Shopify or WooCommerce? An honest comparison
I build both and I like both. Which one suits you depends less on your budget than on how much technical upkeep you want to take on.
I get this question at least once a week. Most comparisons online are one-sided because the writer earns affiliate commission from one of the platforms. I build both, and which one I recommend depends on your business.
The short answer
Shopify if you don't want to deal with technical upkeep. WooCommerce if you dislike a fixed monthly cost and want full control of the site.
The long answer is below.
Cost isn't what it looks like
On Shopify you pay a monthly plan fee, usually plus a few app subscriptions. For a small store the monthly total tends to land between $50 and $120.
WooCommerce has no monthly platform fee. But there's a server bill, some plugins have annual licences, and above all there's maintenance, which costs either your time or a developer's invoice.
So with WooCommerce the cost moves from money to time. If you have the time and the technical side doesn't scare you, that's a good trade.
Maintenance is the real difference
On Shopify, updates, security patches, server maintenance and backups are Shopify's job. You never have to think about them.
On WooCommerce they're all yours. The WordPress core, the theme and fifteen plugins need regular updates. Neglected WooCommerce sites make up a large share of the sites that get hacked.
If nobody is going to do that work, whether that's you or a developer, I wouldn't recommend WooCommerce.
Commission
Shopify charges an extra fee on every transaction if you use a payment provider other than its own. If you want to use a local gateway, read that clause carefully.
WooCommerce takes no platform commission. You only pay your bank's or payment provider's fee.
As turnover grows, that gap adds up. For high-volume stores, WooCommerce's total cost can drop below Shopify's.
Customisation
Shopify's theme system covers a lot, but it has limits. If you want an unusual product configurator or an order flow built around your business, at some point the platform won't let you do it.
On WooCommerce the code is yours. You can build anything you can think of, as long as someone is there to build it.
Speed
Shopify is fast from day one. It runs on a global delivery network and handles campaign traffic by itself.
WooCommerce's speed depends entirely on your server and the quality of the build. A well-built WooCommerce store can match Shopify. A badly built one is three times slower.
Data ownership
With WooCommerce the database is entirely yours, and you can move it to another server any day you like.
With Shopify you can export your data, but the store itself lives on the platform. If you leave Shopify, you have to rebuild the site.
So what do I recommend?
If you're opening your first store and have no technical team, go with Shopify. Spend your time on selling, not on infrastructure.
If you have lots of products, an order flow of your own and someone to keep the site running, go with WooCommerce.
Still unsure? Write to me with your product count, your monthly revenue target and how much technical work you're willing to take on, and I'll tell you which one fits. I don't charge for that.