Selling online from Northern Ireland has never been more accessible. Whether you're a retailer in Belfast looking to add online sales, a craft producer in Armagh shipping across the UK, or a B2B supplier in Derry managing trade orders, there's a platform that fits your needs.
We've built online stores on all three major platforms — WooCommerce, Shopify, and PrestaShop — for businesses across Northern Ireland. This guide shares what we've learned from real projects to help you make the right choice.
The three platforms at a glance
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that turns any WordPress website into an online store. It's open-source, hugely flexible, and powers roughly 36% of all online stores globally. You own everything — the code, the data, the hosting.
Shopify is a hosted platform where you pay a monthly subscription and everything is managed for you — hosting, security, updates, and payment processing. It's the fastest way to get selling online and is excellent for businesses that want simplicity.
PrestaShop is a dedicated open-source e-commerce platform popular across Europe. It's purpose-built for online retail with advanced features like multi-store, multi-currency, and multi-language built in from the ground up. You host it yourself, giving you full control.
WooCommerce: best for content-rich stores
WooCommerce is ideal when your online store is part of a larger website with significant content — blogs, portfolios, service pages, landing pages. Because it's built on WordPress, you get the full power of the world's most popular CMS alongside your shop.
Strengths
Unlimited flexibility through thousands of plugins and themes. You own your code and data completely. No monthly platform fees (just hosting and any premium plugins). Massive community and developer ecosystem. Excellent for SEO thanks to WordPress's content capabilities. Perfect for stores with fewer than 1,000 products that also need a strong content presence.
Limitations
You're responsible for hosting, security, and updates (or you need a care plan). Performance can suffer with too many plugins. Requires more technical knowledge to maintain than Shopify. Payment gateway integration requires additional plugins.
Typical costs for NI businesses
Development: £3,000–£8,000 depending on complexity. Hosting: £15–£50/month for quality managed WordPress hosting. Ongoing maintenance: £29–£79/month on a care plan. Premium plugins: £100–£500/year for extensions like subscriptions or bookings.
Shopify: best for getting selling fast
Shopify is the right choice when you want to start selling online quickly without worrying about the technical side. Everything is hosted and managed for you — you focus on your products and customers, Shopify handles the infrastructure.
Strengths
Fastest setup time — you can be selling within days. Fully managed hosting, security, and updates. Built-in payment processing with Shopify Payments (competitive rates). Excellent app ecosystem with 8,000+ apps for extending functionality. Shopify POS for retail businesses that also sell in physical stores. 24/7 support from Shopify directly.
Limitations
Monthly subscription fees that increase as you grow (Basic: £25/month, Shopify: £65/month, Advanced: £344/month). Transaction fees if you don't use Shopify Payments. Less flexibility for custom functionality compared to open-source platforms. Content/blogging capabilities are basic compared to WordPress. You don't own the platform — if Shopify changes pricing or policies, you're affected.
Typical costs for NI businesses
Development: £2,000–£6,000 for a custom theme. Monthly subscription: £25–£65/month for most small businesses. Transaction fees: 0% with Shopify Payments, 0.5–2% otherwise. Apps: £0–£200/month depending on requirements.
PrestaShop: best for serious e-commerce
PrestaShop is purpose-built for e-commerce and excels when online selling is your primary business activity. It's particularly strong for businesses with large catalogues, multiple currencies, or complex product configurations.
Strengths
Built specifically for e-commerce — not an add-on to another platform. Excellent multi-language and multi-currency support (ideal for businesses selling across UK and Ireland). Multi-store capability from a single back office. Advanced product management: combinations, attributes, suppliers, manufacturers. No monthly platform fees — it's open-source. Strong in European markets with excellent VAT handling. Full ownership of code, data, and hosting.
Limitations
Steeper learning curve for store administration. Smaller plugin ecosystem than WordPress/WooCommerce. Requires a developer for most customisation. Not as beginner-friendly as Shopify for day-to-day management. Hosting and security are your responsibility.
Typical costs for NI businesses
Development: £4,000–£12,000 depending on complexity. Hosting: £20–£60/month for quality hosting. Ongoing maintenance: £39–£99/month on a care plan. Premium modules: £50–£300 per module (one-time purchase).
How to choose: a practical decision framework
Choose WooCommerce if: You already have (or need) a WordPress website. Your store has fewer than 1,000 products. Content marketing and blogging are important to your strategy. You want full ownership and maximum flexibility. Budget is a primary concern.
Choose Shopify if: You want to start selling as quickly as possible. You prefer someone else handling the technical side. You sell both online and in physical retail (Shopify POS). You don't need heavy customisation. You're comfortable with ongoing monthly costs.
Choose PrestaShop if: E-commerce is your primary business (not a side feature). You have a large product catalogue (1,000+ products). You sell in multiple currencies or languages. You need advanced inventory and supplier management. You want full control and ownership of your platform.
What about Magento, BigCommerce, and Squarespace?
Magento (Adobe Commerce): Enterprise-level e-commerce for businesses with very large catalogues and complex requirements. Overkill and overpriced for most Northern Ireland SMEs.
BigCommerce: A solid hosted alternative to Shopify with more built-in features, but a smaller app ecosystem. Worth considering if Shopify's limitations are frustrating you.
Squarespace: Beautiful templates but limited e-commerce functionality. Fine for selling a handful of products alongside a portfolio or blog. Not suitable for serious online retail.
Northern Ireland specific considerations
Selling from Northern Ireland comes with some unique considerations:
Dual jurisdiction: Post-Brexit, Northern Ireland businesses may need to handle both UK and EU VAT depending on where they sell. PrestaShop's built-in multi-tax support handles this well. WooCommerce and Shopify can manage it with plugins/apps but require more configuration.
Shipping: Shipping from NI to GB and to Ireland/EU has different requirements. All three platforms support multiple shipping zones, but make sure your chosen platform (and plugins) properly support your specific shipping scenarios.
Payment processing: Stripe and PayPal are available on all three platforms and work well for NI businesses. Shopify Payments is competitive but locks you into Shopify's ecosystem. For B2B, consider platforms that support purchase orders and trade accounts.
Getting started
The best platform is the one that matches your specific business needs, budget, and growth plans. There's no universally "best" option — only the best option for you.
If you're unsure which platform is right for your business, we're happy to discuss your requirements. We build on all three platforms and can give you an honest recommendation based on your situation — not based on which platform we prefer.