If you are setting up a CBD store in Europe, sooner or later you will have to choose between WooCommerce and Shopify. Both are valid options, but they have very different philosophies and limitations — especially when it comes to the cannabis sector.
The choice of platform directly affects which payment gateways you can integrate, how much control you have over your business and what happens if Shopify decides your store violates its policies. Here is the honest analysis.
| 60% of European CBD merchants use WooCommerce | 25% use Shopify — with risk of closure due to policies | 15% other platforms (PrestaShop, Magento, custom) |
WooCommerce: full control, more complexity
WooCommerce is an open-source plugin for WordPress. That means the store lives on your own server, under your own domain, with full access to the code.
- Full control: you can integrate any payment gateway, including CBD-specialised ones like WeedsPayments.
- No platform restrictions: nobody can shut down your store because it breaches “usage policies” — the server is yours.
- Unlimited customisation: the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin enables full subscriptions with automated billing.
- Variable cost: hosting, domain, premium plugins (€50 – €500/year depending on configuration).
- Steeper learning curve: requires more technical knowledge or a developer.
Shopify: easy to use, less control
Shopify is a SaaS platform (Software as a Service) — the store lives on Shopify’s servers, not yours.
- Easy to set up: intuitive interface, no need for your own server.
- Gateway restrictions: Shopify favours Shopify Payments and charges an additional fee (0.5% – 2%) if you use an external gateway.
- Risk of account closure: Shopify can suspend a CBD store if it considers it in breach of its terms. And it has done so with European stores.
- Shopify Payments is not available for CBD in most European countries.
- Fixed cost: from €29/month, plus external gateway fees.
Direct comparison for CBD merchants in Europe
| Criteria | WooCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Platform control | Full — your own server | Limited — Shopify’s server |
| Closure risk due to policies | None | High — has already closed CBD stores |
| Integration with WeedsPayments | Native and complete | Possible but with extra fee |
| Subscriptions and recurring payments | Complete with WC Subscriptions | Limited without Shopify Payments |
| Approximate monthly cost | €20 – €80 (hosting + plugins) | €29 – €299 + fees |
| Learning curve | Medium-high | Low |
| Customisation | Unlimited | Limited to the Shopify ecosystem |
| SEO and performance | Excellent with the right setup | Good but less flexible |
“With Shopify, you’re building on rented land. If Shopify changes its policies tomorrow, your store disappears. With WooCommerce, the land is yours.”
Our recommendation for the European CBD sector
WeedsPayments’ recommendation is clear: WooCommerce for CBD merchants in Europe. The reasons are simple:
- Full control over the platform — no closure risk from third-party policies.
- Native integration with WeedsPayments without extra gateway fees.
- Full compatibility with WooCommerce Subscriptions for subscription models.
- Greater flexibility to adapt the checkout to bank compliance requirements.
Shopify can be a temporary option to launch quickly, but as the business grows, the limitations become increasingly costly — both in money and in operational risk.
WeedsPayments offers native integration with WooCommerce. If you are on Shopify and want to migrate, our technical team can help you through the migration process without disrupting your store’s operations.
