19 free tools · no sign-up · no tracking
What will my online store really cost?
Answer six quick questions. Get an itemized monthly and first-year estimate, plus the leanest tool stack that fits — with honest reasons, and the free plan whenever it’s enough.
- Prices from vendors’ own pricing pages
- Runs in your browser
- Cheapest fitting plan first
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, StoreVetted may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes which plan we recommend. How we make money.
Store cost calculator
Your stack, itemized.
Every number links back to the vendor’s pricing page. If a price couldn’t be verified, you’ll see “check current price” instead of a guess.
Featured guide
“Tracking says delivered. The customer says it never came.”
The four options every merchant has: wait, reship, refund or deny with evidence. When to pick each, and what holds up in a chargeback.
USPS denied your claim? How to appeal a denied USPS claim (two 30-day appeals) and the USPS claim time limit guide.
The toolbox
Nineteen small tools. One honest answer each.
Calculators, quizzes and checkers for the boring-but-expensive decisions of running a store. All free, all in your browser.
Claims & post-purchase
Plan & launch your store
How StoreVetted works
Boring rules. On purpose.
No rankings for sale, no “top 10” lists. Just the same four rules on every tool.
Sourced prices
Every price comes from the vendor’s official pricing page, stored with its URL and the date it was checked.
Fixed rules
Picks follow written rules based only on your answers — usually “the cheapest plan that covers what you asked for”.
Private by default
The tools run in your browser. No accounts, no analytics, no tracking scripts. Answers live only in the page URL.
Free wins ties
When a free or non-affiliate option fits better, the tool says so — even though it earns us nothing.
“I built these because every ‘best tools’ list I read was really a list of the biggest commissions. Here you get the plan that fits — and if the free tier is enough, that’s the answer.”
FAQ
How much does it cost to start an online store?
For a small store, the fixed software stack typically starts around $30–$60 per month (store platform plus a domain), before payment processing fees, product costs, postage and advertising. Optional tools such as live chat, shipping software, video ad tools or e-signature add to that. Use the calculator above for an itemized estimate.
Where do the prices come from?
Every price is taken from the vendor's official public pricing page and stored with its source URL and the date it was checked. If a price could not be verified it is shown as “check current price” instead of a guess.
Do I need to buy an SSL certificate for a Shopify store?
No. Shopify includes a free SSL certificate for domains connected to your store. You only need a separate SSL certificate if you run a self-hosted site on another platform.
What costs are not included in the estimate?
Product or inventory costs, postage, advertising spend, paid themes and third-party apps, taxes and currency conversion are not included. Payment processing fees are estimated only when you use Shopify Payments.
Are the links affiliate links?
Yes. Some links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Recommendations are based on your answers, and the cheapest suitable plan is always shown.
