Shopify vs WooCommerce

Shopify is a hosted store platform; WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns WordPress into a store.

At a glance

Feature	Shopify Free trial	WooCommerce Free
Best for	Businesses of all sizes selling online.	WordPress site owners who want full control over their store.
Pricing	Paid plans with a free trial.	Free to use.
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	WordPress plugin
Covers	E-commerce platforms	E-commerce platforms
Key features	Online store builder Checkout and payments Inventory Apps and themes Point of sale	Products and checkout Payments integrations Extensions Themes Full code access
Strengths	Easy and reliable Huge app ecosystem Scales from small to enterprise	Free and open source Total flexibility Huge ecosystem
Weaknesses	Transaction fees without Shopify Payments Apps add monthly costs	You manage hosting and updates Extensions can add up

Choose Shopify if…

You want a store that just works, with hosting, security and updates handled for you.

Choose WooCommerce if…

You already use WordPress and want full control and no platform fee.

Shopify is the easier, more reliable choice for most merchants. WooCommerce suits WordPress users who are comfortable managing their own site.

Features and pricing change often. Check both vendors' websites for current plans before you buy.