What is the difference between WooCommerce and Shopify?
WooCommerce is the free shop plugin for WordPress. You install it on hosting you rent, then you add products, tax, and a payment gateway. The store files and the database sit on that host.
Shopify is a hosted shop. The subscription includes the software and the servers. You work in Shopify's admin. You do not choose the host, and you cannot move the theme onto another server as a working store.
Renting that server is e-commerce hosting. The hosting bill is not a Shopify plan. WebJi® is not Shopify, and it is not WooCommerce.
- WooCommerce is a plugin plus a host you choose
- Shopify is the shop and the hosting in one plan
- The admin screens can look alike. The owner of the files does not
Who should pick WooCommerce, and who should pick Shopify?
Pick WooCommerce when the products, the checkout, or the gateway should live on a host you can leave. Someone still has to update WordPress, the plugin, and PHP.
Pick Shopify when you want that vendor to run the server and you will follow its checkout rules and its app store. That is the usual fit if nobody on the team will install updates.
Wix versus Shopify is a different comparison, and so is a list of sites that resemble Shopify. Day-to-day Shopify admin tips belong in Shopify's own help. The choice here is only WooCommerce or Shopify.
What does each option cost?
The WooCommerce plugin has no platform subscription. You still pay for a domain, for hosting, and for any extension that vendor charges for.
A small WooCommerce store on WebJi® uses Linux shared hosting: ₹300 a month for L-Basic, ₹400 a month for L-Unlimited, and ₹700 a month for L-Developer, before 18% GST. Those figures are hosting only. The plan page is WooCommerce hosting.
WooCommerce's own pages, read on 29 October 2026, list a Basic plan from $39 a month, Grow at $105, Advanced at $399, and Plus from $2,300 a month. They also list an extra fee when the payment is not Shopify Payments: up to 2% on the short page, and 1%, 0.6%, or 0.2% by plan on the article.
On Plus, that table also takes 0.25% of monthly revenue over $800,000. That line is WooCommerce's, not a WebJi® charge. Shopify's India page makes its own cost argument and does not print those dollar fees.
A lower hosting sticker is not a lower total. The units are different. WebJi® does not claim to cost less.
| WooCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Free plugin | Monthly plan; hosting is included |
| WebJi® hosting, before 18% GST | ₹300, ₹400, or ₹700 a month | Not a WebJi® product |
| Fees on WooCommerce's pages, 29 Oct 2026 | No platform subscription | From $39, $105, $399, or $2,300+ a month |
| If the gateway is not Shopify Payments | The gateway's own rate | 1%, 0.6%, or 0.2% by plan; the short page says up to 2% |
| Who holds the files | You, on the host | The account stays on Shopify |
Who looks after the server, the updates, and the checkout?
On WooCommerce you choose the host. You, or the host, install updates, keep PHP current, and take backups. If a checkout breaks after one plugin update, the conflict is on your site.
On Shopify the vendor patches the platform. You change the shop with its editor and its apps. On the table WooCommerce published, a custom checkout is marked for Plus, not for Grow or Advanced.
Shopify's India page says hosting is included and quotes 99.9% uptime. WebJi®'s uptime target on its own hosting is also 99.9%. They are different promises. WebJi® is not Shopify.
How do payments differ?
WooCommerce does not lock you to one gateway. In India the usual add-on is Razorpay, PayU, or cash on delivery, and the fee you see is the gateway's own rate. The clicks for Razorpay are on Razorpay for WooCommerce.
The pages read on 29 October 2026 add a plan percentage only when the order skips Shopify Payments. They do not print an India card rate. WebJi® does not take a cut of the sale.
Place a test order before you go live. The order should show as paid in the shop and in the gateway. Switch off test mode only after that.
What gets in the way as the catalogue grows?
WooCommerce's downside is the work you keep: updates, plugin conflicts, and backups. A slow shop is often too many plugins, or a plan that is too small for the catalogue.
The plugin does not set a tiny product cap. WooCommerce's table lists unlimited variants, against 100 on Grow and Advanced and 2,000 on Plus. Whether 10,000 products stay fast is a hosting question. The ₹300 plan is not a promise for that catalogue. Ask for a quote before you pay.
Can you move a Shopify store to WooCommerce?
You can move the products and the customers. You do not get Shopify's theme as a working site on your host. Keep the old store online, check one order, then change DNS.
- Leave the Shopify store online. Do not cancel it first.
- Order hosting and install WordPress and WooCommerce. This step is done when wp-admin opens and the WooCommerce setup screen is visible.
- Export products and customers from Shopify and import them. Open one product and confirm the price and the image.
- Place a test order with the gateway in test mode. It worked if the order is paid in WooCommerce and in the gateway.
- Point the domain only after that order looks right.
A copy that is quoted before you pay is the website migration service. Free migration is subject to terms and approval, and it is not instant. Email support@webji.services before you cancel Shopify. WebJi® is not Shopify.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WooCommerce better than Shopify?
WooCommerce is the better fit when the files should sit on a host you can leave and you want to choose the gateway. Shopify is the better fit when the vendor should run the server. WebJi® hosts the first option. It does not sell Shopify.
How much does Shopify take from a $20 sale?
There is no single cut. On the table read on 29 October 2026, a payment that skips Shopify Payments adds 1%, 0.6%, or 0.2% by plan. On a $20 order that is $0.20, $0.12, or $0.04, before the gateway's own rate. A Shopify Payments sale does not add that plan fee on the same table.
What are the downsides of WooCommerce?
You keep the updates, the plugin conflicts, and the backups. One plugin update can break checkout. Shopify removes that work by keeping the store on its servers, and the plan then sets the limits.
Can WooCommerce handle 10,000 products?
The plugin does not cap the catalogue at a small fixed number, and the published table lists unlimited variants. Speed at 10,000 products depends on the host. The ₹300 shared plan is not a promise for that catalogue. Ask for a quote before you pay.
Who is Shopify's biggest competitor?
For this search, the first result is WooCommerce's own comparison with Shopify. That is the pair people weigh. It is not a market-share certificate. WebJi® is a host, not either company.
Can I move a Shopify store to WooCommerce?
You can copy the products and the customers. Shopify's theme does not arrive as a working site. Keep Shopify online until a test order shows as paid, then change DNS. A WebJi® migration is free only when approved, and it is not instant.
Which is easier if nobody will manage the server?
Shopify. The plan includes the servers. WooCommerce needs hosting, and someone has to install updates. If you still want WooCommerce, email support@webji.services. That mailbox is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English.