Which platform should you choose to create your online store?

Shopify suits those who want a turnkey solution with no technical management. WooCommerce is ideal if you are already on WordPress and want to stay in control of your site. PrestaShop targets projects that want full control and accept a bit of technical work. The choice depends on your autonomy and your budget.

How much does an online store cost?

It varies by platform. Shopify starts around $29/month as an all-inclusive subscription. WooCommerce is free to begin with, but you need to budget for hosting, the domain name and any paid plugins. On top of that come the fees of payment solutions.

Do you need a legal status to sell online?

Yes. Selling online regularly requires a legal framework (sole trader or company depending on your activity) and compliance with the obligations tied to online commerce. This scoping is ideally done even before building the store.

How to create an online store: the 2026 guide

How do you create an online store without getting lost among the platforms and options? Success depends as much on preparation as on the tool you choose. Here are the steps, from scoping the project to the first order.

Scope the project first of all

The technical side is not the first step. Before choosing a tool, clarify your offer (which products, at what price), your budget, your logistics setup (stock management, shipping) and your legal status. A store that is well thought through up front spares you costly back-and-forth later.

This is also the moment to analyse your market and define what sets you apart: without that foundation, even the finest store stays without customers.

Choosing your e-commerce platform

Three solutions account for the bulk of projects:

Shopify: an all-in-one, hosted platform. You create an account, choose a theme (the library offers more than 200) and manage everything from a single interface. Subscriptions start around $29/month.
WooCommerce: a free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store. Ideal if you want to stay in control of your site, while budgeting for hosting and a domain.
PrestaShop: an open-source solution to install, valued for its in-depth control, at the cost of a bit more technical work.

To weigh these options in detail, our comparison of the best e-commerce platform pits their strengths against each other depending on the size and ambition of your project.

Building the catalogue

Once the platform is chosen, it is time for the product listings: a clear title, polished photos, an honest description, price and stock. This is the heart of a store: complete, reassuring listings convert far better than blurry visuals or sloppy text.

Organise your products into coherent categories so the customer quickly finds what they are looking for.

Payment and shipping

A store sells nothing without collecting payment. Set up one or more payment methods (bank card, online wallets) via the solutions built into your platform. Then configure the shipping options: areas served, rates, delivery times. These settings directly affect the cart abandonment rate.

Test then publish

Before opening, place a test order from start to finish: add to cart, payment, confirmation email. Also check the display on mobile, where a major share of purchases takes place. Only once this journey has been validated do you publish the store.

If your project is above all a brochure site with a handful of products, a simple builder may be enough: our guide to the best website builder sheds light on that scenario.

In summary

Creating an online store means first scoping your offer and your legal framework, then choosing a platform consistent with your autonomy and budget. The catalogue, payment and shipping then form the operational foundation. A full test before launch avoids nasty surprises from the very first sale.