Shopify vs. WordPress. Regardless of whether you’ve decided to build a new online store or migrate an existing one, the next important step to consider is selecting the right platform for your store business to operate from. The two most common market offerings for startups are considered to be Shopify and WordPress, as both of these platforms are very popular.
Shopify is a SaaS eCommerce platform, while WordPress is considered to be two different things: a hosted blogging platform and a downloadable self-hosted software. Both platforms have their own strengths and weaknesses. However, the best method to make the right decision between the two is to consider both the overall business goals and budget.
SHOPIFY
In terms of Shopify, this platform works as more of a website builder that essentially everyone will be able to use in order to build their own online store. Since Shopify is an SaaS platform, this means that there are no issues involving managing hosting maintenance. In other words, you will be able to rent a cloud service thanks to a per-user basis or a per-month basis, thereby enabling you to have straightforward access to the online features offered.
WORDPRESS
WordPress, however, is an open-source CMS, or Content Management System. This means that you will be able to download a self-hosted version from WordPress.org, then change the code itself around as much as you prefer to. Furthermore, while WordPress allows you to essentially construct any website that you like, you will need to have an eCommerce plugin in order to be able to operate a store on the website. Perhaps one of the most popular of these plugins is WooCommerce, which allows for a more powerful pairing with WordPress.
In terms of cost, it’s important to note that launching an online store will always require something like this; however, additional maintenance will also likely end up costing more as well. This makes it important to budget in order to determine which of the two services will be the best one for you.
Here are some of the most important factors to consider involving cost for both Shopify and WordPress:
- With Shopify, you will be able to take advantage of a two-week free trial, as well as four different pricing packages. The higher price you decide to pay, the more advanced functionality you will be able to utilize.
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- Basic Shopify for startups with two accounts will cost $29 per month.
- Shopify for SMBs with five accounts will cost $79 per month.
- Advanced Shopify for large businesses with 15 accounts will cost $299 per month.
- Shopify Plus, which focuses solely on enterprises or businesses that require advanced API, support, or uptime, will require that you contact Shopify directly in order to obtain an exact price for this specific service.
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- With WordPress, you can receive software from WordPress.org for free; however, this is the only thing from WordPress that you can receive for free.
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- Hosting costs start at $8 per month.
- A domain name costs $2 to $20 per year.
- SSL certificate cost starts at $149.
- Theme costs $0 to over $5,000.
- WooCommerce is free, but the cost of other plugins start at $25.
- Additional technical issues require the services of developers, the costs of which depends on the tasks that need to be performed.
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Shopify vs. WordPress. Thank you for visiting Eye See You Now’s blog, an Austin based marketing company that provides services such as Shopify & WordPress management, content creation, web design and SEO. If you are looking to further discuss if Shopify or WordPress is better for your business, please contact us today for a free consultation.