In this present age, e-commerce and online stores have proven to be a core part of business both small and big. However, in the quest to own an online store, choosing the best and most reliable platform is highly important. Two popular choices are Shopify and WordPress and as it stands now, one common question people ask is Shopify vs. WordPress, which is better for an E-commerce site?
While both platforms are excellent, there are some critical differences between them that you need to consider before making a decision. Choosing one can be quite a daunting task, fret not! That is why we are here for you. In this article, we will compare Shopify and WordPress and help you determine which one is better for your e-commerce site. The answer to the question, Shopify vs. WordPress, which is Better for an E-commerce Site? depends on the tools that would be more easy to create your e-commerce store.
Shopify
Shopify is one of those user platforms that come with varying templates for customizing your site, hence making it user-friendly and easy to set up. Shopify is a cloud-based platform that is designed specifically for e-commerce. If you are n search of an online store with a website host, inventory management tools, and other tools you need to easily build and manage your store, Shopify would serve as your online store best friend.
Features of Shopify
- Shopify has quite a number of customizable design templates and themes to fit your need
- Shopify is an easy-to-use website builder and content management system (CMS)
- It has Secure and reliable hosting with unlimited bandwidth
- Shopify is built with Payment processing and shipping integrations features
- They have mobile-friendly storefronts
- Inventory management tools
- They have Analytics and reporting tools that help users track their success
Pros of Shopify
- It has a user-friendly interface
- Shopify offers a range of customizable design templates and themes
- They offer integration with a range of payment processing options
- Shopify’s storefronts are mobile-friendly
- It provides secure and reliable hosting with unlimited bandwidth
Cons of Shopify
- Shopify’s blogging capabilities are somewhat limited
- Shopify can be more expensive than some other e-commerce platforms
WordPress
WordPress does not only serve as a website for online stores or e-commerce websites, it also serves as a blog. A unique feature of WordPress is that it comes with various plug-ins and themes you can play around with. These features help you better customize your site to your taste and needs while granting you more control over your site. However, as compared to Shopify, It is an open-source platform and you will need to purchase website hosting, a payment gateway, and other tools separately
Features of WordPress
- WordPress has customizable design templates and themes
- It is a flexible website builder and content management system
- It has a large community of developers and users
- WordPress has secured and reliable hosting options
- WordPress integration with a range of third-party tools and services
- It has good Mobile-responsive designs
- This E-commerce functionality with plugins like WooCommerce and Yoast SEO makes it highly SEO optimized
Pros of WordPress
- WordPress offers a range of customizable design templates and themes
- WordPress is highly optimized for search engines because of its available plugins
- WordPress designs are mobile-responsive
Con of WordPress
- WordPress can be vulnerable to security issues as compared to most other E-commerce sites.
- Building and managing a WordPress website needs technical expertise and some coding knowledge
Shopify vs. WordPress: Which one is better for e-commerce?
To choose which will be better for you, it is important you weigh their pros and cons to see which will better suit you. Here are some key factors to consider:
Ease of use
An e-commerce site designed specifically for this reason is Shopify. Hence, making it easier and user-friendly to set up. You do not need any knowledge of coding to create your professional-looking Shopify e-commerce account. But this is quite different for WordPress. WordPress can be more complicated to set up because what it entails is setting up a professional account. Therefore, you may need some coding knowledge to customize your site.
Recommended Option: WordPress
Customization Option
If you are in search of a site that offers various types of customization features, WordPress will be your best bet, compared to Shopify. This is because WordPress comes with different types of plugins and themes that will help you better customize your website to your taste and needs. Not to say that Shopify does not offer customization options, however, there is more limited compared to what WordPress offers.
Recommended Option: WordPress
Cost
WordPress is free to download, however, you will need to make payments for website hosting, payment gateway, and other important tools you might require to set up your personalized account. The summation of these payments adds up to a significant amount. Shopify, on the other hand, can’t be downloaded for free because you will need to make payments for subscriptions to own your own store. The basic plan starts at $29 per month, and the most advanced plan is $299 per month. But the cost depends on the plan you choose
Security
There is no doubt that both WordPress and Shopify have secure e-commerce sites. However, WordPress requires that you take care of the security updates and backups yourself. While Shopify, on the other hand, handles all your security updates and backups. This means that so you don’t have to worry about security and updates with backups.
Shopify and WordPress are indeed great platforms for building an e-commerce site but the choice ultimately depends on your specific needs and budget. If you are in search of a more user-friendly option that is easy to set up and requires no coding knowledge, try Shopify will serve you well. But if you prefer an e-commerce site that offers more customization options, WordPress is what you will love, only that, it requires more technical knowledge to set up and customize. Keep in mind that regardless of which platform you choose, both Shopify and WordPress can help you create an e-commerce site that meets your needs and budget. That is everything you need to know about, Shopify vs. WordPress, which is Better for an E-commerce Site?