I build stores on WooCommerce, and I will still tell some clients to use Shopify. It depends on the business. Six questions decide it.
What is the real monthly cost of each?
Shopify: a monthly plan fee, plus the payment gateway's standard rate, plus, if you use any gateway other than Shopify Payments, an extra transaction fee of roughly 0.5 to 2 percent. Paid apps for reviews, subscriptions, bundles and so on stack on top.
WooCommerce: the software is free. You pay for hosting (a real store needs decent hosting, not the cheapest shared plan), a domain, and any premium extensions. There is no platform transaction fee, only the gateway's own rate. A maintenance plan for updates and backups is sensible.
Which is faster to launch?
Shopify, clearly. A simple Shopify store can be trading in days with a paid theme. A WooCommerce store built properly, with a real design, optimised catalogue and a checkout tuned for speed, takes longer to stand up. If speed to market is the priority and the store is straightforward, Shopify.
Which handles custom requirements better?
WooCommerce. Conditional pricing, custom fields on products, quote requests, trade accounts with different catalogues, unusual shipping rules, deep integration with a booking system or CRM: all of this is far easier in WooCommerce because you have the whole of WordPress and PHP underneath. Shopify can do a lot through apps and its checkout extensibility, but you hit walls that WooCommerce does not have.
What about SEO and content?
WooCommerce has the edge for a content-led brand: full control of URLs, a proper blog, flexible schema, and the same tooling you would use for any WordPress SEO project. Shopify's SEO is competent but constrained, a fixed URL structure and less flexible content tools. If your growth plan is "rank for how-to and buying-guide content", WooCommerce fits better.
Which is cheaper over three years?
For a small store doing modest volume, WooCommerce usually comes out ahead once you add up Shopify's plan fees, per-sale transaction fees and app subscriptions over 36 months, even after WooCommerce hosting and maintenance. The gap widens the more you sell. For a very simple store with tiny volume, the difference is small and Shopify's convenience may be worth it.
Can you move between them later?
Yes, in both directions. Products, customers and orders migrate, the design is rebuilt on the new platform, and URLs are 301-redirected so search traffic follows. It is a project, not a nightmare. Most moves I do are Shopify to WooCommerce once a business outgrows the app-fee model or needs custom logic. See the WooCommerce service page for how I scope a store.
