This or that.
Head-to-head comparisons that commit to an answer. Every one of these states its recommendation before the evidence, names the kind of business each option suits, and says plainly where a competitor beats what we would build.
Payments
Windcave vs Stripe
The real difference is structural, not a rate comparison. Stripe is its own acquirer with published flat pricing. Windcave is a gateway that sits in front of a merchant facility you obtain separately from your bank, with rates negotiated per merchant and never published.
Buy now pay later in NZ
This market has contracted faster than most retailers have noticed. Laybuy went into receivership in 2024 and its brand now belongs to Klarna. Zip announced its New Zealand exit on 17 July 2026. If your checkout still shows Laybuy or Zip badges, they are wrong.
Platforms
Shopify vs WooCommerce
The honest comparison is not about features, because both do the basics well. It is about who carries the maintenance burden, and what happens when something breaks at 9pm on a Friday during a sale.
WordPress vs custom build
We build custom sites, so read this with that in mind. It is also why the cases where WordPress wins are stated plainly below rather than glossed over: a studio that claims its own approach suits every business is not being straight with you.