If you’ve ever dreamed of launching an online store but felt held back by tech skills or budget, 2025 might be your year. Building an ecommerce website is now easier and more affordable than ever. There are free website builders designed for beginners that let you set up a fully functional store without coding or upfront costs.
The best part is you don’t need to hire a developer or invest thousands to get started. With the right tool, you can design your store, upload products, accept payments, and even run marketing campaigns all in one place.
Here’s a breakdown of the best free ecommerce website builders this year and how to choose the right one for your business.
1. Shopify Starter (Best for Beginners Who Want to Sell Fast)
Why it’s great: Shopify is one of the most trusted ecommerce platforms in the world, and their free trial plan is perfect for beginners who want to launch quickly without coding. The setup process is simple pick a template, add products, connect payments, and you’re ready to start selling.
Starting from $17/month
Get your free trial and $1 for the first month + Free store builder
Key Features
AI-powered product recommendations and marketing
Advanced fulfillment and inventory management
Seamless omnichannel selling
Why We Recommend It
Storage and Bandwidth:
Unlimited storage allows you to upload as many products and images as needed
Unlimited bandwidth means your site can handle many visitors and lots of activity without slowing down
Extras and Inclusions:
Secure, integrated payment gateway, with transaction fees waived if you use Shopify Payments
Access to an extensive app store to add features and functionality
Built-in tools for SEO, marketing, and analytics
Pros & Cons
- Comprehensive store management tools
- Wide range of themes and apps
- Excellent 24/7 customer support
- It can get expensive with additional apps and transaction fees
- Limited SEO capabilities compared to other platforms
Key features:
- Drag-and-drop website builder
- Built-in checkout and payment processing
- Mobile-optimized store templates
- Access to thousands of apps for marketing, reviews, and analytics
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Shopify’s ecosystem handles everything from security to payments, so you can focus on designing your store and making sales. You can start with a free trial, then upgrade once your store begins generating revenue.
2. Wix eCommerce (Best for Full Design Control)
Why it’s great: Wix is ideal if you want complete control over your store’s look and feel. It offers hundreds of free templates and a drag-and-drop editor that’s easy for beginners to use.
Starting from $17/month
Key Features
Easy drag-and-drop store builder with customizable templates
Built-in tools for managing products, payments, and shipping
Marketing features like email campaigns and SEO tools
Why We Recommend It
Wix eCommerce makes it simple to build and run an online store, even if you have no tech skills. It’s perfect for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want an all-in-one solution without the hassle.
Pros & Cons
- User-friendly and beginner-friendly
- No coding needed for store setup
- Includes marketing and SEO tools
- Limited advanced customization
- Transaction fees on lower-tier plans
Key features:
- Customizable store pages
- Built-in email marketing and SEO tools
- Mobile-responsive templates
- App integrations for automation and analytics
Why it’s beginner-friendly: You can start with a free plan to design your site and learn the platform. When you’re ready to accept payments, upgrading to a paid plan unlocks ecommerce features.
3. Squarespace (Best for Creative Brands and Portfolios)
Why it’s great: If design matters to your brand for example, if you sell handmade products or digital downloads Squarespace is one of the best free-to-start platforms. It’s known for beautiful, professional templates and built-in tools for SEO and email marketing.
Starting at $10/month
Save 28% with annually
Key Features
Beautiful, award-winning design templates
Built-in SEO and analytics tools
Mobile-optimized right out of the box
Why We Recommend It
Storage and Bandwidth:
Unlimited storage and bandwidth, allowing for extensive product listings and high traffic volumes without additional charges.
Extras and Inclusions:
Mobile-optimized checkout to ensure a seamless shopping experience on smartphones and tablets.
Built-in analytics to track visitor behavior and sales trends.
Inventory, orders, tax, and customer management are integrated into the platform.
Pros & Cons
- Beautiful, design-focused templates
- Easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface
- There are no transaction fees on sales
- Limited e-commerce features compared to Shopify
- Fewer payment gateway options
Key features:
- Award-winning website designs
- Built-in email campaigns
- Analytics dashboard and product tracking
- Seamless integration with payment processors
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Squarespace offers a free trial to design and test your store before going live, making it a low-risk option for creators and small businesses.
4. Hostinger Website Builder (Best All-in-One Solution)
Why it’s great: Hostinger combines website building, hosting, and ecommerce tools into one simple platform. It uses AI to help you design a store quickly and optimize it for search engines.
Starting from $2.49/month
Use code CHARLIECHANG for an even greater discount!
Key Features
Extremely affordable
User-friendly control panel
LiteSpeed Cache for faster loading times
Why We Recommend It
Storage and Bandwidth:
30 GB SSD storage
100 GB bandwidth
Extras:
Free SSL certificate
Pros & Cons
- Low starting price
- Good performance for the price
- No free domain in the lowest-tier plan
- Support can be slow during peak times
Key features:
- AI-powered store builder
- Customizable templates
- Built-in SEO and marketing tools
- Free SSL and fast hosting
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Hostinger is built for simplicity. You don’t need separate hosting or plugins, and its AI assistant can generate a professional-looking store in minutes.
5. BigCommerce (Best for Scaling Up Later)
Why it’s great: BigCommerce is a strong choice if you plan to grow beyond a basic store. It’s designed for ecommerce brands and includes advanced tools for inventory management, multi-channel selling, and analytics.
Starting from $1.99/month
Key Features
Scalable E-Commerce platform with built-in sales tools
No transaction fees on any plan
Supports multi-channel selling on marketplaces and social media
Why We Recommend It
BigCommerce is perfect for businesses that want to grow without limits. It offers powerful tools for selling online, managing inventory, and reaching customers across multiple platforms—all without extra transaction fees.
Pros & Cons
- Scales easily for growing businesses
- No transaction fees, even on lower plans
- Strong SEO and marketing features
- Monthly pricing can be higher than competitors
- Learning curve for beginners
Key features:
- Unlimited product listings
- Multi-channel selling (Amazon, eBay, Facebook)
- Built-in SEO and marketing tools
- Free trial available for new stores
Why it’s beginner-friendly: Even though BigCommerce is built for growth, its setup process is straightforward, and the free trial gives you time to learn before committing.
Tips for Choosing the Right Builder
Here’s how to pick the best platform for your situation:
- If you want the fastest setup, go with Shopify.
- If design and customization matter, choose Wix or Squarespace.
- If you want everything included, Hostinger is a simple all-in-one solution.
- If you plan to scale quickly, start with BigCommerce.
Final Thoughts
Starting an ecommerce store in 2025 doesn’t require big budgets or coding skills. These free website builders make it possible to launch, grow, and scale a business from home, often in just a few hours.
The key is to pick the platform that fits your current goals. Focus on launching, learning, and improving over time. Once you start generating sales, you can upgrade your plan and unlock even more powerful ecommerce features.
If you’re serious about selling online, start experimenting with one of these free tools today. The sooner you launch, the sooner you’ll start building real income from your store.