Shopify vs WooCommerce
Shopify is a hosted platform you rent by the month: Basic is $39 a month billed monthly or $35 billed yearly, rising to Grow ($105/$95), Advanced ($399/$359) and Plus from $2,300. WooCommerce is a free, open source plugin for WordPress with no monthly platform fee, but you supply hosting, a domain and maintenance yourself. Choose Shopify for an all-in-one hosted store; choose WooCommerce if you already run WordPress and want full control.
Shopify is a hosted platform you rent by the month: Basic is $39 a month billed monthly or $35 billed yearly, rising to Grow ($105/$95), Advanced ($399/$359) and Plus from $2,300. WooCommerce is a free, open source plugin for WordPress with no monthly platform fee, but you supply hosting, a domain and maintenance yourself. Choose Shopify for an all-in-one hosted store; choose WooCommerce if you already run WordPress and want full control.
Deciding factor: Shopify for a hosted all-in-one store; WooCommerce for WordPress users who want control and no platform fee.
Key fact: Shopify Basic is $39 a month billed monthly; the WooCommerce plugin is free.
Video Comparison
Shopify: hosted, all-in-one, from $39 a month (or $35 billed yearly). WooCommerce: free open source plugin for WordPress; you pay for hosting and extensions. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Choose Shopify if
Sellers who want a hosted store without managing servers
Choose WooCommerce if
WordPress users who want full control and can manage hosting
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Model:Hosted platform vs WordPress plugin you host
- Base cost:Basic $39/mo monthly, $35/mo yearly vs Free plugin; hosting extra
- Third-party payment fee:2% / 1% / 0.6% / 0.2% by plan vs None from WooCommerce
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Key Differences
4 attributes compared head-to-head
- Hosted platformModelWordPress plugin you host
- Basic $39/mo monthly, $35/mo yearlyBase costFree plugin; hosting extra
- 2% / 1% / 0.6% / 0.2% by planThird-party payment feeNone from WooCommerce
- Closed platformSource codeOpen source
- Model
Shopify
Hosted platform
WooCommerce
WordPress plugin you host
- Base cost
Shopify
Basic $39/mo monthly, $35/mo yearly
WooCommerce
Free plugin; hosting extra
- Third-party payment fee
Shopify
2% / 1% / 0.6% / 0.2% by plan
WooCommerce
None from WooCommerce
- Source code
Shopify
Closed platform
WooCommerce
Open source
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Third-party payment fee | 2% Basic, 1% Grow, 0.6% Advanced, 0.2% Plus | None from WooCommerce |
| Plans | Basic, Grow, Advanced, Plus (from $2,300 a month) | Free core plugin |
| Monthly price | $39 / $105 / $399 billed monthly; $35 / $95 / $359 billed yearly | No platform fee |
| Hosting | Included | You provide it |
| Requirements | Browser and account | WordPress 7.0+ and PHP 7.4+ |
Show 1 more attributeInstalls Hosted service 7+ million active installations | ||
Show 1 more attribute
Pros & Cons
6 pros·4 cons across both
Shopify
Pros
Cons
WooCommerce
Pros
Cons
Frequently Asked Questions
6 questions
The WooCommerce plugin is free and has no monthly platform fee. You still pay for web hosting, a domain, and any paid extensions or themes, and your payment provider charges processing fees.
Shopify lists Basic at $39 a month billed monthly or $35 billed yearly, Grow at $105 or $95, Advanced at $399 or $359, and Plus from $2,300 a month. New stores get a 3-day trial and there are no setup fees.
Only when you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. Payment processing fees apply either way.
Yes. WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin. The current version requires WordPress 7.0 or higher and PHP 7.4 or higher.
Shopify handles hosting, security and updates, so there is less to manage. WooCommerce gives more control but you maintain the WordPress site yourself.
Yes, stores can be migrated, but products, customers, URLs and apps need planning. Choose the platform that fits how you want to run the store now.
Analysis: Shopify vs WooCommerce
Shopify is a hosted platform you rent by the month: Basic is $39 a month billed monthly or $35 billed yearly, rising to Grow ($105/$95), Advanced ($399/$359) and Plus from $2,300. WooCommerce is a free, open source plugin for WordPress with no monthly platform fee, but you supply hosting, a domain and maintenance yourself. Choose Shopify for an all-in-one hosted store; choose WooCommerce if you already run WordPress and want full control.
Key takeaways
- Shopify is hosted; WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin you host yourself. - Shopify Basic is $39 a month billed monthly or $35 a month billed yearly. - Shopify charges 2%, 1%, 0.6% or 0.2% on third-party payment providers, by plan; none when using Shopify Payments. - WooCommerce has no monthly platform fee; hosting, domain and paid extensions are separate. - WooCommerce has more than 7 million active installations on WordPress.org.
Read 8 more paragraphsShow less
Pricing model
Shopify lists four plans: Basic ($39 a month, or $35 billed yearly), Grow ($105 or $95), Advanced ($399 or $359) and Plus from $2,300 a month. There are no setup fees, and new stores get a 3-day free trial. WooCommerce is free to install; the costs are hosting, a domain, and any paid extensions or themes you choose.
Payment fees
Shopify adds a third-party transaction fee when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. Payment processing fees from your provider apply on both platforms.
Control and requirements
1. Shopify runs the hosting, security updates and checkout for you. 2. WooCommerce runs inside your WordPress site. It requires WordPress 7.0 or higher and PHP 7.4 or higher, and you handle updates and backups. 3. WooCommerce is open source, so developers can change any part of the store.
Who should pick which
Pick Shopify if you want a store running quickly without managing servers. Pick WooCommerce if you already use WordPress, want to own the stack and can handle hosting. Squarespace vs Wix and WordPress vs Wix cover other site builders. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Wikipedia
External Resources
Shopify: Pricing (opens in new tab)
Basic $39/$35, Grow $105/$95, Advanced $399/$359, Plus from $2,300; third-party fees 2%/1%/0.6%/0.2%; no setup fees.
WooCommerce: What is WooCommerce? (opens in new tab)
Open-source platform with no monthly platform fees, powered by WordPress.
WordPress.org: WooCommerce plugin (opens in new tab)
Version 11.2.1, 7+ million active installations, WordPress 7.0+ and PHP 7.4+.
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