Short answer: choose Shopify if you want to spend your time selling instead of maintaining a website. Choose WooCommerce if you already run WordPress, have someone technical to look after it, and need full control over the code and hosting.
I build on Shopify, so I have a side. But I also move stores from WooCommerce to Shopify regularly, and I see the same reasons each time. Here is the comparison as fairly as I can make it.
The basic difference
Shopify is a hosted platform. You pay a monthly fee and Shopify runs the hosting, security, updates and checkout.
WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress. The software costs nothing, but you arrange and pay for hosting, security, backups and updates yourself.
Side by side
| Shopify | WooCommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Fixed plan fee | Hosting plus any paid plugins |
| Setup | Fast, no server work | Needs hosting and WordPress setup |
| Maintenance | Handled by Shopify | Your responsibility |
| Security and updates | Included | You manage plugins and patches |
| Checkout | Built in and well tested | Flexible, depends on your setup |
| Code control | Theme and apps, not the core | Full access to everything |
| Content and blogging | Good enough for most stores | Excellent, it is WordPress |
Where Shopify wins
- It stays up. You do not get a broken checkout because a plugin updated overnight.
- Less to learn. Products, orders, discounts and shipping are in one admin.
- Selling in other countries. Multiple currencies and languages are built in.
- Predictable cost. You know the monthly bill in advance.
Where WooCommerce wins
- Total control. You can change anything, including the checkout logic.
- Content-heavy sites. If your site is mostly articles with a small shop attached, WordPress is the stronger tool.
- No platform fee. With cheap hosting and free plugins, the running cost can be low, as long as someone maintains it.
The cost question
WooCommerce looks cheaper because the plugin is free. In practice you pay for hosting, a theme, several paid plugins and, sooner or later, a developer to fix a conflict. Shopify costs more on paper each month and less in surprises. Our Shopify cost breakdown shows the full numbers.
My recommendation
For a small brand whose owner is also the marketer, the customer service team and the packer, Shopify is the safer choice. The hours you do not spend on updates go into selling.
If you are already on WooCommerce and tired of maintaining it, we can migrate your store to Shopify with your products, customers and search rankings kept intact.