Shopify vs WooCommerce vs a custom website: which should you choose?
· 3 min read · Last checked October 2026
In short
It depends on your size, your tech skills and your budget. Shopify is easy but costs a monthly fee in dollars plus fees per sale. WooCommerce is flexible but needs upkeep. A custom website fits you exactly, but every new feature later means paying a developer again.
Quick comparison
| Shopify | WooCommerce | Custom website | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Low: from $25 a month | Low to medium: hosting, domain, theme | High: you pay to build it |
| Ongoing cost | Monthly fee, app fees, 2% per sale | Hosting, plugins, developer time | Hosting and a developer for every change |
| Tech skills needed | Very few | Some, or a developer | A developer, always |
| Upkeep | Done for you | You or your developer | Your developer |
| New features later | Install an app | Install a plugin | Pay to have it built |
Shopify
Easy to start and no upkeep. You pay a monthly fee in US dollars, and because Shopify Payments is not offered in Sri Lanka, an extra fee on every sale (2% on the Basic plan). Good for sellers who want speed and can carry the running cost.
WooCommerce
Free software on WordPress, very flexible, with plugins for almost everything. But updates, backups, security and broken plugins are your job, or your developer's. Good if you have WordPress skills or a developer you trust.
A custom website
A developer builds a store just for you. It can look and work exactly how you want. The problem comes later: every new feature, such as coupons, a new payment method or a courier connection, has to be built specially for your store. That makes changes slow and expensive, and you depend on the same developer or company for years.
Before you pay for a custom store, ask the developer: who fixes it if something breaks, how fast, and what does each new feature cost?
Which should you choose?
- Small business, little tech knowledge: avoid a custom website. The ongoing cost is too high for most small sellers.
- Growing business with a developer: WooCommerce gives control.
- Want it easy and can pay monthly in dollars: Shopify.
See how they compare side by side: Shopify vs WooCommerce vs CounterDesk.