Own Your Store.
Not Your Platform.
Shopify, WooCommerce, and Squarespace get you started. Highland Code Commerce gets you free.
Why Businesses Switch.
These platforms work until you outgrow them. Then the costs, limits, and lock-in start to bite.
Fees That Scale Against You
Shopify charges 0.5–2% on every sale on top of payment processing. WooCommerce plugins cost £50–200/month each. The more you sell, the more you pay - to your platform, not your business.
Locked Into Their Ecosystem
Shopify owns your storefront. WooCommerce ties you to WordPress. Squarespace limits what you can build. Migrating away means rebuilding from scratch and losing SEO equity.
Theme-Based Design Limits
Every Shopify store looks like a Shopify store. Themes constrain your layout, your checkout flow, and your brand. Custom features require expensive app subscriptions or Liquid hacks.
Your Data, Their Platform
Your customer data, order history, and product catalogue live on their servers. Full exports are limited or lossy. If you leave, you start over.
The Full Comparison.
Not cherry-picked. Every feature that matters, side by side.
| Feature | Shopify | WooCommerce | Squarespace | Highland Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly platform cost | £25–£344/mo + apps | Hosting + plugins (~£50–200/mo) | £27–£49/mo | Simple flat fee |
| Transaction fee | 0.5–2% per sale | None (Stripe only) | 0–3% per sale | None (Stripe only) |
| Design freedom | Theme-based | Theme + page builders | Template-based | Fully custom to your brand |
| Trade-in & buyback | Paid app ($49+/mo) | Not available | Not available | Built in |
| Store credit at checkout | Shopify Plus ($2,300/mo) | Plugin ($99/yr) | Not available | Built in |
| Smart discounts | Basic + paid apps | Plugin per feature | Basic codes only | Built in - rules, bundles, gift cards |
| Analytics | Basic (advanced on higher tiers) | Paid plugins | Basic built-in | Full dashboard included |
| GDPR compliance | Partial - needs apps | Your responsibility | Basic cookie consent | Built in from day one |
| Custom features | Liquid templating or apps | PHP plugins | Very limited | Built to your exact spec |
| Support | Chatbot + docs | Community forums | Email + chat | Dedicated team, direct access |
| Data ownership | On their platform | On your hosting | On their platform | Yours. Export anytime. |
| Lock-in | Yes | Moderate (WordPress) | Yes | None. Leave anytime. |
What You Actually Pay.
Platform fees are just the start. Factor in apps, plugins, hosting, and maintenance - the real cost is often 3–5x the sticker price.
| Cost | Shopify | WooCommerce | Squarespace | Highland Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | £79/mo (Advanced) | £0 (self-hosted) | £49/mo | Flat monthly fee |
| Hosting | Included | £20–80/mo | Included | Included |
| SSL certificate | Included | £0–50/yr | Included | Included |
| Transaction fees (on £10k/mo) | £50–200/mo | £0 | £0–300/mo | £0 |
| Apps / plugins | £50–300/mo | £50–200/mo | Limited | £0 - everything built in |
| Maintenance & updates | Included (limited) | Your responsibility | Included (limited) | Fully managed by us |
Ready to Own Your Store?
No transaction fees. No theme limitations. No lock-in. A fully custom store, hosted and maintained by our team.