Castlegar, BC. Serving the Kootenays and beyond.
15 min read
Key takeaways
- For most Canadian small businesses, Shopify is the best default: hosted, reliable, billed in CAD, and low-maintenance.
- WooCommerce wins when you already run WordPress or want full ownership, but you take on hosting, updates, and plugin costs.
- A custom build wins when your storefront or operations are unusual, or when speed, SEO, and ownership are top priorities.
- No platform files your taxes. You collect GST and the right provincial tax at checkout, then remit to the CRA and your province.
- Some businesses need no store platform at all yet. Variants, inventory, pickup, and shipping decide that faster than product count does.
- Pick on fit, not hype. Shopify builds at Kootenay Made Digital start from 5,000 dollars.
On this page
What is the best ecommerce platform for a Canadian small business?
For most Canadian small businesses, Shopify is the best default choice. It is hosted, secure, reliable, bills you in Canadian dollars, and handles payments, taxes, and shipping with little maintenance. WooCommerce wins when you already run WordPress or want full ownership, and a custom build wins when your store is unusual.
There is no single best platform for everyone, and any guide that says otherwise is selling something. The honest framing is fit. Shopify, WooCommerce, and a custom build are all good tools that win in different situations. The job is to match the tool to your business, your budget, and how much maintenance you want to own.
All three are capable. Shopify powers a huge share of Canadian small-business stores for good reason. WooCommerce runs an enormous share of the web through WordPress. A custom build is not always overkill. The difference is which tradeoffs suit you.
Pick the platform that fits the business, not the one with the loudest marketing.
Do you need a store platform at all?
Some businesses do not, at least not yet. A simpler store is any lightweight way to sell without a full commerce platform: a payment link, an invoice, a Square checkout, Etsy plus a website, a small product section inside a custom site, or a basic store builder. What decides it is how much work you need the store to do.
Payment links and invoices are enough when the product is custom, the order count is low, or the sale is attached to a conversation. Workshop deposits, custom art, small-batch preorders, service add-ons, and one-off tourism packages can all stay lean as long as the follow-up is clean. A light store works when the catalogue is small, the options are predictable, pickup or shipping is easy to explain, and you can keep the pages current without a staff handbook.
You have outgrown that when stock accuracy, payments, shipping, or product complexity start creating daily manual work and quiet mistakes. If several of these are true, the decision belongs to operations rather than to whichever logo feels more grown up.
- Products have variants like size, colour, scent, flavour, or pack that customers need help choosing between.
- The same stock sells online, at a shop counter, at markets, through local pickup, and by shipping.
- Payments are still chased by hand: e-transfer notes, unpaid orders, manual receipts, awkward confirmations.
- Shipping and pickup rules have grown past one simple policy line.
- Subscriptions, refills, bundles, preorders, or limited drops are part of the plan.
- Wholesale buyers need their own pricing, case packs, minimums, terms, or reorder path.
- You want Google product visibility, product feeds, and analytics that show what actually sells.
Product count is the lazy question. Ten plain products with one pickup method can stay easy for years. Five products with sizes, refills, seasonal stock, pickup windows, and gift bundles already need a real system. Pickup is the quiet trap: local pickup sounds simple until customers need preparation time, location instructions, alternate days, and an order-ready message so nobody arrives before the item exists. Shipping is the same story with fragile goods, cold-weather delays, free-shipping thresholds, and holiday cutoffs.
| What is being compared | Simple store | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Small catalogue, predictable options | A real product business with repeat buying |
| Variants | A few or none | Size, colour, scent, material, pack, and more |
| Inventory | Manual, one location | Tracked across shop, markets, pickup, and online |
| Payments | Links, invoices, manual checkout | Full checkout, receipts, discounts, refunds |
| Shipping and pickup | One simple policy | Rates, local delivery, pickup workflows |
| Product SEO | Limited | Product pages, structured data, feeds |
| Maintenance | Low, as long as it is kept current | Ongoing: products, apps, themes, data |
| KMD fit | A Trailhead site with a light store | A Shopify build |
Neither one is a badge of legitimacy. A simple store can sell very well. Shopify becomes the operating layer once the business is ready to carry it, and that readiness shows up in the operations long before it shows up in the revenue. Before you compare any software, map these five inputs. The platform choice gets obvious once they are on paper, and stays expensive guesswork until they are.
- 01
Products and variants
List every product and the choices each one forces on the buyer: size, fit, scent, flavour, material, care, allergens, gift option, season.
- 02
Inventory and locations
Map where the stock physically lives: shop shelf, home studio, market bin, fulfilment shelf, supplier, or a made-to-order queue.
- 03
Payments and orders
Decide whether checkout, payment links, invoices, deposits, or in-person payment actually match how your customers buy.
- 04
Shipping and pickup
Write the rules down: shipping, local pickup, market pickup, delivery windows, fragile goods, holiday cutoffs, and returns.
- 05
Content, SEO, and analytics
Plan the product pages, Product structured data, Merchant Center readiness, email capture, and the reports that show what sells.
Shopify vs WooCommerce vs a custom build
Across the factors that actually decide it, cost, ease, SEO, ownership, scaling, and fees, the three options trade off cleanly. Shopify is the easiest and most reliable, WooCommerce gives the most ownership for the least platform cost, and a custom build gives the most control. Here is how they compare.
| What is being compared | Shopify (hosted) | WooCommerce / Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | Low. Plan from 49 CAD/mo, theme optional | WooCommerce: low plugin cost. Custom: highest up-front |
| Ongoing cost | Monthly plan plus card rates, billed in CAD | Hosting, plugins, updates, security, or a maintainer |
| Ease and maintenance | Easiest. Hosting and security handled for you | You own updates, backups, and security |
| SEO control | Good, fast, but more templated | Full control of content, URLs, and Core Web Vitals |
| Ownership | You sell on Shopify rails | You own the store and infrastructure |
| Scaling | Scales smoothly to Plus | Scales with hosting and engineering |
| Transaction fees | 2.8% to 2.4% + 30c, plus extra for outside gateways | Only your processor, no platform revenue share |
| Best for | Most product businesses | WordPress brands, unusual stores, deep integrations |
If you want to go deeper on the Shopify side specifically, my Shopify build service page explains how I set stores up, and my guide on when Shopify is not enough covers what serious product brands add next.
What does each platform really cost in 2026?
Shopify has a predictable monthly cost plus card rates, all billed in CAD. WooCommerce has a low platform cost but real hosting, plugin, and upkeep costs. A custom build costs the most up front and the least in platform fees. The cheapest sticker price is rarely the lowest total cost.
- Shopify
- As of June 2026 on the Canadian pricing page: Basic is 49 CAD per month, Grow is 132 CAD, and Advanced is 517 CAD, with roughly 25% off on annual billing. Shopify Payments online card rates run 2.8% + 30c on Basic, 2.6% on Grow, and 2.4% on Advanced. Using a non-Shopify gateway adds 2%, 1%, or 0.6% depending on plan.
- WooCommerce
- The core plugin is free and open source with no platform fees or revenue share. Real costs are WordPress hosting, a domain, a theme, premium extensions, and payment processing. Most stores land in the hundreds to low thousands of dollars per year, plus your time or a maintainer for updates and security.
- Custom build
- Highest up-front cost because it is engineered for you, with the lowest ongoing platform fees and full control of speed and SEO. At Kootenay Made Digital, custom websites start from $2,000 and Shopify builds start from $5,500 once, or $1,375 today and 12 monthly payments of $386, which is $6,007 all in through Own It Monthly, scoped to what the store needs.
For a wider price comparison against builders like Wix and Squarespace, see what a website should cost, with the five-year math.
What is different about selling online in Canada?
Selling in Canada adds four practical concerns: payments and currency, GST and provincial tax, shipping over long distances, and how much you own. Both Shopify and WooCommerce handle all four well with the right setup. The differences are in cost, control, and who does the maintenance.
- 01
Payments and currency
Shopify Payments and Stripe both support Canadian businesses and settle in CAD. Shopify bills Canadian merchants in CAD, which avoids the foreign-exchange creep some USD-billed platforms add on every invoice.
- 02
GST, HST, PST, and QST
No platform registers or files tax for you. The platform calculates and collects at checkout once you enter your numbers. BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec charge provincial tax separately from GST, so multi-province sellers register and collect each one.
- 03
Shipping and fulfilment
Real shipping rates, Canada Post integration, free-shipping thresholds, and local pickup all matter more in Canada because distances and rates are higher. Both Shopify and WooCommerce handle this, with the right apps or plugins.
- 04
Ownership and lock-in
A hosted platform owns the rails you sell on. WooCommerce and a custom build keep the store on infrastructure you control, which matters if you ever want to move, restyle deeply, or avoid rising platform fees.
How do you set up payments, GST, and PST?
No platform registers, files, or remits tax for you. It calculates and collects at checkout once you enter your numbers, then you remit to the CRA and your province. Here is the practical order: confirm registration, register, enter your numbers, turn on payments, set up shipping, then test and keep filing.
- 01Confirm whether you have to register for GST/HST. The common trigger is more than 30,000 CAD in taxable sales over four consecutive calendar quarters, or in a single quarter.
- 02Register for a GST/HST number with the CRA, then register separately for PST, RST, or QST in any province where you have to collect it (BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec).
- 03Enter your tax numbers in the platform so it applies 5% GST everywhere and the correct provincial rate where you are registered.
- 04Turn on a real payment processor: Shopify Payments or Stripe for Shopify, WooPayments or Stripe for WooCommerce, so funds settle in CAD.
- 05Set up shipping zones and rates, including Canada Post live rates, flat rates, free-shipping thresholds, and local pickup if you offer it.
- 06Test a full checkout end to end, then keep filing and remitting tax to the CRA and your province yourself. The platform does not do that part.
The common GST/HST trigger is more than 30,000 CAD in taxable sales over four consecutive calendar quarters, or in a single quarter. BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec charge provincial tax separately, so multi-province sellers register and collect each one. Always confirm current rules and rates with the CRA before you rely on any summary.
When does each platform actually win?
Shopify wins on speed to launch and low maintenance. WooCommerce wins on ownership and content depth. A custom build wins when an off-the-shelf store keeps fighting you or has to integrate with other systems. Each is the right answer in its own lane, and the wrong answer outside it.
- 01
Shopify wins on speed to launch and low maintenance
You get a hosted, secure, reliable store with great checkout and a huge app ecosystem, billed in CAD. You trade some ownership and pay a monthly plan plus card rates, and a small extra fee if you use a non-Shopify gateway.
- 02
WooCommerce wins on ownership and content
The core plugin is free and open source, it lives inside WordPress, and there are no platform fees or revenue share. You take on hosting, updates, security, and plugin costs, so the real budget is hosting plus extensions plus your time or a maintainer.
- 03
Custom wins when the others keep fighting you
When the storefront, logic, or integrations are unusual, a custom build gives you full control of speed, SEO, and behaviour. It costs more up front and is the wrong call for a standard catalogue that Shopify would serve well.
To be fair to all three: Shopify is excellent at its core job, and for a standard product catalogue it is usually the best value. WooCommerce is excellent when you want WordPress and ownership. A custom build is the right tool only when the others keep getting in the way, not by default.
Which platform fits which business?
The fastest way to choose is to match your situation to the platform. If you sell a clear catalogue and want low maintenance, choose Shopify. If you live in WordPress and want ownership, choose WooCommerce. If your store is unusual or deeply integrated, choose custom. Here is the short version.
- You want to launch fast, you are not technical, and you would rather not manage hosting, updates, or security yourself.
- You sell a clear catalogue of products and need reliable checkout, payments, and shipping without custom engineering.
- You already use WordPress for content, blogging, or local SEO and want the store to live inside it.
- Your storefront, product experience, or operations are unusual enough that an off-the-shelf theme keeps fighting you.
- You need the store to talk to other systems: a booking tool, an ERP, a custom inventory feed, or a membership area.
- You care a lot about page speed, Core Web Vitals, and owning every line of the front end for SEO.
- Shopify
- Most small product businesses launching or scaling an online store who want speed, reliability, strong checkout, and minimal maintenance. The default right answer for many Kootenay makers and shops.
- WooCommerce
- Businesses already on WordPress, content-heavy brands that lean on blogging and SEO, and owners who want full ownership and are comfortable with (or will pay for) ongoing upkeep.
- Custom build
- Brands whose storefront, product configurator, pricing logic, or operations are unusual enough that themes fight back, or who need the store wired into other systems and want total control of speed and SEO.
Still unsure which lane you are in? Go back to whether you need a store platform at all, and the retail and ecommerce website design playbook shows how I build the store around whichever platform wins. Or tell me about your products on the Contact page and I will give you a straight recommendation, even if it is not the most expensive one.
Whichever platform wins, the plan is only part of the bill. How much an online store costs in Canada adds up a full year, from card fees to shipping supplies.
Sources and further reading
- Shopify Plans and Pricing (Canada)
Official Canadian plan pricing and Shopify Payments card rates. As of June 2026: Basic 49 CAD/mo (2.8% + 30c online), Grow 132 CAD/mo (2.6% + 30c), Advanced 517 CAD/mo (2.4% + 30c), billed in CAD, with extra third-party gateway fees of 2%, 1%, and 0.6%.
- WooCommerce pricing
Official WooCommerce statement that the core plugin is free and open source with no platform fees or revenue share. You pay for hosting, payment processing, and the extensions you choose.
- Shopify Help Center: Manage your Canadian taxes
How GST, HST, and provincial PST, RST, and QST collection work in Canada, including registration numbers and the note that the platform collects but does not file or remit.
- Shopify Help Center: product variants
How Shopify structures options like size, colour, material, price, inventory, and images. Variant structure is an early sign a simple store will not hold.
- Shopify Help Center: pickup in store
Pickup locations, preparation time, and customer notifications. Local pickup is only simple once the customer path and the staff workflow are both clear.
- CRA: GST/HST for businesses
The official registration and small-supplier rules, including the 30,000 CAD threshold. Always confirm current rules and rates here before relying on any third-party summary.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best ecommerce platform for a Canadian small business?
For most Canadian small businesses, Shopify is the best default. It is hosted, reliable, bills in CAD, and handles payments, taxes, and shipping with little maintenance. WooCommerce wins if you are already on WordPress and want full ownership, and a custom build wins when your store is unusual or needs deep integrations.
How much does Shopify cost in Canada?
As of June 2026, Shopify bills Canadian merchants in CAD: Basic is 49 CAD per month, Grow is 132 CAD, and Advanced is 517 CAD, with discounts on annual billing. Shopify Payments online card rates run from 2.8% + 30c on Basic down to 2.4% + 30c on Advanced. Using a non-Shopify gateway adds a small extra fee.
Is WooCommerce really free?
The core WooCommerce plugin is free and open source, with no platform fees or revenue share. But a real store still costs money: WordPress hosting, a domain, a theme, premium extensions, payment processing, and either your time or a maintainer to handle updates and security. Most stores land in the hundreds to low thousands of dollars per year.
Shopify or WooCommerce for SEO?
Both can rank well. WooCommerce gives you full control of WordPress content and URLs, which suits content-heavy and blog-driven SEO. Shopify is fast and well structured out of the box but more templated. A custom build can beat both on raw speed and Core Web Vitals because you own every line of the front end.
How do GST and PST work on an online store in Canada?
You generally register for GST/HST once taxable sales pass 30,000 CAD over four consecutive quarters or in a single quarter. BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec charge PST, RST, or QST separately, so you register and collect those too. The platform calculates and collects at checkout, but you still file and remit to the CRA and your province.
Can I use Stripe instead of Shopify Payments?
Yes. Stripe is a strong choice for Canadian businesses on both platforms. On WooCommerce, Stripe or WooPayments are common. On Shopify you can use Stripe-backed gateways, but Shopify adds a small extra transaction fee when you do not use Shopify Payments, so compare the all-in cost.
When does a custom ecommerce build make sense?
When an off-the-shelf theme keeps fighting your storefront, product configurator, pricing logic, or operations, or when the store has to integrate tightly with other systems. It also makes sense when speed, SEO, and full ownership are top priorities. For a standard product catalogue, Shopify is usually the better-value call.
How many products mean I should use Shopify?
There is no magic product count. A few products with variants, fragile stock, shipping rules, pickup, or subscriptions can justify Shopify sooner than a large catalogue of simple items. Count the products, then count the decisions, the exceptions, and the staff work each one creates.
When are payment links or invoices enough?
When the catalogue is tiny, the products are custom or quote-based, the stock is not fragile, shipping is simple, and you can review every order by hand without losing time or trust. Workshop deposits, custom art, small-batch preorders, and one-off tourism packages all sit comfortably here.
What should I fix before changing platforms?
Fix the product photos, the descriptions, the variant names, the shipping and pickup clarity, the reviews, the return policy, the navigation, the mobile speed, the Google product data, and the email capture. A platform change cannot rescue a muddy offer, and it costs more than fixing the offer would.
Which platform does Kootenay Made Digital recommend?
I recommend the platform that fits the business, not a single house favourite. For most product businesses I build on Shopify because it is reliable and low-maintenance. When ownership, content, or unusual requirements call for it, I build on WooCommerce or custom. Shopify builds at Kootenay Made Digital start from 5,000 dollars.
Related pages
- Retail and ecommerce websites
- Farm and agriculture websites
- Web design for Canadian businesses
- Kootenay ecommerce and Shopify builds
- Shopify vs Square for a Small Store in Canada
- Shopify vs Squarespace: Which One for a Canadian Small Business?
Kootenay Made Digital
I build websites, local presence, and calm AI setups for Kootenay small businesses. Plain language, published prices, and clear work that makes you easier to find and easier to choose.
