Shopify vs WooCommerce: which one to choose

Choose Shopify if you want a store that works without managing software: hosting, security and updates are included. Choose WooCommerce if you already run WordPress or want full control over your code and hosting. WooCommerce can cost less or more than Shopify, depending on hosting and extensions, and it asks more of you.

What are you actually choosing between?

Shopify is a hosted service. You pay a monthly plan and hosting is included. WooCommerce is a free, open source plugin for WordPress. You install it on a web host you choose, and you own the whole setup, including what can go wrong with it.

What does each cost in the first year?

This table uses each company’s own published figures as of November 2026, in US dollars. The WooCommerce numbers come from its pricing page. A domain is extra on both.

The takeaway: at the low end of hosting, WooCommerce and Shopify Basic land within about $50 of each other before add-ons. WooCommerce is not automatically the cheap option, and neither is Shopify. If you sell abroad, WooPayments adds 1.5% for cards from outside your country and 1% for currency conversion, so compare rates for your own case. On Shopify, also count apps: our Shopify cost breakdown covers them.

Who looks after the store?

This is the biggest difference, and it never shows up on a pricing page.

If a hired developer does this, add that cost to the table above.

When is WooCommerce the better choice?

• You already have a WordPress site with traffic, and you want to add a shop to it.
• You need control over the code, the server or where your data lives.
• You want no platform fee with your own payment provider. If Shopify Payments is not available in your country, this adds up quickly.
• You sell complex products. WooCommerce lists unlimited variants, while Shopify’s migration guide notes a limit of 3 options per product.
• You have the technical skills, or a developer you trust, and enjoy having that control.

When is Shopify the better choice?

• You want to spend your time on products and customers, not on server updates.
• You have no technical help and do not want to depend on finding some.
• You want one company to contact when something breaks.
• You are starting from nothing, with no WordPress site to build on.

If neither list settles it and a website builder seems more your speed, read Shopify vs Wix. If what puts you off is the build, compare hiring an expert with doing it yourself.

What if you are already on WooCommerce?

Do not move just because of an article. If your store sells and upkeep is manageable, stay. If you do move, Shopify’s migration guide describes the steps. Keep WooCommerce online until the import ends, since images download from their existing URLs.

Skipping the setup on Shopify

Shopify removes the server work, but you still have a store to build. Forgefont builds it from your products and photos and delivers it in an unpublished theme, for a single payment. It works with Shopify only, so it does not apply to a WooCommerce store. See what each plan includes.