An online store without monthly fees: how to start in 2026?

No monthly subscription and no commission on sales. Here is the method — and what you should know before choosing.

What stops most new store owners is not the design or the product, but the monthly subscription that starts before the first sale. The truth is that building an online store without monthly fees is possible today, but you must know the difference between \u201cfree forever\u201d and \u201cfree for a while, then a subscription\u201d, and between \u201cno monthly fees\u201d and \u201cno fees at all\u201d.

What does \u201cno monthly fees\u201d actually mean?

No mandatory recurring subscription: no amount deducted monthly or annually just for the store to keep running.
But there may be fees when you sell: payment gateway fees per transaction, and shipping fees per shipment.
Mind the difference: \u201cfree\u201d can mean a permanent plan, or a trial period that ends and then the subscription starts automatically.

Three ways to avoid monthly fees

A free-forever platform: no subscription and no commission, such as The Zum.
A free plan inside a paid platform: such as Salla Basic and Zid Starter; free, with an optional upgrade.
Open-source software on your own hosting: such as WooCommerce; the software is free, but hosting is a recurring annual cost.

Comparison: who charges monthly fees? (October 2026)

Platform	Monthly fees	When you sell	Note
The Zum	0 SAR	0% commission	Free forever, no card or documents
Salla (Basic)	0 SAR	0% commission on Basic	Basic is free; Plus 99 and Pro 299 SAR/month are optional
Zid (Starter)	0 SAR	No platform commission	Starter is free; Zid Pay transaction fees vary by network and plan
WooCommerce	No platform subscription	0%	But hosting is a recurring annual cost, so it is not free of recurring spend

Prices were taken from official pages in October 2026 and may change with seasonal offers. Check the sources below before subscribing.

Fees that are not monthly but still exist

Payment gateway fees: a percentage plus a fixed amount per transaction, depending on the provider and card type.
Shipping: a cost per shipment set by the carrier based on destination and weight.
Domain: a small annual amount if you want a custom name; the subdomain is free.
Apps: some are monthly subscriptions, and you usually do not need them at the start.

These fees are not for The Zum: our commission is 0%, and when you connect a payment gateway the money goes straight to your account.

How to avoid unnecessary subscriptions

Start with the free plan, and do not pay for any upgrade before real sales.
Do not buy apps or themes before you know your best-selling product.
Use the free subdomain at first, and add a custom domain when you need it.
Review the differences between free and paid plans, and identify the single feature worth paying for.

When is a subscription actually worth it?

A subscription is worth it when it buys something the free plan cannot do: point of sale and branches, accounting and advanced analytics apps, discounted shipping labels, a custom design, or priority support. Until then, free is enough — and upgrading stays open.

FAQ

Is there an online store without monthly fees?

Yes. The Zum is free forever with no subscription and no commission, and Salla Basic and Zid Starter are permanent free plans. The only fees appear when you sell: payment gateway and shipping fees, which are provider fees, not platform fees.

Is WooCommerce free of monthly fees?

The software itself is free, but WooCommerce runs on hosting you pay for annually, so it is a recurring cost. It is therefore not \u201cfree of any recurring spend\u201d as it may appear.

Does The Zum take a commission on sales?

No. The Zum commission is 0%, and when you connect a payment gateway the money goes straight to your account.

Which fees cannot be avoided?

Payment gateway fees on every transaction, and shipping fees per shipment. Both are the payment provider's or carrier's fees, not the platform's.

Can I upgrade later if I need more features?

Yes, the free plans on Salla and Zid can be upgraded when needed, and The Zum never asks you to upgrade because its core features are available without a subscription.

Sources

Last checked: October 2026. Prices and features change, and official pages are the reference.