When a business decides to sell online, the first dilemma is almost always the same: Shopify or WooCommerce? Forum answers tend to be partisan, so here is the comparison as we see it in practice — including the costs and the work that articles like to leave out.
For the impatient: at GE-KO we build stores on Shopify, because for the great majority of small and medium merchants it means fewer worries and more predictable costs. But WooCommerce has its place — and below we say honestly where.
The basic difference: rented or your own infrastructure
Shopify is a rented platform: you pay a monthly subscription, and in return hosting, security, speed and updates are not your concern. The store runs on infrastructure that copes with sale-day peaks.
WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress that runs on your own hosting. The software is free; everything else — the server, security, updates, plugin compatibility, backups — is your responsibility, or your supplier's invoice.
Real costs: a subscription versus "free"
On paper WooCommerce is cheaper; in practice the picture often reverses. An honest comparison of monthly costs for a smaller store:
- Shopify: subscription from €19 a month (paid annually) plus online card fees from 1.6% + €0.25 (source: Shopify pricing, checked 26 Sep 2026; prices may change). No platform maintenance.
- WooCommerce: hosting €10–30 a month, plus paid plugins (payments, shipping, languages — easily €20–50 a month), plus regular maintenance and updating, without which the store gradually becomes a security risk.
- Add it up and the two are closer than they look — the difference is that Shopify's costs are predictable, while WooCommerce swings between "almost nothing" and "a developer is needed this week".
Tip: A detailed breakdown of setup costs is on our online store pricing page.
Local specifics: payments, VAT, delivery
Both platforms now cover the local market properly: card payments, PayPal, cash on delivery, VAT rates and delivery services are all workable on either. On Shopify this is a matter of settings and proven apps; on WooCommerce it is a combination of plugins that have to be maintained and kept compatible with each other.
For invoicing under local tax rules, both platforms need a connection to an external service — we set that up either way.
When WooCommerce is the right choice
- You already have an extensive WordPress site and want the store as part of it.
- You need a very specific feature the Shopify ecosystem does not cover.
- You have your own developer or team who will maintain the store regularly.
- Full control over the code and data matters more to you than simplicity.
When Shopify is the right choice
This is exactly why we chose Shopify for our clients: setup with a customised theme starts at €1,490 + VAT, and after handover you manage the store yourself without difficulty.
- You are a small or medium business without an in-house technical team.
- You want predictable monthly costs with no surprises.
- You want the store live in weeks rather than months.
- Mobile shopping and speed are priorities for you.
- You are planning to grow — from a few dozen to several thousand products without changing platform.
And what about migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify?
A frequent question from merchants worn down by WooCommerce maintenance. Migration is a well-established process: we move products, categories, customers and orders, and redirects from the old links keep your Google rankings intact. The scope is assessed in advance, and the store keeps trading throughout.
Frequently asked questions
Is WooCommerce really free?
The core plugin is, but a real store needs hosting, paid plugins and regular maintenance. The total monthly cost is often comparable to a Shopify subscription — just less predictable.
Who owns the data on Shopify?
You do. The Shopify account is yours and you can export product and customer data at any time.
Does Shopify support Slovenian?
Yes — we translate the store in full, including customer notifications. Multilingual selling is supported as well.