Both platforms can run a serious UK store. The right choice depends less on features and more on what you value: rented simplicity, or owned flexibility.
The 3-year cost picture
Shopify's monthly subscription plus transaction fees (unless you use Shopify Payments) compounds quietly over three years. WooCommerce trades that subscription for hosting and maintenance costs — typically lower once a store is past its first year, with no per-sale platform cut beyond standard card processing.
Ownership & data portability
A WooCommerce store lives on infrastructure you control; your product data, customer list and content are yours outright. Shopify data can be exported, but your store's design, apps and workflows are tied to their platform by design.
UK-specific factors
VAT handling is solid on both with the right plugins or apps. Klarna adoption is strong on both. Royal Mail and major UK courier integrations exist for each — WooCommerce via plugins, Shopify via its app store, both requiring a little setup either way.
When Shopify is genuinely the right answer
If you want the absolute minimum technical involvement and are happy to trade some flexibility and ongoing fees for that simplicity, Shopify is a legitimate, well-built choice — we'll say so plainly if that's your business.
When WooCommerce wins
When you want to own the asset outright, avoid per-sale platform fees at scale, and want your store, blog and SEO content living in one connected system rather than two.
Migration paths
Products, customers and order history typically carry across from Shopify, Wix or Etsy, with SEO redirects protecting your existing rankings.