Artisanal Solutions / Guides / Shopify vs WooCommerce for food businesses

Comparison

Shopify vs WooCommerce for food businesses

Both run serious online stores. Shopify is hosted and maintained for you. WooCommerce is free, open-source software on WordPress that you host and maintain yourself.

Get a plan and a priceSee the picks

Updated November 2026 by the Madeline's team, who set these tools up for makers and farms.

Shopify vs WooCommerce
5In view
4On track
0Needs you
ShopifyWooCommerce
Hosting Included You arrange it
Software cost Monthly plan Free plugin
Updates and security Handled You handle them
Extensions Apps Plugins
Best for Small teams WordPress sites
Features, plans and fees change; check each vendor before you switch.

The short answer

Choose Shopify if you want the store to run without you looking after hosting, updates and security. Choose WooCommerce if you already run a WordPress site, want full control of the code and have someone to maintain it.

Side by side

  1. Shopify

    Best for small teams

    A hosted platform: hosting, security, checkout and updates are handled for you. Apps add subscriptions, wholesale and perishable shipping rules.

    Good fit if
    • Nobody on the team wants to maintain a website
    • You want POS and online in one system
    Watch for
    • Monthly plan plus apps
    • Less control over the code

  2. WooCommerce

    Best for WordPress sites

    A free, open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. You pay for hosting, premium extensions and the time to keep it updated and secure.

    Good fit if
    • You already have a WordPress site you like
    • You want full control and have a developer
    Watch for
    • Updates, backups and security are on you
    • Costs move to hosting, plugins and upkeep

Want one of these set up for you?

Tell us what you make. We send back a short plan and a price.

Get a plan and a price

How it works

  1. Tell us what you make

    What you make and what you use now. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer.

  2. Get a short plan

    Keep this, replace that, connect these, and the cost.

  3. We set it up

    Setup and migration done for you. You approve before anything goes live.

  4. Run it or hand it off

    Take it from there yourself or keep us on for the upkeep.

Questions

Is WooCommerce cheaper than Shopify?

The plugin is free, but hosting, extensions and maintenance cost money and time. For a small team, Shopify is often cheaper once upkeep is counted.

Which is better for a small food business?

Shopify for most small teams, because hosting and updates are handled. WooCommerce if you already run WordPress and have someone to maintain it.

Can I move from WooCommerce to Shopify?

Yes. Products, customers and orders move over, and old URLs can redirect so search rankings carry over.

Can Madeline's do the move?

Yes. We migrate the store, set up redirects, shipping and payments, and test checkout before you switch.

Get a plan and a price

Tell us what you make and what you use today. A spreadsheet and a Square account is a fine answer. We reply by email with what we would keep, what we would change and what it costs.

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