We build on Shopify, so you may expect a one-sided answer. We also migrate stores away from WooCommerce every year and have seen where each platform works well. Here is the comparison as fairly as we can make it.
Cost
WooCommerce is free software. You still pay for hosting, a theme, plugins, security and a developer to maintain it. Shopify charges a monthly fee in dollars and includes hosting, security and updates. Over two or three years the totals are closer than they first appear, and WooCommerce's costs are less predictable.
Maintenance
This is the largest practical difference. A WooCommerce store needs regular updates to WordPress, the theme and every plugin, and updates sometimes conflict. On Shopify, the platform is maintained for you. If you have no technical person on staff, this matters more than any feature.
Payments in Pakistan
Both support cash on delivery and both have integrations with local gateways. WooCommerce has no platform transaction fee. Shopify adds one when you use a third-party gateway. For a store that is mostly cash on delivery, that fee is small. More detail is in our payment options guide.
Speed and reliability
Shopify stores sit on Shopify's infrastructure and cope with sale-day traffic without intervention. WooCommerce performance depends entirely on your hosting and how well the site is built. Cheap shared hosting is the most common reason a WooCommerce store falls over on a busy day.
Flexibility
WooCommerce lets you change anything, including the checkout, because you control the code. Shopify limits checkout changes on lower plans. If your business model is unusual, check that Shopify supports it before committing.
Our recommendation
- Choose Shopify if you want to spend your time selling, have no in-house developer, or expect traffic spikes.
- Choose WooCommerce if you already have a capable WordPress developer, need deep checkout changes on a small budget, or content is the centre of your site.
If you are on WooCommerce and thinking of moving, our migration service carries over products, customers, orders and rankings.