So, you’re starting an ecommerce business, or your existing online shop needs a bit of a rethink. One of the first decisions you’ll need to make is which platform to build it on.
If you’ve started researching website platforms, you’ve likely come across two options: WordPress and Shopify. And, I know that you’re wondering which one is better (that’s why you’re here).
Both can build a very good ecommerce website, but they work quite differently. One gives you a huge amount of flexibility and control, while the other is built specifically around making selling online as straightforward as possible.
So, which one is right for your ecommerce business?
In this guide, we’re breaking down WordPress vs Shopify, so you can work out which platform is the right fit for your business.
TL;DR: WordPress vs Shopify
In the era of 1.5x speed on TikTok videos, if you don’t fancy reading the whole thing, we’ve got you.
If ecommerce is the main focus of your website, Shopify is generally the simpler option. If you need more flexibility, bespoke functionality or a website where ecommerce is only one part of the picture, WordPress and WooCommerce could be the better fit.
Here’s our quick comparison:
| WordPress + WooCommerce | Shopify | |
| Best for | Flexible ecommerce websites with bespoke requirements | Ecommerce businesses wanting an all-in-one platform |
| Ecommerce | WooCommerce plugin required | Built specifically for ecommerce |
| Flexibility | Very high | High, but can be more restrictive for bespoke functionality |
| Ease of use | More technical, but page builders can make content management easier | Generally easier to manage |
| Hosting | Needs to be managed separately | Included in the monthly Shopify costs |
| Maintenance | More hands-on, particularly with plugins and custom functionality | Generally lower maintenance, although bespoke functionality still needs support |
| Payment processing | Woo Payments, plus other third-party payment gateways available | Shopify Payments built in, plus other third-party payment gateways available |
| Custom functionality | Excellent for bespoke development | Possible, but can require Shopify-specific development |
| Apps & integrations | Huge range of plugins and integrations | Huge range of apps and integrations |
What is WordPress and WooCommerce?
WordPress itself is a content management system (CMS), while WooCommerce is the ecommerce plugin that turns it into an online shop.
This combination gives you a huge amount of control over how your ecommerce website works, looks and integrates with the rest of your business. WordPress alone has been around for a while and started off primarily as a blog platform, but one of the biggest reasons it’s still so popular is its flexibility.
You can build a relatively straightforward online shop, or go much further with bespoke functionality, complex integrations and a completely tailored customer journey.
Why choose WordPress?
There’s a lot you can do with WordPress, but some of its biggest benefits include:
- Flexibility: Build your store around your business rather than adapting your business to the platform.
- Bespoke functionality: Useful if you need unusual product configurations, complex customer journeys or custom features.
- Content + ecommerce: Particularly useful if SEO and content marketing are a big part of your growth strategy.
- Integrations: Lots of plugins, APIs and options for connecting your store to other systems.
- Control: More control over hosting, functionality and how the website is built.
However, with great flexibility comes great management. If you keep your WordPress website relatively simple, it’s fairly straightforward to manage. But for more complex online stores, you’ll need to stay on top of hosting and maintaining the site’s security, plugins and software updates, which often requires an experienced developer.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is an e-commerce platform built specifically for selling online.
Rather than building an e-commerce website on top of a general CMS (e.g. WooCommerce on WordPress), Shopify gives you the core tools you need to run an online shop from the get-go. You can manage your products, orders, customers, payments, stock and shipping all from one place.
Why choose Shopify?
Shopify is the go-to if e-commerce is the main focus of your business.
Some of the biggest benefits include:
- Built for e-commerce: Selling products is literally what Shopify was designed to do.
- Easy to manage: You don’t need to be particularly technical to manage your store, and its UX is fairly intuitive.
- Hosting included: Shopify takes care of the hosting and much of the technical infrastructure.
- Apps and integrations: There’s a huge ecosystem of apps that can add extra functionality available that work with Shopify.
- Scalable: Shopify can support businesses as they grow, from smaller online shops through to much larger e-commerce operations, but this also means the cost is scalable.
One big selling point for many people is that Shopify is generally considered less hands-on for technical maintenance.
You still need to manage your website, obviously. Shopify isn’t going to write your product descriptions or decide which products should be on your homepage for you. But much of the technical work behind the scenes is already taken care of and set up, so to speak. However, like WordPress, if you have custom functionality, this does require an expert to maintain and work on.
Is WordPress or Shopify better for ecommerce?
If selling online is the main focus of your website, Shopify is generally the simpler choice. It’s built specifically for ecommerce, so you get the core tools you need to manage your store without having to build them
Choose Shopify if:
- Your website is primarily an online shop
- You want an e-commerce platform that’s easy to manage
- You want hosting handled for you
- You want access to lots of e-commerce integrations
- You’re planning to scale your online store
Choose WordPress if:
- Your website is content-led as well as e-commerce
- You need lots of bespoke functionality
- You have complex integrations
- You want greater control over how your website works and looks
- Your requirements don’t fit neatly into Shopify
- E-commerce is an addition, rather than the focus of the website
Still stuck between WordPress and Shopify?
At Trio, we design and build both WordPress/WooCommerce and Shopify websites, helping businesses choose the platform that makes sense for their products, customers and plans for future growth.
Whether you’re launching a new online store or your current ecommerce website has become more of a headache than a help, we can help you work out what comes next.
FAQs
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Shopify can be a great choice if you want an ecommerce platform that’s straightforward to manage and can scale with your store. WordPress and WooCommerce could be better if you need more flexibility, bespoke functionality or complex integrations.
Generally, yes. Shopify manages much of the technical infrastructure for you, while WooCommerce requires more hands-on management of hosting, plugins, updates and security. That extra management does give you more control, though.
Both can perform well in search. WordPress and WooCommerce give you a lot of control over blog content and technical SEO, while Shopify provides strong SEO functionality within a more managed platform. Your content, technical setup and overall SEO strategy will have a much bigger impact than the platform alone.
Yes. Both Shopify and WordPress/WooCommerce can integrate with systems such as CRMs, stock management software, ERP platforms, payment providers and other tools. If you already rely on specific systems, check their compatibility before choosing your ecommerce platform.
Absolutely. Think beyond the products you’re selling today. If you’re planning to expand your product range, introduce new functionality, add integrations or invest heavily in SEO, your platform needs to support those plans. Choosing with the future in mind can save you a lot of time, money and headaches later.
