WooCommerce vs. Shopify Statistics
Shopify and WooCommerce are both titans in the e-commerce industry, each allowing countless businesses to sell online. Shopify, a fully hosted, subscription-based platform, offers an all-in-one solution for creating and managing online stores.
WooCommerce, on the other hand, is an open-source plugin built on WordPress, providing a flexible and customizable e-commerce solution.
This statistics comparison is to cut through the marketing narratives and take a more data-driven approach to compare both of these two platforms, focusing on key statistics across various aspects of e-commerce.
We will look at the market share, cost, performance, user base, and also provide a statistically grounded understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Shopify and WooCommerce, to enable businesses make informed decisions about their e-commerce platform choice.
WooCommerce and Shopify: Global Share
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Source: BuiltWith
- There are currently 6,238,547 live websites using WooCommerce.
- There are currently 5,650,227 live websites using Shopify.
Additionally, 3,318,032 live websites are using WooCommerce checkout extensions and an additional 4,984,834 sites have used WooCommerce checkout atleast once historically.
BuiltWith data suggests that WooCommerce currently has a slightly larger number of live websites using their technology compared to Shopify. This raw number of installations indicates a widespread adoption of both platforms.
WooCommerce
Market Dominance
- Holds an impressive 38.76% share of the e-commerce platform market, positioning WooCommerce as a clear leader in the industry.
This significant market share highlights its edge over major competitors like Shopify and Wix, reflecting the platform’s features, costing strategy, and community support.
Global Reach
- Powers over 6 million active online stores globally, underscoring its widespread adoption and trust among businesses of all sizes.
With support for more than 5.1 million live websites, WooCommerce shows extensive scalability and reliability, catering to diverse e-commerce needs across various regions and markets.
WordPress Integration
- Utilized by 93.7% of WordPress-based e-commerce sites, firmly establishing WooCommerce as the preferred solution for businesses leveraging the flexibility of WordPress.
Its seamless integration with WordPress not only simplifies store setup and management but also offers a large presence of plugins and themes, which helps to facilitate for a wide range of e-commerce requirements.
Shopify
Global Market Presence
- Holds a 27% share of the global e-commerce market, demonstrating significant influence and wide-reaching adoption across various regions.
- Powers over 5.65 million active stores, reflecting its scalability and robustness in supporting diverse business models and sizes.
- WooCommerce powers 1.86 million users across 100+ countries, with its strong and historical international adoption.
High User Engagement and Market Reach
- Shopify maintains a highly engaged user base, with 4.6 million daily active users (DAU) and 138 million monthly active users (MAU).
- This level of activity underscores the platform’s reliability and effectiveness in supporting e-commerce businesses at scale.
Dominance in High-Traffic Segments
- Leads in high-demand areas by ranking among the Top 10K, 100K, and 1M websites, underscoring its ability to handle high volumes of traffic and transactions.
This dominance in premium traffic segments signals its reliability and performance for large-scale, high-stakes e-commerce operations.
U.S. Market Leadership
- Approximately 40% of its stores are based in the United States, highlighting its strong foothold in a major, competitive market.
This regional concentration allows for a custom approach to meet the advanced e-commerce needs and expectations of American businesses.
Revenue & Sales Performance
| Statistic | WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Active Stores | 6.2 million | 5.6 million |
| Estimated Annual Revenue | $27.9 million | $7.06 billion (2023) |
| Total Sales Revenue | $20 billion (2020) | $235.91 billion (2023) |
| Market Share | 39%, 38.76% | 10.32% |
| Average Revenue per Store | $381,000 | $67,000 |
| Stores with >$100,000 Sales | 12,639 | N/A |
WooCommerce
Consistent Annual Growth
- WooCommerce stores are growing at a 6% annual rate, reflecting the platform’s sustained adoption among businesses worldwide.
This steady increase highlights WooCommerce’s ability to attract new merchants while retaining existing users through continuous improvements and flexibility.
Revenue and Sales Performance
- The average yearly revenue of a WooCommerce store is approximately $381,000, making it a strong option for businesses looking for scalability and profitability.
- WooCommerce stores collectively generate $918.44 Billion in monthly sales, accounting for nearly 3.2% of all revenue generated by e-commerce stores worldwide.
This high volume of transactions underscores WooCommerce’s effectiveness in facilitating e-commerce growth and success.
Source: https://www.aftership.com/ecommerce/statistics
Shopify
Revenue Growth and Market Expansion
- Shopify experienced a 21% increase in revenue in Q2 2024, reaching an impressive $2 billion in just one quarter.
- This substantial growth reflects the platform’s expanding user base and strong financial performance in the competitive e-commerce space.
Transaction Volume and Order Processing
- In 2023, Shopify stores processed an average of 199 million orders per month, demonstrating its ability to handle massive transaction volumes efficiently.
- Shopify-powered stores have collectively made approximately $1 trillion in global online sales, reinforcing its position as a key player in the digital commerce industry.
Quarterly Performance and Growth Trends
- Shopify’s quarter-over-quarter growth has remained strong, with a 1.3% increase in Q4 2024, showcasing its ability to sustain momentum and attract more merchants over time.
- This consistent growth reflects Shopify’s strategic innovations, merchant-friendly tools, and its ability to scale alongside businesses of all sizes.
Plugins & Ecosystem Statistics
| WooCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Plugins/Apps | 59,000+ plugins | 13,000+ apps |
| Themes | 13,000+ themes | Numerous themes available; both free and paid |
| Top Technologies | WordPress (94.5%), Google Tag Manager (35.8%), Yoast (35.7%) | – |
| App integrations | Integrates with 30+ payment gateways | Integrates with various marketing, sales, and inventory management apps |
| Top WooCommerce App | Mailchimp for WooCommerce (6.6% of stores) | – |
WooCommerce
- 59,000+ plugins, 13,000+ themes, and 211 million+ downloads.
- Open-source flexibility, but requires self-hosting and maintenance.
- Offers many plugins for writing optimization, website editing, and security. The Astra theme is used by 11.2% of WooCommerce stores, making it the most popular theme Hello Elementor is the second most popular theme, used by 6.8% of WooCommerce stores.
Shopify
- 13,000+ apps in the Shopify App Store and built-in features like POS and AI tools.
- Fully hosted with 24/7 support and PCI compliance.
- Apps cater to store design, marketing, sales optimization, and inventory management. Theme app extensions allow adding dynamic elements without coding, A Shopify theme detector can identify themes used by other Shopify sites
Pricing and Cost Analysis
| WooCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Costs | Free plugin. However, mandatory costs include: Hosting (varies) Domain Name ($9-$20/year)SSL Certificate ($0-$65/year)Theme (Free or $200+ one-time payment), Essential plugins (varies) | Shopify Starter ($5/month)Basic ($39/month)Shopify ($109/month)Advanced ($399/month), Shopify Plus ($2,000/month) |
| Transaction Fees | No transaction fees with WooCommerce itself. Payment processing fees apply (e.g., 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) | Transaction fees apply if not using Shopify Payments. Basic plan: 2%, Shopify plan: 1%, Advanced plan: 0.5%. If using Shopify Payments, fees range from 2.5% + 30¢ to 2.9% + 30¢. |
| Monthly Costs | Hosting ($10-$50/month), optional costs for extensions/plugins ($0-$200/year per extension/plugin). | Basic ($39/month)Shopify ($109/month)Advanced ($399/month). |
| Annual Costs | Can vary widely; $369 per year with additional plugins (tax management, analytics, contact forms, email marketing, SEO, social media). A full-featured website could exceed $1,000 per year. | Varies based on plan. |
| Staff Account Changes | N/A | Shopify has removed the option of staff accounts for its Starter and Basic plans. |
| Market Expansion Restrictions | N/A | Shopify has drastically reduced the number of custom markets from 50 to 3 for all plans. To surpass this limit, merchants must opt for the Advanced plan and incur an additional $59/month for each market beyond three. |
| Free Trial | No free trial for WooCommerce, as it requires hosting and WordPress installation. | Shopify offers a 3-day free trial, and the first three months cost $1/month. |
| Long-Term Contracts | N/A | Shopify Plus offers a three-year term at a reduced rate of $2,300 monthly. |
| Additional Costs | Themes, plugins for specific features, security, SEO, shipping services, marketing tools, and potential developer costs ($10-$150 per hour). | Vary depending on app integrations and specific needs. |
| Hidden Fees | Costs for domain name, hosting, SSL certificate, theme, design, and extra plugins. | Transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments, costs associated with apps for extra functionality. |
| Pricing Updates | Costs for WooCommerce depend on hosting, domain, theme and plugins. | Shopify increased its prices in 2024, with the Basic plan increasing by approximately 34.48% and the Shopify plan by 32.91%. |
WooCommerce
- WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin for WordPress, offering flexibility in managing expenses. However, setting up a WooCommerce store involves several mandatory costs, including hosting (which varies), a domain name ($9-$20/year), an SSL certificate ($0-$65/year), and a theme (free or $200+ one-time payment). Essential plugins may also add to the cost.
- While WooCommerce doesn’t charge transaction fees, payment processors will, typically around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Hosting costs can range from $10-$50/month, and optional extensions or plugins can add $0-$200/year per item.
- A basic WooCommerce site could cost around $369 per year with essential plugins, but a full-featured site could exceed $1,000 annually.
Shopify
- Shopify operates on a subscription-based model with various plans. The Shopify Starter plan is $5/month, Basic is $39/month, Shopify is $109/month, Advanced is $399/month, and Shopify Plus starts at $2,000/month.
- If not using Shopify Payments, transaction fees apply: 2% for the Basic plan, 1% for the Shopify plan, and 0.5% for the Advanced plan.
- Shopify Payments eliminates these fees but is available only in specific countries. Shopify’s pricing is transparent, covering hosting, security, and maintenance. Shopify offers a 3-day free trial, with the first three months for just $1/month.
Cost Comparison
Shopify’s plans include essential e-commerce features in one package, making it easier to manage an online store.
Shopify’s TCO (Total Cost of Operation) is reportedly 36% lower than WooCommerce, even with additional fees.
In contrast, WooCommerce requires managing hosting, security, and updates separately, which can lead to variable and potentially higher costs.
Shopify has increased its prices in 2024, with the Basic plan increasing by approximately 34.48% and the Shopify plan by 32.91%.
User Experience & Conversion Rates Comparison
| Metric | WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Average Conversion Rate | Around 2-3%. Estimated around 2.5% in 2024. | 1.4% average across all devices. Stores in the top 20% have a conversion rate of 3.2%, and the best 10% exceed 4.7%. |
| Mobile Conversion Rate | 2.03% (in 2021). Industry average of 1.82%. Aim for 2.5-3% by optimizing mobile experience. | Average of 1.2%, but the top 10% of stores manage more than 3.9%. |
| Desktop Conversion Rate | 3.83% (in 2021). Desktop average conversion rate is 3.9%. | Average of 1.9%, with the top 10% achieving over 6.5%. |
| Conversion Rate by Traffic Source | N/A | Highest from email users at 4.29%, followed by product search (3.04%), direct search (2.93%), and social media (1.81%). |
| Bounce Rate | 53.1% Average | Between 20-45% |
| Customer Behavior | 58% of customers make only one purchase. The average customer places 2.3 orders in their lifetime. | 561 million unique online shoppers came through Shopify-powered stores in 2022. |
| Mobile Usage | 62% of orders are made via mobile devices. | Mobile made up 69% of online sales on Shopify stores during a recent BFCM weekend. |
| Website Load Time | 51% of stores load in under 1 second. | According to data available, a typical Shopify website loads in around 1.8 seconds on average. |
| Customer Accounts | Average of 320 active customer accounts per store. Median customer count is 92 per store. Average of 2,170 total customer accounts (active + inactive). | N/A |
| Repeat Customer Spend | Repeat customers spend 27% more per order. | According to Shopify data, the average repeat customer rate for an online store is around 28.2%. |
Mobile Conversion Rates
Both platforms see lower conversion rates on mobile compared to desktop, highlighting the importance of mobile optimization. WooCommerce had an average mobile conversion rate of 2.03% in 2021, while industry averages in e-commerce stand around 1.82%.
Aiming for a mobile conversion rate of 2.5-3% is possible with optimization. Shopify reports an average mobile conversion rate of 1.2%, with top stores achieving much higher.
Desktop Conversion Rates
Desktop conversion rates are generally higher. WooCommerce saw 3.83% in 2021, while Shopify reports an average of 1.9%, with the top 10% exceeding 6.5%.
Traffic Sources
Shopify provides conversion rates based on traffic source, with email leading at 4.29%.
Shopify’s average conversion rate across all devices is 1.4%.
To Conclude
The statistics tell us that while Shopify excels in ease of use, performance, and integrated security (with strong conversion rates and a user-friendly hosted model), WooCommerce offers unparalleled customization, a massive plugin ecosystem, and significant market share—especially among WordPress sites.
For Businesses
- Choose Shopify if you value a fully managed, secure, and conversion-optimized platform with predictable costs and 24/7 support.
- Choose WooCommerce if you require deep customization, have technical expertise (or developer resources), and want greater control over every aspect of your ecommerce experience.