Most “WooCommerce vs Shopify” articles are written for a global audience, ignore Australian-specific factors, and were last updated in 2022. This one isn't.
I build WooCommerce stores for Australian businesses. I've also helped clients migrate away from Shopify when the platform costs caught up with them. Here's what you actually need to know before committing to either platform.
Quick Comparison — AU Specific
| Factor | WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Platform cost | Free | AUD $39–$399+/mo |
| Transaction fees | None | 0–2% per sale* |
| Hosting | ~AUD $30–$80/mo | Included |
| Afterpay AU | ✓ Native | ✓ Native |
| POLi Payments | ✓ Plugin | Limited |
| Zip Pay AU | ✓ Plugin | ✓ Native |
| GST invoicing | ✓ Plugin (free) | Manual / App ($) |
| Data ownership | Full — yours forever | Platform-locked |
| Customisation | Unlimited | Theme-constrained |
| Setup complexity | Medium | Low |
| Performance control | Full | Limited |
| Migration out | Easy | Painful |
* Shopify transaction fees apply when not using Shopify Payments as your primary gateway.
The Cost Nobody Talks About: Shopify's Transaction Fees
Shopify's pricing looks simple: AUD $39/month (Basic), $105/month (Shopify), or $399/month (Advanced). But there's a fee most people miss.
If you use a payment gateway that isn't Shopify Payments — like POLi, eWAY, or certain BNPL providers — Shopify charges an additional transaction fee on top of your payment processor's fee:
For an Australian store doing AUD $300,000 in annual revenue on the Basic plan, that's AUD $6,000/year in transaction fees alone— on top of your plan cost, on top of your processor's own cut. WooCommerce charges nothing.
Important:Shopify Payments (which eliminates these fees) launched in Australia in 2020 and supports Visa, Mastercard, and Amex. But it doesn't support POLi, some BNPL providers, or certain industry-specific gateways. If your customers use those, you pay the surcharge.
3-Year Total Cost of Ownership (Medium AU Store)
Assumptions: ~500 products, AUD $200,000/year revenue, Australian hosting, standard payment gateway mix.
| Cost Item | WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Platform / hosting | AUD $480–$960/yr (Kinsta or SiteGround AU) | AUD $468–$4,788/yr (Basic to Advanced plan) |
| Transaction fees | None | 0% with Shopify Payments — 0.5–2% if using external gateway |
| Plugins / apps | ~AUD $200–$400/yr (security, SEO, backup) | ~AUD $600–$1,800/yr (avg. 4–6 paid apps) |
| Theme | AUD $0–$200 one-time (or custom) | AUD $300–$500 one-time (premium Shopify theme) |
| Developer / build | AUD $3,500–$9,000 setup (one-time) | AUD $1,500–$4,000 setup (simpler, less custom) |
| 3-Year Total (est.) | AUD $8,000–$14,000 | AUD $12,000–$24,000+ |
Shopify range widens significantly at higher revenue due to transaction fees on non-Shopify-Payments gateways.
Australian-Specific Factors That Actually Matter
Afterpay & Zip Pay
TieBoth platforms support Afterpay and Zip natively. This isn't a differentiator — it's table stakes for Australian retail. If a developer tells you WooCommerce can't do Afterpay, find a different developer.
POLi Payments
WooCommerce winsPOLi is a direct bank transfer gateway used heavily in AU and NZ — particularly for larger transactions where buyers prefer not to use a card. WooCommerce supports it cleanly via the official POLi plugin. Shopify's support is limited and often requires third-party workarounds that add friction at checkout.
GST Invoicing
WooCommerce winsAustralian businesses need GST-compliant tax invoices. WooCommerce handles this with free plugins (WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips) that auto-generate tax invoices at the correct AUD format. On Shopify, GST invoicing requires a paid app — typically AUD $15–$25/month.
Australian Hosting & Server Location
WooCommerce winsWooCommerce lets you host on Australian servers — important for Core Web Vitals and TTFB for AU visitors. I use SiteGround's Sydney data centre or Kinsta's Melbourne node. Shopify's servers are in North America, with Australian edge caching via their CDN. For pure performance in AU, self-hosted WooCommerce on AU servers wins.
Australia Post & Sendle Integration
WooCommerce slight edgeBoth platforms integrate with Australia Post and Sendle for shipping. WooCommerce has more flexibility for custom shipping rules — rural delivery surcharges, combined weight calculations, zone-based pricing. Shopify's shipping is more rigid, which matters for stores with complex shipping logic.
When to Choose WooCommerce
When to Choose Shopify
The Migration Trap
I've helped two AU businesses migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce. Both had the same story: started on Shopify because it was quick to set up, grew past AUD $200k revenue, and started paying AUD $4,000–$8,000/year in transaction fees on top of their plan cost.
Migration from Shopify is painful. Products, orders, customers, SEO URLs, redirects — none of it migrates automatically. Plan for 4–8 weeks of developer time and expect some SEO disruption in the transition period.
The lesson: if you're building a store you expect to grow seriously, make the right platform decision upfront. The cost of migrating later is usually higher than doing it correctly at the start.
Performance: A Note for AU/NZ Stores
Shopify's infrastructure is solid — their CDN caches product images and static assets close to AU visitors. But their server response time (TTFB) is higher than a well-tuned WooCommerce store on Australian hosting, because the origin is in North America.
For a WooCommerce store on SiteGround's Sydney node or Kinsta's Melbourne node, I consistently see TTFB of 80–120 ms for AU visitors. Shopify typically lands at 180–260 ms. On mobile, where Core Web Vitals are measured, that gap matters for both Google rankings and conversion rates.
If performance matters to you: WooCommerce on AU-hosted infrastructure, properly cached and optimised, will consistently outperform Shopify for Australian visitors. If you want the proof, read the PageSpeed 54 → 94 case study — same principle applies to WooCommerce stores.
The Bottom Line for Australian Businesses
- ✦WooCommerce wins on cost for stores doing AUD $150k+ annually — transaction fee savings compound fast
- ✦Shopify wins on simplicity and speed-to-launch for smaller stores using Shopify Payments
- ✦POLi, GST invoicing, and AU server hosting all favour WooCommerce
- ✦Both support Afterpay and Zip — that's not a differentiator in 2025
- ✦Migrating from Shopify later is expensive — decide upfront based on your 3-year revenue projection, not your month-one costs
- ✦If you're unsure: build a quick revenue forecast. If you'll hit AUD $120k+ within 2 years, WooCommerce is almost certainly cheaper long-term