Shopify vs. WordPress: Ultimate comparison (2025)

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On the face of it, WordPress vs. Shopify is an easy answer for building a store because only Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform. However, adding ecommerce plugins to WordPress brings similar, and sometimes better, features to your store. 

Your choice depends on whether you want a pre-built solution that ties you into one platform or the flexibility to create a custom store on multiple platforms. 

Join us below for a complete comparison of Shopify vs. WordPress for ecommerce.

Shopify vs. WordPress: An overview

Feature	Shopify	WordPress
Pricing and costs	Monthly fee plus transaction fees	Hosting costs plus optional paid plugins
Ease of use and setup	Simple guided setup process	Requires technical knowledge and plugins
Customization and design	Limited but streamlined customization options	Unlimited customization with more complexity
Ecommerce capabilities	Built-in ecommerce features	Requires plugins for ecommerce functionality
Marketing tools and extensions	Core features plus paid apps	Everything through plugins and integrations
SEO capabilities	Basic built-in SEO features	Advanced SEO control via plugins
Email marketing	Basic email tool included	Requires third-party email solutions
Support and community	24/7 support available	Community forums and developer support
Security and reliability	Managed security and automatic updates	Manual security management required
Performance and scalability	Scales to meet high demand but with usage limits	Flexible scaling requiring technical expertise

Pricing and costs

WordPress is free to download, but you’ll need to pay for a domain name, web hosting, and potentially premium themes and plugins to build your ecommerce store.

Shopify plans start at $39/month, which includes hosting, security, and core ecommerce features, though additional apps and premium themes cost extra.

WordPress

Your first costs with WordPress are a domain name and web hosting. The initial WordPress software is free, and you can build a surprisingly capable ecommerce store without spending more than $20/month. 

Here’s a breakdown:

• Domain name: $14-20/year
• Web hosting: $10-20/month for basic hosting
• Core platform: Free
• Basic theme: Free (thousands available)
• Basic plugins: Free (WooCommerce, OpenCart)

Basic hosting with adequate speed and storage typically costs $10-20/month, and the WordPress theme directory offers thousands of free themes suitable for online stores. 

Essential ecommerce functionality is available from free platforms like WooCommerce and OpenCart. Plus, you can get free plugins for shipping calculations, advanced inventory tracking, security, and other essentials. 

While premium plugins offer advanced features, many successful stores start with just the hosting cost and free tools.

If you have a more substantial budget, a premium theme typically costs $50-200 as a one-time fee. You might also need premium plugins to add functionality to your store. These are either a one-off purchase or have a monthly/annual fee.

Shopify

Shopify’s Basic plan costs $39/month and includes web hosting plus all core features needed to start selling online. Transaction fees are 2.9% + 30¢ per sale when using Shopify Payments. 

While you get a free myshopify.com domain, you’ll want a custom domain name, which costs around $14-20/year. 

Here are the initial costs to expect:

• Domain name: $14-20/year (optional, free myshopify.com subdomain included)
• Platform + hosting: $39/month (Basic plan)
• Basic theme: Free options available
• Basic apps: Included in the core platform

You can use free themes to get started, but premium themes such as Eclipse and Symmetry offer more design flexibility and cost $350-500 as a one-time purchase.

Most stores also need additional apps. For instance, dropshipping apps have monthly fees, while other essential tools like email marketing add to ongoing costs. However, depending on what you want to do, the same can be said for WordPress. 

Verdict — Draw

The costs for WordPress vs. Shopify are close. WordPress is free to install, and you could keep costs under $20/month with the right ecommerce plugins. Your ongoing costs include web hosting and any premium plugins you need to create store functionality. 

Shopify is a paid platform without free plans. The minimum you’ll pay is $39/month plus transaction fees. However, depending on what you want your store to do, it could be cheaper than WordPress because of its built-in features. The cost of Shopify’s store starts to increase more rapidly when you start selling actively due to the transaction fees for every item you sell.

Ease of use and setup

WordPress is a self-hosted CMS that requires third-party plugins to create ecommerce functionality. After installation, the dashboard is a blank canvas, giving you a theme without any ecommerce features. 

In contrast, after signing up for Shopify, you get a walkthrough in the dashboard to complete all the necessary steps to start selling. You don’t need to do anything else but follow the steps, and you’ll have an ecommerce site within minutes. 

WordPress

Building an ecommerce store with WordPress takes more steps than with Shopify.

First, you purchase web hosting, install the WordPress CMS on your website through your hosting provider, learn the WordPress platform, and install multiple plugins to enable ecommerce functionality. 

Your store’s ease of use depends on which ecommerce plugins you choose. Popular options like WooCommerce offer features through simple sidebar navigation, while plugins like Easy Digital Downloads provide streamlined dashboards for managing digital products.

You can also add Shopify to WordPress to integrate Shopify’s ecommerce capabilities into your WordPress blog or website.

Store management in WordPress splits between the main WordPress dashboard and your ecommerce plugin’s interface. 

Navigating between these has a steeper learning curve and can be confusing compared to Shopify. However, while this initial setup requires more time and effort, you aren’t locked into using one ecommerce platform. 

Shopify

Shopify’s all-in-one ecosystem is simpler than WordPress’s plugin-based approach to ecommerce. Your store includes hosting, and the platform guides you through each step of the setup process. 

The dashboard focuses purely on ecommerce, making it easier to find essential features like inventory management, order processing, and payment settings. 

You can start adding products immediately after signing up, and Shopify’s AI-powered tools can help generate product descriptions. 

While the theme editor can take time to master, the interface helps you launch your store quickly without technical expertise.

The platform’s unified approach means you won’t need to juggle multiple interfaces or learn different systems. Everything works together seamlessly.

Verdict — Shopify wins

Setting up an ecommerce store with WordPress requires managing multiple plugins and technical elements, while Shopify is an all-in-one ecosystem that handles everything for you.

Shopify is the better choice if you want to launch a store without worrying about integrating payment systems and other elements. 

WordPress is better if you want the flexibility to integrate with alternative ecommerce solutions such as WooCommerce and OpenCart.

Customization and design

WordPress has more free and premium themes than Shopify and offers more control over customization and design. 

Shopify has fewer themes than WordPress and less customization scope, but its themes are usually set up right out of the box with minimal tinkering. 

WordPress

Due to its open-source nature, WordPress offers virtually unlimited customization potential. You can modify every aspect of your store’s design through themes, custom code, and plugins. 

The WordPress theme directory includes thousands of free themes, while premium marketplaces offer sophisticated options with advanced customization panels.

The block editor lets you create custom layouts without coding knowledge, while developers can use PHP, CSS, and JavaScript to implement any design vision. You can also modify core functionality through hooks and filters, allowing deep customization of front and backend features.

WordPress theme customization requires more technical knowledge, but you gain complete control over your store’s appearance and functionality. 

You can create unique features that set your store apart from competitors, though this freedom comes with a steeper learning curve, and a need for technical support.

Shopify 

Shopify provides a more structured approach to customization. It offers about 100 official themes (both free and premium) designed specifically for ecommerce, with built-in features like product quick-view and mobile optimization.

While you can edit HTML and CSS through the theme code editor, Shopify’s liquid templating system adds an extra layer of complexity for developers.

Customization options focus on ecommerce-specific features, with pre-built sections for product displays, collection pages, and checkout flows. While this ensures consistency and reliability, it can limit creative freedom compared to WordPress.

Verdict — WordPress wins

Comparing WordPress vs. Shopify for customization reveals a clear winner. While Shopify offers excellent built-in customization tools for ecommerce, WordPress’s open architecture provides unlimited design potential. 

WordPress is the superior choice if you need complete control over your store’s appearance and functionality. However, if you prefer a structured environment with ecommerce-focused design tools, Shopify’s approach might better suit your needs.

Ecommerce capabilities

Shopify vs. WordPress for ecommerce. That is the question. It’s easy to answer after initial installation because WordPress has no ecommerce capabilities without an ecommerce plugin like WooCommerce. 

Once you’ve added a plugin like WooCommerce, it can handle everything from basic product sales to complex multi-vendor marketplaces. 

Shopify provides ecommerce capabilities in one dashboard without the installation of extra plugins. The image above shows its Reports feature under Analytics — WordPress doesn’t offer a similar dashboard without additional plugins or extensions. 

WordPress

WordPress’s ecommerce capabilities depend on which platform you choose to power your online store. Popular options like WooCommerce, OpenCart, and BigCommerce for WordPress bring different features and functionalities.

The most popular choice, WooCommerce, offers extensive product management, payment processing, shipping options, and tax calculations out of the box. You can add features like subscriptions, bookings, or membership functionality with extensions. 

OpenCart has good inventory management and multi-store capabilities, while BigCommerce brings enterprise-level features through its WordPress integration.

Shopify 

Shopify comes with everything you need to start selling right away. It includes built-in product management, inventory tracking, automated shipping calculations, and tax compliance tools. 

You also get abandoned cart recovery with Shopify Email, professional reports, and discount code functionality without installing additional apps.

The platform handles all technical aspects, from secure checkout to payment processing, making it easier to launch a store quickly. 

More advanced features, such as omnichannel marketing automation, require apps, but the core platform offers plenty to get started. 

Verdict — Shopify wins

Shopify excels as a streamlined, all-in-one solution with everything built right in, making it ideal for quick launches and simplified management. 

WordPress, through add-ons like WooCommerce and OpenCart, offers unlimited customization potential and can provide more sophisticated features for complex business needs.

Shopify is better for those who want everything ready to go, while WordPress is ideal if you need specific customizations or want to choose which features to implement.

Marketing tools and extensions

WordPress plugins bring marketing and optimization to your site. Depending on the product, these add functionality within your WordPress dashboard, like in the MonsterInsights image above, or connect your site to a third-party dashboard. 

Shopify takes a similar approach to WordPress, with apps adding additional marketing functionality. However, Shopify comes with some marketing features pre-installed, such as analytics (see above) and Shopify Email. 

WordPress

WordPress’s marketing capabilities come entirely through its extensive plugin ecosystem. You can either use all-in-one marketing plugins or combine specialized tools.

Omnichannel marketing plugins like Omnisend provide multiple capabilities in one solution:

• Email and SMS marketing automation
• Push notifications for re-engagement
• Landing page creation
• Form building and lead capture
• Customer segmentation
• Campaign analytics
• Integration with major ad platforms

Specialized plugins focus on specific marketing functions:

• SEO tools (All in One SEO, Yoast) for search optimization and content analysis
• Social media plugins for automated posting and scheduling
• Advanced analytics plugins for detailed visitor tracking
• Review and testimonial plugins for social proof
• Affiliate marketing plugins for referral programs

You can start with simplistic marketing tools and gradually add more sophisticated capabilities as you grow without being locked into the Shopify ecosystem. 

Shopify

Shopify includes several marketing tools out of the box, with more advanced features available through its app store:

• Built-in SEO tools for basic optimization
• Shopify Email for basic email marketing (up to 10,000 emails/month free)
• Native social media selling integration with Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok
• Built-in analytics and reporting
• Automated marketing workflows through Shopify Flow
• Customer segmentation capabilities
• Discount code creation and management

For more advanced needs, Shopify’s app store offers marketing solutions like Omnisend (for advanced email and SMS marketing) and apps for loyalty programs, reviews, social proof, and upsell tools.

Most Shopify apps work seamlessly together, reducing technical overhead, but watch out for additional app requirements. 

Verdict — Draw

Both platforms effectively handle sophisticated marketing needs. The main difference lies in how you build your marketing stack. 

WordPress lets you piece together the marketing tools you want through its plugin ecosystem, while Shopify provides a more unified experience with built-in tools and curated apps. 

The result can be equally powerful, making this choice more about your preferred approach to implementing and managing marketing tools rather than their capabilities.

SEO capabilities

Is WordPress or Shopify better for SEO? They both have advantages. WordPress has excellent on-page SEO capabilities. Optimizing your WordPress store for Google and other search engines is as easy as downloading an SEO plugin, such as Rank Math (pictured).

Shopify also has excellent SEO capabilities through apps like Plug In SEO. There are fewer apps than WordPress plugins, but the functionality is replicable. 

WordPress

WordPress has SEO features for permalinks and pings and a standard clean code structure. Additional plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math enable advanced optimization control over meta tags, sitemaps, and technical SEO elements.

With an SEO plugin, you can gain access to these elements:

• Complete control over URL structures and permalinks
• Advanced meta tag management for titles, descriptions, and social sharing
• XML sitemap generation with customizable priorities
• Schema markup implementation for rich snippets
• Content analysis tools with real-time optimization suggestions
• Automated internal linking suggestions
• Redirect management for handling 404 errors
• Custom breadcrumb navigation control
• Bulk editing capabilities for meta information

WordPress also allows direct access to your .htaccess file and robots.txt, giving developers complete control over technical SEO elements.

Shopify

Shopify provides built-in SEO features as part of its core platform, with several automated optimizations:

• Automatic canonical tags to prevent duplicate content from appearing in search results
• Auto-generated sitemap.xml and robots.txt files
• Automated title tags that include your store name
• Built-in meta description and title tag editing for all content types (products, collections, blogs, and pages)
• Image alt text editing capabilities
• Social media linking and sharing options built into themes

The platform takes a “done-for-you” approach to technical SEO, which helps if you’re not an SEO expert. However, this automation comes with some trade-offs:

• Less granular control over technical SEO elements
• Structured URL patterns that aren’t fully customizable
• Limited ability to modify system-generated files
• Basic content organization system compared to more flexible CMS platforms

Verdict — WordPress wins

WordPress has more SEO capabilities through its extensive plugin ecosystem and complete technical control over meta tags, URL structures, schemas, and page architecture. 

While Shopify provides a solid foundation with automated SEO features and built-in optimizations that many stores will find sufficient, WordPress’s depth of customization and advanced optimization tools make it the clear winner for SEO-focused businesses.

Email marketing

When using cross-platform solutions like Omnisend, email marketing capabilities are equal between WordPress and Shopify. Omnisend integrates with Shopify and WordPress/WooCommerce, providing identical features and template libraries.

Unlike WordPress, Shopify has a built-in email marketing tool called Shopify Email. The image above shows its template library. 

WordPress

WordPress doesn’t include built-in email marketing functionality but offers extensive integration options through various email marketing plugins. You can add sophisticated email marketing capabilities through popular plugins that provide:

• Complete email campaign management
• Automated workflow creation
• List segmentation and management
• Customizable email templates
• Detailed analytics and reporting
• A/B testing capabilities
• Product recommender
• Integration with major email service providers

For instance, plugins like Omnisend offer advanced features such as customer segmentation, automation workflows, and omnichannel marketing capabilities that seamlessly integrate with your WordPress site.

Watch this video to find out more:

Shopify 

Shopify provides a native email marketing solution called Shopify Email, which is built directly into the platform’s dashboard. This integration offers several advantages:

• Direct access to store data and customer information
• Basic email campaign creation and management
• Simple template customization
• Integration with your product catalog
• Analytics and reporting

For more advanced needs, Shopify users can integrate third-party email marketing apps like Omnisend from the Shopify App Store to access more sophisticated features and capabilities.

Verdict — Draw

While Shopify offers the advantage of a built-in email marketing solution with Shopify Email that’s suitable for basic needs, both platforms provide access to the same advanced email marketing capabilities through plugins and apps.

The choice comes down to whether you prefer the convenience of a basic built-in solution (Shopify) or the flexibility to choose your email marketing platform from the start (WordPress).

Support and community

WordPress has extensive documentation, troubleshooting guides, and community-driven support that can help resolve most technical issues.

Shopify has a help center with a virtual assistant for finding relevant guides and documentation. You can also contact Shopify support if needed. 

WordPress

WordPress has a massive open-source community with millions of developers, users, and contributors worldwide. The WordPress.org forums host extensive discussions, while countless blogs, YouTube channels, and third-party communities offer tutorials and solutions. 

However, there is no centralized support team, so you’ll need to rely on community assistance, theme/plugin developers, and hosting providers for technical help. 

Shopify 

Shopify provides 24/7 support through multiple channels, including live chat, email, and phone support. Its Help Center offers structured documentation, step-by-step tutorials, and a virtual assistant for instant answers. 

While smaller than WordPress, the Shopify Community forum maintains high quality due to official moderator involvement. Shopify’s Partner Program also creates a network of certified experts and agencies offering specialized assistance.

Verdict — Shopify wins

Choose Shopify vs. WordPress if support is a crucial consideration for you. It wins for direct support due to its dedicated support team and centralized help resources, making it ideal for businesses needing reliable assistance. 

While WordPress boasts a larger community and more diverse resources, its lack of official support can make problem-solving more time-consuming. 

Security and reliability

WordPress requires ongoing core, theme, and plugin updates to maintain security. Plus, you’ll need to configure host-side backup and security settings. 

Shopify has built-in security features that automatically comply with global standards, so you can build a store without worrying about security. 

WordPress

Your WordPress site’s security depends entirely on how well you maintain it. You must manage core updates, plugins, and themes to protect your site from attacks. 

You’re also responsible for backups, security scanning, and firewall settings. Without regular maintenance and technical knowledge, your site could become vulnerable, making security a constant responsibility rather than a built-in feature.

Security depends on multiple factors, including:

• Hosting provider’s security measures
• Manual installation and updates of security plugins
• Regular monitoring of plugin compatibility and vulnerabilities
• Custom configuration of .htaccess files and security settings
• Manual implementation of SSL certificates
• Regular backup management

Shopify

Shopify’s built-in protections automatically handle your store’s security with PCI compliance, SSL certificates, and fraud analysis tools without extra setup. 

The hosted nature of Shopify means you don’t need to worry about:

• Server security configuration
• SSL certificate management
• Security plugin installation and updates
• Manual backup processes
• Firewall configuration

For instance, Shopify runs automatic security updates and backups with 24/7 monitoring, whereas with WordPress, security and backups are handled jointly by your web host and the security plugins you install. 

Verdict — Shopify wins

While both platforms can be secure when adequately maintained, Shopify’s centralized, managed approach to security makes it the more reliable choice for most merchants. 

WordPress can be equally secure but requires significantly more technical expertise and active management to maintain security standards.

Performance and scalability

WordPress has powerful performance optimization plugins like LiteSpeed Cache (pictured), WP Rocket, and W3 Total Cache, and it can handle high traffic volumes efficiently with fast hosting and properly optimized pages.

Shopify also offers speed optimization apps to improve load times. Booster (pictured) is one of the most popular apps for improving page speed. 

WordPress

WordPress offers higher performance potential and more scalability than Shopify but demands technical expertise to achieve it. 

It also has the advantage of supporting multiple ecommerce platforms — WooCommerce, OpenCart, BigCommerce, and others — with some better suited for large stores than Shopify. 

However, not all WordPress themes are fast by default, and plugins and media-heavy content can affect your site’s performance. You must optimize your hosting, databases, caching systems, server configurations, and theme and content. 

Scaling to accommodate more visitors and sales could require expensive upgrades to better hosting and premium plugins to handle transactions, inventory, and other ecommerce features. 

With WordPress, there are no product limits because you have complete control over your store — so feel free to scale as much as you like. 

Shopify

Shopify provides enterprise infrastructure with automated performance management. Its global CDN, automated optimization, and built-in caching become standard. Plus, it automatically handles traffic spikes, database scaling, and security updates without additional costs. 

Though less customizable than WordPress, Shopify’s architecture ensures consistent speed across all store sizes without requiring technical knowledge.

Speed optimization is another Shopify strength — most themes are fast by default, requiring minimal changes to pass speed tests like PageSpeed Insights. 

The downside to Shopify’s scalability is it caps new product uploads at 1,000 per day for stores with over 50,000 products.

Verdict — Draw

WordPress offers more platform choices and can achieve higher performance ceilings with proper expertise, while Shopify wins for merchants wanting simplicity by delivering reliable, scalable performance without technical overhead. 

Choose WordPress vs. Shopify if you need complete server control or plan to scale beyond Shopify’s capabilities with platforms like OpenCart or BigCommerce.

WordPress vs. Shopify: Which is better?

If you’re asking yourself “Should I use WordPress or Shopify?” the answer is that both platforms excel for ecommerce, with WordPress offering more flexibility and Shopify providing an all-in-one solution.

Choose WordPress if you:

• Want complete customization control
• Have technical expertise
• Need advanced SEO capabilities
• Have a limited budget
• Require multiple ecommerce platforms
• Need complex functionality

Choose Shopify if you:

• Need to launch quickly
• Want built-in security
• Lack technical expertise
• Prefer a unified dashboard
• Need reliable 24/7 support
• Want simplified management

FAQ