Shopify vs WooCommerce
Shopify vs. Woocommerce 2023: Which Platform Is Better?
Shopify offers hosting, a subdomain, SSL certificate, built-in fraud detection, unlimited storage, 24/7 award-winning support, and PCI-DSS compliance upon signing up.
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Why Choose Shopify vs WooCommerce
Key features |
WooCommerce |
Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Included hosting | No | Yes |
| Included SSL certificate | No | Yes |
| Subdomain included | No | Yes |
| PCI-DSS compliance | No | Yes |
| Multiple languages supported | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Customizable website | Yes | Yes |
| Available app store | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app for store owners | Yes | Yes |
| Detailed reporting | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in blog CMS | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited products | Yes | Yes |
| POS system | Yes | Yes |
| International payment processors | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in fraud protection | No | Yes |
| Unlimited storage | No | Yes |
| 24/7 customer support | No | 24/7 in English |
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10 Things Shopify Can Do vs WooCommerce
All in one price
While WooCommerce and Wordpress are both free open-source platforms, the cost of running an online store on the platform isn’t free. You’ll still need to pay for hosting, SSL certificates, and plugins to create a secure and live website. On Shopify, hosting, an SSL certificate, and so forth is included in a monthly subscription. One of the benefits of this, is that as your business grows, the cost of hosting doesn’t change keeping the price point manageable.
Out of the box solution
When comparing Shopify vs WooCommerce, Shopify offers an out of the box solution. So when you sign up for Shopify, you’re steps away from completing your online store. You even choose your domain name at signup. On WooCommerce, you’ll need to sign up for hosting, buy a domain name, and then sign up for Wordpress and add WooCommerce as a plugin. The setup process on WooCommerce is a bit trickier though manageable because of all the separate components whereas Shopify bundles it all together.
Reliable customer support
Shopify support is available 24/7, no matter which plan you’re on. You’ll also have access to help docs, webinars, blog posts, and online courses to guide you along the way. On WooCommerce, support comes in the form of ticket support, WooCommerce docs, live chat, email, and a blog.
Free subdomain included
Shopify includes a free subdomain on .myshopify.com with every sign up. If you decide you want to have your own domain name, the process can be completed in Shopify in only a few clicks. You can use theDomain Name Generator, a free tool that helps you discover domain name availability. On WooCommerce, you’ll need to purchase your domain name with a third-party as a subdomain isn’t included.
SSL certificate
It’s possible to have an SSL certificate, which helps keep your website secure on both WooCommerce and Shopify. However, on Shopify it’s automatically included whereas on WooCommerce you’ll need to set it up separately.
Unlimited file storage
WooCommerce and Shopify both offer file storage. On Shopify, you have unlimited storage included in your monthly subscription automatically. However, on WooCommerce you’ll need to pay $29 a year through their Amazon S3 Storage plug-in to have access to better file storage.
Multiple languages supported
Want to translate your website in multiple languages. It’s possible on both WooCommerce and Shopify. WooCommerce recommends a paid plug-in called Multilingual Press which starts at $99 a year for up to three languages. Shopify allows an unlimited number of languages through our International Domains product for those on the Shopify, Shopify Advanced, and Shopify Plus plans. You can choose to buy domain names for all regions or use a subdomain instead.
Fast site speed
Shopify takes site speed very seriously and has a team of performance experts working to keep Shopify sites as fast as possible. You can view your speed score in Shopify’s admin and make improvements to continue keeping your site speed as fast as possible. WooCommerce doesn’t have control over site speed. Your site speed will be dependent on the hosting service you hire, whether you share servers with big sites, and other external factors. WooCommerce users often add multiple plugins to their website, which can also decrease site speed.
PCI-DSS compliance
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is an industry security standard required by all companies to ensure all credit card details are stored securely. Shopify is certified Level 1 PCI-DSS compliant. However, WooCommerce isn’t compliant automatically, a third-party plugin will be required to maintain compliance. For example, Stripe is a plugin that is PCI-DSS compliant.
Reliable uptime
Both Shopify and WooCommerce merchants want to make the most of their live site. Shopify has a reliable uptime that merchants trust. Since hosting is external to WooCommerce, you’ll need to find a reliable hosting provider.
Why Merchants Prefer Shopify to WooCommerce
Comprehensive app store
Both Shopify and WooCommerce have apps though their terminology differs. WooCommerce refers to them as extensions while Wordpress calls them plugins. The Shopify App Store has 6,000 apps for ecommerce merchants. WooCommerce has approximately 575 extensions for their merchants.
Can handle product launches
Shopify has millions of merchants who rely on their site staying up during product launches. With provided hosting and a reliable uptime, merchants can count on Shopify to launch new products to their big audiences successfully. WooCommerce doesn’t have direct control over hosting, so merchants would have to do their due diligence to find a reliable provider.
Shopify specializes in ecommerce
Shopify’s platform was built specifically to make commerce better for everyone. WooCommerce, on the other hand, was built on Wordpress, which is a CMS. The ecommerce element was added after the main product was created instead of being integrated into from the beginning.
Detailed analytics
Shopify提供es merchants with detailed analytics information, such as an overview dashboard, finance reports, product reports, and many more. WooCommerce recently introduced an analytics feature but it’s only available on version Wordpress 5.3+.
Reliable development
Both Shopify and WooCommerce have developers working on the product. Most of Shopify’s elements are controlled by Shopify, such as hosting, features, and so forth. WooCommerce is a bit more fragmented with a heavy reliance on extensions or Wordpress plugins, which may not be updated by developers for bugs regularly.
Launch your store same day
On Shopify, you can set up and launch your store on the same day. With WooCommerce, you’ll need to buy a domain and point it to the server, which can take up to 72 hours. While this is also the case on Shopify, Shopify provides a subdomain which you can build out and set to live during the process of waiting.
Multi store
Some entrepreneurs choose to run multiple stores. Both Shopify and WooCommerce offer multistore capabilities. However, Shopify offers this feature through the admin whereas on WooCommerce you’ll need a plugin to manage multiple stores.
Built-in fraud detection
Shopify has a built-in fraud detection feature for merchants to assess the risk for every order. WooCommerce offers an Anti-Fraud extension at $79 a year.
We’ve been able to build something in 3 years that a lot of brands haven’t actually gotten to in 10 years.
Chioma,Cee Cee’s Closet NYC
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Try Shopify free for 3 days, no credit card required. By entering your email, you agree to receive marketing emails from Shopify.
FAQs
Which is better: WooCommerce or Shopify?
Shopify is better than WooCommerce for those looking for an easy setup, included security features, reliable hosting, abundance of apps, and more. Shopify was built specifically for ecommerce whereas WooCommerce was built on top of Wordpress’s focus on content. Those looking to build a reliable, secure, and growing online store might consider Shopify where those looking to build a content-based website with a store feature might choose WooCommerce.
What is the difference between WooCommerce and Shopify?
WooCommerce is an open-source platform while Shopify isn’t. Beyond this, Shopify offers a range of features, such as hosting, SSL certificate, subdomain, 24/7 support, built-in fraud detection, over 6000 available apps, and many more features bundled automatically when signing up. WooCommerce is heavily reliant on additional plugins to include many of the features required with running an online store.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: which is better for security?
Both Shopify and WooCommerce offer security features. Shopify is better for security because it is PCI-DSS compliant and includes an SSL certificate when you sign up. WooCommerce requires extensions or Wordpress plugins to add these elements so it isn’t secure unless you set it up to be.
Which has the best uptime: WooCommerce or Shopify?
Shopify has a reliable uptime that is trusted by many big brands, celebrities, and merchants. WooCommerce’s uptime is dependent on the hosting provider you sign up for, which makes it harder to confirm what uptime on WooCommerce is.
Which is cheaper to run: Shopify or WooCommerce?
While WooCommerce and Wordpress are both free, there are still costs associated with running an online store, such as hosting provider, SSL certificate, and any additional plugins or extensions needed for your store. Shopify’s pricing starts at$42.00/month when paying yearly for Shopify Basic, which includes the features required to run an online store.
Which is better for ecommerce: Shopify or WooCommerce?
Shopify was built for ecommerce whereas WooCommerce was built after Wordpress was created as a plugin instead of an integrated product. Shopify is better for ecommerce for it’s 6,000 apps, easy to set up store builder, and award-winning 24/7 support team.
Which is better: Shopify POS or WooCommerce POS?
Both Shopify and WooCommerce have a POS. However, if you’re using Shopify for your website, we highly recommend using Shopify POS for your retail sales. That’s because Shopify specializes in bringing together online and in-person inventory, payments, reporting, and customer profiles. When all your business data is in one place, it’s easier to manage inventory, keep track of payments, and give customers the service they expect, like buy online, pick up in store, and more.
Page last updated: April 1, 2021
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