When you want to build an eCommerce website, at some point, you might wonder – “Shopify or WordPress, which one is better?”
While both platforms allow you to build successful online stores, they are also very different. And as you can see, interest in Shopify has been growing steadily in recent years, while interest in WooCommerce has remained pretty level.
While Shopify may seemingly be more popularthe usage statistics paint a different story. As per BuiltWith, WooCommerce’s share of the top 1 million eCommerce sites is 29%, vs Shopify’s 19% – makint it the most widely used store builder in the marlet.
Which concludes – you just cannot really decide the ebst one based on numbers alone. Features, payment options, integrations, flexibility, features, and ease of use are much more important factors to consider.
That’s why we have put together this post to help you choose between the two ecommerce solutions!
However, looking at Google Trends for the past 5 years, we can see that both – Shopify and WooCommerce have had pretty steady growth, although Shopify seems to slowly have surpassed WooCommerce.
Let’s dive into Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison.
In case of Shopify Lite and WooCommerce, here’s a brief overview against each other in categories including pricing, ease of use, sales features, customer support, and more.
What’s unique about each e-commerce platform?
If you already use WordPress and are familiar with plugins, then great, this could be a pretty attractive option already. But if you are still looking for the best way to start your online store, let’s compare Shopify and WooCommerce, and find “Is Shopify or WooCommerce better?”
The Main Difference Between Shopify and WordPress
In terms of how easy it is to go from nothing to a fully-funtioning store that is ready to process payments and accept orders, SHOPIFY is the definite winner.
In a sentence, the main difference between Shopify and WordPress is that Shopify is an online tool or service, whereas WordPress is a stand-alone software that you need to install yourself.
To use WordPress as your eCommerce platform, on the other hand, needs a lot more steps –
1. First, you need to buy a domain and a web hosting account where you can have the default version of WordPress installed.
2. Second, you need to pick a theme for your website, plus a handful of plugins to take care of SEO, social media integration, etc.
3. Third, you need a plugin like WooCommerce to provide you with all the eCommerce features that are not built into WordPress.
4. Lastly, go through the configuration of your eCommerce store including the payment gateway integrations, store details, products, etc.
What Payment Methods Does Each Platform Offer?
WooCommerce
Because of WooCommer’s open nature and large community plugin, you can find a tton of WooCommerce payment gateways like
1. Stripe
2. Square
3. PayPal
4. Authorize.Net
You can also access tons of niche payment gateways like:
1. Przelewy24 (a Polish gateway)
2. Postgiro (a Swedish gateway)
3. Etc.
Shopify
Shopify has its own payment gaeway that requires zero configuration. But if you are willing to use a third-party configuration, Shopify so supports biggieslike:
1. Stripe
2. PayPal
3. Authorize.Net
Shopify also boasts its own list of local payment gateways.
Shopify vs WooCommerce Reddit – Which Is Better?
Shopify pricing is very clear. WooCommerce’s is not.
WooCommere is a free open source software plugin. Yes, the plugin is free, but you have to consider the additional things like a domain, the cost of a theme, hosting, any additional expenses, and an SSL certificate.
Shopify is all about delivering a single, out-of-the-box solution with a few pricing packages. You only need to sign up as everything else you need is included from the get-go.
Below is a table that will make the costs involved with each platform easier to understand:
Upon summing things up, the above translates into –
1.Shopify eCommerce setup: $29 / month
2.WooCommerce store on the same setup: $29 / month
What it all comes down to is that WooCommerce will require much more work to set it up, and you need to be careful not to go over your budget, as every additional extension comes with a price tag.
Shopify boasts a much more conventional pricing structure. Is has a sliding scale of packages which offer users a range of different features up front –
1. Lite – $9 per month
2. Basic Shopify – $29 per month
3. Shopify – $79 per month
4. Advanced Shopify – $299 per month
In this Shopify vs WooCommerce Reddit you may now have a brief idea over which platform is best for you.
So What Do You Think?
In the end, each ecommerce platform has its own advantage for specific situations. If you value ownership and flexibility, WooCommerce is probably your safe bet. However, if you value simplicity, Shopify is probably the one for you.
OdiTek Solutions is a leading India based Ecommerce website design company having highly qualified and experienced team. We are known for world-class Ecommerce website development, stunning quality mobile Apps and websites that deliver the results everyone want. From E-Commerce and custom Web Applications to SEO, we specialize in all aspects of Web Design and Development.
Drop an email today to info@oditeksolutions.com if you need more information about eCommerce product development.
