Choosing a platform is one of the first big decisions for an online store, and in Pakistan the debate usually comes down to two names: Shopify and WooCommerce. Both can sell products, accept Cash on Delivery and grow with your business. The right choice depends on your budget, your technical comfort, and how much control you want.

How they differ

Shopify is a hosted platform: you pay a monthly subscription and Shopify handles hosting, security and updates. You get a polished admin panel and you can launch quickly.

WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin: you arrange your own hosting and you own the entire setup. It takes more effort to configure, but there are no platform limits on what you can build.

Cost comparison

  • Shopify: a monthly subscription (its entry plan sits around the $29–39/month range) plus transaction fees — Shopify Payments is not available in Pakistan, so most stores here pay the extra fee or rely on COD and manual payments.
  • WooCommerce: the plugin itself is free; you pay for hosting (typically a few thousand to around Rs. 20,000 per year for a small-to-medium store), plus any premium themes or extensions you choose.

Shopify costs more per month but less of your time. WooCommerce costs less per month but needs someone to maintain it.

Payments in Pakistan

This is where local reality matters. Most Pakistani stores run heavily on Cash on Delivery, with bank transfers and wallets like JazzCash and Easypaisa as common alternatives. Both platforms handle COD easily. For online card payments, WooCommerce has local gateway plugins available, while Shopify stores in Pakistan typically integrate third-party gateways or stick to COD and manual methods. Confirm your payment plan before committing to a platform.

Control and growth

Shopify keeps things simple but inside its ecosystem — deeper custom features often mean paid apps with monthly fees that add up over time. WooCommerce gives you full ownership: any design, any feature, any integration — but you (or your developer) are responsible for updates, backups and performance.

Which should you choose?

  • Choose Shopify if you want to launch fast, prefer a monthly bill over technical work, and your catalog and processes are fairly standard.
  • Choose WooCommerce if you want full control, have (or plan to hire) technical help, sell in ways that need customization, or want to keep monthly costs low as you scale.

Still unsure? Talk to us — we build stores on both platforms and will recommend whichever fits your business, not our preference.