What does an online store really cost each month?
A $20,000/month store pays $753.99/month on Shopify Basic with Shopify Payments, or $1,019.99 on Shopify Grow with an outside processor. On Waise Growth the same store pays $759: $5.01 more than with Shopify Payments, and $260.99 less than with an outside processor.
US list prices in dollars on every platform.
| Platform | Starter ($2,000) | Growing ($20,000) | Established ($100,000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify with Shopify Payments | $123.99 Basic | $753.99 Basic | $3,434.99 Grow |
| Shopify with an outside processor | $163.99 Basic | $1,019.99 Grow | $4,528.99 Advanced |
| Wix | $99 Core | $729 Core | $3,529 Core |
| Squarespace | $97 Core | $656 Advanced | $3,136 Advanced |
| BigCommerce | $128.40 Core | $1,093 Scale | $4,379 Scale |
| WooCommerce | $125.58 Hosting | $918.08 Hosting | $3,880.58 Hosting |
| Waise | $99 Basic | $759 Growth | $3,629 Pro |
Average order: $50. The total covers the plan, card processing, the platform fee and tools. Download the data as CSV.
The bottom line at each level
- A $2,000/month store pays $123.99/month on Shopify Basic with Shopify Payments, or $163.99 on Shopify Basic with an outside processor. On Waise Basic the same store pays $99: $24.99 less than with Shopify Payments, and $64.99 less than with an outside processor.
- A $20,000/month store pays $753.99/month on Shopify Basic with Shopify Payments, or $1,019.99 on Shopify Grow with an outside processor. On Waise Growth the same store pays $759: $5.01 more than with Shopify Payments, and $260.99 less than with an outside processor.
- A $100,000/month store pays $3,434.99/month on Shopify Grow with Shopify Payments, or $4,528.99 on Shopify Advanced with an outside processor. On Waise Pro the same store pays $3,629: $194.01 more than with Shopify Payments, and $899.99 less than with an outside processor.
Starter ($2,000)
About 40 orders and 120 automated emails a month.
| Platform | Plan | Plan cost | Card processing | Platform fee | Apps | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify with Shopify Payments | Basic | $39 | $70 | $0 | $14.99 | $123.99 |
| Shopify with an outside processor | Basic | $39 | $70 | $40 | $14.99 | $163.99 |
| Wix | Core yearly-billed, the only price Wix displays | $29 | $70 | $0 | $0 | $99 |
| Squarespace | Core | $27 | $70 | $0 | $0 | $97 |
| BigCommerce | Core | $39 | $69.40 | $0 | $20 | $128.40 |
| WooCommerce | Hosting the plugin is free; this is the hosting we assume inside WooCommerce’s range | $25 | $70 | $0 | $30.58 | $125.58 |
| Waise | Basic | $29 | $70 | $0 | $0 | $99 |
Growing ($20,000)
About 400 orders and 1,200 automated emails a month.
| Platform | Plan | Plan cost | Card processing | Platform fee | Apps | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify with Shopify Payments | Basic | $39 | $700 | $0 | $14.99 | $753.99 |
| Shopify with an outside processor | Grow | $105 | $700 | $200 | $14.99 | $1,019.99 |
| Wix | Core yearly-billed, the only price Wix displays | $29 | $700 | $0 | $0 | $729 |
| Squarespace | Advanced | $36 | $620 | $0 | $0 | $656 |
| BigCommerce | Scale forced by the sales cap: about $216,000 over 12 months | $399 | $694 | $0 | $0 | $1,093 |
| WooCommerce | Hosting the plugin is free; this is the hosting we assume inside WooCommerce’s range | $187.50 | $700 | $0 | $30.58 | $918.08 |
| Waise | Growth | $59 | $700 | $0 | $0 | $759 |
Established ($100,000)
About 2,000 orders and 6,000 automated emails a month.
| Platform | Plan | Plan cost | Card processing | Platform fee | Apps | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify with Shopify Payments | Grow | $105 | $3,300 | $0 | $29.99 | $3,434.99 |
| Shopify with an outside processor | Advanced | $399 | $3,500 | $600 | $29.99 | $4,528.99 |
| Wix | Core yearly-billed, the only price Wix displays | $29 | $3,500 | $0 | $0 | $3,529 |
| Squarespace | Advanced | $36 | $3,100 | $0 | $0 | $3,136 |
| BigCommerce | Scale forced by the sales cap: about $1,080,000 over 12 months | $399 | $3,470 | $510 the 0.9% overage above the monthly cap | $0 | $4,379 |
| WooCommerce | Hosting the plugin is free; this is the hosting we assume inside WooCommerce’s range | $350 | $3,500 | $0 | $30.58 | $3,880.58 |
| Waise | Pro | $129 | $3,500 | $0 | $0 | $3,629 |
The breakdown by platform
Method
Our own assumptions are marked as such; every other number comes from an official page.
- Monthly total = plan + card processing + platform fee + apps. Every number is computed from the parts.
- Three stores: Starter, $2,000 a month; Growing, $20,000 a month; Established, $100,000 a month. An average order of $50, the same as the example on our homepage.
- Card processing = sales × percentage + orders × fixed amount, for a domestic US online card, at the rate the platform publishes.
- Plan: the cheapest that covers the four features, and on BigCommerce the one the sales cap forces. Monthly billing, except Wix, which displays yearly billing only.
- Four features are counted because Waise has them: photo reviews, quantity discounts, abandoned-cart email and email automations (3 emails per order). We use the cheapest tool we found for each, free ones included. Waise includes more (customer club, finance, Pulse), and none of that is counted.
- Kaching prices by additional revenue, and we assume 5% of sales comes from quantity offers. On Waise, email is capped by the plan: Basic 3,000, Growth 15,000, Pro 50,000 emails a month.
- Waise plan: Basic for the Starter store, Growth for Growing and Pro for Established, as in our homepage example. If Basic’s quotas (up to 3 automations, 2 team seats) are enough for you, that is $30 a month less on the Growing store and $100 less on the Established one.
- Our homepage cites about $52 a month in Shopify apps. That is a third-party estimate of typical spend. This index counts only tools with a list price, so its figure is lower.
What’s left out, and where Waise costs more
Left out everywhere
- Paid themes, a domain, sales tax and currency conversion.
- Amex and international cards, which cost more on every system, and chargebacks.
Prices we could not verify
- Starter ($2,000): Email automations need the Email Campaigns add-on, whose price we could not verify on an official page, so it is not counted: Squarespace’s total here is understated.
- Growing ($20,000): The emails pass Wix’s 200 free a month. Wix sells a separate email plan whose price we could not verify on an official page, so it is not counted: Wix’s total here is understated.
- Growing ($20,000): Email automations need the Email Campaigns add-on, whose price we could not verify on an official page, so it is not counted: Squarespace’s total here is understated.
- Growing ($20,000): Email automations beyond the abandoned cart need an outside tool. At about 4,800 profiles we could not verify Klaviyo’s price on its official page, so it is not counted: BigCommerce’s total here is understated.
- Established ($100,000): The emails pass Wix’s 200 free a month. Wix sells a separate email plan whose price we could not verify on an official page, so it is not counted: Wix’s total here is understated.
- Established ($100,000): Email automations need the Email Campaigns add-on, whose price we could not verify on an official page, so it is not counted: Squarespace’s total here is understated.
- Established ($100,000): Email automations beyond the abandoned cart need an outside tool. At about 24,000 profiles we could not verify Klaviyo’s price on its official page, so it is not counted: BigCommerce’s total here is understated.
Where Waise costs more
- Starter ($2,000): Squarespace comes to $97, which is $2 less than Waise Basic.
- Growing ($20,000): Shopify with Shopify Payments comes to $753.99, which is $5.01 less than Waise Growth.
- Growing ($20,000): Wix comes to $729, which is $30 less than Waise Growth.
- Growing ($20,000): Squarespace comes to $656, which is $103 less than Waise Growth.
- Established ($100,000): Shopify with Shopify Payments comes to $3,434.99, which is $194.01 less than Waise Pro.
- Established ($100,000): Wix comes to $3,529, which is $100 less than Waise Pro.
- Established ($100,000): Squarespace comes to $3,136, which is $493 less than Waise Pro.
On Waise you pay your own processor’s standard rate. Shopify’s Grow and Advanced, and Squarespace Advanced, carry lower card rates, and at high sales that outweighs the plan. Waise Basic shows “Built with Waise”.
How to cite this index
The data is licensed CC BY 4.0. Use and republish it with a link back.
Waise. “True Cost of Ecommerce Index,” November 2026. https://waise.app/true-cost. CC BY 4.0.
Updated every month. Next update: December 2026. Found an error? Every correction is logged here.
- First edition of the index.
Who this suits, and who it doesn’t
A good fit
- You want one flat price with the tools already inside.
- You’re not on Shopify Payments, or sell where it isn’t offered.
Pick something else
- You sell a lot on Shopify Payments and its card rate is lower.
- You need a specific app or point of sale.
Questions
What costs the most in an online store?
Once a store sells, card processing: as sales grow it becomes the largest part of the bill, well ahead of the plan.
Is Waise always the cheapest?
No. In 7 cases in this index another platform costs less, and each one is listed on this page. Prices we could not verify stay out of the totals, which also favours the rivals.
How often is the index updated?
Every month. Next update: December 2026.
Can I use this data?
Yes, under CC BY 4.0: use and republish it with a link back to the index. There is a CSV too.
The online store that runs itself, with brakes
- AI that acts, with brakes. Pulse changes orders, prices, discounts and content from one conversation. A sensitive change first shows a before-and-after card and waits for your approval, and almost any change can be undone.
- Your money is protected on the server, not by a promise. Anything touching money needs a confirmation tied to the exact values you saw, and the margin guard blocks a price below your minimum, even when an outside AI asks for it.
- Profit, not just sales. An order counts only once your payment provider confirms the money, and profit is worked out after fees, shipping, cost of goods and refunds.
- Open to your own AI. Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini connect to your store over MCP and pass through exactly the same brakes.
- Five ways to build, one system behind them. A ready theme, designing by chat with Pulse, your own code, outside builders like Lovable or Webflow, or your own AI. Checkout, orders, customers and money stay in one place.
- 0% of your sales. One flat monthly plan. When your store grows, our cut doesn’t, because there isn’t one.
- Built by someone who sold. Or Avrahami, a practical electronics and computer engineer, ran an online store on Shopify and built what that store needed. That became Waise.
Sources
Every competitor figure on this page was checked on its official page, on the date beside the source.
- stripe.com/pricing Stripe standard US card rate Checked 2026-11-08
- www.shopify.com/pricing Shopify pricing: plans and transaction fees Checked 2026-11-08
- www.shopify.com/blog/credit-card-processing-fees Shopify Payments US card rates, as Shopify publishes them Checked 2026-11-08
- apps.shopify.com/judgeme Judge.me in the Shopify App Store Checked 2026-11-08
- apps.shopify.com/bundle-deals Kaching Bundles in the Shopify App Store Checked 2026-11-08
- help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/create-marketing/shopify-messaging/email/pricing Shopify Messaging email pricing Checked 2026-11-08
- www.wix.com/plans Wix plans (yearly-billed prices) Checked 2026-11-08
- support.wix.com/en/article/wix-payments-transaction-fees Wix Payments transaction fees Checked 2026-11-08
- support.wix.com/en/article/wix-stores-adding-and-setting-up-wix-reviews Wix Reviews, including shopper photos Checked 2026-11-08
- support.wix.com/en/article/wix-stores-request-quantity-based-price-discounts Quantity discounts on Wix and their limits Checked 2026-11-08
- www.wix.com/ecommerce/online-store Abandoned cart recovery on Wix plans Checked 2026-11-08
- support.wix.com/en/article/email-marketing-understanding-your-monthly-balance Wix monthly email balance Checked 2026-11-08
- www.squarespace.com/pricing Squarespace pricing Checked 2026-11-08
- support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/27853679334157-Transaction-fees-and-payment-processing-rates Squarespace transaction fees and card rates Checked 2026-11-08
- www.squarespace.com/feature-index Squarespace feature list (product reviews) Checked 2026-11-08
- www.bigcommerce.com/essentials/pricing/ BigCommerce pricing: plans, caps and features Checked 2026-11-08
- www.bigcommerce.com/essentials/pricing/faq/ BigCommerce pricing FAQ: GMV and the overage Checked 2026-11-08
- support.bigcommerce.com/s/article/Product-Prices?language=en_US BigCommerce bulk pricing rules Checked 2026-11-08
- www.klaviyo.com/pricing Klaviyo pricing Checked 2026-11-08
- woocommerce.com/pricing/ WooCommerce pricing: hosting and extensions Checked 2026-11-08
- woocommerce.com/document/woopayments/fees-and-debits/ WooPayments fees Checked 2026-11-08
- woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-product-reviews-pro/ Product Reviews Pro Checked 2026-11-08
- woocommerce.com/products/dynamic-pricing/ Dynamic Pricing Checked 2026-11-08
- woocommerce.com/products/automatewoo/ AutomateWoo Checked 2026-11-08
Updated · Method
Written and checked by Or Avrahami, Founder of Waise ·
Open your store free See all pricing
14 free days with up to 5 real orders · No credit card to start · Cancel anytime