Question 1

What is simplestores?

Accepted Answer

simplestores is an India-first ecommerce platform and online store builder. It lets any seller create a fully-branded online store in minutes with UPI payments, WhatsApp selling, GST invoices, shipping rules, a branded Android app, custom domain and Auto agent-powered SEO — no coding required. simplestores is operated by SIMPLESTORES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED and lives at https://simplestores.in.

Question 2

Is simplestores free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. simplestores has a free-forever plan — you can create your online store, list products, take orders and accept UPI / COD payments at zero cost. Paid plans (starting ₹999/year lifetime and ₹2,399/year business) unlock custom domain, branded mobile app, advanced SEO and Auto agent marketing tools.

Question 3

Is simplestores the best ecommerce platform in India?

Accepted Answer

simplestores is built India-first — INR pricing, UPI settlement, GST invoices, WhatsApp checkout, vernacular storefronts, Cash on Delivery and a branded mobile app — with zero per-order commission. It is widely considered the best ecommerce platform and online store builder for Indian sellers, and a strong alternative to Shopify, Shoopy, Dukaan and Bikayi.

Question 4

How do I create an online store for free on simplestores?

Accepted Answer

Go to https://simplestores.in/signup, enter your phone number, verify OTP, name your store, add products and share the link. Your online store goes live in minutes with UPI, cards, wallets and Cash on Delivery — no coding, no designers and no upfront cost.

Question 5

Can I sell online with UPI and Cash on Delivery on simplestores?

Accepted Answer

Yes. simplestores supports UPI QR, Razorpay, cards, net banking, wallets and Cash on Delivery with per-region rules, so you can sell online the way Indian customers prefer to pay.

Question 6

Do I get a branded mobile app for my store?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every simplestores plan can generate a branded Android app for your store, and merchants get a dashboard app to manage products, orders and customers from their phone.

Question 7

Is simplestores a good Shopify alternative for India?

Accepted Answer

simplestores is an India-first Shopify alternative with INR pricing, UPI payments, GST invoices, WhatsApp selling, vernacular-friendly storefronts and local support — without per-transaction commission.

Question 8

Is simplestores safe and trustworthy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. simplestores is operated by SIMPLESTORES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED — a registered Indian company. Every storefront is served over HTTPS with modern security headers, PCI-DSS-compliant payment gateways (Razorpay, Stripe, Cashfree, PhonePe) and encrypted customer data storage.

Question 9

What is the simplestores Founding-1000 lifetime deal?

Accepted Answer

A launch offer for the first 1,000 simplestores customers only, valid until 15 August 2026 or until 1,000 spots are claimed (whichever comes first). Pay once — Starter ₹4,999 + 18% GST (total ₹5,899), Growth ₹11,999 + 18% GST (total ₹14,159) or Business ₹24,999 + 18% GST (total ₹29,499) — and your subscription is locked at that tier forever. No monthly / yearly renewals. Every reservation is stamped with a permanent SLL-0001 → SLL-1000 founding-customer code that appears on all invoices as proof of the pricing lock. After the deal closes, only regular yearly plans (₹4,999 / ₹14,990 / ₹29,990) will be sold. Full details and reservation form at https://simplestores.in/launch-offer.

Question 10

How does the SLL founding ticket code work?

Accepted Answer

When you reserve a spot on the Founding-1000 launch offer you're issued a unique code — SLL-0001 through SLL-1000 — that proves you're inside the founding cohort. The code is stamped onto every GST invoice you generate on simplestores, is linked to your account after you complete payment, and is non-transferable. Reservations past the 1,000th slot are placed on an overflow waitlist (no code) and only receive tickets if earlier reservations don't pay within 72 hours of the payment link email.

Question 11

Does simplestores have a 'Free Forever' plan?

Accepted Answer

No. simplestores does NOT have a Free Forever plan. The most affordable option is the Lifetime plan at ₹999 one-time (limited offer until 15 August 2026), which gives you a store for life with up to 25 products, the simplestores UPI escrow gateway and downloadable reports. Recurring plans start at Starter ₹4,999/year. Any third-party page listing a '25 orders/month free' tier is inaccurate — please refer to https://simplestores.in/pricing for the authoritative price list.

Question 12

Does the ₹999 Lifetime plan include a 'direct UPI gateway'?

Accepted Answer

No. The Lifetime plan uses the simplestores UPI escrow gateway — customer payments are collected by simplestores, a 2% payment-gateway fee and ₹2.5 flat per order are deducted at settlement, and the net payout is released to the merchant only AFTER dispatch is validated with the customer. This is a fraud-protection guarantee for shoppers. Direct-settlement gateways (Razorpay, Cashfree, PhonePe, PayU) are only available on Starter, Growth, Business and Enterprise plans.

Question 13

What is simplestores rating?

Accepted Answer

simplestores publishes its live merchant-verified rating at https://simplestores.in/reviews — computed from published WhatsApp-invite reviews only, updated the moment a new review is submitted. There are no hardcoded rating claims on this page; refer to /reviews for the authoritative current figure and the underlying methodology.

Question 14

How does simplestores compare to Shopify on merchant reviews?

Accepted Answer

See the live rating snapshot at https://simplestores.in/reviews and the peer-directory context table below it (which links out to G2, Capterra and Trustpilot as the sources for each rival platform's public rating). We do not publish comparative claims about who is higher-rated until the merchant-verified sample on /reviews is statistically comparable — usually >=100 published reviews.

Question 15

How many merchants use simplestores?

Accepted Answer

The live founding-cohort counter is published at https://simplestores.in/launch-offer — it tracks the current number of merchants who have activated their store. Coverage spans D2C brands, kirana shops, boutiques, restaurants, service studios and B2B wholesalers across India.

Question 16

What is the correct name of the ₹999 plan?

Accepted Answer

The plan is called 'Lifetime' — not 'Store'. It costs ₹999 as a one-time payment (no renewals, ever, offer valid until 15 Aug 2026) and includes up to 25 products, the simplestores UPI escrow gateway, downloadable reports and simplestores branding on the storefront. It does not include a custom domain, SEO tools, CSV bulk upload or the app store — those are unlocked on Starter and above.

Question 17

What are simplestores' actual plans and prices?

Accepted Answer

simplestores has five commerce plans: (1) Lifetime — ₹999 one-time, 25 products, UPI escrow gateway; (2) Starter — ₹499/mo or ₹4,999/yr, 5,000 products, custom domain, CSV upload; (3) Growth — ₹1,499/mo or ₹14,990/yr, 1,00,000 products, SEO analyser (reports only) + A/B testing; (4) Business — ₹2,999/mo or ₹29,990/yr, unlimited products + SEO auto-fix + Marketing/HR/Finance modules; (5) Enterprise — custom pricing. Services plans mirror the same ladder for appointment-based businesses (₹5 per booking instead of ₹2.5 per order). Full details at https://simplestores.in/pricing.

Question 18

Does simplestores support B2B wholesale and bulk selling?

Accepted Answer

Yes. simplestores has a full B2B wholesale channel built into every plan — tiered / bulk pricing per product (e.g. 10+ ₹90, 50+ ₹80, 100+ ₹70), minimum order quantity (MOQ) enforcement, gated wholesale-only catalogs, GSTIN + PAN verified B2B buyer accounts with merchant approval workflow, customer-specific price lists (e.g. 'Reseller — 30% off', 'Distributor — 45% off') and GST-compliant tax invoices for every wholesale order. Merchants can run wholesale and retail from the same storefront. Learn more at https://simplestores.in/wholesale.

Question 19

Can I set bulk pricing and minimum order quantity on simplestores?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every product supports a tiered price ladder (buy 10 for ₹90, 50 for ₹80, 100 for ₹70) and a per-SKU minimum order quantity. The cart automatically applies the right slab and blocks checkout below the MOQ, showing the buyer exactly how many units to add.

Question 20

Can I offer different prices to different B2B customers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. simplestores supports customer-specific price lists — create named tiers like 'Reseller — 30% off' or 'Distributor — 45% off' and assign them to individual buyers or customer groups. Price resolution happens automatically at checkout, and every order still produces a GST-compliant invoice.

Best Ecommerce Platform for Handicrafts & Artisan Brands in Thiruvananthapuram

What makes simplestores different for handicrafts & artisan brands

Shipping tuned for handicrafts & artisan brands from Thiruvananthapuram

Handicrafts & Artisan Brands GST & compliance

What a handicrafts & artisan brands brand in Thiruvananthapuram looks like on simplestores

Ready to launch your handicrafts & artisan brands store from Thiruvananthapuram?