Picking a hosting provider, domain name, theme and setting up an online store is a complicated and cumbersome job, which requires time, money, and patience of the shop owner to research and decide what is the most suitable.
But you don't need to worry too much about it. Today, Shopify and Woocommerce are two of the most popular e-commerce platforms in the world to help users set up an online shop quickly and easily. This blog is going to compare Shopify with WooCommerce, bring you an overview of these two platforms, then you can scrutinize and decide which one is top.
About Shopify
Shopify is an all-in-one solution that helps you create an online shop, manage your products and process payments , launch it with a single service. Shopify is a “Software as a Service” (SaaS) tool - which means you don't own a copy of the software, but pay a monthly fee to use it.
Here are some Shopify features:
- No coding skills required, but if you can, you will be able to edit HTML and CSS of your website
- Offers 7-day trial, then three different plans for its users, from $29 to $299 per month
- Included with 1 subdomain myshopify.com free for all plans
- Allows you to add unlimited products to your store
- Charges specific fees for all of your payments
- Shopify has its own app store - both free and paid applications - allows users to expand
- Offers 24/7 support
- Dozens of premium themes available to customize the look of your website
- Includes a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate with all its plans
- Has its own analytics system and can also be integrated with Google Analytics
About WooCommerce
WordPress is about almost everything, but for the purposes of this blog, we will just focus on the e-commerce side of this platform: WooCommerce. WooCommerce is an open-source solution made based on WordPress that enhances content control (content management system - CMS) and allows you to run online stores using the platform you know and love.
- Completely free, although you need to purchase your own hosting
- Does not include 1 free domain name - you are required to purchase your own
- Also supports an unlimited number of products
- The payment fee is based on which payment processor you decide to add
- Along with an extensive system (it looks like WordPress plugins) gives you additional functionality to your store. Extensions come in both free and premium categories
- The developers behind WooCommerce provide support through a help desk for their users, as well as extensive documentation for the software
- Numerous themes and designs to choose from, both free and paid
- SSL support included (as long as you already have your own certificate)
- Can be integrated with Google Analytics using a plugin
Price Comparison
Shopify Pricing Plans
Shopify offers three pricing plans, cost $29, $79 and $299 per month, respectively. The main difference between these plans is that they may charge more when accepting types of payment cards. Details about each plan are involved in the photo above.
WordPress Pricing Plans
Instead of a monthly subscription like Shopify, WordPress often sells add-ons as one-time license. For those who meet the requirements of website building skills, WordPress costs more reasonable. The WooCommerce software is free, but you need to purchase your web host and a domain name.
Shopify or WooCommerce?
Shopify is perfect for users who don't want to deal with the complicated setup process and need a high level of support. It ensures a smooth ride with monthly subscription costs. WooCommerce, on the other hand, is more flexible about price. However, its setup process is a bit more complicated and requires knowledge of programming. It is the right way for those who love open source software and want to customize every aspect of the site and individualize experience.
When the number of orders you receive at one time is considerable, Shopify is the better choice because WooCommerce’s operating costs are more when it comes to data infrastructure. If you don't have any web building skills, or you want to integrate your online store with your offline on-location store, Shopify is also more advisable. Meanwhile, WooCommerce can be the right one when you already own a WordPress site and you’re comfortable experimenting with source code.
In a nutshell, we can say Shopify is like buying a shirt from a store, and WooCommerce is like buying fabric, buttons, yarn,... and tailoring the shirt yourself.
Running an online store is a big undertaking, and choosing the wrong one can cripple your business right from the start. Both Shopify and WooCommerce are great platforms in their own right - each has its own beauty. As long you go with whoever fits what you need most, you will make the right decision.