Shopify vs WooCommerce in India comes down to one trade. Shopify is hosted: you pay a monthly plan and Shopify runs the servers, security and updates. WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress: no platform subscription, but you buy hosting and you (or someone you hire) look after it. If you want to sell soon without thinking about servers, choose Shopify. If you already run WordPress and have someone to maintain it, WooCommerce is a fair choice.
We build stores on Shopify and do not do WooCommerce work, so check our reasoning against the official pages linked below.
At a glance
| Factor | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Included | You buy it |
| Platform fee | Monthly plan | None listed |
| Updates and security | Shopify | You or a developer |
| Add-ons | Apps | Plugins and extensions |
| COD | Yes, manual payment | Yes, built in |
| Best for | Selling soon with little upkeep | An existing WordPress site with a maintainer |
What each one is
Shopify is a hosted store platform. Its pricing page says it "includes secure commerce hosting with your Shopify plan, so you don't need to buy separate hosting".
WooCommerce turns a WordPress site into a store. It describes itself as having "no platform fees or revenue share". It does not provide hosting. The official requirements are WordPress 6.9 or greater, PHP 8.3 or greater, MySQL 8.0 or greater (or MariaDB 10.6 or greater), and HTTPS support.
Who looks after what
On Shopify, the platform side is Shopify's job. You manage products, orders, apps and theme content.
On WooCommerce, you own the whole stack:
- Hosting, and moving up when traffic grows.
- Updating WordPress core, WooCommerce, your theme and every plugin.
- Backups, security, and fixing a plugin that breaks after an update.
WordPress's documentation says to always update to the latest version and to back up first. Minor and security updates can apply automatically on most sites, but major releases, plugins and themes need attention. If nobody does this, the store ages. That is the real cost of "free".
Running costs, using only listed numbers
Shopify's India plans, as listed on shopify.com/in/pricing on 2026-10-09:
| Plan | Monthly billing | Billed annually | Third-party gateway fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | ₹1,994/mo | ₹1,499/mo | 2% |
| Grow | ₹7,447/mo | ₹5,599/mo | 1% |
| Advanced | ₹30,164/mo | ₹22,680/mo | 0.6% |
Plus starts at ₹175,000 per month on the same pricing page, with a 0.2% third-party fee. Shopify lists "3 days free, then ₹20/month for 3 months". The third-party fee applies when customers pay through a gateway other than Shopify Payments. Indian stores use third-party gateways because India was not on Shopify Payments' supported-countries list when we checked.
WooCommerce: the plugin is free. You also pay for hosting, a domain, any paid themes and extensions, and a person to maintain the site. We put no numbers on these. Gateway fees apply on both platforms. Ask each hosting or agency quote what it includes: updates, backups, security and support.
Indian payments, COD and GST
Gateways. Both work with the main Indian gateways. Razorpay lists official plugins for both. Cashfree documents a WooCommerce plugin and a Shopify app. PayU documents a Shopify integration and a WooCommerce plugin. See Razorpay vs Cashfree vs PayU and Shopify payment gateway in India.
Cash on delivery. Both support it. Shopify treats COD as a manual payment, and its help page says "You aren't charged third-party transaction fees for manual payments." In WooCommerce you enable it under Settings, Payments, offline payments.
GST invoices. Shopify's help centre states: "Shopify doesn't create a GST-compliant bill." Its GST page says to use a local third-party GST invoicing service or a Shopify App Store app. We found no official WooCommerce page promising GST-compliant invoices. Plan on an extension on either platform and check it with your accountant.
Speed and SEO
Neither platform is fast or slow by itself. Both slow down with heavy images, too many apps or plugins, and cheap hosting. Google says Core Web Vitals are used by its ranking systems, and that good scores do not guarantee a top position. We found no official Google statement about either platform, so distrust any claim that one ranks better.
Which to pick
In our view, a small team with a handful of products is usually better off hosted. See how to start a Shopify store in India and what a Shopify store costs in India. Odd Dozen, our concept online store, is a custom storefront on neither platform, and it is not client work. For a second opinion on your plan, tell us about your project.
Frequently asked questions
What is better, WooCommerce or Shopify?
Neither is better for everyone. Shopify is better if you want hosting, security and updates handled for a monthly plan. WooCommerce is better if you already run WordPress and have someone to maintain it.
Is Shopify still worth it in 2026?
For many small Indian stores, yes, if you value launching quickly and not managing servers. Check the current plans on Shopify's India pricing page: the monthly fee and the 0.6% to 2% third-party gateway fee are what you pay for.
What is the best alternative to Shopify in India?
WooCommerce is the most common, and the one we compared here. We have not assessed other platforms. Whatever you choose, check that it supports your payment gateway, COD, GST invoicing and a way to export your data.
Does WooCommerce cost nothing?
The plugin is free, with no monthly platform fee. You still pay for hosting, a domain, any paid themes or extensions, and the time to maintain the site. Gateway fees apply on both platforms.
Can I move from WooCommerce to Shopify, or back?
Yes. Both platforms import and export products by CSV, and WooCommerce has a built-in importer and exporter under Products. Orders, customers, reviews and page addresses need more care. Plan redirects, move a small sample first, and check your gateway and GST invoice tool on the new platform.