Month One for an Online Store Isn't "Free." Here's the Honest Receipt.
Platform: the base cost, then the real cost
| Platform | Listed price | Realistic month-one total |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify (Basic) | $39/mo | $80-$250 (apps + fees eat the rest) |
| Etsy | $0.20/listing | $0-$40 (but 6.5% + payment per sale) |
| WooCommerce (WordPress) | "Free" | $25-$80 (hosting + domain + paid plugins) |
| Squarespace Commerce | $36/mo | $50-$120 (limited app ecosystem) |
The "real" total includes the things the landing page hides: transaction fees, a paid theme, two or three apps, your domain, and a test order to verify the checkout flow works.
Shopify: where the extra $100+ goes
- Base plan: $39/mo (Basic, paid monthly; ~$29 if annual).
- Apps: a review widget ($10-$15/mo), an email popup ($9-$20/mo), maybe an upsell app ($10-$30/mo). The "free" tiers have caps that bite fast.
- Theme: free ones are fine to start, but the good ones are $180-$350 one-time (not monthly — factor it into month one).
- Payment processing: Shopify Payments takes 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction; using a third-party gateway adds 0.5-2% on top.
- Domain: ~$14/yr for a .com, often free first year.
The trap: you budget $39, then stack 3 apps at $15 each and a premium theme, and month one is closer to $250 — while you've made $0.
Etsy: "cheap" until the per-sale math
Etsy is nearly free to list ($0.20 per item) but takes a big cut per sale:
- 6.5% transaction fee on the total (item + shipping)
- ~3% + 25¢ payment processing
- 15% offsite-ads fee if the buyer came via an Etsy ad (when over the revenue threshold)
On a $30 sale, that's roughly $4-$5 gone before you count materials. Great for handmade/digital because Etsy brings you traffic; expensive at scale because the fee stacks with every dollar.
WooCommerce: "free" is a hosting bill in disguise
- Hosting that can actually take a store: $8-$30/mo (shared is fine; managed Woo/WP Engine is $25+).
- Domain: ~$14/yr.
- SSL: usually free via host; if not, $0-$60/yr.
- Paid plugins: the moment you need serious shipping rules, a builder, or subscriptions, you start buying them ($30-$200/yr each).
- Your time: the hidden line item. Shopify handles security/updates; with Woo, that's on you.
Woo wins on long-term margin and control, and loses hard on time-to-launch. If you're not comfortable fixing a broken checkout at 11pm, it's not actually "free."
The month-one items nobody budgets for
- A real sample order ($15-$40 + shipping): you must buy your own product once to confirm packaging, label printing, and the customer's unboxing experience.
- Product photography ($0 phone vs. $200-$500 pro): bad photos tank conversion more than any fee.
- Return-shipping reserve: 3-10% of orders; budget it before the first return, not after.
- Business email ($6-$12/mo, or included with Google Workspace): don't run a store on a Gmail address.
The honest total to launch (realistic, not "get rich")
A lean but serious first store costs $150-$400 in month one, then $50-$150/mo ongoing. That's the number to actually plan around. If a course or YouTube video told you "$0 to start," they're selling something.
Pick the platform that matches your constraint, not your fantasy. If you lack technical time, pay Shopify's premium and ship this week. If margin matters most and you can self-support, WooCommerce wins in year two. If you make handmade goods and want built-in buyers, Etsy's per-sale cut is worth it to start.