In this article I want to discuss the different dropshipping platforms that can be used to create an ecommerce website.
We would take a look at the pros and cons of creating a dropshipping store using Woocommerce, Amazon, Ecwid, Shopify etc.
I just want you to get the understanding of how they compare to each other so you can pick a platform that’s best suited for you.
Then finally, I’d detail how you can start dropshipping with any of these platforms.
Dropshipping platforms; using Woocommerce- the pros and cons
It’s easy to create a dropshipping store with Woocommerce. If you have never set up a Woocommerce website then I recommend you read this article. The article gives you a roundup guide on how you can create your Woocommerce website even if you are not tech savvy.
Let’s have a run through of the estimated cost of setting up a Woocommerce dropshipping business below;
- Hosting plan; can cost $191.52 for a 4 years license using hostinger hosting company. The budget will really depend on your hosting company.
- Plugins; most plugins are free. Some premium plugins usually cost about $100 a year whereas others may have a one-off lifetime payment.
- Theme; most Woocommerce themes are free. Some premium themes cost around $100 a year whereas some other premium themes have a one off lifetime purchase.
- Ad spend and miscellaneous; this may take an estimated average of $500 to $1500 break even.
- Pros; Woocommerce gives you a lot of control over your website, it’s a self hosted open source software and can be very extendable.
Dropshipping platforms; using Shopify- the pros and cons
Shopify is an e-commerce platform which gives you the flexibility of quickly setting up a website in a matter of minutes.
Shopify is very popular amongst dropshippers but why is that? Let’s have a look at the cost implications, the pros and cons of using Shopify;
- License ; Shopify basic starts from $29 per month and the price goes up from there.
- Shopify apps; most apps are free. Some premium apps usually cost about $100 a year whereas others may have a one-off lifetime payment.
- Theme; most Shopify themes are free. Some premium theme cost around $100 a year whereas some others may have a one-off lifetime purchase.
- Ad spend and miscellaneous; this may take an estimated average of $500 to $1500 to break even.
- Pros; Shopify has a large app market which makes it a very scalable platform. There is a large community of Shopify users to learn from and network. The abundance of youtube tutorials on Shopify makes it easy to build your own Shopify store without sweating it.
Dropshipping on Ecwid
Dropshipping on Ecwid can be a simple way to launch your own ecommerce website for free.
Ecwid offer a free forever plan which has just the basic features needed for a webstore.
If you would like to design an Ecwid free webstore, check out this guide.
You can always upgrade to a paid plan to unlock more of Ecwid’s features.
Here is a snapshot of the cost of using Ecwid as your dropshipping platform.
- Ecwid License ; Ecwid has a free forever plan as well as premium plan starting from $15 a month or $12.50 if paid annually.
- Ecwid apps; most apps are free. Some premium apps usually cost about $100 a year whereas others may have a one-off lifetime payment.
- Theme; most Ecwid themes are free. Some premium theme cost around $100 a year whereas some may have a one-off lifetime purchase.
- Ad spend and miscellaneous; this may take an estimated average of $0 to $1500 to break even.
- Pros; Ecwid has a free forever plan although with limited features but you get more features when you upgrade to their paid plan. Ecwid is also a much newer platform. It has a growing community and a growing number of apps. However compared to Shopify or Woocommerce, Ecwid doesn’t have as many apps or as much user base.
My recommendation
To be frank with you, when I first started ecommerce, I tested most dropshipping platforms.
Ecwid was the first that I tried because it was free to get started although it had pretty cool features for any beginner. I think I wanted more because I was curious about the hype around Shopify.
So, I tried Shopify. It was great but since I’m not a big fan of recurring monthly bills, I settled for Woocommerce. Well, that’s just my own dropshipping rollercoaster journey.
I know some other dropshippers might argue and say it’s Shopify for them or Ecwid. Whatever is good for you, so far you’re making money. That’s the goal right?.
Well, I laid out the pros and cons of each so you could decide for yourself what platform you’d prefer to use.
Let me know what you guys think in the comments..
This tutorial is part of our free dropshipping course. You can check our dropshipping course outline here.
