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SaaS Ecommerce Platforms: Hosted Store Builders Compared (2026)

SIsivaguru·
SaaS Ecommerce Platforms: Hosted Store Builders Compared (2026)
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A SaaS ecommerce platform is a hosted store builder: you pay one monthly price, the vendor runs the servers and the software, and you have nothing to install, update or patch. Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, Ecwid, Big Cartel and Square Online work this way, and so does LotsStore. WooCommerce is the self-hosted contrast.

Below, I compare them on what you pay, what they take from each sale, how many products you can list and what you still look after yourself. I opened every vendor's own pricing page on 24 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars before tax, monthly first, then the per-month price when billed yearly where the vendor shows one. LotsStore comes first because it's mine. Where a cheaper or free plan exists, I say so.

What "SaaS ecommerce" means in plain words

"SaaS" stands for software as a service. For a store, that means:

  • It's hosted. Your store runs on the vendor's servers. You don't buy hosting, and there's no WordPress, plugin or server to keep alive.
  • Nothing to patch. The vendor ships the updates and security fixes. You open the dashboard and sell.
  • One monthly price. You pay a plan, usually by the month or a little less by the year, instead of hosting plus a theme plus extensions.
  • You still run the shop. Products, prices, orders, shipping and your payment account are yours to manage.

The other route is self-hosted, and WooCommerce is the best-known one. The plugin is free, but you choose and pay for hosting, and you keep WordPress, the plugin, your extensions and your payment gateway up to date. WooCommerce's own update guide says to check for updates on a monthly schedule and to make a backup and test on a staging site before updating. That control suits a business with a developer. A hosted platform suits one that wants to spend its time selling.

Two numbers separate hosted platforms more than the headline price: the fee on each sale (on top of your payment provider's own fee) and the product limit on cheaper plans.

SaaS ecommerce platforms at a glance

Checked on 24 October 2026.

PlatformPlans (monthly, per month billed yearly)Fee on salesProductsWhat you still look after
LotsStoreStarter $12 ($10), Pro $29 ($24.17), Business $79 ($65.83); 1, 3 or 10 stores0%UnlimitedYour catalog, orders and payment account
ShopifyBasic $39 ($29), Grow $105 ($79), Advanced $399 ($299); Plus from $2,3000% with Shopify Payments; 2% / 1% / 0.6% / 0.2% with another providerUnlimitedYour catalog, orders, apps and payment account
BigCommerceCore $39 ($29), Growth $105 ($79), Scale $399 ($299); Performance from $1,499 billed annually0% with its embedded providers; 2% / 1% / 0.6% with othersPlans capped by yearly salesYour catalog, orders and payment account
SquarespaceBasic $25 ($19), Core $39 ($29), Plus $65 ($49), Advanced $139 ($99)2% on Basic; 0% from CoreUnlimitedYour website, catalog and orders
WixPrices vary by location; not quotedNot stated on its plans pageNot statedYour website, catalog and orders
EcwidStarter $5; Venture $35 ($29); Business $65 ($49); Unlimited $149 ($119)0%10 / 100 / 2,500 / unlimitedYour catalog, orders and the site it sits on
Big CartelGold free; Platinum $15 ($144 a year); Diamond $30 ($288 a year)0% ("we never take a cut")5 / 50 / 500Your catalog and orders
Square OnlineFree $0; Plus $49; Premium $149, each per locationNo separate fee; online cards 3.3% + 30¢ on Free, 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and PremiumNot statedYour catalog and orders
WooCommerce (self-hosted)Free plugin; hosting $25 to $350 a month for most stores (WooCommerce's estimate); extensions $29 to $299 a year eachNone ("no revenue share")UnlimitedHosting, WordPress, plugin, extension and gateway updates, backups, security

1. LotsStore: hosted, 0% of your sales, priced per store

I built LotsStore for agencies that build stores for clients, founders starting a product brand and shops selling through Instagram, WhatsApp or in person. It's a hosted store: nothing to install, nothing to patch, and a store on a free yourstore.mylots.store address or your own domain with HTTPS.

  • Priced per store, not per sale. Starter is $12 a month for 1 store, Pro $29 for 3 stores, Business $79 for 10 stores. Billed yearly that's $120, $290 or $790, which is two months free. Pay as you go is $15 a month per store from credits.
  • 0% of your sales. Your payment provider charges its own processing fee and LotsStore takes nothing on top. You connect your own Stripe account (in the countries Stripe supports) or Razorpay account (for businesses registered in India), take UPI to your own UPI ID, or take orders on WhatsApp and settle directly. LotsStore never holds your money.
  • Unlimited products. No cap on products, variants, orders, customers or teammates on any plan, and every feature is on every plan.
  • Several stores in one account. One account holds 1, 3 or 10 stores, with the role each person needs (owner, admin, manager, staff or viewer). That suits an agency running stores for clients, or an owner with a store for each brand.
  • What it doesn't do. LotsStore sells physical products: there's no digital delivery (no file downloads or licence keys). It isn't a marketplace and has no point of sale. There are no live carrier rates or shipping labels; you set your own shipping zones and rates and ship with any carrier. Sales tax and VAT aren't calculated for you (GST is built in; elsewhere, include tax in your prices).
  • Free start. New accounts get 15,000 free credits, valid 90 days, no card. That's about a month of one store.

See LotsStore pricing, or the head-to-head in LotsStore vs Shopify.

2. Shopify: the most complete hosted platform

Shopify is the most complete store platform, with a large app and theme ecosystem.

  • Plans: Basic $39 a month ($29 billed yearly), Grow $105 ($79), Advanced $399 ($299). Plus starts at $2,300 a month. All plans list unlimited products and include hosting and a free SSL certificate.
  • Fee on sales: none with Shopify Payments. With another payment provider, 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus.
  • Card rates with Shopify Payments: from 2.9% + 30¢ online on Basic.
  • Fits: a store that needs the widest choice of apps and wants to use Shopify Payments. Each Shopify store has its own plan.

3. BigCommerce: hosted, with sales-based plan tiers

BigCommerce is a hosted platform aimed at growing stores.

  • Plans: Core $39 a month ($29 billed yearly), Growth $105 ($79), Scale $399 ($299), Performance from $1,499 a month billed annually.
  • Fee on sales: $0 on orders through its embedded payment providers, a list that includes Stripe, PayPal and BigCommerce Payments. On other providers, 2.0% on Core, 1.0% on Growth, 0.6% on Scale.
  • Sales caps: Core covers up to $30K and Growth up to $100K in trailing 12-month sales, and the plan moves up when you pass them. Scale covers up to $33,333 a month, with 0.9% on sales above it.
  • More than one store: extra storefronts are an add-on, $30 a month on Core, $50 on Growth and $100 on Scale.
  • Fits: a store with high volume that wants a long list of fee-free payment providers.

4. Squarespace: a design-led website with a store

Squarespace is a website builder with selling built in. Its pricing page lists secure hosting and unlimited bandwidth on every plan.

  • Plans: Basic $25 a month ($19 billed yearly), Core $39 ($29), Plus $65 ($49), Advanced $139 ($99). There's no limit on the number of products and services.
  • Fee on sales: 2% on online store sales on Basic, 0% from Core. Digital content and memberships carry a separate fee on lower plans.
  • Payments: Squarespace Payments card rates start at 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic and Core; Stripe and PayPal are also supported.
  • Fits: a business where the website matters as much as the shop. For 0% on store sales you start at Core.

5. Wix: a site builder with eCommerce plans

Wix is a site builder used by many small businesses. I don't quote Wix prices because its plans page shows prices that vary by location.

  • Selling: accepting payments and basic eCommerce start on the Core plan; "Accept payments" is listed from Core, not on Light. Its plans page lists hosting and a free domain for the first year.
  • Per site: Wix's help centre says "A site plan cannot be used for multiple sites", so each site you want to sell on needs its own plan.
  • Fits: a business whose website is already on Wix. Check the price for your location on Wix's plans page.

6. Ecwid: the cheapest paid plan, with product caps

Ecwid (by Lightspeed) adds a store to a site you already have, or starts on a default company.site address.

  • Plans: Starter $5 a month, up to 10 products. Venture $35 ($29 billed yearly), up to 100 products plus e-goods. Business $65 ($49), up to 2,500 products. Unlimited $149 ($119), unlimited products.
  • Fee on sales: Ecwid's pricing page shows $0 in fees charged per sale by Ecwid on every plan. Your payment provider's fee still applies.
  • Fits: a handful of products, or a store added to an existing website. At $5 a month, Starter is the lowest paid plan in this list.

7. Big Cartel: a free plan for makers

Big Cartel is built for makers and musicians, and its pricing page says "we never take a cut".

  • Plans: Gold is free for up to 5 products. Platinum is $15 a month or $144 a year, up to 50 products, with a custom domain and digital products. Diamond is $30 a month or $288 a year, up to 500 products, with abandoned cart recovery, product drops and Zapier.
  • Payments: cards, PayPal, Afterpay and more.
  • Also included: sales tax autopilot and label printing with up to 90% off shipping.
  • Fits: a small catalog that starts at $0. Both Big Cartel and LotsStore take 0% of sales; the difference is Big Cartel's product limits and one plan per shop. More in Big Cartel alternatives.

8. Square Online: a $0 plan, paid through card processing

Square Online is Square's store builder, on the same system as its in-person payments.

  • Plans: Free $0 a month, Plus $49 and Premium $149, each per location.
  • Processing: online card payments are 3.3% + 30¢ on Free and 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium.
  • Fits: a shop that already takes card payments in person with Square. The monthly price is $0, and you pay through the card rate on each sale instead.

9. WooCommerce: the self-hosted contrast

WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin for WordPress, so it isn't SaaS: you run it.

  • Cost: the plugin is free and WooCommerce says there's no revenue share. Its pricing page estimates hosting at $25 to $350 a month for most stores and extensions at $29 to $299 a year each.
  • Payments: WooPayments at about 2.5% to 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, or other gateways through extensions.
  • What you maintain: hosting, WordPress, WooCommerce, extensions and themes, backups and security.
  • Fits: a business that already runs WordPress and has someone to look after it. If that someone is your agency, see WooCommerce alternatives for agencies.

Which hosted store builder fits

  • Every sale is yours, no product caps, money into your own Stripe or Razorpay account: LotsStore.
  • Several stores or client stores in one account: LotsStore (1, 3 or 10 stores per plan). Wix needs a plan per site, and BigCommerce sells extra storefronts as an add-on.
  • The widest choice of apps: Shopify.
  • A website first, a shop second: Squarespace or Wix.
  • A free or very cheap start with a few products: Big Cartel Gold (free, 5 products), Square Online Free ($0), or Ecwid Starter ($5).
  • Digital downloads, a marketplace or a point of sale: LotsStore isn't built for these. Look at Big Cartel or Ecwid for digital products, and Square Online or Ecwid for in-person selling.
  • Full control and a developer on hand: self-hosted WooCommerce.

For what the monthly bill really adds up to, see how much it costs to run an online store. For a wider look at small-business options, see the best ecommerce platforms for small business.

Manage your store from ChatGPT or Claude

Every LotsStore feature works in the dashboard. If you already use ChatGPT, Claude or another assistant, you can connect it too and manage the store in plain words, for example "Which orders are waiting for me to accept?". Every change shows in your dashboard. Set up your assistant.

FAQ

What is a SaaS ecommerce platform?

It's a hosted store builder. You pay one monthly price and the vendor runs the servers and the software, so there's nothing to install, update or patch. Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix, Ecwid, Big Cartel, Square Online and LotsStore work this way. WooCommerce is the self-hosted alternative.

What is the difference between SaaS and self-hosted ecommerce?

With SaaS, the vendor hosts and updates the store for a monthly plan price. With self-hosted software such as WooCommerce, the software is free but you pay for hosting, extensions and a developer's time, and you keep WordPress, the plugin and your payment gateway updated and backed up.

Which SaaS ecommerce platform is cheapest?

Big Cartel has a free Gold plan for up to 5 products, and Square Online has a $0 Free plan with online cards at 3.3% + 30¢. Ecwid Starter is $5 a month for up to 10 products. LotsStore Starter is $12 a month ($10 billed yearly) with unlimited products and 0% of your sales (checked on 24 October 2026).

Which SaaS ecommerce platforms take no fee on sales?

LotsStore, Ecwid and Big Cartel take 0% on every plan. Shopify is 0% with Shopify Payments and BigCommerce with its embedded payment providers. Squarespace is 0% from its Core plan. Your payment provider's own processing fee still applies everywhere (checked on 24 October 2026).

Can one account run several online stores?

On LotsStore, yes: Starter covers 1 store, Pro 3 and Business 10, with a role for each person. On Wix, each site needs its own plan. On BigCommerce, extra storefronts are a paid add-on at $30 to $100 a month depending on the plan (checked on 24 October 2026).

Can LotsStore sell digital downloads or run a marketplace?

No. LotsStore sells physical products. It has no digital delivery, no marketplace and no point of sale. If you need downloads, look at a platform built for them, such as Big Cartel or Ecwid.

Sources

All opened on 24 October 2026.

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