Which is better, WordPress or Shopify? This is a question that many businesses have, and we will go over it in detail in this post.
E-commerce is becoming one of the most natural business possibilities for today's entrepreneurs as the world continues to embrace the benefits and convenience of online shopping. After all, there's no need for brick-mortar stores when you offer your things online.
Numerous providers have started to create solutions for the new digital era of simple, mobile selling. There is something for everyone, from Square payment terminals for your casual pop-up store to Shopify and WordPress for creating online selling sites. Two of the most well-known eCommerce companies are Shopify and WordPress, both of which have a reputation for simplicity, adaptability, and great performance.
You might be wondering why we would want to compare these tools if you have already looked at them. After all, WordPress is a website builder that enables businesses to develop practically any type of website they desire, from blogs to publishing, but Shopify is only an eCommerce platform.
We're comparing WordPress and Shopify today because both have become excellent options for entrepreneurs trying to create websites that encourage sales.
WordPress vs. Shopify: An Overview
Let's review the key differences between WordPress and Shopify before we dive into the specifics.
Any type of website can be made using the content management system WordPress. You can create any kind of website you can think of as an online storefront, such as a Shopify e-commerce website. You can build a news and media website, an influencer blog, an educational portal, and much more. Then, add a variety of online sales opportunities by using an e-commerce plugin for WordPress.
As a "specialized e-commerce platform," Shopify, on the other hand, focuses primarily on boosting your online sales. The Shopify platform is built from the ground up to make it easier for business owners to operate an online store.
Startups and small businesses may quickly build, run, and manage an online store with Shopify. You get access to all the tools you need on the platform to sell on Shopify.
Let's explore how these platforms function.
WordPress vs. Shopify: The Ultimate Comparison
1. Set Up and Ease of Use:
It's challenging to get WordPress up and running. A domain name and web hosting must first be acquired from a third-party vendor. The next step is to set up login information and install WordPress on your website hosting account.
To begin using Shopify, just sign up for the free trial and follow the instructions for account creation. Within minutes, you'll have a brand-new mission control that you can use to run your company.
2. Ecommerce Functionality:
WordPress lacks eCommerce capability. To offer this functionality, an eCommerce plugin must be installed and maintained. The most reliable and used WordPress eCommerce plugin is WooCommerce. WooCommerce is an open-source platform that can be easily customized and has all the features needed to conduct online business. WooCommerce's independence, like that of WordPress, comes with heavy responsibilities.
Contrarily, Shopify is entirely focused on business—after all, it says as much in the name.
This all-inclusive, out-of-the-box commerce solution was created with the goal of giving businesses the resources they need to expand and thrive. This consists of a website builder for eCommerce, tools for managing inventory and orders, and connections to online marketplaces including Instagram,? Facebook, Amazon, and eBay.
3. Apps and Plugins:
Users on both Shopify and WordPress rely on third-party apps to enhance functionality. And the platforms have app stores of their own.
Plugins are becoming a more important source of functionality for WordPress users. If you don't know how to code, many of these plugins can be difficult to manage. Additionally, some plugins won't play nice with others and will need technical adjustments to make them compatible.
Over 6,000 apps are available in the Shopify App Store that may be utilized to improve the functionality of your website. Compared to this, WordPress offers over 50,000 plugins.
Conversely, Shopify users need a lot less help from third-party tools than WordPress users do. This is so because the platform manages all programming, security, and technical maintenance and has e-commerce capabilities.
4. Payment Gateways:
In order to facilitate transactions when selling online, a payment gateway is necessary. The most widely used payment processors are Stripe, PayPal, and Amazon Pay.
Create a payment gateway using the WooCommerce plugin to take payments on WordPress. Over 75 payment gateways, including WooCommerce Payments, are supported by the plugin.
With Shopify, more than 100 payment gateways are easily integrated. Additionally, it offers a built-in payment system called Shopify Purchases that makes setting up and managing online payments a breeze.
Both platforms provide this flexibility, but WooCommerce's installation process may be more difficult than it is for Shopify's all-in-one solution.
5. Design and Aesthetics:
WordPress has approximately 8,000 themes available, half of which have eCommerce features. WordPress themes are infamous for needing a lot of modification and tweaking to work properly. Therefore, you'll need either some knowledge of fundamental code or money to get a web designer to handle them for you. It's also important to note that the bulk of WordPress themes are developed by WordPress developers, so if you run into problems you'll need to get in touch with the design developer.
Themes for Shopify can be purchased right away. These themes quickly adapt to the screen size because they are responsive and mobile-optimized. The Shopify theme editor is also user-friendly and straightforward. As a consequence, you may customize it to look exactly the way you want it to without using any coding or technical expertise. Additionally, Shopify offers support seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day if you run into problems.
6. Pricing and Value:
The price of a WordPress eCommerce website varies greatly depending on the customization. Here are some cost estimates for a common WordPress small company website:
- $10-$50 per year for a domain name
- $3-$200 per month for hosting
- Theme: $0-$200 (the average theme is $59, according to codeinwp).
- $0-$1,000 for plugins (Many plugins charge monthly fees, and some charge a one-off fee)
- $50-$500 per month for security
- Developer fees: 0 to $1,000 (one-off cost)
The pricing on Shopify is clear. There are three primary plans to choose from with this service:
- Shopify Basic: ?20/month
- Shopify: ?5,599/month
- ?22,680/month for Shopify Advanced
Everything you need to start selling is included in the Basic Shopify plan for new businesses, including an eCommerce website, features for managing inventory and orders, and a POS system.
7. Customer Support:
Assistance is necessary because building and maintaining eCommerce websites is challenging. WordPress does not offer direct support because it is an open-source program. Instead, turn to community forums, specialized websites, and YouTube for assistance. Therefore, you almost certainly need to pay for WordPress developer support unless you're a seasoned web developer.
For plugin-related problems, you might be able to get direct assistance from the tool's developers. Fortunately, Shopify provides unlimited phone, email, and chat support every single day of the week. There is also a thriving community forum and a thorough help center.
Final Thoughts
WordPress and Shopify are both incredible platforms, but which one should you use for your business in 2023?
If you want to concentrate your efforts on starting and expanding a business, use Shopify. Managing hosting, security, and essential e-commerce integrations won't require you to waste time or effort. While Shopify takes care of the technical aspects, you can focus on your company. You have everything you need in this dedicated commerce solution to launch and grow your company right away.
However, WordPress and the WooCommerce plugin are the way to go if you have a team of expert web developers looking for total control over every aspect of your website. You will be in charge of all aspects of hosting, maintenance, and security for your website, but you can also fine-tune and optimize everything to your preferences.