WordPress vs Shopify: Which Platform Is Best For Online Store

Last updated on September 16th, 2023 at 04:38 pm

If you are looking to open an online store then you don’t need to worry about it because there are numerous options available for you.

Different platforms offer unique features. But, it can be confusing to choose the best one and affordable for you.

Among so many options, Shopify and WordPress are the two popular eCommerce platforms for creating an attractive eCommerce website.

Shopify is a SaaS eCommerce platform. It is trusted by over 1,000,000 businesses worldwide. On the other hand, WordPress is an open-source CMS. It is a two-fold blogging platform: a hosted blogging platform and downloadable self-hosted software. Almost 36% of the websites have been developed on WordPress.

Likewise, among various options, it isn’t easy to decide whether to opt for Shopify or WordPress

Both platforms have their strong sides and weaknesses. Instead of going into detail, we need to find out which can meet your needs and resources best.

Let’s take a look at how to leverage WordPress or Shopify for eCommerce!!

Comparison Between WordPress and Shopify

1. Theme or Templates

Themes or templates are the basic structure of any website. Generally, templates are mobile responsive.

Shopify provides 70 themes, but WordPress provides endless themes for your business. The plugin owner can customize some of them. But the themes, in WordPress, are almost free, and few are paid. You can sell them digitally.

Shopify provides cart recovery, discount codes, dropshipping, etc. You can add descriptions, and pictures, set prices, manage stock, and organize products with types, vendors, or collections.

You can hire a WordPress developer to assist you in adding the necessary information about the product: a description, an image, a price, stock, category, tags, and many more in the right manner.

You can also install a dropshipping extension in WordPress. WordPress does not have any limitations. Also, it gives the provision to install other plugins in product management. It is incomparable that WordPress is providing several themes.

2. Content Management and SEO

WordPress has numerous benefits in content management; it has a version of different pages that can be backed up anytime. Also, meta descriptions and URLs can be improved for the betterment of SEO performance. You can also install plugins to WordPress stores for the betterment of your store.

Shopify offers content structuring and navigation to match the customer’s search. The platform has in-built SEO features such as meta titles, canonical tags, sitemaps, descriptions, etc., and a common language with search engines. Also, you can add Google Analytics in the user dashboard in the preference section.

3. Time to Build

Time is the most crucial factor in building an online store. The easier the platform, the quicker you can create your brand store and start selling your product.

Both platforms are more about which one can meet your expectations. Shopify will let you get your store live faster than WooCommerce.

With WooCommerce, the setup is more time-consuming. You have to sort things like hosting services. But Shopify is a one-stop shop that will provide all the essentials for you.

If you are new and you have limited technical skills, then Shopify is the best option. It quickly gets your store ‘life’. You have your handheld where you can choose and edit the themes.

So, If you’re willing to sacrifice time for greater technical control, then WooCommerce is worth it for you.

One convenient service that can save you time in setting up a store with WooCommerce is BlueHost. BlueHost’s deals include one-click WordPress installation, hosting, and round-the-clock support.

4. Payment and Transaction Fee

The payment is the main factor that can make a big difference in your sales. Shopify offers 100 of the payment gateways.

Similar to its e-commerce features, WordPress payment options are provided through its plugins. WooCommerce, Ecwid, and WP eCommerce are the best gateways, and you are not charged anything more on top of each one’s transaction fee.

Shopify provides five payment plans that start from $9 to $2000 per month. Although WordPress is a free solution. It offers only charges for hosting services that start from $4 to $29 per month.

5. Maintaining and Security Channels

Security is a primary concern for any website. Shopify is the SaaS platform that handles all the security and updates. It protects from hackers in the background. Shopify gives the SSL certificate and supports 2-step authentication.

In contrast to that, WordPress setup can be automatically downloaded. You can hire a third-party service to handle your WordPress maintenance, security, and eCommerce store. However, WooCommerce has a default feature of security.

6. Integrations

It doesn’t matter how well your e-commerce platform is, you need a third-party tool to grow the store. E.g., lead generation tool, email marketing software, analytics tool, outreach services, etc.

Both Shopify and WooCommerce have a massive extensions directory, and they integrate with many third-party services.

7. Flexibility

WordPress is more flexible in comparison to Shopify. This is a much more widely used platform than Shopify. It provides templates, plugins, and integrations for the platform.

It is an open-source platform and the fact that it has control over hosting. WordPress can be easily manipulated to create a website, then Shopify.

Shopify’s app store contains apps that allow you to extend the functionality of a site. Shopify provides enough flexibility for more advanced or corporate-level users, this offers Shopify Plus plans that will meet the requirements.

Wrapping Up

The above-given eCommerce platform is a life-giving part of any online retail business. Each of them will help you to provide a hassle-free experience for your customers.

Now, how to make a wise choice? If you already have a WordPress website, then it’s better to pick WooCommerce.

Yet, if you want to start an online business from scratch, it makes more sense to choose Shopify.

It’s up to you to choose the best fit for your business.

Your suggestions and queries are welcome. Feel free to ask in the comment section.

Thank you for reading!!