WooCommerce and Shopify are two of the most popular eCommerce platforms used by most small to medium-sized businesses for their online stores.

When a business wants to start selling products on their site, choosing the most suitable ecommerce provider is vital. There are many platforms to choose from, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. WooCommerce and Shopify are the most widely used platforms for businesses that do not rely heavily on retail as their main source of income.

On this blog post, we will talk about the features and the major advantages and disadvantages of both platforms.

WooCommerce

This WordPress plugin is currently the most used eCommerce provider. WooCommerce is a fairly plain platform. It does not give a lot of flexibility for individual products and it only takes PayPal as a form of payments.

Using this platform would require you to use extensions in order to increase your online store’s functionality.

Advantages of Using WooCommerce:

• The basic installation is free
• There are no transaction fees
• Its content management system (CMS) is better than most platforms
• Its code base is fully customizable
• It has about 50,000 plugin options
• It can manage more complex catalogs

Disadvantages of Using WooCommerce:

• It is not an eCommerce first platform
• It requires hosting
• The software and its plugins require regular updates
• It needs constant maintenance to stay secure
• Plugin clashes can become a serious problem
• It has a weak email support
• You will probably need a developer for maintenance and improvement

Shopify

Unlike WooCommerce, Shopify is a company that hosts and sets up online stores for companies. Which means, business owners do not need a server or have to install a CMS. They simply just have to sign up, pick a domain, and pay the monthly hosting and maintenance fees.

Setting up an online store powered by Shopify is quick and simple. However, its appearance and themes are limited and does not give much room for customization.

Advantages of Using Shopify:

• This platform is completely designed for eCommerce
• It is easy to install and easy to use
• The hosting and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) are included
• It includes simple payment and shipping integrations
• It offers various payment options
• Shopify has 24/7 customer support

Disadvantages of Using Shopify:

• It is not completely flexible
• There are transaction fees if you do not use Shopify payments
• Weak CMS abilities for large content sites
• Doing things outside its core feature set can be difficult
• Weak catalog scalability for complex catalogs
• Fees can be expensive as you improve your Shopify version

Conclusion

The right eCommerce platform for your business ultimately depends on your online store’s objectives and needs.

If you are fairly new to the eCommerce scene and do not want to spend a lot of precious time and money on development, Shopify may be the right choice for you. It does not allow for a lot of customization, but it will get your online store up and running with no serious work involved.

If your current site operates on WordPress and you are capable of installing and managing various plugins, WooCommerce could be a great option. Installation is completely free, and you can experiment with it before deciding to add and customize additional plugins.

At Maxeemize, we ensure that your e-commerce investments are maximized for better ROI. We have the expertise, knowledge, experience, as well as creativity, to deliver unique solutions that produce better results for your online store! Contact Us for a free e-commerce consultation.