The Complete Guide to Choosing the Best Ecommerce Platform

If you’re a business owner looking to sell products online, chances are you’ve already heard of WooCommerce, Shopify, and Squarespace. These are three popular ecommerce options, but they’re not all created equal.

While all three platforms allow you to sell products online, there’s a big difference between launching a basic online store and building a fully customized ecommerce website designed to support your business as it grows. Each platform offers different levels of flexibility, customization, functionality, and control.

So, which one should you choose?

We’ll compare WooCommerce, Shopify, and Squarespace across the things that matter most: features, customization, costs, and long-term flexibility. You’ll see where each platform shines, where it falls short, and why WordPress and WooCommerce are our preferred choice for building ecommerce websites that stand out, work for your business, and grow with you.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free, open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress, one of the most popular website content management systems (CMS) in the world. WooCommerce reports powering more than 4 million online stores worldwide, making it one of the most widely used ecommerce solutions available.

Because WooCommerce runs on WordPress, you’ll need to pay for things like website hosting, security, and ongoing maintenance. While the core plugin is free, additional extensions, custom development, and professional support can also contribute to the overall cost of running your store.

The main thing that sets WooCommerce apart is its freedom and customizability. Since it’s an open-source platform, developers can create extensions, integrations, and custom functionality that expand its capabilities. Combined with the powerful content management features of WordPress, WooCommerce gives businesses the flexibility to build much more than a standard online store.

If you’re looking to create an online store that’s unlike any other, WooCommerce gives you the freedom and flexibility to do it.

From a beautifully branded storefront for a growing business to custom product configurations, checkout experiences, and integrations with inventory management systems, WooCommerce can be tailored to fit the way your business operates.

For businesses that want more control over their website and the ability to expand functionality over time, WooCommerce offers a powerful foundation.

Shopify

Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform built specifically for merchants. With millions of merchants operating across more than 175 countries, it’s a popular option for businesses looking for a convenient way to sell products online.

As an all-in-one ecommerce solution, Shopify handles hosting, core security, and platform maintenance, making it relatively easy to launch and manage an online store without extensive technical experience. Businesses can sell through their websites, social media, online marketplaces, and physical retail locations.

Shopify offers professionally designed themes, built-in ecommerce tools, and a large selection of apps to expand functionality. However, additional apps and advanced features can increase ongoing costs, and customization is ultimately limited by Shopify’s proprietary platform.

While Shopify can support businesses of all sizes, its biggest advantage is convenience rather than complete flexibility. Businesses that need highly customized functionality or greater control over their website’s underlying technology may find its restrictions limiting.

For merchants who prioritize simplicity and managed ecommerce tools, Shopify is a capable solution, but it doesn’t offer the same level of ownership and customization as WordPress and WooCommerce.

SquareSpace

Squarespace is an easy-to-use website builder and content management platform that allows business owners to create professional websites without extensive technical knowledge. Its ecommerce functionality makes it possible to sell physical and digital products, manage inventory, and accept online payments.

As a fully hosted platform, Squarespace handles hosting, core security, and maintenance, making it a convenient option for businesses that want to manage their websites without worrying about the technical details.

Squarespace offers attractive templates, visual editing tools, and built-in ecommerce features that work well for relatively straightforward online stores. However, its emphasis on simplicity comes at the expense of customization and flexibility.

Businesses with specialized product requirements, complex integrations, or a desire for greater control over their website’s functionality may find Squarespace restrictive as their needs evolve.

For businesses looking for a straightforward way to create a website and sell products online, Squarespace can get the job done. But for those who want a more customized ecommerce experience with greater room to grow, WooCommerce offers considerably more flexibility.

WooCommerce offers the most flexibility. With thousands of WordPress plugins, WooCommerce extensions, and custom development options, you can create anything from a simple online store to a highly customized shopping experience.

Shopify offers attractive themes, built-in selling tools, and an extensive app marketplace. It’s highly capable, but customizations must work within Shopify’s proprietary platform, and additional apps can increase costs.

Squarespace makes it easy to build a professional-looking website using templates and visual editing tools. However, it offers fewer options for advanced ecommerce functionality and custom integrations.

Want to have a blog on your shop as well?

WooCommerce runs on WordPress, one of the most flexible content management systems available. From blog posts and landing pages to product guides and custom content, WordPress gives businesses extensive control over their content and SEO strategy.

Shopify and Squarespace also offer blogging and SEO tools, but WordPress provides greater flexibility for businesses with more extensive content and marketing needs.

Of course, the platform alone doesn’t guarantee better search rankings. Quality content, website performance, and technical SEO still matter.

WooCommerce was made with global commerce in mind. It supports numerous payment gateways, shipping solutions, product types, and integrations. Need subscriptions, wholesale pricing, personalized products, or connections to your inventory and accounting software? WooCommerce can accommodate those requirements through extensions or custom development.

Shopify includes powerful product management and selling tools, with additional functionality available through apps and integrations.

Squarespace handles standard ecommerce needs well, including product variations, inventory, and payments, but has fewer options for specialized workflows.

This is one of the biggest differences business owners should understand.

WooCommerce lets you choose your hosting provider and development team. You have access to your website’s files and code, giving you greater control over your investment. You’ll need to manage hosting, updates, and security yourself or work with a professional website maintenance provider.

Shopify and Squarespace handle hosting, core security, and platform maintenance for you. That’s convenient, but both operate on proprietary software that you can’t simply move to another hosting provider.

At Pursu Agency, we believe businesses should own their websites and have the freedom to choose who supports them. That’s a major reason we build with WordPress and WooCommerce.

The price of launching an online store is only part of the picture. What will your website cost to operate over one year, five years, or even ten years?

WooCommerce is free to use, but you’ll need to budget for hosting, maintenance, and any premium plugins or custom development. You might invest more upfront in a professionally built website, but you have the freedom to choose your providers, add functionality as needed, and avoid being tied to a single company’s pricing structure.

Shopify has predictable subscription fees, but costs can increase as your business grows. For example, you might start with a basic plan, then add paid apps for subscriptions, customer reviews, advanced shipping, or marketing. Over five or ten years, those recurring fees can add up, especially if you need higher-tier plans or additional functionality.

Squarespace can be an affordable way to get started, particularly for businesses with straightforward ecommerce needs. However, if your business eventually requires functionality the platform doesn’t support, you may face the expense of migrating to another platform and rebuilding parts of your website.

The biggest expense isn’t always what you pay each month. It’s what happens when your business outgrows your website, you need additional functionality, or you decide to change providers.

WooCommerce isn’t automatically the cheapest option, but its flexibility and ownership advantages can make it a valuable long-term investment.

Don’t just compare the cost to launch. Consider what you’re getting, what you control, how long it will last, and what it will cost to grow.

If you want an easy-to-manage website with straightforward selling features, Squarespace may be enough.

If you’re looking for a dedicated ecommerce platform with built-in selling tools and managed hosting, Shopify is a decent option.

But if you want a website that stands out from the competition, attracts the right customers, and gives you the freedom to customize its design, functionality, and integrations, we recommend WordPress and WooCommerce.

And WooCommerce isn’t just for large businesses with complicated requirements. At Pursu Agency, we’ve built WooCommerce websites for growing retail brands, including a girls’ athletic clothing company that needed a beautifully branded online store with room to grow.

Whether you’re launching your first collection or managing a more established business, WooCommerce can be tailored to fit your needs.