Side-by-side comparison

Here's how the two platforms compare across the factors that matter most to store owners making the switch.

Factor Shopify WooCommerce
Monthly platform cost $39–$399/month $0 (pay for hosting)
Transaction fees 0.5–2% (non-Shopify Payments) $0
Hosting Included in plan You choose ($15–50/month)
Data ownership Shopify's servers Your database, your server
Setup effort Minimal — managed SaaS More upfront configuration
Plugin/app ecosystem Large (many paid apps) Larger (more free options)
Payment gateways Pushes Shopify Payments Works with any gateway
Checkout customization Limited on Basic plan Fully customizable
SEO URL structure Fixed /products/ prefix Configurable
Ongoing maintenance Shopify handles it You manage updates/backups

What Shopify actually costs

Shopify's public pricing covers the platform subscription. The full cost includes several categories most store owners underestimate.

Plan subscriptions (2026)

Plan Monthly cost Transaction fee (non-SP) Staff accounts
Basic $39/month 2% 2
Shopify $105/month 1% 5
Advanced $399/month 0.5% 15

Transaction fees apply when you use a third-party payment processor instead of Shopify Payments. Shopify Payments removes the platform fee, but it's only available in around 20 countries and locks you to Shopify's own payment processing infrastructure.

Common additional costs

A fully operational Shopify store on the Basic plan with five apps typically runs $200–350/month before any transaction fees.

What WooCommerce actually costs

WooCommerce is free software. The costs are for infrastructure and any paid extensions you choose.

Core stack costs

Common paid extensions

A well-equipped WooCommerce store runs $25–80/month total. No transaction fees. No per-staff costs. No checkout customization paywall.

Transaction fee math by GMV

This is where the comparison gets concrete. The table below shows how much Shopify's transaction fee costs at different monthly GMV levels, assuming you're using a non-Shopify-Payments processor.

Monthly GMV Shopify Basic (2%) Shopify Standard (1%) Shopify Advanced (0.5%) WooCommerce
$10,000 $200/month $100/month $50/month $0
$20,000 $400/month $200/month $100/month $0
$50,000 $1,000/month $500/month $250/month $0
$100,000 $2,000/month $1,000/month $500/month $0

A store doing $50k/month on Shopify Basic pays $1,000/month in platform transaction fees. On WooCommerce with Stripe, that number is zero. The WooCommerce migration tool and a year of managed hosting cost less than three months of those transaction fees.

Note

Shopify Payments removes the platform transaction fee, but it's not available in all countries. If you're in the UK, Canada, Australia, or one of Shopify's ~20 supported markets and you're comfortable locking into Shopify's payment processor, the transaction fee math looks different. Most stores outside the US and EU don't qualify for Shopify Payments.

Data ownership and hosting

On Shopify, your store data lives on Shopify's infrastructure. You can export orders and products to CSV, but you don't have direct database access. If Shopify raises prices, changes its terms, or a new policy affects your business, you have limited options.

On WooCommerce, your data is in a MySQL database on your own server. You have full access via phpMyAdmin, custom SQL queries, or any database tool. You can move hosts, take full backups, or inspect your data directly. No dependency on a single SaaS vendor's pricing decisions.

For stores with multi-year order history or sensitive customer data, this distinction matters. Your customer records, order history, and product data are an asset — WooCommerce keeps them in your hands.

Technical effort and maintenance

Shopify handles hosting, security patches, SSL renewals, and uptime. You never need to think about server maintenance. That's the genuine advantage of a managed SaaS platform, and it's worth paying for if you have no technical resources.

WooCommerce requires active management. You choose a hosting provider, handle WordPress and plugin updates, set up backups, and monitor uptime. On managed WordPress hosting (Cloudways, Kinsta, WP Engine), much of this is handled for you — automated backups, staging environments, one-click updates. You still make decisions; you don't necessarily execute every step manually.

The technical skill floor for WooCommerce is higher than for Shopify, but it's not as high as running your own server. A non-technical store owner with good hosting documentation can manage a WooCommerce store. A developer on retainer for a few hours a month removes most concerns.

Payment gateway options

WooCommerce works with virtually any payment processor via free plugins: Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Braintree, Square, and hundreds of regional processors. You pick the gateway with the best rates for your country and customer base.

Shopify supports third-party gateways, but steers you toward Shopify Payments by making it the only way to eliminate transaction fees. If your preferred processor isn't Shopify Payments — or if Shopify Payments isn't available in your country — you pay the platform fee on every transaction.

For stores with high-volume orders or stores that need specific payment methods (BNPL, local bank transfer, crypto), WooCommerce's gateway flexibility is a meaningful advantage.

SEO and URL structure

Both platforms can rank well. The SEO gap between Shopify and WooCommerce is smaller than people claim, and it's largely about URL flexibility and plugin depth.

Shopify locks product URLs into /products/product-handle and collection URLs into /collections/collection-handle. You can't remove those prefixes. For established stores with backlinks to Shopify URLs, this matters when migrating — but for SEO head-to-head, the prefix itself is neutral.

WooCommerce defaults to /product/product-name and /product-category/category-name, but you can configure these to /shop/product-name, /product-name, or any structure you want. Combined with Yoast SEO or RankMath, you get full control over meta titles, descriptions, canonical tags, breadcrumb schema, and sitemap generation.

For most stores, the practical SEO difference between the two platforms is minor. The bigger wins come from content quality, backlink building, and site speed — areas where either platform can excel.

Which platform to choose

Choose Shopify if

You want managed simplicity

  • You're not technical and don't want to manage hosting
  • Your GMV is low (under $5k/month) and fees are a minor cost
  • You need 24/7 Shopify support included in your plan
  • You're selling in a market where Shopify Payments is available
  • Your business model depends on Shopify-specific apps
Choose WooCommerce if

You want control and lower costs

  • Your GMV is $20k/month or more (transaction fees compound fast)
  • You want to own your data and avoid SaaS vendor lock-in
  • You need checkout customization without paying for Shopify Plus
  • You're comfortable managing WordPress or have a developer
  • You want to use a specific payment processor

The break-even point varies by GMV and plan, but most stores doing $15–20k/month or more save money on WooCommerce within the first year — even accounting for the migration tool cost and hosting.

Switching from Shopify to WooCommerce

If you've decided WooCommerce fits your store better, the migration process is straightforward. StoreShift connects to your Shopify store via the Shopify API and imports products, categories, orders, customers, coupons, and URL redirects directly into WooCommerce — no manual CSV exports.

Ready to switch?

StoreShift migrates your full store — products, orders, customers, redirects — in one plugin. One-time purchase, no subscription.

See pricing

For a step-by-step walkthrough of the migration process, read How to Migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce. For the cost breakdown of the migration itself, see Shopify to WooCommerce migration cost.

Frequently asked questions

Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?

For stores with meaningful revenue, yes. WooCommerce is free software — you pay for hosting ($15–50/month) with no transaction fees. Shopify charges $39–399/month plus 0.5–2% per transaction if you're not on Shopify Payments. A store doing $50k/month GMV on Shopify Basic pays $1,000/month in transaction fees alone. On WooCommerce, that cost is zero.

Does WooCommerce have transaction fees?

WooCommerce charges no platform transaction fees. Your payment processor (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) charges processing fees — typically 2.9% + $0.30 — but those are the same fees any platform passes through. Shopify adds its own fee on top when you use a third-party processor.

Is WooCommerce harder to use than Shopify?

WooCommerce requires more setup. You choose and configure your hosting, theme, and plugins rather than getting a ready-made environment. Shopify handles all infrastructure. For store owners comfortable with WordPress, the extra configuration is manageable. For those with no technical background, Shopify's simplicity has genuine value.

Can I migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce without losing data?

Yes. StoreShift migrates products, categories, orders, customers, coupons, and URL redirects from Shopify to WooCommerce via the Shopify API. Most stores complete the migration in under an hour. Theme files, gift cards, and third-party app data need manual handling.

Which is better for SEO, Shopify or WooCommerce?

Both can rank well. WooCommerce gives more control over URL structure and meta tags via plugins like Yoast SEO. Shopify forces a /products/ URL prefix you can't change. The practical SEO difference is small — content quality and backlinks matter far more than platform choice.