ChatGPT answers, unedited

For an artisan seller who only wants to sell locally, I’d pick Square Online first.

• squareup.com — best cheap/easiest option. The Free plan is $0/month and supports online ordering, free in-person pickup, and local delivery. You pay payment-processing fees when you make a sale. Square Square
• ecwid.com — better if you want a more flexible artisan storefront or already have a website. It supports pickup, delivery zones/radii, delivery fees, and pickup scheduling. Ecwid | E-Commerce Shopping Cart Ecwid | E-Commerce Shopping Cart
• squarespace.com — good if the visual/brand presentation is especially important, and it now supports local pickup and delivery. Squarespace Help

My recommendation

If you're selling things like handmade crafts, candles, artwork, baked goods, jewelry, or other artisan products and don't need nationwide shipping:

Square Online Free → probably the best starting point.

You can set up:
Customer orders online → chooses pickup OR local delivery → you fulfill it locally.

If you tell me roughly how many products you have (e.g. 10, 50, 200) and whether you want a custom website/domain, I can narrow it down to the cheapest option for your specific setup.

For an artisan seller who only sells locally (pickup + local delivery, no shipping), I’d avoid a full ecommerce setup like a traditional Shopify store unless you need lots of features. These are usually better fits:

Best cheap options

1. Homegrown — best overall for makers

• About $10/month
• Built specifically for local sellers
• Supports: - customer ordering
• pickup
• local delivery zones
• delivery fees
• online payments
• Good for: candles, crafts, baked goods, flowers, farm products, handmade items

Find Homegrown### 2. Order Local — best for preorder-style selling

• Designed for makers, bakers, growers, and market vendors
• Customers order online and choose pickup or local drop-off
• Good if you sell weekly drops, market batches, or limited quantities

Order Local### 3. MyOrderHub — simplest storefront

• Easy product catalog
• Pickup and local delivery options
• Good if you mainly need a link customers can use instead of taking orders through messages

MyOrderHub### 4. Shopify — only if you plan to grow

• More powerful, but usually more expensive and complex
• Better if you may add shipping, inventory, marketing, or a larger catalog later

My pick by seller type

• Solo artisan with a few products: Homegrown
• Weekly handmade drops / farmers market style: Order Local
• Need the absolute simplest order page: MyOrderHub
• Planning a bigger brand later: Shopify

If you’re selling crafts (candles, jewelry, art, soaps, etc.) rather than food, I’d lean toward Homegrown or MyOrderHub rather than food-focused tools. Find Homegrown MyOrderHub

For an artisan/maker who sells locally and wants pickup + local delivery, I’d start with Square Online.

Best fit: squareup.com

• $0/month on the Free plan. Square
• Supports local pickup and local delivery natively—no separate delivery plugin required. Square Square
• You can define a delivery radius/ZIP codes, delivery fee, minimum order, and delivery hours. Square
• Customers can choose pickup or delivery at checkout. Square
• Particularly good if you're selling handmade goods at markets, from home, or through social media and don't need nationwide shipping.

My recommendation: Square Free is probably the cheapest/easiest starting point. You pay transaction fees rather than a monthly store fee. Square currently lists 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on its pricing page. Square

If your business is specifically handmade/artisan products with scheduled pickup days rather than a conventional retail store, I can also compare Square vs. Shopify vs. Etsy vs. a cheaper maker-specific option and tell you which one I'd choose.

For an artisan seller who only wants local pickup + local delivery (no nationwide shipping), I’d avoid a full shipping-focused store like a traditional ecommerce setup unless you expect to grow later. These are the better fits:

My picks by situation:

• Cheapest + simplest: Homegrown or Hobby Stall www.hobbystall.comfindhomegrown.com
• Best overall for a serious local artisan business: Order Local getorderlocal.comfindhomegrown.comwww.hobbystall.com
• If you sell food (bread, cakes, cottage foods): I’d lean toward Order Local or Homegrown because their workflows match preorder + pickup days. findhomegrown.comgetorderlocal.comwww.hobbystall.com
• If you sell handmade items (candles, jewelry, crafts): Hobby Stall or Homegrown may be enough. findhomegrown.comgetorderlocal.comwww.hobbystall.com

A simple setup that works well:

1. Create the storefront.
2. Add products with photos and inventory.
3. Offer:
   • “Pickup at my location”
   • “Local delivery within X miles”
   • Delivery fee (optional)
4. Put the store link in Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile, and QR cards.

If you tell me what you sell (food, crafts, clothing, plants, etc.) and your approximate monthly sales, I can narrow it to the cheapest option that won’t box you in.

For an artisan/handmade seller who only wants to sell locally, I’d narrow it to these two:

🥇 Best fit: Ecwid

I’d choose Ecwid if your priority is keeping the store simple and flexible. It supports:

• Local pickup
• Local delivery by your own vehicle
• Delivery zones by map or ZIP code
• Free, flat-rate, or custom delivery fees
• Pickup time slots
• Delivery time slots
• Restrictions such as “local delivery only for orders over $X” support.ecwid.com

That's particularly good for handmade products where you might say, for example, “Pickup free / $5 delivery within 10 miles / no shipping.”

Ecwid's paid-plan pricing changed in 2026, with the Starter plan remaining unchanged and Venture starting at $35/month under the current pricing structure. support.ecwid.com

🥈 Easiest alternative: Square Online

Square is especially attractive if you also sell in person at craft fairs, markets, or a physical location. It supports free/in-store pickup and local delivery, including delivery by your own staff or third-party couriers. squareup.com

My pick:
Ecwid if you're primarily an online artisan seller and want flexible local delivery/pickup.
Square if you want your online store + in-person selling/POS all in one.

If you tell me roughly how many products you sell and whether you need a free/under-$20-per-month option, I can narrow it down to the cheapest setup.

For an artisan seller who mainly sells locally, I’d start with Square Online.

Best cheap options

1. Square Online — best overall
   • Has a free plan; you mainly pay payment-processing fees.
   • Supports free in-store/curbside pickup.
   • Supports local delivery using your own staff or third-party couriers.
   • Especially good if you sell at markets, pop-ups, or in person because Square can connect your online and in-person sales. squareup.com

2. Ecwid — best if you want a simple artisan storefront
   • Has a free option.
   • Strong local-delivery controls: you can define a radius or ZIP codes, delivery fees, minimum orders, and delivery/pickup times.
   • Good if you already have a website and just want to add a shop. www.ecwid.com

3. Squarespace Commerce — best-looking storefront
   • Supports local pickup and local courier delivery.
   • Better choice if your handmade products are highly visual and branding/design matters more than keeping the monthly cost absolutely minimal. support.squarespace.com

My pick: If you're selling things like handmade jewelry, candles, art, baked goods, crafts, etc. and don't need nationwide shipping, use Square Online Free. It's hard to beat for a small local seller because pickup + local delivery are built into the store rather than requiring a bunch of apps.

If you tell me what you're selling and roughly how many products you have, I can narrow it down to the cheapest setup and tell you exactly what you'd pay per month/order.

If you’re an artisan seller who only wants to sell locally, I’d look at these first:

1. Square Online — best cheap/simple option
   • Has a free plan.
   • Supports local delivery and in-store/curbside pickup. squareup.com
   • Particularly good if you also sell at craft fairs, markets, or in person because Square POS and the online store work together.
   • You can handle delivery yourself or use Square's on-demand delivery partners. squareup.com

2. Ecwid — best if you want more flexible local rules
   • Supports pickup + local delivery + regular shipping, although you can simply turn regular shipping off. support.ecwid.com
   • You can restrict delivery by ZIP code or a map-drawn area, set delivery fees, minimum orders, and delivery windows. support.ecwid.com
   • Nice fit for an artisan business where, for example, you deliver within 15 miles but pickup is available to everyone.

3. Squarespace Commerce — best-looking storefront
   • Supports local pickup and local delivery alongside shipping. support.squarespace.com
   • I'd choose this if branding/photos/design matter more than having the cheapest possible setup.

My pick for you

Start with Square Online if your priority is cheap + easy + local pickup/delivery. You can start without a monthly website cost, then only pay transaction fees when you sell.

If you want more sophisticated delivery zones and rules, I'd choose Ecwid.

If you tell me roughly how many products you sell and whether you make/deliver the orders yourself, I can narrow it down to the cheapest setup for an artisan business.

For an artisan seller who only sells locally, I’d start with Square Online.

• Square Online — $0/month on the Free plan, with pickup, local delivery, and shipping built in. You pay payment-processing fees when you make a sale. squareup.com
• You can offer in-store/curbside pickup and either deliver yourself or use Square’s on-demand delivery partners. my.squareup.com
• You can define delivery areas by radius or ZIP code and set delivery fees, minimums, or distance-based pricing. squareup.com

Runner-up: Ecwid if you want a more customizable storefront. Its free option is attractive, and it supports local delivery zones, pickup scheduling, and delivery fees. www.ecwid.com

My pick: Square for the cheapest/easiest setup if you're selling handmade goods locally and want pickup + delivery without paying a monthly store fee.

Start a Square Online store

For a small artisan seller who only sells locally, I’d pick Square Online.

• Best cheap option: Square Online Free — $0/month, with online checkout, local pickup, curbside pickup, and local delivery built in. You can set delivery zones, delivery times, and minimum/maximum order amounts. squareup.com
• Especially good if you sell at markets/in person — Square keeps your online and in-person inventory/orders connected. squareup.com
• You don't need to pay for shipping features if you're only delivering yourself or offering pickup.
• Alternative: Ecwid — also very good for artisan products, with map/ZIP-code delivery zones, scheduled delivery, and pickup. support.ecwid.com

My ranking for your use case:

1. 🥇 Square Online — cheapest/easiest for local-only selling
2. 🥈 Ecwid — better if you want more customizable delivery rules
3. 🥉 Squarespace — prettier storefronts, but I'd only choose it if website design is a priority; it supports pickup and local delivery too. support.squarespace.com

If you tell me roughly how many products you sell and whether you already use Square for payments, I can tell you which one will likely cost you the least.

If you’re an artisan seller and only want to sell locally, I’d pick Square Online.

• Best cheap option: Square Online — its Free plan is $0/month and includes local delivery + in-store/curbside pickup. You pay transaction fees when you sell (currently 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction). squareup.com
• You can do your own local delivery or use Square's delivery partners, and set delivery areas/times. squareup.com
• Good alternative: Ecwid — particularly flexible if you want delivery zones by ZIP code or map area, different delivery fees, and scheduled pickup. support.ecwid.com

My recommendation

Square Online Free if you want the simplest, lowest-cost setup for handmade/artisan products and don't need a lot of customization.

A basic setup could be:
Online store → local pickup (free) → local delivery ($5–$10) → no nationwide shipping.

If you tell me roughly how many products you sell and whether you already use Square for taking payments, I can tell you which one I'd choose between Square, Ecwid, Shopify, and Etsy.

For an artisan seller who only sells locally, I’d use Square Online first.

• Square Online Free — $0/month, with online selling, free pickup, local delivery, and shipping. You pay transaction processing when you make a sale. squareup.com
• You can set your own delivery area/rules and either deliver yourself or use Square’s on-demand delivery partners. squareup.com
• It’s especially good if you also sell at craft fairs, markets, or in person because Square POS and the online store can work together.

Square Online

Runner-up: Ecwid. It has a free entry-level option and is particularly flexible for defining local delivery zones by radius or ZIP code and scheduling pickup. www.ecwid.com

Ecwid

My pick: Square Online if you want the cheapest, simplest setup. Ecwid if you want more control over local delivery rules and storefront customization.

For an artisan seller who only wants local pickup and local delivery, I would avoid a big shipping-focused platform unless you plan to grow into shipping later. The best fit depends on what you sell:

Best cheap/easy options

1. Homegrown — best overall for local makers

• Around $10/month
• Built specifically for local sellers
• Supports pickup scheduling + local delivery zones
• Good for: baked goods, candles, crafts, soaps, farm products, handmade items
• Simple “share one link” storefront model findhomegrown.com

2. Square Online — best if you already use Square

• Free plan available
• Handles online orders, pickup, and delivery options
• Great if you sell at markets and already take card payments through Square findhomegrown.comfindhomegrown.com

3. Order Local — best for pickup-first artisans

• Designed for makers, bakers, growers, and market sellers
• Free starter option
• Pickup locations, pickup windows, and order management are core features getorderlocal.com

4. Shopify — only if you want a “real brand website”

• More expensive and more setup
• Better if you eventually want shipping, inventory, marketing apps, etc.
• Probably overkill for a neighborhood-only seller

My recommendation by seller type:

• Cottage food / bakery / handmade consumables: Homegrown or Order Local
• Crafts, candles, jewelry, art: Square Online or Homegrown
• Already using Square at markets: Square Online
• Testing the idea with almost no cost: Square Online free tier or Order Local starter

For a small artisan business doing only local pickup/delivery, I’d start with Homegrown if you want the simplest setup, or Square Online if you already have a Square account. findhomegrown.comfindhomegrown.com

If you tell me what you sell (food, crafts, clothing, plants, etc.) and whether you need customers to discover you or just order from your existing followers, I can narrow it down.

For an artisan seller who only sells locally and needs both customer pickup + local delivery, I’d start with Square Online.

• Best cheap/simple option: Square Online — it supports in-store/curbside pickup and local delivery, including delivery by your own staff or third-party couriers. squareup.com
• Good alternative: Ecwid — particularly flexible if you want to define delivery areas by ZIP code or map, set delivery fees, and offer scheduled pickup. support.ecwid.com
• I’d skip Shopify for this use case unless you expect to grow into a larger shipping operation; you may be paying for capabilities you don't need.

My pick: Square Online if the goal is “cheap, easy storefront for handmade products, local pickup, and local delivery.”

If you tell me roughly how many products you sell and whether you already use Square for payments, I can tell you which setup would cost you the least.

For an artisan seller who only ships locally (pickup + local delivery), I’d avoid a big shipping-focused ecommerce tool unless you plan to expand. Good fits:

My picks:

• Cheapest/easiest: Square Online (especially if you already use Square at markets). findhomegrown.comfindhomegrown.com
• Best “made for local artisans” feel: Homegrown. findhomegrown.com
• Best for weekly drops, preorders, and pickup windows: Order Local. getorderlocal.com

For a handmade seller (candles, crafts, soaps, art, baked goods, etc.), I’d start with Square Online or Homegrown rather than building a full Shopify store. findhomegrown.comfindhomegrown.com

If you tell me what you sell (food, crafts, clothing, plants, etc.) and whether you already use Square/Instagram/Etsy, I can narrow it down.

For an artisan/maker selling only locally, with pickup + local delivery and keeping costs low, I’d look at:

1. Square Online — probably the best fit. It has a free tier, supports pickup and local delivery, and can also handle in-person sales at markets/pop-ups. yournextstore.com
2. Ecwid — inexpensive if you already have a website or social page and want to add a small store; its entry plan is around $5/month. www.shopify.com
3. Big Cartel — particularly good for artists and makers with a small catalog, but I'd verify that its current fulfillment options meet your specific pickup/delivery workflow. www.shopify.com

My pick: Square Online if your priority is cheap + simple + local pickup/delivery. You don't need the complexity of Shopify for a local-only artisan shop.

If by “which tool” you mean which tool in this chat should I use to help you find/set up the store, tell me whether you want free, under $10/month, or under $20/month, and I can narrow it down.