WooCommerce VS Shopify: The Noteworthy Face-off Of 2023 e-Commerce

Whether you’re a new brand or an old one the moment you decide to embark on the eCommerce trend or reshape your present online store – WooCommerce VS Shopify debate starts. And, in case you don’t know which to choose, you get confused. Thus, today let’s do the face-off of the 2022 e-commerce section with the hottest platforms among various businesses. This blog will serve as the assessment between WooCommerce vs Shopify platforms to let users select the best. Generally, customers select a rich feature set, tractability, and modest pricing when they embark on any e-commerce platform. The subject is similarly well-known that every platform has its set of densities. Nevertheless, what are the deviations among eCommerce podiums? Is it worthier to select Shopify over WooCommerce for your enterprise or vice versa? The response sits in the traits you think you require for your e-commerce warehouse. Thus, let’s kick-start our session of noteworthy information.

WooCommerce VS Shopify Synopsis

Below we have explained both platforms thoroughly. From their beginning to their success – what has added fuel to users investing in either. Let’s read along.

WooCommerce – The Start

For the folks who didn’t know an open-source CMS designed for content publishing in WordPress. WooCommerce got launched in 2011, and it is a free WordPress eCommerce plugin. It is competent enough to turn your website into an influential e-commerce storeroom. Thus, WooCommerce is not an eCommerce platform, but an open-source plugin. It can turn your WordPress application into a copiously operational e-commerce store. Simply install the WooCommerce plugin on your WordPress site and your retailer will be active and coursing. WooCommerce speedily grew in popularity in the e-commerce business and nowadays it is one of the widespread e-commerce platforms with over 3.8 million active users. The majority of WooCommerce’s triumph is owed to its user approachability, influential features, and infinite customization choices. Majorly because of WordPress, the most prevalent CMS on the planet, to route your online depot.

Shopify – And The Beginning

Shopify isn’t an open-source platform. It proposes a variation of features that outfits to a variety of distinctive business requirements. Shopify was launched in 2004 and is a bit elderly than WooCommerce. This stand of Canadian source has over 1 million traders and tenders a congregation of up-to-date attributes, credits to the steady updates. It isn’t free nor has a one-time payment. Instead, you wage a monthly fee next to a commission on every single sale. The podium helps the user to build an online store from scratch and it particularly outfits to novices with imperfect or no coding talent. Nevertheless, if you do opt to tailor your Shopify store, then do use qualified assistance. Here you see and use a highly spontaneous platform and is measured as the standard for other such platforms in the eCommerce business.

Detailed Comparison Of WooCommerce VS Shopify

 

 

Who’s The Best?

Here, previous years of Google Trends will show that both WooCommerce and Shopify have eye-catching solid development, with Shopify to some extent being in the lead of WooCommerce.

How To Choose An Ecommerce Platform?

Quite a lot of users struggle while choosing an e-commerce platform as they can’t identify what to behold. Generally, folks select WooCommerce or Shopify just to go with the flow.  However, as a store owner, you need to elaborate a foundation following your decision. Therefore, before selecting an e-commerce platform, deliberate the subsequent aspects:

1. Ease Of Onboarding Process

Here you need to know that WooCommerce is easy to learn, especially if you already use WordPress and its ecology. The only difference is that you must install, organize, and maintain it yourself. With WoCommerce you have the option of hosting your WooCommerce store on WooCommerce hosting. Whereas, Shopify is the laid-back platform to kick-start. You get guidance the instant you create the version. You get to establish your e-commerce store lacking any methodological skills. The inkling following Shopify is to deliver a platform with minimized “getting it wrong” risk factor. It isn’t difficult and you get to learn new skills. There are lots of channels to get support and help if you get stuck.

2. Comfort Of Use

Every business owner wants to spend time on necessary business requirements like procuring customer feedback, dealing out orders, responding to customer inquiries, and trading with vendors. For this idyllic state of affairs to befall, you want an easy-to-use and operate e-commerce platform. Here, WooCommerce abridges e-commerce payment dispensation because of several options.

3. Third-Party Integration

It is not only starting and running an e-commerce store. You require numerous tools and services sprinting together like email and social media tools. For example, WooCommerce should incorporate MailChimp or any other such third-party tool.

4. Scalability, Customization & Development

Your e-commerce platform is your business partner to grow your business effortlessly. Several platforms aren’t well-matched with a budding business or they confine your business’s evolution by pocketing control of critical characteristics like customization, integration, or scalability. Ensure to select an e-commerce platform that offers you growth freedom freely.

5. Hosting Options

Although consistent hosting is imperative for websites, it is of supreme standing for e-commerce retailers that can undergo trade spikes all through sales and special offers terms. As Shopify is a branded platform, your store is hosted on Shopify’s servers. You use their infrastructure with unrestricted loading. The SSL certificate is incorporated in all Shopify propositions. In addition, you can use your preferred domain tag for your store. Whereas you choose the provider to host your store with WooCommerce. With WooCommerce, the SSL certificate fluctuates on your e-commerce hosting provider. With WooCommerce, the SSL certificate fluctuates on your e-commerce hosting provider. Clustox experts propose selecting an auto-scalable hosting ben efactor to keep your store operative despite the traffic spikes.

6. Customization

The user interface (UI) is an indispensable deliberation for each e-commerce store as it produces the first and lasting impact on the public. There is no theme store in WooCommerce. But, you can find good and functional themes at squares like ThemeForest. Do choose a frivolous approachable theme to ensure visitors have an effortless experience.

7. Add-ons And Extensions

You get top-of-the-line e-commerce platforms with awesome add-ons and extensions. These platforms offer you the following features seamlessly:

• Product creation,
• Catalog CSV import,
• Exhibition of products,
• Payment method management,
• Order taking,
• Delivery,
• Customer concerns and feedback,
• Stock handling,
• Discount codes & coupons

To spread the native capabilities of each further, you can choose extensions and add-ons that integrate without issues into the platform. Over here, WooCommerce presents a congregation of extensions and Shopify allows you to use a big App Store with almost 500 applications. In reports of comfort, the difference between WooCommerce and Shopify is because of the side pages. Shopify is largely a yard front with artifact pages. Whereas with Woocommerce you can build your brand page, company news page, and blog.

8. Payment Gateways

With Shopify users get native Shopify Payments power-driven by Stripe and third-party payment accounts, for example, PayPal, or Amazon Payments. Shopify Payments is only obtainable in countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.  You need to use a third-party payment gateway for other countries.

9. Shipping Methods

Set your shipping costs accordingly at both the WooCommerce and Shopify platforms. Parameters like, size, weight, local or international delivery – all can be added accordingly on both of them. The real-time calculation is also possible to set up. FedEx or UPS  or any other available delivery option can be used as well. but for Shopify, you need to buy the Advanced Shopify plan. Furthermore, Amazon and Rakuten partnerships are already in place when it comes to Shopify.   however, for WooCommerce you need to buy a plugin.

10. Pay Attention To User-Friendliness

Despite not needing a technical skillset or coding expertise – you do need to put in some effort. You have to ensure that the drag-and-drop option in Shopify isn’t being tampered with. And the same goes for WooCommerce with simplicity and customization. The goal point should be user-friendliness and seamless usage of either of the two platforms. Hire expert developers from Clustox to build, manage and install your Shopify or WooCommerce store today! Book your free consultation with our experts to get started.

11. Bilingual Sustenance

With WooCommerce you get multilingual support by installing WPML for a $29.00 cost. Whereas, with Shopify download the app langify for $17.50.

12. SEO Optimization

Having your products on the search engines SERPs allow your store great visibility and also targeted traffic.  Install Yoast SEO for WooCommerce. And for Shopify, you need to again purchase an SEO-friendly app to do proper and result-driven SEO.

13. Marketing Essentials

The marketing essentials are a valuable part of the attainment of an e-commerce store. Here both, WooCommerce and Shopify, offer the following options:

1. a)       Account conception or order as a visitant
2. b)      The system of association or reference to a friend
3. c)       Emails/newsletters in Shopify
4. d)      Use the free plugin and configure all the selections yourself in WooCommerce

14. Pricing

Before you jump on the eCommerce bandwagon consider costs and prices thoroughly. Even though WooCommerce is free, you can’t run the store freely all through the course. Similarly, for Shopify, there are different packages and prices attached.

15. Dropshipping: WooCommerce Vs Shopify

The latest trend in the eCommerce world is Dropshipping. Almost every other online origination is a Dropshipping depot. A Dropshipping conglomerate is as soon as an online store turns into a middle man flanked by the customer and the primary merchant. This aspect lets an online store run a full-fledged business without embracing any stock. With the available “WooCommerce Dropshipping extensions” on Google you can use any of the following

• AliDropship
• WooDropship
• YouDroop

Whereas, with Shopify, you do get extensions and add-ons to opt for a Dropshipping store smoothly like:

• Spocket
• Ali Orders AliExpress Dropship
• MIIUT ‑ Unlimited Dropshipping
• CJDropshipping

The plus point is that third-party dropshipping marketplaces like AliExpress, Oberlo, and Printify have integration available with Shopify.

16. The Discussion Around Both WooCommerce VS Shopify

Both WooCommerce and Shopify are very popular and can be used to build an eCommerce store. Which one of the two will work for you? First, which one will be more feature-rich or cheaper? In this in-depth comparison, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about both platforms and show you which one is the best fit for you. When it comes to choosing a platform for your online store, remember that the freedom that comes with WooCommerce comes at a price. Therefore, it is important that you know how to properly implement the technical aspects of your site before you start using it. WooCommerce is a great way to build a store that can grow and run smoothly. It gives you a lot of freedom to build anything you want. If you’re looking for a more robust customization option, then look no further than WordPress. This is self-hosted software that lets you create various parts of your store with just a few clicks. With Shopify, you no longer must deal with the technical details of running an online store. Instead, it simplifies the process by making it so that anyone can start creating and managing their storefront in minutes. There’s also a big difference between WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Both solutions are built-in eCommerce solutions that give you everything that you need to start online.

17. Integral Part – The Design Process 

Design is crucial for websites (especially eCommerce companies). Customers just do not trust a website that does not have the appropriate aesthetic or does not perform properly. The aesthetic quality of Shopify’s themes is one of its strongest selling points. They look fantastic right out of the box, in my view. Shopify has over 54 distinct shop themes, with 10 of them being free. Furthermore, each of the Shopify themes has its variants. As a result, you’re receiving more than 100 different designs. The greatest thing is that they’re all mobile-friendly and come in several color schemes. They offer a modern, forward-thinking style that is suited for modern, forward-thinking websites. By the way, Shopify’s designs aren’t made in-house. They’re outsourced to a team of experienced web designers who make sure they’re always up to date and interesting. We appreciate this method because it allows you to tap into the creativity of a wide range of firms and individuals, resulting in a more diverse option. The premium Shopify themes are unfortunately rather expensive, costing up to $180.

18. Next Don’t Keep Waiting

In exchange, you receive a fantastic design. Because of the initial appeal of Shopify designs, numerous webmasters may use the same themes. Some Shopify users who created their website afterward complained that it looked too like other websites. As a result, personalization is encouraged. Fortunately, changing Shopify themes is simple. Colors and styles can be changed easily, while more experienced developers may use the platform’s proprietary ‘Liquid’ language to make more significant modifications and truly make a brand stand out. Even better, they have a Theme editor built into the platform that you can utilize to make changes. Within the theme editor, you may opt to conceal parts without deleting them. When it comes to aesthetics, like with so many other parts of the WooCommerce experience, the sky’s the limit. All you must do now is put in the time.

19. Meet WooThemes

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin built by WooThemes (and acquired by Automatic). As a result, it doesn’t provide any distinct design characteristics on its own. It gives you the ability to sell items and services over the internet. However, the design is up to your existing or future WordPress theme. Most themes on the market are compatible with WooCommerce if they follow the standard standards and best practices. This implies that, in most instances, you can use any WordPress theme you choose and have it function with WooCommerce. However, you’ll come across themes that were created from the ground up with WooCommerce in mind and are specifically designed to make all your product/service listings seem fantastic. If the appearance and feel of your eCommerce business are very important to you, you should seek WooCommerce-specific themes. Woo’s default online store theme, Storefront, is a good place to start (free). It’s an efficient design that emphasizes all the key aspects of an eCommerce business. When it comes to design, WooCommerce has a significant advantage over Shopify. Themes on Shopify are fantastic, but they’re restricted to what’s available in the Shopify Theme Store. Because WooCommerce is open-source, a plethora of developers sells (or give free) fantastic WooCommerce themes for a variety of businesses and purposes.

20. Price – The Primary Distinction 

The primary distinction between Shopify and WooCommerce prices is that Shopify is more expensive. To put it plainly, Shopify pricing is simple and easy to understand. WooCommerce, on the other hand, isn’t. On the one hand, WooCommerce is an open-source software plugin that is free to use. Yes, the plugin is free, but you must also factor in the additional fees associated with setting up an online store. WordPress is also free, but you must include in costs such as hosting, a theme, a domain name, any extra extensions, and an SSL certificate. Shopify focuses on providing you with a single, out-of-the-box solution with a limited number of price options.

• Shopify eCommerce store running on a top-level domain: $29 / month.
• WooCommerce store on the same setup: $29 / month (a modest $20 hosting, domain, SSL).

That’s not all, though. You may need to figure in extra WooCommerce extensions for things like SEO, new payment methods, and so on. Those extensions are generally between $49 and $79 in price (one-time payments).

21. What Do You Get With WooCommerce?

What it boils down to is that, while WooCommerce is theoretically the less expensive option, it will need significantly more effort to set up, and you’ll have to be extra cautious not to exceed your budget, since each additional extension has a cost. In the end, you’ll spend more time setting up and managing WooCommerce, which equates to cash. Finally, there are transaction costs to consider. In other words, anytime you sell something on one of the sites, you will be charged a tiny fee (for processing the payment, delivering the money to your account, etc.). I won’t go into detail about the fees because they vary frequently, but be aware that they exist. They usually range from 2% to 3% of each transaction, so make sure to double-check the figures before joining up with any site.

22. Seamless Features

While the price strategies of both systems differ, they are comparable in terms of providing what your eCommerce site requires. Shopify and WooCommerce, unlike BigCommerce, are simpler, with eCommerce fundamentals incorporated into the primary program. Both, on the other hand, offer excellent app stores where you can get any additional functionality you might require. Although you’ll almost certainly need to install applications to get the most out of the platform, Shopify has a lot freer alternative. Shopify provides you with the following features right away:

• Products are limitless
• File storage is limitless
• Automated fraud detection
• Manual order creation Embedded Oberlo integration
• Coupon codes
• Module for writing a blog
• SSL certificate for free
• Optimization of mobile commerce
• HTML and CSS that can be edited
• Payments by credit card
• Multiple languages are available
• Taxes and delivery charges might be adjusted
• Profiles of customers
• Capabilities for drop shipment
• Site structure that is SEO-friendly
• Product reviews on an individual basis
• Module for selling on Facebook
• Integration of social media (and a spicy new integration with Instagram)
• In the store, there are both physical and digital items

23. In A Nutshell – WooCommerce

WordPress is well-known for allowing third-party developers to create a variety of extensions and plugins as open-source software. WooCommerce capitalizes on this by providing a plethora of intriguing and engaging features. You’ll be able to quickly change aesthetics, sell on Facebook, improve email marketing tactics, analyze user behavior, and pretty much anything else. What you’ll discover within WooCommerce is as follows:

• You may sell physical items, digital products (such as software and applications), and affiliate marketing through it
• Built-in PayPal and Stripe payments (plus a range of other gateways available for an extra fee)
• Taxes and delivery charges might be adjusted.
• There is no limit to the number of items and product categories that may be created
• Stock levels are in control
• A mobile-friendly structure
• Your data is completely within your control
• This plugin is compatible with your existing WordPress theme
• There are hundreds of plugins (extensions) to choose from
• A Facebook store plugin and a free Facebook ad

24. Ease Of Use – Shopify

Shopify’s major advantage is that it is a subscription-based online tool. To put it another way, all you must do to get started is go to Shopify.com, click the registration button, and walk through a basic setup process. Shopify will assist you along the route by inquiring about the purpose/nature of your shop (what you want to sell), as well as providing general advice on which design/structure to select and how to set things up. After you’ve completed the initial process, you’ll be able to access the main dashboard. You may establish your new eCommerce store, add new goods, and so on from there. Overall, the procedure is extremely simple, and you won’t need any design or website-building abilities to complete it. Once the store is up and running, you can access all the important options from the dashboard’s sidebar. This kind of structure should make your day-to-day job at the shop a breeze. It’s quite intuitive when it comes to adding new goods to your business, as well as processing sales and orders. When creating a product, for example, all product attributes are accessible from a single panel, eliminating the need to navigate to multiple parts of the dashboard to configure things like the name, price, pictures, stock levels, and so on.

25. Usability Ease – WooCommerce

WooCommerce is like Shopify in terms of ease of use. However, there is a catch. The problem is that, while working with WooCommerce is as straightforward as working with Shopify daily, setting up the store isn’t. Because WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin rather than a subscription-based solution like Shopify, you’ll need to take care of a few things before you can start working with WooCommerce. You must primarily fulfill the following tasks:

• Purchase a domain name
• Create a hosting account
• WordPress should be installed
• Locate and set up a WordPress theme
• You can only install the software once you’ve taken care of the first four

26. Customer Service And Technical Assistance

There’s also the question of technical assistance. Shopify is known for its excellent customer service. Each client has access to a customer adviser 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if they have any difficulties or questions (via email, open chat, phone call). Aside from that, you’ll have access to a comprehensive knowledge library that answers some of the most often asked topics and provides solutions to problems. The matter of support with WooCommerce isn’t as straightforward. First off, WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin. This means that you can get support through the WordPress forums. However, at the same time, the WooCommerce team also enables everyone to create a free user account over at WooCommerce.com and get support there.

27. Payment Platform Choices

Shopify might be many things when it comes to payments. But, despite the numerous payment processing options it offers, there’s one that consistently towers above the rest. You see, Shopify decided it couldn’t just sit and watch from the sidelines as other apps handled the most critical part of online selling. It had to get in on the action. And so, Shopify Payments became a thing. Shopify Payments is currently the default payment processor on the platform. You’ll notice it comes inbuilt on your Shopify dashboard. Take inbuilt payment processing, for instance. It just so happens that WooCommerce also gets you started on card processing by availing the services by default. It even outshines Shopify by offering two different options – PayPal and Stripe. Now, from that alone, it’s quite evident you won’t be getting a WooCommerce-specific payment gateway. PayPal and Stripe essentially come as add-ons that you can choose to embed directly onto your online store. Consequently, you’ll be able to process transactions conveniently without directing shoppers to third-party checkout pages.

28. Security Features Of Both

WooCommerce doesn’t technically have any security measures included with the plugin. Since it runs on WordPress, most of the security falls into your own hands. For instance, you would have to get your SSL certificate and ensure that your hosting company has secure servers. You’d also want to configure site security plugins, two-factor authentication, and some other things to protect your site. Shopify, on the other hand, covers all security measures for you. Therefore, you don’t have to think about getting an SSL or ensuring that your site is being hacked into. You should, however, make a strong password.

We’re Your Go-To Technology Partners 

At the end of the day, no matter what you choose to do – Team Clustox is ever-ready to provide support, help and guidance with each of these two platforms. We can even help you build a customized solution irrespective of the customization requirements. Connect with us via phone or email or simply drop us a comment in the the comment section and our team will get in touch with you! Our agile methodology offers you budget flexibility, time management, and hands-on control initiated on the specific scope of work instead of a full project.