This calculator was manually reviewed to confirm current platform fees, plan details, and assumptions as of September 2026.
Platforms may update pricing or terms at any time.
Shopify gives you one obvious monthly number. WooCommerce usually does not. Hosting, paid plugins, extensions, and other services may arrive on different bills, which makes the real monthly total easy to underestimate. This calculator puts those recurring costs next to your Shopify plan and app costs so you can compare them properly.
Add what you would realistically pay each month on both sides. You will see the monthly difference, what that difference works out to per order, and how low your WooCommerce costs need to stay for it to be the cheaper option.
Order volume is there for context. It changes what the cost difference means for each sale, but it does not change which monthly total is lower. This is not a full profit comparison, so payment processing, product costs, shipping, advertising, and the time spent managing the store are left out.
Fixed monthly cost comparison
Compare WooCommerce and Shopify platform costs
Enter the monthly platform costs you expect on each option. Monthly orders are used only to show what the cost difference represents per order.
Shopify monthly costs
Use the monthly equivalent for your plan and billing cadence.
WooCommerce monthly costs
Order-volume context
This changes the difference per order, not which platform has lower fixed monthly costs.
Domain cost is excluded because it generally applies to either platform. Payment processing is also excluded, so this comparison assumes the rates used on both platforms are similar. Shopify third-party transaction fees and other transaction-based charges are not included.
Shopify is $6.00 per month cheaper using the entered costs.
WooCommerce monthly cost
Hosting, plugins, and other entered WooCommerce costs.
Shopify monthly cost
Plan, apps, and other entered Shopify costs.
Difference per month
Shopify costs $6.00 less per month.
Difference per order
Based on 50 monthly orders.
WooCommerce cost ceiling
WooCommerce must stay below $39.00 per month to have lower fixed monthly costs than Shopify.
What this means
Shopify has lower entered fixed monthly costs. Order volume changes how much the $6.00 difference represents per order, but it does not change the lower monthly total.
What this comparison tells you
There is no universal winner here. WooCommerce is cheaper when its hosting, plugins, extensions, and other recurring costs add up to less than your Shopify plan, apps, and other monthly expenses. The cost ceiling gives you the line WooCommerce needs to stay under.
Changing your monthly orders will not move that line. It simply spreads the monthly difference across more or fewer sales, which helps show whether the gap is meaningful for your current volume.
We have left domain costs out because most stores need a custom domain either way. Payment processing is more complicated and is not included in this comparison. Rates can differ by provider, plan, country, and payment method. Shopify may also add a transaction fee when you use a third-party payment provider, so those costs deserve their own calculation rather than a convenient assumption.
One platform can be cheaper to run each month and still leave you with less profit. Product costs, shipping, advertising, payment fees, maintenance, and your own time can easily outweigh a modest difference in platform costs. Once you understand the fixed-cost comparison, use the next calculators to look at the rest of the numbers.
Calculate your WooCommerce profit
Once you know how your fixed monthly costs compare, run your full WooCommerce numbers using product cost, shipping, payment fees, monthly costs, and order volume.
Estimate your Shopify fees per sale
Use the Shopify Fee Calculator to estimate Shopify-related fees for one order based on your plan and payment setup.
WooCommerce vs Shopify cost FAQs
What costs does this calculator compare?
This calculator compares fixed monthly platform costs. Shopify includes the entered plan, app, and other monthly costs. WooCommerce includes hosting, plugins, extensions, and other entered monthly costs.
It does not calculate complete business profit or every possible platform expense.
Does monthly order volume change which platform is cheaper?
No. Monthly orders do not change which platform has the lower fixed monthly total. They are used only to show how much the monthly cost difference represents per order.
For example, the same $20 monthly difference has a larger effect per order at 10 sales than it does at 100 sales.
What does the WooCommerce cost ceiling mean?
The WooCommerce cost ceiling is the Shopify monthly total entered in the calculator. WooCommerce must remain below that amount to have lower fixed monthly costs.
If the totals are equal, neither platform has a fixed monthly cost advantage. If WooCommerce rises above the ceiling, Shopify becomes the less expensive option in this comparison.
Why doesn’t this calculator include payment processing fees?
This calculator isolates fixed monthly costs so you can compare the platform expenses that remain even when no orders are placed.
Payment processing rates depend on the payment provider, Shopify plan, country, and payment method. Shopify may also charge an additional transaction fee when a third-party payment provider is used. Those costs should be evaluated separately when comparing complete profit.
Why isn’t a domain cost included?
A custom domain generally applies whether you use WooCommerce or Shopify, so including the same domain cost on both sides would not change the result.
If one option creates an additional domain-related expense that the other does not, you can include it under that platform’s other monthly costs.
What can make WooCommerce more expensive than Shopify?
WooCommerce can become more expensive when hosting, premium plugins, extensions, security services, backups, maintenance, or technical support increase its monthly cost.
WooCommerce may still offer more flexibility, but flexibility has a habit of arriving with optional expenses that stop feeling optional.
Does the platform with lower fixed costs always leave me with more profit?
No. Lower fixed monthly costs do not automatically mean higher profit.
Product costs, shipping, payment processing, advertising, refunds, sales volume, and store-management time can matter more than a relatively small platform-cost difference.
Which calculator should I use next?
Use the WooCommerce Profit Calculator to estimate profit after product cost, shipping, payment processing, monthly platform costs, and order volume.
Use the Shopify Fee Calculator to estimate Shopify-related fees on an individual order based on your plan and payment setup. It is a fee estimate rather than a complete Shopify profit calculation.
Disclaimer: This calculator compares the fixed monthly platform costs entered by the user. It does not include payment processing, transaction fees, product costs, shipping, advertising, taxes, refunds, maintenance time, or every possible platform expense. Actual costs may vary by plan, provider, country, apps, services, and account. Confirm the costs that apply to your store before making platform or financial decisions.