If
you are looking out to create an e-commerce site, then you may have encountered
the two major platform options: Shopify and WordPress. Shopify or WordPress,
which one is best for you. Let us discuss in detail both the platforms so
that you can choose which one is suitable for your business.
What is Shopify?
Shopify
is a web application that allows you to create and launch your store with ease.
You can also use the application even if you are not familiar with the design
or technical stuff. They also provide the themes for the eCommerce sites, where
you can choose the theme and customize as per your interest and business
requirements. You can also edit HTML and CSS templates if you know to code, and
customize an amazing and elegant design for your business.
What is WordPress? amazing
There
are two types of WordPress. One is hosted WordPress (Wordpress.com): this is a
blogging platform or a SaaS tool that is similar to Shopify, where you easily
create and maintain your eCommerce site. You have to pay the monthly fee to
access the wide range of features. Another type is the Self-hosted WordPress
(wordpress.org), where users have to install the WordPress software in their
web browser. You will need to find a suitable hosting service and plan, which
might be a monthly or yearly one, and you have to make a domain registration.
You can customize your site to any extent as per your business requirements. If
you give it to the right developer, or if you are good at technical stuff
(website building), then you can tweak the site according to your wish. You can
generate amazing user experiences and designs with the plugins. You can access
the eCommerce features using the WooCommerce (WordPress online store plugin),
which is available for free. And if you require any advanced features, then you
can use add-ons by buying the premium features. With this plugin, you can
flexibly create and run your online store.
As
you are planning an online eCommerce store, there are some significant factors
that you should consider before starting a fully-fledged eCommerce store.
Factors might include Pricing, Ease of Use, Customization, Security, Payment
Methods, Flexibility, Maintenance, and other essentials or any other specific
things you want. So here, we are going to compare self-hosted WordPress with
Shopify. Let us look at Shopify vs WordPress for eCommerce.
Pricing- Cost of using Shopify and WordPress
Price
is the most significant factor, and you might be looking for good pricing if
you are just starting your business or want to run an online eCommerce store.
As there are many expenses involved in building a website and also on its
maintenance, proper budgeting becomes essential. And the pricing structure of
Shopify and WordPress is too different from each other.
Shopify
Let
us first look at the plans offered by Shopify to its users. Shopify provides a
free trial for 14 days- and you can use this trial offer if you want to know
more about Shopify and its interface, like if it is comfortable for you to
handle, maintain, create the site and satisfy your business needs. If you like
it, then you can use their services according to their plans and your needs.
Shopify offers you the five price plans, which are Shopify Lite, Basic Shopify ($29
per month), Shopify ($79 per month), Advanced Shopify ($299 per month), and it
also provides the Shopify Plus pricing plan. Each of the plans (except Shopify
Lite) includes the free SSL certificate, web hosting, and domain name.
The
basic plan can be enough if you are just starting your business. In this plan,
you can add unlimited products. And this plan also includes two user accounts,
24/7 customer support, and many other features. They don't offer third-party
tools and add-ons in the basic plan. Shopify offers their own payment solution,
which costs 2.9%+ 30 cents per transaction. Shopify charges a fee of 2.0% for
all transactions if you want to use third-party gateways or your own merchant
account. You can reduce this transaction fee to 0.5% by subscribing to their
advanced plan.
WordPress
Unlike
Shopify, it is hard to say how much a WordPress (WooCommerece) site costs you,
as you will require different things: the Hosting (Server space where you can
install WordPress and store the site), Themes or Templates (Design or user
interface of your site), Ecommerce add-ons or Integrations (Addition of tools
that helps you in selling products online), Plugins (additions of software or
tool to increase your site functionality). It all depends on your needs or the
requirement of the site. And if you are unaware of the workings of WordPress,
then you have to hire a developer to create your site. However, you must pay
for the hosting, domain name, and SSL certificate to start the eCommerce site.
Generally, a hosting service costs you $25.99 per month, an SSL certificate
costs $65.99, and a domain name costs $15.99. You can save money on the themes,
plugins, and add-ons since you are just beginning. There are many free
alternatives of the paid plugins and add-ons you can use on your site, and
there are a lot of free themes available where you can choose the best and
apply. Later, when your business grows, you can buy the paid and premium
services or tools. And if you are
thinking of making your site a more professional one, then using the paid
plugins is not a bad investment. However, the WooCommerce plugin is available
for free, and later you can buy add-ons.
Themes or Templates, Ease of Use and Maintenance
It
doesn't matter if you have any prior knowledge of web designing and building or
not, but this is something you must look into. This section explains the
creation and design of the site. WooCommerce vs Shopify, let's find out which
one is easy and simple to use.
Shopify
Shopify
is a fully hosted program where you don’t need to install, update or manage any
plugins or software and no need to worry about the security, backups,
performance, and compatibility. Shopify helps you in customizing the templates
with some limitations. It offers the drag and drop feature, which is very
user-friendly for the beginner. You can buy the premium templates from the
Shopify store itself and use them. And If you're buying them from any
third-party website, then lookout for a secure one because some websites can
infuse malicious codes into the templates.
WordPress
Here
you can customize as per your needs without any compromises. It has the
flexibility to tweak to make stunning web designs. There are some free
templates available, and as aforesaid, you can buy from the other WordPress
themes provider website but should be careful of the malicious codes. In
WordPress, you need to install, manage and update the plugins or software you
use to ensure the site's safety. Some page builders offer the drag and drop
option, and most of them are done in the backend.
Security
Security
is one of the most important factors when you are transferring or receiving
money online. Many payment gateways may be suitable for you and may not for
your customers. That's why you should consider all these aspects when you run
the eCommerce site.
Shopify
In
the case of hosted solutions such as Shopify- the responsibility of the
website's security lies with the companies who provide them. For instance, if
you are a Shopify user then it is the responsibility of Shopify to ensure
safety features like your website doesn't get hacked, backups of your data, and
others. But you also have some responsibility for security such as creating a
strong password and not letting anyone know your credentials. And Shopify has
the responsibility on the technical side. Shopify offers a free SSL certificate
with the Shopify site that says that your customers or users are browsing the
secured connection.
WordPress
In
this case, the site's security is the responsibility of your designer or
developer. But if you don't have anyone then it's your job to ensure the safety
of it. You must regularly update the themes, plugins or add-ons, or software
you use. If you fail to maintain the site properly, there are more chances of
being attacked or hacked. And obviously, you cannot risk security, especially
when you are running an online store (eCommerce), and you have to ensure the
security and safety of your customer's data. You must be careful when you're
installing or downloading the themes and plugins, they may contain some
malicious codes, and you must be aware of what you are installing. Lastly, you
must regularly update the plugins or themes to ensure security. A well-planned,
developed, and maintained site will always be secure and safe.
Conclusion- Shopify vs WordPress
It
all depends upon your needs and preferences. If you are looking for an
easy-to-use, basic site, then you can opt for Shopify. As it is
beginner-friendly, you can easily understand the price patterns, and setting up
payment is easier and safer than others. The drawback is you have to pay some
amount for transactions and also to upgrade the add-ons. And integrations can also
be a bit costlier, and you can't tweak the site flexibly because there are some
limitations.
Is
WordPress good for eCommerce? If you require
flexibility in creating and maintaining the site (full control over your site),
then you can opt for WordPress. As mentioned above, there are some limitations
too.
So, we can conclude that WooCommerce (WordPress) vs Shopify solely depends on your preferences and business needs.
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