Shopify and WooCommerce are two of the top ecommerce platforms in the World.
As a business owner, choosing which platform is right for your business is a crucial decision as both have their own unique advantages and disadvantages.
If you’re looking to start an ecommerce store, perhaps this article will help you decide which solution is best for your project.
The need for selling online has definitely been on the rise as companies try to adapt to the new economic conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shopify is a Canadian platform which is currently the 3rd most used ecommerce solution and has risen in popularity due to economic conditions caused by the pandemic.
The Canadian government has invested over $50 million into the ecommerce company in an effort to push small businesses use the platform with a free 3 month trial.
Even though Shopify is an effective platform, it only holds only 12% market share when compared to other ecommerce platforms.
The real giant amongst ecommerce platforms isn’t a private company with massive funding but an open source plugin that integrates into WordPress.
WooCommerce has been a heavyweight in ecommerce for a long time and today dominates the space with a whopping 30% market share according to Datanyze.
When it comes down to the big question of which is better, it should be emphasized that both platforms do have their advantages.
Truthfully, there really isn’t one clear winner however it’s important to note the major differences.
Overview: WooCommerce vs Shopify
Hosting
Ease of Use
Design
Security
Payment Gateways
Search Engine Optimization
Scalability
Cost
Customer Support
Overview: WooCommerce vs Shopify
What is Shopify?
Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce platform that is powerful, reliable and easy to use.
This robust solution requires a monthly premium but on the flip side you don’t have to worry about the technical aspects of your website such as hosting and security.
What is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is an ecommerce plugin that integrates into WordPress.
This solution is open-source which means that you have access to its code and therefore can create a truly bespoke solution.
HOSTING: WooCommerce vs Shopify
Shopify
Shopify is a hosted platform which means you are paying for are an all-in-one solution of both software and web hosting combined.
Setting up an account is easier than WooCommerce and definitely has a slight advantage when it comes to setup.
WooCommerce
As mentioned, WooCommerce is a free plugin that is built for WordPress. Both can be downloaded from WordPress.org for free and setup with your web hosting company of choice.
We recommend SiteGround hosting which has plans as low as $6.99/month which are sufficient to get an online store up and running.
Most web hosting companies, such as SiteGround, offer one-click install tools that all you to setup WordPress in minutes.
WooCommerce is installed separately through the WordPress plugin library with a couple clicks.
Our Winner: WooCommerce is winner by setup and affordability.
EASE OF USE: WooCommerce vs Shopify
Shopify
Most business owners looking to start a ecommerce shop aren’t web developers or web designers which is why hosted ecommerce solutions can be enticing.
Through an easy to use interface and drag-and-drop builders, solutions such as Shopify allow site owners to construct a website without having to add a single line of code.
Once you’ve signed up to Shopify, you can follow the simple process which will guide you from picking your package, choosing your template, selecting addons for payment and launching in no time.
This ease of use allows business owners to quickly setup stores without having to rely on a web developer for setup.
Additionally site owners also don’t have to spend time on software upgrades or worry about compatibility issues, site backups or security.
The one drawback is that you don’t have access to your website’s code when compared to open source platforms such as WooCommerce.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a self-hosted platform, which means you have to install the software on server.
In the past, installing WooCommerce would have required uploading files to a server using FTP software, installing a database and completing an online wizard. A bit technical.
As mentioned previously, hosting companies now have one-click tools to simply the process that allow you to get WordPress setup in no time.
Once you’re store is setup, you can add configure your store settings and add additional functionality with a couple clicks through the plugin library.
WooCommerce requires a bit more of a learning curve compared to Shopify.
Our Winner: Shopify has an easier onboarding and shorter onboarding process.
DESIGN: WooCommerce vs Shopify
Shopify
Shopify has 180+ themes available on its platform for users to choose from that range from free to paid.
Third parties such as templatemonster.com do offer themes you can purchase for roughly $150+.
If you need any customization’s you’ll likely have to hire someone who is familiar with the Liquid programming language.
WooCommerce
WordPress has over 57,000 themes to Shopify’s 600+ available online. You can find thousands of themes available on themeforest.com for around $60.
WordPress themes have become much more than simply providing a fresh design & layout.
They have evolved into an additional layer of software that is also feature packed with capabilities to provide beautiful store pages, drag-and-drop builders, sliders, plugins & custom functionality and more.
Check out the Woodmart theme.
If you need any customization’s you’ll need a web developer familiar with CSS, PHP and JavaScript.
Winner: WooCommerce has more themes to choose from.
SECURITY: WooCommerce vs. Shopify
Ecommerce is a major concern if you’re running an ecommerce shop and situations have happened in the past where customer data has been compromised.
Keep in mind, this issue is not unique to any type of platform. Volusion which is a hosted solution like Shopify had over 6,500 stores compromised in 2019.
Shopify
Since Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform you don’t have to concern yourself with site security as this is all handled for you.
Shopify is PCI/DSS Compliant. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard was created for companies looking to store credit card data and must meet certain guidelines.
Out-of-the-box Shopify also provides an SSL certificate which is used to encrypt any data being passed between the browser and the server.
WooCommerce
Since WooCommerce is open source, this means that anybody can study its code and find vulnerabilities.
This is where having a knowledgeable web developer to build your website can ensure that your site is protected from any bots or hackers through the use of third-party plugins such as WordFence and hosting configurations.
SSL must be configured on your web hosting. Web hosting companies such as SiteGround offer free SSL through Let’s Encrypt.
Winner: Shopify.
PAYMENT GATEWAYS: WooCommerce vs Shopify
A payment gateway is a merchant service that is used to authorize credit card or direct payments for ecommerce businesses online.
There are several payment gateways that can be integrated with both platforms that allow shops to accept credit cards.
Deciding which payment gateway to use is an important decision as they all have their own pros and cons.
Shopify
The glaring issue with Shopify is that it charges an additional 2% on all transactions unless you pay for the $299/month package which will then reduce the fee down to 0.5%.
Shopify integrates with most major payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay and Square.
The platform also has its own in-house payment processor called Shopify Payments which allows store owners to begin accepting payments instantly without having to go through lengthy third-party setups.
Shopify Payments charges 2.9% + .30 cents per transaction which is the same as PayPal and Stripe.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce doesn’t charge any per transaction fee and also doesn’t have its own payment gateway however it can integrate with almost every payment processor available.
Through the WooCommerce payment settings you can enable and configure gateways such as Paypal or Stripe easily.
Additional payment gateways can be installed through purchased plugins on WooCommerce.com or Codecanyon.com for an additional fee.
By setting up merchant gateway plugins you can potentially save more monthly and/or per transaction.
Winner: Tie.
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION: WooCommerce vs Shopify
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing search visiblity and traffic in search engines. It is also key factor in determing the success of a webiste.
In a nutshell, SEO improves your chances of your website being foundwhen a user types in keywords related to your products in Google.
Shopify
SEO is built into its platform and can be improved by purchasing additional Shopify apps such as the SEO Booster which can scan and fix errors on your website for $18.99/month.
Unfortunately many of these SEO apps have monthly fees which can quickly add up.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce has a clear advantage since it’s a WordPress integration which Google already loves and an excellent tool for aggressive content marketing.
YOAST for SEO is the most widely downloaded plugin and can boost your websites chances of being found online as it addresses on-page SEO factors, provides feedback and includes social media integrations.
SiteGround web hosting provides SG Optimizer for free which includes an image optimizer and improve site performance which can contribute to a websites user experience, search ranking and conversions.
Winner: WooCommerce.
SCALABILITY: WooCommerce vs Shopify
As your business grows you want to ensure that whatever ecommerce solution you are using is scalable to meet the demand of customer orders.
Shopify
All the technical aspects for a Shopify store are handled for you which in itself is the beauty of hosted solutions.
As a business grows it may find require the Shopify Advanced plan which costs $300 USD per month.
WooCommerce
WordPress websites require site management when it comes to version, theme and plugin updates which can become rather a sticky topic as issues may arise on updates.
Althouth issues rarely happen on updates, it’s good practice to perform them first on a staging environment prior to pushing the updates on the live website.
It’s important to choose a suitable hosting plan for your WooCommerce store as it can impact loading time, bounce rates and conversions. Larger ecommerce websites may require more memory.
Winner: Shopify.
COST: WooCommerce vs Shopify
Cost is always an important factor in any web project and usually the first place people would check if it was available.
Unfortunately, with every ecommerce project there are way too many parameters to determine a clear winner hear.
In fact, there may be circumstances that would warrant choosing either of the platforms.
However, if we look at some of the fixed costs, it can five us some idea.
Shopify
Monthly: Starting from $29/month
Transaction Fees: 2%
Themes: Shopify has themes from $150
Apps: Usually require a monthly fee
WooCommerce
Monthly: Can be hosted for as little as $5/month.
Transaction Fees: None
Themes: WordPress themes are roughly $50
Plugins: Can be a one-time cost or require renewal fees for updates
Winner: WooCommerce.
Customer Support: WooCommerce vs Shopify
Shopify
As an all-in-one solution, Shopify provides first class customer support to users of their platform by offering 24/7 phone, live chat and email support.
They do not offer support for any third-party apps, however you can find recommended Shopify experts for hire on their website directory.
You can also find a wealth of information on their website such as how-to guides, videos, knowledge base and a community forum.
WooCommerce
Since WooCommerce is built for WordPress which is the most popular content management system in the world you can find an answer to almost anything online.
You can find extensive information such as how-to-guides, tutorials and documentation on their website and if you don’t find the answer there you can always visit WordPress.org.
Hosting companies such as WP Engine and Siteground Hosting both offer incredible support for minor WordPress issues.
Otherwise, finding a WordPress developer isn’t very difficult.
Winner: WooCommerce.
Final Words
Choosing between Shopify and WooCommerce isn’t always a clear cut decision.
If you’re looking to quickly start an online shop, looking for ease of use and don’t want the hassle of dealing with dealing with upgrades & security then Shopify is for you.
If you’re looking for a customized solution, full control of your website and affordability then WooCommerce is the best ecommerce platform for you.
Hopefully this article has provided you with useful information on determining which solution is right for your business.
