Shopify vs WooCommerce

Estimated monthly cost comparison — not just the headline price

Prices change often — confirm on the vendor's site before buying. Report incorrect pricing →

Quick Take

Shopify has the lower estimated monthly cost (~33%)

Based on advertised price plus documented recurring fees, not your exact usage.

Best for Shopify

E-commerce platform for online stores. $39/mo sounds simple but transaction fees, app costs, and the

Best for WooCommerce

Free WordPress ecommerce plugin. No transaction fees, fully customizable, but requires hosting + ext

S

Shopify

E-commerce platform for online stores. $39/mo sounds simple but transaction fees...

Advertised

$39

/month

Estimated monthly cost

$269

/month (illustrative)

Documented Extra Fees (+$230/mo + $250 one-time)

Transaction Fees (Non-Shopify Payments)

Using Stripe, PayPal, or other gateways instead of Shopify Payments adds 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify), o...

+$100/mo

App Store Cost Accumulation

Most functional stores need 5-15 paid apps (reviews, SEO, email pop-ups, upsells, inventory). Averag...

+$100/mo

Premium Theme Purchase

Free themes are limited. Premium themes cost $180-$350 one-time. Many stores buy 2-3 themes before f...

+$250 one-time

Shipping Label Markup

Shopify Shipping offers discounted rates but marks up USPS/UPS/DHL prices by 5-15% compared to direc...

+$30/mo

Pricing Tiers

Basic
$39/mo

$29/mo annual

ShopifyPopular
$105/mo

$79/mo annual

Advanced
$399/mo

$299/mo annual

Plus
$2300/mo

Affiliate link — we may earn a commission

W

WooCommerce

Free WordPress ecommerce plugin. No transaction fees, fully customizable, but re...

Advertised

$0

/month

Estimated monthly cost

$400

/month (illustrative)

Documented Extra Fees (+$400/mo)

Hosting + Performance

WooCommerce needs WordPress hosting capable of handling ecommerce traffic. Managed WooCommerce hosti...

+$50/mo

Payment Processing

Stripe/PayPal charge 2.9% + $0.30. On $10K/mo revenue = $320/mo in fees. No way around this....

+$290/mo

Extensions & Plugins

Subscriptions ($199/yr), memberships ($199/yr), bookings ($249/yr), shipping ($79-199/yr). Average s...

+$60/mo

Pricing Tiers

Key Differences

1

Shopify advertises $39/mo. WooCommerce advertises $0/mo.

2

Shopify has 4 documented hidden fees. WooCommerce has 3.

3

Shopify confidence: 84%. WooCommerce confidence: 75%.

Cost Comparison Summary

MetricShopifyWooCommerceWinner
Advertised Price$39/mo$0/moWooCommerce
Estimated Monthly Cost$269/mo$400/moShopify
Recurring Extra Fees+$230/mo+$400/moShopify
One-Time Costs$250$0WooCommerce
# Documented Fees43—
Pricing Tiers40—
Affiliate ProgramUp to $150 per referral (varies by plan)None—

Ready to get started?

Try the tool that fits your needs. Both offer free trials or free tiers.

S

Shopify

From $39/mo

✓ ~33% lower estimated monthly cost
Try Shopify Free →

Affiliate link — we may earn a commission

W

WooCommerce

From $0/mo

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shopify or WooCommerce cheaper?

Shopify advertises $39/mo and WooCommerce advertises $0/mo. Shopify has 4 documented extra fees (recurring: +$230/mo, one-time: $250), while WooCommerce has 3 (recurring: +$400/mo). On these illustrative assumptions, Shopify has the lower estimated monthly cost (about 33% less). Your real cost depends on seats and usage — use the calculator for your numbers.

What extra fees does Shopify have?

Shopify has 4 documented extra fees: Transaction Fees (Non-Shopify Payments), App Store Cost Accumulation, Premium Theme Purchase, Shipping Label Markup. Recurring fees add roughly $230/mo on top of the $39/mo advertised price, plus about $250 in one-time costs.

What extra fees does WooCommerce have?

WooCommerce has 3 documented extra fees: Hosting + Performance, Payment Processing, Extensions & Plugins. Recurring fees add roughly $400/mo on top of the $0/mo advertised price.

Should I choose Shopify or WooCommerce?

Choose Shopify if: E-commerce platform for online stores. $39/mo sounds simple but transaction fees, app costs, and the. Choose WooCommerce if: Free WordPress ecommerce plugin. No transaction fees, fully customizable, but requires hosting + ext. The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.

How accurate is this Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison?

This comparison is compiled from public vendor pricing pages and documentation. It uses illustrative assumptions (see "Cost Comparison Summary"), not your exact seats or usage, and vendor prices change often. Confirm current prices on each vendor's site, and use our calculator with your own usage for a closer estimate. Spotted an error? Email hello@trulycritic.com.

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