Migrating from Shopify to WooCommerce represents a strategic move from a hosted SaaS platform to a self-hosted, open-source solution. In 2025, with Shopify's transaction fees, limited customization, and WooCommerce's full control and flexibility, many merchants are making the switch for better cost control and customization options.

This comprehensive technical blueprint covers Shopify's REST Admin API structure, field mappings to WooCommerce's WordPress database, and step-by-step migration execution.

1. The Strategic Pivot: Why Leave Shopify?

💰 Cost Control

The Shopify Pain: Shopify charges transaction fees (0.5%-2%) unless you use Shopify Payments. Monthly plans ($29-$299) plus app subscriptions can add up quickly. Limited control over hosting costs.

The WooCommerce Gain: WooCommerce is free. You only pay for hosting ($10-$100/month) and domain. No transaction fees. Full control over costs.

🚀 Customization & Control

The Shopify Pain: Shopify's Liquid templating has limitations. Custom functionality requires expensive apps or Shopify Plus ($2,000+/month). Limited access to core code.

The WooCommerce Gain: Full access to PHP code, unlimited customization, extensive WordPress plugin ecosystem (60,000+ plugins), and complete control over your store.

🛠 Ownership & Portability

The Shopify Pain: Your store is locked into Shopify's platform. Moving data out requires migration tools. Limited data portability.

The WooCommerce Gain: You own your data completely. Easy to export, backup, and move to any hosting provider. No vendor lock-in.

⚡ Advanced Features

The Shopify Pain: Advanced features like custom checkout flows, complex product types, or B2B functionality require Shopify Plus or expensive apps.

The WooCommerce Gain: Access to powerful WordPress plugins for any feature imaginable. B2B, subscriptions, memberships, and more—often at lower costs.

2. The Pre-Migration Architecture Audit

Shopify is a hosted SaaS platform with REST Admin API access, while WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin using MySQL database.

Shopify Plan: Are you on Basic, Shopify, Advanced, or Plus? API rate limits differ by plan.
API Access: Shopify provides REST Admin API and GraphQL Admin API. Generate API credentials in Shopify admin (Settings > Apps and sales channels > Develop apps).
WordPress Setup: Ensure WordPress is installed with WooCommerce plugin activated. Database access required for migration tools.
Product Structure: Shopify products map well to WooCommerce products. Variants structure is similar.
Images: Shopify images are on Shopify CDN. Need to be downloaded and re-uploaded to WordPress media library.

3. Exact Data Mapping: The Blueprint

Shopify's REST Admin API structure maps to WooCommerce's WordPress database structure.

🛍 Product Data Mapping

Shopify Field (Source)	WooCommerce Field (Target)	Notes & Logic
`Product.id`	`wp_posts.ID` (post_type='product')	WooCommerce generates new IDs. Use SKU for mapping.
`Product.title`	`wp_posts.post_title`	Direct string transfer.
`ProductVariant.sku`	`wp_postmeta._sku`	Shopify SKU is at variant level, WooCommerce at product/variant level.
`ProductVariant.price`	`wp_postmeta._regular_price`	Price per variant in WooCommerce.
`Product.body_html`	`wp_posts.post_content`	HTML content. Images need re-uploading to WordPress media library.
`Collection`	`wp_terms` (product_cat)	Shopify collections become WooCommerce product categories.
`Product.options` and `ProductVariant`	`wp_postmeta._product_attributes`	Shopify variants map to WooCommerce product attributes and variations.

👥 Customer Data Mapping

Shopify Field	WooCommerce Field	Critical Logic
`Customer.email`	`wp_users.user_email`	Unique identifier.
`Customer.password`	`wp_users.user_pass`	Requires password reset. Shopify uses bcrypt hashing. WooCommerce uses PHPass. Customers must reset passwords.
`CustomerAddress`	`wp_usermeta` (billing_, shipping_)	Shopify addresses map to WooCommerce user meta fields.

📦 Order Data Mapping

Shopify Field	WooCommerce Field	Mapping Logic
`Order.name` (order number)	`wp_posts.ID` (post_type='shop_order')	Preserve Shopify order number in WooCommerce order ID or order meta.
`Order.financial_status`, `Order.fulfillment_status`	`wp_posts.post_status`	Map Shopify's dual status system to WooCommerce order statuses (processing, completed, etc.).
`Order.total_price`	`wp_postmeta._order_total`	Direct mapping with currency conversion if needed.

4. The Toolkit: Selecting Your Vehicle

Option A: Automated Cloud Migration (Recommended)

Tools: Migration Shop, LitExtension, Cart2Cart

Specialized tools that connect via Shopify Admin API and WooCommerce database/API.

✅ Pros: Handles API complexity, preserves relationships, creates redirects.
❌ Cons: Cost scales with data ($200 - $500).

Option B: Custom Script

Tools: Shopify Admin API + WooCommerce REST API or Database

✅ Pros: Full control, can customize mapping.
❌ Cons: Requires developer ($100-$200/hr), 30+ hours.

5. Execution Protocol: Step-by-Step

Phase 1: Environment Preparation

1.1. Prepare Target (WooCommerce):
Install WordPress and WooCommerce plugin. Ensure database access. Enable password protection during migration.

1.2. Prepare Source (Shopify):
Generate API credentials in Shopify admin (Settings > Apps and sales channels > Develop apps). Create private app with read permissions for products, customers, and orders.

Phase 2: The Connection Setup

2.1. WooCommerce Access:
Provide WordPress database credentials or use WooCommerce REST API if available.

2.2. Shopify API:
Use Admin API access token from Shopify. Migration tool authenticates via Shopify REST Admin API.

Phase 3: Migration Execution

Use Automated Tool: Recommended for handling Shopify API rate limits and WooCommerce database mapping.
Create 301 Redirects: Critical for SEO preservation from Shopify URLs to WooCommerce URLs.
Handle Product Variants: Shopify variants need careful mapping to WooCommerce product variations.

Phase 4: Post-Migration

4.1. Customer Communication:
Notify customers about the migration. They'll need to reset passwords.

4.2. Verify Products:
Check all products migrated correctly. Verify images, prices, and variants.

4.3. Theme & Design:
Install and customize a WooCommerce theme. Shopify themes cannot be migrated.

6. Financial Breakdown: Cost of Migration (2025)

Custom Script

$3,000+

Developer Time

Automated Cloud

$249

Average Cost

Agency Service