If you want to sell online without becoming a part-time web developer, Shopify is usually the better fit for a UK small business. You pay a monthly fee and, in return, the hosting, security and checkout are looked after for you. WooCommerce suits businesses that already run a WordPress website, want complete control over their code and hosting, or need something unusual that a hosted platform cannot do. Both are capable, well-supported platforms. The right choice comes down to your budget, how much time you want to spend on upkeep and how you plan to grow.
The key difference: hosted vs self-hosted
Shopify is a hosted platform. You sign up, choose a plan and build your shop inside Shopify's system. Shopify runs the servers, applies security updates and keeps the checkout working. You can't change the platform's underlying code, but you can fully customise your theme and add features through apps.
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin that turns a WordPress website into a shop. It is self-hosted, which means you (or your web team) choose the hosting, install the software and keep WordPress, the theme and every plugin up to date. You own every file and can change anything, but you are also responsible for everything.
A handy way to picture it: Shopify is like renting a fully managed unit on a well-run retail park. WooCommerce is like owning your own building. More freedom, more maintenance.
What does each one actually cost?
Shopify costs in the UK
At the time of writing, Shopify's main UK plans cost the following when paid monthly. Paying for a year up front brings the monthly price down.
| Plan | Price (paid monthly) | Online card rate with Shopify Payments | Extra fee with another payment provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | £25 a month | From 2% + 25p | 2% |
| Grow | £65 a month | From 1.7% + 25p | 1% |
| Advanced | £344 a month | From 1.5% + 25p | 0.6% |
If you use Shopify Payments (Shopify's built-in card processing), you only pay the card rate. Choose a different provider and Shopify adds its own fee on top of that provider's charges. The card rates shown are starting rates, so some cards cost a little more, and Shopify often runs introductory offers for new stores.
Also budget for a premium theme if you want one (usually a one-off cost) and any paid apps. Apps are where Shopify bills quietly creep up, so we always review them with clients.
WooCommerce costs in the UK
The WooCommerce plugin itself is free and takes no share of your sales. The costs come from everything around it:
- Hosting: WooCommerce's own pricing guide puts hosting for most stores at roughly $25-$350 a month (US dollars), depending on traffic and performance. Bargain shared hosting is tempting but often struggles with a busy shop.
- Extensions: paid add-ons typically cost around $29-$299 each per year, and many shops need several for things like shipping rules, subscriptions or bookings.
- Payments: WooPayments, Woo's own payment option, has no setup or monthly fee. You pay a fee on each transaction, with no extra platform charge on top. Stripe, PayPal and other providers also work.
- Theme, domain and security tools: a quality theme, your domain name, backups and security monitoring all add up.
- Maintenance time: someone has to test and apply updates regularly. If that isn't you, it's a developer or a care plan.
In practice, a small WooCommerce shop can be cheaper than Shopify month to month, but it rarely costs nothing. The gap narrows once you add good hosting and professional upkeep.
Ease of use and day-to-day running
For most shop owners, this is where Shopify wins. Adding products, processing orders, buying shipping labels and checking sales all happen in one tidy dashboard, and the mobile app lets you do it on the go. If you run a farm shop and add seasonal stock on a Sunday evening, that simplicity matters.
WooCommerce is perfectly usable once set up, and anyone familiar with WordPress will feel at home. But the experience depends heavily on how your site was built, which theme you use and how many plugins are involved. A well-built WooCommerce site is lovely to manage. A rushed one can be confusing.
Security, updates and peace of mind
Shopify is certified Level 1 PCI DSS compliant (the card payment industry's security standard), and that compliance covers every Shopify store by default. It also provides free SSL certificates (the padlock in the browser bar) for all domains you connect. Platform updates happen in the background without you lifting a finger.
With WooCommerce, security is a shared job between your host, your developer and you. That means keeping WordPress, WooCommerce, your theme and plugins updated, taking regular backups and choosing reputable extensions. None of it is difficult, but it needs doing every month, not once a year.
SEO and getting found
Both platforms can rank well in Google. SEO (search engine optimisation) success comes far more from your content, product descriptions, site speed and structure than from the platform you build on. WordPress has excellent tools for blogging, which can give WooCommerce an edge if content is central to how customers find you. Shopify covers the essentials well and loads quickly when built carefully. Either way, an ecommerce SEO plan built around what your customers actually search for will make a bigger difference than the platform choice.
Not sure which platform suits your products? Browse our ecommerce website packages, or drop us a line and we'll give you a straight answer.
Flexibility and room to grow
WooCommerce's biggest strength is freedom. If you need complex product builders, special pricing for trade customers or deep links into an existing WordPress site, it can be shaped to fit. Shopify is more structured, but its app store and theme system cover the vast majority of small business needs, and the higher plans add features for growing teams and international selling.
A good rule of thumb: if you can describe your shop as "products, a basket and a checkout", Shopify will handle it comfortably. If your description starts with "well, it's a bit complicated", WooCommerce deserves a closer look.
So which should you choose?
Choose Shopify if:
- You want to launch quickly and spend your time selling, not maintaining software.
- You prefer one predictable monthly bill.
- You also sell in person, at markets, events or a shop counter, and want stock to stay in sync.
- You don't have a developer on hand for regular updates.
Choose WooCommerce if:
- You already have a WordPress site you're happy with and want to add a shop to it.
- Blogging and helpful content are a big part of how customers find you.
- You need custom features that a hosted platform can't offer.
- You have reliable technical support, in-house or through an agency.
What if you've already picked the wrong one?
It happens, and it's fixable. Products, customers and order history can be moved between platforms, and careful redirects (which send old web addresses to the new pages) help protect the Google rankings you've built. If you're thinking of moving to Shopify, our Shopify migration service handles the data, the redirects and the testing so you don't lose sales in the switch.
Frequently asked questions
Is WooCommerce really free?
The plugin is free, but running a shop isn't. You'll pay for hosting, a domain, any paid extensions, payment processing and ongoing maintenance.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees in the UK?
If you use Shopify Payments, you only pay the card processing rate. If you use another payment provider, Shopify adds a fee of 2%, 1% or 0.6% depending on your plan.
Which is better for SEO?
Neither has a decisive advantage. Both can rank well when built properly. Content quality, speed and clear structure matter much more.
Can I move from WooCommerce to Shopify later?
Yes. Products, customers and orders can be migrated, and redirecting old addresses to new ones helps protect your search rankings.
Get the right platform from day one
Your ecommerce platform is a decision you'll live with for years, so it's worth a short conversation before you commit. We're a friendly pride of web designers and Shopify specialists based in Lincolnshire, and we'll happily talk through your products, budget and plans with no pressure.
Talk to us about your online shop See our Shopify design service
