The Simplest Way to Start a Small Online Shop in 2026 (When Shopify Is Too Much)
You don’t need Shopify to sell ten products. Here are the simplest ways to open a small online shop in 2026, and what each costs per month and per sale.
Start for Free
In short
If you sell a handful of products, you don’t need a full e-commerce platform. Big Cartel ($15 a month) and OhhWells (free to start, $24 a month billed yearly on your own domain) suit small, simple shops. Shopify ($29 a month billed yearly) is worth it once you need stock tracking, shipping labels and a large catalogue.
Key takeaways
- A small shop needs four things: product pages, a checkout, a way to get paid, and an order notification.
- Stock tracking, shipping labels and tax automation are useful at volume and a distraction at ten products.
- Check the fee on each sale, not only the monthly price.
- Start simple. You can move to a bigger platform when orders justify it.
What counts as a simple online shop?
A simple online shop sells a small number of products, takes card payments, and leaves packing and delivery to you. It suits makers, studios selling merchandise, cafes selling beans or vouchers, and anyone testing a product before investing in a full store.
Five options compared
Prices checked 23 October 2026 on each company's pricing page. Card processing fees (about 2.9% + 30 cents) apply on all of them.
OhhWells: best for a small shop that looks like yours
Describe your business and the AI builds the site in your colours and fonts, with your products on it. Customers pay by card through your own Stripe account, so the money goes straight to you. You handle packing, delivery and refunds yourself. Free to start; $24 a month billed yearly when you want your own domain.
Pick it if: you sell a small range and care how the shop looks.
Skip it if: you need stock tracking, shipping labels or a large catalogue. Use Shopify.
Big Cartel: the closest like-for-like
$15 a month with custom domains, physical and digital products, shipping labels and order tracking.
Pick it if you want shop tools ready-made at the lowest price.
Skip it if you want a full website around the shop, with pages, bookings and enquiry forms.
Shopify: when you outgrow simple
$29 a month billed yearly, unlimited products, inventory and shipping built in.
Pick it if selling products is the whole business.
Skip it if you have ten products and no time to learn a platform.
Squarespace: a polished shop inside a full website
$19 a month billed yearly after a 14-day trial, with a 2% fee on store sales (7% on digital products and memberships).
Pick it if you want a polished template with a shop attached.
Skip it if you’d rather not pay a fee on every sale on top of your plan.
Wix: the most features, once you’re on the right plan
Selling starts on Core at $29 a month billed yearly; the free plan and Light can’t take payments.
Pick it if you want a shop plus lots of extras in one place.
Skip it if you want the simplest setup, because Wix’s long list of options takes time to learn.
Frequently asked questions
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