Thinking about selling online? Choosing an ecommerce platform is a significant decision and getting it wrong can have a huge impact on a small businesses.
Shopify and WooCommerce are two of the most popular ecommerce platforms for small businesses, but choosing between them can be a real chin scratcher. Both can do an excellent job. Both most definitely have their frustrations.
What’s more, neither is necessarily as simple or inexpensive as it first appears.
Having worked with both of these platforms for many years, here’s my take on what small business owners should consider before making their choice. I hope by the end you’ll have some useful insights to help you make an informed decision for your business. If you still have unanswered questions, drop me a line and we can hook up for a chat.
Which is platform is easier to use?
Shopify is generally quicker and easier to get an ecommere website up and running from zero. A lot of the techie details are taken car of for you. Hosting, security and software updates are all included in the monthly subscription, and the Shopify dashboard provides everything you need to manage products, orders and customers.
However, one niggle I regularly hear from my Shopify clients is that the interface keeps changing without warning. Familiar settings move to new and unexpected locations, features and tools get renamed and updates can sometimes affect how the shop works.
WooCommerce takes a little more getting used to. It runs on WordPress, which means there are more settings and options to navigate.
Once you’re familiar with it, though, everyday shop management tasks are really straightforward. And while WooCommerce also changes over time, you have much more control over how your ecommerce website is managed.
The verdict: Shopify has the edge for absolute beginners, but WooCommerce wins when it comes to store management if you’re happy with the learning curve. Neither platform is entirely free of technical frustrations.
Which offers more flexibility?
Shopify offers a range of themes and a visual editor, but customisation can be restrictive. I’ve often found that seemingly simple design changes require additional (paid) apps or custom liquid code.
One major advantage is that you can prepare a completely new theme without affecting your live shop, making redesigns much easier to manage. So, for example, if you want to redress your shop for a seasonal event like Halloween or Christmas, you can switch between themes at the click of a button.
WooCommerce offers much more design flexibility through WordPress themes and website-building tools. However, significant changes to an existing shop are usually best carried out on a separate staging website. Most hosting providers offer this as an option, but it does require some technical tinkering.
The verdict: WooCommerce generally offers more creative freedom, while Shopify makes switching between themes easier.
What about additional features?
This is where I’d encourage business owners to do their homework around their specific requirements. Making sure you know exactly what you need from your ecommerce website before jumping onto a particular platform can save a LOT of time down the track.
Both platforms handle everyday ecommerce tasks for both physical and virtual product sales. However, features such as appointment bookings, recurring subscriptions and specialist product options often require additional apps or plugins.
For example, a crucial difference for a small subscription based business is that Shopify offers a free subscriptions app, while the official WooCommerce Subscriptions extension has an annual licence fee. For some businesses, that difference alone could influence their choice.
However, I would strongly recommend reading the reviews and the app features in detail before jumping to any conclusions. You may find the free apps won’t fulfill your requirements and that you will need to sign up for a subscription anyway.
Finding an app that promises the functionality you need is only half the battle. I’ve encountered plenty of apps and plugins that look perfect on paper but turn out to have unexpected limitations, compatibility issues or missing features.
The verdict: Neither platform does everything right out of the box. Work out what your shop needs to do before deciding which one to use.
Which ecommerce platform costs less?
Shopify has a predictable starting cost. Your subscription includes hosting and much of the technical maintenance, but additional apps can quickly increase your monthly bill.
WooCommerce itself is free, but you’ll need hosting, maintenance and potentially paid plugins. Some WooCommerce extensions are considerably more expensive than their Shopify equivalents.
There’s also the question of flexibility. With WooCommerce, you can change hosting providers and choose who maintains your website. For me this is a huge benefit. With Shopify, you’re more closely tied to its platform and pricing structure.
The verdict: Neither is automatically cheaper. Compare the total annual cost of running the shop you really need, including additional functionality and support.
What happens when something goes wrong?
Shopify takes care of much of the technical infrastructure, which is reassuring if you have no interest in managing software updates or website security. However, problems with apps, themes or shop settings can still require specialist assistance.
WooCommerce needs more hands-on maintenance, including updates, backups and security. But these responsibilities can be handled by a hosting provider or website professional.
The verdict: Shopify requires less routine technical maintenance (but don’t forget, their updates can introduce unexpected hurdles!). WooCommerce gives you more control, but someone needs to look after it.
So, which is the better ecommerce solution: Shopify or WooCommerce?
If you’re ready to start developing your ecommerce website, then this is the big questions. And because the world is complex, the answer is “it depends”!
If you’re happy with something really simple and don’t mind the mounting subscription costs, I’d generally suggest Shopify. For businesses that want a relatively straightforward online shop, prefer an all-in-one service and don’t want to worry about the technical infrastructure, it’s the ideal choice. Plus it’s a really fast start so you can be up and selling in no time.
For businesses with a strong brand aesthetic and more complex product needs, I’d go with WooCommerce. The flexibility and portability of the WooCommerce platform is a major benefit. Unlike Shopify, you can do what you want with it and move it if you’re not happy with your hosting provider.
Plus, if you already have a WordPress website, or need specific functionality that’s easier to accommodate through WordPress, then WooCommerce is the platform for you.
But the best choice isn’t necessarily the platform with the simplest setup or the lowest advertised price. The best ecommerce platform choice is always going to be the one that does what your business needs, without creating unnecessary costs, complications or ongoing headaches.
And that’s why I always recommend clearly defining your requirements before committing to either platform. It’s my inner project manager, I can’t help it! But putting the time into nutting out the finer details before you hand over your credit card is always going to save your time and money in the long run.
Still not sure which ecommerce platform is right for you?
At Davison & Brain, I help business owners make sense of ecommerce technology, from choosing and setting up a platform to managing, maintaining and troubleshooting their online shops.
If you’re considering Shopify or WooCommerce, let’s talk through what your business needs before you make the investment.