Shopify vs WooCommerce: Which Platform Makes You More Money?

You want to sell online. You've heard of Shopify. You've heard of WooCommerce. Which one should you pick?

The short answer: it depends on how you get paid.

I've built stores on both platforms for clients across the US, UK, Europe, and Africa. Here's what actually matters — not feature lists, but what makes you money.

Payment Gateways: The Real Decider

Both platforms support the major gateways — Stripe, PayPal, Square. But there's a catch.

Shopify charges a 2.9% + $0.30 fee for third-party payment gateways unless you use Shopify Payments. That's 2.9% of every transaction on top of Stripe's own fees.

WooCommerce has zero transaction fees beyond what your payment gateway charges. If you do $50,000 in monthly sales, Shopify costs you an extra $1,450 in fees.

When to Pick Shopify

Shopify wins when you want to start fast and don't want to touch code. You sign up, add products, and launch in a day. Hosting, security, and updates are handled for you. It's great for:

• Physical products with 20-100 SKUs
• You have no technical team
• You want dropshipping integrations (Oberlo, Spocket)
• Your average order value is high enough to absorb transaction fees

When to Pick WooCommerce

WooCommerce (WordPress) wins as soon as you need control. It's free software, you just pay for hosting. It makes sense for:

• Large inventories (1,000+ products)
• Digital products, subscriptions, or bookings
• You already have a WordPress site
• You want zero transaction fees
• You need custom checkout flows, dynamic pricing, or B2B features

The Real-World Numbers

Here's what I've seen with actual store owners across different markets:

Case 1: A US fashion brand using Shopify. They pay $79/month + 2.9% per transaction. At $30,000 monthly revenue, that's $870 in fees plus the subscription. They're moving to WooCommerce next quarter.

Case 2: A UK-based retailer using WooCommerce with Stripe. Monthly hosting: $25. Transaction fees: 1.5% (Stripe only). At the same $30,000 revenue, they pay $450 total. Savings vs Shopify: $499/month.

The math works the same whether you're in New York, London, or Lagos — the platform fees don't change.

What We Recommend

If you're launching your first store and have less than 50 products: start with Shopify. The speed and simplicity are worth the fees. When you hit $20,000+/month in revenue, switch to WooCommerce.

If you already have inventory, custom needs, or want to keep more profit: start with WooCommerce. We'll handle the hosting and setup.