--- "@type": BlogPosting "@id": "https://hallobraaf.nl/en/shopify-or-woocommerce" "@source": "https://hallobraaf.nl/data/blogposting/shopify-of-woocommerce.json" "@stamp": "2026-10-13T12:53:52+00:00" articleSection: Webshops author: {"@id":"https://hallobraaf.nl/#joey"} citation: # 3 - "@type": CreativeWork name: Shopify Pricing url: "https://www.shopify.com/pricing" author: {"@type":"Organization","name":"Shopify"} - "@type": CreativeWork name: WooCommerce url: "https://woocommerce.com/" author: {"@type":"Organization","name":"WooCommerce.com"} - "@type": CreativeWork name: BuiltWith Ecommerce Usage url: "https://trends.builtwith.com/shop" author: {"@type":"Organization","name":"BuiltWith"} dateModified: "2026-04-18T00:00:00+02:00" datePublished: "2026-01-01T00:00:00+01:00" description: Shopify or WooCommerce? An honest comparison of both platforms — no affiliate links, no hidden agenda. headline: "Shopify or WooCommerce: which is better?" identifier: shopify-of-woocommerce image: "@type": ImageObject name: The platform behind the boxes caption: Packing and shipping — your platform has to carry the work around it. contentUrl: "https://hallobraaf.nl/theme/static/images/blogposting-shopify-of-woocommerce.jpg" inLanguage: en mentions: # 2 - {"@id":"https://hallobraaf.nl/en/what-does-a-webshop-cost"} - {"@id":"https://hallobraaf.nl/en/starting-a-webshop"} publisher: {"@id":"https://hallobraaf.nl/#organization"} timeRequired: PT8M url: "https://hallobraaf.nl/en/shopify-or-woocommerce" --- # Shopify or WooCommerce: which is better? [Nederlands](https://hallobraaf.nl/data/blogposting/shopify-of-woocommerce.md) • [English](https://hallobraaf.nl/en/data/blogposting/shopify-of-woocommerce.md) You want a web shop. Two names always come up: Shopify and WooCommerce. Google it and you drown in comparison articles — written by parties who get an affiliate commission if you order through their link. No hidden agenda here. Just an honest comparison of two platforms that are both good — but not for the same situation. ## Shopify in brief Shopify is a hosted platform. You pay a monthly subscription and get everything in one package: hosting, security, updates, a CMS and a web shop environment. You don't have to install or maintain anything. Sounds ideal — and for many entrepreneurs it is. ### Strengths - **Plug-and-play:** Online within a day, without technical knowledge. - **Reliable infrastructure:** Hosting, SSL, uptime — Shopify handles it. - **App ecosystem:** Thousands of apps for reviews, email, fulfilment, upsells. - **Payment integrations:** Shopify Payments, iDEAL, Apple Pay — out of the box. - **Scalable:** From ten products to ten thousand, Shopify grows with you. ### Weaknesses - **Monthly costs:** €36/month (Basic) to €384/month (Advanced), plus transaction fees if you don't use Shopify Payments. - **Limited customisability:** Liquid (Shopify's template language) is less flexible than PHP/WordPress. Custom functionality requires a Shopify developer. - **Vendor lock-in:** Your data sits on Shopify's servers. Migrating to another platform isn't impossible, but it isn't painless either. - **Ongoing app costs:** Those handy apps? Many cost €10-50 a month each. It adds up quickly. ## WooCommerce in brief WooCommerce is a free open-source plugin for WordPress. It turns your WordPress website into a web shop. You have full control over hosting, design and functionality — but that also means you're responsible for maintenance. ### Strengths - **Free base:** The plugin is free. You pay for hosting, a theme and any premium extensions. - **Full control:** Your own hosting, your own code, your own rules. No platform dictating what you can and can't do. - **Flexibility:** Everything is customisable — design, checkout flow, product layouts, integrations. - **Ownership:** Your data is yours. You can move tomorrow if you want. - **Ecosystem:** Thousands of plugins, themes and developers available. ### Weaknesses - **Maintenance:** WordPress, WooCommerce, theme, plugins — everything has to be kept up to date. If you don't, you run risks. - **Performance:** Without good hosting and optimisation, WooCommerce can be slow. The standard [shared hosting](/en/vps-vs-shared-hosting) that comes with many providers isn't enough for a serious web shop. - **Complexity:** The learning curve is steeper. You can do a lot yourself, but "being able to" and "doing it well" are two different things. - **Hidden costs:** Free at the base, but premium extensions (€50-200 each per year), a good theme, reliable hosting — it adds up. ## The comparison ### Cost per year - **Shopify Basic:** \~€432/year + apps (\~€100-300/month) + transaction fees - **WooCommerce:** Hosting (\~€120-600/year) + theme (\~€60 one-off) + extensions (\~€200-500/year) On paper WooCommerce is cheaper. In practice it depends on how many apps and extensions you need, and whether you need a developer for changes. ### Ease of use Shopify wins on ease of use for beginners. Everything works, right away. WooCommerce is more powerful but takes more knowledge — or a developer who sets it up for you. ### SEO WooCommerce wins here by a nose. WordPress is SEO-friendly by nature, with full control over URL structures, meta tags and speed. Shopify's SEO is fine but less flexible — URL structures always contain \`/collections/\` and \`/products/\`. ### Scalability Both scale, but in different ways. Shopify scales infrastructurally (they handle the servers). WooCommerce scales functionally (you can build anything) but needs better hosting as you grow. ## When do you choose Shopify? - You want to go live quickly without technical hassle - You don't have a developer in-house or on retainer - You sell products that don't require complex logic - You want a reliable platform you don't have to maintain ## When do you choose WooCommerce? - You already have a WordPress website - You want full control over design and functionality - You need specific integrations (ERP, accounting, bespoke) - Your budget is limited but you have technical knowledge (or a partner who does) - Ownership of data and hosting matters to you