Summer Nguyen | 05-30-2024
For online business, choosing the right platform plays an integral role in building websites. Shopify and WordPress are two popular options. They have different good things about them. In 2024, it’s getting harder to decide between them. This makes many business owners and creators wonder which one is better.
This article compares Shopify vs WordPress. It looks at what makes them different, like their features and how well they work for different needs. Let’s start!
Shopify, as a well-known online store platform, was initially launched in 2006. It provides a set of tools and services. These tools help startups and businesses to easily start and run their online shops without coding skill.
Shopify hosts over 5.4 million active websites globally. It is relied upon by numerous prominent brands, such as Tesla, Netflix, and BBC. Shopify is relatively easy-to-use and scalable, and this is probably why the platform enjoys such great popularity under the industry professionals. The software has many useful options to set up an online shop, make business process automation and grow sales.
WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS). It offers the possibility to own and operate websites that belong to users, such as blogs. Initially launched as software in 2003, it featured blogging as its primary function. In the last five years, it has changed from a simple CMS to a feature-rich one. Presently, it is utilized for different categories of websites, such as corporate websites, e-commerce stores, portfolios, academics, and tourism, among other uses.
Due to its adaptability, user-friendliness and a rich range of themes and plugins which it offers, WordPress is very popular among users. Therefore, it is the first option for the organizations and businesses that want to speculate in website development and management.
While both Shopify and WordPress are the powerhouse of e-commerce sites, the former works with different types of users and so focuses on varying customer groups.
Shopify is a whole-ade eCommerce platform. It certainly is for any businesses that are inclined toward selling products directly to consumers. Shopify lets you design your store exactly how you want (look, features, and brand).
WordPress is more flexible for all types of websites, but you need extras (plugins) to add an online store. It is most often used by bloggers, small businesses, and content creators—this group of users, for instance, wants to have e-commerce on their sites.
The table below gives an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of each platform in several aspects:
| Factor | Shopify | WordPress |
| Pricing | Subscription-based plans | Free, but hosting and domain required |
| Ease of Use | User-friendly interface | Some learning curve, especially for beginners |
| Theme Design & Customizability | Limited customization options | Highly customizable with numerous themes and plugins |
| Content Management | Primarily focused on eCommerce | Versatile CMS for various types of content |
| SEO Features | Basic SEO features | Extensive SEO plugins and tools available |
| Ecommerce Features | Comprehensive eCommerce features | Requires eCommerce plugins like WooCommerce |
| Blogging Features | Basic blogging capabilities | Advanced blogging functionalities |
| Apps & Plugins | App Store with various integrations | Wide range of plugins and extensions available |
| Help & Support | 24/7 customer support | Community forums, documentation, and third-party support |
Shopify and WordPress are both popular platforms for building websites. Their attributes are different and they are supposed to solve different problems. Here are nine key differences of them:
Shopify is a subscription-based platform that mostly covers the range of $19 to $299 per month. Shopify gives a 3-day free trial so you can explore the dashboard and gain practical self-learning experience. Once you’ve made it to the platform, you can continue with their Basic Shopify for just $1 for a 3-month trial period. 
Here’s an overview of their pricing:
Basic Shopify:
Shopify:
Advanced Shopify:
Shopify Plus:
Moreover, as for the Shopify pricing plans, you should also allocate funds for a domain, which will be $14 per year to begin with. Concerning processing fees, you will have to pay a cost of 30 cents, and the credit card rate is colossal: at least 2.4% to 2.9% per transaction. You have to choose between 5% and 2% if you want a savings plan.
Utilizing WordPress is free; however, extra fees can kick off the tab for hosting, domain name registration, and plugins, themes, and add-ons. The starting cost of a WordPress website can be any amount actually, based on your individual needs.
It will cost you from $100 to $500 for a basic setup on one end to on the other $3000, $30000 or more in case of sophisticated and complex projects that require customization.
Here’s a breakdown of potential costs associated with running a WordPress site:
Verdict: Although a WordPress website itself is free, the overall expenditures can be rather diverse depending on your individual needs and the quality of the services you select.
Shopify is also known for its user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users with various technical skills. Here’s why it’s often considered easy to use:
WordPress is renowned for its flexibility and scalability, but its ease of use can vary depending on your familiarity with the platform and your technical skills. Here’s what influences WordPress’s ease of use:
Verdict: Both platforms are designed to be user-friendly. Shopify is often seen as easier for beginners, while WordPress offers more options for those with some technical knowledge.
Shopify provides 120+ professionally designed themes, both free and paid. It caters to various industries and styles. These themes come from Shopify or other designers, all guaranteed to work well with Shopify.
Users can easily customize aspects such as colors, fonts, images, and layouts through Shopify’s theme editor. Shopify’s theme editor features a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. It allows users to rearrange page elements and customize their storefront.
Furthermore, users can access and modify the source code using Liquid coding language. With Liquid, it’s feasible to alter existing Shopify templates or layouts and introduce new ones. Unlike HTML/CSS, Liquid has nuances that may require time to adapt or hiring a Shopify technical expert for assistance.
WordPress boasts a vast ecosystem of themes. It offers free options available in the WordPress Theme Directory and premium themes provided by third-party developers. With innumerable themes available for selection, one can find options that suit their style and functionality requirements.
Using WordPress themes, the user can modify colors, fonts, headers, footers, and sidebars through theme customization settings or custom CSS. Almost every theme on WordPress comes with popular plugins like Elementor, Beaver Builder, or WPBakery Page Builder. These drag-and-drop builders enable users to make custom layouts, integrate multimedia content, and develop visually pleasing pages.
Also, WordPress provides child themes and frameworks. You won’t need to modify the original theme files to add new features to your website’s theme. This method offers an organized structure for better customization and guarantees smooth updates.
Verdict: Shopify leads in simplicity and ease of use thanks to an intuitive theme editor, whereas WordPress has an unrivaled theme universe and diverse page builders that offer great flexibility and depth of customization.
Verdict: WordPress offers more design possibilities which would work with a wider type of sites other than e-commerce. Shopify is excellent at handling product-oriented content as well as providing basic blogging features.
Read more: 15 Important Strategies to Improve Shopify SEO for Your Store
Verdict: Though Shopify contains fundamental SEO features out-of-the-box, WordPress’ plugin ecosystem and highly modifiable nature make it very flexible for implementing advanced SEO tactics.
Shopify provides a suite of built-in eCommerce tools for store owners, offering comprehensive functionalities like inventory management, secure payment gateways, abandoned cart recovery, and more out-of-the-box.
WordPress relies on intermediary plugins, such as those available from rextheme.com, to establish an eCommerce presence. Among these plugins, WooCommerce stands out as the foremost and most widely embraced eCommerce solution for WordPress. It incorporates a plethora of essential features necessary for launching and managing an online store efficiently.
Verdict: Shopify offers eCommerce tools out-of-the-box, while WordPress, through plugins like WooCommerce, provides a flexible but plugin-dependent solution for online stores.
For most eCommerce blogs, Shopify’s built-in features offer ample functionality to fulfill your needs. One standout advantage is the ease of managing and configuring settings. Inserting images and videos is straightforward with its visual editor.
Additionally, it provides automatic SEO optimization for titles and descriptions, along with features like post scheduling, comments, and tags. While not as robust as dedicated blogging platforms like WordPress, Shopify’s simplicity may suffice for many users’ needs.
It offers a set of tools to ease performing the task of posting, previewing and publishing content. Users can simply import media from their library, insert different types of content such as images, links, text, video, sound,….
Besides, WordPress provides the means to tweak fonts which enhance site appeal visually as well. Normally considered to be by far the most popular blogging platform in the world, WordPress helps both self-hosted installation and managed WordPress sites. And thus, it is the most appropriate solution for bloggers including freelancers.
Verdict: Shopify offers ease of use and built-in SEO for blogs, while WordPress excels with extensive customization and is the top choice for bloggers.
Shopify boasts an extensive App Store with thousands of free and paid apps covering various aspects of e-commerce, marketing, sales, customer service, inventory management, and more. Shopify apps seamlessly integrate with the platform, allowing users to enhance their store’s functionality without complex coding or technical knowledge.
For users with unique requirements or specific functionality needs, Shopify offers the option of custom app development. Users can hire Shopify experts or developers to create custom apps tailored to their store’s needs, providing a bespoke solution for enhanced functionality.
Read more: Top 15+ Must-have Shopify Apps for 2024 [Free & Paid]
WordPress boasts a vast ecosystem of plugins, with over 60,000 free and premium plugins available in the official WordPress Plugin Repository. These plugins cover a wide range of functionalities, including SEO, performance optimization, security, e-commerce, social media integration, and more.
Users can search for plugins directly from the WordPress dashboard, install them with a few clicks, and activate them to add new features or enhance existing ones.
WordPress also offers the option of custom plugin development for users with specific requirements or unique functionality needs. Users can hire WordPress developers or agencies to create custom plugins tailored to their website’s requirements, providing a bespoke solution for enhanced functionality.
Verdict: As a whole, Shopify’s App Store provides a curated selection of apps specifically tailored to e-commerce needs, while WordPress’s Plugin Repository offers a broader range of plugins catering to various website requirements beyond just e-commerce.
Shopify stands out for its exceptional customer service. Users can access 24-hour support via phone, support ticket, or live chat with a customer care representative. Additionally, self-service options are available, including a knowledge base, video tutorials, and webinars, catering to users who prefer to find answers independently.
The platform offers an extensive collection of articles and video tutorials to assist beginners in maximizing the potential of this digital eCommerce tool. Furthermore, users can explore Shopify discussion forums for additional insights on common topics.
It’s important to note that support for the free version of WordPress.com is self-guided. However, paid plans with WordPress.com offer robust support options, which can serve as a compelling incentive for merchants to opt for these plans. Paid subscribers receive email support and live chat, depending on their plan tier.
Unfortunately, official support from WordPress.org itself is not available, which may be a drawback for some users. Nonetheless, users can find a wealth of advice and tutorials on WordPress-related topics across the web.
Additionally, there are numerous texts, video manuals, guidelines, and tutorials compiled by other system users, providing ample resources for those seeking assistance.
Verdict: Shopify offers 24/7 support and many self-help resources, whilst WordPress provides robust support for paid plans but relies on community help for free users.
Choosing between Shopify and WordPress involves considering their pros and cons across various factors. Below we will review the key aspects of Shopify and WordPress.
Pros and cons Shopify WordPress
| Pros and cons | Shopify | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Pros | – Shopify’s easy and designed interface enables store owners to create and maintain their brands online without anything to do with the technical aspect of it. – Since the users won’t be managing servers or worrying about security updates, they can concentrate on their businesses’ growth hence establishing a good online presence. – A large diversity of customizable templates allows e-shops to create their unique personalized and striking sides that will match their brand and distinguish them among others. – With the variety of apps and integrations on offer from Shopify, it is hard not to win the imagination, and efficiency of the store. – Shopify gives the opportunity to support multiple payment gateways, clients are able to choose one of the payment methods, which helps to increase conversion rates. – Conveying businesses of all sizes the ability to grow but not at the expense of infrastructure, Shopify is a tool for the big and the small. – Probably the most flexible tool is WordPress that may be found with a whole host of web variations: starting from a small informative site and finishing with a successful online-store. – Its friend-forward interface is the plus of its WYSIWYG editor which helps even a non-tech person create content. – The richest collection of themes and plugins along with immense customization and functional upgrade options are available to users from these infinite choices. |
– WordPress is highly flexible, supporting various types of websites, from blogs to e-commerce stores. – Its intuitive interface and WYSIWYG editor simplify content creation, even for non-technical users. – With a vast collection of themes and plugins, users have abundant options for customization and functionality enhancement. – WordPress is built with SEO best practices, and numerous plugins further optimize websites for search engines. – A large community provides support, resources, and guidance to WordPress users. – WordPress is free to use, and many themes and plugins are available at no cost. |
| Cons | – Despite various pricing plans, Shopify can be pricey, particularly for businesses with high sales volumes. – Additional transaction fees on sales can affect profitability, especially for businesses with slim margins. – Some users may find customization options limited, especially for complex design changes. – Relying on third-party apps for essential features may lead to additional costs and compatibility issues. – Users may face limitations in data portability and flexibility due to Shopify’s hosted nature. |
– Popular as it is, WordPress can be targeted by hackers, necessitating vigilance and regular updates. – Regular updates, backups, and security monitoring are needed to keep WordPress sites secure and performant. – Depending on themes and plugins, WordPress sites may suffer from slow loading times or high resource usage. – Beginners may face a learning curve, requiring time investment to master WordPress effectively. – While flexible, WordPress may have limitations for extensive design changes or complex functionalities. |
Businesses suitable for Shopify:
Businesses suitable for WordPress:
Shopify and WordPress each provide its own type of strength customized to fit different demands. Shopify is an eCommerce-primarily oriented platform, offering an easy-to-use interface, comprehensive characteristics, and dedicated assistance for internet shops. WordPress, which is famous for its flexibility, customizations, and universal settings, is suitable for almost every type of website where users enjoy the freedom of customizations and a high degree of control.
The choice between the two ultimately depends on individual priorities and requirements, with Shopify ideal for straightforward eCommerce ventures and WordPress offering broader adaptability for diverse online projects.
Summer is the CMO and Digital Commerce Solution Expert with 10+ years of experience. She specializes in Magento, Shopify, ERP, CRM, AI, and Blockchain, delivering strategic solutions that transform businesses. With a deep understanding of digital commerce, she helps brands scale and stay ahead in a competitive market.
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