WooCommerce vs Shopify: Winner Decided In 11 Points
WooCommerce vs Shopify is one of the widely spoken questions around the globe, and the good news is that in this guide, you are going to get your answer.
It has also been a very confusing & debatable question too when it comes to starting up a new business.
BUT, keep your worries aside.
Because we have done some detailed comparison and we are going into every aspect of both of these platforms to make you understand which one will be the best for you.
The GOAL of this guide is to clear your confusion and help make you choose the best option for your eCommerce store.
So, without wasting any time, let’s get straight to understanding what is difference between WooCommerce vs Shopify in depth.
1. WooCommerce vs Shopify: The Basic Understanding
Let’s clear out the basic understanding of what both platforms stand for.
WooCommerce vs Shopify:
WooCommerce is a highly renowned name in the IT industry. It is an open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress.
The plugin has the potential to convert your WordPress site into a well-built eCommerce store.
Moreover, the plugin is free to install, but you have to pay the price for security and hosting.
However, if you know the coding then it will be easy for you to customize the way you want your store.
WooCommerce vs Shopify:
Shopify also has a huge name in the industry. It is itself an eCommerce platform that will help you create your own eCommerce store.
Nevertheless, the platform has loads of themes, features, you name it. It has almost everything that needs to build an eCommerce store.
It will leave you out of technical worries like managing hosting, caching, etc.
In Shopify, one thing is clear, the price you pay the quality you get.
2. Benefits and Disbenefits
WooCommerce vs Shopify:
The platform offers a totally free experience that can be personalized the way you want. Also, it has every facility that won’t disappoint you in making your store. In addition to it, you don’t have to pay to get anything unless the extensions.
However, the platform has a con too. As I said earlier, it would be great if you have some coding skills. Beginners usually suffer because it requires some coding knowledge.
WooCommerce vs Shopify:
When it comes to Shopify, it will leave you out of the hurdles like hosting, SSL, and more because Shopify offers a complete package. Also, the platform is known for its excellent 24*7 support.
Talking about detriments then Shopify will ask you for a transaction fee unless you use its own gateway. And apps are a bit on the costlier side compared to WooCommerce extensions.
3. Number Of Quality Themes
In the first place, I would say both platforms have attractive, professional, and stunning themes that can easily catch millions of eyes.
WooCommerce vs Shopify:
But Shopify offers some more curated options like you can feel that the developers have had difficult hours creating a polished theme for you.
Speaking about themes, then Shopify has to offer over a hundred themes not only that but it offers premium themes too which starts from $100.
Take it as an investment, trust me it will give you a great return on your investment.
WooCommerce vs Shopify:
Now that does not mean that WooCommerce has nothing to offer. It does have a lot.
You can check out ThemeForest it has hundreds of thousands of specific eCommerce themes. TemplateMela also offers quality premium WooCommerce themes, you can check here.
After all, both platforms are great in terms of offering a theme collection.
Your outcome depends on the efforts & skill you put into creating something unique for your theme.
However, in terms of theme elegance & quality, you get what you paid for in Shopify.
Either way, both platforms offer great themes but it depends on your customization at the end of the day.
4. How Fast You Can Build Your Store?
Eagerly want to start your store?
But WAIT,
Which platform WooCommerce vs Shopify is the best in building stores easily and fast?
Let’s find it out.
Starting with WooCommerce.
WooCommerce:
If you are one who loves creativity then starting your store with WooCommerce won’t be a bad idea.
As WooCommerce offers you a lot more creative options so you can build your store the way you want.
It will let you proudly say that it is all your creation.
Moreover, one thing you need to understand is that you can’t start accepting orders right away because you have to take care of things like…
– Setting up hosting
– Installing WordPress
– Configuring WooCommerce
– Finding premium WordPress WooCommerce themes, payment gateway, and tax-related things.
However, nothing will be daunting for you because the WooCommerce service made it simpler.
And also you can catch up on things easily by watching a tutorial or reading a guide.
Shopify:
Now if you are a person who has never got into any technical stuff and your idea is clear to start the selling first then Shopify is all you need.
Because in Shopify, you just need to create your Shopify account, purchase a domain, select a theme, and you are good to go.
No Hassles!
What’s more interesting?
Shopify even provides its own payment gateway so you don’t even have to spend time setting up another gateway.
Though, if you want to then Shopify takes charge of each transaction which is 0.5 to 2%.
While starting with Shopify is a bit pricier, in return, you will have no worries, and setting up a store way too fast and easy.
5. User Friendliness
Now it will be your obvious choice on whichever platform you find more intuitive and easy to use.
So, let us make it more clear for you.
WooCommerce:
There are certain things that you need to look over like you have to manage the updates, daily backup, and more.
After all, it is a plugin and it won’t give the experience like a hosted platform.
But when it comes to customization, the platform lets you unleash your creativity.
It gives you a free hand so that you can do whatever comes to your mind to make your unique thing.
Yet, there is a thing to consider is that you need to spend your time in website management and stuff like that.
Also, you are required to sign up for a PayPal or other gateway. The plugin does not have an integrated gateway.
Besides, WooCommerce is easy to use and you will know step by step once you have started.
Shopify:
Shopify has a different say.
In Shopify, you have nothing to do except selling your products. Everything is all set up there for you.
Now, what does that mean?
Leave your all worries on Shopify like managing things, security, backup, and all. You do not have to handle anything.
All you have to do is create an account, choose a theme you like, and start customizing your store and filling up products.
It has specific guidelines that can walk you through it.
Furthermore, you can customize your store with the available add ons and extensions from Shopify.
Don’t think that it offers you limited options but have my words, it has everything a professional eCommerce store needs.
6. Which One Gets You More Sale? WooCommerce Vs Shopify
In terms of sales both platforms have been doing very much great.
If you have come through far then there is something you should know like what is the difference.
Let’s find out if there are any differences in making sales.
Sell On Other Platforms:
Who doesn’t want more sales?
Both of these platforms will let you sell on other mediums like Amazon, Flipkart, Facebook, and more.
Now, you have to pay $79 to WooCommerce to sell your products also on Amazon and Flipkart.
On the other hand, there is nothing like this in Shopify.
A Reminder To Complete The Order:
Now, this benefit only Shopify merchants get.
In Shopify, a considerate email alert has been sent to those who have left their cart with the items in it and didn’t purchase them.
What it does is brings them back to complete their order.
This feature is only in Shopify. However, WooCommerce doesn’t have this facility for its merchants.
These extra features on Shopify give merchants an extra edge over WooCommerce.
While WooCommerce has also some prominent features such as built-in blogging, one-click refund, and more.
7. Best In Marketing?
If you may or may not know but having the right marketing tools are really essential in an eCommerce business.
Having optimum marketing tools will take your business to the utmost number of people.
Let’s see what these both have got to offer.
WooCommerce:
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin and there are over 50,000 plugins that can support WooCommerce.
It has MailChimp which is a very popular plugin for sending personalized email campaigns.
Nevertheless, it also supports you to integrate your store with Amazon, Flipkart, Instagram, and eBay.
Shopify:
Shopify also has some of the best email marketing add-ons like omnisend and get a response.
Although, Shopify also lets you sell your products on Amazon, Flipkart, Facebook, and more.
Both platforms will help you expand your business across the globe.
8. SEO Compatibility
As far as SEO compatibility is concerned then these two are robust platforms and best at attracting customers with their prominent SEO tools.
But the question is which one is the best in terms of SEO standards.
Why SEO is a significant factor of any eCommerce platform because if you have a SEO compatible website then your products are going to appear first right in front of people.
Let’s check them out.
WooCommerce:
Now, WordPress is popular for its SEO plugins because the website created on WordPress does get rank well.
And WooCommerce is totally compatible with SEO standards, even the plugin WooCommerce has been made using SEO optimized code.
Install a plugin called “Yoast SEO” in WordPress which gives a significant edge to your store.
Because Yoast will indicate to you what things you should consider & follow to make your product or webpage SEO friendly.
This plugin is more than enough to boost your store and take it to the next level.
Shopify:
Shopify also has a variety of SEO plugins but not as powerful and as curated as WooCommece’s Yoast.
But do not consider Shopify’s SEO plugins worse.
It does let you add some basic information such as meta title/descriptions, alt texts, etc.
9. What’s More Secure?
No matter how efficient and powerful your store is there will be everything worthless without proper security.
You should not compromise your website’s security, it is even more essential when it comes to an eCommerce store.
Shopify:
The platform Shopify has taken care of this subject very carefully because millions of people have been doing business on this platform.
So security is their utmost concern. The platform gives the assurance that your store is out of any security breaches and hackers.
Therefore, Shopify offers you the built-in SSL certificate when you sign up and selects your plan.
This SSL certificate does impact a lot. It builds trust among people that their site is safe to browse. Also, having SSL helps in SEO.
In addition, Shopify is 100% compliant with PCI-DSS (payment card industry data security standard).
And you do not have to set up anything, you can commence processing credit/debit card payments from day one.
WooCommerce:
On the flip side, WooCommerce doesn’t come with built-in SSL because it is a WordPress plugin.
You can set the SSL up from your hosting.
It is solely up to you whether you want the SSL on your site or not.
But it’s a general recommendation to have the SSL.
If we talk about PCI-DSS then WooCommerce is not compliant with it, however, you can make it compliant by following these steps.
10. Affordability
The most impactful factor is how affordable the platform is for everyone.
Why?
Because apart from the platform cost, you also need to think about the
add-ons, extensions, and extra service you take.
Let’s just compare.
WooCommerce:
Look, there is a lot to consider when it comes to pricing.
In WordPress, WooCommerce is a plugin that you can install from the WordPress plugins store.
Which is totally free of cost.
Besides, there are three important costs you will have to pay.
- Domain Name
- Hosting
- SSL Certificate
However, if you are running tight on budget then we recommend you opt for Bluehost.
You will get Free SSL, Free Domain, and significant discounts on Hosting.
Sounds Interesting, Isn’t it?
Now compare with Shopify, WooCommerce won’t charge you for each transaction made on your site.
But remember, the hosting & extensions you paid for are not for one time. You will often find the free alternatives of paid add-ons or extensions.
Shopify:
When it comes to Shopify then there are certain prices you will have to pay in order to start your store.
The pricing plans of Shopify are:
Basic Shopify: $29/month
Shopify: $79/month
Advanced Shopify: $299/month
Each of these plans includes the domain, SSL, and hosting.
This price does not include any extension or add-ons fee, you will have to pay extra for this.
Furthermore, the list doesn’t end here.
As each order has been placed on your site, Shopify will charge you
2.9% + 30 cents per transaction.
This cost will reduce as you upgrade your plan.
Not only that but, if you want to add a third-party payment gateway other than Shopify’s own gateway (which is free of costs) then you will be charged 2.0% for all transactions.
The same is here, as you upgrade the plan the costs will be reduced.
Whereas, WooCommerce doesn’t charge anything like this.
11. Maintenance & Support
Another yet essential aspect of any eCommerce platform.
It doesn’t matter how renowned the platform is, whenever you are in need they should give the support to help you out with your problem.
Starting with WooCommerce.
WooCommerce:
The support is big from the big platform.
There are so many tutorials, guides, and documents that you can follow to help you out yourself whenever you are in need.
You can get assistance from WooCommerce for any theme or extension related issue at any time.
Besides, you can also do a live chat or call their executives.
One thing to note is that WooCommerce is just a plugin on WordPress.
If you experience any server related issue then you must contact your hosting provider.
And if you have chosen the Bluehost, then there aren’t any problems that Bluehost can’t help you out with.
Shopify:
Shopify is the hosted platform itself.
So if any problem occurs you can straight reach out to Shopify as it offers various support options such as live chat, call, email 24×7.
There is plenty of how-to guides, knowledge base, and tutorials too.
The Medium you choose, there will be help for sure.
However, there is a drawback that Shopify should look at consciously.
Shopify doesn’t provide you with any assistance with its theme and any third-party extensions.
WooCommerce Vs Shopify: THE WINNER
We have covered every aspect of WooCommerce vs Shopify that you needed to know.
Now I won’t tell you that it’s up to you but I will help you out deciding which one you should go with.
You need to understand that both Shopify and WooCommerce are great platforms to start with.
Shopify:
It is really an awesome platform. You can get started quickly, there’s nothing you need to think about like hosting, domain, SSL, etc.
Just a couple of steps like signing up, selecting a theme, some tax-related settings, and you will have your store ready.
But there are some cons too like you can’t control everything, you won’t get support for a theme and third-party extensions, and prices are higher.
WooCommerce:
If you make your site on this platform then you can set the things up as you like.
There are no limitations on customization. Also, it costs way much less than Shopify.
The downside to this is that there are a few things you need to take care of from time to time like taking backups, updates, etc.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: Final Decision
Here’s the final conclusion of Shopify vs WooCommerce.
Look, there’s no more to think about.
If you have a sufficient budget, hate hassles, and want a smooth experience then Go with Shopify.
And if you want a cost-effective solution, rank your products well, and you want full control of your store, then what’s better than WooCommerce.
We hope that this article may have cleared your doubt related WooCommerce vs Shopify.
Share your words with us below, we want to know your thoughts on Shopify vs WooCommerce.
FAQs:
How to use Shopify or WooCommerce for free?
To use Shopify there is a 14 Days trial, after that, you will need to pay for the plan. Whereas using WooCommerce is free of cost but there are charges for hosting and SSL. Both platforms require a proper budget to start with.
Which platform carries better apps?
WooCommerce has a lot more applications and extensions than Shopify.
Which platform stands out for scalability?
WooCommerce is more scalable because there is no limitation of customization. While Shopify is extremely scalable because It has a choice of plans and applications to drive development.
Shopify or WordPress Which One Should I Use?
WordPress is undoubtedly a more flexible and refined platform than Shopify. It has a large user base, ample amount of themes and plugins. It helps rank higher than Shopify if you established your store on WooCommerce.