Both run serious stores. The decision comes down to whether you would rather pay a predictable monthly fee and have someone else handle the infrastructure, or own the whole stack and carry the maintenance yourself.
Shopify
Hosted, reliable and fast to launch. Payments, security, hosting and updates are handled. The costs are the monthly subscription, transaction fees if you do not use Shopify Payments, and app subscriptions that accumulate quietly.
- Best for: most Australian retailers, particularly without technical support in-house
- Watch out for: app costs adding up, and less control over checkout on lower plans
WooCommerce
A WordPress plugin, so you own everything and can modify anything. No platform transaction fees. The trade-off is that hosting, security, updates and performance are your responsibility, and an under-resourced WooCommerce store will be slow.
- Best for: businesses with unusual requirements or existing WordPress sites
- Watch out for: hosting costs at scale, and maintenance nobody budgeted for
The cost comparison people get wrong
WooCommerce is often described as free because the plugin is. In practice you pay for hosting capable of running a store, security, backups, and usually several premium extensions. Shopify is often cheaper in total for smaller stores and becomes relatively better value as transaction volume rises — the crossover depends on your margins and volume.
Australian considerations
Both handle GST and Australian shipping, though Shopify’s local integrations are more mature out of the box. Australia Post and courier integrations exist for both. If you are selling internationally, Shopify’s multi-currency handling is simpler.
The honest recommendation
For most Australian small and mid-sized retailers, Shopify. It removes an entire category of problems that cost more to solve than the subscription. Choose WooCommerce when you have genuine requirements Shopify cannot meet, or when you already run WordPress and want everything in one place.
Frequently asked questions
Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?
Only if you exclude hosting, maintenance and extensions. Total cost is often similar, and Shopify frequently works out cheaper for smaller stores.
Can I migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify?
Yes. Products, customers and orders can generally be moved. Preserving your existing URLs with redirects is the important part.
Which is better for SEO?
Both are capable. WooCommerce offers more technical control through WordPress; Shopify handles speed and security well by default.
Which should I choose for a new store?
For most Australian retailers, Shopify — unless you have specific requirements it cannot meet or already run WordPress.
Related reading
Related: What website automation costs, Why isn’t my website generating leads?
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