It is impossible to talk about e-commerce without the names “WooCommerce” and “Shopify” popping up in the conversation. Both of them are globally famous digital shopping platforms.
The question is, which one of the two is a better choice for your online store launch? We are about to find out in this comprehensive guide.
We will also briefly talk about the cms development services you can use to successfully create and run your shop digitally.
About E-commerce Platforms
E-commerce platforms offer full support to aspiring online store owners and managers. Such platforms have all the tools and resources in one place that are required to run a store.
This way, e-commerce store owners can conveniently develop, sell, and market without stressing over every tiny technical detail.
There are many e-commerce platforms available for online entrepreneurs to leverage. However, Shopify and WooCommerce are the most talked-about platforms currently.
Shopify versus WooCommerce
Shopify is a one-stop e-commerce solution. It includes almost every business feature an online store could need, including well-designed templates, payment gateways, and an inventory management dashboard.
WooCommerce, on the other hand, is an e-commerce plugin that has been built specifically for WordPress, i.e. the most famous Content Management System in the world with 43% of active websites dependent on it.
WooCommerce has an open-source nature. Therefore, you can effortlessly customize your e-commerce store from any angle with WooCommerce.
Prominent Features
Given below are the main features of the two popular platforms:
Shopify
- Everything Included: Shopify is a full subscription-based package of everything you would need to sustain your brand online. This means you would not have to pay separately for your SSL certificate, domain, or hosting. Everything is included in the subscription price.
- Payment Systems: Shopify has been equipped with safe payment gateways for fast payments. Shopify’s own solution is known as Shopify Payments, and it is powered by Stripe. It also offers third-party payment systems, although you would have to pay 2% more than what you would normally pay with the Shopify Payments Gateway. This is in addition to the transaction fee the platform charges.
- User-Friendliness: Shopify being a totally hosted e-commerce platform gives you sufficient relaxation in terms of use. You do not have to worry about security, compatibility, or software installation and management. You can create and design your digital store without any hassle. Shopify will walk you through the personalization process too.
- Scalability: As your business grows, Shopify’s infrastructure will be able to adapt to its expanding demands. Shopify’s Plus Plan also includes enterprise services if you need further assistance.
- Support: You can call or simply chat with Shopify’s customer support team via social media, email, or live chat. Shopify has its support channels open for customer help 24/7.
WooCommerce
- Pricing: WooCommerce is available on the market as a free plugin. But you would need to pay for your SSL certificate, WordPress hosting, and domain name to start selling with WooCommerce. Purchasing a plan with third parties such as Bluehost can significantly minimize the total cost.
- Integrations: Every online shop needs add-ons to grow. In case of WooCommerce, the platform is offering over 59,000 free plugins (WordPress) as well as plenty of paid plugins.
- Dropshipping Features: WooCommerce is in high demand amongst dropshippers due to the wide availability of dropshipping plugins that it offers. This makes WooCommerce an overall ideal platform for dropshipping companies.
- Support: WooCommerce has extensive guides, tutorials as well as documentation for users to easily navigate through the process of setting up their site on the platform. You can also live chat with WooCommerce customer care anytime.
- Payment Systems: By default, WooCommerce is offering Stripe and PayPal payment gateways for quick digital payments. Like Shopify, WooCommerce too has its own payment solution known as WooCommerce Payments solution which is Stripe-Powered as well.
Shopify(Pros & Cons)
Pros:
- Excellent customer support system
- Better infrastructure for business scalability
- Integrated with world-famous payment gateways
- No special technical skill is required to work with Shopify
- You can choose from their 70+ free themes to design your site
- A complete collection of useful features packed into a single tool
Cons:
- More expensive than WooCommerce
- Not the greatest choice for dropshippers
- Not the best in regards to Search Engine Optimization
WooCommerce
Pros:
- Better for SEO
- Great customer support
- The top choice for drop shippers
- Connected to famous payment systems
- A more cost-effective option out of the two platforms
- Associated with WordPress – an internationally renowned Content Management System that offers innumerable features and benefits
Cons:
- You would have to manage your own domain, hosting, and SSL certificate
- You would need at least some technical skills to figure out WooCommerce
- Not the best in terms of scalability – you are responsible for your own updates, backups, etc.
Which One to Choose for Your Online Brand?
For some businesses, Shopify might be their number 1 e-commerce platform choice, while for others, WooCommerce will be the winner. It all depends on your business requirements.
Go for Shopify if you are someone who:
- Enjoys features handed over to you on a silver platter without putting in much effort
- Wants to launch a store fast
- Has little to no technical skills
Go for WooCommerce if you are someone who:
- Wants to set up a highly customized site
- Wants to create a large-scale e-commerce shop
- Has technical knowledge and wants to utilize it to your brand’s benefit
Are you ready to become an e-commerce store owner?
Doing it alone can be risky, especially if you are launching an online store for the first time. But no worries, because the experts at 2BTech are here at your service.
Check out our cms development services in austin texas for your online business and enjoy the advantages of collaborating with seasoned professionals.
