With international ecommerce gross sales reaching $4.28 trillion, there’s by no means been a greater time to release a web-based retailer. On the other hand, opting for the best ecommerce platform between WooCommerce vs Shopify isn’t at all times easy.
That’s why we’ve created this WooCommerce vs Shopify information to match those two in style ecommerce platforms. On the other hand, there are some vital variations between them.
On this submit, we’ll assist making a decision whether or not WooCommerce or Shopify is your very best ecommerce spouse. We’ll speak about how simple those platforms are to make use of, their options, and that all-important pricing.
Let’s get began!
How Does Shopify Way Ecommerce?
Based in 2006, Shopify is a complete ecommerce solution created by way of Tobias Lütke and Scott Lake. The founders advanced the platform after development a web-based retailer for skiing apparatus. They have been disappointed with the present ecommerce platforms, so that they determined to create their very own.
Out-of-the-box, Shopify has the whole thing you wish to have to release a web-based retailer and get started accepting bills:
Because it’s a hosted resolution, you don’t have to fret concerning the technical facet of working your on-line retailer. You additionally don’t have to buy a separate hosting package.
As a platform, Shopify emphasizes ease of use. It additionally supplies the whole thing you wish to have to release a web-based retailer, probably inside of mins.
Those components make Shopify a very good possibility for any individual who needs to create an ecommerce retailer speedy. If you happen to don’t want keep an eye on over each and every side of your store, Shopify will also be a good selection.
How Does WooCommerce Way Ecommerce?
In contrast, WooCommerce is an open source plugin that you simply upload to the WordPress Content Management System (CMS). WordPress theme developer WooTheme to start with created it, after which it was once received by way of Automattic in 2015:
If you happen to’re probably the most millions of WordPress users, you’ll be able to set up and turn on WooCommerce identical to every other WordPress plugin. If you happen to don’t have a web page, you’ll first wish to undertake WordPress as your CMS and create a web site prior to you’ll be able to even assume about putting in the plugin.
In contrast to Shopify, you’ll wish to acquire your ecommerce website hosting. Whilst it’s good to run WooCommerce on an in-house server, many retailer house owners acquire separate internet website hosting programs.
Your collection of internet website hosting is necessary. The right provider can lighten your workload by way of caring for many technical duties.
As an example, at Kinsta, we ensure that your WooCommerce retailer is at all times solely sponsored up and optimized for efficiency. Those options assist you to concentrate on what issues – using extra gross sales:
WooCommerce is also extra advanced to arrange and run, but it surely additionally provides you with higher keep an eye on over each and every side of your retailer. That makes the platform a excellent are compatible for extra technical customers with particular targets in thoughts.
What Are the Professionals and Cons of Every Platform?
They is also two of the best-known ecommerce platforms on the earth. On the other hand, as we up to now touched upon, there’s one huge distinction between WooCommerce and Shopify:
- Self-hosted: If you happen to go for WooCommerce as your ecommerce resolution, you’ll wish to host it your self and use WordPress as your CMS.
- Hosted: Shopify hosts and manages the tool for you, so that you don’t wish to acquire a separate website hosting package deal.
Right here, Shopify turns out to have the benefit. On the other hand, there’s a trade-off. As a hosted platform, you’ll be able to best make adjustments that Shopify allows. You merely gained’t come upon those limits with WooCommerce.
With this in thoughts, the primary benefit that WooCommerce has over Shopify is its flexibility. This aspect turns into specifically major if you wish to ship a singular buyer enjoy.
As an example, you may need to design a bespoke checkout process or enforce a multi-tier pricing construction.
On the other hand, this pliability additionally comes at a value. WooCommerce is tougher to configure, with a lengthier setup procedure.
Think you’re making plans to promote easy merchandise with minimum permutations or a small selection of pieces. If so, you won’t want this degree of flexibleness. Shopify’s ease of use and integrated website hosting make it a extra sexy possibility on this state of affairs.
Shopify could also be a good selection if you wish to release a shop speedy. So long as you aren’t making plans to promote difficult merchandise or design a customized buying groceries enjoy, Shopify will have to meet your core wishes.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: What Is Every Platform’s Marketplace Percentage?
Shopify and WooCommerce are two of the largest ecommerce platforms on the earth. Whilst it’s unwise to select an answer primarily based only on its reputation, it’s attractive to match what number of people use every platform.
After we have a look at the highest 1,000,000 ecommerce websites, 21 percent of these sites use Shopify. By contrast, 27 p.c of those height internet sites consider WooCommerce to energy their on-line retailer.
WooCommerce is also reasonably extra in style on upper authority websites. On the other hand, there’s nonetheless numerous room within the enterprise space for either one of those platforms to develop:
After we glance past the undertaking marketplace, WooCommerce is significantly extra in style. It’s used on over five million live websites, whilst Shopify powers over three million live sites.
Having a look at Google Trends for the previous 5 years, we will see that Shopify has persistently attracted extra seek hobby than WooCommerce. Apparently, Shopify skilled a surge in seek hobby all over 2020:
Whilst Shopify is a standalone resolution, it’s unattainable to forget about that WooCommerce is tied to the world’s most popular CMS. If truth be told, more than 40 percent of all sites use WordPress, and 7 percent of all ecommerce sites use WooCommerce.
Those statistics play an enormous position in WooCommerce’s reputation. If you happen to’re probably the most tens of millions of people that have already got a WordPress web site, WooCommerce in an instant turns into a a lot more sexy possibility.
How Simple Is It to Release a Retailer on Every Platform?
If we focal point on how simple it’s to create a fully-functioning retailer able to simply accept orders, Shopify is the transparent winner. With WooCommerce, you’ll wish to construct a WordPress web site if you happen to don’t have already got one. You’ll even have to offer internet website hosting and a site title.
If you happen to don’t have those parts in position, your WooCommerce setup time can temporarily develop. You may additionally incur further prices, together with buying a website hosting package deal and a domain name.
The excellent news is that WooCommerce has a at hand setup wizard that guides you via a lot of the preliminary setup. This procedure comprises including a cost gateway, opting for your forex, and deciding on your transport strategies.
There also are quite a few blogs, tutorials, and educational movies that display you the right way to set up your WooCommerce store. On the other hand, it’s unattainable to disclaim the lifestyles of a steep finding out curve, particularly if that is your first WordPress web site.
As a hosted ecommerce platform, Shopify handles a lot of the technical heavy lifting required to release a web-based retailer. That incorporates offering a site title, website hosting, and a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates.
Necessarily, you’ll be able to create a Shopify account, select your theme, after which both acquire a site or sync an current area title. Assuming that you simply’re the usage of the corporate’s personal Shopify Payments gateway, you’ll be able to get started accepting bank card bills from day one.
How A lot Regulate Do You Have Over Your Web page’s Capability?
At a prime degree, self-hosted answers are normally extra versatile and customizable than hosted choices. Shopify is also probably the most extra versatile hosted answers, however that is a space the place it struggles to compete with WooCommerce.
Out-of-the-box, WooCommerce supplies the whole thing you wish to have to construct a functioning ecommerce retailer. On the other hand, the platform’s actual energy lies in its extensibility. You’ll customise and extend the core WooCommerce platform the usage of further tool.
As an example, with customers leaving behind round 70 percent of shopping baskets, deserted cart restoration is necessary for on-line shops. WooCommerce doesn’t be offering this option out-of-the-box, however you’ll be able to upload this capability the usage of plugins.
You’ll in finding thousands of these WooCommerce plugins within the legit WordPress listing:
There’s even a devoted WooCommerce Extensions Store. Right here, you’ll in finding hundreds of official add-ons:
WooCommerce additionally integrates with a number of in style third-party answers. Those come with one of the most maximum popular Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools.
You’ll even upload customized code to a WooCommerce retailer if you happen to’re a developer. All of those options make WooCommerce a shockingly versatile and customizable platform.
If you wish to lengthen your Shopify retailer, there’s a collection of Shopify apps. On the other hand, in the end you’re limited to the add-ons and tool that Shopify allows. This restriction isn’t the case with WooCommerce:
One house the place Shopify does have the brink over WooCommerce is its built-in multi-channel integration. This option lets you advertise and promote your merchandise throughout Fb, Instagram, eBay, Walmart, TikTok, and extra. If you wish to promote throughout more than one channels with WooCommerce, you’ll wish to set up further plugins.
How A lot Regulate Do You Have Over Your Retailer’s Design?
Each WooCommerce and Shopify have fashionable issues that may make a super first affect to your shoppers. You’ll immediately give your WooCommerce retailer a brand new feel and look by way of opting for from over 1,000 WooCommerce themes:
You’ll additionally in finding top rate WooCommerce issues in third-party marketplaces. As an example, there are every other 1,200 WooCommerce themes over at ThemeForest.
If you wish to give your Shopify retailer a makeover, you’ll have get admission to to a smaller selection of themes. As a devoted ecommerce platform, all of those issues are well-designed and optimized for using gross sales.
Whilst the WordPress neighborhood has created graceful and polished WooCommerce issues, there’s much less high quality keep an eye on. If you happen to go for a Shopify theme, you’re assured a prime degree of high quality. General, whilst WooCommerce provides you with extra selection, Shopify’s choices are extra curated.
On the other hand, you will have to be expecting to pay a top rate for the finest Shopify issues. It’s now not abnormal for those issues to run into hundreds of dollars:
Some Shopify issues mean you can add HTML or Liquid code snippets. This code is then rendered within the template, phase, or block that incorporates the environment.
On the other hand, this option is proscribed and would possibly range relying to your selected Shopify theme. Since WooCommerce is an open supply platform, you’ve gotten limitless scope to customise your theme.
Which Cost Strategies Does Every Platform Be offering?
In relation to accepting bills, the extra strategies you’ll be able to give a boost to, the easier. Some payment gateways are extra in style in particular geographical places.
As an example, in 2020, virtual or cellular wallets accounted for 60 percent of ecommerce transactions within the Asia Pacific Area. On the other hand, this cost means amounted to simply 20 p.c in Latin The united states.
By way of supporting as many various cost strategies as imaginable, you’ll be able to maximize your attraction. Thankfully, WooCommerce and Shopify each give a boost to more than one cost gateways. Until your shoppers use an excessively area of interest cost means, you shouldn’t have a subject matter irrespective of which platform you select.
WooCommerce helps all of the main gateways, together with Stripe, PayPal, Sq., and Authorize.Web. It additionally helps quite a few regional gateways. Those come with the PencePay processor, which specializes in rising markets.
Simply remember that a few of these gateways require you to buy an extra WooCommerce extension:
Shopify has its personal cost gateway that calls for 0 configuration. If you happen to use Shopify Payments, you gained’t be charged transaction charges.
Shopify additionally helps a variety of external payment gateways. On the other hand, there’s a vital drawback: the platform fees further charges for the usage of those gateways.
This price is two p.c, 1 p.c, or 0.5 p.c for the Fundamental Shopify, Shopify, and Complex Shopify plans, respectively. Because of this, if you happen to go for Shopify, it’s possible you’ll need to believe the usage of its cost gateway.
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WooCommerce additionally has its personal payment gateway that incurs further prices. On the other hand, it doesn’t fee a price for the usage of exterior gateways. It signifies that you’ll best be charged transaction charges by way of your financial institution or your selected gateway.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: How A lot Does Every Platform Value?
Shopify’s core pricing is clear, so it’s simple to judge how a lot the platform will price you prematurely. You’ll choose from a Fundamental Shopify ($29), Shopify ($79), or Complex Shopify ($299) plan:
Relying to your subscription, you’ll additionally pay as much as 2.9 p.c plus 30¢ for every transaction. You’ll cut back those charges to two.4 p.c plus 30¢ by way of buying the Complex Shopify plan.
Your on-line retailer’s price will building up if you happen to use any top rate issues or programs. Shopify may also fee extra if you happen to use an exterior cost gateway. On the other hand, you’ll be able to cut back those charges by way of buying the Shopify Complex plan.
WooCommerce is reasonably extra difficult. You’ll obtain the WordPress core tool and WooCommerce plugin at no cost. If you wish to decrease your working prices, then you definately’ll in finding quite a few unfastened WooCommerce issues and plugins within the WordPress repository.
There’s additionally a small selection of free themes over on the legit WooCommerce web site:
On the other hand, it’s possible you’ll wish to pay for premium WooCommerce themes and a few official WooCommerce extensions. If you happen to don’t have already got a WordPress web page, you’ll additionally wish to acquire website hosting and a site title.
Those variables make it tough to calculate the full price of a WooCommerce retailer, specifically when in comparison to a suite Shopify subscription. On the other hand, the sheer number of unfastened and top rate add-ons way there’s scope to make WooCommerce as reasonably priced or as pricey as you wish to have.
How Simple Is It to Migrate Between WooCommerce and Shopify?
Migrating to a brand new ecommerce platform isn’t splendid. You will be fascinated about shedding knowledge, lacking orders, or negatively impacting the client enjoy. Thankfully, some equipment will let you migrate between WooCommerce and Shopify.
Cart2Cart is a popular migration plugin that lets you switch knowledge from an current Shopify retailer. This plugin can decrease the affect to your shoppers by way of storing your knowledge at the Cart2Cart servers right through the migration procedure:
While you’ve installed the WooCommerce plugin, you merely wish to give you the credentials of your Shopify retailer and your new WooCommerce retailer. Then, specify the knowledge you wish to have to switch and carry out an not obligatory demo migration prior to committing to the total switch.
On the other hand, you might have considered trying to try LitExtension. This automated tool can switch a variety of knowledge from Shopify to WooCommerce:
As well as, you’ll be able to use LitExtension emigrate your order IDs, brief and whole product descriptions, and product Inventory Preserving Gadgets (SKUs). Doing this will ensure that a continuing transition and cut back the volume of configuration you’ll wish to carry out after migrating your knowledge to its new house.
If you happen to’re shifting from WooCommerce to Shopify, you may additionally need to check out the official importer app. It might export your buyer, product, and order knowledge from WooCommerce, and import it into a brand new Shopify retailer.
For more info, learn our whole information for migrating from Shopify to WooCommerce.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: What Improve Is To be had?
Shopify is designed to be simple to make use of, however you should still want some assist once in a while. Thankfully, the platform has a dedicated help center that’s filled with articles, tutorials, and step by step guides:
If you happen to’re partial to video tutorials, Shopify additionally runs a YouTube channel and hosts regular webinars.
If you happen to want a extra structured manner for your give a boost to, you’ll be within the Shopify Learn portal. Right here, you’ll in finding unfastened on-demand classes from over 90 Shopify professionals:
Whilst self-help assets may also be beneficial, on occasion, it’s possible you’ll require one-on-one give a boost to. You’ll connect to different Shopify customers and submit your questions within the official Shopify forum:
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On the other hand, the Shopify support team is to be had 24 hours an afternoon, seven days every week, by way of e-mail, reside chat, and make contact with. If you happen to’re now not already a Shopify buyer however need additional information, you’ll be able to nonetheless touch this staff.
In a similar fashion, WooCommerce has an excellent vary of self-help assets. Its official documentation is filled with detailed guides protecting each and every side of working a a success WooCommerce retailer:
There could also be a spread of themed guides. For freshmen, the New WooCommerce Store Owner Guide may also be at hand:
You’ll additionally in finding quite a few informative articles over on the WooCommerce blog. It comprises technical posts, plus normal recommendation on development an ecommerce empire:
Whilst you run a web-based retailer, any downtime, deficient efficiency, or mistakes could have a devastating affect to your final analysis. With this in thoughts, it’s possible you’ll need to go for a website hosting supplier that provides 24/7 support. If you happen to come upon any issues together with your WooCommerce web page, you’ll have assured get admission to to knowledgeable staff that may assist get your retailer again heading in the right direction.
How Does Every Platform Care for Delivery and Dropshipping?
If you happen to promote bodily merchandise, a continuing transport enjoy is essential. Each Shopify and WooCommerce provide help to send the world over. On the other hand, Shopify has the brink because of its built-in partnerships with Canada Put up, FedEx, UPS, DHL, and USPS.
You’ll additionally use each platforms for dropshipping, a retail style the place you don’t stay any merchandise in inventory. As an alternative, you buy pieces from distributors after which ship them for your shoppers without delay.
Your web site will glance identical to any on-line retailer when development a dropshipping industry. On the other hand, each ecommerce platforms have some added extras that may assist energy your dropshipping industry.
If you happen to go for Shopify, there are devoted programs for the preferred marketplaces, together with Aliexpress Dropshipping:
In a similar fashion, the WooCommerce neighborhood has created a variety of plugins that provide help to import merchandise without delay from third-party marketplaces. They come with the AliDropship plugin, which integrates with AliExpress. It might additionally automate order achievement with the clicking of a button:
If you wish to get started your dropshipping undertaking, WooCommerce and Shopify are excellent choices. Simply remember that many of those product marketplaces have their very own club charges, transport prices, and different bills. Those charges can consume into your already skinny dropshipping income.
Which Platform Is the Maximum Seek Engine Pleasant?
Seek Engine Optimization (search engine marketing) can significantly affect your final analysis as a web-based retailer. If truth be told, over 40 percent of revenue for many ecommerce shops comes from natural site visitors. Additionally, 39 percent of digital purchases are influenced by way of related searches.
Out-of-the-box, WooCommerce’s code is optimized for search engine marketing. You’ll additionally upload meta descriptions and titles for your product pages and customise your URLs. Those measures can maximize the probabilities of your retailer pages’ possibilities to seem in related seek engine effects.
Moreover, you’ll be able to building up WooCommerce’s search engine marketing attraction by way of putting in further plugins. Those come with tough tool that’s designed in particular to fortify your search engine marketing, comparable to Yoast SEO and The SEO Framework:
Those plugins come up with extra keep an eye on over your on-page search engine marketing. They are able to additionally overview your search engine marketing and supply actionable tips about optimizing every product web page for the various search engines.
Shopify additionally makes it simple so as to add fundamental search engine marketing knowledge for your retailer. This procedure comprises developing descriptions and titles to your product pages.
Even though WooCommerce boasts a wider variety of plugins, there are some useful search engine marketing plugins within the Shopify App retailer, comparable to SEO Booster:
This plugin can scan your retailer and generate detailed search engine marketing reviews. You’ll then enforce the plugin’s suggestions and optimistically spice up your seek engine ratings.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: How Safe Is Every Platform?
As a a success on-line retailer, you’ll have get admission to to buyer knowledge, together with credit score and debit card main points. That may make you a fantastic goal for hackers.
Because it’s a hosted platform, Shopify is basically accountable for protective your retailer in opposition to hackers. If truth be told, the platform comes with some crucial security measures integrated, together with an SSL certificate.
To assist other folks stay protected on-line, most present browsers point out {that a} web site is secured with SSL by way of exhibiting a padlock icon:
This certificates reassures Web customers that the present web site is devoted. On this manner, Shopify’s integrated SSL would possibly allow you to safe some additional sales.
In contrast, the WooCommerce plugin doesn’t function integrated safety. You’ll wish to take steps to stay your retailer protected from hackers. As soon as once more, this implies putting in some further plugins.
There are many world-class plugins for you to choose between, however the Sucuri security suite is a well-liked possibility:
Whilst you turn on this plugin, it creates a ‘recognized excellent’ classification for all of the directories, plugins, issues, and core information that make up your on-line retailer. If any content material is compromised, Sucuri will notify you concerning the danger.
Sourcing and configuring those plugins could be a vital quantity of labor. You could possibly decrease the time and price related to making a safe WooCommerce retailer by way of partnering with a website hosting supplier that takes security seriously:
At Kinsta, we offer a unfastened Cloudflare SSL to all our shoppers, so that you don’t wish to fear about sourcing and configuring your certificates. We additionally give a boost to two-factor authentication, IP geolocation blocking off, and routinely ban suspicious IPs.
How Simple Is It to Organize Your Stock?
WooCommerce is a versatile and customizable resolution, providing you with whole keep an eye on over your stock. You’ll add new merchandise and edit current ones the usage of the acquainted WordPress editor:
Very similar to WooCommerce, Shopify lets you monitor your merchandise temporarily, get admission to inventory signals, generate reviews, and carry out different crucial stock control duties. Each platforms permit you to bulk add all your product catalog by way of CSV information. Those options can prevent a vital period of time.
On the other hand, one house the place those answers vary dramatically is product permutations. Those are attributes that you’ll be able to follow to a selected product.
As an example, if you happen to promote a t-shirt, you may be offering this merchandise in several colours or sizes. Every of those attributes is a product variation.
With WooCommerce, there’s no onerous restrict at the selection of product permutations that you’ll be able to use. In contrast, Shopify has a hard cap of 100 variants and 3 overall choices in keeping with product. If you wish to building up this restrict, you’ll wish to use a third-party Shopify app.
Learn whether WooCommerce or Shopify is your perfect ecommerce partner with help from this guide 
Abstract
Due to the upward thrust in user-friendly ecommerce platforms, it’s by no means been more uncomplicated to create a web-based retailer. On the other hand, on occasion, an excessive amount of selection could be a dangerous factor.
If you happen to’re torn between WooCommerce and Shopify, then let’s temporarily recap those two platforms:
- Shopify: If you wish to release a web-based retailer temporarily, Shopify combines tough ecommerce options with a clean setup procedure. It calls for nearly no specialist technical wisdom, however that comes at a value — you don’t personal the platform and must pay a fee on each and every sale.
- WooCommerce: This plugin can turn into an current WordPress web site into a formidable ecommerce platform. With an unlimited neighborhood of plugins, extensions, and issues, WooCommerce guarantees to come up with whole keep an eye on over your ecommerce retailer. On the other hand, you wish to have to choose a credible web host to make it paintings easily.
Do you’ve gotten any questions on WooCommerce vs Shopify? Tell us within the feedback phase beneath!
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