A genuinely free online store in Nigeria should let a merchant list products and share a link without a subscription. Where platforms differ is what happens next — many "free" plans cap product counts, take a cut of every transaction, or paywall the checkout step itself once a merchant tries to actually get paid.
The Hidden Cost in Most "Free" Plans
Free tiers commonly restrict one of three things: how many products can be listed, how many orders can be processed before an upgrade is forced, or how much of each sale the platform keeps as a transaction fee. A merchant should check all three before assuming "free" means no ongoing cost.
- — Product limits — some free plans cap a catalog at 5–10 items
- — Transaction fees — a percentage taken off every sale, even on a "free" plan
- — Feature gating — checkout, custom domains, or payment integrations locked behind a paid tier
What's Actually Free to Start
Claiming a storefront link, uploading products, and using AI to generate listings costs nothing upfront on Frontstore. Pro (₦2,000/month or ₦24,000/year) unlocks the full feature set, and every plan — including Free — currently carries no transaction fee on completed sales.
When It Makes Sense to Pay
A subscription is worth it the moment a store is generating real orders — at that point, ₦2,000/month is a small fraction of a single sale for most merchants, and it buys unlimited products, AI listings, and custom branding, with no transaction fee eating into that revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Frontstore completely free?
Setting up a storefront and listing products is free to start on the Free plan. Pro (₦2,000/month or ₦24,000/year) and Legend (₦7,000/month) unlock more features. There's currently no transaction fee on sales on any plan, including Free.
Do free online store builders take a cut of my sales?
Many do — a percentage-based transaction fee is common even on free tiers of other platforms. It's worth checking a platform's fee structure specifically, not just its subscription price, before assuming it's free.
What's the catch with free online store builders?
Usually a cap on products, orders, or features rather than an outright cost — free tiers are often designed to get a merchant started and then charge once the store is actually working.
Launch your storefront in under 2 minutes
Free to start. No credit card required.
Get Started