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In short: Shoptet is better at the start (cheaper, faster, no worries about the technical side), while WooCommerce on WordPress is better in the long run (freedom of design and features, lower monthly costs, the store belongs to you). Shoptet suits a quick launch of standard sales; WooCommerce suits brands building an online store for the long term and planning to grow. We break it down in detail so you can make an informed choice.
The difference is like renting a flat versus owning a home. Renting is easier to get into and hassle-free, but you live by the platform's rules. Owning is more expensive and comes with more responsibility, but you can do what you want, and it is yours.
Shoptet. A Czech e-commerce platform that powers more than 47,000 online stores. It is a rental: you pay a monthly plan and the platform takes care of hosting, updates, security and technical support. The store is built from ready-made templates and modules.
WooCommerce. A free WordPress plugin that turns a website into an online store. It is your own store: you own it completely and pay only for hosting, but you (or your provider) are responsible for updates and security. Design and features have no limits.
Launch cost. Shoptet is cheaper: a launch on a ready-made template from 35,000 CZK. WooCommerce from 60,000 CZK, because it means developing a full-fledged online store. If your budget is limited, Shoptet wins.
Monthly costs. This is where the picture flips. Shoptet means a plan from 440 CZK/month excl. VAT plus percentages and module surcharges that add up quickly. WooCommerce means just hosting, around 300 CZK/month. Over a horizon of one to two years, owning works out cheaper than renting.
Design. Shoptet limits you to its template framework (although a custom template can be ordered too). WooCommerce imposes no limits at all — any design, any way of presenting your products. For a brand that cares about standing out, this is the deciding factor.
Features. Shoptet has a module catalogue — you switch on what is available. WooCommerce has thousands of plugins plus the option to develop anything to order. Non-standard logic (complex configurators, B2B pricing, integrations) is WooCommerce territory.
Shoptet takes care of it — a big plus if you don't want to think about it. WooCommerce requires support (in-house or through a provider from 2,500 CZK/month). That is not a minus but a question of responsibility: freedom is paid for with attention.
You rent Shoptet: when you leave, you leave empty-handed (you take your data, not the store). WooCommerce is yours forever. It is a strategic question: are you building an asset or using a service?
Out of the box, Shoptet works with the entire Czech stack: Zásilkovna (parcel delivery), GoPay (payments), Heureka and Zboží.cz (price comparison sites). All of this can be connected to WooCommerce too, but it requires setup. For a purely Czech market, Shoptet is a little more convenient at the start.
Yes, and it is a common scenario. Many start on Shoptet for a quick launch and, a year or two later, when they hit the limits of the templates or get tired of paying for modules, move to WooCommerce. The key thing in a migration is to keep your SEO rankings: transfer the URL structure, set up 301 redirects and not lose the search traffic you have built up. A properly executed migration does not hurt sales; a sloppy one wipes out years of SEO work.
In short. There is no “best” platform — there is the right one for your situation. Shoptet is a fast and cheap start for standard sales on the Czech market, where you pay for convenience with a monthly plan. WooCommerce is your own store forever, with freedom of design and features and low monthly costs, but with responsibility for support. If you are undecided, start with an honest calculation of both options for your product range: sometimes the difference in money and timelines makes the choice obvious.
you need a working online store quickly and cheaply, your product range is standard, you don’t want to deal with the technical side and the Czech market is your main one. It is a great choice for getting started and validating your business model.
you are building a brand for the long term, you need an original design or non-standard features, full ownership of your store matters to you, you plan to grow and you want to keep monthly costs under control. It is a choice for the future.
We work with both and will calculate both options for your product range — free of charge.
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