ShopifyShopify vs WooCommerce
Shopify rates 4.6/5 and starts at $39/mo. WooCommerce rates 4.4/5 and starts at Free. WooCommerce is the cheaper entry point. Shopify is the higher rated. Only WooCommerce has a free tier.
Shopify wins for ease, reliability, and speed to launch as a fully hosted platform; WooCommerce wins for control, ownership, and flexibility on WordPress. Choose Shopify to focus on selling, WooCommerce to own your stack.
Shopify vs WooCommerce at a glance
| Measure | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Reviews | 21,400 | 11,800 |
| Starting price | $39/mo | Free |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations listed here | 5 | 5 |
Feature & pricing comparison
| Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| Starting price | $39/mo | Free |
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium |
| API available | ||
| Best for | DTC brands & growing stores | WordPress users & developers |
| Hosted storefront | ||
| Shopify Payments | ||
| Huge app store | ||
| POS & omnichannel | ||
| Checkout optimization | ||
| Open-source plugin | ||
| Full ownership | ||
| Thousands of extensions | ||
| Custom development | ||
| REST API | ||
| Visit | Visit |
Pricing side by side
Shopify
Full pricing →| Plan | Price | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39/mo | $468 |
| Shopify | $105/mo | $1,260 |
| Advanced | $399/mo | $4,788 |
WooCommerce
Full pricing →| Plan | Price | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Core Plugin | Free | — |
| Extensions | Custom | — |
Which should you choose?
Choose Shopify if…
- Easy to launch matters to you.
- Massive app ecosystem matters to you.
- Reliable & scalable matters to you.
- You manage hosting/security would be a problem.
Choose WooCommerce if…
- Free & open source matters to you.
- Total control matters to you.
- Huge extension library matters to you.
- Transaction fees off Shopify Payments would be a problem.
Shopify
Pros
- Easy to launch
- Massive app ecosystem
- Reliable & scalable
Cons
- Transaction fees off Shopify Payments
- Apps add up in cost
WooCommerce
Pros
- Free & open source
- Total control
- Huge extension library
Cons
- You manage hosting/security
- Costs add up via extensions
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify better than WooCommerce?+
Shopify wins for ease, reliability, and speed to launch as a fully hosted platform; WooCommerce wins for control, ownership, and flexibility on WordPress. Choose Shopify to focus on selling, WooCommerce to own your stack.
Which is cheaper, Shopify or WooCommerce?+
WooCommerce — it starts at Free, versus $39/mo for Shopify.
Do Shopify or WooCommerce have a free plan?+
WooCommerce has a free tier; Shopify does not (though trials may be available).
Which is better rated, Shopify or WooCommerce?+
Shopify, at 4.6/5 across 21,400 reviews, versus 4.4/5 for WooCommerce.
What is Shopify best for, and what is WooCommerce best for?+
Shopify is aimed at DTC brands & growing stores (DTC stores, scaling brands). WooCommerce is aimed at WordPress users & developers (wordpress stores, custom builds).