Do you want to build an online store and do not know whether to decide on Shopify or WooCommerce? We help you!
Shopify and WooCommerce Analysis
Shopify and WooCommerce are the two most popular eCommerce platforms today and also the easiest to use. So from the outset you should know, whichever you choose is an excellent option to host your online store.
The final choice will then have more to do with the preferences and needs of each vendor. Here we show you an in-depth analysis of Shopify and WooCommerce, so you can make the best decision for you.
What is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin to create an online store very easily. It is open source and free, but in order to use it you will need to have a website, hosting and WordPress installed first.
Advantages
- It is possible to organize a complete customization and control.
- It has a large online community.
- Countless themes and plugins. Very easy to configure in WordPress.
- Is free.
- You have access to the CMS code.
Disadvantages
- A small learning curve is necessary, so it is ideal to have a team of experts to help and advise you throughout the process.
- In the end it also costs money due to plugins, themes and hosting.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is an eCommerce platform that already has hosting included. It has its own application store, with which you can add many extra features.
Advantages
- Shopify takes care of everything for you, from hosting to security.
- Very fast when launching a store.
- Dropshipping is pretty easy to use with Shopify.
- Very good support.
Disadvantages
- You don’t control your site too much.
- Too good a customization is not possible.
- It costs money.
- You do not have access to the code
- You cannot scale your business and adapt it to new needs.
- You have a monthly payment rate that you will have to pay for life.
- Additional charges if you use a payment provider other than Shopify.
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Details to consider when deciding between Shopify or WooCommerce
We summarize the aspects that you must take into account when choosing an ecommerce tool:
Tool control
While Shopify is responsible for managing absolutely all aspects of the stores that are created on its platform; starting with the domain, up to server security. With WooCommerce you can manage your project with total freedom.
Languages
WooCommerce is quite ahead of its adversary in terms of languages, as it has the WPML plugin that allows you to have your website in several languages. However, the alternative solution that Shopify offers to be able to offer its stores in several languages has been for a long time to duplicate the store or add subdomains. But now they can have the checkout page in multiple languages and multiple currencies thanks to the Langify app.
Price comparison
The main difference here is that WooCommerce is free as such, but you have to bear the cost of hosting and domain. And Shopify, on the other hand, is a platform that requires paying a monthly fee. Therefore, with few exceptions, when comparing prices between Shopify and WooCommerce we can say that WooCommerce is a cheaper ecommerce tool in the short-medium term.
Easy to use
It is important to take into account which of the two platforms will be easier for you to handle, especially if you are a beginner. With Shopify you won’t have to do anything since they take care of guiding you throughout the configuration, from the moment you create an account.
WooCommerce is also pretty easy to set up. However, to begin with, you must have WordPress installed and updated on your website in order to later install the plugin.
Personalization and design
To personalize your online store, the possibilities offered by both platforms are very different. Shopify is its own platform, with attractive options but limited in quantity. While WooCommerce is a plugin that is part of the largest community of developers in the world, so the possibilities are almost endless and are constantly renewed.
Product management
In this aspect both are quite equal; They allow you to create product descriptions, upload photos, add or change product variants, add videos, etc, although for better SEO of each of your products, Woocommerce takes the prize.
Payment Options
Both Shopify and WooCommerce have good management for making payments. However, there are factors that may vary depending on the country and the price of the transaction. For what Shopify is, it’s a great option as long as you’re in one of the countries that have Shopify Payments. otherwise wooCommerce in this aspect is better.
External integrations
When it comes to introducing external tools to your store, the solutions offered by plugins imply greater adaptability, customization and innovation. So WooCommerce offers more ease when making external integrations to your online store.
SEO Strategy
All in all, SEO-wise; WooCommerce is clearly much more powerful than Shopify at this point, since it allows you many more licenses, as long as you know how to work with SEO.
Support service
Shopify has a technical support team that will help you solve any problem. WooCommerce, on the other hand, does not have this support, but it does have a huge WordPress community where there are many specialized forums and blogs where you can surely find the help you need.
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Shopify or WooCommerce, which one to choose?
At this point and considering that both platforms are great and that both have strengths and weaknesses, our advice is to choose WooCommerce if:
- You already know WordPress, you like the platform and its plugins and you handle it with ease.
- Need your online store to be in several languages.
- You care about SEO and want to be able to use the most advanced SEO options on the market.
- If you have enough time to set it up or you have a marketing agency that takes care of everything.
- If what you are looking for is the cheapest option.
- You want to be able to scale your business and adapt it to all your needs.
- You are looking for a much more personalized design and adjust it to your brand image.
But if the previous situations are not your case then our recommendation is that you choose Shopify, since it is much faster to configure and easier to manage. In addition, it offers a lot of features, and excellent technical support.
Conclusions and final opinions
If you are looking for a serious, scalable project, capable of positioning itself and reaching the first search results and totally adjusted to your needs, we advise you to choose WooCommerce (WordPress), however, you do need to have much more technical knowledge and it requires a curve Learning. Do you not have enough knowledge?