Shopify, WooCommerce or a custom online shop: which suits a Malta business?

Buying online is already a habit in Malta. The NSO counted 279,006 people who bought or ordered online in 2025, and in 2024, 78.3% of Maltese enterprises' web-sales turnover came through their own websites and apps rather than marketplaces.

So the question for most retailers is no longer whether to sell online, but how. Three routes come up again and again: Shopify, WooCommerce and a custom-built shop. Each can work. They differ most in how much the shop bends to your business, and how much your business has to bend to the shop.

Start with how your shop will run

Before comparing platforms, think about the day-to-day:

• How many products, and how often do they change?
• Do products have variants, bundles, made-to-order options or trade prices?
• How do you deliver: Malta and Gozo zones, click-and-collect, same-day?
• Does stock need to match a physical shop or another system?
• Who will add products and process orders?

The more of these answers are specific to your business, the more the platform choice matters.

The three options compared

	Shopify	WooCommerce	Custom shop
Hosting	Included	You arrange it	Arranged for you
Getting started	Fastest	Moderate	Takes longer
Design	Themes, customised	Themes, customised	Designed for your brand
Extra features	Paid apps	Plugins, some paid	Built in as needed
Unusual workflows	Limited by apps	Possible with work	Built around them
Maintenance	Platform handles core	Frequent plugin updates	Handled with the site
Moving away later	Export data, rebuild design	You own the install	You own the build

Shopify

Shopify is a hosted platform, so there is no server to manage and you can be selling quickly. Shopify Payments is available in Malta. The catch is that many features beyond the basics come from third-party apps, most with their own monthly fees, and Shopify adds a transaction fee if you use an outside payment provider instead of its own. Over time, a shop can end up paying for a long list of small subscriptions.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce turns a WordPress site into a shop. It is free to install and very flexible, which is why it is popular. That flexibility comes from plugins, and each plugin is another piece of software to update, test and sometimes pay for. Shops with many plugins need regular maintenance to stay fast and secure.

A custom shop

A custom shop is designed and built around your products and how you sell. Delivery zones, product options, trade accounts or a click-and-collect flow are built in as part of the shop rather than bolted on, and there is no stack of apps or plugins charging monthly fees.

The main advantages are:

• Flexibility. The shop follows your process, not a template's assumptions.
• Growth. New features are added to the same codebase as your business grows, without hitting a platform's limits.
• Performance. Without layers of add-ons, pages stay lean and fast on a phone.
• Ownership. You own the shop, rather than renting it from a platform.

It takes longer to plan and build at the start. For businesses serious about selling online, that upfront work tends to pay back in a shop that fits properly and avoids ongoing add-on costs.

Payments, delivery and VAT

Whichever route you choose, check:

• Payments: card, Apple Pay and Google Pay through a reputable provider, plus any local options your customers expect
• Delivery: separate Malta and Gozo zones, collection points and free-delivery thresholds
• VAT and receipts: set up with your accountant, so prices and invoices are correct from day one
• Order notifications: clear emails to you and your customer at every stage

Questions to ask before you decide

1. Which features will I need that aren't included as standard?
2. What will those add-ons cost each month, now and as I grow?
3. Who maintains the shop, and how often does it need updating?
4. Can I export my products, customers and orders if I move?
5. How will the checkout look and perform on a phone?

Frequently asked questions

Is Shopify available in Malta?

Yes. Shopify, including Shopify Payments, can be used by Maltese businesses. Check the current requirements and fees on Shopify's own help pages before signing up.

Is WooCommerce free?

The plugin itself is free, but you still need hosting, a theme, and often paid extensions for features such as advanced shipping or subscriptions, plus regular maintenance.

When does a custom online shop make sense?

When your products, delivery or workflow don't fit neatly into a template, when you want to avoid paying for many add-ons, or when you expect the shop to grow and need room to add features properly.

Can I move from Shopify or WooCommerce to a custom shop later?

Yes. Products, customers and orders can usually be exported and imported. Plan redirects for your product pages so you keep your search visibility during the move.