With over 6 million active websites and over 2 million daily active users respectively, both WooCommerce and Shopify are giants in the e-commerce space. They’re both great options for setting up shop online, thanks to their advanced features and ease of use.
However, you should be aware of some key differences between the two platforms before deciding. In this article, we’ll pit WooCommerce against. Shopify and compare their features side by side. By the end, you’ll know exactly which platform is right for your e-commerce needs.
Price
Being a WordPress plugin, WooCommerce is free to download and use. However, there are some costs associated with using WooCommerce, such as domain name, hosting fees, and purchasing add-ons like plugins and themes. This may cost you anywhere between $50 and $100 per month.
Shopify, on the other hand, is a subscription-based platform. You’ll need to sign up for one of their three plans: Basic Shopify ($29/month), Shopify ($79/month), or Advanced Shopify ($299/month). However, there is a 14-day free trial available, so you can try out the platform before committing to a plan.
When it comes to price, WooCommerce is more affordable for small businesses just starting out. For larger enterprises, Shopify’s subscription plans may be more suitable.
Security
Security is one of the most important considerations when choosing an e-commerce platform. After all, you’ll be dealing with sensitive customer information like credit card numbers and addresses. Therefore, you need a solution that is not susceptible to ransomware attacks, data breaches, viruses, and other online threats.
WooCommerce is a self-hosted platform, so it’s up to you to ensure that your store is secure. This means that you’ll need to install a security plugin and keep your WordPress installation up to date. However, if you get the best WooCommerce hosting solution, you can be sure of a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and top-notch security, among other perks.
Shopify is a fully-hosted platform, so they take care of all the security for you. Your store will be automatically PCI compliant, and Shopify uses SSL certificates to keep your customer information safe.
Shopify seems to be the clear winner when it comes to security. However, if you’re using WooCommerce, you can still keep your store secure by taking the necessary precautions.
Ease of Use
WooCommerce is fairly straightforward and easy to use, thanks to its intuitive interface. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, you should be able to set up your store without any problems. However, because WooCommerce is not a hosted solution, you’ll need to take care of things like hosting, security, and updates yourself.
Alternatively, Shopify is a fully-hosted platform, so you don’t need to worry about those things. It’s all taken care of for you. Thanks to Shopify’s drag-and-drop builder, even beginners can create a beautiful online store with zero hassle.
Shopify also has over 100 free and paid themes to choose from, so you can find the perfect design for your brand.
When it comes to ease of use, Shopify is the clear winner. However, WooCommerce is still fairly easy to use, especially if you’re familiar with WordPress.
Features
Both WooCommerce and Shopify come packed with features to help you run your online store.
WooCommerce offers features like:
- Automatic tax calculations
- Built-in coupon management system
- Support for multiple languages and currencies
- Unlimited products and categories
- Integration with Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and many more.
Shopify also offers similar features, plus:
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Gift cards
- Professional reports
- POS system
- 24/7 technical support
Both platforms offer a ton of features to help you run your store. However, Shopify’s features are more geared towards larger businesses, while WooCommerce is better suited for small to medium businesses.
Customer Support
Over 68% of customers say they can pay more for products and services if they know they can count on better customer service. Therefore, it’s important to choose an eCommerce platform that offers excellent customer support.
Both WooCommerce and Shopify offer excellent customer support. They both offer 24/7 support via live chat, email, and phone.
Besides this, WooCommerce has an extensive documentation site with step-by-step tutorials.
Shopify also has an extensive knowledge base with helpful articles and videos. In addition, Shopify Experts are available to help you with everything from design to marketing.
When it comes to customer support, both platforms offer excellent service. However, Shopify’s support is slightly better, thanks to their knowledge base and Shopify Experts program.
Inventory Management
Both WooCommerce and Shopify offer inventory management features to help you keep track of your products.
WooCommerce offers features such as:
- Automatic stock updates
- Low stock alerts
- Backorders
Shopify also offers similar features, plus:
- Product variants
- Barcode printing and scanning
- Automated purchase orders
- In-house revenue reports
Both platforms offer inventory management features to help you run your store. The platform you choose depends on the level of management you need. If you need simple yet effective inventory management, then WooCommerce will suffice. However, if you need more advanced features like variants and purchase orders, then you’ll need to use Shopify.
Make sure you consider the size of your business, the level of expertise your team has, your budget, the features you need, and your security needs before making a decision. Regardless of which platform you choose, rest assured you’ll build a successful online store.