Quick answer
Shopify is a hosted global platform with a large app store; WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin you host and maintain yourself; UpMinutes is a hosted builder with GST invoices, COD rules and UPI built in. Without a developer, a hosted option is simpler; choose by the features you need and the total monthly cost.
If you sell mainly in India and don't have a developer, the short answer is this: WooCommerce gives you the most control but makes you the person responsible for hosting, updates and plugins; Shopify is hosted and polished, with a huge app store, but Indian sellers usually pay a platform fee on top of gateway fees and often add paid apps for GST invoices and COD rules; UpMinutes is hosted and built around Indian selling, with GST invoices, UPI and cash-on-delivery controls included in one GST-inclusive price. The right pick depends on how much you want to manage yourself and which features you would otherwise pay extra for.
This guide compares the three models side by side so you can decide without a sales pitch. Prices for Shopify are as listed on shopify.com/in/pricing on 20 October 2026; Shopify changes prices and offers from time to time, so check Shopify's current pricing before you decide.
What is the real difference between the three?
They are three different kinds of product, not three versions of the same thing.
- Shopify is a hosted e-commerce platform used around the world. You pay a monthly plan, Shopify runs the servers, and you extend the store with themes and apps from its stores.
- WooCommerce is a free e-commerce plugin for WordPress. You (or your developer) buy hosting, install WordPress and WooCommerce, pick a theme, and add plugins for payments, shipping, invoices and more. You look after updates, backups and security.
- UpMinutes is a hosted store builder made in India. Hosting, HTTPS, updates and backups are included, and features such as GST invoices, COD limits, delivery zones by PIN code, WhatsApp order updates and reviews are built in rather than added as apps.
How do they compare at a glance?
| Shopify | WooCommerce | UpMinutes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who hosts it | Shopify | You, on hosting you buy | UpMinutes |
| Updates and backups | Handled by Shopify | Your job (or your developer's) | Included |
| Extending features | Large app store, free and paid apps | Plugins, free and paid | Built in; no app store or plugins |
| GST invoices with CGST/SGST or IGST | Usually via an app | Usually via a plugin | Built in, with HSN per product |
| COD limits and COD by zone | COD is a manual payment method; finer rules often need an app | Basic COD available; finer rules usually need plugins | Built in: limit, minimum order, allow or refuse by zone |
| Payments in India | Third-party provider such as Razorpay; Shopify Payments isn't available for Indian businesses | Gateway plugin of your choice | Your own Razorpay account, plus COD |
| Platform fee on sales | 2% on Basic when using a third-party provider | None from WooCommerce itself | No commission on sales |
How much does each one cost per month?
Comparing sticker prices is misleading. Add up what you would actually pay each month.
Shopify
On the India pricing page, Basic is listed at ₹1,994 a month on monthly billing (₹1,499 a month billed yearly), Grow at ₹7,447 (₹5,599 yearly) and Advanced at ₹30,164 (₹22,680 yearly). The page doesn't say whether GST is included, so check whether GST is added. Because Shopify Payments isn't available for businesses in India, Indian stores use a third-party provider, and Shopify charges a transaction fee on those orders: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced. That sits on top of the gateway's own fee. Add any paid apps you need.
WooCommerce
The plugin is free, but a working store isn't. Expect to pay for hosting, a domain, possibly a premium theme, and premium plugins for things like GST invoices or shipping rules. If you can't do updates and fixes yourself, add a developer's time. These costs vary widely, which is both the appeal and the risk.
UpMinutes
Starter is ₹500 a month, Growth ₹999 and Pro ₹2,000, all including 18% GST. Yearly billing gives two months free. There's no commission on sales and no app fees; Razorpay charges its own payment fees, as every gateway does. See the pricing page for what each plan includes.
For a simple example: say you sell ₹1,00,000 a month through Razorpay. On Shopify Basic (monthly billing) you would pay ₹1,994 plus 2% of ₹1,00,000, which is ₹2,000, before gateway fees and apps. On UpMinutes Growth you would pay ₹999 including GST, before gateway fees. Our guide to transaction fees versus commission walks through this in more detail, and how paid apps add up covers the extras.
Which one is easiest to set up without a developer?
Hosted platforms win here. With Shopify or UpMinutes you sign up, choose a theme, add products and connect payments. With WooCommerce you also choose hosting, install software, configure plugins and keep them compatible with each other after every update.
On UpMinutes, you start from one of 150 themes (13 on Starter), each with a live demo you can try with your own products before switching. Products can be imported from a CSV with a preview, and policy pages are written for you when you move from another platform.
Which handles GST, COD and Indian delivery best?
This is where an India-first builder has an edge, simply because the features exist on day one.
- GST: UpMinutes creates a numbered GST invoice PDF for each order with your logo, HSN per product and CGST+SGST or IGST worked out from the shopper's state. See built-in GST invoices versus an app.
- COD: switch it on or off, set a COD limit and a minimum order, and allow or refuse COD by delivery zone. Our COD rules comparison goes deeper.
- Delivery: zones by PIN code, city or state, rates by weight, order value or distance, a "Check delivery" box on product pages, and Shiprocket for booking couriers.
Shopify and WooCommerce can do much of this too, but usually through apps or plugins you choose, pay for and maintain.
What about speed and SEO?
All three can rank well when set up properly. The difference is how much you have to manage. WordPress sites can slow down as plugins pile up; a hosted store keeps that under the provider's control. UpMinutes has no page builders, plugins or app scripts, converts photos to WebP in three sizes, and sets up titles, sitemaps and structured data automatically. It also publishes an llms.txt summary for AI assistants. We don't quote speed scores because they depend on your photos and theme.
When is Shopify the better choice?
Shopify may suit you better if you:
- sell internationally in many currencies and need checkout in those currencies (UpMinutes shows guide prices in up to 12 currencies, but orders are charged in rupees);
- need POS hardware for several physical shops;
- depend on a specific app from Shopify's app store;
- have a large in-house development team building a custom storefront.
When is WooCommerce the better choice?
WooCommerce makes sense if you already run a busy WordPress site, have a developer you trust, need a very specific custom feature, or want full control over your hosting and code. Budget for ongoing maintenance, not just the build.
When does UpMinutes fit best?
UpMinutes fits businesses of many sizes, from a home seller on Starter to a growing brand with up to 1,000 products and 15 staff on Pro, that sell across India and to customers abroad and want GST, COD, UPI and WhatsApp handled without apps. Checkout is in rupees through your own Razorpay account.
A quick checklist before you choose
- List the features you need on day one (GST invoices, COD rules, delivery zones, languages, reviews).
- For each platform, note which are built in and which need an app or plugin, and their monthly cost.
- Add platform fees on your expected monthly sales.
- Decide who will handle updates, backups and fixes.
- Try each one with a few real products during a free trial.
Read the full UpMinutes vs Shopify comparison, browse more comparisons, or start a 14-day free trial with no card needed. Shopify is a trademark of Shopify Inc., and WooCommerce and WordPress are trademarks of their respective owners; UpMinutes is not affiliated with any of them.
Frequently asked questions
Is WooCommerce really free?
The plugin is free, but you pay for hosting, a domain and often premium themes and plugins. If you need help with updates and fixes, a developer's time is a real ongoing cost too.
Can I move from WooCommerce or Shopify to UpMinutes later?
Yes. You can import products from a CSV, upload photos in bulk matched by SKU or name, and set permanent redirects from old addresses so search rankings carry over. Your old store keeps running until you switch.
Does Shopify charge a fee if I use Razorpay?
As listed on 20 October 2026, Shopify charges a third-party transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced when you use a provider such as Razorpay. Check Shopify's current pricing, as it can change.
Which platform is best for selling abroad from India?
If you need checkout in many currencies, Shopify may suit you better. UpMinutes can deliver to other countries and show guide prices in up to 12 currencies, but orders are charged in rupees.
