The plugin is free. The store around it is not — hosting, theme, GST plugin, security and the developer who stitches it together. Here is the arithmetic, honestly.
WooCommerce is a free plugin; a working Indian store adds hosting, a theme, a GST plugin, security and developer time — typically ₹35,000 to ₹1.5 lakh in year one. Shoopy bundles hosting, GST invoicing, WhatsApp and support from ₹2,499 a year, with order fees capped at ₹5.
| Feature | WooCommerce | Shoopy |
|---|---|---|
| Platform price | Free plugin | ₹2,499/yr |
| Realistic year one (Indian store) | ₹35,000–₹1,50,000 across vendors (typical estimates) | ₹2,499–₹12,999 all-in |
| Hosting | Separate — ₹289–₹1,599/mo at Indian renewal rates | Included |
| Fee per order | None | 0% for the first 250 orders, then 1% capped at ₹5 |
| GST invoicing | Plugin needed | Built-in, every plan |
| Counter billing | Plugin plus hardware setup | Built-in |
| Official WhatsApp integration | Third-party plugins | Built-in |
| Branded app for your store | Custom build | Hybrid from ₹3,999/yr, native from ₹14,999/yr |
| Security, updates, backups | Your job — per Woo’s own self-service guide | Managed |
| Customisation depth | Full code access | Themes plus custom CSS |
| Human support | Forums, or a paid agency | WhatsApp, human, Hindi and English |
You need code-level control and own the consequences happily. Full access to WordPress, every hook and template, no per-order fee — with a developer on hand and a budget for the stack around the free plugin, it is the most flexible option here.
You want one vendor and one bill. Hosting, GST invoicing, WhatsApp ordering, counter billing, security and human support in one product — live the same day, nothing to update on a Sunday night.
What year one typically costs a modest Indian D2C store on each side.
Hosting (₹3,500–₹19,000 at renewal rates), a premium theme, a GST plugin, security and backups, one or two paid extensions at $29–$299 each, and developer setup time — typically ₹35,000–₹1,50,000 across five or more vendors.
Basic at ₹2,499 all-in. At 300 orders a month, Professional with every fee counted is ₹20,999 — hosting, GST invoicing, WhatsApp and support included, one bill.
Illustrative. WooCommerce component ranges are typical market estimates read August 2026 (woocommerce.com itself estimates hosting at $25–$350/month; Indian entry hosting renews at ₹289–₹1,599/month); a careful DIY build on cheap hosting can come in lower. Gateway charges apply on both — Razorpay’s WooCommerce plugin is free and official.
The plugin is free; the store is not. WooCommerce’s own pricing page estimates hosting at $25–$350 a month for most stores, and official extensions run $29–$299 a year each. Add a theme, a GST plugin, security and developer time and a typical Indian build lands between ₹35,000 and ₹1.5 lakh in year one. Shoopy bundles hosting, GST invoicing, WhatsApp and support from ₹2,499 a year.
Plans run ₹2,499 to ₹12,999 a year, billed annually and excluding GST. Every plan includes 250–2,000 fee-free orders a year; past that the fee is 0.3–1% by plan, capped at ₹5 an order. WooCommerce charges no per-order fee — its cost sits in the stack instead.
Yes — full code access to WordPress and every template and hook. Shoopy trades that ceiling for arriving finished: themes plus custom CSS and APIs cover most D2C stores, and there is nothing to patch. If you need genuinely custom logic and have the developer for it, WooCommerce is the more open platform.
On WooCommerce, you do — its own self-service guide walks store owners through backups, updating WordPress, WooCommerce, plugins and themes, and troubleshooting conflicts. On Shoopy the platform is managed; there is nothing for you to update.
Yes. Products, customers and order history export from WordPress and import via spreadsheet, with Shoopy’s team helping with mapping, your domain and your payment gateway. Most stores are live within about a week — a complex catalogue can take longer — and there is a 14-day free trial with a 7-day money-back guarantee after you pay.
A thirty-minute demo on your own catalogue — including the year-one numbers for your store.
Shoopy