Shopify vs WooCommerce vs custom: choosing an ecommerce platform
If you're selling online, the platform you choose shapes everything: how much you pay, how much you can customise, and how far the store can grow. The three common routes — Shopify, WooCommerce and a custom build — each suit a different kind of business. Here's how to tell which one is yours.
Shopify — managed and quick to launch
Shopify hosts everything and handles the hard, risky parts of selling — payments, security, checkout, tax — for a monthly fee. You trade flexibility for speed and peace of mind.
- Good for: getting selling quickly, smaller catalogues, teams that want to manage products, not servers.
- Watch out for: monthly fees plus transaction charges, app costs that stack up, and limits when you need something genuinely bespoke.
WooCommerce — flexible, on WordPress
WooCommerce turns WordPress into a store. If you already run WordPress and want more control over how everything looks and works, it's flexible and open — but you're responsible for hosting, security and keeping it fast.
- Good for: content-led stores already on WordPress, businesses wanting control and no per-sale platform fee.
- Watch out for: you own the maintenance, performance and security — it needs looking after to stay quick and safe.
Custom / headless — when you've outgrown the box
A custom or headless store is built around your exact needs — unusual products, complex pricing, integrations with other systems, or performance at scale. It's the most powerful and the most involved, so it's right when an off-the-shelf platform is genuinely holding you back, not before.
- Good for: established businesses with specific requirements or integrations, and high-traffic stores where speed is revenue.
- Watch out for: higher upfront cost — only worth it when the off-the-shelf options can't do what you need.
What actually moves the needle on sales
Whichever platform you pick, the things that decide whether a store sells are the same: fast pages, a frictionless mobile checkout, clear product pages with good images, and trust signals (reviews, secure payment, clear delivery and returns). A beautiful store that loads slowly or loses people at checkout will always underperform a plain one that gets those basics right.
How to choose, quickly
- Want to launch fast with the least to maintain? Start with Shopify.
- Already on WordPress and want control without per-sale fees? WooCommerce, built and maintained properly.
- Genuinely outgrown the box, or need custom logic and integrations? A custom or headless build.
Common questions
Is Shopify or WooCommerce better?
Neither is universally better. Shopify is simpler and managed — great for launching quickly with less to maintain. WooCommerce is more flexible and has no per-sale platform fee, but you own the hosting, security and performance. The right answer depends on your catalogue, team and how custom you need to be.
When should I build a custom ecommerce site?
When an off-the-shelf platform genuinely can't do what you need — unusual products, complex pricing, deep integrations with other systems, or performance at a scale the hosted platforms struggle with. Until then, a managed platform is usually the better-value choice.
How much does an online store cost?
A straightforward store on a hosted platform typically starts from a couple of thousand pounds to design and build properly, plus the platform's monthly and transaction fees. Custom builds cost more and scale with complexity. The build is only part of it — budget for great product content and ongoing care too.
Why is my online store not converting?
The usual culprits are speed, a clunky mobile checkout, weak product pages, or missing trust signals like reviews and clear delivery info. These are often quick wins — an audit will show which one is costing you the most sales.
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