Why non-technical sellers choose SitesPlaced over WordPress
WordPress with WooCommerce can build almost anything — but 'free software' quietly turns into hosting bills, paid plugins, security patching and ongoing maintenance you own. Here's why sellers who'd rather just sell choose SitesPlaced instead.
By Manan Agrawal, Founder · Updated June 10, 2026
Choose SitesPlaced over WordPress + WooCommerce if you're non-technical and want to be live this week without becoming your own sysadmin. WordPress core and WooCommerce are free, but a real store means hosting, a premium theme, paid extensions ($79–$279/yr each), security and constant maintenance — often $500–$2,000+ in year one, plus your time. SitesPlaced is all-in-one: free to publish, ₹499/month for a store with your own domain, with hosting, payments, shipping, security and updates handled for you.
Real stores, live on SitesPlaced
Not mockups — real sellers running live stores on SitesPlaced with their own domains, UPI and COD, with no servers or plugins to manage. 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
UNSORTED
A bold streetwear label with a full catalogue, blog and order tracking — live on its own domain.
Visit live site
Steve Corbin Jr.
A social-media specialist's portfolio that turns a decade of earned attention into inbound clients.
Visit live siteWordPress is powerful — here's what 'free' really costs
WordPress (self-hosted, from WordPress.org) plus the WooCommerce plugin is the most flexible way to build a store: open-source, endlessly extensible, no platform commission. For a developer or agency, that ceiling is the whole appeal — and this page won't pretend it isn't.
The catch is that “free” only covers the software. You assemble and run everything else: hosting (from cheap shared plans to managed WordPress at ₹2,500+/month), a domain, usually a premium theme, and paid WooCommerce extensions — shipping, bookings and subscriptions routinely cost $79–$279 a year each. Then you maintain it: core, theme and plugin updates that can conflict and break the site, backups, caching and a CDN for speed, and security — WordPress is the most-attacked CMS, with over 11,000 vulnerabilities disclosed in 2025, almost all in plugins and themes. All of that upkeep is the owner's job.
5 reasons to choose SitesPlaced over WordPress
1. All-in-one, not a stack to assemble
WordPress means choosing and wiring together hosting, a theme, payment, shipping and security plugins. SitesPlaced includes all of it, configured and working on day one.
2. We handle security & updates
WordPress is the most-attacked CMS, and keeping plugins patched is on you. On SitesPlaced, security, backups and updates are managed for you — nothing to break on a Tuesday.
3. India-native checkout
On WordPress you install and maintain the Razorpay plugin and a COD add-on yourself. On SitesPlaced, UPI, COD, Razorpay and WhatsApp are switched on natively.
4. One flat bill, not a stack of them
WooCommerce's cost is the sum of hosting, theme, extensions and security — plus your time. SitesPlaced is free to publish and ₹499/month all-in for a store.
5. Live this week, done for you
A WooCommerce store often takes weeks and a developer. A real person sets up your SitesPlaced store and gets you selling, usually within a week.
SitesPlaced and WordPress + WooCommerce, side by side
| Feature | SitesPlaced (Naari) | WordPress + WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Software cost | Free to publish | Free core — but you assemble everything else |
| Real cost to run a store | ₹0 to publish · ₹499/mo all-in | ≈ $500–$2,000+/yr (hosting + theme + extensions + security) |
| Hosting | Included, edge-cached | You buy & manage (₹150–₹4,200+/mo) |
| Maintenance | None — we run it | You: updates, plugin conflicts, backups |
| Security | Managed for you | Your job — the most-attacked CMS, 11,000+ plugin vulns in 2025 |
| Online payments | Razorpay (UPI + cards) included | Install & maintain the Razorpay plugin yourself |
| UPI / Cash on Delivery | ✓ Native | DIY plugins + config (COD-by-pincode = another add-on) |
| Themes & extensions | All included | Premium theme + paid extensions $79–$279/yr each |
| Performance | Fast by default | Slow unless you set up caching + a CDN |
| Time to live | This week, done for you | Weeks — and often a developer |
| Support | A real person | No single desk — host + each plugin vendor |
Reflects SitesPlaced Naari's Ecommerce plan and typical self-hosted WordPress + WooCommerce costs and responsibilities as of June 2026. WordPress costs vary widely with your hosting, theme and plugins.
See the storefronts (not mockups — live demos)
These are real SitesPlaced storefronts you can open and click through — no theme to buy, no plugins to install.
JewelleryMaison — Luxury Store
Editorial, gallery-grade storefront. Used by the Aura Jewels demo — ideal for jewellery, watches and premium accessories.
View live demo
SareesThreadlore — Heritage Sarees
Warm, textile-first storefront tuned for sarees, lehengas and handloom — variant swatches, zoom, COD and UPI built in.
View live demo
BeautyGlow Studio — Cosmetics
Bright, conversion-focused beauty storefront with shade selectors and bundles. Built for cosmetics and skincare sellers.
View live demo
SkincareApothic — Skincare
Calm apothecary aesthetic with ingredient storytelling and routine bundles. For skincare, wellness and self-care brands.
View live demo
GiftingFlorine — Florist & Gifting
Soft, seasonal florist storefront with same-day delivery slots and gift notes. For flowers, hampers and gifting.
View live demo
FoodCacao Noir — Chocolate
Premium dark-mode storefront for chocolate, bakes and gourmet food, with grams/box variants and festive bundles.
View live demoWhat is the real 1-year cost?
On WooCommerce the software is free, but the bill is the sum of everything around it — and your time on top. SitesPlaced is one flat, all-in price:
| Cost over 12 months | SitesPlaced (Naari) | WordPress + WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Free to publish | Free core + WooCommerce |
| Hosting | Included | ₹150–₹4,200+/mo (managed WP for a real store) |
| Theme | 14 storefronts, free | Premium theme ~$49–$200/yr |
| Extensions (shipping, etc.) | Included | $79–$279/yr each |
| Security & maintenance | Managed for you | Your time, or a developer's fees |
| All-in | ₹0 to publish — ₹4,990/yr for own domain + AI | ≈ $500–$2,000+ in year one |
WordPress figures are illustrative ranges from publicly reported 2026 hosting, theme and extension costs; your total depends on the stack you build.
To be fair: when WordPress is still the right call
Choose SitesPlaced if you…
- • Are non-technical and want to be selling this week
- • Don't want to be your own host, sysadmin and security team
- • Want UPI, COD, Razorpay and WhatsApp working out of the box
- • Prefer one flat, all-in price over a stack of separate bills
- • Want a real person to set it up and run the boring parts
- • Run a focused store, not a sprawling custom build
WordPress might still fit if you…
- • Are a developer, or have one on the team
- • Want total control and zero platform fees
- • Need deep customisation or a content-heavy site
- • Are happy owning hosting, updates and security
Skip the stack — launch on SitesPlaced this week
Build and publish your store for free, with hosting, payments, shipping, security and updates handled for you — pay ₹499/month only for your own domain, badge removal and AI. A real person sets it up and migrates you from WordPress, usually within a week. 0% commission.
Start your store on SitesPlaced →Want to compare hosted options too? See the best ecommerce builders in India.
Frequently asked questions
Why should I choose SitesPlaced over WordPress?
Because WordPress + WooCommerce makes you assemble and maintain everything yourself — hosting, a premium theme, paid extensions, security and updates — while SitesPlaced is all-in-one and done for you. WordPress core is free, but a real store realistically costs $500–$2,000+ in year one and turns you into your own sysadmin. SitesPlaced is free to publish, ₹499/month all-in, with hosting, payments, shipping, security and updates handled for you, and a real person to set it up.
Is WordPress really free?
The WordPress core software and the WooCommerce plugin are free, but a working store isn't. You still pay for hosting, a domain, usually a premium theme, and paid WooCommerce extensions for things like shipping, bookings or subscriptions — many cost $79–$279 a year each — plus security and backup tools. A functional store realistically costs $500–$2,000+ in the first year, before any developer time.
Is SitesPlaced easier than WordPress for a non-technical seller?
Considerably. With self-hosted WordPress you become your own sysadmin: you choose and update a stack of plugins, fix conflicts when an update breaks the site, run backups, tune performance with caching and a CDN, and handle security yourself. SitesPlaced is all-in-one — everything is handled for you and a real person sets it up. Most sellers are live in a week, not after weeks of assembly.
How big is the WordPress security burden?
It's real and it's on you. WordPress is consistently the most-attacked CMS — across recent Sucuri reports, 90%+ of hacked CMS sites run WordPress — and over 11,000 WordPress vulnerabilities were disclosed in 2025, the vast majority in plugins and themes rather than the core. Keeping that stack patched is the owner's responsibility. On SitesPlaced, security and updates are managed for you.
When is WordPress + WooCommerce still the better choice?
WordPress is genuinely excellent for developers and agencies, content-heavy sites, and stores that need deep customisation and total ownership with zero platform fees — provided you have the technical skill or budget to hire it. SitesPlaced is the better fit for a non-technical solo seller or small business that just wants to be selling this week without becoming a sysadmin.