Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform. You sign up, choose a theme, add products and your store is live, hosted on Shopify's own servers. Shopify handles the technical side: hosting, security patches, uptime and checkout. You manage the store through its dashboard and extend it with apps from the Shopify App Store, most of which are paid.
This suits businesses that want to start selling without hiring a developer, and that would rather pay a predictable monthly fee than manage a website themselves.
WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns a WordPress website into a store. WordPress is the content management system; WooCommerce adds products, a cart and checkout to it. Because it runs on WordPress, you need your own hosting, and you are responsible for keeping WordPress, WooCommerce and any other plugins updated.
This suits businesses that already have, or plan to have, a WordPress site, that want more control over design and functionality, or that have a developer or agency who can maintain it.
Shopify's cost is mostly one predictable bill: a monthly plan fee, plus payment processing fees, plus whatever paid apps you install. The plan itself covers hosting and security, so there is little else to budget for unless you add apps.
WooCommerce itself is free, but it is rarely the only cost. You will typically pay for hosting, a theme, a handful of plugins for things Shopify includes by default (backups, security, SEO tools), and a developer's time for setup and ongoing maintenance. For a simple store the total can be lower than Shopify; for a store that needs several premium plugins and regular developer support, it can end up similar or higher.
Exact prices for Shopify plans, Indian payment gateway fees and popular WooCommerce plugins change often — check current pricing directly on each provider's site before you decide.
Shopify is built to get a store live quickly. The setup flow, themes and product tools are designed for someone without technical experience, and most core features (cart, checkout, basic shipping rules) work out of the box.
WooCommerce needs more setup: installing WordPress, installing WooCommerce, choosing and configuring a theme, and adding plugins for anything beyond the basics. It is very flexible once set up, but getting to that point usually takes longer, or needs outside help.
Both platforms support the payment methods Indian shoppers expect. Shopify works with Indian payment gateways such as Razorpay and others through its payments integrations, and supports UPI and cash on delivery through apps and settings. WooCommerce connects to the same kind of Indian payment gateways through plugins, since Razorpay, PayU and similar providers publish official WooCommerce plugins.
If you need GST-compliant invoices, check how each option generates them: Shopify may need an app for fully compliant Indian tax invoices, and WooCommerce usually needs a plugin too. Confirm the specific plugin or app still supports current GST invoice rules before you rely on it, since tax requirements and app features change.
Shopify themes are easy to adjust without code, and the App Store covers most common needs: reviews, upsells, subscriptions, loyalty programmes. Going beyond what an app supports usually means custom development within Shopify's theme system.
WooCommerce, because it sits on WordPress, can usually be customised more freely: you can combine it with any WordPress plugin, build custom page layouts, or adjust checkout logic directly. That flexibility is also why it needs more care: more moving parts means more that can break or conflict.
This is the question that matters most after launch. Shopify's monthly fee includes hosting, security updates and uptime, so there is very little upkeep on your side. If something breaks, it is almost always an app conflict, not the platform itself.
WooCommerce puts maintenance on you: WordPress core, the WooCommerce plugin, your theme and every other plugin need regular updates, and outdated plugins are a common way stores get hacked. Backups, security monitoring and update testing are your responsibility unless you pay a developer or agency to handle them. Budget for this ongoing work, not just the initial build.
A simple way to choose:
Neither platform is the better one in general. The right choice is the one that matches how much time, budget and technical help you actually have.
Yes, both have migration tools and agencies that handle this, but moving a store means re-checking SEO redirects, product data and any custom features, so it is worth doing properly rather than quickly.
It depends on your store. Shopify's cost is simpler to predict because hosting and security are included. WooCommerce can be cheaper for a simple store but adds up once you include hosting, premium plugins and developer time, so compare your actual expected setup, not just the headline price.
Not necessarily for Shopify, where many businesses run day-to-day operations themselves. WooCommerce is more often run with at least some developer support, especially for setup and ongoing maintenance.
Both offer mobile-responsive themes and mobile apps for managing orders, but always test your actual theme and checkout on a phone before launch, since this is where most Indian shoppers will buy.
If you are weighing this decision for your own business, see how we approach builds on the Build page or tell us what you are trying to sell and we will help you pick.