Shopify vs WooCommerce: Which Is Better for Your Shop?
Shopify vs WooCommerce: Which Is Better for Your Shop? It depends on how much you want to run yourself. Shopify is a hosted package: store, checkout, hosting and support sit in one monthly plan. WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress, and you choose and pay for hosting, payments and add-ons one by one. For most people starting a shop we recommend Shopify, because it lets you launch without picking a host, and we keep a shop page with cashback for it. WooCommerce suits those who want full control. Status October 2026, prices without guarantee.
Cashback: Shopify yes, WooCommerce not applicable
The Shopify page is Shopify at daily cashback. It lists its reward by category, such as full-price store plans, and says that a code it does not name can endanger eligibility. Read the rates table on that page before you sign up, since which plans count is set there. We keep no page for WooCommerce, because it is software you download rather than a shop you buy from, so nothing is tracked there.
Available here with cashback
Start at our page, sign up in the same browser session and let the tracking run. The sign-up appears as pending in your account and becomes payable once Shopify has approved it. A cancelled or refunded sign-up earns nothing, so settle on your plan first.
What you pay for what
Shopify bundles. The pricing page shows four plans, Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus, with yearly payment lowering the monthly rate. Web hosting, a free SSL certificate and unlimited products are included in every plan. The page offers a start of 3 days free and then a promotional price for 3 months. Staff accounts grow with the plan, and the larger plans add features such as third-party shipping rates.
WooCommerce splits the bill. Woo says the core platform is free with no monthly subscription, and that it takes no platform fee or revenue share. Hosting is yours to buy, which Woo puts at $25 to $350 a month for most stores depending on traffic, and single extensions cost between $29 and $299 a year according to Woo. So the real price is the sum of the parts you pick.
Payments
On Shopify the built-in payment service charges card rates that start at 1.6% plus a fixed fee on the Basic plan and fall to 1.3% on Plus, as the pricing page states. If you take payments through another provider, an extra transaction fee is added, 2% on Basic and shrinking on higher plans.
WooCommerce lets you choose any payment gateway or buy-now-pay-later provider, and Woo says you can run several side by side. It also offers its own WooPayments, available in 38 countries with 135 or more currencies, on a pay-as-you-go basis without setup or monthly fees. Your processor sets the rate, so compare it with the Shopify card rates for the country you sell in.
Control and support
Shopify gives you themes, templates and a built-in checkout, and the plan includes 24/7 live chat support. That keeps the daily work light, but you work within its system and its app store.
WooCommerce is open source: any host, any feature, code you can change. Woo recommends hosts on a page for new and growing stores. The price of that freedom is that updates, backups and security depend on you and your host. WooPayments users get priority access to the Woo team.
At a glance
| Point | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Cashback with us | yes, via our page | no page, it is software |
| Core cost | monthly plan, four tiers | free plugin, no subscription |
| Hosting | included in the plan | you choose and buy it |
| Payments | own service with card rates by plan, other providers add a fee | any gateway, WooPayments pay as you go |
| Add-ons | apps, paid separately where needed | extensions bought one by one, yearly |
| Support | 24/7 live chat | through your host; priority for WooPayments users |
| First step | start of 3 days free | download for free, then set up hosting |
Who should pick what
First-time sellers: if you want a working shop quickly and prefer one contact for the technical side, take Shopify. You can test with the free start, then decide.
People who already run WordPress: WooCommerce slots into the site you have. You keep your content, your plugins and your hosting contract.
Shops with special needs: if you need your own checkout logic or want to move between hosts, the open-source route gives room. Count the cost of the developers you may need.
What we recommend
For most new shops we point to Shopify, ordering through the shop page so the cashback can be tracked. Pick WooCommerce if you want to own every part of the stack and are happy to manage it.
Quick takeaways
- Cashback: Shopify yes, WooCommerce no page.
- Shopify bundles hosting and support; WooCommerce is free software with hosting on top.
- Payment fees differ: card rates by plan on Shopify, your own processor on Woo.
- A cancelled sign-up earns no cashback.
Another platform pairing: Shopify vs Wix.
Available here with cashback