How the two models differ
Shopify hosts everything for you — servers, security patches, PCI compliance, and updates are handled behind a monthly subscription. You trade some flexibility for a system that stays online without a developer on call.
WooCommerce is free to install but runs on your own WordPress hosting. You own the code and the database, which means near-total control, and also responsibility for hosting, backups, updates, and security.
- Shopify: predictable monthly fee, managed hosting, built-in checkout and PCI compliance
- WooCommerce: no license fee, but you pay for hosting, SSL, and often premium plugins
- Shopify limits deep code changes; WooCommerce lets you edit anything in the stack
- Shopify uses its own standardized checkout; WooCommerce checkout is fully customizable
- WooCommerce keeps your store and your blog/content inside one WordPress site
Which one fits your situation
If you want to sell fast without managing infrastructure, and your team isn't technical, Shopify usually wins on time-to-launch and reliability. If you already run WordPress, need custom pricing logic, or want to avoid platform transaction fees, WooCommerce can be the better long-term home.
The honest deciding factor is total cost of ownership over a few years — hosting, apps, maintenance, and fees — not just the platform's sticker price.
- Pick Shopify if: small internal team, standard catalog, you value uptime over control
- Pick WooCommerce if: you have dev support, complex content needs, or unusual business rules
- High-volume stores: both scale, but Shopify Plus and managed WooCommerce hosting change the math
- Content-heavy brands often prefer WordPress + WooCommerce for publishing and SEO
- Weigh three-year running cost, not just the launch cost
More on online stores & e-commerce
Frequently asked questions
Is WooCommerce really free?
The plugin is free, but a real store needs paid hosting, a domain, an SSL certificate, and usually a few premium extensions for shipping, subscriptions, or tax — plus someone to maintain updates. Budget for those before assuming it's the cheaper route.
Does Shopify charge extra transaction fees?
Shopify charges its own processing rate per sale, and if you use a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments, it adds an extra per-transaction fee. WooCommerce only charges what your chosen gateway, like Stripe or PayPal, charges.
Can you help us decide?
Yes. On a free consultation we look at your catalog, order volume, team, and existing tools, then recommend the platform that costs less to run over three years — not just the one that's easiest to sell you.