The best solution for first-time online store owners
Selling online has become quick, cheap and easy. Watch the video below to find out how you can open your online store for free within minutes. Make sure to also read the post since it compares the two solutions discussed in the video.
I often help new small business owners to decide which eCommerce platform to choose from. New entrepreneurs all face similar challenges, one of the most critical being that they need to keep their cost low. Having a custom online store developed from scratch can easily cost thousands of dollars. Luckily there are ready-to-use online stores these days. I have looked at several eCommerce platforms and I’d like to compare two of the simplest today.
Ecwid
Pricing:
Several Monthly Plans Available (more products = higher plan)
Pros:
- No Transaction Fees (Important: third-party payment provider fees do apply – 2.9% + 30¢ Per Transaction)
- No Listing Fees
- Highly Flexible Integration/Customization
- Free Online Storefront
- You get a FREE smartphone App (iOS and Android) with the top-tier plan ($99/month)
Cons:
- No Proprietary POS (does integrate with Square POS and many more business management applications)
Square
Pricing:
2.9% + 30¢ Per Transaction. No Monthly Fees.
Pros:
- Free Online Storefront
- Proprietary Inventory Management System (integrates with their POS system)
- Credit Card Processing
Cons:
- Online Store is Less Flexible
- Square is currently available in the US, Canada, Japan, and Australia only.
What Is The Better Deal?
Square: If your average store item costs $20 and you sell 10 items per day, then your daily cost is $8.8. This is a monthly cost of $272.8, which is a lot higher than Ecwid‘s top-tier plan at $99 per month. At the time I am writing this article, Square only offers four store templates to choose from and the customization of their design is very limited. For instance, I see no way to access its CSS or HTML files.
Ecwid: If you work with Ecwid, you will have to work with a third-party payment processor. One of the most known is PayPal. They charge 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, which is the same than what Square charges you. Stripe, another major payment processor has the same rates.
Without any doubt, Square is the better choice for small business owners with limited startup capital, provided you live in one of the eligible countries. While Ecwid does offer more flexibility out of the box, Square also exposes a powerful API for developers. This means that once you make enough money with your business, you can hire a developer who can still custom build you all you need.
People interested in one of the two platforms will have to decide what’s more important to them. If flexibility outweighs, then go with Ecwid. If however, you want the most features for your money and you are willing to operate within Square’s limits, the give Square a try.
What makes Ecwid truly stand apart is the fact that they give you your own smartphone app with the $99/month plan. That’s really a lot of bang for the buck!