Ecwid: What It Is, What It Really Costs, and Who It Suits
You pay by how many products you sell.
The short answer
Ecwid is an online store you can add to a website you already have, whether that is WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or plain HTML, or run on its own free Instant Site. Plans cost $5–$119 a month billed yearly, and your plan depends on how many products you sell: 10, 100, 2,500 or unlimited. Ecwid takes no fee on your sales.
It suits small businesses with a website and a modest catalogue. If you have hundreds of products or want a full point of sale, Shopify is usually cheaper and more capable.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Type | Hosted store you embed in any website, or run on Instant Site |
| Owner | Lightspeed |
| Plans | Starter $5, Venture $29, Business $49, Unlimited $119 a month billed yearly |
| Product limits | 10, 100, 2,500 or unlimited |
| Ecwid fee on sales | None |
| Payments | 50+ providers, including Stripe, PayPal and Square |
| Best for | Adding a shop to an existing site, small catalogues |
| Skip it if | You have a big catalogue or need affordable POS |
What Ecwid is
Most store builders want to be your whole website. Ecwid is different: it is a shopping cart you drop into the site you already have. You paste a snippet of code, or install a plugin for WordPress and similar platforms, and your products, cart and checkout appear on your existing pages.
If you have no website, Ecwid gives you a simple Instant Site. Either way, you manage products, orders and stock from one Ecwid control panel. Ecwid is owned by Lightspeed, which also makes point-of-sale systems for shops and restaurants.
Ecwid plans and prices in 2026
| Plan | Billed yearly | Monthly | Products | Key additions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 | $5 | 10 | 70+ site templates, email support |
| Venture | $29 | $35 | 100 | Facebook and Instagram selling, App Market, discount codes, automated tax, live chat |
| Business | $49 | $65 | 2,500 | Amazon and eBay, abandoned cart emails, wholesale pricing, multilingual, 2 staff, phone support |
| Unlimited | $119 | $149 | Unlimited | POS integration, unlimited staff, priority support, 500 promotions |
The free plan was removed in 2025 and replaced by the $5 Starter plan. Prices have also risen since many reviews were written, so check the date on any Ecwid review you read: many still quote $25, $45 and $105.
Payments: no Ecwid fee, your choice of provider
Ecwid adds no fee to your sales on any plan. You connect one of 50+ payment providers, such as Stripe, PayPal or Square, and pay only that provider’s rate, typically around 2.9% + 30¢ per card sale in the US.
That is a real advantage over Shopify, which adds 0.6–2% if you don’t use Shopify Payments. With Ecwid, you can keep the provider you already use.
Ecwid vs Shopify: what you pay as your catalogue grows
Because Ecwid prices by product count, the comparison depends on how many products you sell.
A real example: a café selling coffee beans and merchandise on its WordPress site has 40 products. On Ecwid Venture it pays $29 a month plus Stripe fees, keeps its existing website, and adds an Instagram shop. On Shopify, the same $29 buys a full new store, but adding it to the existing WordPress site means using Shopify’s more limited Buy Button.
How adding Ecwid to your site works
- Create a free Ecwid account and choose a plan.
- Add products with photos, prices, variants and stock, or import them by CSV.
- Connect a payment provider such as Stripe or PayPal.
- Set shipping and tax. Automated tax starts on Venture.
- Add the store to your site: install the plugin (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace) or paste the code snippet into any page.
- Optionally connect channels like Instagram, Facebook, Amazon or eBay.
- Place a test order, then go live.
Someone with an existing site can usually be selling within an afternoon.
What most Ecwid reviews skip
Ecwid vs Shopify vs Squarespace
| Ecwid | Shopify | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works inside your existing site | Yes, any site | Limited (Buy Button) | No, it is the site |
| Entry store price | $5 a month (10 products) | $29 a month billed yearly | $19 a month billed yearly (+2% fee) |
| Product limits | 10 / 100 / 2,500 / unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Fee on sales | None, any provider | 0.6–2% outside Shopify Payments | 2% on Basic only |
| POS | Unlimited plan ($119) | Lite free, Pro $67–$89 a month | US only, basic |
| Best for | Adding a shop to an existing site | Growing product stores | Design-led small stores |
Is Ecwid worth it?
If you already have a website and sell fewer than 100 products, yes. It is the quickest, cheapest way to add a real shop, and you keep your site and payment provider. Past a few hundred products, compare it with Shopify carefully.
Want the full scores? Read our Ecwid review, or compare Ecwid vs Shopify for adding a store to an existing site. Thinking of switching? See moving from Shopify or Ecwid to OpenCart.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ecwid free?
Not any more. The free plan was removed in 2025. The cheapest plan is Starter at $5 a month for up to 10 products.
How much does Ecwid cost?
$5 a month for Starter, then $29, $49 and $119 a month billed yearly for Venture, Business and Unlimited ($35, $65 and $149 monthly). Payment provider fees are extra.
Does Ecwid charge transaction fees?
No. You only pay your payment provider’s fees, on every plan.
Can I add Ecwid to my WordPress site?
Yes. Install the Ecwid plugin, sign in and add your store to any page. It also works with Wix, Squarespace and any site where you can paste code.
What happens if I go over my product limit?
You need to upgrade. For example, a 101st product moves you from Venture ($29) to Business ($49).
Is Ecwid better than Shopify?
For adding a small shop to an existing website, often yes. For a growing store with many products or in-person sales, Shopify is usually the better value.