Shopify vs WooCommerce: Which is better for your business in Canada?

Picking the right ecommerce platform could uplift your sales and make day-to-day operations as smooth as butter. Pick the wrong one, however, and you might have to deal with frustrated customers and mourn missed opportunities. We are going to look at Shopify and WooCommerce, both popular ecommerce platforms that boast their own sets of strengths and weaknesses that you should weigh. We’ll also check out the Wise Business account for all your local and international business needs.

A closer look at Shopify vs WooCommerce

Shopify

WooCommerce

Getting started with Shopify: The basics

Shopify is the perfect pick if you’re looking for an all-in-one complete package and don’t want the fuss of the technical stuff. If you're unfamiliar with coding, Shopify's editor and built-in features simplify store setup. Especially if your business is setting up your first-ever online store, it’ll give you access to all the ecommerce essentials like versatile shipping options, marketing and analytics tools, and an overall platform that’s easy to grasp.

Getting started with WooCommerce: The basics

WooCommerce is user-friendly too, but in the sense that it gives you full control over your ecommerce store. Rather than limit you to templates and typical sales features, WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that lets you customize your store to your heart’s content. Experienced coders can create a bespoke experience, and less tech-savvy owners can explore numerous themes and plugins. . The best thing about WooCommerce is that it seamlessly integrates with plenty of third-party services, which means you can up your SEO or analytics game, no problem.

Points of comparison for WooCommerce vs. Shopify

These two ecommerce platforms are made for business owners who want to create the best shopping experiences for their customers. Between them, though, there are several aspects that differ.

• Ease of Use – Those lacking technical knowledge may find WooCommerce challenging, whereas Shopify offers an intuitive, user-friendly interface.
• Customization – With WooCommerce’s steep learning curve comes endless customization opportunities, which can prove useful for niche stores.Shopify offers numerous themes but limits flexibility for simplicity. .
• Scalability – Shopify scales with your business, whereas WooCommerce scales through plugins and hosting providers. WooCommerce will require a more active role to handle that growth.

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: Pricing

Shopify has three pricing tiers:

• Basic at 51 CAD/month,
• Shopify at 132 CAD/month, and
• Advanced at 517 CAD/month – with 25% off if you pay yearly.

Each tier has more features and lower card rates as you go up the ranks, with online transaction card rates going down from

• 2.9% + $0.30 (Basic) to
• 2.7% + $0.30 (Shopify) to
• 2.4% + $0.30 (Advanced).³

There are also increasing discounts on shipping fees and enhanced support and checkout capacity.

WooCommerce doesn’t operate on a subscription-based format because it’s such a customizable platform. That means you’ll have a lot more control over cost, but it could also mean having to keep track of what you’re spending money on. You’ll need a hosting provider, a domain, a theme (paid or free), and have to pay for separate apps and plugins, including store management, security, marketing, and customer experience tools, just to name a few. For their native payment gateway, WooPayments, there are no setup charges or monthly fees either – you simply pay the same costs as the Basic plan in Shopify.

Shopify Vs WooCommerce: Setting up your workflow

Where Shopify stands out most is its out-of-the-box setup process. All you have to do is create an account and the platform will guide you through every step until your store is fully set up. Its simple built-in features work together in an ecosystem, which means you won’t have to rely on third-party apps to cover all bases.

Meanwhile, WooCommerce can take a little more time. There’s a basic setup wizard to set up all your basics, but then it’s all up to you – which is a huge plus for those who want to spend the time choosing and configuring all the plugins and features they want. You can mould your workflow virtually any way you wish.

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: Which one would be more user-friendly?

The idea of user-friendliness can differ from person to person. Some may find the all-in-one, limited nature of Shopify not very user-friendly, while others may enjoy the easy-to-use store builder that it offers. Those who prefer a fragmented approach that models itself off the WordPress admin panel will enjoy the decentralization of WooCommerce and find it a lot more accommodating to their work style.

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: Payment solutions

Both platforms have their own native payment solution: Shopify Payments for Shopify and WooPayments for WooCommerce. Each solution offers an array of payment options, including digital wallets, debit and credit cards, and installment payments, as well as localized options as well. WooPayments charges the same per card transaction costs as Shopify’s Basic plan at 2.9% + $0.30/transaction.

While Shopify and WooCommerce both have a wide range of integrations with other payment providers, WooCommerce has a leg up over Shopify in that you can use a different payment gateway without extra fees.

Shopify tacks on an extra 2% per transaction for these third-party platforms on top of their 1.5 - 2% currency conversion fee.^4,5 . WooCommerce charges an international payment fee of 1% and a currency conversion fee of 2%.⁶

The Wise business account for all your international business requirements

International payments always come at a cost – literally and figuratively. Businesses seem to have to accept the fact that they’ll incur extra or hidden fees and have to deal with hefty currency conversion fees for every transaction. With the Wise Business account, you can get more out of your sales and improve your bottom line. Here’s more:

With the multi-currency account, you can hold and manage 40 currencies and make transactions using the mid-market exchange rate – free of any markups. Each transaction charges minimal fees, starting at just 0.33%. Need to pay vendors or other businesses around the world? You can make batch payments of up to 1000 at once, with easy invoicing features built into the platform. We’ve also got debit cards for your business and employees, so spending is tracked and transparent. To keep your books in order, Wise seamlessly integrates with popular accounting software such as QuickBooks, Sage Cloud, and more.
Get your Wise business account in a few clicks! 🚀

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: Support for your business

Shopify and WooCommerce are teeming with resources that ensure you’re never left in the dark. Both have a robust blog, a help centre, dedicated account support teams, and forums, as well as 24/7 chat and ticket support through your account. This means that you’ve got options and more than one place to look if you’re having issues with your site or a plugin, or simply need advice from other entrepreneurs.

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: What is scalability like on these platforms?

WooCommerce has that decentralized aspect to it, where your store is what you put into it and the plugins and apps you bolster it with. That means the more you scale, the more plugins you’ll need. In turn, you’ll need more manpower and manual effort to handle all these tools. On the other hand, Shopify is built to scale along with you, with tiered pricing plans that you can seamlessly move up to if you require more capabilities and features, larger capacities, and better support options.

Final thoughts on Shopify vs WooCommerce

Making a final decision hinges on your inherent needs and technical expertise. While beginners to the space might have an easier introduction to ecommerce through Shopify, those who crave limitless customization and freedom will love WooCommerce. Whether you select Shopify, WooCommerce, or another platform altogether, a Wise Business account is a great way to handle all your international and local financial transactions and get more value from your sales.

Get your Wise business account in a few clicks! 🚀