Shopify vs WooCommerce Fees — Real Total Cost Comparison
WooCommerce is free software, but hosting, plugins, themes, and maintenance add up. Shopify is an all-in-one subscription. Which is actually cheaper? The answer depends on your technical setup and scale.
💡 WooCommerce hidden costs: hosting ($10–50/month), SSL ($0–100/year), plugins ($200–500/year), developer time ($0–5,000+). Compare against Shopify's all-in monthly fee.
Shopify Fee Rate by Plan
| Plan | Monthly | Transaction Fee | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | 2% (0% with SP) | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Shopify | $105 | 1% (0% with SP) | 2.6% + 30¢ |
| Advanced | $399 | 0.5% (0% with SP) | 2.4% + 30¢ |
| Plus | $2,300+ | 0.15% (0% with SP) | 2.15% + 30¢ |
SP = Shopify Payments. Enabling Shopify Payments waives the transaction fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shopify more expensive than WooCommerce?
Shopify Basic ($39/month) looks more expensive than WooCommerce (free plugin). But WooCommerce requires: managed WordPress hosting ($25–100/month), premium plugins ($200–500/year for payments, SEO, etc.), backups, security, and occasional developer fixes. Total WooCommerce TCO for a growing store: $75–200/month — comparable to or more than Shopify.
Does WooCommerce charge transaction fees?
WooCommerce itself charges no transaction fees. But your payment gateway does: Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (same as Shopify Payments). The difference is Shopify adds 0.5–2% on top of this for third-party gateways, while WooCommerce doesn't.
When should I choose WooCommerce over Shopify?
Choose WooCommerce if: you have WordPress development experience, need deep customization that Shopify's liquid templates can't support, already have a WordPress site, or need specific plugins only available in the WordPress ecosystem. Choose Shopify if you want zero infrastructure management and predictable all-in-one pricing.
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