The e-commerce market is continuously developing. Sellers have a wide range of technologies and ready-made solutions which facilitate online sales launch. Choosing the right one is not a piece of cake and demands in-depth, time-consuming analysis. Here, we narrow down the discussion to two Open Source solutions – Drupal Commerce and WooCommerce. Read on to verify which of them will be well-suited to your project.
Drupal Commerce vs. WooCommerce – Definitions
WooCommerce has been present on the global market since 2011. It is a free-of-charge plugin for WordPress – the most popular CMS worldwide. It extends WordPress functionalities with the online sales option. Since its launch, WordPress has gained massive popularity, which lasts up to these days. At least 3 million websites use this technology.
Drupal Commerce was released in the same year as WooCommerce. It is an Open Source software dedicated to Drupal CMS. It enables the creation of scalable e-commerce platforms on this content management system. The technology has continuously expanded its functionalities since the release date, but its popularity is significantly lower than in the case of WooCommerce. Just 5k e-commerce platforms are based on the Drupal Commerce module.
Drupal Commerce vs. WooCommerce – Comparison
As the CMS, Drupal, and WordPress have similar installation processes. However, the e-commerce extension installation varies in both cases. WooCommerce is a plugin that one can install after WordPress configuration, and it immediately provides all its functionalities. On the other hand, Drupal Commerce is a module that demands Drupal CMS installation, e.g., using Git or Composer. Let’s check other differences, pros, and cons of both systems.
WooCommerce Pros
- Wide range of free and paid extensions which are easy to install and provide useful functionalities. The paid plugins are usually cheaper than in the case of other platforms.
- A lot of free themes which enable choosing any layout or color for your platform.
- WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin. Thus, it is equally straightforward as the CMS itself. You don’t need to be a programming master at managing the WooCommerce online shop successfully, or even configure its design and functionalities.
WooCommerce Cons
- WordPress is the most popular CMS. As a result, hackers usually target the websites based on it. Moreover, the plugins are developed by many independent providers – it is difficult to ensure the homogenous security standards for them.
- WordPress and WooCommerce development capabilities are limited. Thus, the deployment of more advanced and resource-consuming solutions will be complicated.
Drupal Commerce Pros
- Drupal Commerce is fast and responsive, no matter how many products it manages. The system has many outstanding modules, e.g., Rules which enable functionality deployment. It works similarly like the If and Else conditions. Thanks to the Rules module, one can trigger the system reaction, depending on the circumstances.
- Drupal is well-known for its extended and intuitive content management functionalities. The same applies to Drupal Commerce. This feature will be particularly useful when you are considering content marketing activities.
- Drupal Commerce handles different payment methods, e.g., PayPal, PayU, Webcheckout, Stripe, Braintree, or Square. As a result, customers have a wide range of options to choose from.
Drupal Commerce Cons
- Drupal is a highly-extended CMS, providing a vast scope of functionalities. Simultaneously, it demands specific technical skills. If you want to lead a Drupal Commerce based online store, you have to invest in professional programming support.
- Drupal has a transparent roadmap of updates and the end of support dates. For instance, Drupal 8 will not be supported by November 2021. In the Drupal Commerce case, the regular updates are necessary, and unfortunately – time-consuming.
Drupal Commerce vs. WooCommerce – Which Should You Choose?
There is no definite answer to that question. No one can say that Drupal Commerce is better than WooCommerce or in the opposite way. Everything depends on your business needs and other circumstances. WooCommerce is an ideal solution for online sales beginners because it enables straightforward e-commerce launch, even without advanced technical skills. When you think prospectively, and you are planning online sales expansion – rely on Drupal Commerce. It will provide a premium security standard, so as a bunch of unique functionalities and a wide range of development possibilities in the future.
To sum up, remember to analyze your needs, plans, and expectations carefully and then consider the pros and cons of Drupal Commerce and WooCommerce for your business only. As a result, you will choose the technology that meets all of your standards.
