Moving from wordpress to Shopify: what to expect
If your online store started on WordPress , most likely with woocommerce , you know how flexible the platform can be. That flexibility also comes with responsibilities: hosting, security, plugin maintenance and sometimes troubleshooting checkout issues. Shopify takes a different approach by packaging hosting, security, and checkout into a single service, which can reduce technical overhead and speed up setup. This change in responsibility and workflow is the main reason many WordPress site owners consider Shopify: it simplifies day-to-day store management, but it also changes how you handle custom features, urls and integrations.
Core differences that matter
Understanding the practical differences helps you decide whether a partial move or a full migration makes sense. WordPress is self-hosted software that gives you complete control over code, themes and server environment, while Shopify is a hosted solution with a fixed checkout and server-side architecture. That means less tinkering with performance and security on Shopify, but also fewer low-level customization options unless you use Shopify Plus or a headless approach. On pricing, Shopify charges monthly platform fees and may add transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments, whereas wordpress hosting and plugin costs vary widely depending on providers and extensions.
The WooCommerce comparison
WooCommerce extends WordPress and is highly customizable , great for unusual product types or complex integrations , but those extensions can add cost and complexity. Shopify’s app ecosystem covers many common needs with vetted apps and simpler installs. If you rely on bespoke WordPress plugins or server-side customizations, plan for how those capabilities will be replicated or replaced on Shopify before you move.
Key Shopify concepts to learn first
Before you start moving products or changing DNS, learn the Shopify building blocks so the migration isn’t overwhelming. Products and collections replace the product and category model you know in WordPress. Themes determine storefront layout, but you’ll edit theme settings and limited Liquid templates rather than full php templates. Shopify handles payment processing inside its platform and supports multiple gateways. Apps extend functionality rather than plugins running on your server. Knowing these terms will make the migration process more predictable and easier to test.
Themes and design
Shopify themes can be customized in size and settings, and many themes come with responsive layouts and prebuilt blocks. You won’t edit PHP; instead, Shopify uses Liquid templates and a theme editor. If your WordPress design relies on advanced page-builder features, you’ll want to map those sections to Shopify’s theme blocks or consider a headless setup where WordPress keeps the frontend and Shopify handles commerce.
Inventory, checkout and payments
Inventory and orders live in Shopify’s admin. Checkout is part of Shopify’s hosted system, which improves PCI compliance but can limit deep customization unless you use Shopify Plus. Shopify Payments simplifies card processing and can remove transaction fees, while third-party gateways remain an option. Make a list of payment methods and shipping rules you currently use and confirm Shopify has equivalent options or apps that match your needs.
Ways to connect or migrate , choose the right path
You can approach Shopify in a few different ways depending on how tied you are to WordPress for content, SEO and custom features. Full migration moves your entire store and blog to Shopify, which is straightforward for many merchants. A hybrid approach keeps WordPress for content and uses Shopify as the commerce engine, either via the Buy Button or a headless architecture. If you want to keep using WordPress for everything but add Shopify checkout features, Shopify Lite is another option. Each approach has trade-offs in development effort, SEO handling and ongoing maintenance.
Common migration options
- Full migration: Export products, customers and orders, import into Shopify, migrate blog posts or recreate high-value content, and set up redirects.
- Buy Button or Shopify Lite: Add commerce widgets to WordPress pages and keep content and SEO fully under WordPress control.
- Headless setup: Use Shopify as the backend for products and checkout while WordPress (or a JavaScript frontend) renders the storefront for complete design control.
- Third-party migration services: Tools like Cart2Cart or LitExtension automate much of the migration and handle redirects, though they add cost.
Step-by-step migration checklist
A checklist prevents surprises. Start with a full audit of your existing site: inventory, customer data, blog posts, SEO metadata, and user accounts. Export product CSVs, images and customer lists from WordPress/WooCommerce. Set up a Shopify store on a development plan, configure taxes, shipping and payments, then import products and test orders. Create a mapping of old URLs to new Shopify URLs so you can implement 301 redirects and preserve search rankings. Finally, set up analytics, test performance, and run end-to-end checkout tests before updating dns to point your domain at Shopify.
SEO, URLs and preserving traffic
Search traffic is often the most valuable asset, so pay close attention to URLs, metadata, structured data and sitemaps. Shopify’s default product url structure differs from many WordPress sites, so prepare a redirects plan and implement 301 redirects for product, category and blog URLs. Preserve title tags and meta descriptions when possible and ensure your site continues to use structured data for products and reviews. After migration, monitor google search console for crawl errors and indexing changes, and submit a fresh sitemap to speed discovery of updated pages.
Costs and ongoing management
Shopify’s pricing tiers cover small shops up to enterprise needs. Expect a monthly subscription, possible transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments, and extra costs for paid themes or apps. The convenience of managed hosting and security can offset these expenses for teams that value time over server-level control. Factor in app subscriptions, premium themes and any developer work for custom integration when comparing long-term costs to a wordpress Setup that requires hosting, backups and plugin maintenance.
Practical tips for a smooth transition
Start small: migrate a subset of products and a test blog post to validate templates, redirects and checkout behavior. Keep your original WordPress site available until DNS cutover and keep a clear rollback plan. Communicate changes to customers when you flip the switch to avoid confusion with account logins or order histories. Use analytics to compare traffic and conversion rates before and after the move so you can address issues quickly.
Summary
For WordPress users, Shopify offers a simpler, hosted path to selling online with fewer technical tasks to manage. The right approach depends on how much you value full control over code and layout versus convenience and a turn-key checkout. Evaluate migration options , full move, Buy Button, headless , and plan carefully to preserve SEO and customer data. With preparation, you can adopt Shopify’s managed commerce features without losing the content and brand strengths you built on WordPress.
FAQs
Can I keep my WordPress blog if I move products to Shopify?
Yes. You can keep WordPress for content and use Shopify for commerce via the Buy Button or a headless setup. If you fully migrate products to Shopify but keep the blog on WordPress, be mindful of cross-domain issues and canonical tags to avoid duplicate content problems.
Will migrating to Shopify hurt my SEO?
Not if you plan redirects and preserve metadata. The biggest SEO risk is losing URL structures and not setting up 301 redirects. Export existing meta titles and descriptions, map old URLs to new ones, and monitor search console after the migration to catch any crawl errors.
Do I need a developer to move from WordPress to Shopify?
Small stores can often migrate with built-in tools and migration apps, but a developer helps when you have custom integrations, complex redirects, or want a headless setup. A developer can also ensure Liquid templates, shipping rules and tax settings match your requirements.
What about customer accounts and order history?
Customer lists and historical orders can usually be migrated using Shopify’s import tools or third-party services. Some fields may need manual adjustment, especially if you used custom user fields in WordPress. Keep backups of everything before you start the transfer.
Is Shopify cheaper than running WooCommerce on WordPress?
It depends on what you value. Shopify has predictable monthly fees and handles hosting and security, while WooCommerce costs can vary based on hosting, plugins and maintenance time. For many store owners, Shopify’s convenience offsets its subscription fees, but complex or highly customized stores might find lower long-term costs on self-hosted WordPress.
