Shopify or WordPress for a small business website? We build both

"Should I use Shopify or WordPress?" is one of the first questions small business owners ask us. Both are good. Both power huge numbers of websites. The right choice depends on what your website needs to do, how much you want to look after yourself, and what you are happy to spend each month.

We build on both, so this is a practical comparison from someone who has to live with the results. Most of our builds are on Shopify. Our first WordPress build, using WooCommerce for the shop side, was Rock Bottom Fireworks, and we will explain below why WordPress made sense there.

The quick version

• Shopify is an all-in-one, hosted platform. You pay a monthly fee and Shopify handles hosting, security and the checkout. It is built for selling.
• WordPress is free, open source software that you install on your own hosting. It can do almost anything with the right plugins, and you are responsible for keeping it updated.
• Orbit Commerce is worth a look if you are a service business whose website mainly needs to bring in enquiries.

Ease of use

Shopify is the easier of the two for most owners. Products, orders, pages, discounts and settings all live in one tidy admin, and it works the same way for everyone. If you can use online banking, you can add a product in Shopify.

WordPress is more flexible, and that flexibility means more choices. The admin can look quite different from one site to the next depending on the theme and plugins installed. Many people get on with it well, but there is more to learn.

Cost

With Shopify you pay a monthly plan, plus card processing fees on sales. Hosting, security certificates and the checkout are included. Shopify's prices change from time to time, so check their pricing page for the current figures.

WordPress software costs nothing, but you need hosting, which ranges from a few pounds a month for basic shared hosting to quite a bit more for managed hosting. Many sites also use paid themes or premium plugins, often billed yearly. Over a few years the total can end up similar to Shopify. It depends on what you install.

For more on budgeting for a site, see how much a website costs in Northampton.

Apps and plugins

Both platforms have large libraries of add-ons. Shopify calls them apps. WordPress calls them plugins.

Shopify apps are reviewed by Shopify before they are listed, and many charge a monthly fee. WordPress has tens of thousands of plugins, many free, and the quality varies more. On either platform, every add-on is something else that can slow the site down or clash with something else, so we keep them to the ones that earn their place.

Security and updates

This is where the two differ most. Shopify looks after the platform for you. Updates happen in the background, and you never have to think about software versions.

With WordPress, the core software, your theme and every plugin need updating regularly. Out of date plugins are one of the most common ways WordPress sites get into trouble. That is easy to manage if someone is responsible for it. It becomes a problem when nobody is.

Hosting

Shopify hosting is included and you have nothing to choose. With WordPress you pick your own host, which gives you more control and also more responsibility. A cheap, slow host can hold a good site back.

Checkout and taking payments

Shopify's checkout is one of its biggest strengths. It is fast, works well on phones, and supports the payment methods customers expect, all without extra setup. For an online shop this matters a lot, because the checkout is where sales are won or lost.

WordPress sites usually take payments through WooCommerce, a free plugin that turns WordPress into a shop. It is very capable and highly customisable. You assemble more of it yourself, choosing a payment provider and configuring things such as delivery and tax.

When Shopify wins

• You want to sell products online and want the checkout to just work.
• You would rather not think about hosting, updates or security.
• You want to manage the site yourself without a steep learning curve.
• You may grow, adding more products, more sales channels or more staff accounts.

That covers most of the small businesses we work with, which is why most of our builds are on Shopify. Rock Bottom, the builders merchant in Northampton, runs on Shopify, and so does Northants Trade. You can read more on our Shopify web design in Northampton page.

When WordPress wins

• Your site needs to connect closely to systems you already use and you want full control of the code.
• You need an unusual way of selling that does not fit a standard checkout.
• Content and blogging are the main point of the site.
• Someone is in place to keep it updated.

Our WordPress example: Rock Bottom Fireworks

Rock Bottom Fireworks needed a reserve-and-collect shop. Customers choose their fireworks online and reserve them, then collect in person. The site also had to link up with the shop's existing till and staff systems, so that what customers see online matches what is happening in the shop.

That kind of close connection to in-store systems is where WordPress and WooCommerce suit well, because we have full control over how the site behaves and what it talks to. You can read the full story in our Rock Bottom Fireworks case study.

Where Orbit Commerce fits

Plenty of businesses do not sell online at all. A plumber, a cleaner, a print company or a taxi firm mainly needs a website that explains what they do, shows they are trustworthy and makes it easy to get in touch. We are an Orbit Commerce Partner, and for service businesses whose website is mostly there to bring in enquiries, it can be a good fit. We are happy to talk through whether it suits you.

Our honest advice

Start with what your website needs to do in the next year or two. If you sell products, Shopify is usually the safer bet. If you have unusual needs or links to other systems, WordPress may be worth the extra care. If you mainly want enquiries, ask us about Orbit Commerce. Whichever you choose, make sure the site is in your name.

Our websites start at £250 one-off and you own the site. Full details are on our pricing page, and you can see more of our work on our portfolio.

Frequently asked questions