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WooCommerce vs. Shopify, which is better?

Editorial Note: Our Shopify vs. WooCommerce comparison is presented with complete neutrality and professionalism, ensuring an unbiased evaluation of these platforms.

Are you new to eCommerce, perhaps thinking about starting a dropshipping business? Need a fast solution for your online store? If that’s so, then you certainly looked for eCommerce platforms for fast store-building and were lost by how many options there are.

Don’t worry, your confusion is totally justified. After all, this is a very important decision since your online store is the pillar of your eCommerce business.

We’ll help you choose by providing the most accurate and fresh content on eCommerce platforms. The first on our list is a WooCommerce vs. Shopify comparison

Why comparison and not a review, you may ask?

Well, each platform is good; that's not questionable. But which one is better for your business? That's the question we want to answer. And, after all, if you need just one singled out, you can check their official websites (trust none, but features).

Ratings and reviews: Truth filters in an online world

There’s no easy way to say this, so we’re just going to say it: Everybody sometimes lies. And even worse, when it’s online, somehow, it’s expected. So, keep this hack backed up somewhere in your brain: *The first step in research is to check reviews and ratings*

And let's get started.

Shopify vs. WooCommerce user ratings

Trustpilot user reviews Shopify vs WooCommerce

Shopify user reviews:

Auch, sounds like a misunderstanding. So please read the terms.

WooCommerce user reviews:

Even though ratings and reviews are a great starting point, they're still not bulletproof and can be biased or an expression of personal frustration rather than experience. 

But anyway, we had no intention of relying solely on ratings and reviews, so let’s talk facts.

WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Which one is easier to set up?

In general, WooCommerce is more appealing to programmers and designers. And when it comes to user-friendliness, Shopify stands out. Its platform guides you through a step-by-step setup process, ensuring you have a functional website at the end.

WooCommerce also offers an easy-to-navigate dashboard for adding products, but it's not a subscription-based platform. This means you must handle certain integrations yourself, including:

  • Getting a domain name
  • Finding a hosting account
  • Installing WordPress
  • Finding and installing WordPress themes

These tasks are better suited for someone familiar with the platform who knows which plugins to use. In terms of ease of use, Shopify takes the lead.

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: Support

Getting professional help is easier with Shopify. They have a support team available 24/7. They can quickly solve your problems because Shopify works in a more controlled way, which helps them understand and fix mistakes.

On the other hand, WooCommerce is more open, letting anyone add extra features. This is good for flexibility, but it means their support team can't have answers for every possible issue.

However, if you're using WooCommerce, you might find that you need help because of how versatile it is and the many extra features available.

WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Dropshipping

Dropshipping is all about ease, integrations, and shortcuts. So, when you're running a dropshipping store on any of these platforms, you’ll need someone else to handle deliveries. This involves integrating delivery vendors into your website.

With Shopify, you have a selection of popular delivery services available. The costs can vary, including monthly membership fees or one-time charges. However, your choices are somewhat limited to the Shopify offer.

On the other hand, WooCommerce offers you a broader range of options. For instance, if you're a small business with only a few deliveries each month, you might prefer a pay-per-item delivery service rather than a monthly subscription.

So, if you want a delivery solution that can be tailored to your specific business needs, WooCommerce is the way to go.

Shopify vs WooCommerce: Pricing

Shopify gives you a 14-day free trial. After that, you pay monthly. The basic plan is $29 per month, but you get a discount if you pay for a whole year. The next plan is $79 per month, and the most comprehensive plan costs $299 per month when paid annually.

All these plans come with security (SSL) and web hosting. If you want your website address to be just your name without "Shopify" in it, that's an extra $14 per year. The basic plans let two people use the same account, and you can put as many products and files as you want. But you can't use other tools inside the platform.

There's a fee for every sale you make. The basic plan charges an average of 2.9% + $0.30 of what you sell, while the pro plan only charges 1.6%.

For WooCommerce, it's free to start, but you need to pay for other things like your website name, keeping it safe (SSL), and hosting. The prices for these things vary. Hosting can cost $5 to $30. Getting a website name costs about $9 each year. Keeping your website safe can be free or cost up to $100 every year.

The cost of WooCommerce also depends on what extra things you want to add to your website, like tools to help with Google and other features. To decide between Shopify and WooCommerce, think about what features you need, not just the price.

WooCommerce vs Shopify: Design

Shopify provides access to over 70 free themes, along with various paid themes. It’s worth mentioning that buying a theme from the Shopify store is a one-time cost. However, it's worth noting that this means you might share the same theme with other online stores.

WooCommerce offers a wide range of designs and themes that can automatically adapt to mobile devices. However, achieving a clear and user-friendly website design may take more time because each plugin has its own unique user experience (UX) to learn.

So, it's a battle between practicality accompanied by blending with the crowd versus standing out accompanied by further development.

You choose the winner; it's your time and money to invest!

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