Starting an online store is exciting, but the first big question always appears:
Should you build your eCommerce store on Shopify or WooCommerce?
Both are powerful platforms used by millions of businesses worldwide. But they work very differently, and choosing the wrong one can waste your time, money, and marketing efforts.
This guide will help you decide confidently. It includes real facts, comparisons, features, pros and cons, and cost breakdown so you can choose what fits your business best.
1. Quick Overview (2-Minute Summary)
| Feature | Shopify | WooCommerce | Winner for Most People |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | All-in-one hosted platform | Free plugin for WordPress | – |
| Starting monthly cost | $29–$39 (after $1 first 3 months) | $0 (but hosting ≈ $5–$50/mo) | WooCommerce (cheaper) |
| Ease for total beginners | Extremely easy | Needs more steps | Shopify |
| Full ownership of data | Limited (Shopify owns the platform) | 100% yours | WooCommerce |
| Built-in features | Almost everything included | Many need paid extensions | Shopify |
| Customization level | Good but limited by theme/apps | Unlimited (you control code) | WooCommerce |
| Best for | Beginners, fast launch, medium stores | Large stores, developers, low budget | Depends |
Now let’s go deep.
2. Pricing – Real Numbers in 2025
Shopify Pricing (official, December 2025)
- Starter: $5/mo (only “Buy Button”, not full store)
- Basic: $39/mo (or $29/mo if paid yearly) – full store
- Shopify: $105/mo
- Advanced: $399/mo
- Plus: $2,300+/mo (enterprise)
Extra fees:
- 2.9% + 30¢ transaction fee if you don’t use Shopify Payments
- Apps can add $10–$200/month easily
- Premium themes $150–$400 (one-time)
WooCommerce Pricing
- Plugin: FREE forever
- You pay for: – Hosting: $5–$50/mo (good shared hosting ≈ $8–$15) – Domain: ≈ $15/year – SSL certificate: free with Let’s Encrypt – Premium theme: $0–$100 (one-time) – Extensions: many free, paid ones $29–$249/year each
Real-life example: A normal store with bookings, subscriptions, and multi-language:
Shopify route → $39 (plan) + $79 (apps) + theme = ~$120–$150/mo WooCommerce route → $15 (hosting) + $150 (yearly extensions ÷ 12) = ~$30–$50/mo
Winner on price: WooCommerce (can be 70–80% cheaper long-term)
3. Ease of Use – Which One Is Really Beginner-Friendly?
Shopify
- Sign up → pick theme → add products → launch. Everything works in minutes. Drag-and-drop editor. No tech knowledge needed.
WooCommerce You must:
- Buy hosting & domain
- Install WordPress
- Install WooCommerce plugin
- Choose & set up theme (Astra, Flatsome, etc.)
- Install extra plugins for things Shopify gives free (reviews, GDPR, etc.)
It’s still easy, but it takes 3–10 hours instead of 30 minutes.
Winner for speed & simplicity: Shopify (hands down)
4. Design & Themes
Shopify: 170+ themes (12 free, rest $150–$400). Beautiful and mobile-ready.
WooCommerce: Thousands of free & paid themes (Flatsome $59, Astra free, etc.). You can also code anything you want.
Winner for unlimited design freedom: WooCommerce
5. SEO – Which One Ranks Better on Google?
Myth: “Shopify is bad for SEO” → False in 2025.
Both can rank #1. Real differences:
| SEO Feature | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Page speed (out of box) | Very fast (CDN built-in) | Depends on hosting & optimization |
| Clean URLs | Yes | Yes |
| Blogging | Basic blog | Full WordPress blogging power |
| Schema markup | Automatic for products | Needs plugin (free) |
| Meta tags control | Good | Excellent (Yoast/Rank Math) |
Reality: Top 100 Shopify stores and top 100 WooCommerce stores both rank perfectly.
Winner: Slight edge to WooCommerce because of WordPress blogging strength.
6. Speed & Performance
Shopify: Runs on world-class CDN, average load time 1.2–1.8 seconds even with many apps.
WooCommerce: Can be just as fast (or faster) with good hosting (SiteGround, Cloudways, Kinsta), but cheap shared hosting makes it slow.
Winner: Shopify wins for “set-and-forget” speed
7. Apps vs Plugins – Features Comparison
Shopify has 8,000+ apps (many paid). WooCommerce has 60,000+ free WordPress plugins + thousands of paid Woo extensions.
Examples:
| Feature | Shopify Cost on Shopify | Cost on WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Product reviews | Free or $7–$15/mo | Free (many options) |
| Subscriptions/recurring | $10–$100/mo | $199/year or cheaper alternatives |
| Multi-currency | Built-in (Shopify Payments) | Free or $49–$99/year |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Built-in on all plans | Free plugin or $79/year |
| Gift cards | Built-in | Free or paid |
Shopify includes many expensive features for free. WooCommerce makes you pay separately, but total is usually lower.
8. Payment Gateways
Shopify: 100+ gateways, but charges 0.5–2% extra fee if you don’t use Shopify Payments. WooCommerce: 100+ gateways with NO extra fee from WooCommerce itself (only gateway fee).
Winner for low fees: WooCommerce
9. Scaling – What Happens When You Get Big?
| Store Size | Shopify Recommended Plan | WooCommerce Recommended Setup |
|---|---|---|
| 0–$50k/year | Basic ($39/mo) | Good shared hosting ($10–$20/mo) |
| $50k–$500k/year | Shopify or Advanced ($105–$399) | VPS or Cloud hosting ($30–$100/mo) |
| $1M+ /year | Shopify Plus ($2,300+/mo) | Dedicated server or Woo VIP ($5k+/mo) |
Shopify Plus is expensive but extremely reliable (used by Kylie Cosmetics, Gymshark). WooCommerce on good hosting scales forever and stays cheaper.
10. Support
Shopify: 24/7 chat, phone, email (even on Basic plan). Super fast. WooCommerce: Community forums + paid support from hosting company or developer.
Final Recommendation – Who Should Choose What in 2025?
Choose Shopify if you…
- Are a complete beginner
- Want to launch in days, not weeks
- Sell less than 500 products
- Don’t want to touch code ever
- Value time over money
Choose WooCommerce if you…
- Want to keep monthly costs under $50 forever
- Need unlimited customization
- Already know WordPress or have a developer
- Plan to grow very large while keeping costs low
- Want full ownership and no platform lock-in
Conclusion
- 0–2 years in business → Start with Shopify (fastest way to make money)
- Once you’re doing $10k+/month → Consider migrating to WooCommerce to save thousands per year
Many successful brands (like Allbirds) start on Shopify and later move to custom/WooCommerce when costs matter more.
You cannot make a bad choice. Both platforms power millions of stores and billions in sales.
Just pick the one that matches your skills, budget, and speed needs today.
But here is my honest personal preference:
I choose and recommend WooCommerce for almost everyone who plans to run their store for more than 12–18 months.
Why?
- You own everything
- Costs stay low forever
- No risk of getting “locked in” or hit with surprise fees
- Unlimited design & functionality
- Same (or better) speed and SEO when set up properly
I personally moved all my stores from Shopify to WooCommerce years ago and have saved tens of thousands while growing faster.
If you are a total beginner who wants to launch this weekend and money is not tight → start with Shopify (it’s still awesome). But if you are serious about building a real long-term profitable business → go WooCommerce from day one.
You’ll thank yourself in two years.
Ready to start?
Now go build that store — 2026 is going to be your year! 🚀
