Choosing the platform for your eCommerce store is the initial and primary step of setting up your online presence. Every eCommerce store serves different types of users with different services, so the platform requirements will also vary.
When setting up an online store, the two prominent names we hear the most are:
- WooCommerce
- Shopify
Both of these platforms are best in their own way, with a plethora of customization methods and options. Despite all these benefits offered by these two platforms, the quest for the best platform remains always there for eCommerce solutions.
In this blog, we will discuss each of these platforms, the perks these two offer, and a brief comparison between the two to help you choose the best platform.
Keep reading to make a sane decision on the eCommerce platform.
What Is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is an eCommerce platform that is open-source and free to download. There are no restrictions on which types of businesses should utilize this platform, as it is one of the greatest fits for every organization.
Regardless of your online business and its size, WooCommerce offers solutions that cater to your brand-specific needs. Although this platform is easy to use, it is easy-going for people with WordPress experience.
Features of WooCommerce are:
- Free and open-source
- Maximum flexibility
- Scalable solution
- Improves order management
- Supports SSL
- Extensive plugin range
These are the features that are the requirement of every eCommerce store and what else could be better than getting all the perks from a single platform?
What Is Shopify?
Shopify is equally popular among eCommerce websites, and its popularity grows with each passing day. It is a completely self-hosted platform that does not rely on a third-party host to handle your eCommerce business. For businesses with higher security needs and smart selling tactics, Shopify is the right platform.
Shopify has the potential to fit well to the needs of all business types, but it is more effective with small businesses that are just starting their online journey.
Here are some Shopify features you can take advantage of:
- Self-hosted platform
- Drag and drop interface
- Embedded app store
- Shopify-plus for high-end solutions
- Chat support and assistance
For your small to medium-sized business, Shopify is the best fit with the number of perks it offers to help your business thrive.
WooCommerce Vs. Shopify: A Comparison
If the mentioned features in the previous paragraphs have left you perplexed, then here is a brief comparison of the two platforms to help you make your decision. Both WooCommere and Shopify have their highs and lows, and you need to look into each of these before making your decision.
These are some comparisons of the features of these platforms:
- Active Users
The user base is one of the factors that decides the popularity of the platform and also builds trust in new customers. Both Shopify and WooCommerce have the highest active user base, which vouches for the popularity of these two.
The Shopify platform is the choice of 10% of the eCommerce market, with approximately 5.54 million users. These numbers are expected to expand in the future, as they did in the past few years. Similarly, WooCommerce has become the choice of 23% of the eCommerce market, with approximately 6 million active users.
- Plugins
To enhance your eCommerce store functionality and features, both WooCommerce and Shopify come with a wide range of plugins and extensions. The choice of the plugin depends on your specific needs, irrespective of which platform offers them. However, the range of plugins also decides the number of benefits the platform offers.
WooCommerce currently has 6,000 plugins with both free and premium versions. These plugins available are secure to integrate and are offered by the WooCommerce marketplace, sourced from third parties. In contrast, Shopify offers apps from its own app store and the number of apps currently available is 13,000.
- Ease-of-Use
No matter what platform you choose and whatever benefits these platforms offer, nothing can replace the need for an easy-to-use interface for the users. There is a never-ending debate on the ease of use of Shopify and WooCommerce.
Shopify becomes easy to use with its drag-and-drop functionality, where the user has nothing to do much, and setting up your online store becomes enjoyably easy. However, WooCommerce is also an easy-to-work-with platform, but people with prior experience working with WordPress can benefit greatly.
- Cost
At this point, WooCommerce takes complete advantage of the Shopify platform. When the cost of the platform you choose is involved, make sure to go with an option that is affordable and secure at the same time.
WooCommerce is an open-source free platform, whereas Shopify offers a monthly subscription plan of $29 for basic features and a monthly subscription of $299 for advanced features. This comparison makes it clear that the WooCommerce platform is more affordable than the other.
- Customization
Customization of your online store is the paramount thing and there should be no compromises on that. Today, customization is the utmost requirement of the customers and these options in your eCommerce store give you a competitive edge.
When the customization opportunities of WooCommerce are compared to Shopify, the latter lacks. WooCommerce offers varying options to help you customize. From the WooCommerce checkout field editor to product field customization is all possible.
- Help & Support
No matter how easy the platform is, support and guidance from the host are always required and you must get immediate support. This support could be in the form of any fixture or addressing any issue related to your site.
With WooCommerce, the support is provided by the community that is there on the marketplace, with each responsible for the plugins they offer. You get customized support for specific problems you face. In Shopify, built-in chats are the source of support for the resolution of your issues.
The Verdict!
By far, we can say that both WooCommerce and Shopify are impactful eCommerce platforms that help online stores thrive like no one else. But keeping the comparison of the two platforms in view, my opinion is more WooCommerce-centric and it is surely the winner for me. You can make your decision based on your specific needs, but make sure to choose the best.