Are you looking for an e-commerce platform for your online store? Are you wondering which platform to choose between Shopify and WooCommerce?
Both are very popular e-commerce platforms for creating an online store.
Choosing the eCommerce solution that best suits your needs is vital for your business, as it is difficult to go back on your original decision if it turns out to be a bad choice.
In this article, we'll compare Shopify vs. WooCommerce so you can decide which platform is best for you.
Since this is a very detailed comparison of Shopify vs. WooCommerce , here is a quick table of contents to guide you through what we'll be covering:
Overview
Ease of use
Cost
Payment gateways
Add-ons
Scalability
Conclusion
1. Overview: Shopify vs. WooCommerce as email database lists poland Top Ecommerce Platforms
What is Shopify?
Shopify
Shopify is a popular ecommerce platform that lets you create an online store , take payments from your customers, manage your products, and build a marketplace all in one. Shopify handles web hosting, SSL certification, web security, and every other aspect of your ecommerce experience. The features included with your online store will depend on the plan you purchase from Shopify.
Read our full Shopify review .
What is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce platform
WooCommerce , on the other hand, is an eCommerce platform that works hand-in-hand with WordPress as a plugin. Since it is built for WordPress, you can take advantage of creating a full-fledged website for your online store using the world’s best content management system (CMS). WooCommerce is an open-source plugin, so you can customize your online store as much as you need and there will be no limits on adding features to your eCommerce site.
Don't miss the chance to check out the popular CMS market share .
You can also use the best WordPress themes to style your online store. As for features, you can always check out the best WordPress plugins to explore unlimited options for your eCommerce site.
To help you make a decision, let's look at the features of each platform…
2. 2. Ease of use
When it comes to creating an online store, you'll want a simple and easy solution. An ideal platform is one that allows you to create your online store on your own without having to hire a developer.
Ease of use – Shopify
Shopify is a one-stop platform that takes care of everything for you, including hosting, installation, updates, and managing your online store. Shopify goes above and beyond to make sure your ecommerce site is secure, cross-browser compatible, and mobile-friendly. Shopify also manages site performance, backups, and the loading speed of your online store.
Shopify dashboard
Simply sign up and select a template design for your online store, and you're ready to roll. An online guide will help you with customization, adding products, and managing your sales.
It has a drag and drop builder that helps you add products, manage reports, and customize your store. You can also manage sales and inventory of your website.
Shopify comes with its own design and development tools that limit your control in terms of customization. However, you can use plugins available in the Shopify marketplace to add functionality to your store.
Don't miss this article on the best e-commerce platforms for multi-vendor marketplaces .
They have a huge collection of plugins and design templates that allow you to create a beautiful online store. Shopify is an amazing platform for beginners and is easy to use.
Ease of Use – WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, which means you'll need to create a WordPress site to install WooCommerce on it. You'll need to update your online store manually and keep your WordPress website safe from hackers. Since it's powered by WordPress, you can use plugins to handle these tasks for you.
Welcome message from WooCommerce
With WooCommerce, you can customize your store to add unlimited features. On top of that, you can also use over 50,000 WordPress plugins and tons of eCommerce plugins to add any functionality you could ever want on your site.
The downside to WooCommerce is that it doesn’t have a default drag-and-drop builder to design your site . However, you can use WordPress plugins like Beaver Builder or the Divi theme to add website builder functionality to your online store. These plugins will add to the overall cost of creating your eCommerce site.
While there is a setup wizard for everything you need to do in WooCommerce, it is still somewhat overwhelming due to the unlimited options and flexibility it offers you. This makes the integration process more difficult when compared to Shopify.
The Winner: Shopify is the winner here. It focuses on beginner users who are just starting their online business. WooCommerce is very flexible, but it does have a bit of a learning curve to fully master.
3. Cost
In the initial stages of creating an online business, you'll need to start with a platform that offers all the features you need at a low cost. There's an initial cost for the core software or eCommerce platform you choose, and then the cost of its add-ons and services needed to create your online store.
Cost – Shopify
Shopify comes with multiple plans ranging from $39 per month to $399 per month. Each of these plans has its options displayed on the Shopify site. You can choose the basic Shopify plan to start your online store and upgrade to other premium plans as your business grows.