WooCommerce and Shopify answer the same question — how do I sell things online — with opposite philosophies. WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin you self-host and extend piece by piece; Shopify is a fully hosted subscription platform where almost everything is included from day one. We compared official pricing and fee structures for both to see what each one actually costs in practice.
At a Glance
| WooCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Core cost | Free plugin, no monthly fee | From $29/mo (billed yearly) on Basic |
| Hosting | Separate cost: $25–$350/mo typical | Included |
| Card processing | ~2.5–2.9% + 30¢ via WooCommerce Payments | 2.9% + 30¢ (Basic) down to 2.5% + 30¢ (Advanced) |
| 3rd-party gateway fee | None | 2% (Basic) down to 0.6% (Advanced) |
| Best for | Owners who want full control and are comfortable managing a WordPress site | Owners who want everything included and minimal setup |
Short Verdict
“WooCommerce is free, Shopify costs $29/month” is the comparison most people start with, and it’s misleading. WooCommerce’s core plugin really is free, but hosting, premium extensions ($29–$299/year each), and a developer’s time to maintain it all add up — typical total costs land around $300–$500/year in extensions alone, on top of hosting. Shopify’s subscription is higher on paper, but it bundles hosting, security, and support, and its real differentiator shows up in its tiered third-party transaction fee, which punishes stores that don’t use Shopify Payments more at lower tiers.
WooCommerce: Pay for What You Add
WooCommerce itself has no subscription fee, no platform fee, and no revenue share — it’s free to download from WordPress.org and install on any WordPress site. Its real costs come from four places: hosting (typically $25–$350/month depending on traffic and host), premium extensions for things like advanced shipping, subscriptions, or booking ($29–$299/year each, à la carte), a theme if the default doesn’t fit, and payment processing. WooCommerce Payments charges roughly 2.5–2.9% plus 30¢ per transaction, and crucially, WooCommerce itself adds no extra fee if you use a different payment gateway instead — you only pay that processor’s own rate.
Shopify: Pay for Everything Included
Shopify bundles hosting, security, uptime, and support into a flat monthly subscription with four core tiers: Basic at $29/month (billed yearly; $39 billed monthly), Grow at $79/month ($105 monthly), Advanced at $299/month ($399 monthly), and Plus starting from $2,300/month for high-volume merchants. Card processing rates improve as you move up — 2.9%+30¢ on Basic down to 2.25%+30¢ on Plus for Shopify Payments — and there’s a separate, often-overlooked third-party transaction fee (2% on Basic, down to 0.2% on Plus) charged only if you use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments. Staff accounts also scale by tier: Basic includes only the owner account, Grow adds up to 5 more, Advanced up to 15, and Plus is unlimited. New stores can start with a 3-day free trial followed by $1/month for the first three months.
Where the Real Cost Difference Shows Up
- Small stores: WooCommerce can be genuinely cheaper if you already have WordPress hosting and keep extensions minimal; Shopify’s $29–$39/month floor is a fixed cost regardless of sales volume.
- Stores not using the platform’s own payment processor: Shopify’s third-party transaction fee (2% at the Basic tier) is a cost WooCommerce simply doesn’t have — it never charges extra for using a non-default payment gateway.
- Multi-staff teams: Shopify’s Basic plan allows no additional staff accounts at all, which pushes small teams toward Grow ($79/month) faster than the sticker price suggests.
- Developer time: WooCommerce’s lower subscription cost often trades for more setup and maintenance time, whether that’s your own time or a developer’s.
Pros and Cons
- WooCommerce pros: free core, full control over hosting and code, no extra fee for third-party payment gateways. Cons: you’re responsible for hosting, security, and updates; costs are unpredictable and scale with how many extensions you need.
- Shopify pros: hosting, security, and support included; predictable flat monthly cost; staff and app ecosystem scale cleanly by tier. Cons: a real monthly floor even with zero sales; a third-party transaction fee if you skip Shopify Payments; Basic tier allows no extra staff accounts.
Who It’s a Good Fit For
WooCommerce fits store owners who already run a WordPress site, want full control over hosting and customization, and are comfortable (or have a developer who is) managing updates and extensions themselves. Shopify fits owners who want to launch fast with everything bundled and predictable, and who are comfortable using Shopify Payments to avoid the third-party transaction fee.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
If you don’t want to manage hosting, security updates, or plugin compatibility at all, WooCommerce’s self-hosted model will feel like ongoing work rather than a one-time setup — Shopify is the better fit. If your margins can’t absorb a fixed monthly subscription regardless of sales volume, WooCommerce’s pay-as-you-add model is the safer starting point.
Bottom Line
Neither platform is cheaper in every scenario — WooCommerce trades a lower subscription floor for unpredictable, scattered costs across hosting and extensions, while Shopify trades a higher flat fee for everything bundled and a transaction fee that specifically penalizes skipping its own payment processor. Match the model to how much hands-on management you actually want, not just the headline price.
Sources
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