Shopify vs. WordPress: Which Platform is Better for Your Online Store in 2023?
Shopify and WordPress are two of the most popular platforms for creating and managing an online store.
But which one is better for your ecommerce needs in 2023? Shopify is a hosted platform that offers a simple and user-friendly way to set up and run your online store.
WordPress is a self-hosted platform that gives you more control and flexibility over your website, but also requires more technical skills and maintenance.
In this blog post, we’ll compare Shopify and WordPress in terms of features, pricing, design, SEO, and security.
We’ll also help you decide which platform is best suited for your shopify website design goals and budget.
Shopify vs. WordPress: Ease of Use
One of the main factors to consider when choosing a platform for your online store is how easy it is to set up and manage.
You don’t want to spend hours learning how to use a complicated system or troubleshooting technical issues.
Shopify is a hosted platform, which means that it takes care of everything for you, from hosting to security to updates.
You don’t need any coding skills or web development experience to use Shopify. All you need to do is sign up for an account, choose a theme, add your products, and start selling.
WordPress, on the other hand, is a self-hosted platform, which means that you need to find your own hosting provider, install WordPress software, and maintain your site yourself.
You also need some basic coding skills or web development experience to customize your site and add ecommerce functionality.
WordPress is more flexible and powerful than Shopify, but it also requires more work and responsibility.
Shopify vs. WordPress: Ecommerce
Another important factor to consider when choosing a platform for your online store is how well it supports ecommerce features.
You want a platform that can handle everything from product management to checkout to shipping to marketing.
Shopify is built for ecommerce and includes features such as discounts, gift cards, unlimited products, fraud analysis, staff accounts, and so much more. Like WordPress, you can also build out a blog on Shopify.
WordPress is not an ecommerce platform by itself, but you can add ecommerce functionality by using plugins like WooCommerce.
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin that lets you create an online store on WordPress.
It has features such as product variations, inventory management, shipping options, coupons, and more. However, you may need to install additional plugins or extensions to add more advanced features or integrations.
Shopify vs. WordPress: Payment Gateways
Payment gateways are the services that process payments from your customers. You want a platform that supports multiple payment options and charges reasonable fees.
Shopify has its own payment gateway called Shopify Payments, which accepts credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more.
Shopify Payments charges a transaction fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents per online sale. Shopify also supports other payment gateways like Stripe or Authorize.net, but it charges an extra fee of 2% to 0.5% depending on your plan.
WordPress does not have its own payment gateway, but you can choose from many options like PayPal, Stripe, Square, or Amazon Pay.
WooCommerce Payments is the default option for WooCommerce users, which charges the same fee as Shopify Payments.
However, WordPress does not charge any extra fees for using other payment gateways.
Shopify vs. WordPress: Themes and Design
Themes are the templates that determine the look and feel of your online store. You want a platform that offers many attractive and responsive themes that suit your brand and industry.
Shopify has over 100 themes to choose from in its theme store, both free and paid. The themes are designed by professional designers and optimized for ecommerce.
You can customize your theme using the drag-and-drop editor or the code editor if you know HTML or CSS.
WordPress has thousands of themes to choose from in its theme directory or from third-party sources like ThemeForest or Elegant Themes. The themes are designed by various developers and vary in quality and functionality.
You can customize your theme using the WordPress customizer or by editing the code files if you know PHP or CSS.
Shopify vs. WordPress: Apps and Plugins
Apps and plugins are the add-ons that extend the functionality of your online store. You want a platform that offers many useful and reliable apps and plugins that can help you grow your business.
Shopify has over 6,000 apps in its app store, both free and paid. The apps cover various categories such as marketing, sales, customer service, analytics, inventory, and more.
You can install the apps with a few clicks and manage them from your Shopify dashboard.
WordPress has over 58,000 plugins in its plugin directory, mostly free. The plugins cover various categories such as ecommerce, SEO, security, performance, social media, and more.
You can install the plugins from your WordPress dashboard or by uploading the files manually. However, you need to be careful about the compatibility and quality of the plugins you use.
Shopify vs. WordPress: Pricing and Value
Pricing is another factor to consider when choosing a platform for your online store. You want a platform that offers good value for your money and fits your budget.
Shopify has three main plans: Basic ($29 per month), Shopify ($79 per month), and Advanced ($299 per month).
The plans differ in features such as storage space, staff accounts, reports, shipping discounts, and more.
Shopify also offers a Lite plan ($9 per month) for selling on social media or other websites, and a Plus plan (custom pricing) for enterprise-level businesses.
WordPress is free to download and use, but you need to pay for hosting, domain name, SSL certificate, and any premium themes or plugins you use.