Online shop5 min read25 May 2026
WooCommerce vs. a custom shop: which is right for your online store?
WooCommerce is cheap but has hidden costs. A custom shop costs more but really belongs to you. The honest comparison for German retailers.
The most important decision for your online shop
You want to sell online. The first question: WooCommerce (a WordPress plugin), Shopify or a custom-built shop? This decision shapes the next 5 to 10 years of your online business.
WooCommerce: the honest balance
WooCommerce is the most used shop system in the world. That sounds good, but what does it mean in practice?
Pros:
•Cheap to set up (from about €500)•Many themes and plugins available•A large community, many tutorialsCons:
•Security: WordPress and WooCommerce are attacked every day. Without active patch management you are vulnerable•Performance: with 40+ plugins your shop often loads in 4 to 8 seconds, which costs conversions•Cost: every plugin costs €20 to €200 a year. With 15 plugins you pay €300 to €3,000 a year extra•Dependency: updates often break other plugins. Every update is a risk•Maintenance: without regular maintenance the shop becomes a security problem over timeRealistic total cost of WooCommerce (year 1):
•Setup: €1,000 to €3,000•Hosting: €120 to €600 per year•Plugins: €300 to €1,500 per year•Maintenance: €500 to €2,000 per year•Total: €1,920 to €7,100 in the first yearA custom shop with Next.js: what do you get?
A custom-built shop based on Next.js:
Pros:
•Load time: 0.5 to 1.5 seconds instead of 4 to 8 seconds, so more conversions•No plugin dependencies: only what you need, no ballast•Security: no known attack patterns like with WordPress•It belongs to you: code, data, everything, no dependency on third parties•Scalability: grows with your business without starting overCons:
•Higher setup costs•Changes need a developerRealistic total cost of a custom shop (year 1):
•Setup: €2,499 to €5,000•Hosting (Vercel): €0 to €20 per month•Maintenance: as needed (no mandatory costs)•Total: €2,499 to €5,240 in the first yearThe calculation over 5 years
| WooCommerce | Custom Next.js |
|---|
| Year 1 | €2,500 | €3,500 |
| Years 2 to 5 | €1,500 per year | €200 per year |
| **5 years total** | **about €8,500** | **about €4,300** |
In the long run the custom shop is cheaper, and technically far superior.
Recommendation
•WooCommerce: only sensible for a very small budget, a short lifetime or if you have WordPress experience yourself•Custom shop: for everyone who wants to sell online seriously and plans for 5 yearsAt OA IT Solutions I build online shops from €2,499 with Next.js, Stripe integration, product management and a German-compliant checkout, including GDPR, terms and right of withdrawal.
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