Table of contents
- WordPress or Shopify: what is what?
- The comparison at a glance
- When Shopify is the better choice
- When WooCommerce is the better choice
- Costs in detail
- SEO: is there a winner?
- Decision guide in 5 questions
- Features in detail
- Migration: if you already have a shop
- From practice: which clients use which system
- Our conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
You want to sell online and face the fundamental question: WordPress with WooCommerce or Shopify? Both systems are mature, both power millions of shops. Still, there are clear differences. We build both for our clients and show you what really matters.
WordPress or Shopify: what is what?
WordPress is the most widely used content management system in the world and runs more than 40% of all websites. With the free plugin WooCommerce it becomes a full online shop. You host it yourself and have full control.
Shopify is a hosted shop platform on a subscription model. Shopify takes care of hosting, security and updates, you pay a monthly fee and extend the shop with apps.
The comparison at a glance
| Criterion | WordPress + WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing costs | hosting, premium plugins if needed | monthly subscription, apps if needed |
| Transaction fees | none from WooCommerce | depending on plan & payment method |
| Speed to launch | medium | fast |
| Flexibility | very high | high, with limits |
| Maintenance & updates | needed regularly | handled by Shopify |
| Content & blog | excellent | good |
| Data ownership | entirely yours | hosted by Shopify |
| Ideal for | individual requirements, content + shop | brands, D2C, quick start |
When Shopify is the better choice
- You want to start quickly and not worry about technology.
- You sell classic products with shipping: cosmetics, fashion, accessories.
- You are planning growth with social ads, marketplaces and international shipping.
- You have no technical team of your own and want as little maintenance as possible.
An example from our work: we built the shop for the teeth whitening kits of Dental Beauty with Shopify. Quick launch, easy maintenance, easy to combine with social media campaigns.
When WooCommerce is the better choice
- You have special processes: purchasing processes, course bookings, configurators, B2B prices.
- Content matters to you: blog, guides and landing pages in the same system.
- You want no sales fees and full data ownership.
- You already have a WordPress website and want to add a shop to it.
Examples from our work: the jewellery shop of Juwelier Rubin with more than 200 products, the course booking of the Dental Beauty Academy and the shop of BULLFLOOR for floor coatings.
Not sure which system fits?
We build both and advise you independently of any vendor, free of charge in the first consultation.
Free consultationCosts in detail
The development costs are similar: a professional shop starts with us at €1,990 with Shopify and at €3,990 with WooCommerce (the higher entry price is due to the hosting setup, legal compliance and configuration). The differences arise mainly in the ongoing costs:
- Shopify: monthly subscription (depending on the plan), possibly fees per transaction with external payment providers, and paid apps.
- WooCommerce: hosting (from approx. €10–30 per month for a good shop plan), premium plugins and maintenance (updates, backups, security).
Tip: calculate the costs over three years, including all apps or plugins you really need. Only then is the comparison fair.
SEO: is there a winner?
Both systems can rank very well. WordPress is somewhat more flexible when it comes to content and technical fine-tuning, while Shopify has some fixed structures (e.g. URL paths such as /products/), which are not a real ranking problem though. What matters is good content, fast loading times and clean product data, and all of that is possible with both systems.
Decision guide in 5 questions
- How individual are your processes? Standard mail order speaks for Shopify, special processes (purchasing, booking, configurator) rather for WooCommerce.
- How important is content? Lots of guide content, a blog and landing pages speak for WordPress.
- Who takes care of the technology? Without a maintenance contract or technical know-how, Shopify is more relaxed.
- How quickly do you need to launch? If the shop has to be live in a few weeks, Shopify is slightly ahead.
- How important is independence to you? Full data ownership and free choice of host speak for WooCommerce.
If you answer three or more questions in favour of one system, you have your tendency.
Features in detail
| Feature | WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Payment methods (PayPal, credit card, Klarna) | via plugins | built in or via apps |
| Multilingual | via plugins, very flexible | built in, extendable with apps |
| B2B prices & customer groups | easily possible via extensions | depending on plan and apps |
| Subscriptions & recurring payments | via extensions | via apps |
| Physical store (POS) | via third-party providers | Shopify POS built in |
| Social commerce (Instagram, TikTok) | via plugins | strongly integrated |
Migration: if you already have a shop
Switching systems is not rocket science, but it needs planning: products, customers and order history are exported and imported, design and features are rebuilt, and above all all old URLs must point to the new ones with 301 redirects. Otherwise you lose rankings and backlinks. We handle the migration including redirect mapping and check indexing in Google Search Console after the move.
From practice: which clients use which system
| Project | System | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dental Beauty shop | Shopify | few products, quick start, strong social media focus |
| Juwelier Rubin | WooCommerce | large product range, closely linked with content and purchasing |
| Dental Beauty Academy | WooCommerce | course booking with dates and certificate |
| BULLFLOOR | WooCommerce | product variants and sets, strong guide content |
| AZATIM | WooCommerce | international shop with brand storytelling |
As you can see: there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What matters is your product range, your processes and your plans for the coming years.
Our conclusion
There is no “better”, only “better for you”. Shopify wins on speed, low maintenance and classic mail order. WooCommerce wins on flexibility, content and data ownership. If you are unsure: get advice, from someone who builds both systems.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from WooCommerce to Shopify later, or vice versa?
Yes. Products, customers and orders can be migrated. 301 redirects for all old URLs are important so that rankings are preserved.
Which system is cheaper?
In development both are similar. For ongoing costs it depends on revenue, payment methods and the extensions you need. Calculate over three years.
Do I need technical knowledge for WooCommerce?
Not for day-to-day work. But updates and security should be taken care of regularly, ideally through a maintenance contract.
Agency for web design, online shops & AI from Hanau
