Shopify vs WooCommerce – Best eCommerce Solution?

Shopify vs WooCommerce –  Introduction

E-Commerce has experienced something we can describe as a “big bang”. Its use has exploded significantly over the last decade, and people have dumped traditional brick-and-mortar stores in favor of online stores, or have added an online store to their already existing brick-and-mortar store. If you happen to be one of these people, you have to know what comes first when foraying into eCommerce, and this is choosing the best eCommerce platform. As eCommerce has burgeoned, many eCommerce platforms have come into the limelight, with two of the biggest players being Shopify and WooCommerce. A detailed Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison is needed to help users understand pros and cons.

Shopify launched in 2008, and it offers your business a ready-made hosting platform and handles all the hosting requirements. WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a WordPress plugin that gives you the chance to transform your WordPress site to an online store. In this article, we will be comparing different aspects that characterize eCommerce platforms, and how Shopify and WooCommerce fare in these aspects.

Also Read: BigCommerce vs Shopify

Shopify vs WooCommerce – Pricing Comparison

While Shopify is upfront and straightforward about pricing, WooCommerce isn’t. When you sign up for Shopify, you pick from one of the premade packages, and that will cover everything you need. But with WooCommerce, it’s a pay as you go thing, so you pay for costs as you incur them; this makes it hard to have a definite budget beforehand. Shopify charges $29 a month, while WooCommerce ranges from $5-$100 a month.

Shopify vs WooCommerce – Features Comparison

The two ecommerce platforms have a lot of features to offer users. When using Shopify, you might have to install apps to get the best out of it, but it has a lot more free options to offer. Some of these include:

• Discount codes
• Blog module
• Manual order creation
• Unlimited products
• Unlimited file storage
• Automatic fraud analysis
• A free SSL certificate.

WooCommerce also has a lot to offer, such as:

• Complete control over data
• Payments via PayPal and Stripe
• A free Facebook ad
• A Facebook store extension
• A mobile-friendly structure.

Shopify vs WooCommerce – Ease of Use

Ease of use is a major aspect in the Shopify vs WooCommerce debate where Shopify beats WooCommerce hands down. This is because Shopify takes you through everything from start to finish. It eases you through the setup process, takes charge of hosting, and aids in Shopify design and customization based on your preferences and needs. As an online business owner, you can always depend on Shopify to do a swift job of setting up everything for you.

WooCommerce is not exactly hard to use, but you need to previously have WordPress, or install it anew and update it, then add the WooCommerce plugin. This is a strenuous and complicated task for newbies. WooCommerce is easier for you if you have the know-how, but if you’re a newbie or you want a smooth ride, go with Shopify.

Shopify vs WooCommerce – Security Comparison

In the area of security, they both offer top-notch security and you can rest easy. When you register for Shopify, you’re provided with a free SSL certificate, and this means that your store is safe. You would still need to follow due process with regards to security- use secure passwords that are hard to guess, and get your themes or apps from reliable sources.

With WooCommerce, you get all the security options that WordPress has to offer, which makes your store as guarded as can be. By also following other security procedures from WordPress such as the use of hard-to-crack passwords and you have to regularly update your WordPress plugins and themes.

Shopify vs WooCommerce – SEO Features

In the area of SEO, WooCommerce triumphs over Shopify. This is because WordPress, which WooCommerce is an extension of, is basically a platform for content creation. SEO experts have tagged it one of the most reliable choices for webpage hosting. You can get high rankings and great optimization for your estore thanks to plugins like Yoast SEO.

Shopify is not bad, either. It is very fast, as it a hosted platform created on huge infrastructure. It offers pages that load fast to all of its webmasters, so your estore has a good chance of getting high ranks and better conversion rates.

Shopify vs WooCommerce- Customer Support

A Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison is not complete without a comparison of prices. Shopify is widely known for top-notch customer care. There’s 24/7 access to a customer care agent available for each client should any problem arise. You can reach agents through email, phone call, or open chat. There’s also a wide-ranging knowledge base that provides answers to commonly asked questions. Getting WooCommerce support is not as straightforward. You can get support on WooCommerce and WordPress forums, or create a free WooCommerce account so you can get support.

Summary

Which Should You Use?

While it might not have the sophistication in SEO and security that WooCommerce offers, Shopify is the better option. It’s extremely easy to use, setup, and manage. It also has a lot of cool and free features for you.