Shopify vs WooCommerce for a UAE online store: fees, fit and 3-year cost

This is the most common platform question we get from founders starting a store in the UAE. The honest answer depends less on features, since both can run a good store, and more on three things: how customers will pay, who will maintain the store, and how much you need to customise.

The decision in one table

How payments work in the UAE on each platform

Payments matter more than any other factor. They’re usually the biggest running cost, and they decide which platform is cheaper.

Shopify

• Shopify Payments is available for businesses in the UAE. Online card rates on UAE plans (checked 22 October 2026) are 2.9% + AED 1 on Basic, 2.8% + AED 1 on Grow and 2.7% + AED 1 on Advanced.
• Third-party gateways are allowed, but cost extra. If you use another payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify adds a transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced. That’s on top of whatever the provider charges.
• Cash on delivery is a built-in manual payment method. Shopify doesn’t charge third-party transaction fees on manual payments. Orders show as unpaid until you mark them paid.

WooCommerce

• WooCommerce itself is free, and it has built-in offline methods, including cash on delivery and bank transfer.
• WooPayments supports the UAE for Business accounts only, not Individual accounts.
• Other gateways plug in, with no platform transaction fee from WooCommerce. For example, Stripe’s standard UAE rate (checked 22 October 2026) is 2.9% + AED 1 for domestic cards, plus 1% for international cards and 1% if currency conversion is needed.

What this means: with Shopify Payments, card fees on the two platforms can be very similar. The gap opens if you put a third-party gateway on Shopify, for example to use a local acquirer or a particular instalment provider. Check whether your provider is treated as a third-party gateway before you choose.

A worked 3-year cost example

This is a hypothetical store, not a client. Change every assumption in the cost model.

Assumptions: 300 orders a month at an average of AED 250. 70% are paid by domestic card and 30% by cash on delivery. Shopify Basic on yearly billing, using Shopify Payments. WooCommerce uses a gateway at 2.9% + AED 1. Hosting, plugins and upkeep for WooCommerce are our estimates. Courier COD fees, shipping and VAT are left out, because they’re the same on both platforms.

What the example shows:

1. Card fees are by far the biggest line. Choosing a platform to save on the subscription misses the point.
2. Upkeep decides WooCommerce’s cost. If someone on your team already maintains WordPress, that line shrinks and WooCommerce gets much closer.
3. A third-party gateway on Shopify Basic is expensive at volume. If you need one, price the Grow or Advanced plan too, where the extra fee is lower.

Build costs are separate. See how much a website costs in the UAE for a store build estimate.

Other differences that matter day to day

UAE-specific checks before you launch

• VAT. If your taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 a year, VAT registration is mandatory. Set up tax display and invoices correctly on either platform before launch, and confirm the details with your accountant.
• Arabic and English storefront. Both platforms can run bilingual stores. Test right-to-left layout on your actual theme, not just the demo.
• Cash on delivery operations. Decide how COD orders are confirmed (for example a WhatsApp confirmation before dispatch), how failed deliveries are handled, and how cash is reconciled. The platform only records the order. The process is yours.
• Instalment payments. If you plan to offer buy-now-pay-later, confirm that the provider supports your platform and how fees apply, including the Shopify third-party fee.

Our recommendation, plainly

• Default to Shopify if you’re launching your first store, want to run it without a developer, and can use Shopify Payments plus cash on delivery.
• Choose WooCommerce if you need customisation Shopify can’t do, already have a strong WordPress site, or have reliable technical support. Then budget the upkeep honestly.
• Run the numbers either way. The cost model takes ten minutes with your real order volume.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch from WooCommerce to Shopify, or the other way, later?

Yes. Products, customers and orders can be moved, and both platforms have import tools. Redirects from old URLs to new ones protect your search rankings. Themes, custom features and app or plugin data don’t move automatically, so the later you switch, the more you rebuild.

Does Shopify charge a fee on cash on delivery orders?

Shopify’s help centre says third-party transaction fees aren’t charged on manual payment methods such as cash on delivery. Your subscription still applies, and your courier may charge for collecting cash.

Is WooCommerce really free?

The software is. Hosting, a theme, paid plugins, a payment gateway and someone’s time to keep it updated are not. That’s why the example above shows WooCommerce costing more for a store without in-house technical help.