The structural difference: plan versus parts
Shopify sells a hosted plan. Hosting, checkout and the admin are one subscription, and the pricing page lists Basic at $29 a month on yearly billing or $39 on monthly billing, Grow at $79 or $105, and Advanced at $299 or $399. [1]
WooCommerce describes itself as the free, open source ecommerce platform for WordPress, with no monthly subscription and a 0% revenue share. The same page is clear that the store still costs money: hosting at $25 to $350 a month for most stores, extensions at $29 to $299 a year each, and the processing fees of whichever payment solution you pick. [2]
So the real comparison is one Shopify invoice against a bundle of WooCommerce parts you choose and pay for separately.
| Cost line | Shopify Basic | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Software | $29/mo yearly ($348/year) or $39/mo monthly | Free plugin, 0% revenue share |
| Hosting | Included in the plan | $25 to $350/mo for most stores, per WooCommerce |
| Theme | Free and paid themes in the Shopify Theme Store [7] | Storefront theme is free [6]; paid themes vary |
| Extensions or apps | Optional apps, priced by each developer | $29 to $299/year per extension, per WooCommerce |
| US online card processing | 2.9% + 30¢ with Shopify Payments | 2.90% + $0.30 with WooPayments for US cards |
| Using an outside payment provider | 2% extra on Basic | No platform fee listed |
First-year cost for a 50-product store
Assumptions for this worked example: 50 physical products, $2,000 a month in online card sales from 40 orders at $50 each, US cards only, and three paid WooCommerce extensions (for example shipping, subscriptions or product add-ons). Card fees at 2.9% + 30 cents come to $58 + $12 = $70 a month, or $840 a year, on either platform because the listed US card rates match. [1][3]
The WooCommerce range is wide because WooCommerce itself quotes a wide hosting range. The low end assumes $25 a month hosting and three $29 extensions; the high end assumes $350 a month hosting and three $299 extensions. Your real number will sit somewhere in between depending on the host you choose. [2]
Shopify list price alone is not the whole story either: the pricing page advertised 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months, which lowers year one slightly if it applies to your account. The table uses the standard yearly price so the comparison holds in year two. [1]
| Year-one line | Shopify Basic (yearly) | WooCommerce low | WooCommerce high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan or hosting | $348 | $300 ($25 x 12) | $4,200 ($350 x 12) |
| Three paid extensions | $0 assumed (apps optional) | $87 (3 x $29) | $897 (3 x $299) |
| Theme | $0 with a free theme | $0 with Storefront | $0 with Storefront |
| Card fees on $24,000 sales | $840 | $840 | $840 |
| Total before domain, apps and tax | $1,188 | $1,227 | $5,937 |
Where payment fees diverge
With standard US cards the two platforms charge the same headline rate in this example. The differences appear at the edges. WooPayments adds 1.50% for international cards and 1.00% for currency conversion, and charges a $15.00 dispute fee that is refunded if you challenge and win the dispute. WooPayments also lists no setup or monthly fee. [3][4]
On Shopify the edge cost is the third-party transaction fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments. On $24,000 a year of sales, a 2% fee is $480 on top of whatever that provider charges. Shopify also lists a higher premium card rate of 3.5% + 30 cents on Basic. [1]
WooPayments has its own requirements: your business must be in a supported country, the site needs an SSL certificate and HTTPS, and the plugin requires connecting a WordPress.com account. [4]
Who maintains and secures the store
This is the line most first-year cost tables leave out. On WooCommerce you, or whoever you hire, run the WordPress site. WooCommerce developer documentation says regularly updating WordPress, WooCommerce and all installed plugins is crucial to a secure store, recommends automatic updates for WordPress core, off-site backups, a staging environment to test updates before they go live, a security plugin, and SSL. [5]
Each of those is a recurring task or a recurring cost, and none of them appears in the plugin price. If you would rather not own update day, the hosted Shopify plan is the lower-effort choice even when the dollar totals look similar.
- Updates: WordPress core, WooCommerce and every plugin, ideally tested on staging first.
- Backups: stored off-site so you can recover from a compromise or data loss.
- Security: a security plugin and SSL on the whole site.
- Hosting performance: the host plan you pick decides speed and capacity, so budget for moving up as traffic grows.
Who should pick which
Pick Shopify if selling is the main job, you want one bill, and you do not want to own server updates. It also suits stores that plan to sell in person, since Shopify lists in-person rates on every plan. [1]
Pick WooCommerce if you already run a WordPress site with content you want to keep, you or a developer are comfortable with plugin updates and backups, and you need a specific extension or customisation that a hosted plan does not offer. [2][5]
Skip both if you sell one or two digital products; a page builder with a payment form, or a funnel tool, is usually cheaper to run. See the related guide on selling one product from a small site.
| Situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New store, no existing site, no developer | Shopify | Hosting, checkout and updates in one plan |
| Existing WordPress blog adding a shop | WooCommerce | Keeps content and URLs in one install |
| Many international buyers | Check both | WooPayments adds 1.5% for international cards; compare Shopify rates at checkout |
| Wants to use a non-Shopify payment provider | WooCommerce or a higher Shopify plan | Shopify Basic adds 2% for third-party providers |
| Needs in-person sales too | Shopify | In-person card rates listed on every plan |
Checklist before you choose
Run these checks against the live pricing pages on the day you decide; both vendors change plans and promotions.
- Write down expected monthly sales, order count and share of international buyers, then compute card fees for each platform.
- Get a real hosting quote for WooCommerce instead of using the midpoint of the $25 to $350 range.
- List the extensions or apps you actually need and price each one for a full year.
- Decide who handles WordPress updates and backups, and price that time or service.
- For Shopify, confirm whether you will use Shopify Payments; if not, add the third-party fee for your plan.
Questions before you decide
Is WooCommerce really free?
The plugin is free with no monthly subscription and a 0% revenue share, according to WooCommerce. You still pay for hosting, any paid extensions, and payment processing fees.
Are card fees cheaper on WooCommerce than Shopify Basic?
For US cards the listed rates match: 2.9% + 30 cents on Shopify Basic online and 2.90% + $0.30 on WooPayments. WooPayments adds 1.50% for international cards and 1.00% for currency conversion.
Does Shopify charge extra if I use PayPal or another provider?
Shopify lists a third-party transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Shopify pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WooCommerce pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WooPayments documentation: fees Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WooPayments product page and FAQ Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WooCommerce developer docs: security best practices Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WooCommerce: Storefront theme Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Shopify Help Center: free themes Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.