Shopify and WooCommerce are ecommerce platforms that enable brands to build and run online stores.
Of all ecommerce websites around the world, Shopify powers more than 20% and WooCommerce over 40% (Source: Barn 2 Plugins).
These two software giants may seem similar at first glance, but if you’re thinking of using one to build an online store for your business, you’ll need to know a bit more to make the right choice.
In this article, we’re going to look at both Shopify and WooCommerce and weigh up which might be right for your business.
Shopify
What does it do well?
Shopify is a subscription-model platform that offers fully hosted software. It’s the eCommerce platform of choice for some huge, well-known retailers, including Kraft Heinz Co, Gymshark and FitBit.
Let’s look at some of the features of Shopify:
- Good functionality and versatility, enabling users to create an online shop, list stock, take orders, and complete sales.
- Impressive security, stock control and accounting functions.
- Can be integrated into existing websites.
- Compatible with major social media platforms.
- Offers excellent customer support, throughout the day or night.
Are there any drawbacks?
Shopify charges for functionality (see the price plans) which means costs could swiftly escalate as your business expands. You’ll get charged for taking credit card payments from major providers, like Visa and Mastercard.
Shopify allows you to use its own Shopify Payment provider for free, but charges for every transaction through a third-party payment provider.
A limited range of themes means you risk looking similar to other ecommerce sites out there. You’d probably benefit from hiring a web developer to customise your Shopify site.
Although Shopify’s neatly packaged website templates are appealing for business owners, it does have a pretty significant drawback, in our opinion. Once you sign up, you’re locked in to Shopify’s backend systems with no access to fix performance issues that might negatively impact your Google Search rankings.
WooCommerce
What does it do well?
WooCommerce differs from Shopify, as it’s an ecommerce platform built on WordPress. One of the standout features is the ability to fully customise your website, so you can tailor it specifically to your business.
Other positives of WooCommerce include:
- It’s user-friendly and flexible so setting up and running an online store is relatively easy.
- You can easily maximise the functionality of your online shop with extensions from the WooCommerce Marketplace.
- Additional tools and integrations include inventory management, bookkeeping and accounting software.
- Offers secure payments, shipping integration, order tracking, customer engagement, and delivery status updates.
- WooCommerce offers exceptional value for money, as the original WooCommerce plugin is free. Add-ons and extensions aren’t prohibitively expensive – and many are free.
- Thousands of available add-ons mean your store can be entirely bespoke.
- WooCommerce analytics tell you everything about your customers and how they behave on your online store.
- WooCommerce is SEO-friendly, as it’s built using code optimised for SEO.
- You own the website and are responsible for its maintenance and hosting. This can be beneficial as prices are variable to the size of your business.
Any drawbacks?
Although WooCommerce is free to access at source, the cost of a developer and the necessary extensions will vary, so it can be hard to calculate accurate prices for forward-planning.
Our conclusion
On balance, we think WooCommerce comes out on top. We love how WooCommerce allows you to build a bespoke, unique website that perfectly fits your business needs. You can access in-depth analytics to drive performance and increase functionality as your business grows. Although Shopify offers a great out-of-the-box solution, its limitations are restrictive, and the cost structure penalises businesses growth.
If you’d like to explore your options for building a high-performing ecommerce website, we’d be happy to help. Get in touch for an informal chat.
