Prices checked October 25, 2026
WordPress vs Shopify: which is better for an online store?
WordPress is free, open-source software for websites, and it becomes a store with a plugin such as WooCommerce, which has more than 7 million active installations. You choose and run the hosting, plugins and payments yourself, or pay WordPress.com $45 a month for the first year of its Commerce plan. Shopify starts at $29 a month billed yearly with hosting, checkout and security included. Choose WordPress when content leads and you have developers, and Shopify when the store is the business.
WordPress vs Shopify, side by side
Ten things that decide the switch, from each platform's own pages, checked on October 25, 2026. Prices in US dollars, before tax.
Price
- WordPress
- WordPress software is free. Hosting, themes and plugins cost extra. WordPress.com Commerce is $45 a month for the first year billed yearly, then $50.
- Shopify
- Basic $29, Grow $89 or Advanced $359 a month billed yearly ($39, $105 or $399 monthly). Plus from $2,300 a month.
Transaction fees
- WordPress
- WooCommerce, the most used store plugin, takes no platform fee. You pay your payment provider.
- Shopify
- None with Shopify Payments. With another payment provider: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, 0.2% on Plus.
Payments
- WordPress
- Through your store plugin: WooCommerce supports 100+ payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal and Square.
- Shopify
- Shopify Payments with Shop Pay built in, from 2.9% + 30¢ per US online card payment on Basic down to 2.25% + 30¢ on Plus.
Apps
- WordPress
- Over 60,000 plugins on WordPress.com, plus WooCommerce extensions.
- Shopify
- Thousands of apps in the Shopify App Store.
SEO
- WordPress
- Full control of every page and its content, with SEO plugins.
- Shopify
- Editable titles, meta descriptions and image alt text on every page, and products that can sell in AI chats on every plan.
Speed and hosting
- WordPress
- Self-hosted with a host you pick (WordPress.org lists Pressable, Bluehost and Hostinger), or hosted on WordPress.com.
- Shopify
- Hosted by Shopify, with unlimited bandwidth and a free SSL certificate on every plan.
B2B
- WordPress
- Through wholesale and B2B plugins from third‑party developers.
- Shopify
- Built in on every plan with up to 3 catalogs. Plus adds unlimited catalogs.
International selling
- WordPress
- Through plugins. WordPress.com Commerce says it sells in 60+ countries and accepts 135+ currencies.
- Shopify
- Shopify Markets on every plan: unlimited countries, translated storefronts, local currencies and domains, duties and taxes.
Ownership and lock-in
- WordPress
- Open-source: you own the code and can change hosts. Updates, security and backups are yours unless WordPress.com hosts it.
- Shopify
- Hosted platform. Products and customers export as CSV files at any time. Themes and apps are built for Shopify.
Support
- WordPress
- WordPress.org: community forums. WordPress.com: 24/7 priority expert support on Business and Commerce.
- Shopify
- 24/7 live chat on every plan, enhanced on Advanced, priority support on Plus.
Stay on WordPress, or switch?
Plenty of stores should stay on WordPress. Here is when it is the right call, and when Shopify fits better.
Stay on WordPress if
- Your site is mostly content, and the store is a smaller part of it
- You have developers who keep plugins, hosting and security up to date
- You need code-level control that a hosted platform does not give
- Your plugins already do what the store needs
Shopify is the better fit if
- Plugin updates and conflicts take time you would rather spend selling
- You want hosting, security and checkout run for you, with no extra fee on Shopify Payments
- You sell wholesale and want B2B catalogs on the same store
- You sell abroad and want local currencies, languages and domains without extra plugins
What a move from WordPress costs and takes
A WordPress store usually runs WooCommerce, so a move to Shopify is a WooCommerce migration.
Shopify's plan
Basic is $29 a month billed yearly, Grow $89 and Advanced $359. Apps are extra.
The migration
Our WooCommerce migrations start at $8,000, and most stores move in 4 to 8 weeks, with every old URL redirected.
Plugins
Plugins do not transfer, so each one becomes a Shopify app, a Shopify feature or custom code.
Keep your blog
You can also keep WordPress for content and run the store on Shopify. Shopify's Buy Button embeds products on an external site.
Ready to move? See how our WordPress to Shopify migration works, or book a call about your store.
WordPress vs Shopify questions
Is WordPress or Shopify better for ecommerce?
Shopify is better when the store is the business: hosting, security and checkout are run for you. WordPress with a store plugin is better when content leads and you have developers who want full control of the code and hosting.
Is WordPress cheaper than Shopify?
The WordPress software is free, but hosting, themes, plugins and upkeep cost money. WordPress.com Commerce is $45 a month for the first year billed yearly, then $50. Shopify Basic is $29 a month billed yearly with hosting included.
Do I need WooCommerce to sell on WordPress?
You need a store plugin. WooCommerce is the most used one, with more than 7 million active installations, and its core is free. WordPress.com's Commerce plan includes WooCommerce.
Is WordPress or Shopify better for SEO?
Both can rank well. WordPress gives full control of pages and uses SEO plugins. Shopify lets you edit titles, meta descriptions and image alt text on every page. Content, speed and links decide rankings more than the platform does.
Can I keep my WordPress blog and use Shopify for the store?
Yes. Some brands keep WordPress for content and run the store on Shopify. Shopify's Buy Button embeds products and checkout on an external site, or the blog can link to the store.
Can I move my WordPress store to Shopify?
Yes. Most WordPress stores run WooCommerce, and our WooCommerce to Shopify migrations start at $8,000 and take 4 to 8 weeks for most stores, with every old URL redirected. You get a fixed price in a free migration plan first.
Sources
Each platform's own pages, checked on October 25, 2026. Prices are in US dollars and change often, so check the platform before you decide.
Not sure you should switch?
Book a call. We look at your store and tell you whether Shopify would pay off, even when the answer is to stay.