Woocommerce vs Shopify - Which should you choose?
If you're building a new online store, you may be unsure which e-commerce platform to choose. Shopify vs. Woocommerce? Who is the winner?
To approach anything resembling truth, you need to dive into the pros and cons of both systems.
In this post, I compare the two platforms in terms of price, usability, security and many other relevant factors that can help you make a good decision.
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1. What is Shopify?
Shopify is an out-of-the-box solution with great ease of use, built-in reporting and statistics, and a wealth of sales channels.
It's a fast and highly efficient solution for everything from small startups to large international companies.
Their basic idea is to offer a solution that users without technical skills and experience with code can set up and operate effortlessly.
When you choose Shopify, you get a hosted solution - so you don't need web hosting from elsewhere or software installation to get started.
Shopify is a paid cloud-based solution, a so-called "SaaS" (Software as a service) solution.
What this means for you is that you don't own the software you use, but instead pay a monthly fee to have access to it.
If you want to customize your solution beyond what the theme and system offer, you can code directly in Shopify. Shopify also offers a wealth of apps through their app store.
2. What is WordPress (Woocommerce)?
WordPress is an open source software that you install on your own server.
If you have your shop built remotely, your web agency will in many cases offer you hosting. You can also install it on your server through a hosting provider.
WordPress is the world's most widely used CMS (Content management system), it's a lot older than Shopify and was originally a tool for blogs.
Since its inception, a huge number of extensions and add-ons have been created that make it possible to use WordPress for so much more.
For example, there is a wide range of plugins for running a webshop in WordPress. The most common is Woocommerce, which accounts for approximately 30% of webshops on the internet.
So what should you choose?
I've gained a lot of experience with both platforms and now know - what you can get the most bang for the buck, what works most intuitively, which platform is most secure - and much more.
Let me take it step by step.
3. Control panel and usability
Both Shopify and WordPress have a relatively simple control panel and the setup of both panels is quite similar.
They both have a primary menu on the left-hand side where you can access reporting, orders, page setup and a lot more.
The WordPress control panel
The page setup panel is also relatively similar in both systems.
For WordPress, there are a number of different page builder plugins (called a pagebuilder).
Here you'll find some of the most used page builders.
WordPress comes with a page builder by default, however, most themes offer a page builder with greater functionality and ease of use.
It's important that you research the market and what others recommend.
Some page builders work as visual drag and drop solutions and are very easy to navigate. However, it's important to be aware that they can affect the loading speed of the page, ruining both the user experience and the search engine optimization of your webshop.
Shopify control panel
Shopify has a standard page builder that does not differ in appearance across themes, but the functionality and options can vary from theme to theme.
Shopify's control panel is very intuitive and simple, so you can quickly start making changes to your products, view your orders and much more.
The WordPress control panel allows for greater ability to change the look of the panel and basically has more options. However, it also means that the look can be a bit more cluttered and confusing.
4. Pages and blog posts
When it comes to creating and managing pages and blog posts, WordPress is the big winner.
WordPress is built to do just that and offers a wide range of options for organizing blog posts with categories and tags.
WordPress also offers versioning, which means that every time you save a blog post or page, WordPress saves a "backup".
This is where Shopify falls short, as Shopify unfortunately doesn't offer the same.
When it comes to managing collections and products, Shopify is a more simple and intuitive system, no doubt due to the fact that Shopify is a dedicated shop system from end to end.
Shopify also offers automated collection sorting. This means that Shopify automatically sorts your collections based on prices, names and tags.
If you need to create a page with a large number of products, this can save you a lot of time.
5. Price: Shopify vs. Woocommerce?
Of course, price also matters. So what do Shopify and Woocommerce cost respectively?
6. How much do Shopify solutions cost?
Shopify Lite: $9
(approximately 60 kr. per month)
Allows the use of Shopify's "buy button" and selling through Facebook.
It is not an actual webshop, but functions as a sales channel that can be used on another website or on various social media platforms.
Shopify Basic: $29
(approximately 190 kr. per month - 2.0% of the purchase price is deducted from each order)
Shopify Basic allows you to build and run an online store, you have the option to have two accounts, and like the plans below, you get Shopify's 24-hour support.
Shopify: $79
(approximately 525 kr. per month - plus 1.0% of the purchase price is deducted from each order)
This package offers extended reporting, gift cards and the option for up to five accounts.
Shopify Advanced: $299
(approximately 1990 kr. - 0.5% of the purchase price is deducted from each order)
Offers an advanced editable report and the ability to calculate shipping rates from a limited number of providers.
Shopify Plus: price starts at $2000
(approximately 13330 kr. per month)
This solution varies and is negotiable depending on the size of your business.
Please note that Shopify apps are often subscription solutions and are therefore included in the monthly cost.
You must also include a fee for your payment system - and this also applies to Woocommerce.
7. How much do WordPress solutions cost?
As mentioned earlier, WordPress is a free piece of software. However, this does not mean that running an online store through the system is completely free.
Here are some of the things you may experience costs with:
Hosting
You need to have your webshop on a server where you pay an amount for the space your webshop uses. The price can vary greatly depending on the solution and provider.
Examples of hosting providers:
Unoeuro
One.com
Hostgator
If you choose Amplify to build your webshop, we offer a support and hosting package.
You can always call one of our geeks on tel. +45 70 60 50 28 and let us help you choose the right webshop solution.
Themes
There are a lot of free themes out there, but it's rarely the free themes that make the grade.
It's important to build an online store on a good foundation, just like a house. The theme must be user-friendly and suitable for Woocommerce.
Plugins
In many cases, you will need to purchase plugins to add necessary functionality to your webshop.
Integrations
The possibility of integrations is often a "nice to have" rather than a "need to have". However, some integrations can save you both time and money.
8. Themes: Shopify vs. Woocommerce
Shopify offers 10 free themes and about 60 paid ones. All themes are mobile-friendly and stylish.
In addition, Shopify offers one hour of free development from one of their developers. You can use this to tailor your theme to your needs.
You can find all Shopify themes here
It is also possible to use third-party themes in Shopify, but it is important to note that Shopify does not provide support for these themes.
You can find third-party themes on Themeforrest, among others.
WordPress offers a huge selection of themes that can be found across the world wide web. Here again, Themeforrest is a good platform to find your theme. Otherwise, a Google search will take you a long way.
9. Mobile friendliness
All Shopify official themes are responsive, meaning they scale up and down according to screen size and device.
The most popular Woocommerce themes are also responsive, but that's not a guarantee. However, in most cases you can read up on whether the theme is responsive or not.
Shopify and Woocommerce both offer you access to their control panel from your mobile. Here you can edit, delete and add products and collections.
10. E-commerce functionality
So which of these platforms performs best when it comes to e-commerce?
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to that question.
WordPress has far more options, but it requires a lot more setup and maintenance. Both systems will in most cases be able to cover your needs with plugins or custom code.
So, unless you've invented the web shop plugin, it's likely that someone has created a plugin that is both compatible and well-functioning for both systems.
As of May 12, 2019, Shopify has terminated their partnership with Mailchimp due to a discrepancy in the data handling of their users.
You can see Shopify's statement on the case here.
However, there are great alternatives to Mailchimp.
For example, Klaviyo claims that their users who switched from Mailchimp experienced a 46% increase in total revenue.
Read more about Klaviyo as an alternative to Mailchimp here.
You can easily and conveniently set up Facebook Messenger, Instagram Shopping and Facebook shopping in Shopify. These are standard sales channels and therefore do not need to be installed as apps. Unlike WordPress where they need to be installed separately.
In addition, Amazon and E-bay are also an option in Shopify, however, this is not yet an option in Denmark.
If your online store has many product variations, Shopify might not be the best option as it only offers up to 100 product variants.
However, there are a number of apps that can work around this, but in some cases it can affect the load time.
Shopify is an all-in-one solution with which you can quickly create a beautiful and user-friendly webshop.
WordPress with Woocommerce, on the other hand, requires a little more immersion or basic knowledge to get started with. On the other hand, it gives you the option of more extensions.
11. Which platform is best search engine optimized?
Your webshop needs to be search engine optimized to make it visible on Google and other search engines.
There are a lot of factors that determine where you rank on Google. But there are a few differences between the search engine optimization options available through Woocommerce and Shopify.
In WordPress, you have more control over your URL paths, which can be an advantage when it comes to getting a shorter and simpler URL.
In addition, WordPress gives you the option to use Yoast SEO, which is one of the most recognized SEO plugins on the market. Yoast analyzes your site's SEO and then gives you a step-by-step guide on how to optimize your site.
With Yoast SEO, you can also edit how your site should appear in search results.
Shopify has a built-in version of this snippet preview, but unfortunately it doesn't generate a list of steps to optimize your pages.
Get a checklist to help you search engine optimize your Shopify online store.
Shopify has a number of apps that offer a service very similar to Yoast.
The platform is generally SEO savvy and has an SSL certificate installed by default, which is a must for ranking well in search results.
A few other smart features are that Shopify self-generates XML sitemaps and automatically suggests 301 redirects when a page name is changed.
12. Safety and maintenance
Shopify is the clear winner here, as it is a dedicated webshop system hosted and maintained by Shopify.
This means that Shopify makes sure that the system is always updated to the latest version.
In WordPress, on the other hand, you are responsible for keeping the system updated and secure.
It's important to keep an eye on:
- That your WordPress version is always up to date
- That your theme is updated to the latest version
- That your server is set up correctly
- That all your plugins are updated to the latest version
In the worst case scenario, defaulting could mean your site gets hacked.
What often happens when plugins or themes are updated is that hackers, through the new updated code, can see what bugs/holes are in the non-updated code. In other words, the updated code acts as a manual of what errors the previous code contains.
They then set a computer to check all sites that use the specific plugin or theme. If the computer finds a WordPress site without the update, it forces access to the site using the bug and inserts malware into the site.
Some WordPress plugins may contain malware when you download them. Because (unlike Shopify) they are not in a closed and tested environment. This means that anyone could have made the plugin you install.
Therefore, pay attention to how many users use the plugin you want to install and when the plugin was last updated.
Of course, it's important that you also protect your site by using a strong password.
For example, you can use your email as your username and it's a good idea to have a password that is pure gibberish, with both upper and lower case letters, punctuation and numbers.
Shopify is also obligated to help you resolve any malware attacks.
Shopify online stores are always SSL-certified, which means that your customers visit the site on a secure connection. The SSL certificate should definitely be installed on a WordPress site as well, but it is not installed by default.
If your website or webshop is not SSL certified, call us today on +45 70 60 50 28 to learn more about why it's important to get certified.
13. Support
Shopify offers 24-hour chat support in all its packages except Shopify Lite.
Here you can get help choosing apps, guides to changing your settings and much more.
The service you get in the chat is top notch and there is the option to insert screenshots to show any issues.
You will then receive a follow-up email with the full conversation, which you can answer later if you have more questions.
Shopify also has a very comprehensive help center with video guides, support forums, blogs, and a very well-documented developer portal (developer support forum).
Unfortunately, WordPress doesn't offer support, but there are plenty of forums and video guides produced by users - and they also have a support page with documentation, support forums, blogs and so on.
WordPress is generally far more documented than Shopify because the number of users is so huge. The downside of that is that finding answers to your questions can also get messy.
In general, I always recommend that you immerse yourself in your platform, theme and plugins. Video guides can be an easy-to-digest way to learn more. It makes you more aware of why things might go wrong.
14. integrations
There are many integrations for both Shopify and WordPress (Woocommerce).
Bookkeeping and shipping integrations are particularly smart - and they can save you hours AKA money.
Bookkeeping
For bookkeeping, we at Amplify always recommend that you set up IEX's integration with your preferred accounting program. IEX offers integrations for most accounting programs and they work with both Shopify and Woocommerce.
The integration ensures that your orders are automatically booked in your accounting program, making it easy for you or your accountant to prepare financial statements or just get a quick overview.
Freight module
In Amplify, we recommend integrating with a shipping module in most cases. You just choose the solution based on the carrier you prefer.
For example, if you have an agreement with UPS, you will not be able to use the Danish modules such as Pakkelabels or Smartsend. However, you can use Webshipper.
Shopify offers in their "advanced solution" free setup with your own shipping agreement if your shipping provider is one of these: USPS, UPS, FedEx or Canada Post.
This is also possible in a Shopify and Shopify Basic solution if the solution is paid quarterly, however, it must be arranged with Shopify via their support chat.
WordPress offers various plugins for the same, which can certainly be a cheaper solution than, for example, package labels.
However, you should be aware that if any issues arise with the plugin, you will not be able to get support. You may end up having to pay for professional help (which can quickly become expensive).
15. payment system
Both platforms allow most payment systems, such as Quickpay, Klarna, ePay and Stripe.
It is the payment system that defines which card types your webshop supports. You should be aware that not all systems support mobile payment with Mobilepay, for example.
In Denmark, online security is very important to the user, so we always recommend that you use the payment system's 3D secure checkout and not Shopify's or WordPress' built-in checkout.
The user will be directed to an external link on the domain of the payment system. Finally, verify your identity with an SMS code sent to your mobile phone.
16. in short
So which of these heavyweights will take the gold, the fame and half the kingdom?
Unfortunately, the answer is not so clear-cut.
The reality is that we are dealing with two very competent duelists who have a lot of interfaces and relatively few detours. Your choice depends on what is most important for your business.
Good reasons to choose Shopify
- Shopify is a very simple and user-friendly system that you can set up quickly. Therefore, it doesn't take much to become a shark with the system.
- Shopify is a dedicated shop system and comes standard with a number of features that a webshop needs. It is therefore very simple to set up. Whereas in WordPress (Woocommerce) you have to install and set up many of these features.
- Hosting is part of Shopify, so you don't have to worry about setup, optimization and maintenance. If your site is down, you can check their status page to see if it's due to a server error.
- Shopify is undoubtedly the more secure solution of the two, as Shopify ensures that the shop is always updated to the latest version. So you don't have to worry about maintaining the site. If a challenge does arise, it's Shopify's responsibility to fix it.
- Shopify has kickass support that's always available when you need it.
- Shopify's control panel is simpler and more user-friendly than WordPress. It makes the day-to-day running of your site more fluid.
- You can quickly and easily test Shopify for 14 days to see if the system is right for you. You have full access to the entire system. To use WordPress, you first need to get a domain and hosting and install and set up WordPress before you can test it.
- Shopify offers easy sorting of collections with tags, prices and more.
Good reasons to choose WordPress (Woocommerce)
- WordPress is an open source software and can therefore be downloaded at no cost.
- WordPress is a much more versatile platform, so you can build any type of website with an accompanying webshop.
- WordPress has the undisputed best CMS that offers versioning, archiving and sorting of your pages and blog posts.
- WordPress has a larger selection of themes and plugins, both paid and free. This can help you extend the functionality of your site. Shopify is a little more limited in its app store.
- It's a bit easier to search engine optimize your webshop in WordPress.
- You have the option to add an unlimited number of product variants. Shopify has a limit of 100 variants per product, but this can be fixed by adding apps.
- You have more options for adding e-commerce functionality than Shopify.
- WordPress is a more widely used platform and for that reason is far more well documented.
- WordPress is a cheaper solution than Shopify.
Get help with your SEO strategy
A good start is half done. A bad start is.... well, not good. If you don't have the resources to create a well-thought-out SEO strategy, you are always welcome to send me an email at seo@amplify.dk or contact one of my colleagues at info@amplify.dk.
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