Home Shopify Shopify vs WordPress: Which is the Best eCommerce Platform for You?

Shopify vs WordPress: Which is the Best eCommerce Platform for You?

By Aman Bhati

9 min

January 30, 2024

If you are looking for an e-commerce platform to launch your online store, you must have heard about Shopify and WordPress. Both of these platforms are considered giants in the field. As per Shopify, they support millions of merchants worldwide and have contributed to around $444 billion in global economic activity. On the other hand, WordPress supports about 36.28% of the top one million websites that exist today.

Shocking, right?

Which platform is best for your online business? Let’s settle the battle of Shopify vs WordPress once and for all!

Read the blog to find the answer that you have been searching for everywhere on the internet. Take a deep dive into this blog to learn what is Shopify. What is WordPress, and which of the e-commerce platforms will help you build your multi-billion-dollar business online?

WordPress vs Shopify: Which is better?

The debate of Shopify vs WordPress has been going on for a long time, probably decades. Whether we consider newcomers or seasoned entrepreneurs, anyone planning to launch their online store asks this question to their technical experts.

Now, each of these platforms has its own set of pros and cons. Both of these e-commerce development solutions promise unique features and pricing.

It’s difficult to say which of them is better at this stage, but once we draw the table of differences, it will be easier to find the solution.

What is Shopify?

Shopify is an online store builder. It allows aspiring entrepreneurs to use their drag-and-drop feature to create their online stores. Shopify is the #1 choice for those who don’t have any coding expertise yet want to build a world-class online storefront.

Did you know that Shopify covers 10% of the total US e-commerce market and represents about 170+ countries worldwide? Sounds wild!

Some of the other attractive features of this online store builder are:

The platform incorporates several marketing tools and social media integrations.
It facilitates an easy, one-click checkout system (Shop Pay) that helps businesses
earn easy money.
It has a flexible point-of-sale (POS) system that retail stores can use to let customers
walk in to shop online or through the checkout line.
Shopify lets businesses leverage the best SEO practices and content marketing tools
to generate new leads and get more customers.
Moreover, using Shopify, businesses can build custom email campaigns and engage
with customers more efficiently.

Advantages of Using Shopify

1. It is User-friendly

Shopify is beginner-friendly, making it easier for them to set up their online store. In short, individuals don’t need to be tech-savvy to use Shopify. Additionally, the platform has an intuitive interface that makes it a breeze for users to navigate through. Its professionally designed dashboard makes managing and controlling the store easier.

2. Foster Quick Shop Setup

The process of setting up the online store is simple. One only needs to choose the template, add the products and descriptions, configure some settings, and that’s all! It is quick and easy to go live with your online store with Shopify.

3. Reliable Hosting and Store Security

Another advantage that makes this platform stronger in the Shopify vs WordPress debate is its security! When using Shopify, you don’t need to worry about the hosting and security of your online store. There are a variety of settings that enable you to manage the servers on your own. In addition, Shopify assists you with keeping the software up-to-date. In simpler words, Shopify gives you value for your money.

4. Has Multiple Built-in Features

When setting up an online store with Shopify, you don’t have to worry about finding and configuring plugins. Rather, it comes with a variety of built-in features, making it easier for you to set up payment processing, inventory, order tracking, and other aspects of the store

5. Round-the-Clock Support

One of the most commendable perks of using Shopify is that it offers 24×7 customer support. Therefore, time doesn’t become a barrier when it comes to troubleshooting a technical issue or simply getting answers related to online store optimization.

Disadvantages of Using Shopify

1. Limited options for customizing the store

You can create a professional and high-end online store with Shopify, but there are restrictions when it comes to customizations.

2. Monthly subscription fee

A few entrepreneurs who have a low investment budget may find paying a monthly subscription fee a disadvantage. However, once you discover what is Shopify on your own and get a hands-on look at its different features, you’ll say it’s worth the fee!

3. Closed ecosystem

Shopify provides less flexibility in terms of web design customizations and functions. To unlock Shopify’s full potential, you need to have certain technical or coding skills. Alternatively, you can hire a Shopify Store Development expert who can help you fully customize your online store!

What is WordPress?

WordPress is the most popular open-source CMS and powerful website development platform for entrepreneurs who don’t have any coding experience. For anyone who is looking to start an online business that has its own e-commerce store, mobile application, and business website, WordPress is the go-to solution.

As per W3Techs, 45.8% of all the websites are built on WordPress.

But why do entrepreneurs or budding business owners think that in the debate of Shopify vs WordPress, this CMS is a clear winner?

It has exceptionally great design and editing tools. Individuals can choose from
different themes, use drag-and-drop tools to organize their content, customize their
blog designs, etc.
WordPress incorporates top-notch marketing tools for social media, custom email
campaigns, and newsletters.
It has built-in SEO tools to help businesses rank better on the World Wide Web!
WordPress has over 50,000 useful plugins for businesses to choose from.
The monetization tools let businesses accept payments for memberships and
donations.
The platform enables businesses to monitor and optimize website and online store
hosting services.
It also has excellent account security tools.

Additionally, WordPress also provides statistics and insights to businesses, along with the flexibility of site management

Knowing just the definition of what is WordPress and a few of its core features isn’t enough when deciding if it’s better than Shopify. So, before diving into further details of the debate of Shopify vs WordPress, let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of using WordPress.

Advantages of Using WordPress

1. More Customization Options

WordPress lets you customize your eCommerce website. From different themes to plugins, you can play around with a lot of elements and create a customized store, blog site, or a combination of both.

2. Variety of Plugins

One of the most useful perks of using WordPress that strengthens its part in the Shopify vs WordPress debate is the variety of plugins it provides. Thus, when creating your e-commerce website, you get access to an extensive library of plugins. There are free and paid plugins available for WordPress. Therefore, you can find and install the plugins that help you enhance your website’s functions, scalability, aesthetics, and marketing efforts.

3. It’s Free to Use

Unlike Shopify, WordPress is free to use, and you don’t need to pay any monthly fees to use the platform. However, if you want to use high-end servers, premium themes, plugins, and other paid elements, you need to invest your money.

4. Best CMS

As you already know, WordPress is a content management platform. Therefore, if you want a robust system wherein you can manage the content and make the best use of content such as guides, blogs, and other informative resources, use WordPress.

5. Vast Community

You can leverage the huge WordPress community and resources to learn new things about the platform and use it to your advantage. It is easy to find multiple tutorials, forums, and documentation related to WordPress!

6. SEO-friendly Tools

Using WordPress gives you the flexibility to use its in-built SEO tools to their full potential. Furthermore, the platform is built keeping in mind the ease of using SEO to improve the e-commerce website’s search results.

Disadvantages of Using WordPress

1. Frequent Updates

WordPress is known to attract malicious attention, and thus, as the app owner, you need to perform security audits and frequently update it. In brief, from core software to themes and plugins, you need to update everything!

2. There are hidden costs involved

Although WordPress is open-source and says that it is free to use, there are several hidden costs involved. As an eCommerce website owner, you need to pay for hosting, registering domains, premium themes, and other essential plugins.

3. Dependence on Expert help

At some point in time, you might have to turn to expert help for troubleshooting issues with
WordPress development. On the other hand, if you are considering building your
e-commerce website, it is recommended to hire WordPress Developers who are
well-established! Thus, rather than being a disadvantage, it comes in handy to hire a
WordPress development expert.

Now that you have learned about the basics, like what is Shopify, what its core features are, and what is WordPress, it’s time to find the differences between them. A detailed WordPress vs Shopify comparison will help you figure out which of the two platforms is a better choice for you.

Shopify vs WordPress: What are the Key Differences?

The following table gives more clarity on the debate of WordPress vs Shopify. Look through various aspects to determine if you should vote for Shopify or WordPress for your upcoming online store business.

Aspects	Shopify	WordPress
Focus	Shopify is a platform that is specifically built for eCommerce purposes.	WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) that lets people build websites with the option to have an online.
Ease of Use	It has a drag-and-drop feature, and no technical expertise in programming is required. It’s beginner-friendly.	A little bit of technical expertise is required to make a perfect custom website in addition to the online store.
Pricing	A monthly subscription of $39 per month ($29 per month if paid annually)..	WordPress is free to use as it is an open-source platform. However, there are additional charges for hosting, registration of the domain, premium extensions and plugins, etc.
Scalability	Allows you to seamlessly scale as per business growth.	Businesses may need to opt for upgrading their servers depending on the website’s or store’s traffic.
Design and themes	Themes are pre-designed and need no coding, as there are unlimited customization options available.	Some themes need coding to be fully customized. These themes come with limited customizations.
Apps and Plugins	Shopify has a large app store where you can add more features and integrations to your online store.	WordPress offers over 50,000 plugins. However, they may vary in terms of quality and compatibility with the store.
SEO Tools	Shopify lets businesses offer 24×7 customer support.	Customer support terms and conditions may depend greatly on the plugins, themes, and hosting server provider.
Data Ownership	The business owns all the data, but Shopify charges an extra fee to export the data.	The business owns the data, and the platform doesn’t charge anything for exporting the data.

Real Examples of Shopify and WordPress Stores

The key differences that you just read clarify that Shopify is for entrepreneurs who are looking to start an ‘online web-based store’ like GymShark, Steve Madden, and Kylie Cosmetics.

On the other hand, if you are looking to build an e-commerce website like Etsy, IKEA, Samsung, or H&M, you can opt for WordPress!

Let’s give a new turn to the debate of Shopify vs WordPress. To make it easier for you to choose which e-commerce platform is right for you, take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of Shopify and WordPress.

Shopify vs WordPress - The Verdict

Well, the debate about WordPress vs Shopify is about to conclude!

It is time to choose which e-commerce platform is best for your business. Well, it surely is a difficult task to choose between them; however, there are a few factors that can help you find the right answer to it.

Business Goals

One of the first factors that greatly impacts the decision you make between Shopify vs WordPress is what your business goals and requirements are.

Shopify brings a hassle-free setup of ‘Online Stores’ where the core purpose of your audience is to buy your products. Apart from FAQs and customer support, online stores don’t provide any additional knowledge base that is distinguished from an e-commerce website.

On the other hand, WordPress needs a bit of technical expertise, but with it, you can set up a website wherein you can sell your products too! From blogs to FAQs and other tutorials, your ‘eCommerce Website’ can have it all. Additionally, with WordPress, you can easily manage all your content from a single place.

Your Budget

As already mentioned, Shopify asks for a monthly fee to run your online store. However, their pricing is transparent. You don’t have to pay anything extra for the platform to keep your business functional. There’s only a pre-defined fee.

Whereas, WordPress provides you with a free platform and setup, but you need to invest a larger chunk of your budget in hosting it. Also, if you are picking premium plugins and themes, you need to pay more for using WordPress and making your website go live on the internet!

Decision to Hire Experts

Your budget and the will to invest the money in your online business make a huge difference when deciding between Shopify vs WordPress.

Shopify is designed specifically for aspiring entrepreneurs. Therefore, if you don’t have any plans or budget for hiring an expert, Shopify is the way to go. However, the question is: what about when it comes to handling technical issues?

On the flip side, WordPress Website development isn’t easy, as the platform asks for technical expertise. So, if you want to leverage the platform and explore it inside and outside, you need to hire professionals!

Wrapping Up

Ending the debate of Shopify vs WordPress with a note that the choice of awarding one of these platforms as ‘best’ depends on several reasons. There is no perfect answer to this comparison because, in running an online store business, there’s no one size that fits all of them.

If you are confused about which platform justifies your business requirements, look for an expert who can help you find the answer. Hire Shopify expert, a WordPress developer, or a firm like TrooInbound who can help upscale your business in no time. Give your digital business a U-turn with TrooInbound’s digital experts and create the perfect store online using Shopify or WordPress.

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WordPress vs Shopify: Which is better?
What is Shopify?
Advantages of Using Shopify
Disadvantages of Using Shopify
What is WordPress?
Advantages of Using WordPress
Disadvantages of Using WordPress
Shopify vs WordPress: What Are the Key Differences?
Real Examples of Shopify and WordPress Stores
Shopify vs WordPress: The Verdict
Wrapping Up

Aman Bhati

Aman Bhati is a Digital Marketing Manager, possesses a diverse range of skills and knowledge to effectively tackle a broad spectrum of digital marketing challenges. His expertise extends from the development of project strategies and timelines to the optimization of website design and content, conducting comprehensive market research, and efficiently setting up and managing paid advertising campaigns.

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Shopify vs WordPress: Which is the Best eCommerce Platform for You?

WordPress vs Shopify: Which is better?