Pushbuild

Shopify or WooCommerce: which one fits a small shop?

Shopify is a hosted store with a monthly plan. WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin for WordPress: you pick the hosting and add paid extensions as you need them. The figures below are from each one's own pricing page.

At a glance

  1. Which one to pickYou want to start selling this week with no server to look after: Shopify
  2. What to check before you chooseList the features you need, such as subscriptions, bookings, wholesale prices and shipping rules, and check which come built in and which are paid apps or extensions on each platform.

Side by side

ShopifyWooCommerce
What you pay forA monthly plan, plus card feesHosting, your domain, and any paid extensions
Free optionA 3-day free trialFree to download and use, with no monthly subscription
PlansBasic, Grow and higher monthly plans; card rates depend on the planThe plugin is free; hosting and paid extensions are priced by whoever you buy them from
Where it runsShopify's serversYour own WordPress hosting
Good fitOwners who want the store, hosting and checkout looked after for themShops already on WordPress, or that want full control of the code and data

Which one to pick

  • You want to start selling this week with no server to look after: Shopify
  • Your site is already WordPress, or you need custom checkout or product logic: WooCommerce
  • Either way, add up the monthly plan or hosting, the apps or extensions you need, and payment fees

What to check before you choose

List the features you need, such as subscriptions, bookings, wholesale prices and shipping rules, and check which come built in and which are paid apps or extensions on each platform.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-04. General guidance, not advice for your situation; we scope each project in writing before any work starts.

Questions people ask first

Is WooCommerce free?

The plugin is free to download and use. You pay for hosting, and for any paid extensions you add.

Can I move from WooCommerce to Shopify, or back?

Yes. Products, customers and orders can be moved; we check redirects so search traffic follows.

Which is better for SEO?

Both can rank well. What matters more is page speed, product content and clean URLs.

Tell us what you need built.

Tell us the process and the tools involved, or call. We reply with questions or a written scope.

hello@pushbuild.com

(617) 299-8887