Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?

Not automatically. The plugin is free, but hosting, domains, extensions and maintenance time add up. Shopify’s subscription includes hosting and security. Compare full setups for your needs.

Do I need Bluehost for WooCommerce?

No. Bluehost is one optional WordPress hosting provider. WooCommerce runs on any host that meets its server requirements.

Shopify scales on managed infrastructure as you upgrade plans. WooCommerce can scale too, but performance depends on your hosting, theme and extensions.

Hosted vs self-hosted

ShopifyvsWooCommerce

The classic trade-off in e-commerce: a managed platform that runs everything for you, or open-source software you run — and own — yourself.

Choose Shopify if

You’d rather spend time selling than maintaining software, and a predictable managed platform is worth a subscription.

Start free trial Read the Shopify guide →

Choose WooCommerce if

You want to own your code and data, already use WordPress, or need customisation without platform limits.

Explore WordPress hosting Read the WooCommerce guide →

Editorial guidance based on the facts below — the right choice depends on your needs. StoreBuild is reader-supported. Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission. It never changes our recommendations. Estimate your total costs →

Related guide: WooCommerce hosting, explained

Who’s responsible when something needs fixing?

With Shopify, Shopify runs hosting, updates and security. With WooCommerce, you — or your host — do. That single difference shapes cost, control, flexibility and how much time you’ll spend on the technical side.

Side by side

Compare the facts

Compare the facts
Feature	Shopify	WooCommerce
Ease of use
Getting started	Sign up, pick a theme, add products — hosting included	Choose a host, install WordPress, then install the plugin
Day-to-day management	One admin built around products and orders	WordPress admin, plus keeping plugins and themes updated
E-commerce
Core focus	Selling products	E-commerce added to a WordPress site
Accepting payments	Shopify Payments (selected countries, subject to eligibility) or third-party providers	Via integrations such as WooPayments, Stripe or PayPal, subject to eligibility
Selling in person	Shopify POS — features and hardware vary by location	Through compatible POS integrations and extensions, such as Square — not built in
Design & customisation
Design approach	Themes with a visual editor; theme code in Liquid	Any compatible WordPress theme; full code access
Changing design later	Publish a different theme; design settings and customisations may need adjusting	Change themes in WordPress; compatibility and layout may need adjusting
Custom code	Theme code and apps	Unrestricted — it’s open source
SEO & content
SEO basics	Built-in settings for SEO titles, descriptions and URL slugs	Customisable permalinks; SEO plugins are commonly used to edit metadata and for advanced controls
Content & blogging	Integrated blogging tools	WordPress content management, with a broad ecosystem of publishing tools and extensions
Hosting & ownership
Hosting	Included and managed	You choose a compatible host
Ownership & portability	Export products, customers and orders; the platform stays Shopify’s	You control code, data and hosting; move hosts when you like
Maintenance
Updates & security	Handled by Shopify	Your responsibility, or partly your host’s
Extensions	Shopify App Store — many apps carry fees	WordPress plugins and WooCommerce extensions, free and paid
Cost & scaling
What you pay for	Subscription, plus paid apps/themes and payment fees	Free plugin, plus hosting, domain, paid extensions and payment fees
Third-party payment fees	Shopify may add a transaction fee — depends on plan, provider and region	No WooCommerce platform fee; provider fees apply
Scaling	Upgrade plans; infrastructure managed for you	Depends on your hosting, theme and extensions

Ease of use

Getting started

Shopify: Sign up, pick a theme, add products — hosting included
WooCommerce: Choose a host, install WordPress, then install the plugin

Day-to-day management

Shopify: One admin built around products and orders
WooCommerce: WordPress admin, plus keeping plugins and themes updated

E-commerce

Core focus

Shopify: Selling products
WooCommerce: E-commerce added to a WordPress site

Accepting payments

Shopify: Shopify Payments (selected countries, subject to eligibility) or third-party providers
WooCommerce: Via integrations such as WooPayments, Stripe or PayPal, subject to eligibility

Selling in person

Shopify: Shopify POS — features and hardware vary by location
WooCommerce: Through compatible POS integrations and extensions, such as Square — not built in

Design & customisation

Design approach

Shopify: Themes with a visual editor; theme code in Liquid
WooCommerce: Any compatible WordPress theme; full code access

Changing design later

Shopify: Publish a different theme; design settings and customisations may need adjusting
WooCommerce: Change themes in WordPress; compatibility and layout may need adjusting

Custom code

Shopify: Theme code and apps
WooCommerce: Unrestricted — it’s open source

SEO & content

SEO basics

Shopify: Built-in settings for SEO titles, descriptions and URL slugs
WooCommerce: Customisable permalinks; SEO plugins are commonly used to edit metadata and for advanced controls

Content & blogging

Shopify: Integrated blogging tools
WooCommerce: WordPress content management, with a broad ecosystem of publishing tools and extensions

Hosting & ownership

Hosting

Shopify: Included and managed
WooCommerce: You choose a compatible host

Ownership & portability

Shopify: Export products, customers and orders; the platform stays Shopify’s
WooCommerce: You control code, data and hosting; move hosts when you like

Maintenance

Updates & security

Shopify: Handled by Shopify
WooCommerce: Your responsibility, or partly your host’s

Extensions

Shopify: Shopify App Store — many apps carry fees
WooCommerce: WordPress plugins and WooCommerce extensions, free and paid

Cost & scaling

What you pay for

Shopify: Subscription, plus paid apps/themes and payment fees
WooCommerce: Free plugin, plus hosting, domain, paid extensions and payment fees

Third-party payment fees

Shopify: Shopify may add a transaction fee — depends on plan, provider and region
WooCommerce: No WooCommerce platform fee; provider fees apply

Scaling

Shopify: Upgrade plans; infrastructure managed for you
WooCommerce: Depends on your hosting, theme and extensions

Factual descriptions based on official documentation. Pricing changes often, so we don’t list it — check each provider.

Who handles what

Hosting & uptimeShopify: ShopifyWooCommerce: Your host
Software updatesShopify: ShopifyWooCommerce: You (some hosts automate)
Security & HTTPSShopify: ShopifyWooCommerce: You and your host
BackupsShopify: Export your dataWooCommerce: You or your host
Extension compatibilityShopify: App developersWooCommerce: You, after each update

By business need

Which fits your situation?

Editorial recommendations — not rankings.

No technical team, want to launch quickly
Usually a better fit: Shopify
Nothing to install or maintain — focus on products and marketing.
Start free trial
Existing WordPress site with an audience
Usually a better fit: WooCommerce
Add selling to the site and content you already have.
Explore WordPress hosting
Unusual products or custom checkout logic
Usually a better fit: WooCommerce
Open-source code means customisation isn’t limited by a platform.
Explore WordPress hosting
Selling online and in person
Usually a better fit: Shopify
Shopify POS connects both channels in one admin, with location-dependent features.
Start free trial

Thinking about total cost — without the price tags

Shopify bundles hosting, security and checkout into a subscription; your extra costs are typically apps, themes and payment fees.

WooCommerce software is free, but you’ll pay for hosting and a domain, and often for premium extensions. Your time spent on maintenance is a real cost too. Compare complete setups for your needs rather than headline prices.

Ownership and moving later

Shopify lets you export products, customers and orders, but the platform itself remains Shopify’s. WooCommerce runs on your own WordPress install, so you can move hosts whenever you choose.

Common questions

Making the call

Convenience or control — choose deliberately.

Neither is wrong. Choose the responsibilities you’re happy to take on.

Shopify

You’d rather spend time selling than maintaining software, and a predictable managed platform is worth a subscription.

Start free trial Try the AI store builder ↗

WooCommerce

You want to own your code and data, already use WordPress, or need customisation without platform limits.

Explore WordPress hosting

Bluehost is an optional hosting provider — not part of WooCommerce.

Take the 30-second matcher · See all three side by side

StoreBuild is reader-supported. Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission. It never changes our recommendations.

Official sources

Platform facts on this page reference the official documentation below.

ShopifyvsWooCommerce

The short answer

Who’s responsible when something needs fixing?

Compare the facts

Ease of use

E-commerce

Design & customisation

SEO & content

Hosting & ownership

Maintenance

Cost & scaling

Who handles what

Which fits your situation?

No technical team, want to launch quickly

Existing WordPress site with an audience

Unusual products or custom checkout logic

Selling online and in person

Thinking about total cost — without the price tags

Ownership and moving later

Common questions

Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?

Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?

Do I need Bluehost for WooCommerce?

Do I need Bluehost for WooCommerce?

Which scales better?

Which scales better?

Convenience or control — choose deliberately.

Official sources