WooCommerce vs Shopify: Top 15 Aspects Compared Side by Side

Asking yourself, "Is Shopify better than WooCommerce?" and wondering if the checkout process is any faster? If that has been on your mind, then you are in the right place. WooCommerce and Shopify are the two giants, and choosing between them can be like standing at a crossroads with two well-marked paths, each offering powerful yet different tools, features, and opportunities. That’s why making the right choice can be challenging.

In this guide, we focus on platform differences, reviewing features like usability, pricing, scalability, AI automation, support, and additional capabilities. You’ll get a complete overview of the pros of using Shopify, highlighting its main strengths for your store, and the pros of using WooCommerce, showing how it can benefit your business.

We’ll also cover the weaknesses of each platform, so you can spend less time searching through numerous browser pages and ultimately find which solution best fits your unique business model, no matter if you're just starting or considering a WooCommerce to Shopify migration.

Side-by-side comparison of WooCommerce vs Shopify

“Is Shopify or WooCommerce better?” To help you decide, we compare key aspects of both platforms and explore the main differences to help you choose the best option for your online store.

#1 Pricing

When comparing Shopify vs WooCommerce, cost is one of the first factors to consider. WooCommerce is technically free. But you’ll pay for hosting, domain registration, premium themes, and plugins. For a basic store, it’s often cheaper than Shopify.

Shopify starts at $39 (billed monthly) and includes hosting, security, and support. But extra apps and premium themes can push costs up. However, there is an option to start at $1/month for the first 3 months to test the platform.

Shopify’s advantages:

• Fixed pricing
• $1 first for the first 3 months
• Hosting included
• Built-in security
• Shipping discount (from 77% to 88% depending on the plan)

Shopify’s disadvantages:

• Monthly fees
• Card processing costs (card rates start at 2.5% + 30¢ online and 2.4% + 10¢ in person)
• 2% fee without Shopify Payments

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Free core platform
• Control spending
• Flexible hosting
• Low-cost start (only hosting and domain costs)

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Paid plugins add up
• Payment fees apply
• Tech skills needed
• Hosting management

#2 Ease of use

Ease of use is also a major differentiator when it comes to the Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison because it can significantly impact how soon you're able to get your store up and live. Shopify is hands-down the winner if ease of use is what you're looking for. Getting started is as easy as signing up, adding a password, and going through their onboarding process. It is ecommerce-specific, so the UI will feel intuitive even if you're not very tech-inclined.

WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a WordPress plugin. To use it, you’ll first need to set up a WordPress site, find a hosting provider, link a domain, and install WordPress updates. If you’re already comfortable with WordPress or have a developer at hand, this might not be a big issue. But for beginners, it can feel overwhelming.

Shopify’s advantages:

• Easy setup
• Simple dashboard
• Reliable performance
• 24/7 support

Shopify’s disadvantages:

• Less theme customization compared to WooCommerce
• Might be time-consuming if you want to migrate your store
• Extra costs

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• High customization
• Flexible features
• Design freedom
• Strong community

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Needs tech skills
• Manual updates
• Limited customer support

#3 Themes and design

WooCommerce benefits from the big WordPress theme community. While WooCommerce itself has about 90 official themes, you can access thousands of third-party WordPress themes. Nine out of ten of them are free or under $100.

Shopify has over 100 free and premium themes in its store. They're typically well-polished, mobile-responsive, and user-friendly. For example, the top Shopify themes for jewelry stores usually cost between $300 and $400, depending on their features and customization options.

Shopify’s advantages:

• Huge theme variety
• More user reviews
• One-time payments
• Unlimited free trial until you push your site live

Shopify’s disadvantages:

• Similar layouts
• Expensive themes

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Unique designs
• Unlimited theme customization
• WordPress CMS integration
• Low-cost themes

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Tech setup needed
• Customization inconsistencies

#4 Customization and flexibility

When it comes to customization, the choice between Shopify or WooCommerce depends on how much control you want and how comfortable you are with technical work. With WooCommerce, you virtually have complete freedom. Want to modify the checkout system? Alter the way products are displayed? Add custom functionality? If you can code or have a developer handy, you can do whatever you'd like.

Shopify is more structured. You can customize your site with themes, apps, and native capabilities, but you're bound by the platform's rules. You can't modify core files or functionality without expensive plans.

Shopify’s advantages:

• Seamless third-party integration
• App store variety
• Built-in editing tools
• Unique brand identity

Shopify’s disadvantages:

• Expensive premium themes
• Similar-looking templates
• Developer dependence
• Ongoing maintenance needed

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Full code access
• Endless theme options
• Developer-friendly setup

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Requires coding skills
• Plugin compatibility issues

#5 Shipping

Shipping is another important consideration in the Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison. Shopify offers native shipping features via Shopify Shipping. Large carriers (USPS, UPS, DHL Express) are available, along with integrated label printing, bulk fulfillment support, and smart checkout rate calculation. It's available in various countries.

WooCommerce’s shipping is free and carbon-neutral but discounted via USPS and DHL, and it only supports US stores. Sellers outside the US need extra extensions and possibly hardware for label printing.

Shopify’s advantages:

• More carriers
• Global support
• Smart checkout features
• Bulk shipping tools

Shopify’s disadvantages:

• Best rates on higher plans
• Features vary by country

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Free to use
• Big DHL discounts
• Split shipments
• Many carrier extensions

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• US-only

#6 Payment processing

WooCommerce supports WooPayments and Stripe, PayPal, Square, and many local payment providers integrations. It's totally free, but the installation may take a few steps.

Shopify offers Shopify Payments with competitive rates and streamlined Shop Pay checkout. But Shopify charges extra fees if you use a third-party payment gateway: 2% for the Basic plan, 1% for the Grow plan, and 0.6% for the Advanced plan.

Shopify’s advantages:

• Built-in payments
• Shop Pay integration
• Major method support
• 100+ gateways

Shopify’s disadvantages:

• Extra fees if not using Shopify Payments
• Fees vary by plan

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• No monthly fees
• Many gateways
• Supports major methods
• Available with pay-as-you-go fees

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Needs WordPress account
• Manual setup per gateway

#7 Scalability

When it comes to scaling your online store, deciding between Shopify or WooCommerce can significantly impact the effort involved. Shopify is scalable. You can start small and scale to Advanced or Plus plans down the line. The platform handles server maintenance, traffic rushes, and checkout speed without any extra effort from you.

WooCommerce is also scalable but with more effort. You'll have to switch hosting plans, optimize the database, and might deal with plugin conflicts or performance problems.

Shopify’s advantages:

• Easy plan upgrades
• Handles traffic spikes
• 200 inventory locations
• Built-in hosting

Shopify’s disadvantages:

• Big price jumps
• Daily listing cap after 50k

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Full control over your hosting, databases, and payments
• No product limits
• Can be cheaper than Shopify

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• WooCommerce requires database and hosting upgrades to scale effectively
• Needs maintenance

#8 Integrations

Shopify has over 8,000 apps created specifically for ecommerce. They're often easy to install, well-reviewed, and cover a wide range of store functionality – from marketing to product reviews to print-on-demand.

WooCommerce offers many official add-ons and access to numerous WordPress plugins. You can add anything from SEO assistants to membership systems, though plugin quality and compatibility can vary.

Shopify’s advantages:

• 8,000+ apps
• Theme-compatible
• Many app reviews

Shopify’s disadvantages:

• Lots of similar apps

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Hundreds of extensions
• WordPress plugins that enable additional features
• High plugin quality

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Some extensions only in WP directory
• WooCommerce requires more paid apps for full functionality

#9 Security

Shopify prioritizes security. PCI compliance, SSL certificates, fraud protection, and auto-updates are included. Server vulnerabilities or plugin bugs are not your concern if you choose this platform option.

For practical steps on improving your store's protection, check out this guide on making your Shopify store more secure.

WooCommerce leaves you in control, but also puts the responsibility on you. You're on your own for plugin updates, backups, malware scanning, and SSL certificates, or you can hire additional services to do so.

Shopify's advantages:

• Built-in PCI compliance
• SSL included
• Auto security updates
• 24/7 security monitoring and threat detection

Shopify's disadvantages:

• No custom security setup
• You can utilize only Shopify’s security measures

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Extensive security plugin choices
• Implementation of custom security protocols
• Secure hosting
• Automatic updates

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Do-it-yourself security
• More dangerous if not properly managed

#10 SEO

In the SEO aspect, the choice between WooCommerce or Shopify becomes much easier since both stores are very well-ranked in search if properly optimized. The use of add-ons like Yoast SEO and having complete control of URL, metadata, and site architecture makes WooCommerce excellent for content or blog sites.

Shopify does simple SEO right – mobile responsiveness, SSL, clean URLs, and schema markup are all there. But URL structure can't be altered in ways that are effective, and advanced SEO strategies require apps or custom modifications.

Shopify's advantages:

• Mobile-responsive themes
• Auto SEO settings
• Clean URLs
• Image auto-resize

Shopify's disadvantages:

• Restricted URL modifications
• Theme-dependent SEO
• Limited built-in tools
• May require additional apps for customization

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Plenty of SEO plugins
• Speed optimization tools
• Complete control of SEO
• Product tags integrated into the system

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Must be manually tuned
• Security impact SEO
• Technical installation required

#11 Customer support

Shopify provides live chat and email support 24/7 and a solid AI-driven chatbot that will connect you with real people. If you ever need assistance, it is always there.

WooCommerce has support only for paid themes and plugins. You can receive assistance from hosting companies or theme authors, but it's not centralized, and the support quality will be hit-or-miss.

Shopify's advantages:

• AI chat helper
• Easy access via chat
• Big community
• Dev app support

Shopify's disadvantages:

• No phone support

WooCommerce's advantages:

• Extensive documentation of tutorials and guides
• Dev help via theme and plugin purchases
• Active community

WooCommerce's disadvantages:

• No central support location
• No phone or social media support

#12 AI and automation

Shopify is pulling ahead here. It has AI-powered tools like Shopify Magic to write product descriptions, generate FAQs, reply to customer messages, and more. Shopify Sidekick (an AI assistant for store management) is also rolling out.

WooCommerce doesn’t offer native AI features. You’ll need to install third-party plugins to add AI capabilities like product description generation or chatbots, and results may vary.

Shopify’s advantages:

• Native AI tools (Shopify Magic, Sidekick)
• Automatically generates product descriptions and FAQs
• Customer support AI built-in

Shopify's disadvantages:

• More advanced AI tools are available on higher-priced plans

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Freedom to use alternative AI plugins
• Easy integration with such AI services as Jasper, ChatGPT plugins

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• No built-in AI tools
• Plugin compatibility varies
• Requires extra setup and maintenance

#13 Ecommerce tools

Both are good on ecommerce fundamentals – product rendering, cart handling, inventory, taxes, and coupons. Shopify goes further with native offerings like abandoned cart recovery (even on lower-tier plans), multi-currency support, and advanced checkout functionality.

WooCommerce can match Shopify’s features, but you’ll need to install and configure multiple plugins to do so. The flexibility is nice but only if you’re ready to manage it.

Shopify’s advantages:

• Global selling tools
• POS integration
• Fast checkout
• Built-in shipping
• Flexible storefronts

Shopify’s disadvantages:

• Limits by plan
• Location caps
• API call limits

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Many payment options
• No platform transaction fees
• Sells all product types
• Multilingual + multi-currency

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Complex payment gateways setup
• Plugins are required
• Add-ons for complex product types (subscriptions, memberships, bundles)

#14 Website builder features

Shopify's drag-and-drop store editor makes page setup and reordering, product layout adjustment, and menu handling easier to do without coding. It is less flexible than an actual CMS but does nearly everything a business needs.

WooCommerce depends on WordPress and whatever page builder you have installed. It is more flexible, but more complicated. It has a very steep learning curve, especially for new users.

Shopify's advantages:

• Drag & drop + CMS
• One builder system for every theme
• Intuitive code editor
• Mobile responsive design

Shopify's disadvantages:

• Themes look generic
• More backend management

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Diversity in builders
• Complete control over code
• Easy plugin installation
• Customized designs

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• You need to master WP + builder
• Builders have diverse interfaces

#15 Marketing capabilities

Shopify has built-in marketing features like discount coupons, product bundling, and native email marketing (Shopify Email). Applications enable you to connect with Google, Facebook, TikTok, and build campaigns natively.

WooCommerce has availability to powerful WordPress SEO and marketing functionalities. You'll have to bind plugins (e.g., MailPoet, Mailchimp, or HubSpot) together to mimic Shopify's native experience.

Shopify's advantages:

• Built-in tools
• Native automation
• Analytics integrated
• Many marketing apps
• Themes with integrated promotional features

Shopify's disadvantages:

• App costs can add up
• Limited customization without coding

WooCommerce’s advantages:

• Platform integrations
• Automation tools
• Product suggestions
• Built-in systems for points, rewards, gift cards

WooCommerce’s disadvantages:

• Plugin-dependent
• Some tools have low user ratings

Shopify vs WooCommerce: How to choose the right platform

After comparing the most important Shopify and WooCommerce features – and examining both pros and cons of using Shopify and cons of using WooCommerce – it's finally time to learn some actionable tips on how to choose the platform that will best serve your business.

1. Define your goal

First things first. Consider what abilities your business must have to operate a store, whether or not you require scalability, what degree of customization, and what exact marketing tools you require. After that, go to the next step.

2. Determine the level of tech comfort

Do you require a plug-and-play setup without coding? Does your staff have the necessary technical knowledge to undertake some customization on your website or not?

3. Consider the ease of setup and use

Choose whether you prefer a speed setup to go live in hours or you're okay with individual domain setup, plugin activation, and theme customization.

4. Consider costs

The platform can offer fixed pricing plans but may include extra charges for themes and apps or be free but require hosting, plug-ins, and security fees. Select what suits you best.

5. Think about scalability

Not all the platforms enable scaling with inbuilt performance management and support. Some will compel you to manage server resources, updates, and optimization yourself. It's another crucial thing to look out for.

6. Test UX

Test stores developed on both platforms to review their checkout, page speed, and UX to get used to what your future customers will experience and ascertain which platform is better for you.

Wrapping up: WooCommerce vs Shopify compared

When evaluating WooCommerce vs Shopify, it’s important to consider the above-mentioned factors, as there’s no universal solution. Shopify features are great if you want a quick and hassle-free Shopify store setup, with in-built ecommerce capabilities, round-the-clock support, and user-friendly tools. It works best for beginners or growing brands who want a stable, scalable, and professionally designed storefront without coding.

In addition, the platform boasts robust ecommerce functionalities, seamless integrations, its own AI tools, and a robust apps ecosystem. On the other hand, when it comes to total control, advanced customization, and comfort in handling technical aspects, then WooCommerce comes into play. Besides, in the long run, it may be a more affordable option, especially for merchants already using WordPress.

If you’re still unsure about Shopify versus WooCommerce and which one is a good fit for your store, feel free to contact us. We will help you find the right solution, based on your business needs, budget, and technical preferences.