Shopify VS WordPress: Which is Better for E-commerce in 2024

Do you wish to open an e-commerce store or update the existing one? Still trying to decide which website builder to employ? Shopify does rake the search list but WordPress wrests about 40% of all websites. So, which one to choose from?

Tag along with us and figure out which one suits your e-commerce the best.  

Most e-commerce stores in this day and age need a storefront that places them ahead of the competition. Both Shopify and WordPress provide unique selling points that attract different segments of e-commerce owners. Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform offering everything, starting from online store editor to domains and hosting. It in fact offers to take the business to the real world with an integrated Point of sale (POS) system.  

WordPress is essentially a content management system. It, however, does not have built-in features which are well compensated for with its different plugins. Like the Woo-commerce plugin for making WordPress an e-commerce storefront.  

These two website builders are giants in this sector. Where WordPress offers customization and flexibility, Shopify is designed for those willing to get set and running without putting much thought into the design aspect of the store. This being said, we need to dive deep into their features to make a thorough comparison.  

WordPress & Shopify – a thorough examination   

WordPress

The self-hosted version first requires to be downloaded from WordPress’ website and then installed the program into your web server. It uses open-source software thus allowing a greater degree of freedom to alter the code at the backend of the website. So, customizability and flexibility in designing a web project make it gain ground among users. Also, the availability of numerous plugins accentuates a greater degree of functionality not offered by much software out in the market.  

The version of Hosted WordPress which can be found on WordPress’ website is essentially a SaaS (Software as a service) tool. All it requires is the payment of subscription fees. Installation of WordPress is free of charge but hosting, domain registration, and some other developmental works are monetarily charged.  

WordPress differentiates itself by catering to a larger audience. Right from beginner in web development to experienced ones, with those lacking finances to those willing to spend a good deal all could be found on WordPress getting their needs aligned. However, both provide a beginner-friendly environment.  

WordPress also caters to the needs of those who lack coding knowledge or are not willing to spend in hiring one. The visual editor interface enables designing and development without CSS or HTML coding. Of course, those without any budgetary constraints find it the best of all the other competitors. The speedy server and bespoke design appeal to the masses at large.  

Shopify

Shopify suits those who wish to launch and build an e-commerce website. It has been developed keeping online businesses in mind. It comes with a myriad of templates to choose from. It helps in providing a platform for the non-technicals to set up their online commerce too. With no coding prerequisite people find it much easier than WordPress.  

However, if one is laced with coding knowledge of CSS and HTML Shopify does have something in it for the coders too. It offers an extensive range of customization options. The added advantage of using it is that it is a hosted software, thus removing the need to pay for any external web hosting. Shopify does include a monthly subscription like that of WordPress for using its SaaS.  

It, being a web application runs on the cloud so access to the internet allows Shopify to be used from anywhere around the globe. Shopify attracts those novices who lack web development skills and the monetary resources required to build a website from scratch.   

Listing out the Pros and Cons of both that would help you in choosing the Ideal one 

Shopify  

Pros 

• No technical or coding knowledge required  
• Specifically built keeping in mind the needs of an e-commerce website  
• No security or hosting platforms required  
• Shopify has built-in SEO features that rake its rankings in web searches  

Cons  

• Shopify has its own payment system thus the extra transactional fees could be deterring at times  
• Content needs reformatting if the theme is changed  

WordPress  

Pros  

• Customization is the most attractive feature of WordPress  
• Gutenberg editor makes it user-friendly  
• With ascending popularity, plethora of resources over the internet can help in solving a problem  

Cons  

• The technical ability of a certain level is appreciated, unlike that of Shopify which can cater to those without any coding background.  
• The price bracket is on the higher end as compared with Shopify  
• External web hosting, security, and e-commerce plugins are some of the necessities. 

Quick comparison based on the Key Features

Which is better for E-commerce?  

• Shopify, as the name suggests, is entirely dedicated to shopping commerce. Every aspect of it provides the necessary tools to help and develop effective eCommerce product development strategy for exponencial business growth. The E-commerce website builder, inventory and order management tools, and integration with sales channels all serve to one end in sight.  
• It even has its point-of-sale solution for businesses that wish to integrate and align online and offline sales onto one unified dashboard.  
• However, WordPress naturally does not come with such sophistication for e-commerce functionality, requiring the need for additional plugins like Woo-commerce catering to online commerce.  
• WooCommerce, though is a highly flexible open source that provides everything needed to register an online sale, it falters at not providing legal texts.  
• General legal texts like those of terms and conditions, custom shipping methods adhering to the standard regulations, or data protection declarations are not provided, which again necessitates the downloading of another plugin.  

Which is better for payment gateways?  

• Where Shopify effortlessly integrates and aligns with over 100 payment gateways, Woo-commerce the e-commerce plugin of WordPress can limit the number to about 75.  
• Shopify has its own gateway - Shopify Payment which makes set up and management of online transactions easy. Woocommerce also boasts of its gateway with an eponymous name but the uber flexibility of Shopify’s all-in-one solution wins the game in this department.  

Which is better for designing aspects?  

• Shopify limits itself severely in providing themes and designs. With only 8 of the designs free of any charges, whereas the rest of the 64 being available with a payment of fees could actually discourage some.   
• The third-party support developers, offer around 1200 design templates.   
• The numbers for WordPress are just astounding in this regard, with over 8000 themes to choose from.  
• However, Shopify’s themes are ready out of the box, without requiring much optimization. They are pretty much adaptable to any screen size.  
• Whereas WordPress themes require tweaking and editing before they are launched. This might require the help of a coder thus at times increasing the upfront cost.  
• Also, WordPress is made by third-party developers so in case of getting stuck, you might have to reach out to the theme developer.  

Which has the best Customer Support? 

Of course, E-commerce website management isn't the easiest task out there, so customer support is of the essence. 

• Shopify does provide 24/7 customer support via chat, email, and phone.  
• However, this direct customer support is on the absent list of WordPress. You will have to find community forums, specialist websites, and YouTube videos relating to the specific query. As a result, you will likely end up paying a specialist WordPress developer.   

Pricing comparison Shopify vs WordPress  

The deciding factor in choosing an ecosystem is also motivated by the price bracket. 

• Shopify has quite a structured and straightforward plan.  
  • It breaks up as a basic plan costing $39/month or Rs.2490/month 
  • Shopify plan Rs.5990/month or $105/month 
  • Advanced plan Rs.17990/month or $ 399/month 
• The cost of a WordPress e-commerce website varies depending on the custom setup.  
  • It depends on the Domain name, Hosting, Theme, and additional plugins.  

Final Thoughts  

So, if you want to focus on building and growing a business then Shopify is the best place. The dedicated one-stop solution saves much energy and resources. However, if you are an experienced developer, WordPress with its WooCommerce plugin is the solution. Its customizability and flexibility will tailor-made your needs.