The cheap ecommerce builder with no hidden costs
‘Cheap’ is easy to fake with a low headline price and a wall of paid add-ons. Here is the honest math on what an online store really costs — and the genuinely affordable way to sell online without the surprise bills.
By Manan Agrawal, Founder · Updated June 10, 2026
The cheapest genuine ecommerce builder is the one with no hidden costs — and that is SitesPlaced. It is free to build AND publish, with 0% commission and no app bills, because UPI, COD, WhatsApp, GST invoices and Shiprocket are all native. You pay from ₹199/month (Starter) only for a custom domain or to remove our small badge (which also unlocks AI and higher limits). Cheaper-looking plans elsewhere usually balloon once you add the apps and fees needed to actually sell in India.
Real stores, live on SitesPlaced
Not mockups — real sellers running live stores on SitesPlaced with their own domains, UPI and COD. Open any of them in a new tab.
The House of Urmila
A handcrafted jewellery label running its full catalogue on its own domain — UPI & COD checkout built in.
Visit live site
Surroor House
An oversized-tee label running its full catalogue on its own domain — trending designs, sizes and COD checkout.
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The Pet Journal
India's first guided journal for pet parents, selling direct from its own domain instead of through DMs.
Visit live siteWhat hidden costs make 'cheap' builders expensive?
Most ecommerce pricing is an iceberg. The plan you compare is the tip; below the waterline sit the costs that decide your real monthly bill. Before you pick a “cheap” builder, count these:
- ✓Apps for UPI, COD and WhatsApp checkout — often ₹500–1,500+/month combined
- ✓A GST invoice app and a shipping integration on top
- ✓Transaction fees skimmed from every sale on some platforms
- ✓A domain billed separately, and themes you have to buy
- ✓Your own time — or a paid expert — to wire it all together
Real monthly cost compared
| Cost line | SitesPlaced | Shopify+apps | Dukaan | Wix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan (per month) | Free to publish | ~₹1,994 | Free–₹999 | ~₹500–1,500 |
| Apps to get UPI/COD/WhatsApp | ₹0 (native) | ₹500–1,500+ | Varies | Varies |
| GST invoice + shipping | ₹0 (native) | App fees | Partial | Manual |
| Transaction fee | 0% | Possible | Varies | Varies |
| Domain | Connect your own | Extra | Paid | Often extra |
| Setup help | Free | Paid expert | Self | Self |
| Typical real monthly cost | ₹0 (₹199, Starter, with custom domain) | ₹2,500–4,000+ | Varies | ₹1,000–2,500 |
Indicative ranges for an Indian seller, June 2026. Actual costs vary by apps, plan and payment setup; figures exclude taxes and gateway charges. Official pricing: Shopify · Wix.
Why does SitesPlaced stay genuinely cheap?
Features are bundled, not billed
UPI, COD, WhatsApp, GST invoices and Shiprocket are native, so there is no app stack quietly adding to your monthly cost.
0% commission
No cut of your sales. Publishing is free, and your growth never raises your bill — pay from ₹199/month (Starter) only if you want a custom domain or to remove our badge.
Free to build and publish
Set up your entire store and take it live for free on a username.sitesplaced.com URL. You only pay from ₹199/month (Starter) for a custom domain or to remove the small SitesPlaced badge.
Setup included
A real person helps you launch and migrates any existing store for free, so you do not pay an expert to get going.
Cheap does not mean basic — see the stores
Premium, vertical-fit storefronts you can clone, live now. Cheap to run, not cheap to look at.
ClothingClothing Store
Laid out like Jnorss. Edge-to-edge photos, the sizes still in stock on every card, and a save-% tag on anything on sale.
View live demo
BeautyBeauty Store
Laid out like Bella Vita. Bestsellers and New arrivals tabs, a benefit line with star ratings and Add to cart on every card, an offer band, and a bottom menu on phones.
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JewelleryJewellery Store
Laid out like GIVA. A search box that stays open, two rows of category tiles, shop-by-price tiles, and each finish shown as a photo on the product page.
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HomeHome & Decor Store
Laid out like Troost. A dark header, a calm product grid, a photo mosaic of your categories, and each rug or print design shown as a photo on the product page.
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ElectronicsElectronics Store
Laid out like boAt. Categories above the banner, a strip of key specs on each card, and coupon offers laid out on the product page.
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FoodFood Store
Laid out like The Whole Truth. A giant type headline instead of a banner photo, colourful category cards, and pack sizes right on the product card.
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FootwearFootwear Store
Laid out like Neeman’s. Big cards with each colour shown as a photo, a square size grid with the size chart on the product page, and a card that works out the price after your best published coupon.
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GiftsGifts & Lifestyle Store
Laid out like Chumbak. A home page of big stacked category photos, shop by occasion, and a preview of the shopper’s own photo on personalised products.
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WellnessWellness Store
Laid out like Power Gummies. A colour spotlight panel for every product, shop by concern, benefits as an icon list and pack cards with their own prices on the product page, and a bottom menu on phones.
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PetPet Store
Laid out like Heads Up For Tails. Shop by pet (All, Dogs, Cats), a discount band and a quick Add on every card, deal tiles worked out from your real prices, and a bottom menu on phones.
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FurnitureFurniture & Mattress Store
Laid out like The Sleep Company. Call and WhatsApp buttons in the header and on every product page, room tabs that switch the category tiles, sizes listed with their own prices, and a talk-to-us block.
View live demoWhen 'cheap' becomes a false economy
The cheapest plan is not the cheapest store. The hidden trap with bargain builders is the time and lost sales they cost you: an hour every evening reconciling orders by hand, customers who abandon a clumsy checkout, stock you oversell because nothing tracks it, and the slow erosion of trust when your store looks improvised. None of that shows up on a pricing page, but all of it shows up in your bank balance.
A genuinely cheap builder is one that is cheap to run andcheap on your time — where setup is done for you, operations are automated, and the store converts because it looks legitimate. That is the difference between spending less and saving money. A store that is free to build and publish, recovers a few extra orders a month and gives you your evenings back is far cheaper than a “free” one that quietly leaks both — and the only thing you would ever pay for is a custom domain or removing our badge at ₹199/month (Starter).
What you should never pay extra for
- ✓UPI, COD and WhatsApp checkout — these are table stakes for India, not add-ons
- ✓GST-ready invoices — your store should generate them automatically
- ✓Basic shipping integration like Shiprocket
- ✓Connecting your own custom domain
- ✓Commission on your own sales — you earned them, you keep them
Sell online for free — pay only to go custom
Build AND publish for free, keep 100% of your sales. Everything you need to sell in India is included — no apps, no transaction fees, no surprise bills — and our team sets it up for you. Pay from ₹199/month (Starter) only for a custom domain or to remove our badge (plus AI and higher limits).
Start your store →Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest ecommerce website builder?
SitesPlaced Stores is among the cheapest genuine options: free to build AND publish, with 0% commission and no app bills. You only pay from ₹199/month (Starter) if you want a custom domain or to remove our small badge (which also unlocks AI and higher limits). Because UPI, COD, WhatsApp, GST invoices and Shiprocket are native, you avoid the app and transaction costs that quietly inflate cheaper-looking plans elsewhere.
Why is a 'cheap' Shopify plan often expensive?
The plan is only part of the bill. To sell the way Indian customers buy, you typically add paid apps for UPI, COD, WhatsApp, GST invoices and shipping, and may pay transaction fees. Those extras can push a low base plan to several thousand rupees a month.
Is there a free ecommerce website builder?
Some tools have free tiers, but they usually mean branding, limits and manual operations. SitesPlaced lets you build and publish your full store for free — going live on a username.sitesplaced.com URL with a small SitesPlaced badge, everything included and no per-sale cut. You only pay from ₹199/month (Starter) when you want a custom domain or to remove that badge (plus AI and higher limits). That makes it cheaper than most free-plus-apps setups once you actually sell.
Does a cheap builder mean a cheap-looking store?
No. SitesPlaced starts you from premium, vertical-fit storefronts that look like established brands. Low price here comes from bundling features and automating setup, not from cutting design quality.
Are there transaction fees on SitesPlaced?
No. SitesPlaced charges 0% commission on your sales. You keep 100% of revenue minus only your payment gateway's standard processing charge.
Can I start cheap and upgrade later?
Yes. With SitesPlaced you build and publish for free, with 0% commission and core selling features already included — so there is no forced upgrade as you grow. The only paid step is a flat ₹199/month (Starter) when you want a custom domain or to remove our badge (which also adds AI and higher limits). There are no confusing tiers to climb — just one upgrade, taken if and when you need it.
Does a cheap ecommerce builder hurt my SEO or speed?
It can, if the builder produces bloated, slow pages — speed and clean markup matter for both Google and conversion. SitesPlaced stores are built to load fast and be indexable, so a low price does not mean a slow or invisible store. You get performance and search-friendliness as standard, not as a paid add-on.
