Ecommerce platforms
Shopify vs WooCommerce
Shopify suits merchants who want a store running quickly with hosting, security and updates handled for them. WooCommerce suits merchants already on WordPress, or those who want full control over hosting and code and are willing to manage it themselves.
- No affiliate links
- Public pricing only
- Updated by hand
Shopify or WooCommerce — which should you use?
Shopify suits merchants who want a store running quickly with hosting, security and updates handled for them. WooCommerce suits merchants already on WordPress, or those who want full control over hosting and code and are willing to manage it themselves. Shopify starts at From roughly $39/month for the Basic plan (free tier: 3-day free trial (varies by promotion), no permanent free plan.); WooCommerce starts at No platform fee, but hosting, theme and plugins commonly run $20-$50+/month (free tier: The plugin itself is free; hosting and extensions are separate costs.). Prices are list prices and change, so check the vendor pages before buying.
Last updated 3 August 2026
Shopify is a fully hosted platform: you pay a monthly fee and it handles servers, security patches, uptime and PCI compliance. WooCommerce is a free plugin on top of WordPress, which means you own the hosting and the responsibility that comes with it, but also get more freedom to change how things work.
The financial trade-off matters too. Shopify's monthly fee is predictable, but transaction fees apply unless you use Shopify Payments. WooCommerce itself is free, but hosting, a decent theme and useful plugins add up, and total cost depends heavily on which extensions you install.
Side by side
Shopify and WooCommerce in short.
Shopify
Hosted ecommerce platform covering storefront, checkout, payments and order management.
- Free
- 3-day free trial (varies by promotion), no permanent free plan.
- Paid from
- From roughly $39/month for the Basic plan
Good at
- Hosting, security and uptime are handled for you
- Large app store covers most common ecommerce needs without custom code
- Checkout is fast, well-optimised and improves conversion out of the box
Weak at
- Transaction fees apply if you don't use Shopify Payments
- Deep customisation beyond themes and apps requires Shopify's own Liquid templating
WooCommerce
Free ecommerce plugin that turns a WordPress site into an online store.
- Free
- The plugin itself is free; hosting and extensions are separate costs.
- Paid from
- No platform fee, but hosting, theme and plugins commonly run $20-$50+/month
Good at
- No mandatory platform transaction fees
- Full control over hosting, code and data since it's self-managed WordPress
- Fits naturally if your content and blog are already on WordPress
Weak at
- You're responsible for hosting, backups, security updates and performance
- Total cost is less predictable since it depends on the plugins and hosting you choose
The differences
Where they actually diverge.
| Feature | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Included, fully managed | Self-managed, separate cost |
| Entry price | ~$39/month | Free plugin, but hosting/plugins extra |
| Transaction fees | Apply unless using Shopify Payments | None from WooCommerce itself |
| Security updates | Handled automatically | Your responsibility |
| App/plugin ecosystem | Large, curated Shopify App Store | Very large, WordPress-wide |
| Customisation ceiling | Good, via Liquid and apps | Very high, full code access |
| Best for | Merchants wanting a managed, quick setup | Merchants already on WordPress or wanting full control |
Pick one
Which one fits you.
Choose Shopify if
- You want a store live without managing servers
- You'd rather pay a predictable monthly fee than manage hosting
- You want a checkout that's optimised without extra configuration
Choose WooCommerce if
- Your content site already runs on WordPress
- You want full control over code, data and hosting
- You have (or can hire) someone comfortable maintaining a self-hosted site
When neither is the answer
For a handful of products and low complexity, a simpler tool like Square Online or even a well-configured link-in-bio checkout can be less work than either full platform.
Questions
Common questions.
Which is cheaper overall?
It depends on scale. Shopify's cost is predictable but includes transaction fees unless you use its own payments. WooCommerce has no platform fee but hosting and premium plugins add up, and can end up costing more or less depending on choices made.
Can I migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify later?
Yes, migration tools and apps exist for moving products, customers and orders, though themes and custom code need to be rebuilt on the new platform.
Do I need a developer for WooCommerce?
Not for a basic store, but as you add customisation, performance tuning and security hardening, many merchants bring in a developer or a managed WooCommerce host.
Which handles high traffic better out of the box?
Shopify's infrastructure is built for ecommerce traffic spikes without extra work. WooCommerce can handle high traffic too, but it depends entirely on your hosting choice and configuration.
Is Shopify Payments mandatory?
No, but Shopify charges an extra transaction fee on top of your card processor's fee if you use a third-party payment gateway instead.
Prices are list prices published by each vendor and change often — check the linked pricing pages before you buy. We take no affiliate commission and nobody pays to appear here.
Elsewhere on gtm.help
Keep exploring.
gtm.help
Skip the tool research. Get the plan first.
Paste your website and gtm.help reads it, then writes a ranked growth plan for your business — with the tools each task needs, what they cost, and what to do first. Free to start.