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Shopify vs WooCommerce

Compare the top two ecommerce platforms

Managed WooCommerce hosting, like Shopify, is an all-in-one ecommerce solution

Snapshots of an online store with a adventurous aesthetic selling hiking boots and gear for $185, revenue shows 29% growth

Why Shopify users move to WooCommerce

Slow speeds

Limited shipping

Lack of customization

Apps add up

Slow-motion support

Key differences to consider

Compare Nexcess managed WooCommerce to Shopify
Key features
Nexcess
Starting at
$19/mo
No platform fees
Free premium support
Unlimited product variations
Unlimited subdomains
Unlimited themes
Free SSLs
Independent infrastructure
Use any page builder
Open source code
Automatic backups
PCI-DSS compliance
Yoast SEO
Checkout testing
Plugin performance monitoring
Unlimited coupons
Generous team permissions
Software update control
30-day money-back guarantee
Shopify
Starting at
$39/mo
No platform fees
Free premium support
Unlimited product variations
Unlimited subdomains
Unlimited themes
Free SSLs
Independent infrastructure
Use any page builder
Open source code
$2,000/mo
Automatic backups
Manual
PCI-DSS compliance
Yoast SEO
$19/mo
Checkout testing
Manual
Plugin performance monitoring
Unlimited coupons
Generous team permissions
Software update control
30-day money-back guarantee
3-day free trial

Trapped in the slow lane

If your Shopify store is slow, the only solution is a “freemium” performance app. But, it won’t stay free for long.
When traffic picks up, you’ll need a paid app. And as your business grows, you’ll need more apps. And the more apps your Shopify store has, the slower it will be. It’s a frustrating and expensive cycle.
Nexcess Managed WooCommerce is pre-optimized and scales alongside your business. Grow without fees with platform tools and plugins that keep load times fast.
Two browser windows show performance, page speed, active plugins, and insights for account, cart, and checkout pages
A stack of three browser windows with the top one showing a list of products with unspecified details and checkboxes

Shopify shipping has more limits

Shopify offers shipping discounts, but those low prices disappear for heavy orders and large boxes. Plus, their discounts only apply to US and Canada-based carriers.
Also, Shopify does not have built-in address validation or insurance. If an order is expensive, or the address is misspelled, you can lose money.
Shipping is easier with managed WooCommerce. Validate addresses automatically. Ship globally. And find the best plugins for competitive rates and insurance with Nexcess experts.

If it looks like Shopify, it works like Shopify

Shopify offers 100+ themes to choose from. But if you want a store that doesn’t look like other Shopify stores, it will cost you.
Customizable Shopify themes cost hundreds. You can’t personalize your checkout page. Sales-boosting features, like product variations and search filtering, are limited.
Expect full personalization with managed WooCommerce. Nexcess includes the plugins and tools you’d pay for at Shopify, like theme customization and product variations.
Three ecommerce hiking and climbing products, one with rope, one with a backpack, and one with a guided climbing experience

Want to leave the big “S”?

Take control of your ecommerce business. Migrate to Nexcess for free.
Migrate from Shopify to WooCommerceRight arrow icon

The hidden costs of Shopify apps

Shopify has 27 in-house apps to improve your store. The other 8,000 Shopify apps are third-party vendors. Most charge money for basic expectations.
A few examples: automatic backups ($9/mo), quality staging ($99/mo), adding tabs to product pages ($6/mo), and SEO help (up to $79/mo).
Expect the features you need without fees at Nexcess. Managed WooCommerce includes free product tabs, Yoast SEO, staging sites, and backups.
A graphic of gray stacked shapes, including circles, pills, hexagons, and squares. The topmost circle, the topmost square, and the hexagon in the center are a ocean blue.
Support team member smiles looking at his computer, he types Hi I’m here to help with anything you might need in a chat

Support in slow motion

Shopify support can help with basic platform problems. But if the problem is money-related, you’ll have to wait.
Revenue-critical issues like refunds, site suspensions, frozen funds, and Shopify Tax errors can take weeks to resolve. Even canceling your plan is a battle.
With managed WooCommerce, you’re in control of your revenue. Run your store without worrying about downtime or lockouts. Cancel your monthly plan in a few clicks.

Shopify isn’t as popular as you think

I have several websites on Shopify

I have several websites on Shopify, the websites can generally run and function fine, what I'm fed up with is the amount of work you have to re-do because it won't save your changes, closes windows without saving, is slow and buddy on the interface, server is far too slow as well

- Dave Gorman on Trustpilot

STAY AWAY!

They just closed our website without any prior notice and without giving any information on it. Spend hours and hours working on getting it up and running. Been running for a month, and now they've closed it out of the blue, and cannot get in contact with them. We've had a local hosted website the last 10 years before were we had total control. This is insane behavior!

- Daniel Nielsen on Trustpilot

Absolutely horrendous service

Absolutely horrendous service. Impossible to call for tech support. You can chat with someone who is outsourced, and knows very, very little about the platform, much less anything technical. Or you can go back and forth by email for days, trying to resolve a fairly small problem. Tobias Lutke should be ashamed. It is all about the money for him, obviously. Such an abomination.

- David Macarelli on Trustpilot

Shopify vs WooCommerce FAQ

WooCommerce is the most popular and widely-used ecommerce platform. Shopify is the second most popular ecommerce platform. Currently, over one million businesses use Shopify. Closer to two million businesses use WooCommerce.

Choose the best managed WooCommerce host

Call 866-639-2377