Overview
WooCommerce is an open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress, maintained by Automattic. It adds product catalogues, carts, checkout, taxes and order management to an existing WordPress site.
Because it runs on the merchant's own hosting, it suits businesses that want full control over their store and content. Functionality is extended through official and third-party extensions, including payment gateways, subscriptions and shipping integrations.
Key features
- WordPress integrationStore and content live in the same WordPress site and admin.
- Product managementPhysical, digital and variable products with inventory tracking.
- Payment gatewaysWooPayments plus integrations with Stripe, PayPal and other providers.
- Extensions marketplaceAdd subscriptions, bookings, memberships and more.
- REST APIProgrammatic access to products, orders and customers.
Best for
- Businesses already running a WordPress site
- Merchants who want full ownership of code, data and hosting
- Content-heavy stores combining publishing and commerce
Pricing
Open source. The plugin is free; costs come from hosting, paid extensions, themes and payment processing fees.
| Plan | What you get |
|---|---|
| Core plugin | Free and open source. |
| Extensions | Paid add-ons, typically billed annually per site. |
Prices and plan limits change often. Check the official website for current pricing. Last reviewed Oct 3, 2026.
Pros & cons
Pros
- No platform subscription fee for the core plugin
- Full control and portability of store data
- Very large ecosystem of themes, plugins and developers
Cons
- Merchant is responsible for hosting, updates, security and performance
- Costs of premium extensions can add up
- Plugin conflicts can complicate maintenance
WooCommerce alternatives
-
Ecommerce Free trial Visit
Shopify
Hosted commerce platform for online stores, point of sale and multichannel selling.
-
Ecommerce Usage-based Visit
Stripe
Payments infrastructure and APIs for online businesses and platforms.
-
Ecommerce Usage-based Visit
Gumroad
Simple storefronts for creators selling digital products and memberships.
Try WooCommerce
The plugin is free; costs come from hosting, paid extensions, themes and payment processing fees.