What is Shopify?
Image Credit: Shopify
Shopify is aimed at businesses and entrepreneurs who want to launch an eCommerce website but don’t have a lot of experience with website development. The big benefit of Shopify is that you really don’t need any coding skills to have a clean-looking site (though Shopify still makes it possible to customize the code).
With Shopify, you get a variety of tools and templates that allow you to design your website to meet your brand’s requirements. One issue that some people have with Shopify is that often the themes look similar, which may be an issue if you really want to set your website apart from your competitors.
What is WordPress?
Image Credit: WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular ways to build a website. It’s only the framework of the website, so you will need to also choose a theme created by a third-party that lets you customize the look and layout. WordPress is known for its flexibility and ease of customization but also for being time consuming to set up.
If you’re new to WordPress, you will probably be confused with which WordPress you should get: WordPress.com or WordPress.org.
What is WordPress.com?
WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress. What this means is that you sign up for an account through wordpress.com and you pay a monthly fee (like Shopify), which in turn grants you access to a wide range of features for you to build and manage your website. It also comes with customer support.
What is WordPress.org?
WordPress.org offers much of the same features as the hosted version, but with much less service support and a lot more set up work on your end. This version is free, but you must separately pay for the domain name, hosting plan, and sometimes the theme and plug-ins (which are additional tools the theme doesn’t provide, like SEO settings, social media sharing, eCommerce, etc.). Many of the themes are free, but if you want to compete in the eCommerce world, you will be much better off paying for a theme that is built specifically for selling products online.
With the right plug-ins and possibly a freelance website developer when you run into a brick wall, you can be much more creative with WordPress’s site design than what’s available with Shopify. If you plan on building the website yourself and are willing to roll your sleeves up, WordPress.org is a great option.
(Note: For the following comparison, we’re going to focus on Shopify vs WordPress.org.)
Do Shopify and WordPress offer the same services?
Shopify and WordPress make it possible to sell physical and digital products online, but essentially, Shopify was developed as a tool for online shopping while WordPress started out as a platform for websites and blogs. Both can basically do the same thing, but because Shopify was built for eCommerce, it’s much more user friendly for store owners with little experience in website creation.
Shopify vs. WordPress
| Shopify | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Pay a monthly fee and in exchange, Shopify gives you almost everything you need to start your website: hosting, tools, and support | Download WordPress for free, but you have to install and set up everything yourself. |
| Difficulty | Once you open a Shopify account, your e-commerce store is ready to go. Choose a theme and start filling in the blanks. | WordPress requires moderate experience if you want to set up an online shop. There are more possibilities for customization, but you will also need to troubleshoot more often. |
| Domain & Hosting | Hosting included | Not included |
| Themes | +70 free and paid eCommerce themes | +1300 free and paid eCommerce themes |
| SEO | Some features included, but plug-ins are also available in the Shopify app store | Plug-in required |
| Social Media | Plug-in required | Plug-in required |
| Blog | Included | Included |
| Support | Full support provided | Forums |
Domain & Hosting
Winner: Shopify
Buying a domain and hosting plan can be a challenge for first-time website owners.
While you still have to buy a domain if you go with Shopify, you can do it within your account’s admin panel. Hosting is provided with every Shopify package. They also have a content delivery network (CDN) that WordPress can’t offer; a CDN gives your website faster loading speeds throughout the world.
With WordPress, you will need to get your domain and hosting service on your own. Domain providers like Namecheap and GoDaddy try to make it as easy as possible by offering a domain, hosting, and quick WordPress integration all in one package, so be sure to shop around for the best deal.
Themes
Winner: Shopify
While Shopify is eCommerce-friendly right out of the box, WordPress is not. For WordPress, you need to select a good theme and install an eCommerce plug-in like WooCommerce. Also, it’s definitely worth investing in a paid WordPress theme if you want to sell products online.
The strength of WordPress is that many of their themes offer easier customization (which requires coding skills). If you have a strong vision for what you want your website to look like, be sure to confirm that Shopify’s themes can do what you want them to do before signing up.
SEO
Winner: WordPress
For basic SEO, either one will work, but if you really want to focus on search engine optimization, there are a lot more opportunities with WordPress.
Social Media
Winner: Tie
This is an essential feature for every eCommerce store. Both Shopify and WordPress have a variety of apps/plug-ins that will add share buttons to your product pages.
Be sure you do a little research first to find out what social media your target customers use. While most apps/plug-ins will have Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, there are many other lesser-known platforms that you may want to consider including.
Blog
Winner: WordPress
Because WordPress was originally designed for content, setting up and publishing is easy and the finished articles can set you apart from competitors. You get a full dashboard of tools, with more widgets depending on the theme, and now WordPress even offers the option of a drag-and-drop builder that gives you even more freedom to design your content the way you want.
Shopify provides the ability to create a blog, but the features and final look are much more simpler. If blogging is a big part of your marketing strategy, then you should really consider using WordPress instead.
Support
Winner: Shopify
If you have no coding skills and have never set up a website before, you need support in case something goes wrong… terribly wrong. Shopify gives you exactly that. They have a 24/7 support feature that helps you resolve any problems you might encounter with the platform.
While there’s no support with WordPress.org per se, there are a lot of online forums where most of your questions are likely to be answered. Additionally, there are also many free videos and some cheap courses that guide you step-by-step on how to set up and design your WordPress website.
Pricing
(Note: Prices are accurate as of the time of publishing.)
While there is a monthly cost for using Shopify, they offer a free 14-day trial so you can get a feel for whether or not the platform is the right option for your business, and honestly, 14 days is plenty of time to learn the ropes.
Shopify offers five pricing plans:
- Lite: $9 per month
- Basic: $29 per month
- Shopify: $79 per month
- Advanced: $299 per month
- Plus: Starts at $2,000 per month but is negotiable
The cost for WordPress is much harder to determine because there isn’t a set pricing plan. Even though it’s free, it will cost money to develop your website.
- Domain: $10 per year
- Hosting: $50 per year
- Theme: $100 per year
This comes to at least $13 per month. You may also need to pay for a web developer if you don’t have strong enough coding skills, so overall you are likely to end up spending more money with WordPress than you will with Shopify.
Shopify vs WordPress: Which Is Best?
Shopify stands out for being the tailor-made eCommerce solution for everyone, including those who have no coding skills, giving you the ability to create a great online store all by yourself. Perhaps the best part is that Shopify helps you effortlessly set up things like shipping, taxes, inventory, etc.
WordPress, on the other hand, is a powerhouse in customization, giving you the ability and capacity to run literally any type of website. The cool thing about WordPress is that you can get extremely creative with it, which is great for anyone with an eye for design.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one eCommerce solution, Shopify is definitely your best option.
If you are up for the challenge and have a clear idea of what you want your website to do, then WordPress can make your vision come to life.
