Shopify or WordPress: Which one should you choose?
These two websites are the most popular and widely used in the world. Each one offers a variety of tools and features to help you create and manage your website. The problem is that it can be difficult to choose between them.
Shopify and WordPress are very different platforms. One is closed-source hosted, the other is open-source self-hosted. Because of this, their operating methods are fundamentally different.
You must select the best solution for your business, as it will affect virtually every aspect of your online venture.
…! is free of any pressure
This is why we created this guide. This guide will help you understand the differences between Shopify & WordPress and how to choose the right platform for you. We’ll be comparing Shopify and WordPress in 10 categories.
- Overview
- Easy setup and use
- Ecommerce
- Payment gateways
- Design and themes
- Apps and plugins
- Pricing and value
- Support and guidance for customers
- Apps for management on the go
- Dropshipping
Let’s get started.
(Disclosure: This website belongs to Shopify Inc. Media properties. While we try to publish factual, objective, and accurate content, some opinions may be expressed in this article.
Shopify vs. WordPress
Let’s first look at the differences between Shopify & WordPress before we get into the details.
Shopify, a closed-source hosted website builder and an ecommerce platform, is what we have already mentioned. What does this all mean? Closed source means that Shopify manages all of the programming and maintenance of the platform.
You don’t have to buy, download and host Shopify software on a server. Instead, it’s a software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool that you pay a monthly subscription to access.
WordPress.com and WordPress.org are the core offerings of WordPress.
WordPress.com can be used as a SaaS platform similar to Shopify. You can create a website with it for a monthly charge.
WordPress.org on the other hand is an open-source and self-hosted solution. The software is available for free but you will need to buy hosting from third-party providers. The next step is to install WordPress and then manage it yourself.
WordPress.org is open-source software. WordPress.org is what most people refer to when they talk about WordPress. This article will focus on the self-hosted solution.
Let’s now see what it’s like using these platforms.
Shopify vs. WordPress – Setup and Easy of Use
To start Shopify simply sign-up for the free trial and then follow the steps to create an account. In just a few minutes you will have a new mission controller that you can use for managing your business.
The user interface is simple and intuitive, as you can see in the above image. You can add products to your website, change the theme of your site, set up payment options, and much more. To keep things simple, you can buy a domain name through Shopify.
WordPress is an entirely different game. You will first need to buy a domain name and web hosting from a third-party provider such as SiteGround or GoDaddy. Next, you’ll need to install WordPress on the web hosting and create login details.
After you log in, things look very similar to Shopify’s dashboard.
Shopify’s dashboard includes many standard features, including security, search engine optimization, and analytics tools. WordPress, on the other hand, is more like a blank canvas you can use to create any type of website.
Third-party plugins will be required for almost everything including security, analytics, and ecommerce.
Here’s the next point.
Shopify vs. WordPress – Ecommerce
Shopify vs. WordPress ecommerce — Which is better?
Shopify is a completely dedicated commerce platform.
This all-in-one, out-of-the-box commerce solution, provides tools to help businesses grow. It includes an ecommerce website creator, inventory and order management tools, as well as integrations with other online sales channels such as Amazon, eBay, Instagram, Amazon, and Amazon.
Shopify also offers a point of sale (POS) solution to help businesses combine their in-person and online sales through one easy-to-use dashboard.
WordPress does not come with ecommerce functionality like Shopify’s standard commerce solution. You will need to install an ecommerce plugin. WooCommerce WordPress’ most popular ecommerce plugin.
WooCommerce is an open-source, flexible tool that allows you to sell online.
Like WordPress, WooCommerce comes with enormous responsibilities. It doesn’t contain legal texts like general terms and conditions, shipping regulations, or data protection declarations. To manage these plugins, you will need to install and maintain them.
Shopify vs. WordPress Payment Gateways
You need a payment gateway to sell online. Stripe, PayPal, and Amazon Pay are some of the most popular payment gateways.
Shopify seamlessly integrates with more than 100 payment gateways. It also offers its payment gateway, Shopify payments that make it easy to set up and manage online payments.
You will need to create a payment gateway using your WooCommerce plugin to accept payments. WooCommerce can integrate with over 75 payment portals, including its own WooCommerce Payments.
While both platforms offer flexibility, Shopify’s all-in-one solution is easier to set up than woo-commerce’s.
Shopify vs. WordPress – Themes and Design
Shopify includes 8 free themes and 64 premium templates that range in price from $120 to $180. Shopify also offers 1,200 themes by third-party developers via Theme Forest.
Shopify’s themes can be used immediately to make your site sales-ready. These themes are responsive and mobile-optimized, so they adapt to any screen that is being used. Shopify’s theme editor makes it easy and intuitive to create themes. You don’t have to know any programming or technical skills to create the look you desire.
Shopify offers support 24 hours a day if you get stuck.
WordPress offers more than 8000 themes, half of which offer ecommerce functionality.
WordPress themes often require extensive editing and tweaking to make them work the way you want. You will need to have basic programming skills or the ability to hire a Miami web designer.
It is also important to note that WordPress themes are mostly made by third-party designers. If you have any questions, the theme developer can help.
Shopify vs. WordPress – Apps and plugins
Shopify and WordPress both have their app store, but users of both platforms rely upon third-party apps for the functionality they need.
The Shopify app store offers over 6,000 apps to enhance your website’s functionality.
There are over 50,000 WordPress plug-ins to choose from.
Shopify users need less support from third-party applications than WordPress. Shopify has built-in ecommerce capabilities and handles all programming, security, and maintenance.
WordPress users depend more on plugins to obtain the features they require. Many of these plugins are difficult to manage if one is not a programmer. Some plugins don’t work together and may require some technical tweaking to make them work together.
Shopify vs. WordPress – Pricing and Value
Shopify or WordPress? Let’s take a look at the pricing of each platform.
Shopify’s pricing seems very simple. There are three main plans available for Shopify.
- Basic Shopify: $29/month
- Shopify: $79/month
- Shopify Advanced $299/month
The Basic Shopify plan is for new businesses. It includes an ecommerce site, inventory management, and order management features as well as a POS system.
If you pay 1 year in advance, you can get a 10% discount, and 2 years upfront for a 20% discount. Shopify also offers a 14-day free trial.
What about WordPress?
The price of a WordPress ecommerce site will vary depending on the configuration. These are some estimates of the cost for a WordPress website that is typical for small businesses.
- Domain name: $10-50 per year
- Hosting: $3-$200 per month
- Theme: $0-$200 (According to code in wp the average theme costs $59)
- Plugins: $0-$1,000
- Security: $50-$500 per month
- Developer fees: $0-$1,000 (one-time cost).
Shopify may offer a more cost-effective and streamlined solution depending on your requirements.
Shopify vs. WordPress Customer Support
Ecommerce websites can be difficult to create and maintain. Support is important.
Shopify offers unlimited 24/7 customer service via chat and email. You can also access a comprehensive help center and participate in community forums.
WordPress is open-source software and doesn’t provide support. You will need help via community forums, specialist websites, or YouTube. If you are not an experienced web developer, you will likely need to pay for the support of a specialist WordPress developer.
However, the plugin’s creators may be able to support you directly.
Shopify vs. WordPress – Apps for On-the-Go Management
Shopify has three apps that will help you manage your business from anywhere: Shopify, Shopify POS, and Ping.
Shopify’s main app lets you do things such as:
- Track and manage your orders
- Manage your products and collections
- Marketing campaigns should be implemented
- Communicate with customers
- Create discounts
- Track store performance
- Modify the theme of your website
- More
WordPress has a mobile application that lets you manage your website’s content. You can also use WooCommerce’s app for managing your business.
After you have WooCommerce and WordPress installed, both apps will be comparable to Shopify.
Shopify vs. WordPress Dropshipping
Dropshipping refers to selling products online that have been stored, packed, and shipped by third-party sellers. This means that you don’t need inventory upfront. This is how it works.
Shopify and WordPress offer a variety of dropshipping apps, including AliExpress Dropshipping or print-on-demand dropshipping applications like Printful and Printify.
Final Thoughts: Shopify, WordPress, or Both?
Shopify and WordPress are amazing platforms, but which one should your business use?
Our verdict: Shopify will allow you to concentrate your efforts on growing and building a business. This commerce solution is all you need to launch and grow a business.
You won’t need to waste valuable time or energy on hosting, security, or other ecommerce integrations. Shopify will take care of all the technical details so you can focus on your business. Shopify offers support 24 hours a day if you get stuck.
WordPress and the WooCommerce plugin are great options for experienced web developers who want complete control over all aspects of their websites.
You will be responsible for all aspects of site maintenance and hosting. However, you can also tweak and optimize everything as you, please.
Which platform do you prefer? We’d love to hear your thoughts and concerns in the comments section below.
