Launching an online store in 2026 often comes down to this duel: Shopify or WooCommerce? We put every criterion on the table to help you decide.
The real difference in 30 seconds
- Shopify: SaaS, everything hosted/managed. You pay a monthly subscription, you sell.
- WooCommerce: open-source WordPress plugin. You manage your hosting, updates, and security.
Real costs over 12 months
| Item | Shopify Basic | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription / hosting | $432 | $120 |
| Theme | $0-350 | $0-100 |
| Essential plugins | $200-500 | $100-300 |
| Card transaction fees | 1.6% + $0.25 | 1.4% + $0.25 (Stripe direct) |
| Year 1 total | ≈ $1,000-1,500 | ≈ $400-800 |
WooCommerce wins on paper, but doesn't account for maintenance time (15-20 h/year if you do it yourself).
Performance and SEO
- Shopify: fast out-of-the-box, global CDN included. Decent SEO but rigid URL structure (
/collections/xxx/products/yyy). - WooCommerce: performance depends ENTIRELY on your hosting. Very flexible SEO via RankMath / Yoast.
When to choose Shopify
- You're starting without a technical team.
- You sell mainly classic B2C.
- You want to focus on product and marketing, not infrastructure.
When to choose WooCommerce
- You already have a WordPress site.
- You have custom needs (pricing by customer group, complex business rules).
- You target high volumes and want to master every transaction fee.
Our recommendation
For 80% of small businesses just starting out, Shopify is faster to launch and less technically stressful. For projects with strong business logic or a catalog over 5,000 SKUs, WooCommerce offers more flexibility.
Unsure about your project? Let's talk, we'll tell you honestly what fits your situation.
