WooCommerce vs Shopify in 2026
We have built more than 20 e-commerce sites on both platforms. This is not a sponsored comparison. Here is what actually matters when choosing for a UK or Polish business in 2026.
Quick verdict
Choose Shopify if: you want zero maintenance, you are selling primarily to UK or US customers, and you do not need deep custom logic.
Choose WooCommerce if: you need maximum control, you sell in Poland (Przelewy24, BLIK integration), you want full SEO flexibility, or your margins cannot absorb 2% transaction fees.
Cost comparison (real numbers)
| Factor | Shopify Basic (£/mo) | WooCommerce (£/mo est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | £29 | £0 |
| Hosting | Included | £10–30 |
| Transaction fee | 2% (or 0.5% with Shopify Payments) | 0% |
| Plugins (typical) | £20–80 | £5–40 |
| Build cost | £189–500 | £189–800 |
For a shop doing £10,000/month, Shopify's 2% transaction fee costs £200/month. WooCommerce costs nothing on transactions. At £120k/year turnover, WooCommerce saves you £2,400/year in fees alone.
Polish market specifics
WooCommerce wins in Poland. Przelewy24 and BLIK are natively supported via WooCommerce plugins. Shopify's payment integrations for Poland are limited and expensive. If you are selling to Polish customers, WooCommerce is the pragmatic choice.
SEO
WooCommerce (WordPress) gives you full control: custom URL structures, full meta editing, schema.org, server-side rendering. Shopify has improved significantly but you still cannot change the URL structure (categories are always /collections/). For SEO-heavy strategies, WooCommerce is stronger.
Maintenance
Shopify: zero maintenance. Updates happen automatically. Shopify handles security. You just run the shop.
WooCommerce: WordPress core updates, WooCommerce updates, plugin updates. You need a maintenance plan (or pay someone to manage it). Budget £15–50/month for a managed hosting + update service.
Our recommendation
- Selling in Poland → WooCommerce
- Selling in UK only, under 200 products, simple catalogue → Shopify
- Complex product logic, large catalogue, high SEO priority → WooCommerce
- You cannot manage technical maintenance → Shopify
We build both. The choice depends on your specific situation. Tell us your requirements and we will tell you honestly which one makes sense.