Although Wordpress is definitely the most popular website platform on the internet, Shopify continues to grow in popularity for its easy online store creation. In this comparison of Shopify vs WordPress, we’ll see which option is best for creating an E-commerce website. Keep in mind that here we are comparing Shopify to WordPress.com and not the WordPress.org self-hosted version of the software. WordPress.com is similar to Shopify in that you sign up for and access your account on the WordPress.com site and your website is hosted by WordPress.

Shopify Website Pricing and Plans

Shopify offers three levels of website plans: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced. Prices range from $29 mo. for the Basic Plan to $299 mo. for the Advanced Plan. These rates are for annual plans. You can also pay monthly, but the rates are a bit higher.

The Shopify Basic Plan, targeted for solo entrepreneurs, includes a huge and impressive amount of website and online store features suitable for all types of E-commerce sites. The mid level or Shopify Plan is geared toward online stores that need a small team running and maintaining the store. And, the Advanced Plan is for larger scale online businesses.

As you move up each level of website plan, your credit card rates go down, from 2.9% with the Basic Plan to 2.5% on the Advanced Plan.

WordPress.com Website Pricing and Plans

WordPress.com has several different website plans. But, if you want to create an online store, you’re going to need either their Creator Plan at $25 mo. or the Entrepreneur Plan at $45 mo. However, if you’re serious about your online store business, we would recommend going with the Entrepreneur Plan as it’s integrated with WooCommerce so you get E-commerce specific features comparable to Shopify.

Shopify vs WordPress: Differences

Advantages of Choosing Shopify Over WordPress.com

• Easier to Get Started
• Better Online Store Features
• More Value Included in Plans
• Better Customer Support

Advantages of Choosing WordPress.com Over Shopify

• More Ownership and Control of Your Website
• Includes the Power of WooCommerce
• More Free Themes Included
• Premium Themes are Less Expensive

Shopify vs WordPress: Features

Shopify is completely focused on E-commerce websites, so all of their website plans include excellent online selling features. By contrast, the WordPress.com platform is designed for all types of websites. You really need to go with the more expensive Entrepreneur plan to get the same type and amount of E-commerce website features you get with Shopify. For that reason, Shopify gets the edge in this category.

Shopify vs WordPress: Website Themes

Shopify and WordPress offer both free and paid website themes. And, they both include a great selection of themes for online stores. We found the website themes from Shopify and WordPress equally impressive in design and online store functionality. Because WordPress.com provides more free themes, and their premium themes are less expensive than the premium themes at Shopify, WordPress gets a slight edge in this category.

Shopify vs WordPress: Website Speed and Performance

Shopify and WordPress are both highly impressive when it comes to website speed and performance. Shopify posted faster results in some areas, while WordPress performed a bit better in others. Depending on the size of your E-commerce store, speed results can vary widely. However, our testing revealed that both Shopify and WordPress are capable of producing fast performing websites.

Overall, in this category Shopify was slightly better, so they get the edge here. See our sample speed test results via GTmetrix below:

Shopify vs WordPress: Customer Support

While both Shopify and WordPress.com offer 24/7 live chat support, we found that live chat support was often not available on WordPress.com. In fact, we were not able to connect to a live support person. And, even though you get a message in the chat box stating that you’ll be contacted via email, we never received any responses to our requests.

By contrast, we found Shopify’s live chat support to be responsive and helpful. Stated wait time is around 5 minutes, but it was quicker than that for me. What we also like is that Shopify automatically provides a transcript of your chat support session, so you don’t have to worry about remembering to request one.

In this category, Shopify is definitely the winner.

Recommendation

In this comparison of Shopify vs WordPress, it’s important to keep in mind that WordPress.com is different from WordPress.org with its self-hosted software. If you’re an advanced user and want the control and customization you get with WooCommerce, then you should consider using a Managed WordPress Hosting plan using the WordPress.org software along with WooCommerce.

However, when comparing Shopify to WordPress.com, we find that Shopify is easier to get started with and build your online store. And, Shopify delivers superior customer support via live chat. It’s also less expensive to get a Shopify Basic plan with all of its excellent E-commerce features rather than having to pay more for the WordPress.com Entrepreneur plan that includes comparable online store features.

Overall, in this comparison Shopify is the winner. See our Shopify Review Ratings below.

Click Here to Try Shopify Free (No Credit Card Needed)

The post Shopify vs WordPress (February 2024) – “Better for Selling…” first appeared on Web Hosting Cat.