[1-Minute Overview] What Is BASE? Everything You Need to Know at a Glance
BASE is a Japanese online store creation service with no setup fee and no monthly fee. Since launching in 2012, it has attracted a wide range of users from individuals to small and mid-sized businesses, and as of June 2025 over 2.4 million shops have been opened on the platform. Designed to answer the needs of sellers who want to start selling immediately and those new to e-commerce who want to give it a try, BASE lets you open an online store on the same day — simply by choosing a template and entering your information.
There are two pricing plans: the Standard Plan (no setup or monthly fee; fees only apply when a sale is made) and the Growth Plan (monthly fee applies; lower transaction fees). The typical approach is to run on the Standard Plan for free while sales are modest, then consider switching to the Growth Plan once monthly revenue exceeds ¥500,000.
On the other hand, BASE has limitations compared to leading platforms like Shopify when it comes to customization flexibility and cross-border or multilingual e-commerce support. This article organizes everything from BASE's structure to its pros and cons and comparisons with other services, giving e-commerce managers and new business owners the information they need to make an informed decision.
Understanding How BASE Works and Its Pricing Plans
Why BASE Can Offer No Setup or Monthly Fees
The reason BASE can provide a "free" online store lies in its revenue model. BASE uses a success-based fee model, collecting fees only when a product sells. BASE generates revenue only after shop owners make sales — so until revenue comes in, there are no operating costs. This means sellers can explore e-commerce with minimal financial risk, and it's BASE's most defining characteristic.
The Difference Between the Standard Plan and the Growth Plan
BASE has two pricing plans, chosen based on the scale of your business.
The Standard Plan is available at zero initial cost and zero monthly fee. When a product sells, a payment processing fee of 3.6% + ¥40 per order and a service fee of 3.0% are charged. Note that the fixed ¥40 per order accumulates as order volume increases, but the plan is well-suited for the launch phase or trial operations.
The Growth Plan charges a monthly fee of ¥5,980/month (annual billing) or ¥19,980/month (monthly billing), in exchange for a lower payment processing fee of 2.9% and no service fee. BASE's official guidance recommends switching to the Growth Plan once monthly sales exceed ¥500,000. As monthly revenue grows, the fee gap with the Standard Plan widens — so designing your cost structure with a long-term perspective is important.
5 Reasons to Use BASE
1. You Can Launch a Shop on the Same Day
The barrier to getting started with BASE is one of the lowest in the industry. After registering an account, you simply choose a design template, enter your product information, and publish your store — no programming or HTML knowledge required. The platform is designed to be navigable even without any prior e-commerce experience, and store management from a smartphone is fully supported.
2. Zero Costs Until You Make a Sale
If you choose the Standard Plan and don't sell a single product, your cost is ¥0. This is a significant advantage for business owners who want to test the potential of e-commerce while keeping initial investment low, and for individuals looking to explore a side business or small-scale venture. Compared to platforms like Shopify with fixed monthly fees, the impact on cash flow in the early stages is minimal.
3. Diverse Payment Methods That Reduce Cart Abandonment
BASE's "BASE Simple Payments" (BASE かんたん決済) supports seven or more payment methods as standard, including credit cards, convenience store payments, bank transfers, carrier billing, PayPay, Amazon Pay, and PayPal. Since the range of payment options directly affects purchase completion rates, having this many available from the initial setup is a notable advantage.
4. Flexible Feature Expansion Through Apps
BASE offers a suite of extensions called BASE Apps, allowing sellers to add a wide range of features as needed — including Instagram integration, email newsletters, subscription sales, coupon issuance, and inventory management. The ability to run on core features and add functionality as sales and business scale grow is a well-considered design for businesses planning to expand from a small start.
5. Built-In Privacy Protection Mechanisms
A major concern for individuals opening an online store is the obligation under Japan's Specified Commercial Transactions Act to publicly disclose their address and phone number. BASE was a pioneer in implementing a mechanism to keep this information non-public, enabling sellers to start selling without exposing their home address online. The ability for individuals and small operators to enter the market without privacy concerns is a distinctive strength unique to BASE.
BASE's Drawbacks and Things to Watch For
There Is a Tipping Point Where Fees Become Expensive as Revenue Grows
The Standard Plan's fee structure becomes more costly as monthly revenue increases. Switching to the Growth Plan is recommended once monthly sales exceed ¥500,000, but the Growth Plan itself carries a monthly fee of ¥19,980 (monthly billing) — not an insignificant cost. As revenue scales into the millions per month, many operators begin considering a switch to platforms like Shopify or Coloryme Shop (a flat-fee Japanese EC platform) with lower per-transaction fees. Because BASE is optimized as a starter platform, it's important to factor in a platform migration plan as part of your growth strategy from the beginning.
Limited Customization Flexibility
Because BASE is designed for simplicity of operation, design granularity and page layout freedom are more constrained compared to Shopify. Purchasing a premium template can improve the aesthetic, but there are real limits when it comes to building a custom EC site fully integrated with a corporate website, or implementing complex connections with external systems. For operators who want to craft every detail of their brand experience, BASE alone will sometimes fall short.
Restrictions on Cross-Border E-Commerce and Multilingual Support
BASE currently operates primarily in Japanese, and cross-border e-commerce features — such as multilingual page creation, multi-currency payments, and overseas shipping configuration — are limited. As a platform designed for domestic sales, operators with overseas market expansion in mind need to consider Shopify (with its strong cross-border EC capabilities) or a combination with a dedicated multilingual tool from the outset.
Limited SEO Flexibility
BASE's URL structure and meta tag configuration options are restricted, making fine-grained SEO tuning difficult. If organic search traffic is intended to be the primary customer acquisition channel, a platform with greater SEO configuration freedom is more advantageous in the long run. BASE tends to perform well for customer acquisition through official social media or via the "Pay ID" app, but SEO-centered acquisition strategies require some creative workarounds.
Comparing BASE, Shopify, and STORES
Before choosing BASE, here's an overview of the characteristics of three major platforms:
| Comparison | BASE | Shopify | STORES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Cost | Free | Free | Free |
| Monthly Fee | Free (Standard) / ¥5,980+ (Growth) | From approx. ¥3,650 (Basic Plan) | Free (Free Plan) / ¥2,178+ (Standard) |
| Transaction Fee | 3.0%+ (Standard) | None | 0–5% |
| Payment Processing Fee | 3.6% + ¥40+ per order | 3.25%+ | 3.6% + ¥22+ per order |
| Customization | Moderate | High | Moderate |
| Cross-Border E-Commerce | Limited | Comprehensive (19 languages) | Limited |
| Target Users | Individuals / Small Businesses | Growing to Large-Scale E-Commerce | Individuals / Small Online Stores |
On Shopify
Shopify supports multiple languages and currencies, making it an excellent choice for operators planning cross-border e-commerce expansion. While a monthly fee applies, there is no transaction fee and payment processing fees are low — meaning total costs are often lower than BASE's as monthly revenue scales up.
On STORES
Like BASE, STORES offers a free plan with a fee structure comparable to BASE's free tier. It matches BASE in intuitive usability and has particular strengths in digital content sales.
Real-World Examples of BASE in Action
Menya Musashi: Launched Online in Just 30 Minutes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Menya Musashi, a well-known ramen chain, saw in-store traffic collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using BASE, they launched an online store in just 30 minutes, quickly establishing a channel to sell frozen ramen and condiments online and weathering the revenue drop. It's a well-cited example of BASE's ease of adoption functioning as an emergency business continuity measure.
Yamanote (Yamaga City, Kumamoto): Expanding Nationwide Sales for Traditional Crafts
Yamanote, a craft shop in Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture, used BASE to sell washi paper crafts with over 600 years of history, expanding from a local shop into a nationwide sales channel. The simple, refined page design harmonizes with the products' aesthetic, and the shop has successfully built a base of repeat customers through social media integration. It's a valuable reference case for how a regional traditional craft business accessed the national market through BASE.
Frequently Asked Questions About BASE
Q. Can individuals or sole proprietors open a store on BASE?
A. Yes. BASE is available to a wide range of users, from sole proprietors to corporations, and can be used without business registration or a trade name. However, when selling products, the disclosure obligations under Japan's Specified Commercial Transactions Act apply. BASE provides a mechanism to keep address and other identifying information non-public, so there are options for those concerned about exposing their home address online.
Q. Is it difficult to migrate from BASE to another platform?
A. Product data and customer information export functionality is available to a degree, but because design and feature configurations differ between platforms, a migration requires real effort and time. Planning from the start with a "launch on BASE, migrate to Shopify as revenue grows" approach minimizes disruption at migration time. If cross-border e-commerce expansion is in the picture, we recommend beginning to think about a migration plan early.
Q. Can BASE be used for cross-border e-commerce?
A. Not fully. BASE is fundamentally designed as a domestic platform, and features for multilingual page creation, multi-currency payments, and detailed overseas shipping configuration are limited. If selling to overseas markets is in your plans, consider either migrating to Shopify or building a separate multilingual e-commerce site in parallel with your BASE shop.
Conclusion: BASE Is Ideal for Starting Out — Have a Strategy for Scaling
BASE is the domestic gold standard for the need to "start selling online now, for free, and easily." With zero initial cost, ease of operation, and built-in privacy protections, the environment for small businesses and sole proprietors to take their first step is fully in place. Cases like Menya Musashi and local craft stores that used speed as a competitive advantage to enter the market are too numerous to count.
On the other hand, rising fee costs as monthly revenue scales up, customization constraints, and the limits of cross-border e-commerce support are challenges that operators in a growth phase will inevitably face. Many operators adopt a two-stage strategy of "start with BASE, grow with Shopify" — and building that scale-up vision from the start is what prevents wasted cost and effort down the line.
If cross-border e-commerce and multilingual expansion are in your sights, we strongly recommend beginning preparations for overseas site development in parallel with launching your domestic store.
A Note from Leap
Leap helps small and mid-sized businesses aiming for overseas expansion and cross-border e-commerce build multilingual websites and EC sites localized in the local language. For those who have established a foundation on a domestic platform like BASE and are considering the next step of entering overseas markets, we deliver practical information and concrete solutions.
Leap publishes up-to-date information for global business on an ongoing basis. Explore our other articles as well.
References
- BASE Official Website
- BASE U — BASE Fees and Charges Explained (in Japanese)
- BASE U — Case Studies (in Japanese)
- EC Kanji — 12 BASE Success Stories (in Japanese)
- ec-mikata — BASE Overview (in Japanese)
- Tokyo Freelance Media — BASE Overview (in Japanese)
- LISKUL — BASE Overview (in Japanese)
- KOMOJU — Shopify vs. BASE vs. STORES Comparison (in Japanese)
- Shopify Guide — Shopify vs. BASE Comparison (in Japanese)
