TPHUBS.COMShopify vs WooCommerce: which should you choose for your online store?
Shopify and WordPress with the WooCommerce plugin are the two most common ways to run an online store. Neither is best for everyone. Here is a straight comparison to help you pick the one that fits how you sell.
The core difference
Shopify is a subscription service. You pay monthly and Shopify handles hosting, security, updates and checkout, so you can focus on products and selling.
WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress. You rent hosting, install it yourself and are responsible for updates, backups and security. In return you get full control of the code and data.
Side by side
| Shopify | WordPress + WooCommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform cost | From $39/month (Basic, billed monthly) | Free plugin; you pay hosting (from a few dollars a month) and a domain |
| Getting started | Easy, everything in a dashboard | Moderate; hosting and plugins to set up |
| Maintenance and security | Handled by Shopify | You or your developer |
| Transaction fees | Extra 2%/1%/0.6% if you don't use Shopify Payments | No platform fee, only your gateway's fees |
| Customization | Very good within themes and apps | Practically unlimited |
| Selling internationally | Strong: multi-currency, multi-language, Google, Meta and TikTok built in | Possible, with extra plugins and setup |
| Blog and content | Basic blog | Excellent; WordPress was built for content |
Shopify prices are US-dollar list prices at the time of writing and may differ by country.
Choose Shopify if
- You sell across borders, especially dropshipping or print on demand, where most fulfillment apps and ad channels integrate with Shopify first.
- You want to launch quickly and never think about servers, updates or hacks.
- You don't have a developer on hand long term.
Choose WooCommerce if
- You rely on local payment methods that Shopify doesn't support well in your country.
- Your site is mostly content (guides, articles, news) and the shop is one part of it.
- You have reliable technical support and need deep customization Shopify won't allow.
Other options
If you only need to present a product and take orders by message, a simple landing page is enough and costs far less than a full store. If you already sell on a marketplace such as Etsy or TikTok Shop, you may want your own store alongside it rather than instead of it, so you own your customer list.
Questions to answer before you decide
- Where are my customers?
- How will they pay?
- Who maintains the site after launch?
- Do I need to sell now, or do I need a content-heavy website?
- What monthly budget am I comfortable with?
Still unsure? Message us with your product and market. TPHubs builds on any platform, so the advice is about what fits you, not what we prefer to sell. For a full cost breakdown, read How much does it cost to start a Shopify store?