Turbo-Charge Your Revenue!
You’ve probably already considered selling on Amazon but its way easier than you think.
Call Us Now
WooCommerce and Shopify are among the top ecommerce platforms that you can use to build your online store and grow your business.
As a business owner, picking the right ecommerce platform is critical to success. You want a platform that is packed with relevant features, is flexible, and also cost-effective.
You may have heard of these two platforms and aren't sure which would be best for your business. Thankfully, we are here to help you make a decision.
In this article, we will look at the uniqueness and complexities of both WooCommerce and Shopify to help you make the right decision.
WooCommerce launched in 2011 and has since gained popularity in the ecommerce space.
With over 5 million websites powered by WooCommerce, the platform has become a preferred option among small and medium-sized businesses.
WooCommerce is an open-source plugin you can put in your WordPress website to convert it to an ecommerce store. So, if you have a WordPress site, all you need to do is install this plugin to set up an online store. Easy right?
The platform is also user-friendly and packed with powerful features.
Shopify is a standalone ecommerce solution that helps you create an online store. With Shopify, you don't have to worry about knowing how to code or build a website which makes it great for beginners. It comes with sophisticated features that make it easy to build and promote your online store.
Both WooCommerce and Shopify are great platforms to kick off your ecommerce business on. Let's look at some of the major differences between both platforms.
WooCommerce is an open-source plugin that you have to install on your WordPress site. After installing WooCommerce, you will see different options on your dashboard to help you customize your online store.
WooCommerce can be complex as you need to have some knowledge of WordPress. You will need to initially install and configure WordPress and the WooCommerce Plugin.
In contrast, the Shopify platform is easy to use. You can install your online store within a few minutes. It comes with all the relevant features you need to build your store from scratch including the drag-and-drop feature.
When it comes to ease of use, Shopify is considered more beginner-friendly thanks to its intuitive interface. With Shopify, you won't need any technical skills to build your store.
With Shopify, you are sure to find the perfect theme for your website from over 120 theme options. These Shopify themes are professional and stylish and have both free and paid options. They are also mobile-responsive themes.
WooCommerce has hundreds of ecommerce themes you can choose from. However, how great your design turns out depends on how much skill and time you put into it. On the flip side, the platform offers limitless customization.
Shopify has more stylish and sleek designs than WooCommerce and is carefully curated for various industries.
Both WooCommerce and Shopify offer a wide range of plugins and integrations.
WooCommerce is integrated with WordPress and delivers a wide library of plugins and extensions. The platform also offers more integrations and add-ons on its website. In fact, WooCommerce offers over 500 extensions designed for ecommerce.
Shopify offers thousands of extensions and apps in different categories including sales, shipping, inventory management, and so on.
Some of these extensions are free while others require a one-time or monthly subscription fee.
WooCommerce is open source and easily wins this category. With thousands of plugins and extensions, customization is limitless. While Shopify also has an extensive library, it doesn't compare to WooCommerce.
Payment options are crucial for any ecommerce store.
Shopify offers its own payment gateway - Shopify Payments and other third-party payment gateways. However, the downside is, if you're not using Shopify Payments which is only available in some countries, you will need to pay a transaction fee to use third-party payment gateways.
WooCommerce offers various payment gateway integrations including PayPal, which is free, and Amazon Payments which require an annual fee.
Both Shopify and WooCommerce offer several payment gateways with some free and others coming at a cost.
Shopify offers a pricing plan that starts at $32 per month. As you upgrade to more advanced plans, you can unlock more sophisticated features. These plans do not include any third-party tools or add-ons.
WooCommerce on the other hand is available as a free plugin. However, you will need a domain name, WordPress hosting account, and SSL certificate which you will need to pay for to set up your store.
Bluehost is a well-recommended hosting provider for WordPress sites and offers a free SSL certificate, free domain name, and a discount on web hosting. Their basic plan starts as low as $2.95 per month for one blog or site.
WooCommerce is a free plugin with affordable add-ons, giving you more value for your money. Unlike Shopify which comes with fixed pricing plans that can be pricey over time.
Marketing tools help you promote your business, connecting your brand to your target customers.
But which platform offers the best marketing tools?
Overall, Shopify wins, thanks to its wide range of marketing tools that support multichannel selling.
WooCommerce has to rely on plugins for its marketing tools.
For any ecommerce website, security is an important factor to consider as these sites process sensitive information.
Shopify is a hosted platform and so handles the security, ensuring the system and your site are well-secured.
On the other hand, with WooCommerce, you or your hosting provider will need to handle the security. You will need to get an SSL certificate, configure security plugins and get other features needed to tighten security.
Shopify comes with better security features that take care of your site for you. WooCommerce requires that you source for security features to help guard your ecommerce store.
Being an open-source platform, WooCommerce doesn't come with an email, phone, or live chat. However, with WooCommerce hosting provider Bluehost, you get access to incredible customer support. The customer support includes 24/7 phone and live chat as well as a knowledge center with useful information.
Shopify offers 24/7 email, phone, and live chat support. They also have useful guides, FAQs, a setup wizard, and a community forum to help you.
If you're using Bluehost, customer support ties easily with Shopify. However, if comparing WooCommerce with Shopify, Shopify has better customer support features.
Now we have looked at both WooCommerce and Shopify, it is important to keep some things in mind before making a decision. Here are some questions to answer before choosing the best ecommerce platform for your business:
Depending on what your needs are, you may need to consider other factors like shipping, taxes, inventory management, etc.
Answering these questions will lead you closer to discovering which ecommerce platform will work best for your business.
We have been able to successfully unload all the major differences between WooCommerce and Shopify, as well as some basic questions to bring you closer to choosing the best ecommerce platform for your business.
Both platforms can work great depending on what your business needs are.
If you don't want to bother with any complex setups or technical knowledge, you may want to go for Shopify. On the other hand, if you are experienced and want more control over your store, WooCommerce may be a better option for you.
We recommend taking the time to answer some of the questions listed above and consider your business needs and objectives before making a final decision.
You’ve probably already considered selling on Amazon but its way easier than you think.
Call Us Now