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
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.
Fully managed cloud-based e-commerce platform with integrated payments and hosting.
Open-source WordPress e-commerce plugin providing flexible, self-hosted commerce capabilities.
Shopify vs WooCommerce — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Shopify vs WooCommerce with 159 attributes.
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
Developer Resources (Stack Overflow Tags)
Community Size (Stack Exchange questions)
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.