Shopify vs WooCommerce: The Honest Comparison for Growing Stores

Shopify is usually the better choice for stores that want to launch quickly, keep maintenance low and spend their time selling. WooCommerce is usually the better choice for businesses that already run on WordPress, need unusual product or checkout logic, or want full control over hosting and code, and have the technical help to look after it. Neither is cheaper in every case. The monthly plan price is the smallest part of the cost. Apps or extensions, payment fees, hosting, developer time and the cost of your own time decide which platform makes more money for your business.

A disclosure before we start: Metket is a Shopify Partner. We've written this to be useful whichever platform you choose. Where WooCommerce is the better fit, we say so. Prices and fees below come from Shopify's and WooCommerce's own pricing pages as of November 2026, for US stores. Both change, so check them before you decide.

The short answer

If this describes you	Lean toward
You want to launch in weeks, without managing hosting or updates	Shopify
Your business already runs on WordPress, and content is central to how you sell	WooCommerce
You have a small team and no in-house developer	Shopify
You need complex product options, unusual pricing rules or a highly customized checkout on a modest budget	WooCommerce
You expect fast growth and want a platform that scales without re-architecting	Shopify
You want to own and control every part of the stack, including hosting and code	WooCommerce

The rest of this guide explains the trade-offs behind each row, so you can test them against your own situation.

Total cost of ownership: plans, hosting, apps, plugins and developer time

Comparing "$39 a month" with "free" tells you almost nothing. A fair comparison adds up everything you'll pay over a year or two.

Shopify's costs

According to Shopify's pricing page (US, November 2026), the main plans are:

• Basic: $39 a month billed monthly, or $29 a month billed yearly.
• Grow: $105 a month billed monthly, or $89 a month billed yearly.
• Advanced: $399 a month billed monthly, or $359 a month billed yearly.
• Plus: from $2,300 a month, for high-volume and more complex businesses.

Hosting, the SSL certificate and platform security are included. On top of the plan you'll typically pay for:

• A theme: free themes are available. Premium themes are a one-time purchase.
• Apps: reviews, subscriptions, loyalty, advanced search, upsells and so on. Many are monthly subscriptions, and they add up quickly.
• Payment processing: covered in the payments section below.
• Developer or agency time: for custom theme work, integrations or a build.

WooCommerce's costs

WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin for WordPress. There's no platform subscription. WooCommerce's pricing page lists what you pay for instead:

• Hosting: WooCommerce estimates $25 to $350 a month for most stores, scaling with traffic and performance needs.
• Extensions: WooCommerce estimates $29 to $299 a year per extension, for features such as subscriptions, bookings or advanced shipping.
• Payment processing: whichever processor you choose. There is no extra platform fee for using a third-party gateway.
• A theme (free or paid), and often premium plugins for SEO, caching, security and backups.
• Developer time: for setup, customization, updates, troubleshooting and keeping plugins compatible. For many stores, this is the largest WooCommerce cost.

How to compare fairly

1. List the features you need on day one: subscriptions, reviews, wholesale pricing, multi-currency and so on.
2. Price each feature on each platform: built-in, app or extension.
3. Add hosting (WooCommerce) or the plan (Shopify) for your expected traffic.
4. Estimate payment fees on your expected annual revenue.
5. Estimate developer hours for the build and for ongoing maintenance, and put a value on your own time.
6. Run the numbers over two years, not one month.

A template for your two-year cost comparison

Put the line items side by side and fill in your own numbers from vendor quotes and pricing pages:

Cost line	Shopify	WooCommerce
Platform	Plan fee (monthly or yearly)	None
Hosting and SSL	Included in plan	Hosting plan; SSL often included by host
Theme	Free or one-time premium theme	Free or premium theme, sometimes with yearly renewal
Features	App subscriptions	Extension and plugin licenses
Payments	Card rates, plus a transaction fee if not using Shopify Payments	Gateway rates only
Build	Setup and theme customization	Setup, configuration and customization
Maintenance	App reviews and theme updates	Core, plugin and theme updates; backups; security monitoring
Your team's time	Hours a month running the store	Hours a month running and maintaining the store

The last two rows are the ones most comparisons leave out, and they are often where the real difference lies. An owner who spends a few hours every month fixing plugin conflicts is paying for WooCommerce with time that could have gone into marketing. An owner who pays for six Shopify apps that do overlapping jobs is paying for convenience they don't need.

Stores that need few extras and have no developer usually find Shopify cheaper in practice, because maintenance is included. Stores with in-house WordPress skills and specialized requirements can find WooCommerce cheaper, because they pay only for what they use.

Setup and time to launch

Shopify is a hosted platform. You sign up, choose a theme, add products, set up payments and shipping, connect a domain and launch. Small stores can do this in days. Even custom builds tend to move quickly, because hosting, checkout and security are already handled.

WooCommerce needs more steps: choose a host, install WordPress, install WooCommerce, choose and configure a theme, add plugins for the features you need, configure payments, shipping and taxes, and set up caching, security and backups. A developer can do this efficiently, but the number of decisions is higher, and each one is something to maintain.

Whichever platform you choose, have these ready before the build starts. They take longer than the technical setup:

• Product data: titles, original descriptions, variants, prices, SKUs, weights and high-quality images with descriptive file names.
• Policies: shipping, returns, privacy and terms, written for your business, not copied from a template.
• Shipping rules: zones, rates, free-shipping thresholds and packaging dimensions.
• Tax setup: where you're required to collect sales tax, confirmed with your accountant.
• Tracking: GA4, ad platform pixels and server-side events, set up and tested before launch rather than added later.

Time to launch is time to revenue. If a slower launch delays your first sales by weeks, count that in the comparison too.

Design flexibility and themes

Both platforms can produce attractive, conversion-focused stores. The difference is in how you customize them.

• Shopify themes are edited through a visual theme editor with sections and blocks, and developers can change the code using Shopify's Liquid templating language. Customization is broad but works within Shopify's structure. For example, URL patterns are fixed, and Shopify caps products at 2,048 variants and three option types each.
• WooCommerce inherits WordPress's flexibility. Any theme, any page builder and full access to code and the database. That freedom makes unusual layouts and product logic easier to build, and also makes it easier to create a slow or fragile site.

Accessibility and mobile-first design

Whichever platform you use, the theme you choose sets your starting point for accessibility and mobile usability. Check that text has enough contrast, images have meaningful alt text, buttons are large enough to tap, forms have proper labels, and the whole purchase path works with a keyboard. Many themes on both platforms do these things reasonably well out of the box. Customizations and page-builder add-ons are where problems usually creep in. Accessibility isn't only good practice. It removes friction for every shopper, especially on small screens.

For most stores, the design question is less "which platform can do it?" and more "what will it cost to build, and to keep working through updates?" Prioritize a fast, clear product page and a simple path to checkout over visual novelty. Those are what affect conversion.

SEO capabilities out of the box

Both platforms can rank well. They differ in how much control you have and how much you must set up yourself.

Shopify handles many SEO basics automatically: it generates an XML sitemap, adds canonical tags, lets you edit titles, meta descriptions, URL handles and image alt text, and lets you customize robots.txt through a robots.txt.liquid template. The trade-offs are structural. URL prefixes such as /products/ and /collections/ are fixed, and products can be reached through collection-based URL paths that rely on canonical tags to avoid duplication. Faceted filtering also needs care so it doesn't create crawlable duplicates. None of these stop a Shopify store from ranking, but they need to be handled properly. Our Shopify SEO services focus on exactly these issues.

WooCommerce gives you WordPress's SEO flexibility: fully configurable permalinks, mature SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO and Rank Math, and a strong blogging system. That control is valuable for content-led stores. The trade-off is that you are responsible for configuration, and plugin conflicts or poor hosting can undo good work.

Either way, the things that move rankings for a store are the same: well-structured category pages, product pages with original descriptions, sensible internal linking, fast pages and content that answers buyers' questions. Our technical SEO checklist applies to both platforms.

Speed and performance

Speed affects conversion more than rankings, so treat it as a revenue issue.

• Shopify serves stores from its own global infrastructure, so you don't manage servers or caching. Performance problems on Shopify usually come from heavy themes, large images and, most often, apps that inject scripts into every page. Every app you install should earn its place.
• WooCommerce performance depends heavily on your hosting, caching setup, theme and plugins. With good managed hosting and a lean build it can be very fast. On cheap shared hosting with dozens of plugins it can be slow, especially at peak times.

Test any store on a throttled mobile connection, not on office broadband, and focus on Core Web Vitals. Our mobile SEO guide explains what to look at.

Payments, checkout and fees

Payment fees are often the biggest ongoing cost after advertising, so small percentage differences matter at scale.

Shopify

With Shopify Payments, Shopify's US online card rates for standard cards are 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.7% + 30¢ on Grow, 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced and 2.25% + 30¢ on Plus, with higher rates for premium and international cards. If you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify adds a transaction fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. On top of that, you pay your provider's own processing fees.

Shopify's checkout is hosted and maintained by Shopify, with accelerated options such as Shop Pay. Customization is limited by plan: according to Shopify's Help Center, customizing the information, shipping and payment steps of checkout requires Shopify Plus, while other plans can customize pages such as the thank-you and order-status pages.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce doesn't charge a platform fee on transactions, whichever gateway you use. With WooCommerce's own processor, WooPayments, US merchants pay 2.9% + $0.30 for US-issued cards. WooCommerce lists an additional 1.5% for cards issued outside the US and 1% when currency conversion is needed. You can also use Stripe, PayPal, Square or other gateways, run several at once, and negotiate rates directly as you grow.

The checkout itself is fully customizable, which is valuable for unusual flows such as custom quotes, complex B2B rules or bespoke subscription logic. You are also responsible for keeping it fast, secure and working after every update.

What to calculate

Estimate your annual card volume, apply each platform's realistic rate (including any third-party transaction fee on Shopify if you won't use Shopify Payments), and compare. For many US stores using Shopify Payments, the rates are close. The bigger differences come from plan tier, international sales mix and whether you need a specific payment provider.

Apps, plugins and integrations

Both platforms have large ecosystems: the Shopify App Store and the WordPress and WooCommerce extension libraries.

• Shopify apps are installed and updated through the platform, and most are hosted by the developer. That keeps your store simpler to maintain. The trade-offs are recurring monthly fees and scripts that can slow the storefront.
• WooCommerce extensions and WordPress plugins run on your own hosting. Many are one-time or annual purchases. The trade-offs are compatibility and security: plugins must stay updated and compatible with each other, WordPress and WooCommerce.

App and plugin hygiene

On either platform, extensions are where cost, speed and risk build up over time. A simple routine keeps them under control:

1. Keep an inventory of every app or plugin, what it does, who owns it internally and what it costs.
2. Review it each quarter. Remove anything unused, and merge tools that overlap. Two apps doing the same job usually means double scripts and double fees.
3. Check what each one loads. Uninstalling a Shopify app doesn't always remove code it added to your theme. On WooCommerce, deactivated plugins can still leave database tables and settings behind.
4. Prefer fewer, better tools from established developers with recent updates and responsive support.

Major marketing tools integrate with both. Klaviyo, Google and Meta sales channels, the large review platforms and most shipping tools all do. Before choosing, list the five integrations your business depends on most and check the quality of each one on both platforms, not just whether it exists.

Security, maintenance and updates

Shopify is a hosted platform. It is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant for every store, and it manages server security, platform updates and uptime. Your responsibilities are mostly account security (strong passwords, two-step authentication, careful staff permissions) and vetting the apps you install.

WooCommerce puts more of this on you or your host. Using a hosted payment gateway reduces how much sensitive card data touches your server. You still need to keep WordPress, WooCommerce, your theme and every plugin updated, run backups, monitor for vulnerabilities and test updates before applying them to a live store. Managed WordPress hosting can take on much of this work for a higher monthly fee.

Count maintenance honestly. If no one on your team will own updates and testing every month, budget for someone who will. That cost belongs in your total cost of ownership.

Scaling: when each platform starts to strain

Growth puts stress on different parts of each platform.

• On Shopify, infrastructure scales automatically, so traffic spikes from launches or sales events are handled by the platform. The pressure points are cost (higher plans and more apps as needs grow), structural limits such as variant caps and fixed URL patterns, and checkout customization, which is reserved for Plus. Large or complex businesses often move up to Shopify Plus.
• On WooCommerce, scaling is your responsibility. Large catalogs, many orders and high traffic need stronger hosting, database tuning, object caching and careful plugin choices. With the right engineering, WooCommerce runs large stores. Without it, slowdowns during peak periods are common.

Two growth paths deserve a specific check. Selling internationally: Shopify includes multi-market selling tools whose scope depends on your plan, while WooCommerce typically relies on extensions for multi-currency and localized storefronts. Selling wholesale (B2B): Shopify's pricing page lists B2B features across its plans, with limits that rise by tier, while WooCommerce usually relies on B2B extensions or custom development. If either path is on your roadmap, check how each platform handles it before you build, not after.

The practical question is who will handle growth. With Shopify, much of it is included in the plan. With WooCommerce, it's an engineering task, and that's fine if you have the team.

Migrating between them without losing traffic

Switching platforms is a common reason for sudden drops in organic traffic. Most of the risk comes from URL changes. A careful migration protects the rankings and revenue you've already earned:

1. Benchmark first. Export your top pages by organic traffic and revenue from Search Console and analytics, and crawl the current site to capture every URL.
2. Map every URL. Shopify uses fixed patterns (/products/, /collections/, /pages/, /blogs/), so URLs will usually change when you move to Shopify. Map each old URL to its closest new equivalent.
3. Move the data. Products, variants, customers, orders and content can be moved with the platforms' import tools or third-party migration apps. Check product data, images, alt text and metadata carefully after import.
4. Set up 301 redirects from every old URL to its new equivalent, using Shopify's URL redirects feature or a WordPress redirect plugin. Avoid redirect chains.
5. Carry over SEO elements: titles, meta descriptions, headings, structured data and internal links.
6. Test on staging, then launch at a quiet time and resubmit your sitemap in Search Console.
7. Monitor for 90 days: crawl errors, 404s, indexing, rankings for top pages, and organic revenue.

A migration done this way usually protects most of your existing visibility. Some short-term fluctuation is normal while search engines reprocess the site.

Decision framework by business type

Here's how the trade-offs usually play out for common types of business:

• New direct-to-consumer brand with a small team: Shopify. Speed to launch, low maintenance and a proven checkout matter more than unlimited flexibility.
• Established brand scaling quickly with lean operations: Shopify or Shopify Plus. The value is in infrastructure that keeps up without an engineering team.
• Content-led business or publisher adding a store: WooCommerce often fits, because the store sits inside the WordPress site you already run.
• Store with complex product logic or custom quoting: WooCommerce, if you have developers. Shopify Plus is the alternative if budget allows.
• Business that wants full ownership of hosting and code: WooCommerce.
• Service business selling a few products online: either works. Choose the one your team will actually maintain.

Questions to answer before you commit

1. Who will maintain the store every month, and how many hours can they give it?
2. Which five integrations does the business depend on, and how good is each one on both platforms?
3. What will you pay in total over two years at the revenue you expect, including payment fees?
4. Does your checkout need anything unusual, such as custom quotes, complex B2B rules or bespoke subscriptions?
5. How important is content (guides, blog, resources) to how customers find and choose you?
6. What happens on your biggest sales day, and who is responsible if the site slows down?
7. If you're migrating, which URLs earn the most organic traffic and revenue today, and how will you protect them?

If your answers point clearly one way, choose that platform and commit to building it well. If they're split, choose the one your team will be able to run confidently, because a well-run store on either platform beats a neglected store on the "better" one.

Whichever you choose, the platform is a foundation, not a growth strategy. Revenue comes from what you build on it: fast pages, clear product information, a smooth checkout and marketing that brings the right buyers. Our conversion rate optimization work and eCommerce SEO services apply on either platform.

If you're planning a new store or a rebuild, our eCommerce development team builds on both Shopify and WooCommerce, so we can help you pick the right platform for your business and then build the store on it. Not sure whether your current store is holding you back? Get your free audit. We'll review your site's speed, SEO and conversion basics and send you prioritized findings within 5 business days.