WooCommerce or Shopify? An honest comparison from people who build both
The short answer
Choose Shopify if you want the platform to handle hosting, security and updates, and your way of selling is fairly standard.
Choose WooCommerce if you want full control, sell in an unusual way, publish lots of content, or would rather not pay a monthly platform fee.
If you’re still not sure after reading this, ask us. We’ll give you a straight answer.
Side by side
| WooCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store | A hosted ecommerce platform you pay for monthly |
| Hosting | You arrange it (or we do) | Included |
| Monthly costs | Hosting, plus any paid plugins | Shopify plan, plus any paid apps |
| Card fees | Set by the payment provider you choose | Shopify Payments rates; an extra fee if you use another provider |
| Updates and security | Your responsibility, or ours on a support plan | Shopify looks after the platform |
| Checkout | Fully customisable | Trusted and fast, with limits on how far it can be changed |
| Unusual ways of selling | Very flexible: trade pricing, bookings, made-to-order | Possible, often through paid apps or custom work |
| Content and blogging | Excellent: it’s WordPress | Fine for the basics |
| Your data | In your own database | In your Shopify account, and can be exported |
| Day-to-day running | Easy once built well, but needs looking after | Very easy |
What each one really costs to run
Shopify has a clear monthly fee, which goes up as you move to bigger plans. The cost people underestimate is apps: reviews, subscriptions, filters, bundles, each with its own monthly fee. We’ve seen stores paying more for apps than for Shopify itself. A well-built custom theme can do many of those jobs without the monthly charge. See Shopify’s current pricing.
WooCommerce is free to install. You pay for good hosting, any premium plugins (usually a yearly licence), and someone to keep it updated. Cheap hosting and a stack of plugins are the reason many WooCommerce stores are slow. Spend on the first and keep the second short.
Control or convenience
Shopify is like renting a well-run unit in a busy shopping centre. It’s secure, maintained and trusted by customers, but there are rules about what you can change.
WooCommerce is like owning the building. You can knock through walls, but the roof is your problem, or ours if you’d like.
Questions to ask yourself
- Do I sell in a standard way? Products, variations, basket, checkout. If yes, Shopify is often the simpler choice.
- Do I have trade customers, bookings, made-to-order products or complicated delivery rules? WooCommerce usually handles these with less compromise.
- Do I want to think about hosting and updates? If not, Shopify, or WooCommerce with a support plan.
- Is content a big part of how I sell? Guides, recipes, blogs: WooCommerce has the edge.
- Am I already paying for lots of Shopify apps? It may be time for custom work or a rethink.
Switching platforms
Moving between them is very doable. What matters is keeping your products, customers, order history and Google rankings. We handle the data move and set up redirects from every old web address. We’ll also tell you if we don’t think moving will fix the problem you’re having.
Last updated September 2026. Platform prices and fees change, so check the latest before you decide.
Still not sure?
Tell us what you sell and how, and we’ll tell you which we’d choose and why. It costs nothing to ask.
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Sheffield, South Yorkshire