Shopify vs. WooCommerce vs. Amazon 2026 – The ultimate platform for your online business

Want to start an online business but don't know which platform is right for you? Shopify, WooCommerce, or Amazon? In this detailed comparison, I'll show you the pros and cons of each platform – and which one will truly be profitable in 2026.

An overview of the 3 major e-commerce platforms

Shopify: The all-in-one solution

Shopify is a hosted e-commerce platform. Everything from one provider: hosting, design, payments, apps. Monthly costs: €32-384.

WooCommerce: The WordPress solution

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin. Open source, flexible, free (but with hidden costs). Self-hosted, self-managed.

Amazon: The Marketplace

Amazon isn't a standalone shop, but a marketplace. You sell on Amazon.de alongside millions of other sellers. Commission: 8-15% per sale.

The detailed comparison

Costs in the first year

Shopify

• Basic Plan: €32/month = €384/year
• Domain: €15/year
• Apps (optional): €0-100/month
• Theme (optional): €0-300 one-time fee

Total: €400-1,900/year

WooCommerce

• Hosting: €5-50/month = €60-600/year
• Domain: €15/year
• SSL certificate: €0-100/year
• Premium Plugins: €0-500/year
• Theme: €0-200 one-time fee

Total: €75-1,415/year

BUT: Hidden costs due to developers, maintenance, and updates!

Amazon FBA

• Seller account: €39/month = €468/year
• FBA fees: 15-30% of the selling price
• Storage fees: variable
• Shipping costs: included in FBA

Total: €500 + fixed costs + 15-30% of revenue

Simplicity & Ease of Use

Shopify: 10/10

Drag & Drop Editor. No technical knowledge required. Ready to use in 30 minutes. Perfect for beginners.

WooCommerce: 5/10

WordPress knowledge required. Installing, configuring, and updating plugins. Technically demanding. Not for beginners.

Amazon: 7/10

Simple setup. But: Complex rules, many restrictions, constant policy changes.

Design & Adaptability

Shopify: 9/10

100+ professional themes. Fully customizable. App Store with 8,000+ apps. Liquid code for developers.

WooCommerce: 10/10

Unlimited customizability. Thousands of themes. Full code control. But: Requires developers.

Amazon: 2/10

No design freedom. All shops look the same. Only product pages are customizable (to a limited extent).

Marketing & SEO

Shopify: 8/10

Good SEO features. Integrated blog. Social media integration. Email marketing apps. But: Not as flexible as WordPress.

WooCommerce: 10/10

WordPress = SEO king. Yoast SEO, Rank Math. Full control. Best SEO opportunities.

Amazon: 3/10

No SEO (internal to Amazon). No blog. No email marketing. You're not building your own brand.

Traffic & Reach

Shopify: 5/10

You need to generate your own traffic. Facebook Ads, Google Ads, SEO. No organic traffic at the beginning.

WooCommerce: 5/10

Just like Shopify. You have to generate traffic yourself. SEO takes 6-12 months.

Amazon: 10/10

Millions of buyers are already on the platform. Instant traffic. Amazon SEO delivers organic sales.

Margins & Profitability

Shopify: 9/10

Full control over prices. No commissions (except for payment processing fees of 1.9-2.9%). Margins: 30-70%.

WooCommerce: 9/10

Just like Shopify. Full price control. Only payment processing fees. Margins: 30-70%.

Amazon: 4/10

15-30% commission to Amazon. FBA fees. Price wars. Margins: often only 10-20%.

Scalability

Shopify: 10/10

From 10 to 10,000 orders per month without any problems. Infrastructure scales automatically. Apps for everything.

WooCommerce: 6/10

Scaling means more expensive hosting, more maintenance, more problems. Things get complicated once you reach 1,000 orders per month.

Amazon: 9/10

Amazon FBA scales perfectly. Storage, shipping, customer service – all automated.

The advantages and disadvantages in detail

Shopify

Advantages

• ✅ Easy to use
• ✅ Professional Themes
• ✅ 8,000+ Apps
• ✅ Automatic updates
• ✅ 24/7 Support
• ✅ Scales perfectly
• ✅ Build your own brand
• ✅ Full price control

Disadvantages

• ❌ Monthly costs (€32+)
• ❌ Transaction fees (if not Shopify Payments)
• ❌ Less SEO flexibility than WordPress
• ❌ Own traffic required

WooCommerce

Advantages

• ✅ Open Source (free)
• ✅ Full control
• ✅ Best SEO opportunities
• ✅ Unlimited adaptability
• ✅ Large community

Disadvantages

• ❌ Technically demanding
• ❌ Do your own maintenance & updates
• ❌ Manage your own security
• ❌ Hosting costs increase with traffic
• ❌ Often requires developers (expensive)
• ❌ Own traffic required

Amazon FBA

Advantages

• ✅ Instant traffic
• ✅ Millions of potential buyers
• ✅ Amazon handles storage & shipping
• ✅ Prime badge = more sales
• ✅ Simple scaling

Disadvantages

• ❌ 15-30% commission
• ❌ No proprietary brand
• ❌ No email marketing
• ❌ No customer contact
• ❌ Amazon can block you at any time
• ❌ Brutal price war
• ❌ No control over customers

Which platform is suitable for whom?

Shopify is perfect for you if...

• If you want to get started quickly (no technical knowledge required)
• You want to build your own brand
• You want full control over design & prices
• You are ready to invest in marketing.
• You think long-term (own customer list)

WooCommerce is perfect for you if...

• You have WordPress knowledge (or a developer)
• You want maximum control and flexibility
• You take SEO very seriously
• You have time for maintenance & updates
• You want the lowest costs in the long term

Amazon is perfect for you if...

• You want immediate sales (without marketing)
• You don't want your own camp
• You don't find brand building important
• You can live with low margins
• You think short-term (quick money)

The hybrid strategy: The best of all worlds

The smartest strategy for 2026? Combine all three!

Phase 1: Start with Amazon (Months 1-3)

Test products on Amazon. Fast traffic, fast sales. Learn what works.

Phase 2: Own Shopify Store (Months 4-6)

Sell ​​successful Amazon products on Shopify. Higher margins, your own brand, build an email list.

Phase 3: Multi-Channel (Month 7+)

Sell ​​on Amazon AND Shopify. Amazon for traffic, Shopify for margins. Best combination.

Why Online Bros relies on Shopify

We've built over 12,498 online businesses. 98% of them on Shopify. Why?

1. Simplicity

Our customers aren't developers. They want to sell, not code. Shopify is perfect for that.

2. Scalability

From €1,000 to €100,000 in monthly revenue without any technical issues. Shopify grows with you.

3. Apps & Automation

8,000+ apps for everything. Email marketing, upsells, AI chatbots, analytics. Everything can be automated.

4. Own brand

In the long run, those who build a brand win. Impossible on Amazon. Perfect on Shopify.

The cost-benefit analysis

Scenario: €10,000 revenue/month

Shopify

• Platform costs: €32/month
• Payment fees (2%): €200
• Apps: €50/month

Total: €282 = 2.8% of revenue
Profit at a 40% margin: €3,718

WooCommerce

• Hosting: €50/month
• Payment fees (2%): €200
• Plugins: €30/month
• Maintenance/Developer: €100/month

Total: €380 = 3.8% of revenue
Profit at a 40% margin: €3,620

Amazon FBA

• Seller account: €39/month
• FBA fees (20%): €2,000
• Storage fees: €100

Total: €2,139 = 21.4% of revenue
Profit at 40% margin: €1,861

Shopify clearly wins in terms of profitability!

Conclusion: The clear winner of 2026

For 95% of online businesses, Shopify is the best choice:

• ✅ Easy to start
• ✅ Professional
• ✅ Scalable
• ✅ Profitable
• ✅ Own brand

WooCommerce is only available if you are a developer or have one.

Amazon only as an additional channel, never as a main strategy.

How Online Bros helps you

We build your entire Shopify business in 24-48 hours:

• ✅ Shopify Store Setup
• ✅ Professional design
• ✅ Products & Niche
• ✅ Apps & Automation
• ✅ Marketing strategy
• ✅ All login details

Only until January 31, 2026: €999 instead of €2,499

Over 12,498 successful Shopify stores. When will YOU start?