---
title: Shopify vs WooCommerce
canonical: "https://ecommerceplatforms.com/comparisons/shopify-vs-woocommerce/"
updatedDate: "2026-10-31T00:00:00.000Z"
description: "Compare hosted store management with WordPress ownership, including setup, maintenance, extensions and the costs to investigate for your business."
---

## Hosted convenience or more control?

Shopify provides a hosted store environment. WooCommerce adds commerce to WordPress and lets you choose your host. That changes who manages the technical work.

| Decision             | Shopify                            | WooCommerce                                  |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Hosting approach     | Hosted service                     | Choose your own WordPress hosting            |
| Customisation route  | Themes, apps and development       | WordPress themes, extensions and development |
| Operational planning | Evaluate plan and app requirements | Plan hosting, updates and maintenance        |

## Start with your existing setup

Already using WordPress? Consider what you want to preserve. Starting fresh? Decide how much infrastructure you want to manage yourself. Neither route removes the need to maintain your catalog and customer experience.

## Run the same test on both

Add representative products, configure shipping and walk through checkout. List the paid extensions or apps needed for each. Compare the full cost and the time required to run the store.

## Sources

[Shopify online store](https://www.shopify.com/online) and [WooCommerce](https://woocommerce.com/), consulted 31 October 2026. This is a comparison of documented approaches, not a hands-on benchmark.