Fazley RabbiThere is no single best e-commerce platform; there is a best fit for how you sell. WooCommerce suits businesses that want control, already use or plan to use WordPress, and can pay for regular maintenance. Shopify suits sellers who want a hosted shop with less technical upkeep and who accept a recurring subscription and the platform's rules. A custom-built shop makes sense when your selling process has rules neither handles well, such as dealer pricing, complex delivery zones or deep links to your own stock system.
The three options in brief
WooCommerce is a free, open-source plugin that turns a WordPress site into a shop. You choose your own hosting, own all the files and data, and can extend it with a large range of plugins and themes. In exchange, you or your developer are responsible for hosting, updates, security and backups.
Shopify is a hosted platform. You pay a subscription, and the company runs the servers, security and core updates. You build with its themes and add features through its app store, where many apps charge their own fees. You work within its systems and terms.
A custom shop is built from scratch, often with tools such as Laravel or Node.js. Everything follows your process, but everything also has to be built, tested and maintained, and you depend more on the people who wrote it.
Comparison table
| WooCommerce | Shopify | Custom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs the servers | You, through your host | The platform | You, through your host |
| Ongoing costs | Hosting, paid plugins, maintenance | Subscription, paid apps, possible transaction fees | Hosting, maintenance, developer time |
| Flexibility | High, through plugins and code | Moderate, within platform rules | Complete |
| Technical upkeep | Regular | Light | Regular, by your developer |
| Data and portability | Full access | Exportable, but tied to the platform | Full access |
| Speed to launch | Moderate | Fast | Slowest |
Fees, features and policies change, so check each platform's current pricing and terms on its official site before deciding.
Payments and cash on delivery in Bangladesh
For many Bangladeshi shops, cash on delivery remains common alongside bKash, Nagad and cards. Before choosing a platform, confirm three things:
- Which licensed payment gateways you can use, and whether they offer a ready connection for that platform or need custom work.
- How and where payouts reach your bank account.
- Whether the platform handles COD orders, partial advance payments and order confirmation the way you need.
Ask the gateway provider directly rather than relying on forum posts. The details of adding local payments are in taking bKash, Nagad and card payments on your website. If fake COD orders are a problem, plan order confirmation before dispatch as part of the build.
Which fits your situation
A Facebook seller taking the first step
You sell through a page, take orders in Messenger and want a proper catalogue. A simple WooCommerce or Shopify shop is usually enough. The bigger task is bringing customers across without losing your page; see moving from Facebook-only selling to your own shop.
A growing shop with Bangla and English customers
You want detailed control over product pages, SEO and content in two languages. WooCommerce often fits well, provided someone looks after it.
A brand that wants to avoid server work
You have no developer on call and want the platform to handle security and uptime. Shopify, or another hosted platform, is attractive, as long as it supports the payment methods you need.
A wholesaler or manufacturer
Dealers need logins, their own price lists, credit limits and bulk ordering. This is where custom development, or a heavily customised build, often earns its cost.
Questions to ask before you commit
- Can I export my products, customers and orders if I leave?
- Which features need paid plugins or apps, and what will they cost each year?
- Who will handle updates, backups and security?
- How will stock stay in sync with my shop or warehouse?
- Does the checkout work smoothly on a low-cost Android phone on mobile data?
Each option trades control, convenience and cost differently. If you are also weighing WordPress against custom work more generally, WordPress or a custom website covers that wider choice, and my web development service page explains how I approach shop builds.