True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
WooCommerce saves you 100%
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
E-commerce platform for online stores. $39/mo sounds simple but transaction fees...
Advertised
$39
/month
True Cost
$519
/month (typical)
Transaction Fees (Non-Shopify Payments)
Using Stripe, PayPal, or other gateways instead of Shopify Payments adds 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify), o...
App Store Cost Accumulation
Most functional stores need 5-15 paid apps (reviews, SEO, email pop-ups, upsells, inventory). Averag...
Premium Theme Purchase
Free themes are limited. Premium themes cost $180-$350 one-time. Many stores buy 2-3 themes before f...
Shipping Label Markup
Shopify Shipping offers discounted rates but marks up USPS/UPS/DHL prices by 5-15% compared to direc...
$29/mo annual
$79/mo annual
$299/mo annual
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission
Free WordPress ecommerce plugin. No transaction fees, fully customizable, but re...
Advertised
$0
/month
True Cost
$400
/month (typical)
Hosting + Performance
WooCommerce needs WordPress hosting capable of handling ecommerce traffic. Managed WooCommerce hosti...
Payment Processing
Stripe/PayPal charge 2.9% + $0.30. On $10K/mo revenue = $320/mo in fees. No way around this....
Extensions & Plugins
Subscriptions ($199/yr), memberships ($199/yr), bookings ($249/yr), shipping ($79-199/yr). Average s...
Shopify advertises $39/mo. WooCommerce advertises $0/mo.
Shopify has 4 documented hidden fees. WooCommerce has 3.
Shopify confidence: 84%. WooCommerce confidence: 75%.
| Metric | Shopify | WooCommerce | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $39/mo | $0/mo | WooCommerce |
| True Monthly Cost | $519/mo | $400/mo | WooCommerce |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$480/mo | +$400/mo | WooCommerce |
| # Hidden Fees | 4 | 3 | WooCommerce |
| Confidence Score | 84% | 75% | Shopify |
| Pricing Tiers | 4 | 0 | — |
| Affiliate Program | Up to $150 per referral (varies by plan) | None | — |
Try the tool that fits your needs. Both offer free trials or free tiers.
Shopify advertises $39/mo and WooCommerce advertises $0/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, Shopify has 4 documented hidden fees adding +$480/mo, while WooCommerce has 3 hidden fees adding +$400/mo. Based on true cost, WooCommerce is typically 100% cheaper.
Shopify has 4 documented hidden fees: Transaction Fees (Non-Shopify Payments), App Store Cost Accumulation, Premium Theme Purchase, Shipping Label Markup. These add approximately +$480/mo on top of the $39/mo advertised price.
WooCommerce has 3 documented hidden fees: Hosting + Performance, Payment Processing, Extensions & Plugins. These add approximately +$400/mo on top of the $0/mo advertised price.
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.
This comparison is based on manual research of official pricing pages, terms of service, and user reports. Shopify data has a 84% confidence score and WooCommerce has 75%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
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