持续分享干货，培育用户成长
Google Adwords、Seo、Facebook营销，社交营销等实操营销课程
Over the past two years, a clear trend has emerged in the cross-border eCommerce space — more and more Chinese sellers are shifting from Amazon and other marketplaces to independent websites.
The reason is simple: stricter platform rules, rising commissions, and frequent account suspensions have made sellers realize — “The traffic isn’t mine, and the brand isn’t mine either.”
According to Zheshang Securities, China’s cross-border independent website market reached 3.4 trillion RMB in 2024, accounting for 35% of the total B2C cross-border market. As third-party platforms like Amazon tighten their policies, Chinese sellers are accelerating their DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) transition to build their own brand assets. 【21st Century Business Herald, 2025】
The rise of independent websites is no longer a trend — it’s a necessity.
But for many beginners, the first challenge comes early: How much does it really cost to build a website? And which platform saves the most money?
Some people build a site for a few hundred RMB and it crashes as soon as it goes live.
Others spend hundreds of dollars a month and still can’t get orders.
The truth is — “cheap” and “cost-effective” are not the same thing.
Saving money means achieving long-term stability with the lowest total cost.
Let’s break down the real cost logic behind popular platforms from several often-overlooked angles — and see where your money goes, and how to make every dollar count.
1.Technical Barrier: Can You Run a Site Without Coding Skills?
SaaS Platforms vs Open-Source Platforms: Renting vs Building Your Own House
The question every beginner asks:
“I don’t know how to code — can I still build my own website?”
The answer is yes, but it depends on the platform type.
| Type | Platform Examples | Difficulty | Coding Required | Key Features |
| SaaS (Hosted) | Shopify, Ueeshop, Shoplazza, Squarespace | ⭐⭐ Easy | No | Drag-and-drop, templates, stress-free but subscription-based |
| Open Source (Self-hosted) | WordPress, OpenCart, Drupal, Dedecms | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hard | Yes | Free to use but you manage servers, security, and updates |
Think of it like this:
SaaS platforms are like renting an apartment — you pay rent, move in, and everything’s taken care of.
Open-source platforms are like buying land and building your own house — cheaper upfront, but you handle construction, maintenance, and security yourself.
Technical skills aren’t a barrier — they just translate into hidden costs. For new sellers, choosing a platform that’s easy to use, well-documented, and responsive in customer support can save enormous time and outsourcing fees.
2.Cost Breakdown: Where Does Your Money Really Go?
Many sellers only look at the “plan price” before building a site — but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
A website’s total cost usually includes four main parts:
| Cost Type | Description | Typical Range | Must-Have? |
| Setup Costs | Domain + Template + Plan | $30 – $300/year | ✅ |
| Operating Costs | Plugins, maintenance, payment fees | $20 – $200/month | ✅ |
| Server/Security | Self-hosted server cost | $50 – $150/month | Open-source only |
| Hidden Costs | Outsourcing, troubleshooting, time | Variable | ⚠️ |
2025 Platform Cost Overview
| Platform | Type | Setup Cost | Subscription | Plugin Cost | Notes |
| Shopify | SaaS (Global) | From $39/mo | $39–$299/mo | High | Rich app ecosystem but pricey |
| Squarespace | SaaS (Global) | From $16/mo | $16–$49/mo | Medium | Great design, display-oriented |
| OpenCart | Open-source | Free | Self-hosted | High | Flexible but high maintenance |
| Drupal | Open-source | Free | Self-hosted | High | For dev teams |
| Ueeshop | SaaS (China) | ¥5,500/year+ | 5,500–9,500 RMB/year | Included | Chinese support, global payment ready |
| Shoplazza | SaaS (China) | From $28/mo | $28–$218/mo | Medium-low | Optimized for cross-border |
| Dedecms | Open-source (China) | Free | None | High | Legacy system, needs tech background |
Why “cheap” ≠ “cost-effective”
WordPress or OpenCart might look free, but once you add hosting (hundreds to thousands per year), paid themes, plugins, and dev help, the cost easily surpasses SaaS platforms like Shopify or Ueeshop — which already handle hosting, security, and backups for you.
In short:
SaaS = “You focus on selling.”
Open Source = “You double as a programmer.”
For beginners, time and stability matter more than raw price.
A single day of website downtime could erase a month of ad spend returns.
3. Scalability: Can the Platform Grow With You?
A good independent website platform shouldn’t just help you launch — it should help you grow.
Many sellers start with just a few products. But as traffic and SKU count grow, they need loyalty systems, blog features, SEO tools, analytics, and automation.
If your platform is too rigid, you’ll eventually have to rebuild from scratch — wasting time and money.
SaaS Platforms are like the iPhone: stable, simple, packed with ready-made apps — but you can’t mess with the core code.
| Platform | # of Apps (2025) | Ideal Users | Notes |
| Shopify | 8,000+ | Global cross-border brands | Feature-rich, but plugins often paid |
| Ueeshop | 60+ built-in modules | SMEs | Chinese backend, ready-to-use |
| Shoplazza | 50+ | DTC sellers | Strong in marketing automation |
| Squarespace | No app market | Display-oriented sellers | Great design, limited features |
Open Source Platforms are the opposite — total freedom, but you’re on your own.
| Platform | Extension Method | Plugin Count | Pros | Cons |
| WordPress (+WooCommerce) | Plugin market + Custom dev | 60,000+ | Highly customizable | Security & updates complex |
| OpenCart | Marketplace + GitHub | 13,000+ | Lightweight | Paid templates, compatibility issues |
| Drupal | Modular | 45,000+ | Enterprise-grade flexibility | Steep learning curve |
| Dedecms | Custom dev | — | Deep customization | Outdated ecosystem |
Example:
Want to add a wholesale quote form or auto-translate your store?
On Shopify or Ueeshop, that’s a 10-minute plugin install.
On OpenCart or Dedecms, you’ll likely need a developer.
4. Commissions & Payment Fees: How Much Do You Actually Keep?
Some platforms charge not just monthly fees but also transaction commissions and payment gateway fees.
Once your order volume increases, even a 1% difference can be significant.
| Platform | Transaction Fee | Payment Fee | Local Payment Support | Notes |
| Shopify | 2% (Basic) → 0.6% (Advanced) | 2.9% + $0.3 (Stripe) | ✅ Multi-currency, PayPal | Waived if using Shopify Payments |
| Squarespace | 3% (Basic plan) | 2.9% + $0.3 | ✅ | For creatives & display sites |
| OpenCart | None | 2–3% via gateways | ✅ | Manual setup required |
| Drupal | None | Depends on gateway | ✅ | Highly customizable |
| Ueeshop | 0.3–0.5% | 2–3% | ✅ PayPal, credit card, local methods | Transparent pricing |
| Shoplazza | 0.2–2% | 2–3% | ✅ Multi-currency | Built for cross-border |
| Dedecms | None | Third-party gateway fees | ⚠️ Manual setup | Developer required |
Hidden trap for beginners:
Shopify’s $29/month plan sounds cheap — until you scale.
At 2% per order, commissions can easily surpass your monthly fee once you hit volume.
If you’re aiming for high order volume, transaction fees will eat into your profits fast.
Startups can tolerate higher fees for convenience, but switch to low-commission platforms once sales ramp up.
5. Customer Support: When Things Break, Who Helps You?
For beginners, the hardest part of running an independent site isn’t building it — it’s when something breaks at midnight and no one responds.
Customer support might sound minor, but it defines your operational survival speed.
For Chinese sellers working across time zones, delayed responses can cost real money.
The “Time Zone Cost” Problem
Imagine this:
You’re running ads at midnight, and your checkout button stops working.
You email Shopify support — they’re in North America.
By the time they reply (6–12 hours later), your ads have burned through hundreds of dollars and your visitors couldn’t check out.
In contrast, Ueeshop and Shoplazza offer real-time Chinese support via WeChat, tickets, or phone — problems get solved in minutes, not hours.
Customer Support Comparison (2025)
| Platform | Support Language | Contact Method | Response Speed | Chinese Support | Tutorials | Community |
| Shopify | English | Email, Live Chat | Medium (6–12h) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ Very active |
| Squarespace | English | Email, AI Chat | Slow | ❌ | ✅ | Medium |
| OpenCart | English (community) | None official | Slow | ❌ | ✅ Forum | Average |
| Drupal | English | Community | Slow | ❌ | ✅ Dev docs | High (developers) |
| Ueeshop | CN/EN | WeChat, ticket, phone | Fast (minutes) | ✅ | ✅ Videos & docs | ✅ Offline events |
| Shoplazza | CN/EN | Chat, phone, groups | Fast | ✅ | ✅ Tutorials | ✅ Active |
| Dedecms | Chinese | Forum | Average | ✅ | ✅ Docs | Averag |
Support, tutorials, and community all matter.
Shopify has the world’s largest eCommerce community (if you read English).
Ueeshop and Shoplazza, on the other hand, have built full Chinese ecosystems — tutorials, real case studies, even offline workshops — ideal for domestic sellers expanding abroad.
Customer support is your safety net.
Without it, you panic at midnight.
With it, you’re back online in half an hour.
6. Choosing a Platform: There’s No “Best,” Only the “Right” One for You
Picking a website platform is an art of trade-offs.
You can’t have the lowest cost, highest flexibility, strongest features, and best support all at once — but you can choose what fits your current stage best.
If you are:
A beginner / small team: Choose an easy-to-use SaaS platform with solid Chinese support — Ueeshop, Shoplazza, Shopify. Focus on validating products and conversions.
A tech-savvy brand builder: Go for open-source — WordPress + WooCommerce or Magento — for full customization and long-term control.
Looking for local support and growth guidance: Chinese SaaS platforms like Ueeshop and Shoplazza offer tutorials, community, and offline activities to help you grow smoothly.
Building an independent site is not a one-time decision — it evolves with your business.
Startup phase: prioritize fast launch and low risk.
Growth phase: focus on brand building, data accumulation, and global scaling.
So instead of asking “Which platform is best?”, ask:
“Which platform fits my stage and goals right now?”
A platform is just a tool — what truly lifts your business off the ground is your market insight, persistence, and ability to iterate.
No matter which one you choose, may this guide help you avoid the pitfalls —and grow from simply “building a website” to truly “building a business.
