Shopify vs WordPress for an Online Store in India
By Website in Gurgaon · · 2 min read
Both can run a good online store. The right one depends less on features and more on who will look after the store once it is live.
The short version
Shopify is a hosted service: you pay a monthly subscription and Shopify handles hosting, security and updates. WordPress with the WooCommerce plugin is software you host yourself: there is no platform subscription, but hosting, updates and security are your responsibility.
Where Shopify is stronger
- Little technical upkeep: no server, no plugin updates to manage
- A checkout that is dependable under heavy traffic
- An admin your team can run from a phone
- Quick to launch
Where WordPress with WooCommerce is stronger
- No monthly platform fee
- Full control over design, checkout and data
- Strong for stores that also publish a lot of content
- Freedom to move hosts whenever you like
Costs to think about
With Shopify, budget for the subscription, any paid apps, and payment gateway charges. With WooCommerce, budget for good hosting, any paid plugins and someone to keep the site updated and backed up.
Neither is automatically cheaper. A small store with few apps often costs less on Shopify in effort; a large catalogue with a developer on hand can cost less on WooCommerce.
Payments and shipping in India
Both platforms work with the major Indian payment gateways, so UPI, cards, net banking and cash on delivery are available either way. Both also connect to the common shipping aggregators. Check the gateway's fees and settlement time before choosing.
How to decide
- Choose Shopify if nobody on your team wants to manage a website and you want to start selling quickly.
- Choose WooCommerce if you want full control, already use WordPress, or need unusual checkout rules.
- If you are unsure, start with the one your team will actually use every day.
