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Software · head to head

Shopify vs WooCommerce

Shopify logo

Shopify

Software

The most trusted ecommerce platform to start, grow, and scale your business

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WooCommerce logo

WooCommerce

Software

The flexible, open-source ecommerce platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only WooCommerce has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Shopify using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus; WooCommerce the plugin is free but you must supply and pay for WordPress hosting, which WooCommerce itself puts at $25 to $350 per month for most stores
  • They diverge on capability: Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform, WooCommerce covers Product management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shopify and WooCommerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Shopify and WooCommerce differ
AttributeShopifyWooCommerce
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20062011

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Shopify

  • Hosted ecommerce platform
  • Payment processing
  • Inventory management
  • Order tracking
  • Marketing automation
  • Apps and integrations
  • Multi-channel selling
  • SSL certificate

Only in WooCommerce

  • Product management
  • Shopping cart
  • Payment integration
  • Shipping management
  • Tax calculations
  • Customer accounts
  • Order management
  • Inventory tracking

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Shopify

  • Running a hosted ecommerce store with payments and fulfilmentnot WooCommerce
  • Selling across online, in person and social channels from one cataloguenot WooCommerce

WooCommerce

  • Running an online store inside an existing WordPress sitenot Shopify
  • Selling physical, digital or subscription products with full control of the codenot Shopify
  • Building a customised commerce workflow through plugins and hooksnot Shopify

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Shopify

  • Using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate, at 2% on Basic falling to 0.2% on Plus
  • That fee makes the cheapest plan the most expensive place to use an outside processor, which is the opposite of how plans usually work
  • Card rates also improve with the plan, from 2.9% on Basic to 2.7% on Advanced
  • Amex is charged at a higher rate than other cards on every plan below Plus
  • Plus starts at $2,300 a month
  • The advertised lower monthly prices require paying a year up front

WooCommerce

  • The plugin is free but you must supply and pay for WordPress hosting, which WooCommerce itself puts at $25 to $350 per month for most stores
  • Functionality such as subscriptions and bookings comes from paid extensions priced at $29 to $299 per year each, renewed annually
  • Card payments through WooPayments cost roughly 2.50 to 2.90 percent plus 30 cents per transaction
  • Total cost depends on how many extensions a store needs rather than a single published plan price

Pricing, plan by plan

Shopify

$29/month
  • Starter$5/month
    • Buy Button & Sales Channel
    • Abandoned checkout recovery
    • Basic reporting
  • Basic$29/month
    • Online store
    • Up to 2 staff accounts
    • Basic reports
  • Standard$79/month
    • Professional reports
    • Gift cards
    • Up to 15 staff accounts

WooCommerce

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core ecommerce features
    • Unlimited products
    • Community support
  • Premium$299/year
    • All Free features
    • Premium support
    • Performance optimization

Which should you pick?

Choose Shopify if

  • You need hosted ecommerce platform.
  • You also want payment processing.
Shopify review

Choose WooCommerce if

  • You need product management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want shopping cart.
WooCommerce review

Questions people ask

Is Shopify or WooCommerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Shopify starts at $29/month and WooCommerce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shopify or WooCommerce?
WooCommerce has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Shopify and Free for WooCommerce.
Does Shopify or WooCommerce run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use WooCommerce for free?
Yes. WooCommerce has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shopify starts at $29/month.
What is Shopify best used for?
Shopify is most often used for running a hosted ecommerce store with payments and fulfilment, selling across online, in person and social channels from one catalogue. Of those, running a hosted ecommerce store with payments and fulfilment and selling across online, in person and social channels from one catalogue are not what WooCommerce is typically brought in for.
What can Shopify do that WooCommerce cannot?
Shopify covers Hosted ecommerce platform, Payment processing, Inventory management, Order tracking. WooCommerce covers Product management, Shopping cart, Payment integration, Shipping management.
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