Start here · Web & commerce

How to sell online: start an online store for your business

To sell online, you need a place to list products, a checkout that takes payment, and a way to get orders to customers. An e-commerce platform runs the store and orders, and a payment processor moves the money to your bank. You also need a plan for shipping, stock and returns, which the store software alone may not cover.

By Bill Belcamino · Page updated September 23, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team

Price this for my team See the software it takes

How to sell online

Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare

Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: What do I need to start selling online, and where does the money go?

Three pieces: a store, a payment processor and a shipping plan, and the store software covers only the first.

Shopify is from $29/mo per store billed yearly with no free tier, WooCommerce is a free plugin where only the supporting infrastructure costs money, and either way you pay on every sale (Stripe 2.9% + 30¢, PayPal 3.49% + 49¢ on PayPal Checkout). We don't track shipping yet, and it's where I'd look hardest. Selling through Amazon FBA taught me that margin usually disappears in the box, not at checkout: carriers can charge on package size as well as weight, so weigh and measure each product packed and ready to ship before you set rates or a free-shipping threshold. Put returns in the same sum, because a returned order can cost you shipping both ways. Then run a real order through checkout, confirmation email and refund before you open.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on September 23, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

How to sell online, step by step

Decide what you will sell, where it ships and how you will handle returns.
Choose whether to run your own store, sell through marketplaces or social channels, or both.
Set up the store, product listings, photos and shipping rates.
Connect a payment processor and test a full order from checkout to your bank.
Check what sales tax and consumer rules apply where you sell, or ask your accountant.
Plan how you will pick, pack and ship, and how stock is updated after each sale.

Why it matters

Census: e-commerce was 17.1% of US retail sales in Q2 2026. Source

SBE Council 2025: 48% of owners who sell via social/e-commerce say those channels are more than 20% of sales. Source

The software this job takes

Which categories a job needs is Editorial assessment; the tools, prices and dates are Verified data.

Prices are each vendor’s published entry plan, recorded from its own pricing page and dated. The example column prices a team of 10: only per-user prices are multiplied; flat and per-account prices are shown as published. Change the team size in the finder.

You need this

E-commerce Platforms

An e-commerce platform runs your online store: products, checkout and orders.

Tool	Entry price (as published)	Billing unit	Example: team of 10	Free plan	Verified
Shopify	From $29/mo	Per store per month, billed yearly	$29/moFlat per store per month, billed yearly	NoNo free tier (3-day trial, then $1/mo for 3 months intro offer)	Jul 8, 2026Vendor pricing
WooCommerce	Free plugin	Not stated in our record	$0 to startFree plugin	YesYes — WooCommerce itself is free forever; only supporting infrastructure costs money	Jul 8, 2026Vendor pricing
BigCommerce	Core $29/mo (billed annually), up to $30K trailing-12-month GMV	Per store per month, billed annually; gated by trailing-12-month GMV, not by user seats	$29/moFlat per store per month, billed annually; gated by trailing-12-month GMV, not by user seats	NoNo free plan — 15-day free trial	Sep 23, 2026Vendor pricing

Compare all E-commerce Platforms pricing →Head to head:BigCommerce vs WooCommerce BigCommerce vs Shopify Shopify vs WooCommerce6 switching guides Build a decision brief for these →

You need this

Online Payment Processing

A payment processor lets customers pay by card or online and moves the money to your bank.

Tool	Entry price (as published)	Billing unit	Example: team of 10	Free plan	Verified
Stripe	2.9% + 30¢	Per transaction	Per transactionNo monthly fee on this plan; the vendor charges per transaction	No monthly fee	Jul 29, 2026Vendor pricing
PayPal	3.49% + 49¢ (PayPal Checkout)	Per transaction	Per transactionNo monthly fee on this plan; the vendor charges per transaction	No monthly fee	Jul 29, 2026Vendor pricing
Square	Square Free $0/mo (2.6% + 15¢ in person); Plus $49/location/mo	Per location per month (Square Plus, $49); Square Free is $0 per location	Per transactionNo monthly fee on this plan; the vendor charges per transaction	YesYes — Square Free, $0/mo; you pay processing fees	Sep 19, 2026Vendor pricing

Compare all Payment Processing pricing →Head to head:Square vs Stripe Square vs PayPal Stripe vs PayPal6 switching guides Build a decision brief for these →

Often added

Website Builders

A website builder gets a professional site live without hiring a developer.

Tool	Entry price (as published)	Billing unit	Example: team of 10	Free plan	Verified
Wix	Free (Wix branding); paid plans from $17/mo (Light, annual) for a custom domain	Not stated in our record	From $17/moAs published; our record does not say if this is per user or per account	YesYes — Wix branding; a custom domain needs a paid plan	Sep 12, 2026Vendor pricing
Squarespace	From $19/mo	Per site per month, billed annually	$19/moFlat per site per month, billed annually; includes 2 logins, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	NoNo free plan — 14-day trial only	Aug 26, 2026Vendor pricing
WordPress	Free software; hosting, themes and plugins cost extra	Not stated in our record	$0 to startFree software; hosting, themes and plugins cost extra	YesYes — the software is free; hosting, themes and plugins cost extra	Sep 12, 2026Vendor pricing

Compare all Website Builders pricing →Head to head:Squarespace vs WordPress Wix vs WordPress Wix vs Squarespace6 switching guides Build a decision brief for these →

Often added

Email Marketing Software

Email marketing tools manage your list and send newsletters and campaigns.

Tool	Entry price (as published)	Billing unit	Example: team of 10	Free plan	Verified
Mailchimp	From $13/mo	Per account per month (up to 500 contacts)	$13/moFlat per account per month (up to 500 contacts); includes 3 logins, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	Yes250 contacts / 500 sends per month	Sep 18, 2026Vendor pricing
Klaviyo	From $20/mo	Per account per month, priced by active profiles	$20/moFlat per account per month, priced by active profiles	Yes250 active profiles / 500 emails + $5 of SMS/MMS credit per month	Aug 11, 2026Vendor pricing
Constant Contact	From $12/mo (500 contacts)	Per account per month, billed monthly (up to 500 contacts)	$12/moFlat per account per month, billed monthly (up to 500 contacts); includes 1 login, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	NoNo free plan — 30-day free trial (100 sends)	Sep 18, 2026Vendor pricing
ActiveCampaign	From $15/mo (1,000 contacts)	Per account per month, billed annually (1,000 contacts)	$15/moFlat per account per month, billed annually (1,000 contacts); includes 1 login, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	NoNo free plan — trial available	Sep 14, 2026Vendor pricing

Compare all Email Marketing pricing →Head to head:ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp ActiveCampaign vs Klaviyo Mailchimp vs Constant Contact Mailchimp vs Klaviyo8 switching guides Build a decision brief for these →

Often added

Inventory Management Software

Inventory software tracks what you have in stock, across locations and sales channels, and handles purchase and sales orders.

Tool	Entry price (as published)	Billing unit	Example: team of 10	Free plan	Verified
Zoho Inventory	Free for 1 user; Standard $29/mo per organization, 3 users (annual); $39 monthly	Per organization per month, billed annually ($39 monthly); 3 users included	$29/moFlat per organization per month, billed annually ($39 monthly); 3 users included; includes 3 logins, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	YesYes — 1 user, 1 location, 50 orders/month	Sep 19, 2026Vendor pricing
Sortly	Free for 1 user; Advanced $49/mo for 2 users (monthly billing)	Per account per month, billed monthly; 2 user licenses included	$49/moFlat per account per month, billed monthly; 2 user licenses included; includes 2 logins, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	YesYes — 1 user, 100 unique items	Sep 19, 2026Vendor pricing
inFlow Inventory	Entrepreneur $129/mo for 2 team members (annual); $161 monthly	Per account per month, billed annually ($161 monthly); 2 team members included	$129/moFlat per account per month, billed annually ($161 monthly); 2 team members included; includes 2 logins, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	NoNo — 14-day free trial, no card	Sep 19, 2026Vendor pricing

Compare all Inventory Management pricing →Head to head:Zoho Inventory vs inFlow Inventory Zoho Inventory vs Sortly Sortly vs inFlow Inventory6 switching guides Build a decision brief for these →

Not covered on HelpCompare yet

This job usually also needs shipping & fulfillment. We don’t track that category yet, so we have no verified prices to show for it. We would rather say so than guess. The guidance on this page still covers what to look for.

What to look for

Editorial assessment

Transaction and payment fees Your cost per sale includes the platform plan plus payment processing fees. Compare them together, since low plan prices can come with higher per-sale fees.
Checkout and payment options Check which payment methods customers can use and whether you must use the platform's own processor. Missing a common method loses sales at checkout.
Shipping tools Look at how shipping rates are calculated and whether labels can be printed from orders. Shipping and fulfillment are often a separate service you add.
Out-of-stock handling Check that the store hides or flags items that have sold out, so customers cannot pay for something you cannot ship. Refunding those orders costs you reviews.
Sales channels If you also sell on marketplaces or social media, check that orders and stock from all channels land in one place.
Email capture The store should let you collect customer emails with consent and pass them to an email marketing tool, so you can bring buyers back.

Common mistakes to avoid

Comparing plan prices only The monthly plan is only part of the cost. Payment fees, apps, themes and shipping add up per order.
Launching without a test order Run a real order through checkout, payment, confirmation email and refund before you open. Problems found by customers cost sales.
Ignoring tax and shipping rules Where you must collect tax and what you can ship varies by location. Check before your first sale, not after.
No returns plan Online buyers cannot see or try a product before it arrives, so some will send it back. Set your returns policy and how returned items go back into stock before launch.

What to settle before you buy

Will we sell only on our own store, or also on marketplaces and social media?
Who packs and ships orders, and who handles returns and refunds?
How many products and variants do we have, and who keeps listings updated?
Do we also sell in person, and should online and in-store stock share one count?
Which accounting and email tools must the store connect to?

Ready to take it to whoever signs off?Turn your shortlist into a one-page decision brief with verified prices, or price the whole job for your team size.

Build a decision brief Open the finder

Frequently asked questions

How do I start an online store with no money?

Start small: a platform with a free or low-cost plan, a handful of products you already have, and a payment processor that charges per sale rather than monthly. Of the 3 e-commerce tools we track, WooCommerce lists a free plan or free tier (limits are in the table above); Shopify and BigCommerce do not. Expect payment fees on every sale even when the plan itself is free.

How do I sell online without a website?

You can sell through marketplaces, social media shops or payment links sent to customers. These get you selling quickly, but the channel sets the rules and owns the customer relationship, so many sellers add their own store later.

What is the best e-commerce platform for a small business?

It depends on how many products you sell, which channels you use and how much setup you want to do yourself. The 3 e-commerce tools we track (Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce) are in the table above with verified entry prices and billing units.

What should I compare when looking at Shopify alternatives?

Compare total cost per order, not just the plan: plan price, payment fees and any paid apps you need. Also check how products, customers and orders can be moved over, since switching platforms later is real work.

How we built this page

We start from the job, not the product. The phrasings people search for this job (for example “how to sell online”) come from our research into how small and mid-size teams describe it. Which software categories the job takes is our editorial judgment. Every tool, entry price, billing unit and date comes from HelpCompare’s open dataset, recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page; nothing is estimated, and where a vendor publishes no price we say so. We take no affiliate commissions and publish no scores of our own. See our methodology or download the data from Open Data.

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Cite this page: HelpCompare, “How to sell online: start an online store for your business”, helpcompare.com/start/sell-online/ (updated 2026-09-23).

Source links on this site are checked every month; last check October 4, 2026. How sources are checked.

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How to sell online: start an online store for your business

Bottom line up front: What do I need to start selling online, and where does the money go?

How to sell online, step by step

The software this job takes

E-commerce Platforms

Online Payment Processing

Website Builders

Email Marketing Software

Inventory Management Software

Not covered on HelpCompare yet

What to look for

Common mistakes to avoid

What to settle before you buy

Frequently asked questions

How do I start an online store with no money?

How do I sell online without a website?

What is the best e-commerce platform for a small business?

What should I compare when looking at Shopify alternatives?

How we built this page

More jobs in Web & commerce

From shortlist to switched

Bill Belcamino