Look, I’ve been in the e-commerce niche for years now. I’ve built stores on every platform imaginable, and I’ve watched countless clients drain their profits into Shopify’s monthly fees.
So when people ask me, “Is WooCommerce still worth it in 2025?” I don’t just nod—I practically shout “YES!”
Here’s why I’m more convinced than ever that WooCommerce is the smart play, especially now that I’ve built Shop2Woo to solve the migration headache.
Why I Abandoned Shopify After 5 Years (And Never Looked Back)
I’ll be honest—Shopify isn’t terrible. It’s slick, it’s convenient, and for absolute beginners, it removes a lot of technical hurdles. But here’s what finally drove me away:
Last year, I tallied up what my mid-sized Shopify store was actually costing me:
- $79/month for the main plan ($948/year)
- $15/month for an inventory app
- $29/month for a review app
- $19/month for an upsell app
- Plus transaction fees eating about 1% of all sales
That’s over $1,700 annually before I sold a single product. And every time I needed new functionality? Another monthly subscription.
When I switched to WooCommerce, my costs dropped to about $150/year for quality hosting, plus some one-time plugin purchases. The math wasn’t just compelling—it was a no-brainer.
WooCommerce in 2025: It’s Not Your 2020 WooCommerce
If you tried WooCommerce years ago and found it clunky, you’re in for a pleasant shock. The 2025 version is a totally different beast:
The core is dramatically faster—my product pages load in under 2 seconds now. The checkout process is streamlined to the point where my conversion rates actually improved after switching from Shopify (I was shocked too).
But the real game-changer is how the ecosystem has matured. Remember when adding basic functionality required tech gymnastics? Now it’s usually just installing a plugin and clicking a few options.
The True Cost of WooCommerce: Let’s Talk Real Numbers
When I advise clients on platform choice, I break down the real costs of WooCommerce:
- Solid WordPress hosting: $10-15/month ($120-180/year)
- Domain name: $15/year
- Essential premium plugins: $100-200 one-time purchases
Even if you buy several premium plugins your first year, you’re looking at maybe $400 total. Compare that to the $1,500+ you’d pay annually for equivalent Shopify functionality.
The kicker? Year two on Shopify means another $1,500+ in fees. Year two on WooCommerce? Just your $150 for hosting and domain renewal.
I’ve seen small businesses save $3,000-5,000 over just two years after making the switch. That’s not pocket change—it’s money that goes straight to your bottom line.
Inventory Management That Doesn’t Cost a Fortune
One of my clients was paying $49/month just for inventory management on Shopify. When I showed him the inventory management software for WooCommerce he could get for a one-time $79 fee, he almost fell out of his chair.
The options have gotten ridiculously good:
- ATUM Inventory gives you a visual stock management dashboard that makes Shopify’s look primitive
- WooCommerce Stock Manager lets you bulk-edit inventory like a spreadsheet
- TradeGecko connects with your suppliers for automated reordering
And none of these come with the dreaded monthly subscription trap. Buy once, use forever. That’s how software should work.
Product Customisation Without the Premium Price Tag
The limitations of Shopify product customisation drove me nuts for years. Basic things like letting customers add personalisation or choose custom options usually meant—you guessed it—another monthly app subscription.
WooCommerce product addons are next-level by comparison:
- Product Options and Builder tools let customers design complex custom products
- Bundling products is straightforward with the Product Bundles extension
- Subscription models, name engravings, add-on services… all doable without the subscription fee penalties
I built a custom skateboard store last year where customers could choose every component. On Shopify, the apps would have cost $50/month. On WooCommerce? A one-time $89 plugin purchase.
Why I Built Shop2Woo (Out of Pure Frustration)
Here’s a story that might sound familiar. Last year, a client with a successful Shopify store wanted to switch to WooCommerce to escape the monthly fees. We looked at the available migration tools and found two options:
- Pay $150 for a migration plugin that required keeping the Shopify subscription active during migration
- Manually recreate 500+ products (absolute nightmare)
Both options stank. So I did what any frustrated developer would do—I built my own solution. Shop2Woo was born from the simple idea that you should be able to export your products once as a JSON file, then never have to touch Shopify again.
For $19.99, Shop2Woo does what those $150 plugins do, but better:
- No need to maintain Shopify API access
- No complex authentication processes
- Just export, import, and you’re done
I’ve used it to migrate over 50 stores now, from tiny boutiques to catalogues with thousands of products. Each time, the store owner had the same reaction: “That’s it? It’s really done?”
Which Stores Should Still Use Shopify?
I’m not going to pretend WooCommerce is perfect for everyone. You should probably stick with Shopify if:
- You have zero technical confidence and no budget to hire help
- You need phone support for technical issues
- You’re selling in a high-risk category where payment processors are finicky
But for everyone else—especially if you’re selling more than a few thousand dollars per month—WooCommerce’s math simply makes more sense. The more you sell, the more you save by avoiding Shopify’s percentage fees.
“I Saved $2,700 in My First Year After Switching”
One of my favourite success stories is Sarah, who runs a mid-sized beauty store. After five years on Shopify, she was paying nearly $300/month between her advanced plan and necessary apps.
Using Shop2Woo, we migrated her 860 products (including all variants and images) in a single afternoon. Total cost:
- $19.99 for Shop2Woo
- $149 for a premium WooCommerce theme
- $180 for three essential plugins
- $15/month for quality hosting
First-year savings: over $2,700. Second-year projected savings: over $3,400.
But the best part? Her site is actually faster now, and she has complete control over her store’s functionality. No more waiting for app developers to add features she needs.
The 3-Step Migration Process Anyone Can Handle
The reason I priced Shop2Woo at $19.99 (when competitors charge $49-150) is simple: I believe escaping the Shopify subscription trap should be accessible to everyone, not just stores with deep pockets.
The migration process is deliberately simple:
- Export your Shopify data: Just visit your-store.myshopify.com/products.json?limit=250&page=1 and save the file
- Install Shop2Woo on your WooCommerce site: Upload the plugin and enter your WooCommerce API keys
- Import your products: Upload the JSON file and let Shop2Woo handle the rest
Most store owners complete the entire process in under an hour. The largest catalog I’ve migrated (4,300+ products) took just under a day for all images to transfer.
Freedom From the Subscription Trap Is Just $19.99 Away
Here’s my bottom line: WooCommerce isn’t just “still worth it” in 2025—it’s the clear choice for store owners who are tired of watching their profits drain away to monthly fees.
With Shop2Woo, I’ve removed the last major barrier to switching—the complicated migration process. For less than the cost of dinner for two, you can free yourself from Shopify’s subscription model and start keeping more of what you earn.
If you’re on the fence, just run the numbers. Calculate your annual Shopify costs, compare them to WooCommerce, and ask yourself: what could you do with those thousands of extra dollars in your business?
Your future self will thank you for making the switch.
Ready to escape Shopify’s monthly fees? Shop2Woo makes migration simple, affordable, and fast. One-time payment of $19.99, lifetime usage on up to 3 sites. Get started today →
