Disclosure: SendSawa is our product, and we ranked it first.
Almost every store builder says "free", but they mean different things. On some, free means no monthly bill and a percentage off every sale. On others, free means you can build the site but cannot take a payment until you upgrade.
The free plan that costs you least is the one with no monthly bill and nothing taken from your sales. SendSawa works that way for up to 10 products, so it is first here. If you only sell three or four items, Paystack Storefront is a fair free choice too.
What does a "free" website builder really cost?
There are three ways a free plan makes money from you:
- A cut of each sale. The platform keeps a percentage, so the more you sell, the more you pay.
- A payment fee. The payment provider charges per transaction. This one is hard to avoid anywhere, but someone has to pay it: you or the buyer.
- A wall. The free plan lets you build but not sell, so you have to upgrade before your first order.
Check which of these applies before you put in hours of work.
Free store builders in Nigeria compared
| Monthly bill | Cut of each sale | Can take payment on free | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SendSawa | ₦0 for 10 products | 0% | Yes |
| Paystack Storefront | ₦0 | 0%, plus Paystack's payment fee | Yes |
| Flutterwave Store | ₦0 | 2%, capped at ₦2,000 | Yes |
| Bumpa Basic | ₦0 | 0% | Check Bumpa's plan page |
| Selar | ₦0 | About 4% + ₦50 | Yes |
| WhatsApp Business | ₦0 | 0% | No |
| Wix | $0 | Not applicable | No, needs Core at $29/month |
Checked October 2026.
What ₦200,000 in sales costs on each free plan
Take a seller who makes 20 sales of ₦10,000 in a month:
| What you pay the platform | |
|---|---|
| SendSawa free | ₦0 |
| Selar free | ₦9,000 (4% + ₦50 on each sale) |
| Flutterwave Store | about ₦4,000 (2% of each sale), plus VAT on the fee |
| Paystack Storefront | about ₦5,000 (1.5% + ₦100 on each sale) |
On SendSawa, the buyer pays Korapay's card fee at checkout, and bank transfers go straight to your account, which is why the first row is zero. To be fair to Paystack and Flutterwave, their fee is a payment fee you would pay in some form anywhere.
1. SendSawa: best free plan for selling physical goods
What free gets you. A store at yourname.sendsawa.com with 10 products, a cart, sizes and colours, stock counts, card and bank transfer payments, an order list, a customer list and a Chat on WhatsApp button. No card is needed and there is no time limit.
What is not free. Themes, offers on your store, follow-ups for buyers who left a full cart, reviews and detailed sales numbers are on Growth at ₦5,000 a month. Over 10 products, you need Growth too.
If you stop paying. Your store drops back to free. Nothing is deleted; products over 10 are hidden until you pay again.
2. Paystack Storefront: best free option for a handful of items
What free gets you. A product list next to Paystack's checkout, at no cost with a Paystack account.
What it costs you. Paystack's payment fee on each sale: 1.5% + ₦100, with the ₦100 waived under ₦2,500, capped at ₦2,000.
Where it falls short. No stock counts and little branding.
3. Flutterwave Store: best free option for many payment methods
What free gets you. A storefront with cards, bank transfer, USSD and more.
What it costs you. 2% of each local payment, capped at ₦2,000, plus VAT on the fee.
Where it falls short. Stock does not drop when you sell.
4. Bumpa Basic: best free start if you will grow into Bumpa
What free gets you. A simple website, sales records and invoices and receipts you can share.
What is not free. Most of what makes Bumpa worth it. Starter is ₦15,000 a quarter and there is no monthly option.
5. Selar: best free option for digital products
What free gets you. A store for ebooks, courses and downloads, with payment in naira and other currencies.
What it costs you. About 4% + ₦50 from every naira sale. The fee stays on paid plans too.
6. WhatsApp Business: free, but not a store
What free gets you. A catalogue of products, quick replies and labels.
Where it falls short. It cannot take payment, so every sale is still a chat and a bank transfer you check yourself.
7. Wix: free to build, not free to sell
What free gets you. A good-looking website with Wix branding.
What it costs you. You cannot take online payments until you move to Core at $29 a month, billed in dollars.
Pick it if you need a website first and a store later.
How we ranked these free plans
We ranked by what a seller of physical goods pays to make their first ₦200,000 on the free plan, and whether buyers can pay without a DM. Check the sums against your own sales. If you sell downloads, Selar is the better free start.
Questions sellers ask about free online stores in Nigeria
What is the best free e-commerce website builder in Nigeria?
For physical products, we think SendSawa. The free plan holds 10 products, takes 0% of sales and has no time limit.
Can I create an online store for free in Nigeria without paying monthly?
Yes. SendSawa, Paystack Storefront, Flutterwave Store and Selar all let you start with no monthly bill. Check what each takes per sale.
Is there a free store builder with no transaction fee?
SendSawa's free plan takes 0% of your sales. The buyer pays the card fee at checkout, and bank transfers come to you with no fee.
What happens when I outgrow a free plan?
On SendSawa you move to Growth at ₦5,000 a month for unlimited products. If you stop paying later, nothing is deleted.
Start free and do the sum after a month
Pick one free plan, run it for a month, then add up what the platform kept. If you want to try SendSawa, the free plan needs no card.
