WooCommerce and Shopify both compete in ecommerce platforms, but they optimise for different things — broadly, open-source control vs hosted simplicity. Here is how to decide.
Where WooCommerce is stronger
WooCommerce is the open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress. Choose it when that specific strength matches your primary need and you want a tool shaped around it.
Where Shopify is stronger
Shopify approaches the problem from the other side of the trade-off (open-source control vs hosted simplicity). Teams that sit on that side of the fence tend to be happier there.
How to decide
List your top three requirements before comparing feature pages. Most regret in tool choice comes from buying for edge cases. If you are still unsure, both offer low-risk ways to trial — start with the one whose core strength matches requirement number one.
Related: Best WooCommerce alternatives.