which ecommerce platform is better?

Shopify VS WordPress.

If you are starting an ecommerce business, one of the first decisions you will face is choosing the right platform for your website. Two of the most common options are Shopify and WordPress. Both platforms can power an online store, but they work very differently and are designed for different types of users.

Understanding the difference can save you a lot of time, money and frustration.

PROS

  • Easy to Use.  Simple interface. Shopify offer a drag and drop interface allowing the user to easily make edits to the web pages and products.
  • Tech Issues Sorted.  Because Shopify is built on their own hosting, if you ever have ANY issues with the site or your emails, their support is on hand 24/7, for life!
  • Functionality Plus.  Want to add on extra functionality to your new store?  There’s an app for that!  Easily add on a pop up to your site, or a “left something in your cart” reminder.  There are over 3200 apps to choose from and they are all focused on optimising your store so you can get more sales.
  • Automated Integration.  Shopify have automated integration with most of the payment gateways including PayPal, Stripe and more.
  • Products Galore.  Shopify offer easy to use apps to connect to most large drop shipping suppliers World-Wide.

CONS

  • Limited Design.  Shopify themes are less flexible than WordPress so if you want specific changes to the sites design you will be limited with Shopify. 
  • Locked into Hosting.  Because Shopify offer their own software and hosting you cannot move your site over to another host if you have issues with site speed or anything else. You are locked into their platform for life unless you cancel your store and re set it up on another platform. 
  • Higher Fees.  Shopify charge monthly fees starting at around $36 per month plus small transaction fees of around 2% – 3%.  They also charge for most of the apps, as an example if you sell bulky items you will be spending $200 a month on fees to have an app that manages this.  WooCommerce does not charge anything for their platform as its open source.
 

PROS

  • It’s Free.  WooCommerce doesn’t charge any ongoing fees to use their software.  When you have a WooCommerce/WordPress site you pay nothing, for life.  Keep in mind though you will need to host your site somewhere so website hosting usually costs around $100 per annum.
  • Most Used Platform. WooCommerce is in first place and powers over 40% of online stores World-Wide. While Shopify is in second place and powers 18%.  Word Press has been around for 20+ years, Shopify has been around for 15 years.
  • Functionality & Flexibility.  Because WooCommerce is a plugin that turns WordPress into a shopping cart website, it still has all the other functionality that WordPress offers including a blog, online booking system, online course and so much more.  WordPress has a lot more flexibility and functionality with over 50,000 apps (plugins). 
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).  Word Press is one of the best web building platforms known for getting great search results on Google.  

CONS

  • No Drag & Drop.  Whilst we believe WordPress is relatively user friendly, Shopify is probably better suited to less tech savvy clients due to the drag and drop editor.
  • No quick checkout.  Shopify offer Shop Pay which gives customers a one click checkout which helps improve conversion rates.
  • No automated abandoned cart reminders.  Unless a customer is logged into your store they wont get automated cart reminders.  
  • No Ongoing 24/7 Tech Support.  With all of our packages we offer in house tech support for the duration of your package. However if you have issues later on after your package expires, you will need to get support from your hosting provider or pay someone to sort out your issues.