How To Create An eCommerce Website With WordPress For Free 2026

Create an eCommerce Website without spending a dollar. With WordPress and free tools, you can build a fully functional store for physical or digital products. This guide walks you through every step. Let’s get started

Understanding the Basics of eCommerce with WordPress

What You Need to Get Started

To create an eCommerce site for free, you need:

Free hosting
Free WordPress installation
Free WooCommerce plugin
Free theme
Basic product information

That’s it—no credit card required.

WordPress.org vs WordPress.com

To build a real eCommerce store:

WordPress.org (Self-Hosted) → Full freedom, WooCommerce-ready
WordPress.com Free Plan → No plugins, limited features (not suitable)
We will use WordPress.org, which is the standard option for eCommerce.

Why WooCommerce Is Essential

WooCommerce is the best free eCommerce plugin because:

Free to install and use
Offers product listings, cart, checkout, and payments
Supports unlimited products
Professional features at no cost

Step 1 – Choose a Free Hosting Option

To build an eCommerce website for free, you can use:

InfinityFree (100% free)
AwardSpace (free plan)
ByetHost

Pros of Free Hosting

No cost
Easy to set up
Great for beginners

Cons of Free Hosting

Limited storage
No custom domain unless you buy one
Slower performance

Subdomain vs Custom Domain

With free hosting, you usually get something like:
yourstore.freehosting.com
You can always upgrade later and connect a .com domain.

Step 2 – Install WordPress for Free

Most free hosting platforms offer one-click installation:

Go to your hosting dashboard
Click Install WordPress
Choose your website name
Set your login credentials

If not available, you can install manually using the WordPress package.
Once installed, login at:
yourstore.com/wp-admin

Step 3 – Install WooCommerce

What WooCommerce Does

WooCommerce adds everything needed for eCommerce:

Product pages
Shopping cart
Checkout
Payment methods
Shipping tools

How to Install WooCommerce

Go to Plugins → Add New
Search WooCommerce
Click Install
Click Activate

Initial Setup Wizard

WooCommerce will ask:

Store address
Currency
Industry
Product type
Payment options

Just follow the steps.

Step 4 – Choose a Free eCommerce Theme

Great free themes include:

Woostify
Astra
OceanWP
Storefront (made by WooCommerce)
Blocksy
Neve

How to Install a Free Theme

Go to Appearance → Themes
Click Add New
Search for your theme
Click Install, then Activate

Customizing Theme Settings

You can edit the look of your store using:
Appearance → Customize

Change:

Colors
Header
Footer
Product layout

Step 5 – Add Your Products

Adding Simple Products

Go to Products → Add New
Add product title
Add product description
Add price
Upload images
Publish

Adding Variable Products

Examples:

Sizes
Colors

WooCommerce supports variations for free.

Product SEO

Add:

Keywords
High-quality images
Clean descriptions

This helps Google discover your products.

Step 6 – Configure Essential Store Settings

Go to WooCommerce → Settings

General Settings

Store address
Currency
Selling locations

Currency Setup

Choose:

Inventory Settings

Automatically manage stock and low-stock notifications.

Step 7 – Set Up Payments for Free

WooCommerce supports free payment options:

Cash on Delivery

Perfect for beginners.

Direct Bank Transfer

Customers pay via bank account numbers.

Free Online Payment Solutions

Some countries support:

PayPal Standard
Stripe (for credit cards)

Both are free to connect.

Step 8 – Configure Shipping Options

Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping

Free Shipping

Great for boosting sales.

Flat Rate Shipping

Example: $5 per order.

Local Pickup

Useful for local customers.

Step 9 – Install Free Must-Have Plugins

SEO Plugins

Rank Math
Yoast SEO

Speed Plugins

WP Super Cache
LiteSpeed Cache

Security Plugins

Wordfence
All-in-One Security

All free and essential.

Step 10 – Build Important Pages

WooCommerce automatically creates:

Shop
Cart
Checkout
My Account

You need to build:

Home Page

Using Elementor or Gutenberg.

Contact Page

Using a free contact form plugin.

Step 11 – Customize Navigation Menus

Go to Appearance → Menus

Add:

Home
Shop
Categories
Contact

A clean menu improves user experience.

Step 12 – Optimize Your eCommerce Site

Speed Optimization

Use caching
Compress images
Use lightweight themes

SEO Optimization

Submit sitemap

Step 13 – Launch Your Online Store

Before launching:

Test product checkout
Test mobile design
Fix broken links

When ready, click Publish and promote your store.

Optimize titles

Add meta descriptions

Conclusion

Creating an eCommerce website with WordPress for free is completely possible—even for beginners. With WooCommerce, free themes, and free hosting options, you can launch a professional-looking online store without spending anything upfront. As your business grows, you can upgrade hosting, add premium plugins, or buy a custom domain. Start small, stay consistent, and keep improving your store—your future customers are already searching for

what you offer.

FAQs

1. Is it really possible to build an eCommerce website for free?

Yes, by using free hosting, WordPress, WooCommerce, and free themes.

2. Can I accept payments without paying anything?

Yes—cash on delivery, bank transfer, and some free payment gateways.

3. Do I need coding skills to build the store?

No, WordPress and WooCommerce are beginner-friendly.

4. Can I upgrade later to paid hosting or a custom domain?

Absolutely. You can move anytime.

5. How long does it take to create an eCommerce website?

If you follow these steps, you can build your store in a few hours.