To compare free ecommerce website builders, look past the word "free" and check four things: what the free tier or trial actually includes, whether it can take real payments, what it charges per sale, and what it costs once you outgrow it. In India, free usually means a free trial, a no-cost starter plan with a transaction fee, or free software that you host yourself. Very few builders let you run a full store forever at no cost.
This guide compares the main kinds of free ecommerce website builder available to Indian sellers, using what each vendor states on its own page as read on 11 October 2026, and gives you a scorecard and a test plan. Vendor offers change often, so use the figures as a guide to what to ask, and confirm them on the vendor's page before you decide.
Quick answer: Free ecommerce builders fall into three types: free trials (Shopify, Zoho Commerce, Wix, ShopMate), free starter plans that charge per sale (such as Instamojo's Lite plan and Dukaan's free start), and free open-source software (WooCommerce) that needs your own hosting. Pick by what happens after the free period: the fees, the limits and how easily you can leave.
What "free" means for an ecommerce builder
Wikipedia describes the freemium model: a free entry level and charges for more. Ecommerce builders use three versions of it.
| Type of free | What you get | What it costs later |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | Full or near-full features for a limited time | A paid plan or commission when the trial ends |
| Free starter plan | A basic store with limits, often with a per-order fee | Transaction fees now; plan fees to unlock features |
| Free software | Code you download and run | Hosting, domain, plugins, security and your time |
None of them removes payment gateway charges, shipping or GST. Those apply however you build the store.
The builders compared
The table summarises what each vendor says on its own page. We quote only what we could read, and we mark where you must check the details.
| Builder | Free offer as stated on its page (11 October 2026) | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| ShopMate | No setup fee; 7-day free trial; commission of 5% plus 18% GST per order; all features in one plan | ShopMate pricing |
| Shopify | A free 3-day trial with no credit card; after the trial, paid plans with an introductory offer, then standard monthly pricing | Shopify India pricing |
| Zoho Commerce | A 14-day free trial with no credit card on any plan; listed plans show a 0% transaction fee | Zoho Commerce pricing |
| Wix | Create a site for free and choose a plan when ready; plans include a custom domain and hosting, with a 14-day money-back guarantee | Wix plans |
| Instamojo | A Lite online store plan listed at ₹0 a year with a 5% plus ₹3 transaction fee; paid plans list lower transaction fees | Instamojo pricing |
| Dukaan | Advertises a free online store you can start in seconds, with paid monthly and yearly plans | Dukaan pricing |
| WooCommerce | Free open-source software; you provide hosting and other costs | WooCommerce on WordPress.org |
ShopMate publishes this article and has a commercial interest, so read the other pages yourself and confirm every figure on the day you decide. GST may apply on top of listed prices; each vendor's page says whether the price includes it.
Free trials: Shopify, Zoho Commerce, Wix and ShopMate
A trial gives you time to build and test with no commitment. Use it well, because the clock is short: Shopify's trial is stated as 3 days and Zoho Commerce's as 14 days, while ShopMate offers 7 days plus a demo call.
- Shopify: a mature global platform. Indian sellers should check its India GST help page (Shopify GST in India) and where Shopify Payments is available (supported countries), because these affect how you take payments and invoice customers.
- Zoho Commerce: part of the Zoho business suite, so it may suit sellers who already use Zoho for accounts or customer management. The pricing page lists a 0% transaction fee on its plans and an ONDC sales channel; confirm what applies to the plan you choose.
- Wix: a website builder with ecommerce features and strong design control. Check how it handles Indian payment methods, GST invoices and couriers on the plan you want.
- ShopMate: built for Indian sellers, with Razorpay payments, GST invoicing, 40+ shipping partners with cash on delivery and an offline POS. After the trial, you pay a flat commission rather than a monthly plan.
Free starter plans that charge per sale
Some builders let you open a store at no plan fee and take a fee on each order instead. This lowers your fixed cost but can cost more once you sell a lot.
- Instamojo: its page lists a Lite store plan at ₹0 a year with a 5% plus ₹3 transaction fee, and higher yearly plans with lower transaction fees. The payment gateway is integrated into the store.
- Dukaan: advertises a free store with paid plans; check its pricing page for the plan limits and whether paid plans carry transaction fees.
The practical question is the break-even point: at what monthly sales does a paid plan with lower fees beat the free plan? The formula is the extra plan cost divided by the difference in fee rates. Our post on selling without commission fees explains it with examples.
Free software: WooCommerce
WooCommerce has no licence fee and no platform commission. But you must arrange hosting that meets its server requirements, keep it updated and secure (see WooCommerce security guidance) and often buy plugins for payments, shipping and GST invoices. It suits someone with technical skills. For anyone else the real cost is time.
Scorecard: how to compare any free builder
Score each shortlisted builder from 1 to 5 on each row, then multiply by the weight that matches your needs.
| Criterion | Weight | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Can it take real payments on the free tier or trial? | 5 | UPI, cards, net banking, wallets; settlement into your own account |
| Per-order fees | 5 | Platform fee plus gateway fee plus GST on fees |
| GST invoices | 4 | Automatic invoices with GSTIN and tax split |
| Shipping and cash on delivery | 4 | Courier integrations, rates, labels, COD remittance |
| Limits on the free tier | 4 | Product count, storage, staff accounts, branding removal |
| Custom domain | 3 | Allowed on the free tier or only paid plans |
| Support | 3 | Hours, channels, languages |
| Exit and data export | 3 | Can you export products, orders and customers |
For payment checks, see the gateway's own pages, such as Razorpay pricing, settlements and test and live modes. For tax, see the GST portal and our guide to GST invoices for an online store.
A worked comparison: what each model costs at three sales levels
These figures are assumptions to show the method, using a 2% gateway fee on every route and ignoring GST on fees for simplicity. Replace them with real prices.
| Monthly sales (₹) | Per-order fee model: 5% + ₹3 on 100 orders (₹) | Flat 5% commission (₹) | Hypothetical ₹2,000 monthly plan with 0% platform fee (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20,000 (100 orders of ₹200) | 1,000 + 300 = 1,300 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| 50,000 (100 orders of ₹500) | 2,500 + 300 = 2,800 | 2,500 | 2,000 |
| 1,00,000 (100 orders of ₹1,000) | 5,000 + 300 = 5,300 | 5,000 | 2,000 |
At low sales the fee models cost less; at higher sales the fixed plan wins. The right choice depends on your volume and on what the plan includes, so recalculate every quarter. The gateway fee comes on top in every column.
Hidden limits to look for on free tiers
- Branding: the builder's logo on your store or checkout.
- Domain: a platform subdomain only, with your own domain on paid plans.
- Product and image limits: a cap on listings or on images per product.
- Features: no coupons, abandoned-cart recovery, analytics or SEO controls until you upgrade.
- Payment methods: a limited set, or a fee for adding cash on delivery.
- Support: email only, or none, on the free tier.
- Lock-in: difficulty exporting data when you leave.
How to test free builders in one weekend
- Friday: open trial or free accounts on two or three builders. Add five products with photos and variants to each.
- Saturday morning: connect payments in test mode and place a UPI, card and cash on delivery order on each.
- Saturday afternoon: check the order screen, stock change and customer email. Download the GST invoice and compare it with our checklist.
- Sunday morning: book a test shipment and look at rates, labels and tracking.
- Sunday afternoon: open each store on a phone, finish a purchase, then fill in the scorecard.
Our broader guides on selling across all India and delivering to all pincodes show what good shipping coverage looks like.
Which free builder suits which seller
- A shop owner with walk-in customers: a builder with POS and shared stock. See our retail POS and ecommerce integration guide.
- A beginner testing an idea: a no-plan-fee starter or a commission-only plan, to keep fixed costs near zero.
- A design-focused brand: a builder with strong themes and a trial long enough to design.
- A growing seller with steady volume: a fixed-fee plan, once the break-even point passes.
- A technical team: WooCommerce, for control.
Common mistakes when comparing free builders
- Choosing the one with the longest free period instead of the best long-term fit.
- Ignoring transaction fees because the plan is free.
- Forgetting that GST and gateway fees come on top.
- Building a full store in a trial without checking you can export it later.
- Missing that the free tier cannot use your own domain.
- Comparing from marketing pages without testing.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best free ecommerce website builder in India?
There is no single best. Trials from Shopify, Zoho Commerce, Wix and ShopMate suit sellers who want to test before paying. Free starter plans from builders such as Instamojo and Dukaan suit those who want no plan fee. WooCommerce suits technical users. Test two or three with the scorecard.
Can I run a real store on a free plan?
Often yes for a small store, but with limits such as per-order fees, builder branding, no custom domain or fewer features. Check what the free tier includes and whether payments work with it, and plan to upgrade as you grow.
Are free trials really free?
The trial itself costs nothing, and some do not ask for a card. After it ends you move to a paid plan or commission. Note the trial length, what happens to your store afterwards and how to cancel.
Do free builders charge transaction fees?
Some do. Starter plans may charge a percentage plus a fixed amount per order, and others charge a commission. Several trial-based platforms list a 0% platform transaction fee on paid plans but still pass on gateway charges. Read each pricing page.
Is WooCommerce better because it is free?
Not necessarily. The software is free, but hosting, security, plugins and maintenance cost money and time. It is a good fit with technical help and can be the more expensive route without it.
How does ShopMate compare?
ShopMate has no setup fee and a 7-day trial and charges a flat 5% plus 18% GST per order, with payments, GST invoices, shipping and POS included. It has no free-forever plan, so compare it against others using the scorecard above.
Sources and further reading
Vendor offers change frequently. Vendor figures in this article are quoted from their own pages as read on 11 October 2026 and must be rechecked. Sources were last checked on 11 October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Freemium.
- ShopMate, pricing; Shopify, India pricing, India GST and Shopify Payments supported countries.
- Zoho, Commerce pricing; Wix, plans; Instamojo, pricing; Dukaan, pricing.
- WooCommerce, WooCommerce on WordPress.org, server requirements and security.
- Razorpay, pricing, settlements and test and live modes.
- Goods and Services Tax Network, GST portal.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. ShopMate is the publisher of this guide and has a commercial interest in the platform it describes; competitor information is limited to what is publicly stated on their own pages and may have changed. Figures in worked examples are assumptions, not quotes. Consult a qualified chartered accountant or legal professional before making decisions.
Test ShopMate against your shortlist
To compare free ecommerce website builders properly, test them with real orders. ShopMate offers a 7-day free trial and a demo call. Book a free demo, review the pricing or read about ShopMate.