Give both platforms the same operating requirements
Shopify includes storefront hosting, while WooCommerce runs on WordPress with a chosen managed or self-hosted arrangement. That changes which hosting and maintenance responsibilities the proposal must name. Prefer a hosted Shopify proposal when it meets required workflows and reducing infrastructure ownership matters; consider WooCommerce when WordPress control justifies its operating responsibilities.
Worked example — illustrative data.
| Requirement | Evidence requested from either option | Decision owner |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup inventory must stay accurate | Demonstrate one stock change through cart | Operations lead |
| Accounting integration is essential | Map order, refund and failure handling | Finance owner |
| Owner edits products weekly | Complete a supervised test-SKU edit | Store editor |
| Updates and incidents have an owner | Written maintenance and recovery responsibility | Business owner |
Documented differences, checked 4 November 2026
| Decision | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting and maintenance | Store hosting is included; Shopify supplies platform updates | Runs on WordPress; choose managed or self-hosted responsibility |
| Integration boundary | Apps work through Shopify surfaces, APIs and granted scopes | WordPress plugins and Woo extensions add behavior within the selected hosting environment |
| Catalog editing | Shopify collections group products; verify the required membership behavior in the store | WordPress/Woo categories, tags and attributes organize the catalog |
These are architecture differences, not tested integration results. Either needs an actual integration and catalog rehearsal.
Sources: Shopify hosting, Shopify app architecture, Shopify collections, WooCommerce store setup and WooCommerce server requirements.
Give both proposals the same small catalog, pickup case and refund scenario. Record what works through native capability, an extension, custom work or an unsupported manual process. Compare ongoing responsibility as carefully as initial setup. An integration demonstration should include a failure state, because a successful order alone does not show how a missing sync is discovered. Ask for a readable handoff that names accounts and support responsibility.
Decision: Prefer the option that meets the hard requirements with an operating burden the named owner can accept. Hold the decision when an essential workflow remains unproven; no generic platform winner is established here.
An extension without a maintenance owner can block selection: An apparently inexpensive option can depend on an extension that no one owns after launch. Do not infer long-term maintainability from a demonstration performed by the developer who built it.
Is the lower subscription price the lower total cost?
Include the actual required hosting, apps or extensions, implementation, maintenance and support responsibilities. Keep platform fees separate from estimates and quote assumptions. A lower starting fee cannot establish the total cost of operating the required store.
Continue with Guides for stores, software teams and local businesses, eCommerce website design and development and Shopify theme or custom storefront.
Before applying the specimen, verify exact feature availability, required permissions and supported field formats in the provider’s current documentation and your store.