Having trouble deciding between WooCommerce and Shopify? If you’re thinking about starting an eCommerce store, you’ve almost certainly heard of these two eCommerce platforms, which are the world’s two most popular eCommerce platforms.
Both systems have benefits and drawbacks, making it difficult to choose, especially for something as important as an eCommerce company. To assist you in selecting the best solution for your store, we’ll spend this piece delving into each platform and comparing and contrasting the two so you can make an informed conclusion.
Woocommerce or Shopify:
WooCommerce claims to be the most popular eCommerce platform on the internet, and Shopify claims to power over 800,000 online stores. But which option is ideal for you?
Shopify is a robust, dependable, and simple-to-use platform with beautiful templates and excellent customer service. You’re paying a monthly fee for a reliable platform with Shopify, which goes on to win today’s match.
WooCommerce is an ecommerce plugin for WordPress that transforms any website into a dynamic online store. It’s an open-source platform, so it’s free to set up, which makes it excellent for budget-conscious users. You will, however, be responsible for costs such as hosting and security.
If you know how to code, you can use WooCommerce to develop a genuinely unique, massive online store (or can hire Woocommerce Web Development Company). We’ll talk about WooCommerce powered by Bluehost.
What practical difference is in both platforms?
WooCommerce is more flexible, but it isn’t as user-friendly as Shopify. Shopify, on the other hand, is highly beginner-friendly, although it does have some hard constraints that you won’t find with WooCommerce. This concept should come up again and again when we go over some more particular comparisons.
We have tried to differentiate each with the following terms
1. Shopify: Pros and Cons
| Pros | Con |
| Shopify includes hosting and security, and you don’t need to know any coding to create a fantastic online business. Fees for transactions | Unless you use its own gateway, Shopify Payments. Shopify is the only platform that charges its own transaction fee. |
| Have your issues fixed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to keep your consumers and sales figures satisfied. | Costly apps – it’s easy to rack up an expensive yearly bill for your appsIt’s easy to run up a large annual payment for your apps. |
| Multichannel integration – As a built-in function, you can sell on Amazon, Facebook, eBay, and Pinterest. |
WooCommerce Pros and Cons
| Pros | Con |
| Unlimited Customization – You can use code to customize your store to your heart’s content because it’s an open-source platform. | Not beginner-friendly – Unlike Shopify, you’ll struggle to create the web store you desire unless you have any coding skills. |
| Scalable – WooCommerce’s incredible versatility allows you to realize your ecommerce goals. | |
| Highly Value for money – It’s easy to set up, and the extensions are often inexpensive, allowing you to expand your store’s functionality at a little cost. |
2. User-Friendliness
There’s no denying that WooCommerce has a higher learning curve than Shopify, and based on our experience, Shopify is far easier to grasp for a “normal” user.
Shopify is an eCommerce platform that is hosted. As a result, it handles a lot of the technical aspects of running a business. Shopify has you covered for everything from your domain name and hosting (where your site stays online) to any security (SSL) certificates.
You also don’t have to install, administer, or update any software with Shopify. There’s also no need to be concerned about security or backups.
In comparison, with WooCommerce, you’ll need to do a little more effort, such as finding your own web hosting and security – but it’s quite simple.
Bluehost is a good choice for hosting your WooCommerce store. WooCommerce auto-install, as well as a free domain name and SSL certificate, are included in Bluehost’s dedicated WooCommerce plans. Isn’t that amazing?
The Conviction: Shopify vs. WooCommerce – Ease of Use
The winner is Shopify. WooCommerce is a much more complicated platform that will require some prior knowledge or the willingness to invest some time learning how to use.Shopify, on the other hand, is for everyone, and you don’t need to know how to code to get the most out of it.
3. Build Time
Shopify will allow you to launch your store faster than WooCommerce.
Shopify is the ideal option if you’re starting from scratch or have low technical expertise. It’s much faster and easier to get your store up and running. As you build up your store, you have your hand held, and you may customize the look and feel by selecting and customizing themes.
The procedure is not manual, unlike setting up a store with WordPress, and Shopify keeps everything you need in one piece.
WooCommerce’s setup wizard covers the essentials, but it doesn’t address more complex issues. It requires a greater level of technical knowledge from users and, at times, leaves you on your own.
If you’re just getting started selling online and want to get a head start, we recommend Shopify. It’s a platform that combines robust ecommerce functionality with a simple set-up procedure.
The Conviction on Shopify vs. WooCommerce – Time to Build
Shopify has won yet again. It has built-in features, themes that only need to be filled with your content, and it’s simple to use. Overall, if you’re starting from scratch, Shopify’s setup time is significantly less than WooCommerce’s.
4. Themes & Designs
The beautiful themes offered by WooCommerce and Shopify give your store a professional appearance. In the world of websites, appearances do matter!
You can choose from over 70 free and premium themes in Shopify’s theme store. However, when differences are taken into account, the true figure is well above 100. Because Shopify is a specialist ecommerce platform, its themes are highly polished and tailored to help you sell.
The premium themes begin at $140. While this may appear to be a large sum, it is a one-time payment that you should consider an investment in your business.
Storefront, WooCommerce’s default theme, is fully responsive on mobile devices. It also has a sleek and modern design.
While WooCommerce’s collection is impressive, Shopify’s is better curated. The Shopify designers have spent time choosing the themes that will work best for your store.
The Conviction on WooCommerce vs Shopify – Design and Themes
Shopify comes out on top in this round by a hair. Its layouts are more slick and polished than WooCommerce’s, and you can utilize code to further personalize your Shopify themes if you want to. Although WooCommerce allows for a great deal of customization, its themes aren’t quite up to standard.
5. Sales Features
Both systems provide all of the functionality you’ll need to create a successful online store. Whether you want to sell things online or start a small business, neither will let you down.
Recovery of Abandoned Carts
Abandoned cart recovery is a feature Shopify includes as standard that WooCommerce does not. This is vital to consider when deciding between WooCommerce and Shopify because it allows clients to finish an abandoned order without having to fill out their information again.
It also sends them a friendly email reminder to complete the sale. Having an abandoned basket option is like repairing a leak in your pipe — sales won’t fall through the cracks!
Selling across several channels
You can sell on Amazon, eBay, Instagram, and Facebook using both platforms. The only difference is that you’ll have to spend to install all of them with WooCommerce, with the exception of Facebook, which is free. However, integrating your store with such channels is free with Shopify.
A smooth delivery experience may do wonders for your company’s image. Shopify and WooCommerce both allow you to offer free shipping and sell abroad, but Shopify goes above and beyond.
Shopify has a lot more eCommerce features built-in. When you sign up for Basic Shopify, you’ll get a lot of great features to help you sell, including:
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Discount codes
- Unlimited products
- Website and blog
- Over 100 payment options
Most Shopify capabilities, such as accepting payments from Authorize.net, will cost you money if you install them from WooCommerce’s Extensions Store.
6. Integrations and Plugins
You can add more strings to your eCommerce bow by installing apps or plugins. You may install applications on both platforms to offer more functionality to various aspects of your business, such as shipping, SEO, and marketing. But which one offers a larger selection of apps?
WooCommerce, as an open-source platform, is primarily reliant on plugins. There are over 50,000 to pick from, allowing you to create a one-of-a-kind website with few constraints.
Shopify features over 1,200 apps, both free and paid, that are all trustworthy. If you’re not sure which program to install, look at the star rating or user reviews first.
The Conviction on WooCommerce vs Shopify – Plugins and Integrations
In terms of apps, WooCommerce trumps Shopify. WooCommerce is open-source software, which implies that the majority of its functionalities are provided by plugins. This is, unsurprisingly, why WooCommerce does so well in this category.
Transaction Fees and Payment Options
When you sell online, you must provide payment options for your customers. WooCommerce and Shopify both have over 100 payment gateways to choose from.
These are either built-in or can be added via integrations. The most important are:
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Credit and debit cards
- Apple Pay
- Square
If you utilize a third-party gateway, Shopify, for example, charges 2.9 percent every transaction. You can lower this by upgrading to a more advanced Shopify plan, or you can fully eliminate them by using Shopify Payments, the company’s own payment solution.
WooCommerce has the advantage of not charging its own transaction fees when using a third-party payment gateway, unlike Shopify (i.e. not WooCommerce Payments).
The Conviction on Shopify vs WooCommerce – Payment Options and Fees
This one goes to WooCommerce because it doesn’t charge transaction fees. You’ll have to pay a surcharge on Shopify unless you use Shopify Payments, which gives WooCommerce the upper hand – making it the better option for stores that sell in bulk.
7. SEO
The importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in drawing customers to your virtual store cannot be overstated. It all comes down to one thing: ensuring that your store ranks highly in Google’s search results. You want buyers to find you when they put in keywords related to your goods.
When it comes to SEO, choosing between WooCommerce and Shopify is a difficult task. Both are powerful e-commerce systems that will assist you in getting your stuff in front of the right customers.
WooCommerce is developed with SEO-friendly code and is fully integrated with WordPress, including its excellent suite of SEO plugins. You can go all out and give your sites extensive meta descriptions and titles to let Google know what they’re about.
Shopify and WooCommerce both include apps and integrations that can help you grow your business. Yoast, the WordPress SEO plugin, is really easy to use and provides amazing assistance — it’s like having your own SEO expert on staff! Additionally, WooCommerce has a larger selection of SEO plugins than Shopify.
In the meanwhile, Shopify’s App Store has a number of SEO plugins. We appreciate the free SEO Booster, which evaluates your store and suggests repairs for any issues that are causing it to perform poorly.
The Conviction on WooCommerce vs Shopify – SEO
WooCommerce comes out on top by a hair. You have access to a large choice of outstanding SEO plugins with WooCommerce, as well as useful SEO guides and reminders. Shopify doesn’t have as many SEO tools as other platforms, which could limit your options in the long run.
8. Security
Any website should prioritize high-level security. It’s especially critical for online companies because you’re not only handling consumers’ money, but also their personal information.
Security is taken care of for you with Shopify. Because Shopify is a hosted eCommerce platform, it is responsible for any security breaches and ensuring that your site is safe from hackers.
WooCommerce, on the other hand, is self-hosted and works with WordPress. Because the plugin doesn’t come with built-in security, you’ll have to handle it yourself or through your hosting provider.
SSL is included with Shopify. The small padlock icon that shows next to your URL indicates this. The following are the key advantages of having an SSL certificate:
- When it comes to handling money and personal information from clients, security is paramount.
- Helps your store’s SEO because Google favors SSL-enabled sites.
- Customers will be more likely to buy if they know your site is secure to explore.
PCI-DSS Compliance
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) may appear to be a jumble of acronyms. However, all it truly implies is that your website is set up to take credit card payments in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Shopify is fully PCI-DSS compliant once more. You don’t need to worry about anything and may begin accepting credit and debit card payments right away.
WooCommerce is not PCI-DSS compliant by default. However, you can make WooCommerce compliant by following their steps.
The Conviction on WooCommerce vs Shopify – Security
Shopify has a major benefit here. Because it’s a hosted platform, you don’t have to worry about security. Shopify is PCI-DSS compliant and comes with an SSL certificate. However, with WooCommerce, you’ll have to obtain SSL and set up PCI-DSS compliance on your own.
9. Customer Support
Shopify offers phone, live chat, and email assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Shopify goes above and beyond with a collection of useful tutorials, a community forum, and a setup wizard.
You get access to Bluehost’s exceptional customer service when you use Bluehost to power your WooCommerce store. This offers round-the-clock phone and live chat help, as well as a comprehensive knowledge base chock-full of useful information. In our investigation, Bluehost received a flawless 5/5 for assistance and support.
The Conviction on Shopify vs WooCommerce – Customer Support
This round is won by WooCommerce (powered by Bluehost). Bluehost offers excellent service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as a wealth of tutorials. Although Shopify offers exceptional customer service, it falls short of what WooCommerce and Bluehost have to offer.
The Conviction on Shopify vs WooCommerce: Conclusion
We’ve broken down the important differences between WooCommerce and Shopify so you can decide which platform is right for you. Here’s a basic rundown:
You should use Shopify if:
- You want help 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and for things like security to be taken care of for you.
- With limited technological knowledge, you need a website up and running in a short period.
- Require clean, easy-to-customize templates.
You should use WooCommerce if:
- You want to start a passion project that calls for a lot of customization.
- Wish to open a large-scale internet store that sells to people from all over the world.
- You’re technically savvy and want more control over the design and hosting of your website.
However, today’s winner is Shopify. Although both platforms are fantastic, Shopify wins out due to its built-in sales features, superior simplicity of use, and short construction time. There are no surprises when it comes to pricing; everything you need is included in its plainly priced programs.
If you seeking a professional store with zero flaws you must hire an expert website development company.
Also Read: How to Scale Online Store in 2021
