Shopify and WooCommerce have fundamentally different cost structures. Shopify charges a predictable monthly fee; WooCommerce charges $0 platform fee but requires hosting and more maintenance.
Monthly cost comparison
| Cost component | Shopify Basic | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | $39/mo | $0 |
| Hosting | included | $10–25/mo |
| Transaction fee (Stripe) | 2.0% (non-SP) or 0% (SP) | 0% |
| Card processing (Stripe) | 2.0% + 25¢ (SP) | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Domain | ~$2/mo | ~$2/mo |
| Maintenance / plugins | $0 | $10–50/mo |
At what GMV does WooCommerce become cheaper?
With Shopify Payments (no transaction fee) at $22k/month GMV on Basic: - Shopify: $39 + ($22,000 × 0.02) = $39 + $440 = $479/mo - WooCommerce + Stripe: $20 + ($22,000 × 0.029) = $20 + $638 = $658/mo
At this volume, Shopify Basic with Shopify Payments is actually cheaper than WooCommerce + Stripe — because Shopify Payments (2.0% + 25¢) is cheaper than Stripe's standard rate (2.9% + 30¢).
WooCommerce wins on: - Flexibility: unlimited customization, any hosting, full code ownership - Very low volume: under $5k/month where the platform fee dominates - No transaction fees with any payment processor (unlike Shopify's 2% for 3rd-party gateways)
Use the Shopify fee calculator above to model your specific plan and volume.