VCom compared with the usual ways to sell online
Most small businesses in India pick one of three routes: list on a marketplace, pay someone to build a website, or try a free builder. Here is where VCom sits, so you can pick the one that fits how you sell.
Side by side
| What matters | VCom | Marketplace only | Custom-built website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store under your own brand and domain | Yes. Free VCom address first, your own domain when ready | No. You sell inside the marketplace's site | Yes |
| Time to go live | The day you sign up | After seller onboarding and listing approval | Weeks, depending on the developer |
| Who owns the customer contact | You. Leads and customers sit in your workspace | Mostly the marketplace | You, if the developer builds it |
| Stock, invoices and CRM | Included in the same workspace | Separate tools | Usually separate tools, or extra development |
| WhatsApp ordering | Order button on every product | Not part of the listing | Only if it is built |
| Cost to start | ₹0 for the first month, then ₹499 a month | Commission and fees per sale | Development fee plus hosting and upkeep |
Marketplace and custom-website columns describe the general model, not any one company. Fees and timelines vary by provider.
VCom or a marketplace?
A marketplace brings shoppers who are already searching, and that is worth a lot. The trade-off is that the customer belongs to the marketplace, you pay on every sale, and your products sit next to competitors. You can keep your marketplace listings and add a VCom store as the channel you own, for repeat buyers, Instagram followers and WhatsApp customers.
VCom or a custom-built website?
A custom site makes sense when you need something no template covers. For most shops it means a one-time development fee, then hosting, fixes and changes that each go back to the developer. VCom starts from a ready theme you can edit yourself, and the stock, invoices and customer records are already there.
VCom or a free website builder?
A free builder gets a page online quickly. It usually stops at the page: no stock, no invoices, no CRM, and ordering often needs paid add-ons. VCom costs ₹499 a month after the free month, and includes the store and the business workspace together.
See the features and pricing in full, or start the free month and try it with your own products.