WooCommerce is the top choice for building an online shop. Shopify and Shopify are also great options. There are five million plus users, which includes entrepreneurs and corporations that have earned billions worldwide, between the two giants.
How do you decide which one to choose? You need to choose a platform that best suits your needs to be successful in e-commerce.
Although the details of both platforms can seem overwhelming, we have done the research to help determine which one is right for you. You need to remember that no product is perfect, despite all the claims. You can decide which factors are most important in your decision-making process.
This article will help you understand Shopify and WooCommerce. Learn more about which platform is best to build your online store.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: Overview
WooCommerce
Why We Choose It
WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. Open source software allows the user full access to the source code. This allows more freedom and creativity in designing elements.
This platform is customizable so more developers are creating plugins. In turn, business owners have a more powerful content-management system (CMS) to manage their operations.
WooCommerce makes selling easy for store owners. It is used by 28% on all ecommerce-enabled sites. This is a great option for businesses who are looking for an affordable, flexible way to build an ecommerce platform.
Pros
- There are hundreds of themes and plugins available to choose from
- Highly customizable
- Shopify has a lower SEO performance than Shopify.
Cons
- Requires online development knowledge
- Hosting and plugins are both required. They can also be more expensive.
- Routine maintenance is necessary
Shopify
Why We Choose It
Shopify is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that allows businesses to set up an online store, accept payment and manage inventory. Shopify is a better option than WooCommerce because it removes the technicalities of running an online store. It instead offers simple-to-use tools that allow for quick setup.
Shopify is a platform that was created for people without programming experience. It handles web hosting, security, and caching. Shopify is a great choice if you are looking to build an online store quickly or are just starting out in technical areas.
Pros
- Customer and sales support available 24/7
- Integrable with many apps automatically
- Hosting software includes security.
Cons
- Shopify will take a percentage of all transactions that are done on your site, unless you code it yourself.
- Increased upfront costs
- When compared to WooCommerce, SEO ranking is low.
How WooCommerce and shopify stack up
Although they may appear very different from one another, there are some similarities.
WooCommerce is a basic platform that does not have any bells or whistles, unless you want them. You can customize it to make your interface more unique. However, creativity comes with a cost. That price is developer knowledge. Shopify offers a complete package that is ideal for small business owners who don’t want to deal with the technical aspects of the internet.
WooCommerce’s popularity is due to its free use. When you register an account with WordPress, it’s automatically suggested. This makes it easy for new users to get started. You will need to spend some time building your online store. There is a learning curve when using WooCommerce.
Shopify can be used immediately after you start and can be optimized to search in just a few minutes. The downside is that Shopify is not as customizable as WooCommerce because it’s a closed platform.
These are just a few of the many comparison factors you should consider. We will go into detail about each platform below to help you choose the best one for you.
Setup and UX
Shopify was created for the general public. However, programmers and designers will prefer WooCommerce.
WooCommerce has a steeper learning curve than other platforms. Shopify’s platform, on the other hand, takes you through a step by step setup process and you will have a functioning site at the end.
Shopify’s dashboard is easy to use. The process of adding new products to your shopping cart is intuitive. A guide will help you know what information to fill out next.
WooCommerce’s dashboard makes it easy to add products and navigate. However, it is not a subscription-based platform. This means that you will need to integrate your product before you can use it.
These include:
- Registering a domain
- Hosting account
- How to Install WordPress
- Installing WordPress themes
It is better to have someone who is familiar with the platform and is familiar with plugins.
Shopify would be the winner in ease-of-use.
Designs and Themes
Shopify accounts allow you to immediately access over 70 themes as well as many paid themes. These themes are easy to use and polished.
You can also easily get lost in the design elements. Although you can spend a lot to purchase a theme through Shopify, it’s a one-time fee.
WooCommerce has hundreds of themes and designs that can be programmed to be responsive on mobile devices.
It can take longer to make sure your website design is clear and understandable, since each plugin has its own user experience (UX).
WooCommerce is a great choice if you want a custom layout for your ecommerce site. However, you will need to be able and willing to spend time and money on the development.
Shopify offers premium themes that can be downloaded immediately if you are a big fan of custom. This does not mean that you can share the same theme with multiple online shops.
WooCommerce is an excellent choice because you can customize your themes and designs. We believe it is important to be different from the rest.
There are costs involved
Shopify offers a 14-day trial period for free. After that, users will need to pay a monthly fee. The cheapest plan is $29 per monthly. The next level is $79 per months. The highest-end package costs $299 per mois.
All plans include SSL and web hosting. SSL is the most common technology to keep your internet connection safe and protect any sensitive data.
It costs $14 extra per year to get your own domain name, without Shopify’s brand name in your URL.
The entry-level packages offer unlimited storage and product space, but only two users can use them. This does not include third-party add-ons and tools that are available within the platform.
Transaction fees are charged on a sliding scale. The basic package charges a flat fee at 2.0% for all transactions. The top range, however, reduces this to 0.5%.
It may be worthwhile to keep more of your overhead profit depending on how much you sell.
WooCommerce provides a free initial service. You will need to pay extra for services like booking domain names, SSL certification, and one of the many WordPress hosting account.
These services come at a cost that can vary. Hosting costs can range from $5 to $30. A domain name costs an average of $9 per annual. SSL certificates can be purchased for as little as $100 each year. SSL protects your website and is definitely worth the investment.
You can build a website at a very low price depending on how you combine third-party apps with WooCommerce. You can pay for multiple extensions, such as SEO plugins.
There are so many factors that affect the cost of a platform, it is important to consider the features and not the price.
Support
Shopify is the better platform. While both platforms offer support, Shopify offers more.
Shopify’s customer support team is available 24/7. Because Shopify operates on closed platforms, they can provide a solution for your problem. This allows you to document user errors better.
WooCommerce’s open platform makes it possible for anyone to add-ons. This means that their support team cannot resolve every issue.
However, if you use WooCommerce, it is unlikely that you will need any assistance.
SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a must if you want your website to appear on Google’s search engine result pages (SERPs).
Shopify comes with an integrated SEO plugin that helps you to implement basic SEO practices like site copy and meta information. Shopify websites load much faster than WooCommerce sites. This could give your website more Google ranking juice.
WooCommerce integrates with WordPress, a blogging platform. You can also modify body content, URLs and meta descriptions with WooCommerce’s amazing SEO tools.
WooCommerce is therefore better for people who want to rank high on Google.
Dropshipping
You must ensure that your clients receive what they ordered when you start an e-commerce website. Integrating delivery vendors into your website is one way to do this.
Shopify offers several vendors that can deliver your products. Prices and the associated fees can vary as well as their monthly membership fees or one-off charges. Shopify plugins are not available to all users.
WooCommerce lets you browse hundreds of options to find what you are looking for and then decide on the best option. If you are a small business that only delivers a few items per month, then you might be more interested in a per item delivery than a monthly subscription.
WooCommerce is a great choice if you are looking for a custom delivery solution for your business.
The Bottom Line between WooCommerce and Shopify
Each business has its own unique set of requirements. You’ll need to select the right platform for your business if you want to make a seamless transition into e-commerce.
Shopify is the right choice for your business if it’s looking for an all-in-one platform to manage your e-commerce store. It offers a fast and easy way to get everything up and running, as well as lots of useful features and apps. Shopify has a dedicated support team that is available to help you with any issues and a wide range of integration options.
WooCommerce is the right choice if you have a WordPress site or plan to create one. It is flexible, can be scaled up to great effect and serves better SEO purposes.
It’s up you to decide what your company needs and wants.
