If you are starting a dropshipping business and looking for the right platform, you inevitably ask WooCommerce vs Shopify, which is best. WooCommerce and Shopify are both popular eCommerce platforms that are used by many dropshippers. Keep reading for a deeper understanding of what each dropshipping platform offers and the features that could take your eCommerce business to the next level.
Some features and characteristics of a good dropshipping platform include automation, customization, SEO, affordability, and ease of use. So WooCommerce or Shopify, which one is right for your dropshipping store?
Dropshipping: WooCommerce vs. Shopify
WooCommerce is considered better for dropshipping businesses because it has a built-in marketplace that allows you to sell products from other merchants, making it easier to find products and suppliers.
Shopify is also a good platform for dropshipping, but it has some disadvantages. For example, finding products to sell on Shopify is more challenging. You also have to pay more to use Shopify than WooCommerce. Shopify or WooCommerce? Read on to find out which is right for you. Or try a free trial of one of Woosa’s 20-plus WooCommerce plugins to empower your dropshipping business.
WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Product Overview
Shopify
Shopify was founded in 2006, and its headquarters are in Ontario, Canada. Because Shopify has been around for a while, it has adopted new features, including a built-in checkout process and management system, meaning you can manage your orders and sales more efficiently.
The drawback of Shopify is that you have no control over the hosting. Another point to consider is that WordPress has no extra costs, whereas Shopify requires a subscription and takes a percentage of your revenue.
Shopify also restricts the maximum number of products to 50,000 total and 1,000 daily. So when you scale up, the cost of using Shopify will increase. Even for designs, you need to pay extra in Shopify, and every application you use requires a subscription.
On the other hand, WordPress platforms like WooCommerce are more work during the setup phase, especially if you opt for premium hosting and plugins. But in the long run, WooCommerce is more scalable and cheaper when you start to make revenue.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce was launched in 2011 and is an open-source eCommerce plugin designed for WordPress. The plugin quickly became very popular for its simplicity and ease of use. WooCommerce is a free platform that is supported by a community of developers and is available on a wide range of platforms, including desktop and mobile browsers.
This WordPress plugin allows users to easily create and manage your webstore, favoured for its user-friendly interface and wide range of features, including support for various payment methods and shipping options. WooCommerce also has a built-in blog engine that permits you to produce and manage your blogs.
WooCommerce has been around for a while and has seen a lot of changes and improvements since its inception. Some of the most notable features WooCommerce has adopted over the years include custom fields, product images, and product reviews.
For example, WooCommerce has always had a powerful custom fields system, which lets you easily add custom fields to your products and checkout forms. This feature has dramatically improved over the years.
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WooCommerce vs Shopify: Comparison
WooCommerce and Shopify are two of the best eCommerce platforms on the market in 2023, both with strengths and weaknesses. Here are some of the main differences:
- WooCommerce is a plugin that runs on WordPress and offers great flexibility and customization.
- Shopify is a standalone platform that is more straightforward to set up and use, but it comes with some limitations in terms of customization and it is more expensive than WooCommerce.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: Pricing
One of the most significant differences between the two dropshipping platforms is pricing.
Shopify
Shopify has several tiers of pricing, each with distinct features. For example, you would need to purchase the Advanced Shopify plan for gift cards, professional reports, advanced report builder, and third-party calculated shipping features.
- Basic Shopify: $39 per month.
- Shopify: $105 per month.
- Advanced Shopify: $399 per month.
WooCommerce
Both WordPress and WooCommerce are free. You do, however, need to pay to utilize certain features and plugins, including
- WordPress theme to set up your webshop: $59-$69 one-off payment.
- Plugins/extensions: from $25 each.
- Hosting server: $5-$25 per month.
With WooCommerce, it is important to keep in mind that there are numerous plugins to choose from, including free WordPress plugins such as Yoast SEO, but also paid options such as Adyen payments.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: SEO
SEO is essential for all eCommerce stores, helping to improve your store’s visibility on search engines and increasing traffic and sales, as potential customers are more likely to find your store if it is well-ranked. SEO also contributes to a positive brand image for your store, increasing customer loyalty and sales.
Shopify
When it comes to SEO optimization, Shopify does not offer a feature for this with the platform. Purchasing a specialized application is the only way to create and optimize SEO content for Shopify.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce, on the other hand, is ideal for SEO content. You can not only easily create attractive blog posts but also optimize them for SEO. You can easily add free and paid plugins to realize the full potential of WooCommerce SEO.
Check out our blog post, The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to SEO for Dropshipping Stores.
WooCommerce vs Shopify: Ease of use:
Having a dropshipping business that works as efficiently as possible can be the difference between success and failure. Selecting a platform that helps you work optimally and saves you precious time is a key consideration for all dropshipping businesses.
Shopify
Shopify is pretty easy to use as it is a hosted platform. It is user-friendly and has features, templates, and apps available to help businesses get started quickly. There is also a great support system available.
WooCommerce
Although WooCommerce is built for WordPress, which is an open-source platform, it is also incredibly easy to use. WooCommerce usually takes a bit more time for initial setup. However, its adaptability and versatility are impressive once you are up and running. WooCommerce for WordPress gives you much more customization options and flexibility.
Shopify vs WooCommerce: Features
Both dropshipping platforms offer a wide range of features to help you run your business more efficiently. Here are a few of the top features of both WooCommerce and Shopify:
| Shopify | WooCommerce | |
| Set up | Shopify Is a subscription-based service and an out-the-box solution. | WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin. It simply requires a WordPress installation to run. |
| SEO | No SEO included. | SEO tools. |
| Customer Support | 24/7 email, chat, and phone support. | Ticket support, forum support, and lots of blogs online. |
| Customizable | Closed platform – you can only modify your store to the extent that Shopify allows. | Open source – you can change your store freely. There are no limitations. |
| Themes and designs | More than 50 store designs are available, some of which are free. | Thousands of store designs are available with WordPress themes. |
| Hosting | Included | No hosting is included. |
| SSL Cert | Free SSL certificate. | You can hook up a free SSL certificate manually. |
| Payment Gateways | Accept payments via PayPal, multiple payment gateways, bank deposits, cash on delivery, etc. | WooCommerce accepts payments via PayPal, Stripe, checks, bank transfers, and cash on delivery. |
| Multi-lingual | Native support for multiple languages. | With WooCommerce third-party plugin, multiple languages are supported on your store. |
FAQS
Do you have to pay for hosting with WooCommerce or Shopify?
There are cost-effective hosting options for both WooCommerce and Shopify. Shopify hosting can cost anywhere from $5 per month to $5,000 per year. WooCommerce hosting costs between around $3 – $14 per month. There are numerous hosting options to choose from. Each of them will have its own set of features and prices.
Can you migrate your store between Shopify and WooCommerce?
Yes, you can migrate your store between Shopify and WooCommerce. The process is relatively straightforward, and both platforms have similar features and functionality. It is important to keep in mind how that WooCommerce is far more customizable than Shopify, and some features may not be available on Shopify.
Which platform is more scalable, WooCommerce or Shopify?
WooCommerce is more scalable than Shopify, partly because a greater community of developers builds custom plugins and features. WooCommerce can also handle more orders and transactions than Shopify, giving you more potential for growth.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have a clear idea of what Shopify and WooCommerce offer for your dropshipping business. Although both Shopify and WooCommerce offer great features if you are looking for a well-rounded, easy-to-use, affordable, and more adaptable platform, WooCommerce is a great choice.
Dropshipping can be an effective business model, but it is not a walk in the park. Having the right eCommerce tools is a must in order to succeed and keep up with the competition.
Join the Woosa Community for more tips from our experts and fellow WooCommerce dropshippers.
