Shopify vs Woocommerce

Choosing the best ecommerce platform for your business

Starting out with a new ecommerce site you are likely to find yourself beset with decisions to be made. What hosting do I need, what is the best domain name, what theme is best, what payment gateways are the best value etc etc. One of the most important decisions will be, what website platform do I choose? Most likely the choice between Shopify and Woocommerce will come up. They are not the only options but they are the two most popular. So which is better?

First of all, NEVER choose your website platform before doing a needs analysis for your business. Not all businesses are the same and no ecommerce platform is best for every business.
Your needs analysis should cover things like:

Number of products
Number of variations for each product that you need to track stock for (eg size and colour combinations)
Where are you shipping to and what shipping provider will you be using
What payment options do you need? If your chosen software doesn’t have a payment gateway plugin available for your preferred payment gateway they can be very expensive to have developed
Do you need integration with other platforms (eg. accounting software, POS, third party sites like Amazon, eBay etc)
What are you selling? Platforms like Shopify have rules against some product types like pharmaceuticals, alcohol or firearms.

Once you have documented your business needs you can start comparing platforms.

Shopify

Shopify is an all in one subscription solution that incorporates hosting, SSL certificate, security and payment gateway. You can build your online store, manage stock and process payments all in one solution. Shopify payments are powered by Stripe but you don’t need a separate Stripe account. If you want other providers such as Paypal you need to create an account with them.

Woocommerce

Woocommerce is a plugin for Wordpress open source software so the software itself is free. You will need to purchase suitable web hosting however. Providers like Bluehost advertise hosting for as little as US$3.95 but these cheap shared hosting options are barely sufficient to run a Woocommerce site. For quality fast hosting something like Siteground’s GrowBig hosting package at US$29.99 per month (discounted to $8.99 for the first year) is the minimum I would recommend. You will also need to set up accounts with payment processors such as Paypal and Stripe.

More Detail

Shopify

Offers 3 different subscription plans starting from US$29 per month
All plans allow unlimited products
Charges set fees on Payments. The lowest subscription plan has the highest fees with reducing fees on higher subscription plans so you can reduce costs as you grow
Shopify has its own app shop with paid and free apps available to extend functionality. Apps on the app store must meet minimum quality standards set by Shopify and apps not meeting Shopify standards are removed. Many apps are free but most are a monthly subscription. This does however ensure you always get bug fixes and security updates.
24/7 support comes with all plans
Shopify has its own “Shopify Shipping” provided through deals with different carriers in each country. Third party shipping options are also available but at a US$20 per month premium if you are on the $29 or $79 plan
Dozens of themes are available
Plans include an SSL certificate so your site url contains the important “https”
Comes with built in analytics as well as integration with Google analytics
Comes with built in product import/export function that can dramatically reduce the time spent adding or updating products
Integrates with third party sales sites including Amazon, Facebook, Google and eBay as well as its own POS so all sales can be managed from one dashboard.

Woocommerce

Base software is free but you will need to purchase hosting, and SSL certificate and likely a number of plugins to add the basic functionality needed in a modern ecommerce store.
Supports unlimited products
Payment fees are dependent on the payment gateway you choose
There is an extensive list of plugins available to enhance the functionality of Wordpress/Woocommerce however it is a case of “buyer beware” when using free or purchased plugins as there is no third party quality control. Securi.net lists poorly written plugins as the number one cause of Wordpress websites getting hacked. Paid plugins are typically on an optional periodic renewal but if you don’t renew you will not get security fixes and updates.
Comes with built in product import/export function that can dramatically reduce the time spent adding or updating products
Woocommerce developers offer support through user forums that they manage. Respnse times vary greatly.
Can integrate with Google Analytics with a third party plugin

Pricing

Shopify offers 3 plans. US$29, US$79 and US$299. Most startup sites find the $29 plan most suitable. For Australian sites that want to use Australia Post shipping, there is a US$20 pm fee if you are on the $29 or $79 plan. There is no additional fee if you choose to use Shopify shipping. There are free plugins or apps as they are called in Shopify but most are a monthly subscription. Many sites we have set up have not needed any paid apps to be fully functional.

Woocommerce is free but you need to purchase hosting, SSL certificate, and some plugins depending on the type of product you are selling. Most plugins are an annual or semi-annual fee in order to get bug fixes and security updates.

So which ecommerce platform should you choose?

Shopify offers simplicity in setup and easier learning curve with professional support. If you want to sell your products from other online outlets such as Facebook, Amazon etc or using POS for face to face sales Shopify is a clear winner. Your monthly cost of a Shopify site will be higher in year one than Woocommerce in most cases but not significantly if you are sparing in your app purchases.

Woocommerce can be cheaper, but has a steeper learning curve and a more difficult interface. It also comes with the inherent security issues of Wordpress.

Websites with Purpose is a Gold Coast based website design and development agency and develop ecommerce stores in Shopify, Woocommerce and Joomla depending on the needs of each business. Contact us to discuss your needs.