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Read Part 1: TL;DR for the quick comparison tables and recommendations.
If you're starting an online store — or thinking about migrating from your current platform — you've probably come across three main options: Shopify, WooCommerce + WordPress, and increasingly, Medusa JS.
Each has its place. But the "best" platform depends entirely on your business model, budget, and technical requirements. Let's break it down honestly.
WooCommerce + WordPress
Best for: Content-heavy sites with a shop as a secondary feature, very tight budgets, or when you already have a WordPress site.
WooCommerce is the most widely-used e-commerce platform in the world, and for good reason. It's free (the plugin itself), flexible, and runs on WordPress — which millions of people already know how to use.
The good
- Low barrier to entry — many developers know WordPress
- Thousands of plugins and themes available
- Great for content + commerce (blogs, magazines with shops)
- You own the code and can host anywhere
The catch
- Security vulnerabilities — WordPress is the most targeted CMS on the internet. WooCommerce sites require constant updates and security monitoring. It's not high-risk if maintained properly, but the risk is always present.
- Performance issues — WordPress was built for blogs, not commerce. Page load times tend to be slower, which directly impacts conversion rates. Studies show that every 100ms of delay can reduce conversions by 7%.
- Plugin dependency — to get features that come standard on other platforms, you often need 10+ plugins. Each plugin is a potential security hole and performance drag.
- Scalability ceiling — as your store grows, WooCommerce can struggle. High-traffic sales events often require expensive hosting upgrades.
Our honest take: WooCommerce is fine for small shops selling a handful of products alongside a content-focused website. But if e-commerce is your primary business, you'll likely outgrow it — and migrating later is painful.
Shopify
Best for: Businesses that want a managed solution with minimal technical involvement, and are comfortable with ongoing monthly costs.
Shopify is the "just works" option. It handles hosting, security, updates, and provides a polished admin interface. For many businesses, this convenience is worth the cost.
The good
- Excellent performance and uptime — Shopify's infrastructure is world-class
- Security is handled for you — PCI compliance, SSL, everything managed
- Beautiful themes and easy customisation (within limits)
- App ecosystem for extending functionality
- 24/7 support
The catch
- Monthly fees add up — Basic plan is €29/month, but most growing stores need the €79–299/month plans. Over 3 years, that's €2,800–10,800 in platform fees alone.
- Transaction fees — unless you use Shopify Payments (not available everywhere), you pay an additional 0.5–2% per transaction on top of your payment gateway fees.
- Limited customisation — you can only customise within Shopify's boundaries. Complex custom features often require expensive apps or are simply impossible.
- You don't own your store — your store lives on Shopify's servers. If you want to leave, migration is complex. If Shopify changes their terms or pricing, you have limited recourse.
- App costs — many "standard" features require paid apps. A typical Shopify store might spend €50–200/month on apps alone.
Our honest take: Shopify is excellent if you value convenience over control and have a healthy monthly budget for software costs. It's particularly good for dropshipping or businesses testing a market before committing to a custom solution.
Medusa JS (Custom Build)
Best for: Businesses that want Shopify-level performance without ongoing platform fees, full control over their store, and a long-term asset they actually own.
Medusa JS is an open-source, headless commerce platform. Think of it as "build your own Shopify" — you get modern architecture, excellent performance, and complete control, but you need a developer to set it up.
The good
- Performance — Medusa stores are typically faster than both WooCommerce and Shopify. Modern architecture, optimised for speed.
- No platform fees — you pay for hosting (~€10/month) and your payment gateway. That's it. No percentage cuts, no monthly subscriptions.
- Complete ownership — you own every line of code. You can host anywhere, modify anything, and you're never locked in.
- Modern security — built with current best practices, not patched onto 20-year-old architecture.
- Unlimited customisation — if you can code it, you can build it. No app marketplace limitations.
- Future-proof — headless architecture means you can swap frontends, add mobile apps, or integrate with any system.
The catch
- Higher upfront investment — you need a developer to build it. This typically costs €3,000–4,000 for a standard store.
- Newer ecosystem — fewer ready-made plugins than WooCommerce or Shopify apps. Custom development is often required.
- Technical maintenance — you need someone to handle updates and hosting (though this is simpler than WordPress maintenance).
Our honest take: Medusa is the best choice for businesses that see e-commerce as their core operation and plan to be around for years. The upfront cost is higher, but you end up with a faster, more secure, fully-owned asset that costs less to run over time.
What About Scalability?
This is where the platforms really diverge:
- WooCommerce struggles under load. Flash sales and traffic spikes often crash sites unless you're on expensive managed hosting.
- Shopify handles scale well — their infrastructure is built for it. But as you grow, so do your fees.
- Medusa scales excellently due to its modern architecture. You can add capacity by scaling your hosting, not by paying higher platform tiers.
What About Migration?
If you're already on one platform and considering a switch:
- From WooCommerce: Migration to Medusa is straightforward. Products, customers, and orders can be exported and imported. The main work is building the new frontend.
- From Shopify: Shopify makes it deliberately difficult to leave. Data export is limited, and you'll lose access to your store history. Plan for a parallel run period.
- To Medusa: We typically handle migrations as part of the build project. Most stores can be migrated without any downtime.
Need the quick version?
See Part 1: TL;DR for comparison tables and cost breakdowns.
Ready to Talk?
If you're considering a new e-commerce store or thinking about migrating from your current platform, we're happy to discuss your options — even if that means recommending Shopify or WooCommerce for your specific situation.
Book a free consultation and let's figure out what's right for your business.