How to Migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce: A Step-by-Step Guide

Thinking of switching from Shopify to WooCommerce? Whether you're frustrated with recurring fees, limited customization, or want full control over your eCommerce platform, migrating from Shopify to WooCommerce could be your next best move. In this complete guide, we’ll show you how to migrate your Shopify store to WooCommerce — step by step — using automated tools and best practices to keep your products, customers, and orders safe and intact.

Why Move from Shopify to WooCommerce?

Shopify is beginner-friendly and hosted, but it comes with limitations that many store owners grow out of. Here’s why people transfer Shopify to WooCommerce:

Full Control & Ownership

  • With WooCommerce, you own your code, data, and store — no vendor lock-in.

Lower Long-Term Costs

  • No monthly subscription for the platform itself.
  • You pay for hosting and optional plugins, not for basic store functionality.

Customization & Extensibility

  • Open-source architecture with over 60,000 WordPress plugins available.
  • Total flexibility in design and features.

Scalable SEO & Content Capabilities

  • WordPress + WooCommerce = superior SEO and content marketing tools.
  • Easily create blogs, landing pages, and optimize product pages.

What Data Can You Migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce?

Using an automated WooCommerce migration tool like Cart2Cart, you can transfer:
  • Products (images, SKUs, prices, descriptions, inventory)
  • Product categories & collections
  • Customer accounts & details
  • Orders & order history
  • Coupons, taxes, currencies
  • Blog posts & CMS pages
  • SEO URLs, meta titles & meta descriptions
Manual migration is risky and time-consuming — that's why most professionals use an automated service.

How to Migrate Shopify Store to WooCommerce – Step-by-Step

Step 1: Prepare Your WooCommerce Environment

To migrate successfully, you’ll need a working WooCommerce store:
  1. Purchase a domain and hosting (use WooCommerce-optimized hosting like SiteGround, Bluehost, or Cloudways).
  2. Install WordPress and the WooCommerce plugin.
  3. Choose a WooCommerce theme — Astra, OceanWP, and Storefront are good free options.
  4. Configure your basic WooCommerce settings (currency, location, shipping, etc.).

Step 2: Backup Your Shopify Store

Before transferring any data:
  • Export Shopify products, orders, and customers via CSV (as a backup).
  • Save images and media files.
  • Consider using a Shopify app for backups if needed.

Step 3: Launch Cart2Cart – The Automated Shopify to WooCommerce Migration Tool

  1. Go to Cart2Cart’s official site.
  2. Register an account (free).
  3. Set up Shopify as your source cart:
    • Provide your Shopify store URL.
    • Generate API credentials if needed.
  4. Set up WooCommerce as the target cart:
    • Install the Cart2Cart plugin on your WooCommerce site.
    • Provide store URL and connection bridge.

Step 4: Choose Data to Migrate

You can selectively migrate:
  • All products or only specific categories.
  • All or filtered orders.
  • Customer data, blog posts, tags, and SEO metadata.

Optional Add-ons:

  • Preserve order/customer IDs
  • Migrate images to product descriptions
  • Create 301 redirects from Shopify to WooCommerce URLs
  • Migrate SEO data (meta titles/descriptions)

Step 5: Run a Free Demo Migration

Cart2Cart offers a free demo migration to test how your data looks in WooCommerce. This takes a few minutes and lets you:
  • Preview products, categories, and orders.
  • Ensure formatting and images are intact.
  • Identify and fix any issues early.

Step 6: Start Full Shopify to WooCommerce Migration

Once you're satisfied with the demo:
  • Launch the full migration.
  • Migration occurs in the background — your Shopify store stays online and unaffected.
  • Cart2Cart will notify you via email when it’s done.
Depending on your store size, this could take from 30 minutes to several hours. After the Migration: What’s Next? Migration complete? Great — here’s your post-migration checklist:

Check Your Store Data

  • Review products, prices, categories, and orders.
  • Test customer logins, account details, and order histories.
Configure WooCommerce Essentials
  • Payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, etc.)
  • Shipping zones and tax settings
  • Inventory management
Set Up SEO Redirects
  • Use 301 redirects for old Shopify URLs to retain your search engine rankings.
  • Plugins like Redirection or Cart2Cart’s built-in redirect add-on can help.

Remind Customers to Reset Passwords

Shopify passwords can’t be migrated (due to encryption). Send a reset email to your customer list.

Optimize Your New Store

  • Add performance plugins (like caching and image optimization).
  • Install SEO tools (Yoast SEO or RankMath).
  • Set up analytics (Google Analytics 4, Facebook Pixel, etc.)

Start Your Shopify to WooCommerce Migration Today

Cart2Cart helps you move your online store to WooCommerce quickly, securely, and without any technical headaches. With 0% downtime, no lost data, and expert support, it's the most reliable way to switch platforms. Try Free Demo Migration Now

Final Thoughts: Is WooCommerce Right for You?

If you’re looking for greater freedom, lower costs, and a powerful SEO-friendly foundation, WooCommerce is the best Shopify alternative available today. With the right tools and preparation, your Shopify to WooCommerce migration can be smooth, painless, and a smart business move.
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