WordPress + WooCommerce vs Shopify: Which Sells More for Less?
Both platforms can run your online store. But one charges transaction fees and the other gives you full ownership. Here is the full breakdown for NZ businesses.
WordPress + WooCommerce vs Shopify
Self-hosted WordPress with WooCommerce gives you a fully customisable online store with no transaction fees and complete ownership.
All-in-one hosted e-commerce platform with built-in payments, shipping, and inventory management out of the box.
Here's everything you need to know to make the right choice for your business.
At a glance
WordPress + WooCommerce
Best for: Businesses that want full control over their store, lower long-term costs, and unlimited customisation options
Shopify
Best for: Store owners who prioritise simplicity and speed of setup over flexibility and long-term cost savings
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Here's how WordPress + WooCommerce and Shopify stack up across key criteria.
| Feature | WordPress + WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Ease | 3/5 Requires installing WordPress, WooCommerce, and configuring hosting. More hands-on setup. | 5/5 Sign up, pick a theme, add products. Guided setup gets you live in hours. |
| Transaction Fees | 5/5 Zero platform transaction fees. Use Stripe, Windcave, or any NZ gateway. | 2/5 2% fee unless you use Shopify Payments. Adds up quickly on every sale. |
| Customisation | 5/5 Full code access. Thousands of plugins and themes. Build anything you need. | 3/5 Limited to Shopify theme system and Liquid templating. App store fills some gaps. |
| Monthly Cost | 4/5 Hosting $20-50/mo. Free plugin. Most extensions are one-time purchases. | 2/5 $39-399/mo subscription plus app costs that commonly add $50-200/mo. |
| SEO | 5/5 RankMath, Yoast, full schema control. Complete URL and metadata flexibility. | 3/5 Basic SEO built in. Limited URL structure. Harder to implement advanced SEO. |
| Payment Gateways | 5/5 Any gateway works. Stripe, Windcave, POLi, Afterpay, Laybuy. No restrictions. | 3/5 Shopify Payments preferred. Third-party gateways incur extra fees. |
| Scalability | 5/5 Unlimited products, variants, and categories. Handles large catalogues easily. | 4/5 Scales well but higher plans needed. Checkout customisation locked to Plus ($2,000+/mo). |
| Support | 3/5 Community forums and developer docs. No official support hotline. | 5/5 24/7 live chat and phone support included on all plans. |
The Good & The Bad
No platform is perfect. Here's the honest truth about what each option does well - and where it falls short.
WordPress + WooCommerce
Pros
No transaction fees on any payment gateway
Complete ownership of your store and data
Thousands of free and premium plugins
Full design and code customisation
Superior SEO capabilities
Lower total cost as you scale
Cons
More technical knowledge needed for setup
You handle hosting, security, and updates
No official 24/7 support hotline
Plugin compatibility issues can occur
Requires choosing and managing your own hosting
Shopify
Pros
Incredibly easy to set up and launch
24/7 customer support on all plans
Built-in POS for physical retail
All-in-one platform with hosting included
Polished checkout experience out of the box
Shopify Payments simplifies getting started
Cons
2% transaction fee on third-party gateways
Monthly subscription costs increase as you grow
App costs add up fast ($50-200+/mo is common)
Limited customisation compared to WooCommerce
Vendor lock-in makes migration difficult
Cost Comparison for NZ Online Stores
For a typical NZ store doing $15,000/mo in revenue, Shopify costs around $39/mo in subscription plus $300/mo in transaction fees (at 2%) plus $100/mo in apps. That is roughly $5,270/year. WordPress with WooCommerce costs $30-50/mo for quality managed hosting, and most essential plugins are free or one-time purchases. Annual cost sits around $600-1,200. Over three years, the difference can exceed $12,000. The gap widens as revenue grows. At $50,000/mo in sales, Shopify transaction fees alone reach $1,000/mo. WooCommerce transaction fees remain at zero regardless of volume. For NZ businesses using local gateways like Windcave or POLi, WooCommerce integrates without penalty, while Shopify charges extra for anything outside Shopify Payments.
Key Takeaway
Understanding the cost differences helps you budget properly and avoid unexpected expenses down the line.
NZ Payment Gateway Considerations
New Zealand businesses often need local payment options that cater to Kiwi customers. Windcave (formerly Payment Express) is widely used across NZ, and WooCommerce integrates with it cleanly with no additional platform fees. Afterpay and Laybuy are popular buy-now-pay-later options that work seamlessly on both platforms, but Shopify charges its transaction fee on top. Shopify Payments is available in New Zealand, which avoids the 2% surcharge. However, it limits your gateway choice and you are locked into Stripe as the underlying processor. For businesses that want flexibility to negotiate rates with NZ banks or use specific local gateways, WooCommerce provides that freedom without penalty.
Migration and Long-Term Flexibility
Many NZ businesses start on Shopify because it is fast to launch. That makes sense for testing an idea. But as the store grows, the fees become painful and the limitations become frustrating. Migrating from Shopify to WooCommerce is doable but involves rebuilding your theme, reconfiguring products, and redirecting URLs. Starting on WooCommerce avoids that migration cost entirely. You own your store from day one. If you ever need to change hosting providers, redesign your store, or add complex functionality, you can do so without platform restrictions. For NZ businesses planning to grow, this ownership matters more than the convenience of a quick Shopify setup.
Remember
The right choice depends on your specific business needs, technical skills, and long-term goals.
Which Should You Choose?
The right choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and technical comfort level.
WordPress + WooCommerce
You want to keep costs low as you grow, need advanced SEO, prefer NZ-friendly payment gateways without extra fees, or need deep customisation for a complex product catalogue.
Shopify
You want to launch quickly with minimal technical effort, need built-in POS for a physical shop, value 24/7 phone support, or have a straightforward product range under $10K/mo in sales.
The Verdict
It Depends On Your Needs
Shopify is faster to launch. WordPress + WooCommerce is cheaper long-term and more flexible. The right choice depends on your technical comfort and growth plans.
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