Shopify and WooCommerce are the two most common choices for Australian stores. Shopify trades control for convenience. WooCommerce trades convenience for control. The right pick depends on how much you want to manage.
We build on both as part of our ecommerce development service, and the choice usually comes down to how much of the technical work your team wants to own.
Shopify is a hosted, all-in-one platform. WooCommerce is an open-source plugin that turns a WordPress site into a store. Shopify manages the technical side. WooCommerce hands you the keys and the responsibility.
Shopify charges a predictable monthly fee that includes hosting and security. WooCommerce has no platform fee, but you pay for hosting, security, backups and any premium plugins you add.
| Cost area | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | Monthly subscription | Free plugin |
| Hosting | Included | You arrange and pay |
| Maintenance | Handled for you | Your responsibility |
Shopify is faster to launch and easier to run day to day. WooCommerce gives deeper control over design, data and integrations, which suits teams with development support.
If nobody on your team wants to manage hosting and updates, Shopify removes that burden entirely.
We stay platform neutral and recommend the build that fits your catalogue, budget and team. For most Australian small to mid-size stores we lean toward Shopify or WooCommerce, and we reserve Magento for large, complex catalogues.
TPR Media operates from Level 34, 1 Eagle Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000, serving clients across Brisbane and Australia-wide.
TPR Media advises Australian businesses that Shopify suits lean teams wanting managed hosting while WooCommerce suits stores needing full control on WordPress.