Disclosure: HostingDive may earn a commission if you buy through links to WordPress.com, WooCommerce or Pressable on this page. That does not change what we write or the order we write it in.
Prices checked October 22, 2026.
Shopify plan prices (checked October 22, 2026)
Source: https://www.shopify.com/pricing. US dollars per month. The lower figure needs a yearly plan; month to month costs more.
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed month to month | Online card rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $29 a month | $39 a month | 2.9% + 30 cents |
| Grow | $89 a month | $105 a month | 2.7% + 30 cents |
| Advanced | $359 a month | $399 a month | 2.5% + 30 cents |
| Plus | from $2,300 a month | from $2,300 a month | 2.25% + 30 cents |
Shopify's pricing page lists Plus as "from $2,300" a month and does not give separate yearly and monthly figures for it. Shopify also offers a 3-day free trial, then $1 a month for the first 3 months on most plans, before standard pricing starts.
The short version
WooCommerce and Shopify do the same job in opposite ways. Shopify is a hosted, single-subscription store builder. WooCommerce is free software that runs on WordPress hosting you choose and pay for yourself. Neither is right for every store. The sections below say where each one wins.
How the costs are built
Shopify is one plan price (from $29 a month on Basic when billed yearly, or $39 month to month) with card rates that fall as you move up the plans. Hosting, checkout and the store admin sit inside the subscription.
WooCommerce has no platform fee. Your costs are hosting (WooCommerce's page puts most stores at $25 to $350 a month), a payment processor, and any extensions you add, each priced separately. The total depends on your choices, which is the point for some buyers and the problem for others.
Where Shopify wins on cost: a predictable monthly bill, and lower card rates at the higher plans.
Where WooCommerce wins on cost: no platform subscription and no revenue share, and room to pick a cheaper host and processor as the store grows.
Control and ownership
Where WooCommerce wins: it is open source software on your own WordPress install, so you choose the host, the processor, the theme and the code. You can move the store to another host.
Where Shopify wins: you do not run servers, apply updates or manage caching. Checkout, security patches and uptime are Shopify's job inside the plan.
Effort on day one
Where Shopify wins: a store can go live from a template with the built-in admin, point-of-sale and sales channels already connected.
Where WooCommerce wins: if your team already runs WordPress, the store extends a site and a content workflow you already have.
Scaling and support
Where Shopify wins: scaling is handled inside the plan, and Plus lists phone support.
Where WooCommerce wins: you can move to stronger hosting when traffic requires it. That choice is yours, and so is the work. Our WooCommerce hosting guide covers the hosting side.
WooCommerce on its merits
WooCommerce suits teams that want control of the stack, already work in WordPress, or need to shape checkout and catalog logic beyond what a hosted platform allows.
Shopify on its merits
Shopify suits owners who want to sell quickly without running hosting, and who value one bill and one support relationship.
Who each fits
- Pick Shopify if you want a hosted platform, a fixed monthly price and no server work.
- Pick WooCommerce if you want control, already run WordPress, or want zero platform fees.
- If you are unsure, list the three costs you cannot predict (traffic spikes, extensions, support hours) and check which model prices them better for you.
What HD has not measured
HD has not tested either platform's checkout speed or conversion. Any such figure on a vendor page is that vendor's claim and is not repeated here.