WordPress vs Shopify vs Custom: Which Suits Your Business?

Quick Answer

• WordPress – Content management, blogs, presentation sites, small e-commerce (WooCommerce)
• Shopify – E-commerce businesses aiming for growth without a technical team
• Custom – Unique requirements, large scale, AI/automation

WordPress

Advantages - Powers 43% of the web - 60,000+ plugins - Open-source software - Broad developer availability - Flexible for everything (from blogs to e-shops)

Disadvantages - Requires regular maintenance - Security is your responsibility - Plugin conflicts can occur - Performance degrades without optimization

Who is it for? - Content-driven businesses (blogs, news, guides) - Small-to-medium e-shops (WooCommerce, up to ~1000 products) - Presentation sites for service providers - Businesses with a maintenance team or partner

Cost - Development: €1,500–€6,000 - Hosting: €5–€30/month - Maintenance: €50–€200/month

Shopify

Advantages - All-in-one (hosting, payment solutions, backups) - Easy to use (for non-technical owners) - Scalable to millions in annual revenue - Large App Store - Solid built-in SEO

Disadvantages - Monthly fee ($29–$299) - Transaction fees (if not using Shopify Payments) - Vendor lock-in (difficult to migrate away) - Design limited by themes (though flexible)

Who is it for? - Pure e-commerce stores (not content-centric) - Turnover exceeding €50K/year - International trade - Clients without an internal IT team

Cost - Plan: $29–$299/month - Theme: $0–$350 (one-time) - Apps: $0–$500/month - Development: €2,000–€10,000

Custom (React, Next.js, Astro)

Advantages - Full control - Optimal speed - Tailored to specific business processes - Simple AI integration - No vendor lock-in

Disadvantages - Higher development costs - Requires long-term developer availability - Needs a separate Headless CMS (Sanity, Strapi) - Longer time-to-market

Who is it for? - Major brands - Unique business processes - AI/automation-centric solutions - Product or SaaS platforms

Cost - Development: €8,000–€50,000+ - Hosting: €20–€500/month - Maintenance: €200–€2,000/month

Decision Framework

1. Does the site sell products?
2. - Yes, high volume and growing → Shopify
3. - Yes, low volume and content-centric → WooCommerce
4. - No → WordPress or Custom

1. Do you have a technical team?
2. - Yes → Custom or WordPress
3. - No → Shopify

1. Do you need AI/automated solutions?
2. - Yes → Custom (React + AI APIs)
3. - No → WordPress or Shopify

1. Is the budget under €3,000?
2. - Yes → WordPress + ready-made theme
3. - No → All options are viable

Summary

There is no single "best" solution. Every technology excels in its own context. The worst mistake is choosing a technology based on trends rather than business requirements.