ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d narrow it to these:

• squareup.com — easiest all-around free starting point. $0/month, no coding required, hosted store, payments, shipping/pickup, inventory, and SEO tools. The free plan charges a transaction fee when you sell. Square Square
• bigcartel.com — great for a tiny indie catalog. Its Gold plan is genuinely $0 with no credit card required, and supports 5 products, variants, payments, tax tools, and a simple template. Big Cartel says you can launch in about 30 minutes. Big Cartel
• ecwid.com — good if you want a more traditional website. It emphasizes zero technical experience, drag-and-drop editing, templates, and a free company.site domain. Ecwid | E-Commerce Shopping Cart Ecwid | E-Commerce Shopping Cart
• shopify.com — consider later rather than starting here. It's very beginner-friendly and built to scale, but its lowest-cost options aren't as attractive if your priority is $0 upfront. Shopify

My practical pick

Start with Square Online if you're selling physical products. You can get a store live without touching code or paying a monthly subscription, then upgrade only when you actually need more customization. Square

If you're selling 5 or fewer products and want the absolute simplest indie-maker setup, I'd look at Big Cartel first. Big Cartel

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, or both) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to one and give you a 30-minute setup plan.

If you’re a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d keep it very simple:

My pick: Big Cartel

bigcartel.com is probably the closest match to what you described.

• $0 to start with no credit card required.
• Free Gold plan supports up to 5 products.
• Setup is intentionally beginner-oriented: choose a template → add products → configure payments/shipping → launch.
• No coding required.
• Big Cartel says its plans have 0% platform transaction fees; normal payment-processing fees still apply.
• It is specifically aimed at independent creators, makers, artists, and small brands. Big Cartel Big Cartel

The big limitation is the 5-product cap on the free plan. If you're testing an idea with a handful of products, that's actually a pretty nice constraint.

Another option: Square Online

squareup.com has a $0/month Free plan, and you pay processing fees when you make sales. It's worth considering if you expect to sell a larger catalog or eventually sell in person, since it integrates with Square's broader selling/POS ecosystem. Square

What I'd avoid initially

Shopify/WooCommerce/Wix aren't necessarily bad choices, but for your particular situation I'd avoid adding monthly costs or technical complexity before you've validated that people actually want the product. WooCommerce in particular can turn into a "website maintenance project" for a non-developer.

Simple rule:

• ≤5 products + want the easiest possible launch → Big Cartel
• Larger catalog / possible physical + in-person sales → Square Online
• Already have traction and need serious ecommerce features → consider Shopify later

For an indie maker, I'd start with Big Cartel, spend $0 on the store, and focus your first effort on getting the first 10 customers rather than perfecting the website. Big Cartel

What I'd avoid initially

Shopify/WooCommerce/Wix aren't necessarily bad choices, but for your particular situation I'd avoid adding monthly costs or technical complexity before you've validated that people actually want the product. WooCommerce in particular can turn into a "website maintenance project" for a non-developer.

Simple rule:

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d optimize for “launch this weekend” over maximum flexibility. The best free/cheap builders are usually the ones that remove technical decisions. (Free usually means no monthly platform fee; you’ll still pay payment processing fees when you sell.) iTechGuides

My shortlist:

My picks by indie-maker scenario

• Selling handmade goods / merch / small inventory: Start with Square Online. Fit Small Business
• Selling digital products: Start with Payhip or a similar lightweight digital storefront. iTechGuides
• Selling 1–10 creative products: Try Big Cartel. Fit Small Business
• Building a brand site first, store second: Use Wix.

A simple beginner stack I’d use:

1. Landing page: Wix free site or Carrd-style one-page site
2. Store: Square Online (physical) or Payhip (digital)
3. Payments: Stripe/PayPal/Square
4. Analytics: Google Analytics or the platform’s built-in stats

I’d avoid WooCommerce as a first store unless you already enjoy tinkering — it’s powerful, but hosting, plugins, updates, and troubleshooting add complexity. Shopify

If you tell me what you’re selling (physical product, digital download, SaaS, subscription, print-on-demand, etc.), I can narrow it to the best one.

If you're a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I'd optimize for fast launch + $0 upfront + no code, rather than maximum customization.

My picks

• 🥇 Square Online — best overall

• $0/month on the Free plan.
• No coding required; you can choose a layout, add products, configure payments/shipping, and launch. Square Square
• Unlimited products on the free plan.
• You pay processing fees when you actually make a sale; Square currently lists 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction on Free. Square
• Best if: you want a normal-looking store and expect to grow beyond a handful of products.
• 🥈 Big Cartel — best for a tiny maker shop

• $0 forever on its Gold plan, with no credit card required. Big Cartel
• Extremely simple setup—Big Cartel says you can launch in 30 minutes or less.
• Free plan is limited to 5 products, though.
• Particularly geared toward artists, designers, and independent makers, with no coding required. Big Cartel
• Best if: you're launching something like 1–5 handmade products, prints, merch, or small-batch goods.

What I'd choose

Start with Square if you have more than 5 products or want the store to become a serious business.

Start with Big Cartel if you're validating an idea and want the absolute simplest possible storefront.

I wouldn't start with Shopify for your situation. It's excellent once you're scaling, but if your goal is “I have an idea and want to start selling without spending money”, a $0 platform makes more sense initially.

My indie-maker stack:
Big Cartel/Square → validate demand → get first 10–50 customers → only then pay for more sophisticated tooling.

squareup.com
bigcartel.com

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, subscriptions, or print-on-demand), I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 options for your specific business.

For your situation—solo indie maker, no dev experience, budget-conscious, and wanting to validate an idea quickly—my top pick is Big Cartel.

🥇 My pick: Big Cartel

bigcartel.com

Why I’d choose it:

• $0 to start — its Gold plan is genuinely free and doesn't require a credit card. Big Cartel
• Only 5 products on the free plan, which is actually a nice constraint for an indie MVP. Big Cartel
• No coding required and the setup is essentially template → products → payments → launch. Big Cartel
• Supports Stripe/PayPal-style payments, variants, basic stats, and selling online. Big Cartel
• Big Cartel specifically targets artists, makers, creators, and indie brands, rather than trying to be an enterprise ecommerce monster. Big Cartel
• Its platform currently advertises 0% platform transaction fees; normal payment-processing fees still apply. Big Cartel Big Cartel

How I'd rank the alternatives

One important distinction: "free to start" doesn't mean zero costs forever. Payment processing, a custom domain, shipping, etc. can still cost money.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Big Cartel's free plan, launch with 1–5 products, and don't spend money on a custom domain, fancy theme, or apps yet.

Your first goal shouldn't be "build my perfect store." It should be:

Can I get 5 strangers to actually buy this?

If yes, then upgrade and invest in branding/features. If not, you've learned that for essentially $0.

bigcartel.com

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, subscription, print-on-demand, etc.), I can narrow this down to the cheapest 2–3 options and tell you exactly which one I'd use.

If you’re a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d optimize for “launch this weekend”, not maximum flexibility.

My pick: Square Online

squareup.com is probably your best starting point.

• $0/month on the Free plan.
• No coding required.
• Hosted for you—you don't need to deal with servers, WordPress, plugins, etc.
• You can add products, payments, inventory, shipping/fulfillment, and a storefront.
• You pay processing fees when you actually make a sale rather than a monthly subscription. Square Square
• You can start with a basic Square URL and worry about buying a custom domain later.

Why I'd choose it for you: you can validate the idea and get your first customers without spending $30–$50/month before you've made a dollar.

My shortlist

One important update: Ecwid isn't actually a free-start option anymore for new stores, despite older articles still recommending its free tier. Its current Starter plan is paid. Ecwid | E-Commerce Shopping Cart

What about Shopify?

shopify.com is arguably the nicest long-term choice, especially if you want to build a serious brand. But it isn't really free: Shopify currently offers 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months, with Basic subsequently starting at $29/month when billed annually. Shopify

So I'd do:

Idea validation → Square Online ($0/month)
Getting traction → keep Square or migrate
Serious ecommerce operation → Shopify

If you tell me what you're selling (physical product, digital product, subscriptions, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can give you a much more specific recommendation.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d avoid anything that needs WordPress hosting, plugins, themes, or code. Start with a hosted no-code builder where you can launch in a day. Free plans usually still charge payment processing fees when you sell. Fit Small Business iTechGuides

My picks:

🥇 Best overall: Square Online

Best for: physical products, small catalogs, testing an idea

• ✅ Free to start
• ✅ No coding
• ✅ Drag-and-drop setup
• ✅ Handles checkout, inventory, taxes, payments
• ✅ Good if you might sell in person later
• ❌ Design is less “brand/creator” focused than some alternatives

This is probably the safest first store for a non-technical founder. Fit Small Business

🎨 Best for indie makers/creators: Big Cartel

Best for: art, crafts, merch, limited product drops

• ✅ Very simple setup
• ✅ Built for small creative shops
• ✅ Free tier available
• ❌ Better for a few products than a huge catalog

Good if you’re selling things like prints, handmade goods, clothing drops, or collectibles. Fit Small Business

📦 Best for digital products: Payhip

Best for: ebooks, templates, courses, software downloads

• ✅ Extremely beginner-friendly
• ✅ No need to build a full website first
• ✅ Good for validating an idea quickly
• ❌ Less suited for physical inventory

🖼️ Best if you care about a beautiful website: Wix

Best for: a branded landing page + store

• ✅ Very easy visual editor
• ✅ Lots of templates
• ✅ Great for storytelling/brand pages
• ❌ Ecommerce features generally require upgrading from the free website tier Fit Small Business

My recommendation for your situation

If I were a solo maker starting from zero:

1. Physical product: Start with Square Online
2. Handmade/art/merch: Start with Big Cartel
3. Digital product: Start with Payhip
4. Not sure what you’re selling yet: Build a landing page in Wix first, then add commerce later

A simple indie-maker stack:

• Store: Square Online / Big Cartel / Payhip
• Payments: Stripe or the platform’s built-in payments
• Domain: buy one later ($10–20/year)
• Marketing: email list + social media before spending on ads

Avoid starting with Shopify unless you already have traction—the platform is excellent, but paying monthly before you have customers is usually unnecessary for a first experiment. shopify.com

If you tell me what you’re selling (physical product, SaaS, digital download, print-on-demand, etc.), I can narrow it to the best one.

If you’re a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d keep it extremely simple: don’t use WooCommerce, Shopify, or anything that requires tinkering yet.

My picks

🥇 My default recommendation: Square Online. Its Free plan has $0 monthly fees, a no-code website builder, checkout, shipping/fulfillment options, and product management. You only pay payment-processing fees when you make a sale. Square Square

🥈 If you're selling handmade/creative products: Big Cartel feels especially suited to indie makers. Its free Gold plan lets you launch with up to 5 products, accept cards/PayPal, and get a store live without a credit card. Big Cartel Big Cartel

🥉 If you're selling digital products: Payhip is hard to beat for starting at $0. Its free plan has unlimited products and unlimited revenue, but takes a 5% transaction fee in addition to payment-processor fees. Payhip

What I'd choose in your shoes

• T-shirts, crafts, art, physical goods → Square Online
• Small handmade/artist shop → Big Cartel
• Ebooks, templates, courses, digital downloads → Payhip

I'd avoid paying for a custom domain, premium theme, apps, etc. initially. Get the first few sales before spending money on infrastructure.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical product, digital product, subscription, print-on-demand, etc.), I can narrow this down to one platform and give you a ~$0 launch stack.

🥉 If you're selling digital products: Payhip is hard to beat for starting at $0. Its free plan has unlimited products and unlimited revenue, but takes a 5% transaction fee in addition to payment-processor fees.

What I'd choose in your shoes

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d optimize for fast launch > perfect customization. You want something where you can upload products, take payments, and iterate without touching code.

My picks:

🥇 Best overall: Square Online

squareup.com

Best for: physical products, simple catalogs, makers testing demand

Why I’d pick it:

• Free to start (no monthly subscription on the free tier)
• Very beginner-friendly drag-and-drop setup
• Built-in checkout and payments
• Good inventory basics
• Can sell from social links and a simple storefront

Downsides:

• Less “brand/design freedom” than some competitors
• You’ll pay payment processing fees when you sell

It’s one of the strongest “just get something live” options for non-technical sellers. Fit Small Business iTechGuides

🥈 Best for indie creators/artists: Big Cartel

bigcartel.com

Best for: art, merch, handmade goods, small product lines

Pros:

• Designed for independent creators
• Simple setup
• Less overwhelming than full ecommerce platforms
• Free tier available for very small catalogs Fit Small Business

Cons:

• You may outgrow it if you have lots of products or complex needs

🥉 Best for digital products: Payhip

payhip.com

Best for: ebooks, templates, courses, software downloads, memberships

Pros:

• Extremely fast setup
• Handles digital delivery
• No coding
• Good for validating an idea before building a bigger site

Cons:

• Less suited for physical inventory

Also worth considering: Wix

wix.com

Best for: if your store is really a brand website + shop

Pros:

• Very easy visual editor
• More control over branding
• Good templates

Cons:

• Ecommerce features generally require a paid plan; the free tier is mainly for building/testing. Fit Small Business

What I would avoid as a first-time solo maker

• WooCommerce — powerful, but you become the IT department (hosting, plugins, updates)
• Shopify — excellent, but the monthly cost makes less sense before you have traction
• Custom-coded stores — fun later, a distraction now

My simple recommendation

• Selling physical products → start with Square Online
• Selling art/merch/handmade items → start with Big Cartel
• Selling digital products/software/templates → start with Payhip
• Building a brand + storefront → start with Wix

A good indie-maker path is:

1. Launch in a weekend on a free plan
2. Get your first 10–50 customers
3. Only then pay for better branding, automation, or custom features

The biggest mistake is spending weeks building the store before knowing what people will buy.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d keep it simple and avoid Shopify/WooCommerce complexity at first.

My picks

1. squareup.com — best overall

• $0/month to start.
• No coding required.
• You can build a proper storefront, add products, take payments, manage inventory, and handle shipping/pickup. Square Square
• You pay payment-processing fees when you actually sell rather than a monthly subscription. Square
• Best if: you want something that can grow with you and don't care about having the fanciest design.
• bigcartel.com — best for a tiny indie shop

• $0/month, no credit card required.
• Designed specifically around artists/makers and very small catalogs.
• Free plan gives you 5 product listings, card/PayPal payments, variants, tax automation, and basic stats. Big Cartel says you can launch in about 30 minutes. Big Cartel
• Best if: you're selling 1–5 products and want the least intimidating setup.
• ecwid.com — best if you already have a website

• Useful when you want to bolt a small store onto an existing site rather than build your entire site around ecommerce. Free plans are more limited. Rovela Congero
• Best if: you already have a landing page/blog and just need checkout.

What I'd choose in your shoes

Start with Square Online if you expect to eventually have more than a handful of products.

Start with Big Cartel if you're testing an idea and have only a few products.

I wouldn't spend money on a custom domain, premium theme, apps, or advanced features until you've proven that people will actually buy. You can get the first version live for $0/month and upgrade only when the limitations actually hurt you. Square Big Cartel

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, subscriptions, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can give you a specific recommendation and the cheapest setup.

If you’re a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d keep it extremely simple:

My pick: Square Online

Square is probably the best starting point for you. Its free tier gives you a hosted storefront, checkout, product catalog, inventory, and payments without a monthly subscription. Independent 2026 comparisons also rate it among the easiest free options, particularly for beginners. Fit Small Business iTechGuides

squareup.com

Why I'd choose it:

• $0/month to start
• No coding or hosting
• Unlimited products on the free plan
• Built-in checkout and payments
• Easy enough to get a basic store live in an afternoon
• You can upgrade later rather than rebuilding everything

The catch: you'll pay payment-processing fees when you make sales, and the free store has some branding/design limitations. Fit Small Business

Two alternatives

• Big Cartel — better if you're selling a tiny number of creative products. Its free plan supports up to 5 products and is deliberately simple. Fit Small Business
• Payhip — particularly attractive if you're selling digital products, downloads, courses, or memberships. iTechGuides

I wouldn't start with Shopify, WooCommerce, or Wix for your situation. They're good products, but Shopify isn't permanently free, WooCommerce introduces hosting/WordPress complexity, and Wix requires a paid plan to actually accept ecommerce payments. Fit Small Business WiserReview

My rule of thumb:
Physical products → Square Online.
≤5 handmade/creative products → Big Cartel.
Digital products → Payhip.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, SaaS, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to one and tell you exactly what I'd use.

If you’re a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d optimize for “can I launch this weekend?”, not maximum customization.

My picks

• 🥇 Square Online — best overall free starting point. You can launch a hosted store for $0/month, with no coding, and start selling; you mainly pay payment-processing fees. It’s currently one of the strongest true-free options for a conventional product store. Fit Small Business Shopify

squareup.com

• 🥈 Big Cartel — best if you have a tiny catalog. Its free tier is aimed at artists/makers and supports up to 5 products. Very simple, but you’ll outgrow it if your catalog gets bigger. iTechGuides

bigcartel.com

• 🥉 Payhip — best for digital products. If you're selling ebooks, templates, courses, downloads, etc., it’s particularly appealing because you can start without a monthly subscription; the tradeoff is a per-sale platform fee. iTechGuides

payhip.com

• Shopify — best once you're serious about scaling. It's exceptionally beginner-friendly and much more powerful, but I wouldn't choose it if $0/month is a hard requirement. Its current entry options are paid after the introductory offer. Shopify Shopify

shopify.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Square Online if you're selling physical products. You can get the basic store live without learning HTML, CSS, hosting, databases, or deployment.

If you're selling digital products, I'd choose Payhip instead.

And I wouldn't touch WooCommerce/WordPress as a first-time non-developer unless you specifically want to learn the technical side—it's free software, but hosting and setup make it considerably less “just start selling.” Shopify

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, subscriptions, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to one platform and tell you exactly what it'll cost at $0, $100/mo, and $1k/mo in sales.

If you’re a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d keep it very simple:

🥇 My pick: Big Cartel

bigcartel.com is probably the best fit if your priority is cheap + easy + no-code.

• $0 to start — their Gold plan lets you list up to 5 products for free. Big Cartel
• Designed specifically around artists, makers, and small independent sellers.
• Setup is intentionally lightweight; Big Cartel says you can launch in 30 minutes or less. Big Cartel Big Cartel
• You can accept cards and PayPal without building payment infrastructure yourself.
• If you outgrow the free plan, the next tier is currently $15/month. Big Cartel

The tradeoff: it's relatively limited. That's actually a feature for a first-time indie maker, but you'll eventually want something more powerful if you have a large catalog or sophisticated marketing needs.

🥈 If you expect to sell lots of products: Square

squareup.com has a $0/month Free plan, with no startup cost; you pay payment-processing fees when you make sales. It also supports shipping, pickup/delivery, SEO tools, and unlimited product listings. Square Square

I'd choose Square over Big Cartel if you're thinking "I'm going to build a real catalog/business, but I still don't want to code."

🥉 Shopify — great, but not my budget pick

shopify.com is arguably the best long-term platform, but it's overkill for your starting point. There's currently a 3-day free trial followed by promotional pricing, while the regular Basic plan starts at $29/month when billed yearly. Shopify Shopify

It's worth moving to Shopify once you're making enough sales that its larger ecosystem and automation actually save you time.

My recommendation

I'd start with Big Cartel. Don't spend a week building the store—get 1–5 products online, see if anyone buys, and only upgrade platforms when you have a reason.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, print-on-demand, etc.), I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options and tell you exactly what each will cost as you grow.

If you’re a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d start with bigcartel.com.

🥇 My pick: Big Cartel

It’s unusually well suited to makers because it’s intentionally simple: choose a template, add products, connect payments, and launch—no coding or plugins required. Big Cartel Big Cartel

• $0/month to start
• Free plan supports up to 5 physical products
• Accepts card payments and PayPal
• 0% Big Cartel transaction fee (payment processor fees still apply)
• Mobile-friendly storefront
• Basic sales reporting
• You can upgrade later to $15/month if you need more products, a custom domain, digital goods, etc. Big Cartel
• The company specifically targets artists, makers, and indie brands. Big Cartel

Other options I'd consider

The big distinction is that “free” doesn't mean zero selling costs—you'll generally still pay Stripe/PayPal/card-processing fees. Big Cartel itself currently advertises no platform transaction fee. Big Cartel

My advice: don't spend a week comparing platforms. If you have ≤5 products and want to validate an idea, launch on Big Cartel this weekend. Once you're actually getting sales, then worry about custom domains, advanced analytics, SEO, subscriptions, etc.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, SaaS, handmade, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to the best 1–2 choices.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d avoid anything that feels like “build your own website.” You want a hosted, no-code store where you can go from idea → checkout in a day. Free ecommerce plans usually come with tradeoffs (branding, product limits, or payment fees), but several are good enough to validate an idea. Fit Small Business SiteBuilderReport

My recommendations:

My pick by scenario

• Selling a digital product (most indie makers): Start with Payhip.
• Selling 1–20 physical products: Start with Big Cartel or Square Online.
• Building a brand/landing page + store: Use Wix.
• You expect real traction and lots of products: Start on Shopify only when revenue justifies it.

For a first-time indie maker, I’d optimize for speed of validation, not the “perfect” platform:

1. Pick a builder.
2. Add 1–3 products.
3. Make a simple landing page.
4. Try to get your first 10 customers.
5. Upgrade/migrate only after you know people want it.

A simple stack I’d use:

• Store: Payhip (digital) or Square Online (physical)
• Payments: Stripe/PayPal
• Landing page: free tier of Carrd or the store builder itself
• Analytics: Google Analytics or a lightweight privacy-friendly tool

If you tell me what you’re selling (physical product, SaaS, app, ebook, templates, merch, etc.), I can narrow it to the best 1–2 choices.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d optimize for “launch in a weekend” rather than maximum customization. You can always migrate later. Free ecommerce builders usually still charge payment processing fees, and many put limits on domains, branding, or advanced features. Fit Small Business

My picks:

🥇 Best overall: Square Online

Best for: physical products, simple catalogs, MVP stores

Why I’d pick it:

• ✅ Free to start
• ✅ Drag-and-drop setup
• ✅ No coding
• ✅ Hosting, checkout, inventory included
• ✅ Good if you want to validate an idea quickly

Tradeoffs:

• ❌ Less “brand custom” than some builders
• ❌ You’ll eventually pay for things like a custom domain or advanced features

Square Online is frequently recommended among free ecommerce options because it provides a usable storefront without a monthly subscription, especially for small sellers. Fit Small Business

🥈 Best for creators/artists: Big Cartel

Best for: small product lines, merch, handmade goods

Pros:

• ✅ Very beginner-friendly
• ✅ Designed for independent makers
• ✅ Less overwhelming than full ecommerce platforms

Cons:

• ❌ Not ideal if you expect hundreds of products or complex operations

🥉 Best for digital products: Payhip

Best for: ebooks, templates, courses, downloads

Pros:

• ✅ Extremely simple
• ✅ Handles digital delivery
• ✅ Good for a first product launch

Cons:

• ❌ Less suitable for a full brand storefront

If you want the “real business” path later: Shopify

Best for: a store you expect to grow seriously

Pros:

• ✅ Huge ecosystem
• ✅ Great long-term scaling

Cons:

• ❌ More expensive
• ❌ More decisions/apps/settings than a beginner needs on day one

I would avoid starting with:

• WooCommerce — powerful, but you’ll be managing WordPress, hosting, plugins, updates, and troubleshooting.
• Custom-coded stores — unnecessary until you have traction.

My recommendation by idea:

• “I have one product and want sales ASAP” → Square Online
• “I sell art/merch/handmade items” → Big Cartel
• “I sell a digital product” → Payhip
• “I’m building the next big ecommerce brand” → Shopify

A good indie-maker stack is often:

1. Landing page/store → Square Online or Payhip
2. Payments → built-in checkout
3. Marketing → email list + social content
4. Upgrade only after customers prove demand

You can get a first version live without writing code. Fit Small Business

If you’re a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d start with Big Cartel.

🥇 Best fit: Big Cartel

bigcartel.com

• $0/month on the Gold plan.
• Free plan supports up to 5 physical products.
• No Big Cartel transaction fee.
• Built specifically around independent makers, artists, and small creative businesses.
• No coding required; their setup is essentially choose a template → add products → connect payments → launch.
• Accepts cards and PayPal.
• If you outgrow the free tier, the next plan is currently $15/month. Big Cartel Big Cartel

Why I'd pick it for you: you're trying to validate an idea, not build an elaborate ecommerce operation. Big Cartel keeps the number of things you have to learn low.

🥈 If you expect lots of products: Square

squareup.com

Square has a $0/month plan with no monthly subscription cost; you pay payment-processing fees when you make sales. It gives you a more conventional storefront and is particularly attractive if you might eventually sell in person too. Square Square

I'd choose Square over Big Cartel if you expect a larger catalog or want physical/in-person selling integrated into the same system.

What I'd avoid initially

Shopify is excellent, but for your situation I'd resist starting there. It's more powerful than you need, and the ecosystem of apps, themes, settings, and subscriptions can become another project in itself. Shopify's current entry-level options start above the truly-free tier after promotional periods. Shopify

My recommendation:
Start Big Cartel → launch with 1–5 products → make your first sales → only upgrade/change platforms once you have a reason.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, SaaS, handmade, print-on-demand, etc.), I can narrow this down to the cheapest/easiest setup and tell you exactly what I'd use.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d optimize for:

• 0 upfront cost
• no-code setup
• can launch in a weekend
• doesn’t force you into technical maintenance

My shortlist:

Fit Small Business Itechguides## My picks by indie-maker scenario

🥇 Selling digital products (templates, SaaS waitlist, guides, downloads)

Pick: Payhip

Why:

• No coding
• Upload files, set price, connect payments
• Good for validating ideas before building a full website
• You can start without monthly fees (transaction fees may apply)

Itechguides### 🥈 Selling physical products (handmade, merch, small inventory)

Pick: Square Online

Why:

• Very beginner friendly
• Inventory + checkout included
• Good if you might sell locally too

Fit Small Business### 🥉 Building a tiny brand/storefront

Pick: Big Cartel

Why:

• Designed for independent creators
• Less overwhelming than Shopify
• Good if you only have a handful of products

Fit Small Business## What I would avoid as a first-time solo maker

• WooCommerce — powerful, but you become the IT department (hosting, plugins, updates).
• Webflow Ecommerce — beautiful, but more design-learning overhead.
• Shopify — excellent, but I’d wait until you have traction because the monthly cost can become another pressure point.

A simple indie-maker stack

For a first launch:

• Landing page: Carrd
• Store: Payhip (digital) or Square Online (physical)
• Payments: Stripe/PayPal
• Email list: Buttondown or Mailchimp

My default recommendation: start with Payhip if you’re selling something you create once; start with Square Online if you’re shipping physical goods. Don’t spend weeks perfecting the store before you’ve proven someone will buy.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d avoid anything that feels like “build your own website.” You want something that gets you from idea → checkout page fast.

My shortlist:

Fit Small Business Toolradar### My recommendation by situation

• Selling physical products (t-shirts, crafts, small inventory):

Start with Square Online. It’s one of the easiest ways to launch without touching code, and the free tier is designed for small sellers. Fit Small Business

• Selling digital products (Notion templates, ebooks, presets, courses):

Start with Payhip. It removes a lot of ecommerce complexity.

• Building a small “cool indie brand” with 5–20 products:

Try Big Cartel. It’s intentionally simple and popular with creators. Fit Small Business

• You want a beautiful homepage + store:

Use Wix. It’s more flexible visually, but you may hit paid features sooner. Fit Small Business

What I would not start with

• WooCommerce — powerful, but too much maintenance for a first-time solo founder.
• Shopify — excellent, but you’re paying for convenience before you know if the idea works.
• Custom builds / Webflow ecommerce — unnecessary complexity early.

A simple indie-maker stack

• Store: Square Online / Payhip / Big Cartel
• Payments: Stripe or platform payments
• Landing page: same platform or a simple one-page site
• Email list: MailerLite free tier
• Analytics: Google Analytics

If you tell me what you’re selling (physical product, SaaS, digital download, subscription, marketplace, etc.), I’d narrow it down to one choice.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d optimize for $0 upfront + no-code + fast launch, rather than maximum customization.

My picks

1. squareup.com — best overall

• $0/month on the Free plan; you pay payment-processing fees when you sell.
• No coding required.
• Includes a hosted storefront, product listings, checkout, shipping/pickup options, and inventory tools.
• Good choice if you expect to sell physical products and want room to grow. Square Square
• bigcartel.com — best for a tiny indie shop

• $0 forever on the Gold plan.
• Very simple setup and specifically aimed at artists, makers, and small creative businesses.
• Free tier allows 5 products, with card/PayPal payments and basic store functionality. Big Cartel Big Cartel
• Paid plan starts at $15/month if you outgrow the free tier. Big Cartel
• ecwid.com — best if you already have a website

• Very beginner-friendly and can be embedded into an existing site.
• Important: its free plan is no longer available; the current Starter plan supports up to 10 products and is paid. Ecwid Help Center Ecwid | E-Commerce Shopping Cart

What I'd choose

Start with Square Online if you want a legitimate little ecommerce business that could grow beyond a handful of products.

Start with Big Cartel if you're testing an idea, have perhaps 1–5 products, and want the absolute simplest/cheapest path to getting a store online.

I wouldn't start with Shopify or WooCommerce in your situation: they're excellent, but you're paying for flexibility/features before you know whether you need them.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d start with squareup.com.

My pick: Square Online

• $0/month to start — Square says its Free plan has no monthly fees or startup costs; you pay payment-processing fees when you sell. Square
• No coding required — choose a layout, add products, configure payments/shipping, and publish. Square
• Unlimited products on the free plan, according to Square's current documentation. Square
• You get a hosted store, so you don't need to buy hosting or figure out WordPress.
• It can grow into physical/in-person sales because it integrates with Square POS. Square

The main downside: the free version gives you a Square-hosted address and fewer customization features. You can upgrade once the store is actually making money.

Two alternatives I'd consider

• Big Cartel — excellent if you're selling a tiny catalog of handmade/creative products. Its free tier is particularly suited to makers, but you're limited to a handful of products. Aventine Post
• Shopify — probably the better long-term choice if you already expect to build a serious ecommerce brand. It's extremely beginner-friendly, but it's not really a free-forever store; its Starter plan is currently listed at $5/month and Basic at $29/month when billed annually. Shopify

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Square → launch with $0 monthly cost → validate that people actually buy → only then pay for a custom domain or more advanced features.

I wouldn't touch WooCommerce, self-hosted Shopify alternatives, or anything "headless" as a first store. They give you more control, but you're a solo maker with no dev experience, so that control mostly becomes extra work.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d keep it very simple:

🥇 My pick: Square Online

Square Online is probably the best fit for you.

• $0/month to start
• No coding required
• Drag-and-drop store builder
• Products, checkout, payments, inventory, shipping/pickup are built in
• You can launch on a free Square subdomain
• In Canada, online payments are currently 2.8% + $0.30 per transaction
• You only start paying when you actually make sales. squareup.com

That makes it particularly good for validating an idea before spending money on hosting, themes, plugins, etc.

Other good options

One important update: Ecwid is no longer genuinely free for new users, despite a lot of older comparison articles still saying it is. Its current Starter plan is paid. www.ecwid.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Square → launch with 3–10 products → don't buy a custom domain yet → see if anyone actually buys.

Once you have traction, then spend money on the things that matter: a custom domain, better branding, email marketing, analytics, and eventually a more sophisticated store if you need it.

If you're selling digital products rather than physical products, though, I'd choose differently—I'd probably point you toward Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy instead.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d optimize for: $0 upfront, no code, fast launch, and not getting trapped in technical setup.

My pick: Square Online

squareup.com is probably the best fit if your priority is “I want a real store live without learning how to build websites.”

• $0/month on the Free plan.
• Hosted for you—no servers, WordPress, plugins, or maintenance.
• No coding required.
• You can add products, accept payments, manage orders, and customize the storefront.
• You pay processing fees when you make a sale rather than a monthly subscription. Square Square
• The free tier is genuinely usable rather than merely a trial; independent 2026 testing also ranked it particularly highly for free ecommerce. Fit Small Business

Downside: the free plan has limitations around things like custom domains and some advanced features. That's a reasonable tradeoff while you're validating an idea.

Runner-up: Shopify

shopify.com is what I'd choose if you already expect the store to become a serious business.

It's extremely beginner-friendly and has AI-assisted store creation, themes, payments, inventory, shipping, marketing, and a huge app ecosystem. Shopify Shopify

But it's not truly free long-term: Shopify currently offers a 3-day free trial, followed by promotional pricing, while the regular Basic plan is substantially more expensive. Shopify Shopify Help Center

What I'd avoid initially

• WooCommerce — powerful, but you're taking on WordPress, hosting, plugins, updates, and more decisions.
• Wix — easy website builder, but ecommerce becomes more expensive once you're actually selling.
• Ecwid — historically attractive for tiny stores, but its free plan situation changed; new free accounts were discontinued in 2025. Fit Small Business
• Custom/headless ecommerce — absolutely unnecessary for a first product.

My recommendation

Start with Square Online. Get a basic store live, put your first 5–20 products on it, and see whether anyone buys. Don't spend a week designing the perfect store before you've validated the product.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, subscriptions, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to the best 2–3 options and tell you exactly what I'd use.

For a solo maker with zero dev experience, I’d start with Square Online.

My pick: Square Online

squareup.com

Why it fits your situation:

• $0/month on the Free plan — no subscription or startup fee. You pay payment-processing fees when you actually sell. Square Square
• No coding required; it has templates and a visual website builder. Square Square
• Handles the boring stuff for you: products, checkout, inventory, shipping, pickup, and payments. Square
• You can start with a free Square subdomain, then connect a custom domain when you're ready. Square
• Good fit if you're selling physical products and want to validate an idea before spending money.

How I'd rank the alternatives

Shopify is excellent but isn't really a free-forever option: its current Basic plan is $39/month monthly ($29/month annually), following a short free trial. Shopify Shopify

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Square Free, put up your first 5–20 products, use the free subdomain, and don't buy a theme, apps, or fancy branding yet.

Once you're actually getting sales, then decide whether Shopify or a paid Square plan is worth it.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical products, digital products, subscriptions, etc.), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options for your specific store.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d prioritize: fast setup, no code, low monthly cost, and not getting trapped in complexity. These are the ones I’d look at:

🥇 Best overall: Square Online

Best if you want to sell physical products and start for $0. Fit Small Business

Why it fits:

• Free plan available
• Very beginner-friendly drag-and-drop setup
• Handles products, checkout, payments, inventory
• Good if you might also sell at markets/events later (Square’s POS ecosystem helps)

Downsides:

• Less “brand-like” customization than some builders
• You’ll pay payment processing fees when you sell

Good for: handmade goods, merch, small product brands, local + online sales.

🥈 Best for creators/artists: Big Cartel

Best if you have a small catalog. Fit Small Business

Why it fits:

• Made for independent artists and makers
• Very simple setup
• Doesn’t feel like enterprise ecommerce software
• Good for launching a first store quickly

Downsides:

• Free plan has product limits
• Less powerful if you grow into a large catalog

Good for: prints, clothing drops, crafts, digital/creative products.

🥉 Best “I want it to look like a real brand”: Wix

Best for design freedom without coding. The Retail Exec Fit Small Business

Why it fits:

• Extremely beginner-friendly editor
• Lots of templates
• You can build the site first before paying

Downsides:

• Ecommerce features require upgrading to sell
• More design choices can become overwhelming

Good for: indie brands where the website experience matters as much as the products.

If you sell digital products:

Consider Payhip.

Good for:

• ebooks
• templates
• courses
• software downloads
• memberships

It’s much simpler than running a full ecommerce store. eCommerce Design Gallery

I’d avoid starting with:

• WooCommerce — powerful, but you’ll deal with hosting, plugins, updates, and troubleshooting. Great later, not ideal as a first store. Fit Small Business
• Shopify — excellent platform, but you’re paying monthly before you know whether the idea works.

My pick for a first-time indie maker:

• Physical products: Square Online
• Small creative catalog: Big Cartel
• Brand-focused website: Wix
• Digital products: Payhip

A good indie-maker path is: launch free → get first 10–50 customers → upgrade only when the store is proving demand. Fit Small Business

If you tell me what you’re selling (physical goods, SaaS, templates, courses, merch, etc.), I can narrow it down to the best fit.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d avoid anything that needs hosting, plugins, or custom code. You want something that gets you from idea → checkout link quickly.

My picks:

fitsmallbusiness.com

My recommendation by scenario:

• Selling a SaaS, Notion templates, ebooks, prompts, courses, downloads: start with Payhip or Gumroad.
• Selling physical handmade products: start with Big Cartel or Square Online.
• Want a “real brand website” eventually: start on Wix, then migrate if needed.
• Want the fastest possible MVP: Payhip wins.

A simple indie-maker stack could be:

1. Store: Payhip
2. Payments: Stripe + PayPal
3. Landing page: Carrd (cheap later if needed)
4. Analytics: Google Analytics / Plausible
5. Email list: Buttondown or Beehiiv

I would not start with WooCommerce or self-hosted Shopify alternatives as a non-developer. They give you more control, but the maintenance overhead is usually a distraction when you’re still validating the idea. fitsmallbusiness.com

If you tell me what you’re selling (digital product, SaaS, physical product, dropshipping, newsletter, etc.) I can narrow it down to the best 1–2 options.

If you’re a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d optimize for “launch this weekend” rather than maximum customization.

My top picks

🥇 Square Online — best overall

squareup.com

This is the one I’d start with.

• $0/month to get a basic store online.
• Unlimited products on the free plan.
• Hosted for you—no WordPress, plugins, servers, or coding.
• Built-in checkout, inventory, and payments.
• Very beginner-friendly setup.
• You get a square.site address initially.
• Main downside: the free store has Square branding and more advanced shipping/custom-domain features require upgrading. Fit Small Business Itechguides

Best if: you want to validate an idea and start taking orders without learning web development.

🥈 Big Cartel — best for a tiny maker catalog

bigcartel.com

I'd pick this over Square if you're selling something like art, prints, handmade goods, merch, or a handful of products.

Its free tier is aimed at creators and is deliberately simple, but the big catch is the small product limit. Fit Small Business Shopify

Best if: you have ~5 products and want a very lightweight storefront.

🥉 Shopify — best if you expect to grow quickly

shopify.com

Shopify is excellent and beginner-friendly, but I wouldn't choose it for your specific “budget + free to start” requirement. Its Starter plan is currently $5/month, while the more full-featured Basic plan starts substantially higher. Shopify

Best if: you've already validated the idea and expect to need apps, marketing automation, multiple sales channels, etc.

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Square Online.

Don't spend weeks designing the perfect store. Make:

Homepage → Product → Checkout → Confirmation

Then get your first 5–10 customers. Once people are actually buying, then worry about custom domains, fancy themes, SEO, email automation, and migrating platforms.

One important distinction: “free store” doesn't mean free transactions. You'll still pay payment-processing fees when you make sales. Fit Small Business

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, SaaS, handmade, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow this down to one platform and tell you exactly how I'd set it up.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d start with Square Online.

My picks

🥇 Square Online — probably the best fit for you. You can build a hosted storefront, add products, take payments, manage inventory, and launch without touching code. The free plan doesn't impose a product-count limit, although you'll pay payment-processing fees when you make sales. www.itechguides.comfitsmallbusiness.com

Start with Square Online

🥈 Big Cartel — I'd pick this if you're selling something like art, merch, crafts, or a very small collection. Its free tier is extremely simple, but you're limited to 5 products, so it's more of a micro-store than a platform to grow into. www.itechguides.comfitsmallbusiness.com

Big Cartel

🥉 Payhip — particularly good if you're an indie maker selling digital products (templates, ebooks, software downloads, courses, etc.). There's no monthly subscription on the free plan, but Payhip takes a percentage of sales. stablecommerce.ai

Payhip

What I'd avoid initially

• WooCommerce — powerful, but you'll have to deal with WordPress, hosting, plugins, updates, etc. That's unnecessary friction when you don't have dev experience.
• Wix free — you can build a site for free, but its free tier isn't a practical way to actually accept ecommerce payments. ecomguider.net
• Shopify — excellent, but I'd wait until you're actually making sales and need its more advanced ecosystem.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical product, digital product, SaaS, handmade goods, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow this down to the one I'd personally use and estimate your monthly cost.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d optimize for “launch this weekend” rather than maximum customization.

My picks

🥇 I'd start with Square Online if your priority is keeping costs near zero. Its Free plan has no monthly fee and includes a hosted website builder, checkout, products/inventory, SEO tools, and shipping/pickup options. You pay payment-processing fees when you make sales. squareup.com

🥈 Choose Shopify if you're serious about building a bigger ecommerce business. It's arguably the safest long-term choice, with a very polished no-code experience, themes, unlimited products, apps, and lots of room to expand. The catch: it's not truly free long-term—Shopify currently offers a 3-day free trial, followed by promotional $1/month pricing, with Basic listed at $39/month monthly or $29/month annually afterward. www.shopify.com

One important update: I'd not pick Ecwid specifically because you want a free start. Its current Starter plan is paid, with up to 10 products; the old free tier has been discontinued. support.ecwid.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Square → launch with 5–10 products → make your first sales → only pay for upgrades when you hit an actual limitation.

Don't spend a week tweaking your site. Pick a template, add products, connect payments, set shipping, and launch.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, subscriptions, print-on-demand, etc.), I can narrow it down to the single best option for you.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d keep it simple and avoid Shopify/WooCommerce at first.

My picks

🥇 I'd start with Big Cartel if you're making a handful of products. Its free Gold plan lets you list up to 5 products, accept cards/PayPal, handle sales tax, and get basic stats; Big Cartel says you can launch in about 30 minutes with no coding. www.bigcartel.com

🥈 Pick Square Online if you expect to sell more products or might eventually sell in person. Its Free plan has $0 monthly fees, includes the website builder, checkout, inventory, shipping, and Square POS integration; you pay payment-processing fees when you make a sale. squareup.com

🥉 Ecwid is worth considering if you already have a website or want to embed a store into one. Its current Starter offering supports up to 10 products and includes a code-free site builder and free company.site domain. www.ecwid.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start free, use the platform's subdomain, put up your 3–5 best products, and don't spend money on a custom domain, fancy theme, apps, or branding until you've made some sales.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to one platform and tell you exactly why.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d avoid Shopify/WooCommerce for now. You want something you can launch in an afternoon, without paying before you have customers.

My picks

1. Square Online — my default recommendation.
You can build a full store on the free plan, with no monthly fee or startup cost; you only pay payment-processing fees when you sell. It requires no coding and supports product catalogs, checkout, and fulfillment options. squareup.com

2. Big Cartel — choose this if you're selling a small number of cool, niche products.
Its free Gold plan gives you 5 product listings, card/PayPal payments, variants, sales-tax tools, and basic stats. Big Cartel specifically positions itself toward artists, makers, and independent sellers, and says you can launch without coding. www.bigcartel.com

3. Payhip — choose this for digital products.
If you're selling templates, ebooks, software, courses, downloads, etc., Payhip is particularly attractive: $0/month, unlimited products, unlimited revenue, with a 5% Payhip transaction fee plus payment-processor fees. payhip.com

What I'd do in your shoes

• Physical product / handmade item: Square Online
• 1–5 physical products and you want something super simple: Big Cartel
• Digital product / SaaS-adjacent product / downloads: Payhip
• Don't know what you're selling yet: Square Online, because it's the least likely to box you in early.

And I wouldn't buy a custom domain, paid theme, plugins, or anything else until you've proven someone will actually buy. The free subdomain is perfectly fine for your first validation run.

If you’re a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d keep it very simple:

🥇 My pick: Square Online

Square Online

It’s probably the best fit if your priorities are $0 upfront + easy setup + a real storefront. The free plan has no monthly fee, lets you sell products online, and includes hosting, basic SEO, shipping/pickup options, and payment processing. Square currently charges 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction on the free plan. squareup.com

Why I'd choose it for you:

• No coding
• Free to launch
• Unlimited products on the free plan
• Checkout/payments are built in
• You can upgrade later rather than rebuilding
• Particularly good if you're testing whether an idea will sell

Other good options

Big Cartel is particularly nice if you're selling just a handful of handmade/creative products; its free plan is designed around small catalogs. stablecommerce.ai

Big Cartel

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Square Online. Don't pay for anything initially.

Get just these things working:

1. Store name + simple logo
2. 1–5 products
3. Product photos
4. Price + description
5. Payment/checkout
6. Shipping settings
7. A simple homepage
8. Test order from your own phone

Don't worry about a custom domain, fancy branding, apps, SEO, or a perfect design until you've proven that someone will actually buy.

If you tell me what you're planning to sell (physical, digital, SaaS, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to the best 1–2 choices for you.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d start with Square Online.

My picks

1. Square Online — my recommendation.
You can launch with no monthly subscription, add unlimited products, take payments, manage inventory, and use a square.site address. Its editor is aimed at nontechnical sellers and reviewers consistently rank it among the easiest free ecommerce options. fitsmallbusiness.com

Start with Square Online

2. Big Cartel — if you have only a handful of products.
Very creator-friendly and intentionally simple. I'd pick this over Square if you're selling, say, 5–20 handmade/creative products and don't need a sophisticated store.

3. Wix — if the brand/site matters as much as the store.
It's extremely beginner-friendly and gives you more visual freedom. The catch is that the free plan isn't really an ecommerce plan—you'll need a paid plan to properly sell online. Current 2026 comparisons rate Wix highly for nontechnical users and design flexibility. fitsmallbusiness.com

Try Wix

I wouldn't start with Shopify for your situation. It's excellent once you're getting traction, but you're paying for ecommerce infrastructure before you know whether your idea works. Current plans start around $5/month for Starter, with the more traditional Basic store plan around $29/month when billed annually. www.shopify.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Square Online → free store → validate the idea → buy a custom domain → upgrade only when you actually need the features.

You can get a basic store live without touching code. The main unavoidable cost when you start making sales is payment processing, even on a free plan. fitsmallbusiness.com

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, SaaS, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to the one I'd personally choose for your situation.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d optimize for fast launch + low cost + no maintenance, not maximum customization.

My shortlist:

www.shopify.comfitsmallbusiness.com

My recommendations by idea type

1. Selling physical products (shirts, crafts, gadgets, small inventory)
→ Start with Square Online

• No monthly fee to test
• Simple drag-and-drop setup
• Handles payments, products, orders
• Good if you want to validate before spending money

www.shopify.comfitsmallbusiness.com

2. Selling digital products (ebooks, templates, software downloads, assets)
→ Start with Gumroad

• Almost zero setup
• No website-building headache
• Good for a first MVP

3. Building a “real brand” site
→ Start with Wix

• Better-looking pages
• Easier marketing pages/blogs
• More design freedom than many store-first tools

www.shopify.com

4. You think this could become a serious ecommerce company
→ Start with Shopify

• More expensive later, but the ecosystem is strong
• Better once you need inventory, apps, analytics, multiple sales channels

www.shopify.com

What I would avoid as a first-time solo maker

• WooCommerce — powerful, but you’ll become your own IT department (hosting, plugins, updates).
• Webflow ecommerce — beautiful but more design learning.
• Custom-coded stores — too much time before you know people want the product.

My “first 48 hours” pick

• Physical product: Square Online
• Digital product: Gumroad
• Unknown idea / MVP: Wix or Square Online
• Already have traction: Shopify

The biggest beginner mistake is paying for a $50–200/month stack before you have customers. Start free, prove demand, then upgrade when a limitation actually hurts you.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d narrow it to these:

🥇 My pick: Big Cartel

Big Cartel

Best fit if you're selling a small number of handmade, creative, or niche products.

• $0 to start
• Free plan supports 5 products
• No coding required
• Setup can be done in ~30 minutes
• Accepts cards and PayPal
• Straightforward, creator-focused interface
• Paid plan starts at $15/month if you outgrow the free tier www.bigcartel.com

Why I'd choose it for you: you can focus on making and selling rather than learning website development.

🥈 Square Online

Square Online

Best if you expect to sell lots of products or might eventually sell in person.

• $0 monthly fee on the Free plan
• Website builder + ecommerce
• Shipping, pickup, and local delivery
• Syncs with Square's POS
• You pay payment-processing fees when you make sales squareup.com

I'd pick this over Big Cartel if you want a more conventional online store and don't want to hit a 5-product ceiling.

🥉 Ecwid

Ecwid

Worth considering if you already have a website and want to add a store to it. Ecwid also has a code-free site builder, but its current entry-level structure is less compelling for someone specifically looking for a genuinely free long-term store. www.ecwid.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Big Cartel if you're launching with ≤5 products. You can get the store live for $0 and validate whether anyone actually buys before paying for infrastructure.

If you already know you'll have 10+ products, go straight to Square Online.

I wouldn't start with Shopify for your situation. It's excellent, but you're paying for capabilities you probably don't need on day one.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can give you a very specific pick and the cheapest setup.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d keep it simple and avoid Shopify/WooCommerce initially.

My picks

1. Square Online — my recommendation.
You can build and launch for $0/month; the free plan includes the website builder, SEO tools, shipping/pickup, social selling, and unlimited items. In the US, Square currently charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on the free plan. squareup.com

Start with Square Online

2. Big Cartel — best if you're selling a handful of handmade/creative products.
Its Gold plan is genuinely free, has no credit card requirement, and supports up to 5 products. The setup is deliberately lightweight—Big Cartel says you can launch in about 30 minutes. www.bigcartel.com

Start with Big Cartel

3. Ecwid — worth considering if you already have a website.
It has a code-free Instant Site builder and lets you add a store to an existing site. Its current Starter plan supports up to 10 products, although Ecwid's pricing structure changed in 2026, so I'd choose it mainly if its "store + existing site" model fits you. www.ecwid.com

Start with Ecwid

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Square Online if you're selling physical products. You can get a real store online without touching code or paying a monthly subscription. Once you're actually making sales, then worry about custom domains, branding, email marketing, etc.

If you're making art, crafts, jewelry, prints, or other maker products and have ≤5 products, I'd seriously consider Big Cartel instead.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical/digital), roughly how many products, and whether you need shipping, I can narrow it down to one.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d start with Square Online.

🥇 Best overall: Square Online

• $0/month to start
• No coding required
• Built-in storefront, checkout, payments, shipping/pickup
• Unlimited products on the free plan
• Built-in SEO tools
• You only pay processing fees when you make a sale; Square currently lists 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction on the Free plan. squareup.com
• You can upgrade later if you need a custom domain or more design control.

Why I'd pick it for you: you can go from "I have an idea" to a functioning store without touching hosting, plugins, WordPress, or code.

🥈 If you have ≤5 products: Big Cartel

Big Cartel is arguably even simpler and is specifically aimed at independent makers/artists. Its Gold plan is $0, has no Big Cartel transaction fee, and supports up to 5 physical products. www.bigcartel.com

What I'd avoid initially

• Shopify: excellent, but you're paying for capabilities you probably don't need on day one.
• WooCommerce: powerful, but hosting, WordPress, plugins, updates, and configuration are unnecessary complexity for a non-developer.
• Wix: nice website builder, but its free tier isn't a practical way to accept ecommerce payments.

My recommendation: start with Square Online, launch the smallest viable store, and don't pay for a custom domain or premium features until you've proven people will buy.

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, subscriptions, or services) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to the best $0–$15/month setup.

For a solo indie maker with zero dev experience, I’d keep it very simple: don’t start with WordPress/WooCommerce or anything you have to host yourself.

My picks

I'd choose Square Online if you're selling physical products. Its free plan currently has no monthly fee, supports online checkout, inventory, shipping/pickup, and SEO tools. squareup.comfitsmallbusiness.com

If you're selling only 1–5 products and want something extremely lightweight, Big Cartel is arguably even simpler. Its free tier is specifically aimed at artists/makers and supports a small catalog. squareup.comfitsmallbusiness.com

What I'd do in your shoes

Start with Square Online → spend $0 → launch one product → get your first 10 customers → only then worry about upgrading/design/custom domains.

You don't need to learn coding. The basic flow is essentially:

Create account → choose template → add product/photos/price → configure payments/shipping → publish.

One important distinction: “free store” doesn't mean free transactions. Square's current free plan charges payment-processing fees when you actually make a sale. squareup.com

If you tell me what you're selling (physical, digital, SaaS, print-on-demand, etc.) and roughly how many products, I can narrow it down to the single best option for you.

For a solo indie maker with no dev experience, I’d optimize for: launch in a day, no code, low monthly cost later, and not getting trapped in complexity.

My shortlist:

fitsmallbusiness.comecomm.design

My picks by indie-maker scenario

1. Selling physical goods (handmade, merch, small inventory) → Square Online

• Best “I have no idea what I’m doing” option.
• Drag-and-drop setup.
• Handles checkout, payments, inventory basics.
• You can start without paying a monthly subscription. fitsmallbusiness.com

2. Selling digital products (templates, ebooks, presets, small software, courses) → Payhip

• Very lightweight.
• No need to build a full website first.
• Good for validating an idea before investing time. fitsmallbusiness.comecomm.design

3. Selling art, collectibles, small batches → Big Cartel

• Made for independent creators.
• Less overwhelming than full ecommerce platforms.
• Good if you only have a handful of products. fitsmallbusiness.com

What I would avoid initially

• WooCommerce: powerful, but you’ll become a website administrator (hosting, plugins, updates).
• Shopify: excellent, but you’re paying once you move past the trial; it’s better when you already have traction.
• Custom-built sites: unnecessary for validating a first product.

A simple indie-maker path

1. Pick Square Online (physical) or Payhip (digital).
2. Add 1–5 products.
3. Use a free subdomain at first.
4. Make your first sales.
5. Upgrade only when revenue justifies it.

If you tell me what you’re selling (physical product, SaaS, digital download, print-on-demand, etc.), I can narrow it down to the best fit.