Best E-commerce Platform for Small Business
Starting or running a small online business? Here's how the top platforms compare on cost, ease of use, and features that matter.
What Small Businesses Need
Quick Comparison
Detailed Breakdown
True Proper
All-in-one platform built for independent brands
- • Free plan available
- • Growth tools included (affiliates, email, wholesale)
- • No app fees
- • Great support
- • Newer platform
- • Smaller ecosystem
Shopify
Market leader, largest ecosystem
- • Huge app ecosystem
- • Well-documented
- • POS available
- • Industry standard
- • Apps add up fast
- • Basic plan is limited
- • $29/mo minimum
- • Support quality varies
Squarespace
Beautiful designs, simple setup
- • Gorgeous templates
- • Easy to use
- • Good for small catalogs
- • Includes hosting
- • Limited e-commerce features
- • No affiliates/wholesale
- • Not for serious scaling
Wix
Website builder with e-commerce
- • Low starting price
- • Easy drag-and-drop
- • Good for beginners
- • No transaction fees
- • Website builder first
- • Limited e-commerce depth
- • Hard to scale
Etsy
Marketplace with built-in traffic
- • Built-in traffic
- • Easy to start
- • No monthly fee
- • Buyer trust
- • High fees (6.5%+)
- • No brand control
- • Competitor products shown
- • You don't own customer data
Our Recommendation
For most small businesses, True Proper offers the best balance of cost and features. Start free, grow without app fees, and access tools that usually cost $200+/month elsewhere.
If you're just testing products, Etsy is a fine starting point. Once you have repeat customers, move to your own store to keep more profit and build your brand.
Start Free with True ProperFrequently Asked Questions
What should I prioritize as a small business?
Focus on: 1) Low total cost (monthly + apps + transaction fees), 2) Features you'll actually use, 3) Room to grow without massive price jumps. Avoid paying for enterprise features you don't need yet.
Should I start on a marketplace like Etsy?
Etsy is great for testing and getting first sales. But plan to move to your own store once you have repeat customers—you'll keep more profit and build a real brand. Many sellers run both.
How much should I budget for e-commerce?
Start lean: $0-50/month is achievable with free plans. As you grow, budget 5-10% of revenue for platform costs (fees + tools). Avoid platforms that force expensive upgrades early.
What features do I actually need?
Starting out: product pages, checkout, basic shipping, payment processing. As you grow: email marketing, abandoned cart recovery, customer accounts. Eventually: affiliates, subscriptions, wholesale.
Ready to raise the bar?
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