WooCommerce Vs Shopify, a 2022 Comparison

It’s no secret that eCommerce is booming. In fact, a recent study by Statista shows that retail e-commerce sales CAGR from 2022 to 2025 are expected to increase by 13.28% in Australia alone. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder that so many business owners are turning to online shopping as a way to grow their businesses.

But when it comes time to choose the right eCommerce platform for your business, how do you know which one is the best fit? With so many options to consider, it can be tough to make a decision.

In this article, we’re going to pit two of the most popular eCommerce platforms against each other: WooCommerce vs Shopify. We’ll explore the features and benefits of each one so that you can decide which platform is right for your business.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that enables you to turn your WordPress website into a fully-fledged eCommerce store. WooCommerce is a popular choice for small businesses and entrepreneurs who are looking for an affordable way to get started with e-commerce.

WooCommerce can be used on any WordPress website. Once installed, WooCommerce turns a WordPress website into a fully functioning online store, complete with product pages, shopping carts, and payment processing. WooCommerce is easy to set up and use, making it a good choice for businesses that are new to eCommerce. In addition, WooCommerce is highly customisable, giving businesses the ability to tailor their online store to their specific needs.

With thousands of plugins and themes available, WooCommerce provides businesses with everything they need to build a successful online store. Whether you’re selling physical products, virtual products, subscriptions, tickets to events or otherwise, you will find it all possible with WooCommerce and the wide range of WooCommerce plugins available.

The benefits of WooCommerce

There are several reasons why WooCommerce might be the right choice for your business:

• WooCommerce is free to use. You only need to pay for hosting and a domain name. This makes it a great option for businesses on a budget.
• WooCommerce is easy to set up and use. Even if you’re not a technical person, you should be able to set up your WooCommerce store without any problems.
• WooCommerce gives you full control over your store. Unlike some other eCommerce platforms, WooCommerce does not put any limits on what you can sell or how you sell it. You are free to add and remove products, offer discounts, and set your own shipping and payment terms.
• WooCommerce is highly customisable. With thousands of plugins and themes available, WooCommerce provides businesses with everything they need to build a successful online store.

The downside of WooCommerce

While WooCommerce has many advantages, there are also some drawbacks to using this platform:

• WooCommerce can be slow. Because WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress, it inherits all of WordPress’ performance issues. If your website is slow, then your WooCommerce store will likely be slow as well.
• WooCommerce is not as user-friendly as some other eCommerce platforms. If you’re not a technical person, you might find it difficult to set up and use WooCommerce.
• WooCommerce is not as scalable as some other eCommerce platforms. If your business grows beyond a certain point, you may need to switch to a different platform in order to accommodate your growth.

Shopify

Shopify is a paid eCommerce platform that enables businesses to create an online store. Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms on the market, with over half a million businesses using the platform worldwide.

Shopify is easy to use, even for businesses that are new to eCommerce. With Shopify, you can create a professional online store quickly and easily, without any technical knowledge. In addition, Shopify provides users with everything they need to run their store, including hosting, domain names, shopping carts, and payment processing.

Shopify is also highly customisable. There are thousands of plugins and themes available for Shopify stores. This allows businesses to tailor their store to their specific needs.

The benefits of Shopify

There are several reasons why Shopify might be the right choice for your business:

• Shopify is easy to use. Even if you’re not a technical person, you should be able to set up your Shopify store without any problems.
• Shopify gives you full control over your store. Unlike some other eCommerce platforms, Shopify does not put any limits on what you can sell or how you sell it. You are free to add and remove products, offer discounts, and set your own shipping and payment terms.
• Shopify is highly customisable. With thousands of plugins and themes available, Shopify provides businesses with everything they need to build a successful online store.
• Shopify is scalable. As your business grows, Shopify will grow with you. Shopify can accommodate businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to enterprise-level businesses.

The downside of Shopify

While Shopify has many advantages, there are also some drawbacks to using this platform:

• Shopify is a paid platform. Unlike WooCommerce, which is free to use, Shopify requires businesses to pay a monthly subscription fee (see costings below).
• Shopify can be slow. Like WooCommerce, Shopify is a platform that is built on top of another platform (in this case, Ruby on Rails). As a result, it inherits all of Ruby on Rails’ performance issues.

2022 comparison between WooCommerce and Shopify

In 2022, WooCommerce and Shopify will continue to be two of the most popular eCommerce platforms. Both platforms offer users a wide range of features and tools to help them create a successful online store. However, there are some key differences between the two platforms.

WooCommerce is a self-hosted platform, which means that users need to purchase their own web hosting and install the WooCommerce software. This gives users more control over their store, but it also requires a greater level of technical knowledge.

In contrast, Shopify is a hosted platform, which means that users don’t need to worry about web hosting or installation. Shopify also offers users a range of features and tools to help them create a successful online store. However, the main disadvantage of Shopify is that it is a paid platform.

At the moment, Shopify offers three different pricing plans: Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify. Basic Shopify starts at $29 USD per month, while Shopify starts at $79 USD per month and Advanced Shopify costs a whopping $299 USD per month. However, it’s important to note that these prices are subject to change. For example, in January of 2020, Shopify increased its prices by 20%. So, while we can’t say definitively how much Shopify will cost beyond 2022, we can say that it will probably be more expensive than it is today.

If you’re considering using Shopify for your business, we recommend starting with the Basic plan and upgrading if you find that you need more features. This will help you to avoid overspending.

Which eCommerce platform is the best for you?

So, which platform is right for you? If you’re looking for an easy-to-use platform with no monthly fees, then WooCommerce might be the right choice. Even without any Pro plugins, WooCommerce provides a wide range of features and tools to help you create a successful online store. However, if you’re looking for a platform that is more customisable and scalable, then Shopify might be the better option. Ultimately, the decision of which platform to use will come down to your specific needs and requirements. Both platforms offer users a wide range of features and tools to help them create a successful online store.

The key to choosing the right platform is to carefully consider your needs and requirements. If you’re not sure which platform is right for you, we recommend trying out both WooCommerce and Shopify to see which one works best for your business.

If you’re sure WooCommerce is the right choice for you, then please contact Ignition Media for a free quote. We specialise in eCommerce website design, using WooCommerce, and would love to include yours in our portfolio.

Conclusion

Both WooCommerce and Shopify are popular eCommerce platforms with their own advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, the best platform for your business will depend on your specific needs and budget. If you have little to no budget or need more control over your store and are comfortable with code, WooCommerce might be the better solution. If you have a large budget and want an all-in-one platform that’s easy to use, Shopify could be a better fit.

No matter which platform you choose, the key is to carefully consider your needs before making a decision. Once you move in one direction, it’s not easy to go back. Converting from WooCommerce to Shopify or Shopify to WooCommerce is a major ordeal so it will certainly pay to make the right decision ahead of time.

If you’re sure WooCommerce is the best eCommerce platform for you, contact Ignition Media and we’ll be happy to provide you with a free quote. We specialise in WooCommerce development and can help you create a successful online store with this platform.