How to make a free online store in India: step by step, no developer, 0% commission

Short answer: you can make a free online store in India in about 15 minutes, from your phone, without a developer. On Slaby the Free plan is free forever for up to 20 products, with 0% commission on your orders and no card needed. You get your own yourname.slaby.in link, buyers pay you by UPI or cash on delivery, and the money comes to you, not to us.

This guide walks through every step, from sign-up to the link in your Instagram bio. It also explains what the free plan includes, and when a paid plan is worth it. We make Slaby, so we have kept it practical and written down the limits too.

Who this guide is for

It is for small sellers who already have buyers but no proper store. If you sell in Instagram DMs or on WhatsApp today, this is for you.

• Instagram and WhatsApp sellers who are tired of sending the same price and photo again and again
• Home businesses: bakers, pickle and snack makers, tiffin services
• Handmade sellers: jewellery, candles, crochet, resin art, gifts
• Boutiques and ethnic wear sellers with sizes and colours
• Kirana and local shops that want to take orders on the phone
• Fitness sellers: gym wear, yoga mats, resistance bands, shakers

Keep these ready before you start

• Your phone, with a Google account or an email address
• A store name, and a logo if you have one (you can add it later)
• Photos of 5 to 10 products, taken in daylight on a plain background
• A price for each product, and sizes or colours if they have them
• Your UPI ID, or your Razorpay or Cashfree account if you already use one
• A rough idea of your delivery charge and the areas you deliver to

How to make your free online store, step by step

1. 1

   Sign up, with no card

   Open the sign-up page and sign up with Google, or with your email and a password. You do not enter any card details. Your store starts on the Free plan.

   Start your store
2. 2

   Pick a template for your trade

   Choose from 18 industry templates, such as clothing, kirana, jewellery, food, gifts or sports and fitness. Each one comes with sample products, so you can see how your store will look before you add anything. Want to look around first? Open a live demo store for your industry.

   See the demo stores
3. 3

   Add your name, logo and colours

   Set your store name, upload your logo and pick your colours. Your store gets its own link, like yourname.slaby.in. That link is what you will share everywhere.

4. 4

   Add your products

   Replace the sample products with your own. Add photos, a price, a short description, and sizes or colours as variants. The Free plan holds up to 20 products, which is enough for most sellers to start. Put your best sellers first.

   Adding products
5. 5

   Set up how buyers pay you

   Pick one or both ways. UPI to your own UPI ID: the buyer pays in their UPI app and you confirm the payment in your admin. Or connect your own Razorpay or Cashfree account, so payments are confirmed on their own. Either way the money goes to you, not to Slaby.

   Payment settings
6. 6

   Turn on cash on delivery, with limits

   Many buyers in India still want COD. Turn it on, and set limits such as a maximum order value or the pincodes you allow, so fake COD orders do not cost you money.

   COD settings
7. 7

   Set delivery charges and GST

   Set your delivery fee, a free-delivery amount if you want one, and where you deliver. If you have a GST number, add it, and your orders get GST invoices. If you do not have one yet, you can still sell; ask your CA when you need to register.

   Shipping and delivery
8. 8

   Share your link

   Put your store link in your Instagram bio, your WhatsApp status and your WhatsApp Business profile. Buyers can also install your store on their phone like an app, so they find you again without searching.

   Bio shop link

Place one test order before you share Open your store on your own phone, add a product to the cart and place an order. Check the price, the delivery charge and the payment step. Five minutes of testing saves you an awkward message to your first buyer.

Where to sell handmade products (or fitness products) online

This is one of the most common questions we hear. The honest answer: sell where your buyers already are, and send them to a store you own.

For most small sellers in India, buyers are on Instagram and WhatsApp. So keep posting there, but stop taking orders in chat. Put your store link in your bio and your status, and let buyers see the price, pick a size and pay on their own. You still talk to them, just not about the price for the hundredth time.

Handmade sellers often take custom orders. Show your ready-made pieces as products, and take an advance for custom work. Fitness sellers often sell gear and also want to sell a diet plan or workout PDF; physical products work on Free, and digital files like e-books and PDFs need Lite or a higher plan.

Marketplaces can bring new buyers, and some sellers use them as well. Your own store is where repeat buyers come back to you, under your name.

What the free plan includes

Products

Up to 20

Each product can have sizes or colours as variants.

Price

₹0, free forever

No trial clock and no card. You are not charged when a month ends.

Commission

0%

Slaby takes nothing from your orders. Razorpay or Cashfree charge their own payment fee if you use them.

Payments

UPI, Razorpay or Cashfree, COD

UPI to your own UPI ID with a confirm step, or your own gateway account. COD with limits you set.

Store link

yourname.slaby.in

With a small “Powered by Slaby” badge.

Invoices and delivery

GST invoices, delivery fees, pincode rules

Set them once and every order follows them.

On the phone

Works on any phone

You run the store from your phone, and buyers can install it like an app.

When to upgrade

Stay on Free while it works for you. Upgrade only when something real stops you. Your products, orders and customers stay as they are when you move up.

• More than 20 products: Lite is ₹299 a month and holds up to 100 products, with no Slaby badge.
• You want to sell e-books, PDFs or other digital files: these need Lite or a higher plan.
• You want your own domain, like yourbrand.in: that comes with Starter at ₹799 a month.
• A much bigger catalogue or a team: Growth is ₹1,999 a month and Pro is ₹4,999 a month.

Launch checklist

• Logo, store name and colours are set
• At least 5 products with clear photos and prices
• UPI ID or Razorpay or Cashfree connected
• COD on or off, with limits if it is on
• Delivery fee and delivery areas set
• GST number added, if you have one
• One test order placed from your own phone
• Store link in your Instagram bio and WhatsApp status

Common questions

Can I make an online store in India for free?

Yes. Slaby's Free plan is free forever for up to 20 products, with no card and 0% commission. You get your own yourname.slaby.in link, UPI and cash on delivery, and GST invoices. You can set it up from your phone in about 15 minutes.

Is it really free forever, or does it end after some days?

It is free forever for up to 20 products. There is no trial that runs out and no card on file. You pay only if you choose a paid plan, from ₹299 a month.

Do I need a developer or a website designer?

No. You pick a template for your trade, replace the sample products with your own and set up payments. Everything is done from your store admin, on your phone or laptop.

Where can I sell my handmade products online?

Keep posting on Instagram and WhatsApp, where your buyers already are, and send them to your own store to see prices and pay. A free store with UPI and COD is enough to start.

How do buyers pay me, and when do I get the money?

By UPI to your own UPI ID, where you confirm each payment, or through your own Razorpay or Cashfree account, which settles to your bank. Cash on delivery is also there. Slaby never holds your money.

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