Top 5 Functional Differences Between Shopify & WordPress

Name: Top 5 Functional Differences Between Shopify & Wordpress
Brand: Pro Web
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Posted on: Thursday July 23, 2020

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“Is WordPress a better option than Shopify for an E-commerce platform?”

It is a common question that has been asked multiple times through different platforms, not just by businesses but also by freelance developers! Why is there such a hype about this?

Let us dig out a few reasons for the consistent queries about this! First, it is the digital transformation that the companies are dramatically adapting to in exceptionally high numbers. Moreover, most E-commerce owners do not accommodate the necessary technical skills and sound knowledge to understand the platforms, and both WordPress and Shopify have their owned status in the market; it becomes difficult for them to understand which one to select. Second, the amount to be paid for these platforms differ, and it affects the overall investment in digital transformation. They also find it strenuous to comprehend the pros and cons of the two platforms.

As a full-stack web and e-commerce design and development firm, we, at Pro Web would say, it entirely depends on your requirements and investments and the time. Additionally, it is essential to consider all the three aspects because they define your choices rigorously and affect whether Shopify will give you better results or WordPress!

We are well-aware that everybody resents this answer as much as we do; however, we can definitely have a precise decision-making process to ensure choosing the right one focusing on the one which is more useful for us. Let us have a deeper dive into the topic insights and decide which e-commerce web development platform is better to use, and why would you even consider Shopify (or WordPress) in the first place.

What is WordPress?

There are two versions of WordPress available:

Hosted WordPress
Self-hosted WordPress

Hosted WordPress is much similar to Shopify, a software as a service (SaaS) tool. Here you pay a monthly fee to access a wide range of features that enable you to build and maintain the website. It is not entirely a platform like Shopify as users need to use third-party tools like Ecwid, Woo-commerce to add e-commerce features to it.

Self-hosted WordPress is an open-source platform that is easily customizable to the nth degree. It is a vastly flexible development platform for any e-commerce website with the right set of plugins. However, the website developers are the skill-equipped people to do it the right way and to mold it as per the required necessities of the customer. The availability of numerous WordPress themes and many different templates is among the main advantages here. Installation of WordPress on your server is free, but there are hosting costs, domain registration charges, and potential plugin/development costs to consider before selecting WordPress.

Pros

Open-source – no license fees required.
Budget-friendly solution for small to medium-sized business requirements.
WordPress supports many SEO plugins like Yoast SEO for optimization and efficient solutions for specific business requirements.
Here developers can share their codes online for building more cost-effective optimized business solutions.
WordPress for e-commerce is easy to operate and easy to install on a hosting server.
WordPress is optimal for big markets due to the availability of convenient admin interphase.

Cons

Security is a primary concern in WordPress since it is an open-source platform and not very secure and attractive to potential hackers.
Here web developers require to go through various platforms and internal configurations for building an e-commerce platform.
Unlike other content management systems, WordPress has limited permissions.
The unavailability of natively defined multiple content areas within one template makes it more complicated to implement.
Many WordPress plugins are not highly functional and can reduce the website speed.

What is Shopify?

Shopify is an e-commerce web development platform explicitly designed for retailers looking to build and start their online store. Here developers get a broad range of templates that can be readily customized to fit specific business branding necessities and allows online purchases.

The fundamental idea following Shopify was giving convenience to users for building an online store without any technical or design abilities— without needing to coding. Moreover, Shopify offers the facility of updating HTML and CSS, intending those who posses necessary coding skills. They can customize their stores uniquely.

Also, Shopify has their servers making hosting websites without any problems of acquiring web hosting or installing software anywhere.

Shopify is a software as a service (SaaS) tool – this means that you do not own a copy of the software, but pay a monthly fee to use it.

Pros

Easy-to-use interface.
It is a hosted site and offers a higher security level than its peers.
Several free, responsive, and attractive templates are available.
Availability of PayPal integration facility that is an added value for the current e-commerce industries.
Having excellent point-of-sale options available.
Presence of several third-party apps creating easy functionality addition.

Cons:

Being a paid tool, it may not be a cost-effective choice for small businesses.
Absence of email hosting feature.
Non-Shopify owned payment gateways require payment of transaction fees.
Shopify themes are a bit difficult to customize at times.
It is not a favorable option in case of a platform migration process.

Top functional differences b/w WordPress & Shopify Ecommerce Platforms:

list

Conclusion

After a rigorous discussion on the differences between Shopify and WordPress platforms, it is essential to note that project requirements play a vital role in deciding the choice. Both the e-commerce web development platforms have their individual pros and cons that you can not neglect while making an e-commerce website with multiple functionalities. So, for us at Pro Web, we finally say that it boils down to a simple fact, which is a selection of Shopify or WordPress platform is entirely dependent on your requirements and investments and the time.