Is WooCommerce actually free?

The core software is free and open-source. However, businesses must budget for hosting, domain registration, and often premium extensions to achieve functionality comparable to Shopify.

Does Shopify take a cut of my sales?

Shopify charges transaction fees if you do not use their native payment processor, Shopify Payments. Processing fees apply regardless of the platform used.

Can I migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce later?

Yes, but it is a complex process involving data export/import for products, customers, and order history, which often requires professional assistance to ensure data integrity.

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: The E-commerce Infrastructure Decision

Question: Should a small business use 'Shopify' or 'WooCommerce' for e-commerce, considering the monthly subscription overhead versus the technical maintenance of self-hosted solutions?

Prepared by the ChoiceScore Research Desk · Editor-approved for the curated library · Reviewed July 24, 2026

It depends Choice Score: 75/100

Direct answer

Shopify is recommended for businesses prioritizing rapid deployment and low technical overhead, while WooCommerce is superior for those requiring deep customization, data ownership, and long-term cost optimization at scale.

Summary

The decision between Shopify and WooCommerce centers on the trade-off between a managed Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environment and a self-hosted, open-source architecture. Shopify provides an all-in-one ecosystem that abstracts server management, security, and infrastructure updates into a recurring subscription model. WooCommerce, while built on the free, open-source WordPress platform, shifts the burden of hosting, security patching, and plugin compatibility to the site owner. This report evaluates the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), including both direct financial outlays and the implicit costs of technical maintenance, to help small businesses align their infrastructure with their technical capacity and growth objectives.

Choice Score breakdown

Shopify Ease of Use 95/100 — Minimal technical setup required for store deployment.
WooCommerce Flexibility 90/100 — Unparalleled control over code, data, and site architecture.
Shopify Cost Predictability 85/100 — Fixed monthly subscription fees simplify financial forecasting.
WooCommerce Cost Efficiency 70/100 — Lower base software cost, offset by variable labor and hosting requirements.

Best for / Not best for

Best for

Shopify: Non-technical founders, rapid prototyping, and businesses needing integrated POS solutions.
WooCommerce: Content-heavy sites, businesses with specific SEO requirements, and companies prioritizing full data ownership.

Not best for

Shopify: Businesses requiring highly custom database schemas or non-standard checkout flows.
WooCommerce: Business owners who are uncomfortable with server-side troubleshooting or security patching.

Scenarios

The 'Lean Startup' (Shopify) (60% likely)
A new business owner with limited coding experience launches a store using a pre-built theme and native Shopify tools. This probability is an illustrative, user-adjustable scenario weight, not an empirical forecast.
The 'Custom Scale' (WooCommerce) (25% likely)
An established brand migrates to WooCommerce to eliminate platform-specific transaction fees and implement a bespoke loyalty engine. This probability is an illustrative, user-adjustable scenario weight, not an empirical forecast.
The 'Maintenance Overhead' (WooCommerce) (15% likely)
A non-technical user manages a complex WooCommerce site, requiring manual updates for plugins, themes, and core WordPress files. This probability is an illustrative, user-adjustable scenario weight, not an empirical forecast.

Calculations

Metric	Result	Formula
Shopify Basic Annual Cost (Illustrative)	420 EUR/year	(monthly_fee * 12) + transaction_fees_estimate
WooCommerce Estimated Annual Cost (Illustrative)	660 USD/year	(hosting_cost * 12) + extension_costs
Opportunity Cost of Maintenance (Illustrative)	2400 USD/year	hours_spent_per_month * hourly_rate * 12

Pros & cons

Pros

Shopify: Zero server-side maintenance, high-availability infrastructure, integrated payment processing, and a robust, curated app ecosystem.
WooCommerce: Full ownership of data and code, absence of platform-wide transaction fees, and infinite customization potential through the WordPress plugin architecture.
Both: Highly scalable, supported by extensive third-party developer communities, and mobile-responsive.

Cons

Shopify: Recurring subscription fees, potential transaction fees when not using native payment gateways, and restricted access to core checkout code.
WooCommerce: Requires active technical management, responsibility for security and PCI compliance, and variable hosting costs that may scale with traffic.
Both: Require ongoing investment in digital marketing, SEO, and content strategy to drive store traffic.

Assumptions

Shopify Basic Plan: 25 EUR/month — Official Shopify pricing for the basic tier.
WooCommerce Hosting: 30 USD/month — Illustrative assumption for reliable managed WordPress hosting.
Maintenance Labor: 4 hours/month — Illustrative assumption for time required for security updates and plugin management.
Illustrative scenario probability — The 'Lean Startup' (Shopify): 60% — A user-adjustable modeling weight used to compare scenarios; it is not a measured probability or forecast.
Illustrative scenario probability — The 'Custom Scale' (WooCommerce): 25% — A user-adjustable modeling weight used to compare scenarios; it is not a measured probability or forecast.
Illustrative scenario probability — The 'Maintenance Overhead' (WooCommerce): 15% — A user-adjustable modeling weight used to compare scenarios; it is not a measured probability or forecast.

Practical next steps

Assess technical capacity: Evaluate your internal ability to manage PHP, database backups, and security protocols.
Define budget parameters: Contrast the predictable monthly SaaS fee of Shopify against the variable costs of hosting, premium extensions, and potential developer support for WooCommerce.
Evaluate growth requirements: Determine if your business model requires unique checkout flows or custom database schemas that necessitate deep backend access.
Analyze the 'Maintenance vs. Control' trade-off: Decide if the autonomy of self-hosting justifies the time investment required for platform upkeep.
Launch a pilot store: Test your preferred payment gateway and core functionality before committing to a long-term infrastructure.

Methodology

This report synthesizes official pricing documentation from Shopify and WooCommerce to calculate the TCO, including implicit labor costs. The analysis assumes a standard small business profile and evaluates the risk-to-reward ratio of technical maintenance versus subscription overhead. All financial figures are illustrative and user-adjustable.

Sources

Sources support specific claims; they do not replace our analysis. Read the research and source standards.

FAQ

Is WooCommerce actually free?: The core software is free and open-source. However, businesses must budget for hosting, domain registration, and often premium extensions to achieve functionality comparable to Shopify.
Does Shopify take a cut of my sales?: Shopify charges transaction fees if you do not use their native payment processor, Shopify Payments. Processing fees apply regardless of the platform used.
Can I migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce later?: Yes, but it is a complex process involving data export/import for products, customers, and order history, which often requires professional assistance to ensure data integrity.

Related decisions

Disclaimers

Pricing information is based on current public data and is subject to change by the respective vendors.

Technical maintenance requirements for WooCommerce are illustrative estimates; actual time investment depends on site complexity and technical proficiency.

All scenario probabilities and financial calculations are illustrative, user-adjustable modeling weights and should not be considered empirical data.