Fresh data indicate that online shopping is booming and it will be expanding in the next decade as well. International sales surpassed half a trillion U.S. dollars by December 2022, and are projected to increase further towards $5 trillion. As more entrepreneurs are joining the online business bandwagon, demand for efficient and easy-to-use website creators has skyrocketed. Shopify and WordPress have both become major forces here, but they take different routes in helping people set up online stores.
Here, we’ll compare Shopify vs WordPress in five main categories — elasticity of customization options and compatibility with price shopping rules. Looking at the data and numbers behind these platforms, you’ll know which is best for constructing an online business.
WordPress is a web content management system. It was originally created as a tool to publish blogs but has evolved to support publishing other web content, including more traditional websites, mailing lists, Internet forums, media galleries, membership sites, learning management systems, and online stores. Available as free and open-source software, WordPress is among the most popular content management.
Shopify is a commerce platform that helps you sell online and in person. Entrepreneurs, retailers, and global brands use Shopify to process sales, run stores, and grow their businesses. With Shopify, you can start your first ecommerce website or manage a world-leading retail business. The main purpose of Shopify is to empower businesses, especially small businesses, to set up and manage their online stores. It provides user-friendly tools to build the storefront, accept payments, manage inventory, and track sales—all without needing coding knowledge.
Choosing between Shopify and WordPress (with WooCommerce) for building an online store depends largely on your business goals, technical skills, and budget. Below is a detailed, in-depth comparison between the two platforms, highlighting various aspects including Platform Overview, Ecommerce, Customization and Flexibility, Features and Functionality, and more.
Shopify is a fully-hosted, all-in-one eCommerce solution designed specifically for building online stores. It provides everything you need from web hosting, security, and maintenance to payment processing and inventory management.
WordPress is an open-source Content Management System (CMS), and when paired with the WooCommerce plugin, it transforms into a powerful eCommerce platform. WordPress gives users full control over their website’s design, functionality, and hosting.
Regarding e-commerce functionality, both Shopify and WordPress offer powerful features. Shopify is an online platform designed for selling products. An easy-to-use interface and a variety of built-in functions for handling inventory, processing payments and keeping track of orders.
However, WordPress is a flexible system for managing content (CMS), which can be converted into an e-commerce platform with the help of plugins like WooCommerce. Compared with Shopify, WordPress is more flexible when it comes to customization but has a less convenient and hassle-free process for online store management.
Shopify offers a variety of themes that you can customize to fit your brand, but its options are somewhat limited compared to WordPress. Shopify themes are designed to be user-friendly but are not as flexible as WordPress. You can customize the code in Shopify, but the changes are limited to the theme itself. For more advanced customizations, you might need to purchase additional apps from Shopify’s marketplace.
WordPress (WooCommerce) is highly customizable. With thousands of free and premium themes available, you can change nearly every aspect of your store’s design and functionality. WordPress also offers a plugin library with over 50,000 plugins, allowing you to add features like advanced SEO, payment gateways, analytics, shipping, and much more. WordPress allows full access to the code, meaning you can fully customize the backend and frontend of your store, giving you greater control than Shopify.
Shopify comes with a wide range of built-in eCommerce features, including inventory management, product variations, shipping calculations, and order tracking. Shopify’s point-of-sale (POS) system allows you to sell in-person and synchronize online and offline sales. Additionally, Shopify has built-in SEO tools, email marketing features, and integration with several social media platforms. However, many advanced features, like abandoned cart recovery and advanced reports, are only available in higher-tier plans.
WordPress (WooCommerce) also offers powerful eCommerce features, including product management, inventory tracking, multiple payment gateways, and shipping integration. However, many of these features are added through plugins, giving you greater flexibility to tailor your store to your needs. WooCommerce also includes built-in features like discount codes, customer management, and tax settings. The WooCommerce plugin offers a wide range of extensions to improve functionality, including integrations with popular platforms like MailChimp and QuickBooks.
Shopify has Shopify Payments (its own payment gateway), which comes with lower transaction fees compared to other gateways. Shopify supports over 100 payment gateways (like PayPal, Stripe, and Amazon Pay). However, Shopify charges transaction fees for using third-party gateways, which can range from 2.9% + 30¢ to 2.4% + 30¢ depending on the plan.
WordPress (WooCommerce) has no built-in payment processing, but it supports a wide range of payment gateways including PayPal, Stripe, and offline payments. There are no transaction fees from WooCommerce itself, but payment gateways (like PayPal and Stripe) may charge their own fees. WooCommerce offers more flexibility in terms of payment options, but it requires you to install and configure payment gateway plugins.
Shopify handles all the security for you. It includes SSL certificates for all plans, ensuring secure transactions for your customers. Shopify also takes care of PCI compliance, making it easy for you to meet industry standards for handling customer data.
WordPress (WooCommerce) requires you to manage your own security. You must obtain an SSL certificate and ensure your site is PCI compliant. Security plugins like Wordfence and iThemes Security can help protect your site from threats, but you are responsible for keeping everything updated and secure.
Shopify offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone, making it easy to get help whenever you need it. Shopify’s dedicated support team is experienced in handling eCommerce issues, so you can rely on them for quick resolutions.
WordPress (WooCommerce) support comes primarily from the community and forums. While WordPress itself has extensive documentation, the support for WooCommerce can vary depending on your hosting provider and third-party plugins. For serious issues, you may need to hire a WordPress developer or work with a support team from your hosting provider.
In the end, Shopify is perfect for those who prioritize simplicity and a ready-to-go solution, while WordPress (WooCommerce) is better for those who want full control and are prepared to manage the technical aspects of their site. Both Shopify and WordPress offer robust solutions for building an online store. Shopify is a user-friendly eCommerce platform with a streamlined interface and a variety of powerful features.
