred ₹/mo. Once you want a custom domain and online card payments, expect ₹199–₹499/month. SitesPlaced Ecommerce is ₹499/month ($14.99) with the domain, AI copy and a human setup person included.
- 3. Shopify — ~$29/mo and up. Capable, but the headline price climbs once you add apps, and you may pay ~2% extra per sale if you don't use Shopify Payments.
- 4. WordPress + WooCommerce — “free” software, real bills. The software is free and open-source, but you pay for hosting, a domain, and often a paid theme or plugins — and you're the one keeping it secure and updated.
- 5. Freelancer / Fiverr — ₹5k–₹50k+. A one-time build you then maintain yourself. Good for a custom look on a budget; quality varies a lot.
- 6. Agency / custom developer — ₹30k–₹5L+. The most expensive, and the right call for complex, custom web apps (unusual logistics, custom integrations, bespoke UX). Overkill for a normal product store.
When paying or hiring is actually worth it
Be honest with yourself about the goal. If you need a genuinely custom web app — a marketplace with multiple vendors, unusual fulfilment logic, deep ERP or CRM integrations, or a one-of-a-kind buying experience — then a skilled freelancer or agency earns their fee, and trying to force a no-code tool to do it will cost you more in workarounds. The same is true if your time is worth more elsewhere: paying someone to set it up can be the cheaper choice once you value your hours. For everything else — a clothing brand, a bakery, a D2C product, a service business, a creator selling a few SKUs — a no-code store does the same job for a fraction of the price. The skill is matching the spend to the actual complexity, not paying agency rates for a five-product store.
The 3 hidden costs that make “cheap” expensive
- 1. The domain. Most platforms quote the plan, then bill ₹800–₹1,500/year for yourname.com separately. SitesPlaced includes the custom domain on its paid plan, and the free plan runs on a free subdomain.
- 2. Transaction fees. A 1–2% cut on every order quietly adds up to thousands a year as you grow. SitesPlaced charges 0% commission — you keep the full sale.
- 3. Paid apps. Invoices, shipping labels, abandoned-cart emails, coupons — on app-marketplace builders these are extra monthly subscriptions. On SitesPlaced they're built in (PDF invoices, COD/UPI, Shiprocket on paid plans, coupons and offers).
Cheapest doesn't have to mean basic
The fear with “cheapest” is that you end up with a toy store. SitesPlaced flips that: the free plan ships a real, working storefront — unlimited products, real inventory, COD/UPI/WhatsApp checkout, order and lead emails, PDF invoices — and the ₹499/month upgrade adds your own domain, online card/UPI payments via Razorpay, AI product descriptions, order tracking, abandoned-cart follow-ups, Shiprocket shipping, and a dedicated person who sets it all up for you. You can start free today and upgrade only when sales justify it — never the other way around.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to create an ecommerce website?
The cheapest way in 2026 is a free no-code store builder. On SitesPlaced you can build AND publish a real online store for ₹0 — unlimited products, unlimited orders, COD + UPI + WhatsApp checkout, inventory and coupons — at 0% commission, on a free yourname.sitesplaced.com address. There's nothing to install and no developer to hire. When you're ready for your own domain and card payments, the Ecommerce plan is ₹499/month ($14.99).
Is Shopify or WordPress cheaper for a small store?
Neither is the cheapest. Shopify starts around $29/month and can add ~2% on top of payments if you don't use its own gateway, plus paid apps. WordPress software is free, but you still pay for hosting (~₹3k–₹15k+/year), a domain, and often a paid theme or plugins — and you handle setup and updates yourself. A free no-code builder with 0% commission beats both on day-one cost.
How much does it cost to hire someone to build an online store?
A freelancer or Fiverr seller typically charges ~₹5,000–₹50,000+ ($50–$1000+) for a one-time build, and a custom agency build can run ₹30,000–₹5,00,000+ ($1k–$10k+). That's worth it for genuinely complex, custom web apps — but for a standard product catalogue and checkout, a no-code builder gets you the same outcome for free or a few hundred rupees a month.
Can I really sell online for free with no coding?
Yes. SitesPlaced's free plan lets you publish a live store, take COD, UPI and WhatsApp orders, manage inventory, send PDF invoices and order emails — all without code and at 0% commission. The free plan shows a small SitesPlaced badge, gives 500 MB storage and no AI; upgrading removes the badge and adds your own domain plus online card payments.
Are there hidden costs in cheap ecommerce options?
Often. The headline price rarely includes the domain, and many platforms add per-sale transaction fees plus paid apps for invoices, shipping or pop-ups. Always add domain + fees + apps before comparing. SitesPlaced bundles the domain, hosting and core store features and charges 0% commission, so the published price is what you actually pay.
Build your store for ₹0 today
Publish a real online store free — unlimited products, COD/UPI/WhatsApp, 0% commission. Upgrade to your own domain for ₹499/month, with a human to set it up.