WooCommerce website cost compared with Shopify

Key takeaways

A WooCommerce website typically costs UK small businesses £3,000 to £20,000 to build, plus £50 to £300 a month for hosting, extensions and care. WooCommerce itself is free, with no platform fee on sales beyond your payment provider's charges. It is often dearer to run than Shopify at low sales and can be cheaper at higher sales.

• Freelancer WooCommerce store: about £3,000 to £8,000.
• Agency WooCommerce store: about £8,000 to £20,000.
• Hosting: about £20 to £80 a month for a store.
• Extensions and care: about £30 to £220 a month.

How much does a WooCommerce website cost?

A WooCommerce website costs about £3,000 to £8,000 from a UK freelancer and £8,000 to £20,000 from an agency, based on typical quotes. WooCommerce runs on WordPress, so the build includes setting up both, loading products, payments, shipping rules and testing the checkout.

• WordPress website cost for a UK small business
• How much does a business website cost in the UK?

What are WooCommerce's running costs?

WooCommerce running costs come from hosting, paid extensions, payment fees and care. A store needs better hosting than a brochure site. Extensions for subscriptions, bookings or shipping often charge yearly. Updates must be tested carefully because a failed update can break the checkout.

• Store hosting: about £20 to £80 a month.
• Paid extensions: often £50 to £300 a year each.
• Payment provider fees on each sale.
• Care with checkout testing: about £50 to £200 a month.

Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?

WooCommerce is usually dearer to set up and run at low sales because you pay for hosting and care that Shopify bundles. At higher sales, avoiding platform plan tiers and some app fees can make WooCommerce cheaper. Compare three-year totals at your expected sales level.

• Shopify website cost: setup, apps and monthly fees
• Website total cost of ownership over five years

What does WooCommerce give you for the extra care?

WooCommerce gives full ownership of the code and data, freedom to host anywhere, and deep customisation through WordPress. It suits businesses with unusual products, complex pricing or strong content needs that a hosted platform handles less well.

When is WooCommerce the wrong choice?

WooCommerce is the wrong choice if nobody will keep the store updated, if you want a store running within days, or if your catalogue and checkout are simple. A hosted platform will cost less effort and carry less risk.

• Website security costs for small businesses

What does this look like in practice?

At Global Bridge Labs (GBL), a UK craft supplies seller moved from WooCommerce to Shopify after a plugin update broke the checkout for a weekend. Another seller with complex trade pricing moved the other way. The right platform depended on catalogue complexity and who would manage updates.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

WooCommerce cost checklist

• Price store-grade hosting.
• List every paid extension and its yearly fee.
• Budget for care with checkout testing.
• Model payment fees at expected sales.
• Compare three-year totals with Shopify.
• Name who tests updates.

• Shopify website cost: setup, apps and monthly fees
• Paying a designer to build on Wix or Squarespace

Next step

Write down your three most complex product or pricing rules. If a hosted platform handles them easily, compare costs; if not, WooCommerce may be the better fit.