WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Which is best to opt for 2018?

In the past, it was mandatory to hire a developer or a designer if one wished to start an e-commerce business. But with a significant rise in the e-commerce business, one of the crucial decisions to make is which platform to choose. The dilemma usually narrows down to two of the most popular e-Commerce platforms- Woo-commerce and Shopify.

The best part about these platforms is you can do most of the stuff on your own without much help from professional developers. All you have to do is take your own specific requirements into account and make the final decision.

Although, to ease out your dilemma, let us dive a little deeper into the biggest confusion ever- Woo-commerce vs Shopify.

Brief Overview: What are WooCommerce and Shopify?

Before digging into the details and comparing these two leading e-commerce platforms, we should have an insight into what they exactly are.

WooCommerce:

A basic understanding of WordPress is required to know what Woo-commerce exactly is. In simple terms, Word press can handle any website out there. Although, it wasn’t designed particularly for e-commerce. That is where Woo-commerce comes into the limelight. It is a WP plugin that is used for adding features of a basic e-commerce site such as shopping cart, wishlist, inventory management, product pages, etc.

Shopify:

If you are looking for a tool that assists you in building an e-commerce website without the use of complex coding, then Shopify is the way to go! It features a guide that will help you out if you get stuck somewhere. It is the perfect solution for you if you are new to the field of e-commerce.

Factors to Consider:

Some factors that you should consider before making the decision of the e-commerce platform you are going to use are listed below.

Price Point

The most important aspect of any business is the initial investment cost. It all comes down to the budget you have set for yourself. The Woo-commerce plugin itself is free of cost. However, you will have to invest in a domain name, WordPress hosting, etc. The cost of plugins and themes that are premium can also have a significant impact on your budget. So, the entire process is not completely free of cost.

Shopify, on the other hand, is not free of cost. Since it is a SaaS platform, it comes in various price ranges depending on the features you opt for. The basic version can be used for $29 per month. Besides this, you have to bear a transaction fee each time you make a sale. So, by and large, Woo-commerce is a comparatively inexpensive alternative. If you are on a budget, Woo-commerce is the way to go. Also if you are looking for e-commerce app development cost so might be it scarce different then this two e-commerce platform.

Design

If the design of your site is not professional, you should remember that the competitors are just a click away. It doesn’t take much to drive away the visitors on your website. Any difficulty they face during navigation can throw them away to your rivals. Succeeding in the e-commerce field is impossible without an outstanding website design to back you up. Shopify offers 50+ designs and you can choose one that is best suited according to your needs. They also enable easy customization of the features. The process is quite easy for a beginner.

Woo-commerce works well with almost all WP themes, so the options you have for designing are basically endless. So, you can pick any WP theme of your choice and install the Woo-commerce plugin for e-commerce features. So, if you want a wide array of choices, Woo-commerce provides immense variety in comparison with Shopify. Although, you have to make some efforts for customizing the design. But if you are okay with a basic professional design offered to you and you don’t feel the need to make any changes, Shopify is the way to go.

Ease Of Use

As far as the ease of use is considered, Shopify triumphs Woo-commerce in this area. It is specifically designed, keeping in mind the simplicity of use for beginners. Once you have signed up, the dashboard guides you through the rest. Your store goes live just after you sign up and you can start selling already! If you are easily scared by high technology, Shopify is made to make things easier for you and of course, less intimidating. Moreover, the customer support is available 24×7.

Working with Woo-commerce is easy only if you have a previously set WordPress website. However, if you are not familiar with WordPress and are all on your own, without any technical help, Woo-commerce might not be the most viable option in these cases.

Conclusion:

I hope this point-to-point comparison makes your decision an easy one. For someone aiming to build a successful e-commerce store, both platforms have their own pros and cons. It totally depends on the requirement of the business owner when it comes to making the choice.