Back to Articles
eCommerce
By Eshban Oliver
April 2026
7 min read

WooCommerce vs Shopify — The 2026 Cost & Feature Breakdown for UAE Businesses

For UAE businesses starting an online store, WooCommerce and Shopify are the two top choices. This guide breaks down costs in AED, payment gateway support, and which platform wins for Dubai retailers.

Introduction

eCommerce in Dubai and the wider UAE is growing rapidly. If you are launching an online store, choosing between WooCommerce (self-hosted WordPress) and Shopify (fully hosted SaaS) is your first major decision. Here is how they stack up for local UAE businesses in 2026.

1. Payment Gateways Support in AED

Shopify supports local payment gateways like Stripe, Checkout.com, and PayTabs, but charges additional transaction fees (up to 2%) if you don't use Shopify Payments. WooCommerce integrates with all major UAE processors (Stripe, Telr, PayTabs, Checkout.com) with zero added transaction fees.

2. Total Cost Analysis (AED)

Shopify has a fixed monthly subscription starting around 140 AED/month, plus transaction fees and paid app subscriptions. WooCommerce is free, but you pay for high-quality hosting (typically 35–150 AED/month), your domain, and any premium plugins. For growing stores, WooCommerce is significantly more cost-effective in the long run.

Next Steps

Ready to kickstart your
next digital project?

Whether you need a full-scale web application or a sleek business presence, I am here to turn your vision into a digital reality.

Let's Talk View Source Code