Shopify or WooCommerce for Your Online Shop?
Shopify and WooCommerce both let you sell products online. Shopify provides a shop service with hosting included. WooCommerce adds an online shop to a WordPress website, with more of the setup and maintenance arranged by you or your developer.
Updated: 7 September 2026.
Shopify: one service for much of the setup
With Shopify, you choose a plan and use its tools to add products, take orders and manage the shop. Hosting is included, and you can add designs and apps for extra features.
It may suit you if you want one provider to look after much of the system the shop runs on. Check that its plans, payment options and features cover what you want to sell.
WooCommerce: a shop built on WordPress
WooCommerce is shop software for WordPress. The core software is available without a platform subscription, but a working shop still has costs, including hosting, a domain name and payment processing.
It may suit you if you already use WordPress or need a shop your developer can adapt. Agree who will handle updates, security, backups and any problems with the shop’s add-ons.
Work out a normal year’s costs
Use the products and features you expect to need. Include the ongoing price after any introductory offer.
- Shopify: the plan, payment fees, any extra transaction fees, paid apps, a design theme and outside help.
- WooCommerce: hosting, backups, security, payment fees, paid add-ons and developer support.
- Both: product photos, delivery, returns, customer service and the time you spend updating products.
Check Shopify’s UK prices and WooCommerce’s guide to costs. Fees and included features can change.
Try an order from start to finish
Set up a typical product and test the shop on a phone. Choose delivery, apply a discount if you use one, make a payment and check the emails. Then try a refund.
Check which payment methods are available, their fees and how quickly money reaches your bank. Consider anything particular to your business, such as bookings, subscriptions or selling in person.
Who helps when something goes wrong?
Shopify looks after its hosted platform, but an app problem may also need help from the app supplier. Ask where you would turn if orders stopped working.
For WooCommerce, agree with your host or developer who supports the shop, its theme and add-ons. A hosting plan may not include fixing every checkout or plugin problem.
Look after the business side of the shop
Keep the domain, payment and other important accounts accessible to the business. Ask how you could download products, orders and customer information if you moved to another service.
Before selling, read the online selling rules on GOV.UK and the Information Commissioner’s Office guidance on personal information. You will also need clear delivery, returns and customer-help arrangements.
Choose the option that handles your orders and that you can comfortably maintain, either yourself or with the help you have budgeted for.