Shopify vs WooCommerce:
choose who runs the store.
Compare Shopify and WooCommerce by hosting responsibility, staff accounts, checkout extensions and the recurring costs behind a working online store.
Choose around the work your business needs.
Shopify suits a team wanting hosted store infrastructure. WooCommerce suits a team with WordPress expertise or a maintenance partner that can own its hosting and extensions. Neither choice makes every app, integration or payment cost disappear.
Seven differences that change the shortlist
| Buying question | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Core arrangement | Hosted subscription | Free open-source WordPress core |
| Hosting responsibility | Included store hosting | Choose and pay for a suitable host |
| Extra staff | Basic: none; Grow: five; Advanced: fifteen | Plan WordPress roles and any extension licences |
| Product capacity | Unlimited products on the listed store plans | No core fixed product subscription cap; infrastructure still matters |
| Payments | Processor costs and applicable third-party fees | Processor fees; no core platform revenue share |
| Custom workflows | Check app fees and package permissions | Check extensions, compatibility and maintenance |
| Free access | Trial and conditional introductory offer | Free core software; production operations separate |
Four worked buying briefs
These are hypothetical scenarios with explicit assumptions. They do not establish equal capabilities, measured usability or a negotiated price.
| Employees beyond owner | Basic: 0 | Grow: 5 | Advanced: 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Fits | Fits | Fits |
| 3 | Exceeded | Fits | Fits |
| 6 | Exceeded | Exceeded | Fits |
| 16 | Exceeded | Exceeded | Exceeded |
One owner and 40 physical products
Who will maintain the production store?
Shopify: Basic has no additional staff accounts; a single owner can assess the hosted workflow.
WooCommerce: Core can hold this catalogue, but someone must own hosting, backups and updates.
The count alone does not verify checkout, stock synchronisation or performance.
Owner plus three employees
Can staff use their own editing accounts?
Shopify: Basic does not fit the extra staff requirement; Grow has five additional staff places.
WooCommerce: Map each employee to the needed WordPress and store permissions.
An agency collaborator and a staff login are different arrangements. Never share the owner password.
Owner plus six employees
Is the first staff tier enough?
Shopify: Six exceeds Grow’s five additional accounts; examine Advanced or another appropriate arrangement.
WooCommerce: Check role permissions and any per-user extension or service charges.
Account capacity does not establish approval controls or audit history.
A store with a specialist checkout extension
What breaks when the integration changes?
Shopify: Confirm an app supports the chosen package and checkout action.
WooCommerce: Confirm extension compatibility with the chosen WordPress, theme and checkout versions.
Ask for a support owner, an update test and a recovery plan before launch.
Make operational ownership part of the shortlist
Shopify includes hosted store infrastructure. WooCommerce’s free core price leaves the host, domain and operational services to the store owner. A managed host can take on some work, but its support scope must be agreed.
List who restores the store, checks updates and resolves an unavailable checkout. Test the recovery process without overwriting live orders. “Unlimited products” is a catalogue allowance, not a measured speed or uptime promise.
Build a cost sheet for the same selling workflow
Keep the subscription or hosting fee, required extensions, payment provider, domain renewal and support time on separate lines. Compare standard renewal terms with any introduction offer.
The UK Shopify URL redirected to a Spanish EUR display during this check; those rates are not presented as a verified UK quote. WooCommerce’s published cost ranges are estimates rather than a quote for this store. This comparison therefore leaves the complete subscription and operating total unpriced.
Evaluate the order from product page to refund
Create synthetic product data and test the required variations, delivery rule, discount and payment flow in an authorised test environment. Check the narrow-phone checkout and order confirmation.
Inspect a failed payment, refund, stock change and export. Test each employee’s access independently. This is a buying checklist; no vendor account trial or completed checkout test is claimed.
Questions before you choose
Is WooCommerce completely free?
Its core software is free. Production hosting, a domain, support, paid extensions and payment processing can still cost money.
Can Shopify Basic add three staff accounts?
No additional staff accounts are included on Basic. Grow allows five and Advanced fifteen; check the exact required account type.
Which is cheaper for a UK store?
A reliable answer needs a local Shopify quote and a WooCommerce hosting, extension and maintenance budget for the same workflow. No complete price winner is established here.
Keep the assumptions with the figures
Use the date, billing cycle, units and limits with each example. Check current account terms before purchasing. Unverified prices and model costs stay unpriced.
Download the buying examples as JSON ↓Share the comparison
Use these examples when discussing the shortlist with your team.