WooCommerce vs Shopify: Which Is Cheaper in 2026? (Cost Comparison)

The Basic Pricing: What You'll Pay Upfront

Let's start with the obvious costs before we dig into the hidden stuff that catches most people off guard.

Shopify Pricing Plans (2026)

Shopify uses straightforward monthly subscription pricing. You know exactly what you're paying from day one.

• Shopify Starter: $5/month (limited features, sell through social media and messaging)
• Basic Shopify: $39/month (full online store)
• Shopify: $105/month (better features and reporting)
• Advanced Shopify: $399/month (advanced reports and lowest transaction fees)

Most new store owners start with the Basic plan at $39/month. That seems simple enough, right? Well, keep reading.

WooCommerce Pricing (It's Not Free)

People always say WooCommerce is "free," but that's misleading. The plugin itself costs nothing, but you'll pay for everything else.

• WooCommerce Plugin: Free
• Web Hosting: $10-100/month (varies widely)
• Domain Name: $10-15/year
• SSL Certificate: $0-50/year (often free with hosting)
• Theme: $0-100 (one-time or subscription)

You might be wondering why the hosting range is so wide. Budget shared hosting runs $10-20/month but struggles with traffic. Quality managed WordPress hosting costs $30-100/month but handles growth better.

The Real Monthly Costs: Side-by-Side Comparison

Let's break down what you'll actually pay each month for a typical online store with both platforms.

Cost Item	WooCommerce	Shopify (Basic)
Platform/Hosting	$30-50/month	$39/month
Domain	$10-15/year	Free first year
SSL Certificate	Free (usually)	Included
Theme	$0-100 one-time	$0-350 one-time
Apps/Extensions	$0-100/month	$20-200/month
Payment Processing	2.9% + $0.30	2.9% + $0.30 (or 2.7% + $0 with Shopify Payments)

First Year Cost Estimate

Hidden Costs Nobody Warns You About

Here's where things get interesting. Both platforms have costs that sneak up on you after you've already committed.

WooCommerce Hidden Costs

WooCommerce's "free" nature is deceptive. Here's what you'll probably end up buying:

• Email Marketing Plugin: $10-100/month (MailChimp, ConvertKit, etc.)
• Security Plugin: $100-300/year (Wordfence, Sucuri)
• Backup Solution: $50-150/year
• Page Builder: $50-250/year (Elementor, Divi)
• Advanced Shipping: $79-149/year
• Better Checkout: $99-199/year

Let's be honest – most successful WooCommerce stores spend $50-150/month on extensions and tools. The "free" platform quickly becomes not-so-free.

Shopify Hidden Costs

Shopify's clean pricing gets messy once you start adding functionality:

• Apps: Most useful apps cost $10-50/month each
• Transaction Fees: 2% on Basic plan if not using Shopify Payments
• Premium Themes: $140-350 one-time (free themes are limited)
• Email Marketing: Shopify Email is free for first 10k emails/month, then paid
• Advanced Features: Many require app subscriptions

Average Shopify stores run 3-8 paid apps. That's an extra $30-200/month on top of your subscription.

Transaction Fees: Where the Difference Really Shows

This is crucial and often overlooked. Transaction fees eat into your profit margin on every single sale.

WooCommerce Transaction Fees

With WooCommerce, you pay your payment processor directly. There's no platform fee on top.

• PayPal: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
• Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
• Square: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction

That's it. No additional platform cut. On a $1,000 order, you'd pay about $29.30 in fees.

Shopify Transaction Fees

Shopify adds an extra layer of fees unless you use their payment processor:

• With Shopify Payments: 2.9% + $0.30 (Basic), 2.7% + $0.30 (Shopify), 2.5% + $0.30 (Advanced)
• Without Shopify Payments: Add 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify), or 0.5% (Advanced) to your payment processor fees

On that same $1,000 order using PayPal instead of Shopify Payments on the Basic plan, you'd pay $29.30 (PayPal) + $20 (Shopify fee) = $49.30. That's an extra $20 per $1,000 in sales.

Scaling Costs: What Happens as You Grow

Your costs change dramatically as your business grows. This is where the platforms diverge significantly.

WooCommerce Scaling Costs

WooCommerce gets more expensive as you scale because you need better hosting.

• 0-1,000 orders/month: Shared hosting ($10-30/month) might work
• 1,000-5,000 orders/month: Managed WordPress hosting needed ($50-100/month)
• 5,000+ orders/month: Premium hosting or VPS ($100-500/month)

You might also need developers for customizations ($50-150/hour) and performance optimization as you grow.

Shopify Scaling Costs

Shopify's costs are more predictable. You simply upgrade your plan as you grow.

• Basic ($39/month): Good for most small stores
• Shopify ($105/month): Better reports and lower fees
• Advanced ($399/month): Lowest fees and advanced features

The transaction fee savings on higher plans can offset the increased monthly cost. At $50,000/month in sales, the 0.4% fee difference between Basic and Advanced plans saves you $200/month – making the $260 plan increase cost-effective.

Technical Skills and Hidden Labor Costs

This is huge but rarely discussed in cost comparisons. Your time has value.

WooCommerce Time Investment

WooCommerce requires technical knowledge or money to hire help:

• Setting up hosting and WordPress
• Installing and configuring plugins
• Security updates and maintenance
• Troubleshooting conflicts between plugins
• Performance optimization

If you're tech-savvy, great. If not, expect to pay developers $500-2,000 for setup and ongoing maintenance fees.

Shopify Time Investment

Shopify is designed for non-technical users. You can launch a store in hours without any coding knowledge. Updates, security, and hosting are all handled automatically.

Your time investment focuses on business operations rather than technical maintenance. For many entrepreneurs, this convenience is worth the higher monthly cost.

Which Platform Is Actually Cheaper?

Finally, the verdict. But it depends on your situation.

Real Store Cost Examples

Let's look at actual monthly costs for different store types in 2026:

Example 1: Small Hobby Store ($2,000/month sales)

WooCommerce:

• Hosting: $15/month
• Free theme
• Basic plugins: $20/month
• Transaction fees: $58
• Total: ~$93/month

Shopify:

• Basic plan: $39/month
• 2-3 apps: $30/month
• Transaction fees: $58
• Total: ~$127/month

Example 2: Growing Business ($20,000/month sales)

WooCommerce:

• Managed hosting: $80/month
• Premium theme: $100/year ($8/month)
• Essential plugins: $80/month
• Transaction fees: $580
• Total: ~$748/month

Shopify:

• Shopify plan: $105/month
• 5-7 apps: $100/month
• Transaction fees: $540 (with Shopify Payments)
• Total: ~$745/month

Notice how the costs converge as you scale? At higher volumes, Shopify becomes competitive or even cheaper due to better transaction rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Making Your Decision in 2026

After breaking down all the costs, here's the honest truth: neither platform is universally cheaper. WooCommerce wins for tech-savvy entrepreneurs running smaller stores or those needing extensive customization. Shopify wins for non-technical users or growing businesses where time is more valuable than saving $50/month.

Your actual costs with either platform will depend on your specific needs, sales volume, technical skills, and how many third-party tools you need. The "cheapest" option is the one that makes you the most money with the least hassle.

Start by calculating your expected sales volume, listing must-have features, and honestly assessing your technical comfort level. Run the numbers for your specific situation rather than trying to pick the "cheaper" platform in a vacuum.

Both WooCommerce and Shopify power millions of successful online stores. The right choice isn't about which costs less on paper – it's about which platform lets you build a profitable business with the least friction. Choose based on that, and the costs will take care of themselves.