Building an online store has never been more convenient. With the wide range of ecommerce platforms to choose from, you will never run out of options if you are looking to take your business online. But with so many options, you may find choosing the best ecommerce platform more challenging than creating the online store itself
We have collaborated with White Peak Digital to bring you an article that weighs the pros and cons between two of the biggest ecommerce platforms out there– WordPress and Shopify–so you can decide which one best suits your online store project
WordPress and Shopify: What is the difference
The key difference between Shopify and WordPress is that while Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce platform that allows you to set up an online store, WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that is not necessarily pre-built for ecommerce but allows you to create any type of website—including an ecommerce website
Now that you know what WordPress and Shopify do, let’s take a closer look at the different factors you need to consider before investing in either of them
Pricing
Since WordPress and Shopify are two different types of online platform, there’s a huge difference in how much you pay them for what they do
If you are running an ecommerce site with WordPress, the cost of the site ranges from $10 to several hundreds per month, depending on whether or not you are going to pay for additional plugins, premium themes, etc
Shopify, on the other hand, uses the “software as a service” (SaaS) model for payment so you are required to pay monthly for your Shopify account. This platform offers three plans, each including access to key ecommerce tools and functions
Setup
One major advantage of Shopify over WordPress is its simplicity. This ecommerce platform is made for ecommerce, so it offers a custom-ready website for online businesses with very minimal steps needed to launch
Getting aWordPres website up and running is different. Compared with Shopify, setting up and maintaining an online store with WordPress is more involved because it is essentially not a site builder but a standalone piece of software intended for content management. Before you can set up an ecommerce store with WordPress, you will need to sign up with a hosting company, link your domain to your web server, then install WordPress on your host. Choosing a theme and activating plugins then follow
Ecommerce Tools
Every online store requires a certain set of ecommerce tools to get the job done. When it comes to these tools, Shopify differ from WordPress in the sense that while Shopify exclusively hosts ecommerce websites, WordPress is by default a blogging website so any ecommerce functionality you will require you need to add with plugins
Since Shopify is designed for ecommerce, it gives you access to everything you need for your online store in one virtual place. If there’s one disadvantage to using this platform, it’s that it has restrictions on product listings
With WordPress, you need to have an ecommerce add-on such as WooCommerce to have access to most of the ecommerce tools that Shopify offers. But even if WooCommerce does not offer the Shopify feature that you need, you will certainly find a plugin for it
Support
You can’t underestimate the importance of having a solid support network when something goes wrong with your ecommerce site. After all, you want your customers’ experience to be as seamless as possible when they visit your online store
WordPress does not offer in-person support for technical issues but it offers comprehensive documentation and guides that you can consult. The problem with its lack of direct support, however, is that it cannot offer personalized responses to your issues
With Shopify, you have 24/7 access to its customer support service so you can connect with its team anytime you encounter an error. Shopify’s customer support specialists are accessible via live chat, email, and phone
WordPress vs Shopify: Which is best?
The question of which between WordPress andShopif is the better choice depends on what you need for your ecommerce store. If you want one that is simple and lets you create your online store in a short span of time, choose Shopify. But if you want a more flexible and hands-on ecommerce solution, WordPress is the way to go
