If you’re trying to cut costs or save on subscriptions for your side hustle or small ecommerce business, or just trying to avoid paying fees or subscriptions to sell something simple like Girl Scout cookies or prom tickets, it’s time to look hard at your options. While sites like Shopify do make setup for sellers simple and come with plenty of perks, if you’re not bringing in a lot of sales, or you have a simple product that you’re marketing yourself, you might be able to drop your costs significantly while continuing to efficiently sell to your fans.
Let’s compare some of the popular options:
Shopify
While the platform is feature-rich and great for serious side hustlers and entrepreneurs, if you’re selling a simple product, it can get pricey. With plans starting at $29 per month on top of the standard credit card rates and fees, it can cut into your profits if you’re not bringing in high sales volume.
Etsy
Etsy makes it easy for makers to quickly display their wares and easily market them to a wider audience. However, each individual listing on Etsy costs you 20 cents, and every sale has a 6.5% transaction fee from the platform, so if you’re primarily selling to friends/family or doing most of your marketing via Facebook or Instagram.
Squarespace
Similar to Shopify, the platform has plenty of bells and whistles that are ideal for small business owners and entrepreneurs, but for a more casual seller, it might be overkill. And if you’re trying to cut costs, the Squarespace subscription starts at $23/month plus a 3 percent per transaction fee.
Wix
Wix creates great free websites, but to sell online, you’ll pay around $22/month for the business plan—and you’ll have to build your website in order to start selling.
BigCommerce
Another popular option for online selling, BigCommerce helps you build a webshop, but subscriptions start at $29.95/month.
Payable Add-On for Google Forms
No muss, no fuss, and no subscription fees. Payable only makes money if you do, and our cut—zero for sales under $2.50, 25 cents for transactions between $2.51 and $75, and 0.5% for transactions over $75—is significantly lower than the alternative options. You’ll also be able to create your sales page in minutes by simply using Google Forms, saving you yet another login to remember. You will have to set up your own Google Form and market it yourself, but if you know your audience (whether it’s your students, friends, family, or email newsletter), this is likely the best way to maximize your profits—and save on subscription fees, especially ideal if you aren’t selling year-round.