Choosing an e-commerce platform is a decision you live with for years. Migrating a store later means moving products, customers, orders, URLs and integrations, so it pays to get it right. For most small and mid-sized brands the shortlist comes down to two names, and the Shopify vs WooCommerce question is really a question about what you want to own: a hosted service that handles the technology for a monthly fee, or open-source software you run and control yourself.
This guide compares them on the things that decide the outcome: real fees, hosting and upkeep, flexibility, SEO, and the kind of team each one suits.
Shopify vs WooCommerce at a glance
Shopify is software as a service. You pay a monthly plan, and Shopify runs the hosting, security, checkout and updates. WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress. The WooCommerce plugin on WordPress.org is free, with optional paid extensions and support, and it runs on whatever hosting you choose.
| Shopify | WooCommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Hosted, proprietary platform | Open-source WordPress plugin |
| Software cost | Monthly or yearly plan | Free plugin; paid extensions optional |
| Hosting | Included | You choose and pay for it |
| Security and updates | Handled by Shopify | Your responsibility or your developer's |
| Customization | Themes, apps and platform APIs, within Shopify's limits | Full code access to themes, plugins and the database |
| Content and blogging | Built in, fairly basic | Full WordPress publishing tools |
| Data ownership | Exportable, but stored on Shopify | On your own server |
| Best fit | Brands that want to sell, not run software | Content-led brands and custom requirements |
What each platform really costs
In any Shopify vs WooCommerce cost comparison, sticker prices mislead in both directions. Shopify looks expensive until you count WooCommerce's hosting and upkeep; WooCommerce looks free until you add the extensions and developer time a serious store needs.
Shopify's costs
According to Shopify's US pricing page, the Basic plan is $29 a month billed yearly or $39 billed monthly, Grow is $79 billed yearly or $105 monthly, and Advanced is $299 billed yearly or $399 monthly, with Plus starting at $2,300 a month. Online card rates with Shopify Payments start at 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.7% + 30¢ on Grow and 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced. If you use a third-party payment provider instead, Shopify charges its own transaction fee on top: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced. Prices differ by country, so check the page for your market.
On top of the plan, most stores pay for a few apps, and some pay for a premium theme. Those costs vary with the apps you choose.
WooCommerce's costs
The core plugin is free, but the store is not. You pay for hosting, a domain, any premium theme or extensions, and the time to maintain it all. For payments, WooPayments uses pay-as-you-go pricing with no setup or monthly fees for online payments; its published US rate for cards is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, with extra fees for international cards and currency conversion. Other gateways set their own rates.
| Cost line | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Platform software | Monthly plan | Free |
| Hosting | Included | Separate; scales with traffic |
| Payment processing | Shopify Payments card rates, or third-party provider plus Shopify's fee | Gateway rates, e.g. WooPayments |
| Themes | Free or paid themes | Free or paid themes |
| Features beyond the core | Apps, often monthly subscriptions | Extensions, often yearly licenses |
| Maintenance | Mostly handled by the platform | Updates, security, backups and fixes |
What each takes from a $100 sale
Using the published US rates above, a $100 domestic card sale on Shopify Basic with Shopify Payments costs 2.9% + 30¢, or $3.20. The same sale through WooPayments on WooCommerce also costs $3.20. The difference shows up elsewhere: Shopify's monthly plan versus WooCommerce's hosting and maintenance, and Shopify's extra 2% on Basic if you process that sale through a third-party provider instead of Shopify Payments.
So per-sale fees are rarely what decides Shopify vs WooCommerce. At low volumes the fixed monthly costs dominate; at high volumes the percentage rates matter more, which is when moving up a Shopify plan or negotiating gateway rates starts to pay back.
Flexibility, control and customization
WooCommerce's biggest strength is that you can change anything. You have the code, the database and the server. Unusual pricing rules, complex product configurators, membership models or deep integrations with internal systems are all possible, as long as someone competent builds and maintains them.
Shopify is more opinionated. Its themes, app ecosystem and APIs cover most retail needs well, and its checkout is managed by Shopify, which is a benefit for reliability and a limit for customization. When a requirement falls outside what Shopify supports, you work around it with an app or a custom app, or you accept the limit.
SEO and content
On SEO, Shopify vs WooCommerce is closer than most people expect: both platforms can rank well. Search engines care about fast pages, clear structure, useful content and clean technical foundations, not which platform generated the HTML. The differences are practical. WooCommerce runs on WordPress, so publishing guides, comparisons and long-form content is native, and you control URLs and technical details directly. Shopify includes a blog and editable meta fields, and handles speed and hosting for you, but gives you less control over some URL structures and server settings.
If organic search is a major channel for you, the platform matters less than the work. Our SEO basics for founders covers the foundations that apply on either one.
Maintenance, security and risk
Maintenance is where Shopify vs WooCommerce differs most in daily life. On Shopify, the platform handles hosting, uptime, security patches and checkout compliance. You manage your store settings, apps and theme. On WooCommerce, you or your developer own the updates to WordPress, WooCommerce, the theme and every plugin, along with hosting, backups, monitoring and security hardening.
- Shopify risks: app sprawl and rising subscription costs, platform limits on customization, and dependence on one vendor's pricing and policies.
- WooCommerce risks: plugin conflicts after updates, security exposure from outdated or poorly built plugins, and performance problems on weak hosting.
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Shopify if you want to launch quickly, have no in-house developer, sell standard physical or digital products, and prefer a predictable monthly bill over managing software.
- Choose WooCommerce if content drives your sales, you already run WordPress, you need custom logic Shopify cannot support, or full control over hosting and data is a requirement.
- Either works for a typical catalog store with a modest product range. In that case, choose the one your team can run well for the next three years.
Build time depends on the design and integrations more than the platform. Our guide to how long it takes to build a website explains what sets the timeline.
Get the platform decision right the first time
The Shopify vs WooCommerce decision is easier with someone who has run both. Our web and e-commerce development team helps you choose, then builds or migrates the store, including themes, integrations and the redirects that protect your search traffic, with weekly demos and full ownership of everything we build.
Discovery ends with a written, priced plan and no obligation. Tell us about your store, and a senior engineer will reply within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shopify take from a $100 sale?
On the US Basic plan with Shopify Payments, Shopify's published online card rate is 2.9% + 30¢, so a $100 domestic card sale costs $3.20. If you use a third-party payment provider instead, Shopify adds a 2% transaction fee on Basic on top of that provider's own fees. Your monthly plan fee is separate.
What is the disadvantage of Shopify?
The main disadvantages are limits on deep customization, a checkout you cannot fully control, and costs that can grow as you add paid apps. You also depend on one vendor's pricing and policies. For many stores those trade-offs are worth the low maintenance, but for highly custom requirements they can be deal-breakers.
Is Shopify still worth it in 2026?
For many brands, yes, especially those without an in-house developer who want to launch quickly and spend their time selling rather than maintaining software. It is less compelling if your store needs unusual custom logic, content is your main growth channel, or you require full control over hosting and data. Model the plan, app and payment costs against your expected sales before deciding.
Who is the biggest competitor of Shopify?
WooCommerce is one of the most widely used alternatives, particularly for businesses already on WordPress. Other common alternatives include BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace and Adobe Commerce. Which one competes best depends on your store's size, content needs and technical resources.
Can I move from WooCommerce to Shopify, or the other way?
Yes. Products, customers and orders can be migrated with import tools or a custom script, and themes are rebuilt rather than moved. The step most often missed is redirecting old URLs to new ones, which protects search rankings and existing links.
