Shopify
From ~$39 per mo (Basic)
WooCommerce
Free plugin (hosting + extensions extra)
Shopify is a fully hosted, all-in-one store that is fast to launch and easy to maintain. WooCommerce is a free, open-source WordPress plugin you control completely, paying separately for hosting and extensions. Shopify wins on ease and reliability; WooCommerce wins on control and flexibility.
Pick Shopify if you want a fully hosted, reliable store you can launch quickly without managing hosting, security, or updates.
Pick WooCommerce if you already use WordPress and want full control over your store's code, design, and costs.
Shopify and WooCommerce are the two most common ways to build an online store, but they take opposite approaches. Shopify is fully hosted and all-in-one: hosting, security, payments, and updates are handled for you, so you can launch quickly and focus on selling. WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store, giving you full control over code, design, and costs — but you are responsible for hosting, security, and the moving parts.
On price, Shopify is a predictable monthly fee starting around $39 a month, while WooCommerce itself is free but you pay separately for hosting, a theme, and any premium extensions, which makes total cost more variable. The choice is mostly hands-off ease (Shopify) versus full control and flexibility (WooCommerce).
We compare pricing, ease of use, control, hosting, and flexibility.
| Quick facts | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Fully hosted | You provide it |
| Starting price | From ~$39/mo | Free plugin + hosting/extensions |
| Ease of launch | Best-in-class | Moderate |
| Control / customization | Good | Best-in-class |
| Best for | Fast, hands-off stores | WordPress + full control |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | S Shopify | W WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting & security handled | Best-in-class | Self-managed |
| Built-in payments & checkout | Yes | Via plugins |
| App / extension ecosystem | Huge | Huge (WordPress) |
| Open-source / full code control | No | Yes |
| Predictable monthly cost | Best-in-class | Variable |
| Deep design flexibility | Good | Best-in-class |
| Maintenance burden | Low | Higher |
| Content + blog (WordPress) | Good | Best-in-class |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-26.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Shopify is easier and more reliable out of the box, but you work within its ecosystem and pay monthly plus transaction or app costs.
WooCommerce is free and fully customizable, but you own hosting, security, and maintenance, which adds variable cost and effort.
For a fast, low-maintenance launch Shopify wins; for maximum control on WordPress WooCommerce wins.
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