No platform is the best choice for every sole trader. A consultant selling a few products alongside services has different needs from a maker with hundreds of variants. Begin with the tasks you want to handle personally and the work you intend to outsource.
What must your store support?
Try one product with two variants, one discounted order and one address change before dispatch. Record the steps, permissions and questions for each task. Add your own exceptions too; a standard demo cannot show whether you can manage your daily work.
Costs that change with growth
Ask which charges arise per store, user, extension, order or revenue. Compare a quiet and busy month. A low entry price can become more expensive under different circumstances, but that is not universal: use each provider’s actual quote and terms.
Budget your own time too
MicroCart costs €39.95 per store per month or €399.50 per year excluding VAT, including all MicroCart apps and B2B. The trial lasts 14 days without a card. MicroCart charges 0% own transaction fees; provider fees remain. Add purchasing, packaging, delivery, returns, marketing, records and working hours.
Test records before launch
Create a sample order with a discount and refund. Check invoices and exports with your accountant. Sole-trader status does not automatically determine VAT entrepreneurship or the correct rate. Distinguish KVK registration, VAT assessment and entrepreneurship for income tax.
Do not assume tax advantages
Business expenses and input VAT follow different rules. Deduction requires suitable business use and evidence; private use and exempt activities can restrict it. Entrepreneur allowances have separate conditions and are not automatic startup benefits. Assess investments together with any KOR participation and its input-VAT consequences. Review deduction conditions.
Compare current offers
WooCommerce may suit an existing WordPress environment with appropriate management. Hosted platforms bundle responsibilities differently. Compare Shopify or another provider using current local prices, invoice currency, term and payment route. Your actual quote determines the currency and payment terms for your account.
Assemble or bundle
For an essential integration, list which data moves each way and who investigates errors. During the trial, ask support one concrete question about your workflow. Save the answer, unresolved issue and any extra cost, so included functionality and useful support can be assessed separately.
Frequently asked questions
Am I always liable for VAT as a sole trader? The separate assessment and applicable rules decide that. Is my time free? No; even without paying yourself wages, the workload must be sustainable. Is switching effortless? Check data scope, export, mapping and URLs before cancelling.
Choose through a small trial
Run your real products and exceptions through two suitable options. Compare money, hours and unresolved questions, then choose the one you can demonstrably manage. Read the costing guide to complete your budget.
Sources and checks
Primary sources checked on 26 October 2026: KVK: registration criteria · Tax Administration: VAT entrepreneurship · Tax Administration: KOR conditions
