Quick Answer
Yes, you can start an online store in India for free. On HOD Media you get a 3-month free trial with no card and no per-sale commission. After that, affordable rupee plans apply. Costs like a custom domain and payment-gateway fees are always separate, whichever platform you choose.
What "free" actually means when you start a store
"Free to start an online store in India" usually means one of two things: a genuinely free trial period, or a permanently free plan with limits. On HOD Media, you get a 3-month free trial that needs no credit or debit card to begin. You build your catalogue, pick a theme, connect payments, and go live without paying a rupee upfront. Just as importantly, there is no per-sale commission — the platform does not take a cut of every order you ship.
But "free platform" is not the same as "free to run a business." A few real-world costs sit outside any store builder, and being honest about them saves you surprises later.
What is free vs what you pay for
| Cost item | Free during HOD trial? | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|
| Store builder + hosting | Yes — 3 months, no card | Platform (free during trial) |
| Themes (62 niche designs) | Yes — included | Platform |
| Per-sale commission | Always ₹0 | Nobody — HOD takes no cut |
| Custom domain (yourstore.in) | No — buy separately | Domain registrar (~₹700–₹1,200/yr) |
| Payment-gateway fees | No — per transaction | Razorpay / Cashfree (their rate) |
| Shipping / courier charges | No — per shipment | Courier partner |
| GST registration | No — statutory | Government (free to register) |
So the platform can be free, but payment and shipping are pass-through costs you would pay anywhere. The good news: on HOD, gateway money settles directly to you, not through the platform.
Payments: connect your own gateway, keep every rupee
HOD Media lets merchants connect their own payment keys. Both Razorpay and Cashfree are live for checkout, and settlements land straight in your account — the platform takes no cut per sale. UPI works through either gateway, and native COD is built in. To fight RTO (return-to-origin) losses common in tier-2 and tier-3 pin-codes, you can enable COD partial-advance, collecting part of the amount online before dispatch. PayU support is coming soon (keys can be stored now), and Stripe/PayPal are available for international sellers who connect their own accounts.
The only fee here is your gateway's standard per-transaction charge — the same rate you would pay if you sold anywhere else. Check Razorpay's or Cashfree's current pricing when you sign up.
Everything built in — no paid add-ons
A "free" builder is only useful if the essentials are actually included. On HOD Media, they are:
- Shipping: multi-courier per store (Shiprocket, Delhivery, Zippyy, ShippingXpress), live rates, weight-based rates, free-shipping thresholds, 4x6 thermal/A4 labels, and a branded order-tracking page.
- GST: GST-style invoices with HSN codes, place-of-supply, a charge-GST toggle, and bulk invoices.
- Discounts: automatic code-less offers, combo/bundle deals, Buy-X-Get-Y, coupon usage limits, and flash-sale countdown timers.
- Catalogue: variants with per-variant price/weight/image, bulk CSV import (auto-detects Shopify/Wix/native), product video, shoppable reels, and a barcode inventory scanner.
- Marketing: reviews with rich-snippet stars, abandoned-checkout recovery, Meta Pixel + Conversions API, GA4, a Google Merchant Center feed, and WhatsApp order updates.
- Storefront: 62 niche themes, Hindi + English, per-device responsive images, and your own custom domain.
How HOD compares to other "free" options
Several India-focused builders — Dukaan, Bikayi, Instamojo, KartRocket/Shiprocket360 — advertise free or low-cost entry, while Shopify and BigCommerce run global trials. Plans and features change often, so check their current pricing at the time you evaluate. What sets HOD apart is India-native depth: own-gateway settlement, zero per-sale commission, GST invoicing, COD partial-advance, and multi-courier shipping all included, not bolted on as paid tiers.
The bottom line
Starting an online store in India can genuinely be free to begin. With hodmedia.in you get three months with no card, no commission on sales, and the full feature set live from day one. Budget separately for a domain, your gateway's transaction fee, and courier charges — then decide on a rupee plan once your store is earning. Visit HOD Media to start your free trial.
Is HOD Media really free to start with no card?
Yes. HOD Media offers a 3-month free trial that requires no credit or debit card to begin. You can build your catalogue, choose a theme, connect payments, and go live without paying upfront. After the trial, affordable rupee-priced plans apply, and there is never a per-sale commission.
What costs are not covered by a free store trial?
A free platform trial covers the store builder, hosting, and themes, but a few costs always sit outside it. You pay separately for a custom domain (roughly ₹700–₹1,200 per year from a registrar), your payment gateway's per-transaction fee, and courier shipping charges. GST registration itself is free with the government.
Does HOD Media take a commission on each sale?
No. HOD Media takes no cut per sale. Because you connect your own Razorpay or Cashfree keys, the money settles directly into your account. The only per-order cost is your gateway's standard transaction fee, which you would pay on any platform.
Do I need GST to sell online in India?
GST rules depend on your turnover, product category, and whether you sell across states or on marketplaces. Many small sellers start below the threshold, while others register voluntarily to claim input credit. HOD Media supports GST-style invoices, HSN codes, and place-of-supply, but confirm your specific obligation with a tax professional.
Can I accept COD and UPI on a free trial store?
Yes. HOD Media includes native COD and UPI (through Razorpay or Cashfree) from day one, including during the free trial. You can also enable COD partial-advance to collect part of the amount online before dispatch, which helps reduce RTO losses common in tier-2 and tier-3 pin-codes.