On this page
- Quick comparison: WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Wix, Squarespace and static
- WordPress: flexible, powerful, needs looking after
- Shopify: the default choice for selling online
- Webflow: design control without the plugin headaches
- Wix and Squarespace: easy to start, harder to grow
- Hand-coded static sites: fastest by design
- The NZ factors most comparisons ignore
- What each platform really costs to run
- WordPress vs Shopify vs Webflow in NZ: which should you choose?
WordPress vs Shopify for NZ businesses comes down to what you sell. Choose Shopify if your website's main job is selling products online, because it handles checkout, hosting, security and NZ GST settings out of the box. Choose WordPress if you are a service business that needs flexible pages, strong content and SEO control, and you are happy to maintain it. Choose Webflow if design control and a fast, low-maintenance marketing site matter most. Wix and Squarespace suit DIY starts, and a hand-coded static site is the fastest option when you rarely change content.
We build on all of these platforms, so we have no reason to push one. Below is an honest comparison, with the New Zealand details that most international comparison articles skip: GST display, NZ payment gateways, shipping and where your site is hosted.
Quick comparison: WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Wix, Squarespace and static
| Platform | Best for | Running costs | SEO control | Maintenance | NZ hosting possible? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Service businesses, content-heavy sites, WooCommerce stores | Hosting, premium plugins, maintenance | Excellent | High: updates and security are your job | Yes |
| Shopify | Online stores of any size | Monthly plan, apps, transaction fees | Good, some URL structure limits | Low: Shopify handles hosting and security | No, global CDN |
| Webflow | Design-led marketing sites, small catalogues | Monthly site plan, optional CMS or e-commerce plan | Very good | Low | No, global CDN |
| Wix | DIY sites, very small businesses | Monthly plan | Fair to good | Low | No |
| Squarespace | Portfolios, simple brochure sites | Monthly plan | Fair to good | Low | No |
| Hand-coded static | Speed-critical sites that change rarely | Very low hosting | Total control | Very low, but edits need a developer or a headless CMS | Yes |
WordPress: flexible, powerful, needs looking after
WordPress runs a large share of the world's websites, and for good reason. It is open source, so you own the site completely, can host it anywhere (including on New Zealand servers), and can extend it with thousands of plugins. For service businesses that want many service pages, suburb landing pages and a blog, it gives you full control over URLs, titles, schema and internal linking.
Where WordPress shines
- Content and SEO: any page structure you want, with fine control over metadata and schema.
- Ownership: no platform can switch you off or raise your fees.
- WooCommerce for stores that need unusual product logic or deep content alongside products.
Where it bites
Plugins are both its strength and its weakness. Every plugin adds code that can slow the site or open a security hole, and core, theme and plugin updates need doing regularly. A neglected WordPress site is one of the most common causes of hacked business websites we fix. Budget for quality hosting and maintenance, or use a service like our website maintenance and hosting plans.
If WordPress sounds right, see our WordPress website design service.
Shopify: the default choice for selling online
Shopify is a hosted e-commerce platform. You pay a monthly plan fee, and Shopify handles hosting, security, PCI compliance for card payments, checkout and platform updates. For most NZ retailers, that removes the biggest headaches of running an online store.
NZ-specific Shopify setup
- GST: set prices to include tax and configure 15% GST so customers see GST-inclusive prices, which is what NZ shoppers expect.
- Payments: Shopify Payments is available to NZ merchants, and gateways such as Windcave and Stripe can be connected. Afterpay is available as a buy-now-pay-later option.
- Shipping: shipping rates can be set by weight, price or region, with rural delivery surcharges and NZ Post or courier integrations via apps.
Trade-offs
Shopify's URL structure is fixed (products live under /products/, collections under /collections/), which is fine for most stores but limits some SEO setups. Apps add up quickly, and many charge monthly. Content pages are more basic than WordPress. For a service business with no products, Shopify is usually the wrong tool.
Our Shopify website design service covers store setup, NZ payments, shipping and SEO.
Short version: selling products? Start with Shopify. Selling services? Start with WordPress or Webflow. Rarely change anything and want maximum speed? Consider static.
Webflow: design control without the plugin headaches
Webflow is a visual website builder aimed at designers. It produces clean, fast code, includes hosting on a global content delivery network, and gives editors a simple CMS for blog posts, team members or case studies. There are no third-party plugins to update, which means fewer security worries.
Webflow suits design-led brands, professional services and marketing sites where the look matters and content changes are mostly text and images. It also handles 301 redirects, editable metadata and custom schema well.
The downsides: plans are priced in US dollars, the CMS has item limits on lower plans, e-commerce is less mature than Shopify, and editing the layout (rather than content) has a learning curve. There is no option to host on NZ servers, though its CDN usually delivers good speed in New Zealand.
Wix and Squarespace: easy to start, harder to grow
Wix and Squarespace are all-in-one builders aimed at people building their own site. Both have improved a lot in speed and SEO settings over recent years, and a well-set-up Wix or Squarespace site can rank for local searches.
Where businesses run into trouble is growth. Template constraints make it hard to build a proper service and location page structure, speed tuning is limited, and you cannot export the site to another platform. We regularly fix Wix and Squarespace sites, and sometimes the right answer is to improve what is there rather than rebuild. When a move does make sense, it needs a careful redirect plan, which our website redesign SEO checklist walks through.
Hand-coded static sites: fastest by design
A static site is plain HTML, CSS and minimal JavaScript, served as files with no database. That makes it extremely fast, very secure (there is little to hack) and cheap to host. For a service business whose pages rarely change, a static site can post excellent Core Web Vitals scores on New Zealand mobile networks.
The trade-off is editing. Without a CMS, content changes usually go through a developer. A headless CMS can solve that, letting you edit text while the site stays static. If speed is your main concern, read our guide to website speed and Core Web Vitals.
The NZ factors most comparisons ignore
GST display and invoicing
NZ consumers expect GST-inclusive prices. Business-to-business sites often show +GST. Whichever platform you choose, make sure prices, carts and invoices handle 15% GST correctly. Inland Revenue's GST guidance covers when you need to register and what tax invoices must show.
NZ payment options
Check that your platform supports the gateway your bank or accountant prefers. Windcave is widely used by NZ businesses, Stripe is common on WordPress and Webflow, and Shopify Payments is available on Shopify. Offer the payment methods your customers actually use, such as cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Afterpay.
Hosting location and speed
WordPress and static sites can be hosted on New Zealand servers, which shortens the distance data travels for local visitors. Shopify, Webflow, Wix and Squarespace use global CDNs that cache content close to visitors. Both approaches can be fast. Our guide to website hosting in NZ explains the trade-offs.
Shipping rules
Rural delivery surcharges, island shipping and courier zone pricing need to be configured correctly or you will lose money on every rural order. Shopify and WooCommerce both handle this well with the right setup.
What each platform really costs to run
Build cost gets the attention, but the monthly bill decides whether a platform suits you over three to five years. Add up these items for each option before you decide.
- WordPress: hosting, a premium theme or page builder licence if used, paid plugins (forms, SEO, backups, security), and someone to apply updates. A lean, well-built WordPress site can be cheap to run. A site with twenty premium plugins is not.
- Shopify: the monthly plan, payment processing fees on every sale, and app subscriptions for reviews, subscriptions, product filters, upsells or shipping rules. Apps are where Shopify costs quietly grow, so review them every year.
- Webflow: a site plan per website, with higher tiers for more CMS items, form submissions or e-commerce. Because plans are billed in US dollars, the NZD cost moves with the exchange rate.
- Wix and Squarespace: a single plan fee that covers hosting and most features, plus any paid apps or extensions.
- Static: low-cost hosting and occasional developer time for changes.
Also consider switching cost. WordPress and static sites can move to another host or developer with little friction. Leaving Shopify, Webflow, Wix or Squarespace usually means rebuilding the design, although your content and product data can normally be exported. For typical build prices across each option, see our guide to website design cost in NZ.
WordPress vs Shopify vs Webflow in NZ: which should you choose?
Tradie or local service business
WordPress or static, built around service and suburb pages, with click-to-call and fast mobile loading.
Retailer selling online
Shopify for most stores. WooCommerce if you need complex product logic or lots of content.
Design-led professional firm
Webflow for polish and easy content editing without plugin maintenance.
Just starting out
Wix or Squarespace to test the idea, then move to a custom build when Google enquiries matter.
The platform matters less than how the site is planned and built. A strategic WordPress site will beat a careless Shopify one, and vice versa. If you are unsure, our website design Auckland team can recommend a platform during a free 20-minute website plan, based on what you sell and how your customers search. You can also see typical build costs on our pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify or WordPress better for a NZ online store?
For most NZ retailers who want to sell online quickly and reliably, Shopify is the safer choice because hosting, security, checkout and updates are handled for you. WordPress with WooCommerce suits stores that need unusual features, heavy content marketing or want to avoid platform fees, but it needs more maintenance and good hosting.
Can Shopify show GST-inclusive prices in New Zealand?
Yes. Shopify lets you set prices to include tax and configure New Zealand GST at 15%, so customers see GST-inclusive prices on product pages and at checkout. Your store should also show GST correctly on invoices. Check the setup with your accountant, particularly if you sell to customers overseas.
Is Webflow good for SEO?
Webflow is good for SEO when built properly. It produces clean code, lets you edit titles, meta descriptions, alt text and redirects, and supports custom schema markup. Its hosting runs on a global content delivery network, so pages generally load quickly. Like any platform, rankings still depend on content, structure and links.
Should I move my business website off Wix or Squarespace?
Not always. Modern Wix and Squarespace sites can rank and convert if they are set up well. Consider moving if you need more control over speed, structure or features, if you have outgrown the templates, or if you want to own your site's code. Any move needs 301 redirects to protect your rankings.
Which website platform is cheapest to run in NZ?
A hand-coded static site is usually cheapest to run because hosting is simple and there are no plugin or app subscriptions, though every content change may need a developer. WordPress can be low cost but needs paid maintenance. Shopify, Webflow, Wix and Squarespace charge monthly plan fees, and Shopify stores often add app costs.