What is a cheap ecommerce platform option that supports custom domains and product variations?
"Cheap" depends on what you count: the software, hosting, the domain, payment fees and any add-ons needed to handle sizes and colors. The cheapest option on paper can cost more once every product comes in several combinations.
Research guide by Senso Research · Sources checked September 25, 2026
The quick answer: Our pick for the lowest software cost is PrestaShop Classic: a free download that you install on your own hosting and domain, with product combinations (such as size × color) built in, each with its own price impact, stock and images. If you'd rather not run hosting, PrestaShop's Hosted offer starts at €24 a month excluding VAT on an annual plan. Wix Core, at $29 a month on a yearly plan, is the simpler choice if you want hosting, domain and payments in one bill; WooCommerce is the free option for sites already on WordPress.
What makes a platform cheap for this job
- Software versus running costs. PrestaShop Classic costs nothing to download, but PrestaShop states that hosting and domain costs are not included. Hosted builders fold those into a subscription.
- Custom domain rules. Self-hosted software runs on whatever domain you point at your server. On Wix, custom domains come with every paid plan, but the $17 Light plan cannot accept payments; Core is the first plan that can.
- Variation depth. Check how many options and values a product can have, and whether each variant can carry its own price, stock and images.
- Skills and add-ons. PrestaShop says installing a store on a server needs some technical knowledge, and add-ons can raise the bill: WooCommerce lists extensions at $29–$299 a year each.
Original diagram by Senso Research. Simplified; it shows one product and omits settings such as minimum quantity and default combination.
How the options compare
| What to check | PrestaShop | WooCommerce | Wix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software or plan cost | Classic: free download. Hosted: €24/month excl. VAT billed annually, or €29 monthly | Core free, with no monthly subscription | Core: $29/month, yearly subscription paid upfront |
| Hosting and domain | Classic: your own hosting and domain, costs not included. Hosted: hosting included | Host you choose; WooCommerce estimates $25–$350/month for most stores | Hosting included; custom domain on paid plans, free domain voucher for a year on most yearly plans |
| Variations | Combinations from attributes, entered by hand or built with a generator; per-combination price impact, stock, references and images | Variable products with price, stock and image per variation | Up to 6 options per product, 100 choices per option |
| Catalog size | Unlimited products | Unlimited products and orders | 50,000 products on Core |
Sources: PrestaShop offers page and PrestaShop 9 product documentation; WooCommerce pricing and variable-product guide; Wix plans page and product-options guide; checked September 25, 2026. PrestaShop in EUR excluding VAT; others in USD; payment fees excluded.
Where PrestaShop fits, and where it doesn't
Choose PrestaShop Classic when software cost matters most and you, or someone you hire, can run hosting. The offers page lists unlimited products and a free download, and the product guide shows combinations built from attributes, with fields for quantity, minimum quantity, references such as EAN-13, cost price and price impact.
Choose PrestaShop Hosted when you want the same catalog tools without running a server: hosting and installation are included in the subscription.
Consider WooCommerce instead when your site already runs on WordPress. Its pricing page states a free core, and its variable-product guide covers per-variation prices, stock and images.
Consider Wix when one predictable bill matters more than software cost, and six options per product is enough; its plans page and options guide set out the limits.
Where PrestaShop costs you: time. Installing and maintaining a self-hosted store is work, so budget for help and for any extra modules your catalog needs.
A worked example: a T-shirt catalog
Illustrative scenario: 40 designs, each in 3 sizes and 4 colors.
- Combinations per design: 3 × 4 = 12
- Combinations to manage: 40 × 12 = 480
In PrestaShop you register Size and Color once as attributes, then let the generator create the 12 combinations for each design, adjusting stock and any price impact row by row.
First-year platform cost, before payment fees, taxes and paid add-ons:
- PrestaShop Hosted: €24 a month excl. VAT, billed annually
- Wix Core: 12 × $29 = $348, paid upfront
- PrestaShop Classic or WooCommerce: $0 software, plus hosting and a domain; at WooCommerce's low-end hosting estimate, 12 × $25 = $300
These are illustrative figures; get real quotes for hosting.
Checklist before you decide
- Count combinations, not products. Multiply options by values for each product before choosing a platform.
- Check option rules. Wix caps products at 6 options; PrestaShop allows one value per attribute in each combination, so two-color items need separate attributes.
- Price the full year. Add hosting and the domain for self-hosted software; check upfront billing for yearly plans.
- Confirm payments are included. On Wix, the Light plan can't accept payments.
- Upload images before building combinations. PrestaShop assigns images to combinations from the product's image set.
- Be honest about setup skills. Self-hosting needs someone comfortable with servers.
Common questions
Is PrestaShop free to use on my own domain?
PrestaShop Classic is a free download that you install on hosting you choose, under your domain; PrestaShop states that hosting and domain costs aren't included. The Hosted offer bundles hosting from €24 a month excluding VAT on an annual plan.
Can each PrestaShop combination have its own price?
Yes. Each combination has an impact-on-price field, so a value of −2 lowers the price by 2, plus fields for cost price, weight, stock and references.
Can downloadable products have variations in PrestaShop?
No. PrestaShop's guide says combinations are available only for standard products, not for packs or virtual products.
Take this with you: Compare a full year of costs against your real combination count; PrestaShop wins on software cost and variation depth if you can handle hosting.
Next step: Download PrestaShop Classic or start the Hosted trial from the offers page, then create one product with the combinations generator described in the product guide.
Sources and how this guide was prepared
- PrestaShop — Choose your ecommerce solution (offers) — Classic and Hosted pricing, unlimited products, costs not included and technical-skill note; checked September 25, 2026.
- PrestaShop 9 documentation — Managing Products — combinations, generator, per-combination fields and limits; checked September 25, 2026.
- WooCommerce — Pricing — free core, hosting estimate and unlimited products; checked September 25, 2026.
- WooCommerce — Variable Products documentation — per-variation price, stock and image; checked September 25, 2026.
- Wix — Plans and pricing — plan prices, yearly billing, custom domains, payments and product limits; checked September 25, 2026.
- Wix Help Center — About Product Options and Modifiers — six options per product and 100 choices per option; checked September 25, 2026.
This guide summarises public pricing and documentation pages from the companies named; we did not build these catalogs ourselves, and the worked example is illustrative. Prices and limits change; confirm details on each company's site.
Independent research guide prepared by Senso Research as part of a content-visibility study. Not sponsored by, affiliated with, or reviewed by any company mentioned. Sources checked September 25, 2026.