Choose Shopify when you value a tightly managed commerce platform, predictable core hosting, a strong hosted checkout and less responsibility for the underlying stack. Choose WordPress + WooCommerce when you need deeper content control, bespoke functionality, ownership of the environment or integrations that benefit from an open platform.
WordPress/WooCommerce vs Shopify: what do they cost?
The cost models are fundamentally different. Shopify charges for access to a hosted commerce platform. WooCommerce is an open-source WordPress plugin: the core software is free, but the business pays for hosting, development, maintenance and any premium extensions or services it needs.
Shopify UK pricing snapshot
At the time this article was updated (30 September 2026), Shopify UK lists annual-billing prices of £19/month for Basic, £49/month for Grow and £259/month for Advanced. Shopify Plus starts from £1,800/month on a three-year term. Payment and third-party transaction fees can also apply depending on setup.
Because platform pricing changes, check Shopify’s current UK pricing before making a decision.
WooCommerce cost structure
The WooCommerce core plugin is free and open source. That does not make a WooCommerce store “free”. You still need suitable WordPress hosting, payment processing, backups, security, maintenance and development. Extensions for subscriptions, feeds, bookings, advanced shipping or other functions may add recurring licences.
Ownership, control and platform dependency
WooCommerce runs within WordPress on hosting you control. That means the business has direct access to the site files, database and content, and developers can modify the platform deeply. It also means somebody has to take responsibility for updates, hosting quality and compatibility.
Shopify is a software-as-a-service platform. The hosted infrastructure, core platform and checkout are managed for you. This reduces infrastructure responsibility, but the store operates inside Shopify’s platform rules, APIs and plan capabilities.
Neither model is automatically better. A business with no desire to manage a web stack may see Shopify’s constraints as a benefit. A company with complex product logic or existing WordPress content may see WooCommerce’s flexibility as the advantage.
Which is easier to run day to day?
Shopify
Shopify is designed around merchant operations. Products, orders, discounts, payments and shipping are central to the platform, and the hosted setup removes many infrastructure decisions. This can be attractive for a retail team that wants the website to behave more like a managed commerce system than a custom application.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce uses the familiar WordPress administration model and can be shaped heavily around the business. This is particularly useful when commerce is one part of a larger content or lead-generation website. The trade-off is that plugin quality, hosting and maintenance matter more.
Genius Creative works with WooCommerce sites where product feeds, filters, variations, tax display, calculators and integrations need to fit the real operating process rather than a generic store demo. Our eCommerce service explains that approach in more detail.
Which platform is better for SEO?
Both can rank. Google does not award rankings simply because a site runs on WordPress or Shopify. Search performance depends on whether pages are crawlable, useful, fast enough, logically structured and supported by relevant content and authority.
Where WordPress/WooCommerce is strong
- very flexible page and content architecture;
- deep control over templates, internal linking and structured content;
- large SEO plugin ecosystem;
- easy combination of editorial content, service pages and eCommerce;
- direct control over many technical implementation details.
Where Shopify is strong
- solid hosted infrastructure and commerce defaults;
- clean operational integration between products, collections and checkout;
- less chance of a poorly maintained plugin stack creating technical problems;
- built-in handling for many common store functions.
The real decision is often how much technical control the SEO strategy needs and whether your team or agency will actively use that control. A badly implemented WordPress store is not more SEO-friendly than a well-built Shopify store.
Customisation and integrations
| Requirement | WordPress + WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Custom content layouts | Very flexible | Strong, within theme/platform model |
| Bespoke PHP/server logic | Directly possible | Different model; often via apps/APIs/functions |
| Hosted infrastructure | You choose/manage hosting | Included in platform |
| Plugin/app ecosystem | Very large WordPress/Woo ecosystem | Very large Shopify app ecosystem |
| Checkout control | Highly customisable | Strong hosted checkout; deeper customisation depends on plan/capability |
| Content-heavy corporate site | Natural fit | Possible, but commerce remains the platform centre of gravity |
Which should your business choose?
- WordPress is already central to the website;
- content/SEO is as important as the store;
- you need unusual integrations or business logic;
- you want direct control of hosting and code;
- the site needs to behave like more than a standard shop.
- you want a managed commerce platform;
- the team values operational simplicity;
- standard apps can cover most workflows;
- you want core hosting/platform updates handled for you;
- the shop itself is the primary digital product.
What about migrating later?
Migration is possible in either direction, but it should not be treated as free. Products, variants, customer data, orders, URLs, images, redirects and third-party integrations all need mapping. If organic search matters, preserve useful URL equity and plan redirects carefully.
That is one reason to choose based on the next few years of requirements rather than only the cheapest first-year setup.
We can map the catalogue, integrations, SEO and operating workflow before deciding how the store should be built.
WordPress vs Shopify FAQs
Is Shopify cheaper than WooCommerce?
Not automatically. Shopify has a clear recurring platform fee, while WooCommerce core is free but requires hosting and may need paid extensions, development and maintenance. Total cost depends on the store.
Which is better for SEO: Shopify or WordPress?
Both can rank well when implemented properly. WordPress offers more direct control over content and technical configuration, while Shopify provides strong built-in commerce foundations. Search performance depends on the site, content, implementation and authority rather than the brand of CMS alone.
Which is easier to maintain?
Shopify generally removes more hosting and platform maintenance from the merchant. WooCommerce gives more control but places more responsibility on the site owner or agency for hosting, updates, backups and plugin compatibility.
Can WooCommerce handle a large product catalogue?
Yes, but hosting, database design, filtering, search, integrations and product data quality become increasingly important as the catalogue and traffic grow.
Can Shopify integrate with third-party systems?
Yes. Shopify has a large app ecosystem and APIs. Some workflows are very straightforward; highly bespoke logic may require custom apps or may be constrained by the platform and plan.
Who owns the data in WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is open source and runs on your WordPress environment, giving the business direct ownership/control of the store content and data. You are also responsible for operating that environment properly.
Can Genius Creative build either platform?
Genius Creative’s core eCommerce work is strongly WordPress/WooCommerce focused. We can still help a business evaluate Shopify objectively where its hosted commerce model is the better operational fit.
Shopify UK pricing · WooCommerce on WordPress.org. Pricing quoted above was checked on 30 September 2026.