Shopify vs WooCommerce: Costs, Pros and Cons, and Which to Choose
Shopify is the easier hosted option; WooCommerce gives you full control on WordPress. Compare real costs, fees, features and ownership, and see which fits your store.
Short answer: choose Shopify if you want a hosted store where hosting, security and checkout are handled for you, so you can focus on selling. Choose WooCommerce if you want full control over code, hosting and data, already use WordPress, or need custom product and checkout logic. Both can run a successful, fast store when they are built well.
Shopify vs WooCommerce at a glance
| Factor | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Hosted, all-in-one | Free plugin for WordPress, self-hosted |
| Software cost | Monthly plan, from $29 a month billed yearly (US) | Free core, no monthly subscription |
| Hosting | Included | About $25 to $350 a month for most stores |
| Extensions | Apps, often monthly | About $29 to $299 a year each |
| Third-party payment fee | 0.2% to 2% unless you use Shopify Payments | None from WooCommerce |
| Ease of use | Very easy, everything in one admin | Easy when built well; you manage updates |
| Control and ownership | Limited to what Shopify allows | Full control of code, data and hosting |
Prices from Shopify's US pricing page and WooCommerce's pricing page, checked October 2026. They change, so confirm before you budget.
What Shopify costs
Shopify's US plans are Basic at $39 a month ($29 billed yearly), Grow at $105 ($79 yearly), Advanced at $399 ($299 yearly) and Plus from $2,300 a month. Online card rates start at 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic and fall on higher plans. If you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, Shopify adds a fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus (Shopify). Add paid apps and a premium theme if you need them.
What WooCommerce costs
WooCommerce describes itself as free and open source with no monthly subscription. Its own pricing page puts hosting at about $25 to $350 a month for most stores, extensions at about $29 to $299 a year each, and WooPayments card processing at roughly 2.5% to 2.9% + 30¢, with no extra fee for using other payment providers (WooCommerce). You also need a domain, a theme and someone to keep WordPress, plugins and backups up to date.
The honest comparison is total cost over three years: platform, hosting, apps or extensions, payment fees and maintenance. A small store is often cheaper on Shopify Basic; a store with custom needs and high volume can be cheaper on WooCommerce.
Ease of use
Shopify is built for merchants. Products, orders, discounts, shipping and payments live in one admin, and Shopify handles hosting, security and updates. WooCommerce runs inside WordPress. Day-to-day store management is straightforward when the site is built well, but you or your developer are responsible for updates, security and performance.
Design and customisation
Shopify themes use sections and blocks, so your team can rearrange pages in the theme editor. A developer can build a fully custom theme, but some parts, such as the checkout, are limited on lower plans. WooCommerce has no such limits: any part of the store, including the checkout, can be customised because you control the code.
SEO
Both platforms can rank well. Shopify handles the technical basics such as sitemaps and canonical tags automatically, and lets you edit titles, descriptions, URLs and redirects. WooCommerce, as part of WordPress, gives complete control over URL structure, content and technical SEO, which suits stores that publish a lot of content. Product descriptions, category pages, speed and links matter more than the platform.
Scaling
Shopify scales without you thinking about servers, which is its biggest strength for fast-growing brands. WooCommerce scales well too, but performance depends on your hosting and how the store is built, so plan for better hosting as traffic grows.
Which should you choose?
Choose Shopify if:
- You want to launch quickly and avoid managing hosting and updates
- Your team will run the store day to day without a developer
- You sell standard physical or digital products and plan to grow fast
Choose WooCommerce if:
- Your website already runs on WordPress or publishes a lot of content
- You need custom product logic, pricing rules or checkout steps
- You want full ownership of code, data and hosting, with no platform fees
Running a smaller store with bookings or services as well? Wix Stores is a third option worth comparing; see WordPress vs Wix.
Frequently asked questions
Is WooCommerce really free?
The plugin is free. Running a store is not: you pay for hosting, a domain, any premium extensions and maintenance, plus card processing fees.
Can I move from WooCommerce to Shopify, or the other way?
Yes. Products, customers and orders can usually be migrated, and 301 redirects protect your search rankings. Follow our redesign SEO checklist before you switch.
Which is better for SEO?
Neither has a built-in advantage. WooCommerce offers more control; Shopify handles more for you. Good content, fast pages and clean structure decide the result.
Not sure which fits your catalogue? We build stores on both. See Shopify development and WordPress and WooCommerce development, or book a free strategy call and we will recommend the right platform.