Decision brief
Shopify is the clearer default for a new store that needs a managed checkout, hosting, and team workflow. WooCommerce is the better fit when WordPress control, a chosen host, or payment-provider freedom matters more than a simpler operating model.
Shopify
WooCommerce
Best default for a new store
Choose Shopify if you want to launch and run a store with less technical ownership. Choose WooCommerce if you already work comfortably in WordPress or need deeper control over code, hosting, and payments. Neither is ideal if you only need a payment link, a tiny catalogue, or a marketplace listing.
Shopify wins as the default because the subscription bundles the hosted store, checkout, updates, and a defined support path. That removes several early decisions that can slow down a first launch.
That is not a claim that Shopify is cheaper in every case. WooCommerce has no platform subscription or revenue share, but its real cost depends on hosting, extensions, payment provider, maintenance, and the time or help needed to run WordPress well.
The ecommerce platform most serious online stores grow into, built to scale from your first sale to millions of orders.
A free, open-source plugin that turns any WordPress site into a fully working online store.
Solo founders and small businesses
You want a working store, checkout, hosting, and routine updates without choosing a WordPress host or maintaining a plugin stack.
Priority: Fast launch and lower operating complexity
Choose Shopify
Choose Shopify. Its paid plan is a clearer operating package, so you can focus on products, merchandising, and fulfilment rather than the web stack.
Creators, publishers, and agencies
Your site already runs on WordPress and the store needs to follow your existing theme, content model, integrations, or custom code.
Priority: Control over code and hosting
Choose WooCommerce
Choose WooCommerce. It keeps commerce inside WordPress and lets you choose the host, extensions, and payment tools that fit the wider site.
Small teams and local retailers
You need several staff accounts, a hosted online store, and a practical route to in-person selling without assembling separate systems.
Priority: Shared operations and predictable setup
Choose Shopify
Choose Shopify. The current Grow plan includes up to five staff accounts, and Shopify keeps the store and POS options in the same product family.
Merchants with payment or regional requirements
You need a specific gateway or want to avoid a platform-level fee for using a third-party processor.
Priority: Payment-provider choice
Choose WooCommerce
Choose WooCommerce after confirming the gateway and country support. WooCommerce says it adds no extra platform cost beyond the processor fee, while Shopify can charge third-party transaction fees in the cases it defines.
Creators and occasional sellers
You only need a payment link, a few digital sales, or a marketplace presence rather than a full store and ongoing operations.
Priority: Avoid unnecessary platform work
Choose Neither product
Choose neither until you need a real online-store workflow. A payment provider link, marketplace, or a lighter selling tool may be less work and lower risk.
Shopify has the edge
Shopify: Shopify bundles a hosted store, checkout, hosting, and routine platform maintenance in one subscription.
WooCommerce: WooCommerce is free software for WordPress. You decide where it runs and how the store is assembled.
Why it matters: This is the main trade-off. Shopify reduces setup and maintenance work. WooCommerce gives more control, but someone must own the technical decisions.
Tie
Shopify: A Shopify plan has a stated subscription price, with billing term, apps, and payment choices affecting the total.
WooCommerce: WooCommerce has no core platform fee or revenue share, but hosting, extensions, development, and processor costs vary.
Why it matters: A free plugin is not a free store. Compare the full operating cost for your actual workflow rather than only the headline price.
WooCommerce has the edge
Shopify: Shopify Payments is integrated. Shopify documents extra third-party transaction fees for specified provider and payment cases.
WooCommerce: WooCommerce lets you select a processor and states that it adds no extra platform fee beyond the processor’s charge.
Why it matters: For some countries, payment methods, or high-volume stores, the gateway and extra platform fees can matter as much as the subscription price.
WooCommerce has the edge
Shopify: Shopify provides themes, apps, APIs, and plan-based feature access inside a managed platform.
WooCommerce: WooCommerce can be shaped through WordPress themes, extensions, hosting configuration, and custom code.
Why it matters: Choose WooCommerce when the business case needs that freedom. Do not choose it merely because customisation sounds appealing if the store does not need it.
| Factor | Shopify | WooCommerce | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating model | Hosted, all-in-one subscription | Open-source WordPress plugin on your chosen host | Shopify |
| Core platform cost | Paid plan. Sweden page: Basic €19/mo yearly or €27/mo monthly | Free core plugin, no monthly platform fee | WooCommerce |
| Hosting and maintenance | Hosting, SSL, and platform updates included | Choose and maintain a compatible WordPress hosting environment | Shopify |
| Staff accounts | Basic: no additional staff. Grow: 5. Advanced: 15. Plus: unlimited | Managed through WordPress users and roles, not a WooCommerce plan tier | Tie |
| Payment-provider flexibility | Shopify Payments is integrated. Third-party provider fees can apply by plan and use case | Choose a processor. WooCommerce says there is no extra platform cost beyond processor fees | WooCommerce |
| Checkout and customisation | Managed checkout with plan-based customisation limits | Customise the WordPress and WooCommerce stack with code, themes, and extensions | WooCommerce |
Tie
A new Swedish Shopify account is eligible for the offer displayed on Shopify’s Sweden pricing page. WooCommerce is evaluated on an existing or temporary WordPress setup.
Both can be explored, but they are not equivalent free plans. Shopify’s trial is time-limited. WooCommerce’s software is free, while the environment and setup work are yours.
Check the pricing sourceTie
A seller needs a standard online store and is comparing annual versus monthly billing in Sweden with a basic WooCommerce host.
Shopify is easier to forecast as a single platform fee. WooCommerce can cost less or more depending on host and extensions, so there is no honest universal price winner.
Check the pricing sourceShopify has the edge
The store needs five additional staff accounts and does not require enterprise checkout customisation.
Shopify has a clear upgrade point for a small operating team. WooCommerce may still fit, but calculate the wider WordPress support and maintenance budget rather than treating the plugin price as the whole cost.
Check the pricing sourceTie
The store needs unusual integrations, payment options, or custom workflows and has technical ownership.
Do not compare these as like-for-like tiers. Shopify buys a managed platform. WooCommerce can make sense when custom control has clear value, but the implementation and maintenance cost must be budgeted explicitly.
Check the pricing source01
Move only when the control you gain has a clear business use. Use a staging site, export and verify data, map Shopify URLs to 301 redirects, test checkout and payments, then monitor search and order data after launch.
02
Move when operational simplicity matters more than WordPress-level control. Audit extensions, custom checkout behaviour, shipping, taxes, and payment flows before choosing a Shopify plan, because not every custom workflow has a direct equivalent.
This comparison is research-led. We reviewed current official pricing, billing terms, plan limits, payment documentation, hosting requirements, and migration guidance. It does not rely on personal testing or vendor performance claims.
The WooCommerce core plugin is free and WooCommerce states there is no monthly platform fee or revenue share. A working store still needs WordPress hosting, a domain, payment processing, and sometimes paid extensions or technical help.
Not consistently. Shopify has a defined subscription price and includes hosting. WooCommerce avoids the core platform fee, but its total depends on hosting, extensions, payment provider, and maintenance. Compare the full workflow you actually need.
Yes, but Shopify documents third-party transaction fees in some cases. The rate depends on the plan and the payment setup, so confirm it for your store country and provider before deciding.
Usually consider WooCommerce first when commerce needs to live inside an existing WordPress site and you have technical ownership. Shopify can still be better if you want to reduce store maintenance and keep the commerce system separate.
Final recommendation
Shopify is the more useful default for most new stores because it turns the core store operation into one managed subscription. WooCommerce wins when WordPress ownership, custom workflows, or payment-provider freedom is a real requirement and the business can own the extra technical work. Choose neither for a very small selling need that does not justify a full ecommerce platform.
Last checked 2026-08-09
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