How Much Does a Website Cost in the UK?
DIY, freelancer and agency prices compared, plus the running costs to budget for.
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Key takeaways
- Shopify is a hosted platform built for selling; WordPress is a flexible, self-hosted CMS.
- Shopify is usually simpler to run; WordPress offers more control over content and design.
- Both can rank well; content and site quality matter more than the platform.
- Choose based on what you sell, how much content you publish and who maintains it.
WordPress vs Shopify in one minute
Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform. You pay a monthly subscription, and Shopify looks after hosting, security and checkout. WordPress is open-source software you install on your own hosting. It runs everything from simple brochure sites to large content sites, and can sell online with WooCommerce.
The WordPress vs Shopify choice comes down to what you sell, how much content you publish and how much control you want over the site, compared with how little maintenance you want to do.
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | WordPress | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Service businesses, content-led sites, flexible stores | Product businesses focused on selling online |
| Hosting and security | You (or your agency) manage them | Included and managed by Shopify |
| Running costs | Hosting, maintenance and premium plugins | Monthly plan, apps and transaction fees on some payment methods |
| Ecommerce | WooCommerce: very flexible, more setup | Excellent out of the box |
| Content and blogging | Best in class | Good enough for most stores |
| Design freedom | Almost unlimited | High, within Shopify's theme system |
| Maintenance | Regular updates needed | Mostly handled for you |
| Ownership | You own and can move everything | Your data is exportable, but the platform is Shopify's |
Platform prices change, so check Shopify's UK pricing page and your hosting provider's current plans when you budget.
When WordPress is the better choice
- You're a service business that wins work through enquiries, not a checkout.
- You publish lots of content: guides, location pages, case studies.
- You need custom functionality or integrations Shopify doesn't support easily.
- You want full ownership and the freedom to move hosts.
- You sell a small number of products alongside services.
WordPress needs looking after. Core, theme and plugin updates, backups and security monitoring are essential. Budget for a maintenance plan or make sure someone owns it in-house.
When Shopify is the better choice
- Selling products online is the core of your business.
- You want a fast, reliable checkout without managing servers.
- You need multichannel selling: social shops, marketplaces and point of sale.
- Your team wants to manage products and orders, not website software.
- You expect growth and seasonal spikes in traffic.
Count the apps. Shopify's monthly fee is only part of the cost. List the apps you'll need for reviews, subscriptions, filters and email, and add their monthly fees to compare fairly.
Which is better for SEO?
Both platforms can rank very well. What matters more is the quality of your content, site structure, speed and internal linking.
- WordPress gives you full control over URLs, page structure and technical SEO, which suits content-heavy sites.
- Shopify handles the essentials well, but has fixed URL patterns (such as /products/ and /collections/) and can create duplicate product URLs that need managing.
- On both, speed depends on your theme and add-ons. Our guide to Core Web Vitals on WordPress covers the common fixes.
Get a platform recommendationWe build on both WordPress and Shopify, so our advice is impartial.
Get my free quote Switching platforms later
You can move between WordPress and Shopify, but it's a project in its own right: products, customers, orders, content and URLs all need migrating, with redirects to protect your rankings. Choosing carefully now saves a migration later. If you do need to move, our website redesign SEO checklist covers the steps that protect your traffic.
Common mistakes
- Choosing WordPress for a large store without planning hosting and maintenance.
- Choosing Shopify for a service business that barely sells online.
- Installing dozens of plugins or apps that slow the site down.
- Comparing headline prices instead of total monthly costs.
WordPress vs Shopify FAQs
Is Shopify cheaper than WordPress?
It depends. Shopify bundles hosting and security into a monthly fee, while WordPress costs depend on hosting, plugins and maintenance. Compare total yearly costs, including apps and transaction fees.
Can WordPress handle a large online store?
Yes, with WooCommerce, good hosting and careful setup. It needs more technical management than Shopify as the store grows.
Can I blog on Shopify?
Yes. Shopify has a built-in blog that's fine for most stores. Businesses that publish a lot of in-depth content usually find WordPress more flexible.
Which is easier to use day to day?
For managing products and orders, Shopify. For publishing pages and articles, WordPress. Either is easy once it's set up well and your team has had training.
The bottom line
In the WordPress vs Shopify decision, let your business model lead. If you mainly sell products online, Shopify's simplicity is hard to beat. If you win work through content and enquiries, or need complete flexibility, WordPress is usually the better foundation.