Comparison
WooCommerce vs Shopify: Which platform fits in 2026?
Choosing between WooCommerce and Shopify is a business decision, not a technical one. WooCommerce gives you full control on your own server; Shopify handles the plumbing for a monthly fee. Below: costs, fees, GDPR, ERP integration and the effort if you ever want to switch, no dogma on either side.
WooCommerce vs Shopify at a glance
| Criterion | WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Running costs | Software is free; you pay for hosting (e.g. Hetzner Cloud CPX22: €11.99 a month excluding VAT) and any plugin licences | Plan €32 to €384/month, €24 to €289 billed yearly; Shopify Plus from €2,100/month |
| Transaction fees | No platform fee, only your payment provider’s fees | With Shopify Payments online card fees of 2% (Basic), 1.9% (Grow) or 1.7% (Advanced), each plus €0.25; with an external provider an extra 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow) or 0.6% (Advanced) |
| Hosting and data location | Your own server, location of your choice, e.g. Hetzner in the EU | Hosted by Shopify; EU data goes to Shopify International (Ireland) and on to Canada and the US |
| GDPR | Full control: you choose server, data handling and service providers | Workable, but with transfers to third countries (standard contractual clauses, adequacy decision for Canada) |
| Extensibility | Open source: plugins or custom development, practically unlimited | Through apps and themes from the Shopify ecosystem; a fully customisable checkout only in Shopify Plus |
| ERP integration | Via the REST API or ready-made connectors, e.g. JTL-Wawi | Via apps or the Shopify API, usually with third-party connectors |
| Switching effort | Low: data can be exported at any time, code and server are yours | High: themes and apps are Shopify-specific, a switch means rebuilding the storefront |
Shopify prices and fees as listed on Shopify’s German pricing page (in euros), as of 29 September 2026, card fees for online payments. Data location as stated in Shopify’s privacy policy. Hosting example as listed on Hetzner’s pricing page, also as of 29 September 2026. Shopify pricing page, Hetzner pricing page
Which one fits whom
- You are starting with a small, simple catalogue and do not want to deal with any technology. Shopify. Quick start, updates and hosting are handled by Shopify.
- Data location and GDPR matter to you, or you want to own the server and the code. WooCommerce on your own server in the EU.
- You need B2B pricing, configurators or an ERP such as JTL-Wawi kept in sync. WooCommerce, because requirements like these can be built directly instead of through app subscriptions.
- You already run a WooCommerce shop that has become slow or cluttered. Usually not a switch but a clean rebuild: keep the database, clear out plugins, go headless if needed.
All criteria in detail
| Criterion | WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost (one-time) | Software is free (open source), plus setup and development | Theme and setup; the software itself is a subscription (see recurring cost) |
| Recurring cost | ✓Hosting, e.g. Hetzner Cloud CPX22 at €11.99 a month excluding VAT, plus any plugin licences | €32–€384/month depending on plan (€24–€289 billed yearly) + 0.6–2% extra fee with an external payment provider |
| Flexibility | ✓Practically unlimited, you own the code | Limited by Shopify app store |
| Maintenance overhead | You/developer handles updates and security | ✓Shopify handles everything |
| Performance | Depends on hosting and code (headless setups are extremely fast) | Consistently fast via Shopify CDN |
| GDPR compliance | ✓Full control, EU hosting possible (Hetzner, IONOS) | Contracting entity in Ireland, data moves on to Canada and the US (SCCs) |
| Payment providers | ✓Any (Mollie, Stripe, Klarna, EPS, PayPal) | Shopify Payments preferred, extra fee otherwise |
| Multi-language | Via plugins (Polylang, WPML) or native in headless | ✓Native multi-language from Basic plan |
| Scalability | Depends on server, headless (Next.js) scales easily | Up to Shopify Plus (from €2,100/month) |
| Lock-in risk | ✓Low: data is portable, migration is possible | High: themes/apps are Shopify-specific |
| Time-to-market | Depends on scope; development and coordination take more time | ✓Ready sooner with an off-the-shelf theme |
Sources for the table:
- WooCommerce pricing page: WooCommerce itself is free and open source
- Shopify pricing page: plans €32 to €384 a month, €24 to €289 billed yearly, Shopify Plus from €2,100, extra fee for external providers 0.6 to 2%, storefront translation from Basic
- Hetzner Cloud: CPX22 €11.99 a month including IPv4, excluding VAT
As of 29 September 2026.
Worked example over 3 years
Assumptions
- 50 orders a day, 365 days a year, 36 months: 54,750 orders.
- Average basket €60 (assumption): €3,285,000 revenue over three years.
- All payments by card, standard EEA cards. Premium and American Express cards cost more and are not included.
- Shopify plan billed yearly, in each case the plan that is cheapest under these assumptions. External payment provider and provider for WooCommerce: Stripe.
| Item | WooCommerce with Stripe | Shopify Grow with Shopify Payments | Shopify Advanced with Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software or plan | €0 | €2,484 (€69 × 36) | €10,404 (€289 × 36) |
| Hosting | €432 to €720 (Hetzner CPX22 to CPX32) | included in the plan | included in the plan |
| Card fees | €62,963 (1.5% + €0.25) | €76,103 (1.9% + €0.25) | €62,963 (1.5% + €0.25) |
| Shopify extra fee for an external provider | none | none | €19,710 (0.6%) |
| Total over 3 years | €63,395 to €63,683 | €78,587 | €93,077 |
Not included: on top come setup and maintenance, which vary a lot from shop to shop. Themes, apps and plugin licences are not included either.
Method: orders are 50 times 365 times 3. Revenue is orders times €60. Card fees are the percentage times revenue plus €0.25 times orders. The extra fee is 0.6% of revenue. Plan and hosting are the monthly price times 36. Each item is rounded to whole euros, the total adds up the rounded items.
Sources:
- Shopify pricing page: Grow €69 and Advanced €289 a month billed yearly, online card fees 1.9% or 1.7% plus €0.25, extra fee 1% or 0.6%
- Stripe pricing for Austria: standard EEA cards 1.5% plus €0.25
- Hetzner Cloud: CPX22 (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM) €11.99 and CPX32 (4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM) €19.99 a month including IPv4, excluding VAT, locations Germany and Finland
Prices as of 29 September 2026. Shopify amounts as stated on its pricing page, Hetzner amounts excluding VAT.
When WooCommerce is the better choice
- You want full control over data and hosting (GDPR requirements, sensitive industry).
- Your shop has specific needs (B2B pricing tiers, complex configurators, ERP integration).
- You plan long-term and do not want to pay a platform subscription.
- You want a headless setup for max performance (Next.js frontend on WooCommerce backend).
- You have many orders and want to pick your payment provider freely, without Shopify’s extra fee.
When Shopify is the better choice
- You want to launch quickly with limited technical resources.
- Your catalogue is small and standardised, with no edge cases.
- You do not want to deal with updates, security, hosting.
- You sell internationally and need multi-language/multi-currency immediately.
- You are a solo founder without ongoing IT support.
Shops in Austria: what to watch out for
Shops in Austria face the same basic questions, a few details just weigh more. Before launch, check whether your payment methods, such as EPS, are connected without extra fees and whether your ERP offers a reliable sync.
If you want to keep customer data in the EU, WooCommerce on your own server has the edge, because you pick the location and providers yourself. With Shopify, the transfers to Canada and the US belong in your privacy policy.
Verdict
How large the cost difference turns out depends mainly on three things: your revenue, because card fees and extra fees are charged as a percentage of it, your payment provider, and the upkeep a WooCommerce shop needs for setup, updates and further development. The worked example above only contains the items that can be read off price lists. With a small catalogue and no wish to deal with technology, Shopify can be the simpler choice. If you need control over data and server, special features or an ERP kept in sync, more speaks for WooCommerce.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shopify cost compared to WooCommerce?
According to its pricing page (as of 29 September 2026) Shopify costs €32 to €384 a month, €24 to €289 billed yearly, Shopify Plus from €2,100. WooCommerce itself is free; you pay for hosting, your payment provider’s fees, any plugin licences and development. How plan, hosting and fees add up over three years is shown in the worked example on this page, with all assumptions and sources.
What transaction fees do Shopify and WooCommerce charge?
With Shopify Payments you pay 2% on Basic, 1.9% on Grow and 1.7% on Advanced for online card payments, each plus €0.25. If you use an external payment provider, Shopify adds 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow) or 0.6% (Advanced). WooCommerce charges no fee of its own, only your payment provider’s fees apply, with Stripe 1.5% plus €0.25 for standard EEA cards.
Is WooCommerce or Shopify better?
Neither is better across the board. Shopify fits if you want to start quickly without dealing with technology. WooCommerce fits if you need control over data and server, plan special features or want to connect an ERP.
Can Shopify be used in a GDPR-compliant way?
Yes, but with transfers to third countries: according to Shopify, EU data goes to Shopify International in Ireland and from there to Canada and the US, covered by standard contractual clauses. That belongs in your privacy policy. With WooCommerce on an EU server, the shop itself does not need that step.
How much work is switching between WooCommerce and Shopify?
Products, customers and orders can be moved in either direction. The real work is theme, extensions and redirects: Shopify themes and apps only run on Shopify, so a switch means rebuilding the storefront.
Related services
- WordPress & WooCommerce: I take over and improve existing WordPress websites and WooCommerce shops: performance, bug fixes, development and migrations when needed. We review your current setup before choosing the next step.
- Headless WooCommerce: A dedicated Next.js storefront with WooCommerce as the backend. Requirements, use cases and trade-offs explained.
- Online Shop & E-Commerce: Your own online shop with product management, payment, and shipping, or make an existing WooCommerce system faster and more modern.
- ERP integration: Products, prices, stock levels and orders flow between the ERP and the shop automatically. I connect JTL-Wawi and WinLine to WooCommerce, headless frontends included, and take care of what silently breaks during sync.