At first glance, there seems to be a clear winner in our Shopify versus WooCommerce comparison when it comes to pricing. After all, the open source plugin is free and integrates plenty of useful basic eCommerce features at no additional charge. But keep in mind that Shopify offers a feature-rich all-inclusive solution. Its rates are transparent and while individual extensions may incur follow-up costs, expenses are fairly easy to estimate and budget for.
With WooCommerce, many services are free, but web hosting and professional extensions, some of which are indispensable, incur extra charges (some are not cheap either). Expenses such as domain fees, design, branding, marketing, and advertising charges can put a strain on the wallet. These added expenses for running an online store successfully aren’t unique to WooCommerce and will also apply to those running a Shopify store.
Irrespective of the platform you choose, don’t forget that in-house developments and adaptations may be required down the line (for example, additional design charges to find a suitable theme). You may need to make changes in the future due to scaling of your Shopify or WooCommerce store, which will likely generate follow-up costs.
Considering follow-up costs, new store owners should think carefully about what they require now and possibly in the future. Since WooCommerce is a fairly open system, offering a (tempting) selection of extensions, WordPress users should plan thoroughly and with foresight. It’s worth taking into account that when choosing a paid plugin, you can sometimes get it wrong and waste money on an integration you don’t really need.
Also keep in mind that time is an important factor for calculating costs. If you invest too much time and energy in the technology of an ecommerce platform (WooCommerce is particularly time-intensive), sales and the objective of creating a solid promotional strategy for your store (including SEO, content marketing, social media activities, etc.) may suffer. And what may appear easy to handle by yourself at the start, may soon become daunting and harder todelegate at a later stage.
Various factors can put a strain on the budget. That's why it’s hard to give a general answer as to whether Shopify or WooCommerce is the more cost-effective store system in the long run. Shopify charges include tariffs and transaction fees, while WooCommerce may incur hiddenextra charges to cover extensions.