I'm building a small online shop and want the simplest setup possible. What should I use?

If you want the simplest possible setup for a small online shop, use a hosted e-commerce platform rather than building it yourself.

Best simple options

1. Shopify — easiest all-in-one choice

Best if you want to:

• launch quickly
• avoid technical setup
• handle payments, inventory, shipping, and checkout in one place

Why it’s the simplest:

• hosting included
• security and updates handled for you
• built-in payment processing
• lots of themes and apps

Good for: most small shops

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2. Squarespace Commerce — simplest if design matters

Best if you want a beautiful site with a small store.

Why choose it:

• very easy to design
• good for a few products
• simple setup

Good for: creators, makers, small catalogs

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3. Wix eCommerce — very beginner-friendly

Best if you want drag-and-drop editing and a simple store.

Why choose it:

• easy to learn
• flexible page design
• fast setup

Good for: very small shops, local businesses

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My recommendation

• Use Shopify if your main goal is the easiest reliable store setup
• Use Squarespace if you care most about website design
• Use Wix if you want maximum drag-and-drop simplicity

Avoid if you want “simple”

Skip self-hosted solutions like:

• WooCommerce
• Magento
• custom-coded stores

They give you more control, but add setup and maintenance.

If you want, I can also give you:

1. the cheapest simple option, or
2. the best option depending on how many products you have.