Omni Software SolutionsIf you're planning an online store, you've probably landed in the Shopify versus WooCommerce debate. Both run a huge number of stores. Both have loyal fans. Depending on who you ask, each is either the obvious answer or a terrible mistake.
The truth is calmer than that. They're built on different ideas, they suit different owners, and they come with different trade-offs. We build on both, so we have no reason to push you either way. Here's how we'd explain the choice over coffee.
The short version
Shopify is a hosted, all-in-one platform. You pay a monthly subscription, and Shopify runs the servers, the security, the software updates and the checkout. You manage your store; Shopify manages the machinery.
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin that turns a WordPress website into a store. You choose your own hosting, and you (or someone you pay) look after updates, security and backups. You get more control, and more responsibility.
Most of the differences below come from that one split: rented and managed, or owned and maintained.
| At a glance | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hosted store platform | Free plugin for WordPress |
| Hosting and updates | Handled for you | Your responsibility |
| Running costs | Monthly plan, plus apps | Hosting, plus paid extensions |
| Checkout changes | Limited, more on higher plans | Almost anything, with a developer |
| Moving away later | Data exports; theme and apps stay | Move hosts whenever you like |
| Suits | Owners who want to run it themselves | Stores with unusual needs and support in place |
Who looks after it
This is the difference most owners feel day to day.
With Shopify, updates and security are handled for you. You log in, add products, process orders and change prices. Setting up a straightforward store, adding products and connecting payments is something many owners can do themselves, and Shopify's help documentation is thorough.
With WooCommerce, the everyday screens for products and orders are perfectly usable. The difference is everything underneath. WordPress, WooCommerce, your theme and each plugin all receive updates, and now and then one update doesn't agree with another. Someone needs to apply updates, keep backups and check the store still works afterwards. That can be you, a developer or a care plan, but it has to be someone.
Be honest with yourself here. If the phrase "plugin conflict" makes your heart sink, and you don't plan to pay anyone for upkeep, that points towards Shopify.
What it really costs to run
Headline prices mislead on both sides, so look at the whole picture. We've kept exact figures out of this post because they change often. Check each vendor's current pricing page before you decide.
Shopify
You pay for a monthly plan, and the plan you choose affects your fees. Shopify's pricing page (checked 1 October 2026) shows that if you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify adds its own transaction fee on top, at a rate that depends on your plan. Card processing fees apply either way.
Then there are apps. Many stores add a few for reviews, subscriptions, product options or email marketing, and many apps charge their own monthly fee. Add those up before you compare.
WooCommerce
The core plugin is free. WooCommerce's pricing page (checked 1 October 2026) describes it as free and open source, with no monthly subscription and no revenue share. What you do pay for is hosting, a domain, any paid extensions or themes, payment processing fees, and someone's time to keep it all updated.
A simple WooCommerce store can cost less to run than Shopify. Add paid extensions, better hosting and a developer's time, and it can cost more. Your costs depend on what your store needs, not on the platform's headline price.
Our advice: list the features you need on day one, price them on both platforms, and include the cost of someone's time. That number is far more useful than any comparison chart.
How far you can bend it
Shopify is flexible within its own walls. There's a large ecosystem of themes and apps, and a developer can build you a fully custom theme. But some things are Shopify's call, not yours. The checkout in particular is tightly controlled. You can brand it, but deeper changes are limited, especially on the lower plans.
WooCommerce is open source, so a developer can change almost anything: the checkout, how products are displayed, the pricing rules, how the store talks to your other systems. If your store has unusual needs, like a product configurator, trade pricing for some customers or a link to your stock system, WooCommerce can usually accommodate them. The cost is developer time, now and later.
A note on how we build: when we build on WooCommerce, we code the theme ourselves. We don't use drag-and-drop page builders, because they tend to slow sites down and make them harder to hand over.
Ownership and moving later
With WooCommerce, the code and data sit on hosting you control. You can move hosts, hire a different developer or change the design without asking anyone's permission.
With Shopify, your store lives on Shopify's platform. Your products, customers and orders are yours, and you can export them. But your theme and apps are built for Shopify, so leaving means rebuilding the store somewhere else. For many businesses that's a fair trade for not having to run anything. It's just worth knowing up front.
Which one should you choose?
Shopify is probably right if:
- You want to launch quickly and run the store yourself.
- Your products and checkout are fairly standard.
- You'd rather pay a predictable subscription than think about hosting, updates and security.
- You sell physical products and want shipping and payments working with little setup.
WooCommerce is probably right if:
- You already have a WordPress site you're happy with and want to add a shop to it.
- Your store needs something unusual that standard platforms don't handle well.
- You want full control of your code, your data and your hosting.
- You have a developer or a care plan in place, or you're happy to budget for one.
And sometimes the right answer is neither. If you sell a handful of products or services, a simple website with payment links or online booking might do the job for less.
How we'd help you decide
We'd start with a few questions. What do you sell, and how many products? Who will add products and handle orders? What else does the store need to connect to? What do you expect it to look like in two years?
The answers usually point clearly one way. If they don't, we'll lay out the trade-offs and costs side by side so you can choose with your eyes open. Our online stores start from $2,500, with a fixed quote agreed before we begin.
If you're weighing up the two, book a free 30-minute call. We'll give you a straight answer: Shopify, WooCommerce, or something simpler.