Shopify is a fully hosted SaaS platform with built-in hosting and payment processing starting at $39/month, while WooCommerce is a free open-source plugin for WordPress that requires separate hosting ($5-15/month) and technical setup. Shopify prioritizes ease-of-use for non-technical users, whereas WooCommerce offers greater customization flexibility for developers.
Shopify vs WooCommerce — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Fully managed cloud-based e-commerce platform with integrated payments and hosting.
Free, open-source WordPress e-commerce plugin with unlimited customization and scalability.
Hosting Model. Starter Monthly Cost. Transaction Fees. Customization Flexibility. Learning Curve. Uptime Guarantee. App Store Size
Choose Shopify if you want a turnkey solution with minimal technical setup, professional hosting, built-in security, and predictable all-in-one costs—ideal for non-technical entrepreneurs and small businesses prioritizing simplicity. Choose WooCommerce if you need maximum customization, lower upfront costs, control over your data infrastructure, or already have WordPress expertise—best for developers and businesses with specific technical requirements.
Shopify: 4.6 Million+ | WooCommerce: ~6 Million+
Shopify: 2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments) | WooCommerce: 0%
Shopify: Fully Managed SaaS | WooCommerce: Self-Hosted Open-Source
Shopify: Native AI-driven commerce agents built-in | WooCommerce: Requires custom engineering
Shopify: 200+ templates | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Phone, Email & Chat | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Yes ($2,300+/month) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 0 (self-driven) | WooCommerce: N/A
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
Shopify: $5,000+ (lower barrier) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 0% (on Shopify Payments) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Advanced (Liquid code access) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: ~300 (optimized for sales) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 3.89% | WooCommerce: 2% (with Stripe/PayPal)
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
Shopify: Included in subscription | WooCommerce: N/A
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
Shopify: Self-driven traffic | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Zero (must generate own traffic) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 30-90 days (with marketing) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Complete (10/10) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 100% direct access to customer emails and data | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Unlimited products | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Moderate; app-dependent for advanced needs | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Good GraphQL API; limited headless options | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $0-20M GMV (optimal fit) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Low; point-and-click setup | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 (Shopify Payments) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $29-$399 | WooCommerce: $0 (hosting extra: $3-50)
Shopify: Extensive (9/10) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Self-generated | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: All product types | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $100-150 (optional) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: ~30% of all online stores | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $5 (Starter plan minimum) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 2.7% + $0.30 | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Unlimited with advanced sync | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $5 (Starter Plan) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $5-39 (all-inclusive) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Hours to 1 day | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Hosting, SSL, domain, support included | WooCommerce: Core features only
Shopify: Separate subscriptions required | WooCommerce: 5-10 (plugin-dependent)
Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Ongoing regular updates | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $105 (Shopify Plan) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 30-60 minutes | WooCommerce: 3-7 days
Shopify: None (paid plans only) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Mobile-optimized by default | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $39 | WooCommerce: ~$5 (hosting)
Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction | WooCommerce: 0% (processor rates 2.7-2.9%)
Shopify: 1-2 days | WooCommerce: 120-300 minutes (2-5 days with setup)
Shopify: 6 (Liquid templating limits) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Shopify manages all compliance | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Unlimited (pricing tier independent) | WooCommerce: Unlimited
Shopify: $468 + transaction fees ($2,900) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $39/month (Basic plan) | WooCommerce: $10-50 (hosting only; plugin free)
Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 | WooCommerce: 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe) to 0% (PayPal alternative)
Shopify: 99.99% | WooCommerce: 99.9% (hosting dependent)
Shopify: 6,800 verified apps | WooCommerce: 70,000+ WordPress plugins (broader)
Shopify: 1-2 hours to launch | WooCommerce: 4-8 hours (requires hosting + WordPress setup)
Shopify: Theme/app API limited (Liquid template language) | WooCommerce: Full PHP/JavaScript access to all code
Shopify: 100+ official integrations | WooCommerce: 200+ via WooCommerce Payments + plugins
Shopify: Level 1 (fully managed) | WooCommerce: Requires third-party payment processor (not built-in)
Shopify: ~8,000+ apps | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: No (requires apps) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Limited (basic automation) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Full REST & GraphQL APIs | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 100+ sales channels (Amazon, Facebook, TikTok, eBay, etc.) | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Included in all plans | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: $348-3,588/year | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 8,000+ apps | WooCommerce: 1000+ WooCommerce extensions
Shopify: 99.99% guaranteed | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: 24/7 dedicated support team | WooCommerce: Community-based
Shopify: Built-in tools with limitations on code-level access | WooCommerce: N/A
Shopify: Possible but complex; vendor lock-in concerns exist | WooCommerce: Full export capability, own data
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 50+ (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, etc.)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 50,000 (practical limit)
Developer Resources (Stack Overflow Tags)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 185,000+ questions
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: $3-10 (hosting only)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 4-8 hours (learning curve)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 5,000+ plugins and extensions
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: $156 (hosting) + $2,000 (fees)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: $0 (plus hosting $50-200/year)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 500+ (from ecosystem)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 20-40 hours (requires technical setup)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 10+ million active stores
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: Community-based, no official phone support
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: $50-200 minimum
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: Via extensions
Community Size (Stack Exchange questions)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: $0-200 (domain + initial setup)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: $5-50 (hosting only; support separate)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 0% (payment gateway only: 2.9% + $0.30)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 8,000+ extensions and plugins
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: Community forums only; paid support $50-200/mo
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: $600-1,200 (hosting + minimal fees)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 40-80 (with developer or steep learning curve)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 58,000+ WooCommerce extensions
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: No (self-hosted or third-party required)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: $0-50 (Let's Encrypt free or paid premium)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 10 (full code access)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 200+ premium + free themes
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: 3.5 (Medium-High: WordPress + PHP knowledge helpful)
Shopify: N/A | WooCommerce: Yes (depends only on hosting)
How to choose between Shopify and WooCommerce
Shopify vs WooCommerce — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Shopify vs WooCommerce. Contains 154 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Shopify vs WooCommerce — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Shopify vs WooCommerce.
Which platform is cheaper long-term for a store doing $50,000 in annual revenue?
WooCommerce is typically $300-500/year cheaper. Shopify at $39/month basic plan costs $468/year, plus ~$1,450 in transaction fees (2.9% + 30¢ on $50K revenue) = $1,918 total. WooCommerce costs ~$120/year for hosting + $1,450 in transaction fees = $1,570 total, saving ~$350 annually. However, Shopify saves 20-30 hours/year on server management.
Can I switch from Shopify to WooCommerce without losing data?
Yes, but it requires effort. You can export products, orders, and customers from Shopify using CSV or third-party apps (like Matrixify or LitExtension). However, custom fields, customer accounts, and order history don't always map perfectly to WooCommerce, so plan 4-8 weeks for a complete migration with manual data cleaning.
WooCommerce has a slight edge because WordPress is SEO-optimized by default (Yoast SEO plugin, custom URLs, schema markup control). Shopify's SEO capabilities are solid but more limited in customization. Both can rank well; success depends more on content strategy and backlinks than platform choice.
What if I need a custom feature neither platform supports out-of-the-box?
WooCommerce wins here. You can hire a developer to write custom PHP code directly into your store for ~$1,000-5,000. Shopify requires either using the limited Shopify API, hiring a Shopify Plus certified partner (~$10,000+ minimum), or using a third-party automation service like Zapier (monthly fees).
Which platform has better customer support?
Shopify offers 24/7 live chat/phone support included with all plans. WooCommerce relies on community forums, documentation, and paid support from hosting providers or freelance developers. For businesses without technical teams, Shopify's support is a major advantage.
How to Choose Between Shopify and WooCommerce
Hosting Model: Shopify has Fully hosted (included in subscription), while WooCommerce has Self-hosted (requires separate WordPress hosting).
Starter Monthly Cost: Shopify has $39/month, while WooCommerce has $0 (plugin) + $5-15/month (hosting).
Transaction Fees: Shopify has 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (Shopify Payments), while WooCommerce has Depends on payment gateway (0-2.9% + fees).
Customization Flexibility: Shopify has Limited to theme/app ecosystem (~6,800 apps), while WooCommerce has Unlimited via code and 70,000+ WordPress plugins.
Learning Curve: Shopify has Beginner-friendly (no coding required), while WooCommerce has Requires WordPress/PHP knowledge for advanced features.
Uptime Guarantee: Shopify has 99.99% SLA guaranteed, while WooCommerce has Depends on hosting provider (typically 99.9%).
App Store Size: Shopify has 6,800+ official apps, while WooCommerce has 70,000+ WordPress plugins available.