| WooCommerce | Shopify | Custom |
|---|
| What it is | A free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store. | A subscription platform that hosts and runs the store for you. | A store coded around your operation, for example with Next.js. |
|---|
| Ongoing costs | Hosting, domain and any paid extensions; the platform takes no cut of sales. | Monthly plan, paid apps, and an extra per-sale fee if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments. | Hosting and code maintenance; no platform licenses or per-sale fees. |
|---|
| Payments in the US | Stripe, PayPal and Square extensions on the WooCommerce Marketplace, among others. | Shopify Payments built in, plus third-party providers. | Any processor you choose, integrated through its API. |
|---|
| Who maintains it | You or your vendor: WordPress, WooCommerce and plugins kept current. | Shopify handles the servers and the platform. | Your vendor: code, dependencies and hosting. |
|---|
| If you want to leave | Products, orders and customers export; the site is yours. | Products and customers export; the design gets rebuilt on the new platform. | You keep the code and data, as long as your contract says so. |
|---|
| Best for | Small and mid-size stores that also publish content. | Teams that want to start selling fast without touching servers. | Operations with unique rules or integrations the other two don’t handle well. |
|---|
WooCommerce
- What it is
- A free plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store.
- Ongoing costs
- Hosting, domain and any paid extensions; the platform takes no cut of sales.
- Payments in the US
- Stripe, PayPal and Square extensions on the WooCommerce Marketplace, among others.
- Who maintains it
- You or your vendor: WordPress, WooCommerce and plugins kept current.
- If you want to leave
- Products, orders and customers export; the site is yours.
- Best for
- Small and mid-size stores that also publish content.
Shopify
- What it is
- A subscription platform that hosts and runs the store for you.
- Ongoing costs
- Monthly plan, paid apps, and an extra per-sale fee if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments.
- Payments in the US
- Shopify Payments built in, plus third-party providers.
- Who maintains it
- Shopify handles the servers and the platform.
- If you want to leave
- Products and customers export; the design gets rebuilt on the new platform.
- Best for
- Teams that want to start selling fast without touching servers.
Custom
- What it is
- A store coded around your operation, for example with Next.js.
- Ongoing costs
- Hosting and code maintenance; no platform licenses or per-sale fees.
- Payments in the US
- Any processor you choose, integrated through its API.
- Who maintains it
- Your vendor: code, dependencies and hosting.
- If you want to leave
- You keep the code and data, as long as your contract says so.
- Best for
- Operations with unique rules or integrations the other two don’t handle well.
General comparison as of October 2026. Pricing and available payment options change over time and by country, so we check them against your case before recommending one.