Shopify vs. WordPress: eCommerce, Blogging, Themes, Plugins (2024)

Comparing Shopify vs. WordPress pits two titans of ecommerce websites against each other. You know you want to sell your products online — but how? Many new eCommerce entrepreneurs or small business owners are clearly passionate about what they sell but often don’t have the technical chops to set up their online shop.

Shopify and WordPress are some of the most frequently used tools online and power millions of successful stores — even though they take different paths to success. Shopify focuses on ecommerce functionality at the expense of website design tools, while WordPress websites rely on the WooCommerce plugin and other integrations to enable entrepreneurs to sell goods online.

While they’re both great, your specific needs might make one platform more beneficial to you than the other. Or, you may just be able to use both at the same time. Read on for our various reviews of WordPress and Shopify, along with tips to implement the programs most effectively.

WordPress Review | Shopify Review | eCommerce | Blogging | Cost

With tools like Shopify and WordPress, building an online store isn’t as hard as you might think. Both programs include everything you’ll need to start selling in just a few minutes and clicks.

WordPress Review

Originally viewed as just a blogging platform, WordPress has morphed into one of the most powerful and flexible platforms to get your brand online. More than 25% of all websites use WordPress, which is completely free and built entirely by volunteers. Use WordPress if you’re looking for:

• Free (or basically free): With hosting, your store can be online for a few dollars a month.
• Customization: Themes and plugins ensure you have the look and features you want.
• Community: Millions provide support and ideas for making WordPress better for all.

Since the WordPress content management system is free, all you need is a hosting plan. Most companies offer single-click installations of WordPress, and some even offer hosting packages tailored to maximize the speed and security of WordPress. InMotion Hosting goes a step further with their one-of-a-kind, WordPress-specific site builder, BoldGrid.

See other top hosts for WordPress »

Shopify Review

The team behind Shopify originally started an online store to sell snowboard equipment. Instead of posting their goods in any number of marketplaces, they opted to build their own tool that let them build relationships with customers and showcase their brand. Now, more than 300,000 active Shopify stores have made more than $20 billion of sales. Consider Shopify if you want:

• Easy: Your store, hosting, inventory management, and analytics are all in one place.
• Out-of-the-box security: Every shop comes with an SSL certificate and PCI compliance.
• Centralized support: Reach 24/7 support through phone, email, or chat.

Shopify is a one-stop shop for eCommerce that includes secure hosting, unlimited bandwidth, and all the tools you need to open your store for business. Although the price tag is a bit steeper than most shared hosting plans, it’s worthwhile knowing that Shopify’s 24/7 support experts can take care of all aspects of your business.

See other top ecommerce hosts »

You can go one of two ways here. Do you want to take a longer road but have ultimate flexibility and room to grow? Or do you just want to get up and running as fast as possible, even if the price is higher and you won’t have as many options to scale?

We’re not going to lie, there will be more setup with WordPress. You need a host, a theme, an SSL certificate, and an eCommerce plugin. That last part is where WooCommerce comes in: With nearly 17 million downloads, WooCommerce powers almost 40% of online stores. WooCommerce will also help you integrate your business PayPal account. With all the preparation needed for WordPress, the host you choose is an incredibly important decision. Enjoy a bevy of included features at a hard-to-beat price with the top entry-level eCommerce host below.

See other top ecommerce hosts »

You don’t need any coding or design skills to open up your Shopify store. You can choose from more than 100 pre-built templates and adjust the layouts, colors, and content. Your store and shopping cart are automatically optimized for mobile devices and SEO, and you can track performance with analytics on both your products and web traffic. If you run into any problems along the way, Shopify’s dedicated support team is available 24/7 in addition to their help center, discussion forums, and eCommerce University.

See other top ecommerce hosts »

This one is pretty easy. Do you want to use the most popular blogging platform in the galaxy, or a secondary feature created by an eCommerce company?

Tell your story in any way you can imagine with WordPress. You can choose from any number of free or paid themes and add plugins for social sharing, increased SEO, analytics, and interactivity. Use categories, tags, and permalinks to organize your blog and make it more user-friendly.

Shopify does technically have a blogging tool, but it just doesn’t compare with the functionality and power of WordPress. The platform will meet the needs of beginners, but the lack of plugins and flexibility means successful stores will quickly outgrow Shopify.

We could hedge our bets and tell you to have a Shopify store and WordPress blog in a subdomain (i.e., blog.yourstore.com), but it’s not worth the hassle. More than 60 million users can’t be wrong — use WordPress with our favorite blog host.

See other top hosts for WordPress »

Here’s where WordPress starts to pull away. The open-source platform is free to download and use, as are many plugins and themes. Shopify, on the other hand, starts its plans in the range of $10 per month. The cheapest plan, however, only generates product listings that you can embed in an existing website or social media — it’s not a standalone storefront. Those plans range from $30 to $300 per month, depending on the features you need.

Stick with a basic, affordable web hosting company. Most of them offer one-click installations of WordPress and will get you started for only $2 to $5 per month.

See other top affordable hosts »

As we said earlier, combining the strengths of WordPress and Shopify is a surefire way to get the online store of your dreams. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Sign Up for Hosting: Set up an account with a hosting company, such as BlueHost ($2.95/mo) or InMotion ($5.99/mo), that allows for single-click WordPress installations.
2. Implement Your Design: Get your website set up with whatever themes, images, and content you want. It’ll be easier to integrate Shopify into your existing branding.
3. Sign Up for Shopify: Next, sign up for your Shopify account. You can start with a 14-day free trial and then upgrade to the Shopify Lite package.
4. Install Shopify Plugin: Once you’re all signed up for everything and ready to start selling, head over to WordPress to install and activate the Shopify plugin. Open the plugin (via the Shopify link in the admin menu on the left) and enter your Shopify login information to link your store and website.
5. Set Up Shop! The plugin will walk you through adding products, setting up payment options, and configuring shipping. You’ll be able to add individual products or collections to any WordPress post, page, or sidebar with a click of a button.

These tips should have you well on your way. But if you get stuck, search for one of the many great tutorials online that features plenty of screenshots that will lead you through the process.

Finding just the right WordPress theme can be like quicksand for novice and seasoned designers alike. With so many vibrant options, how do you know your search is over?

Hopefully, we can save you some time by compiling a list of some of the top-selling WordPress themes built with Shopify in mind.

• Hype: Shopify teamed up with Themezilla to focus on powerful product images.
• Simple: Just like the name implies, this design is all about an easy purchasing experience.
• FreeStore: Included layouts and page templates make design easy for beginners.
• Ella: Geared for fashion, tailor your website with layered navigation and mega menus.

If you want to see more options, our WordPress Reviews Guide covers the best themes. More than 100 themes are also available through WordPress’s theme directory, as well.

Tools such as WordPress and Shopify enable you to spend more time with your products, business, and ideas instead of fussing with a complicated online store. We think most entrepreneurs will enjoy the advanced features and unlimited flexibility of WordPress, but certainly understand and appreciate how Shopify takes care of beginners by offering an easy one-stop shop that meets all their needs.

If you think WordPress is right for you (with or without the Shopify plugin integration), check out our list of the best hosting companies for WordPress.

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Continue comparing with similar articles on popular site-building options:

• Squarespace vs. WordPress vs. Weebly vs. Wix
• WordPress vs. Weebly
• WordPress vs. Blogger
• WordPress vs. Squarespace

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Don’t forget to let us know what you thought of the article, or share your experience with either Shopify or WordPress, by dropping us a line below!

The Winner: WordPress — With Shopify Plugin!

Luckily, you can get the best of both worlds. Capture the WordPress hosting performance, scalability, and support while still capitalizing on Shopify’s eCommerce infrastructure. Go with a strong WordPress host, such as InMotion, and add Shopify’s eCommerce shopping cart plugin to link your accounts and sell directly on your WordPress site.