Review
WooCommerce review
WordPress site owners who want to add a store.
We check it out so you don’t have to.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we believe are useful. Read our full disclosure.
- What it is
- Free WordPress ecommerce plugin
- Best for
- WordPress users who want full control of their online store
- Price
- Free plugin; you pay for hosting and extensions, checked October 26, 2026
- Prices checked
- October 26, 2026
We researched WooCommerce's official pricing, plan terms, product pages and help documentation. We haven't used WooCommerce ourselves, so this is a research-based review, not a hands-on test.
Who it’s best for
- WordPress site owners who want to add a store.
- Sellers who want full control over design, data and extensions.
- Stores with unusual products or many variants.
Who should skip it
- Probably not the best fit if you want a hosted store with no technical upkeep.
How it works day to day
This part draws on WooCommerce’s own product pages, help center and documentation, read October 26, 2026 (listed under Sources). We haven’t used WooCommerce ourselves.
Day to day, you add products, manage orders and stock, and run coupons from the WordPress dashboard, while extensions handle shipping, tax and subscriptions.
Key features in use
- Product, order and stock management.
- Coupons and discounts.
- Shipping and tax settings.
- WooPayments and other gateways.
- Thousands of extensions.
Setup and learning curve
You install the WooCommerce plugin on WordPress, follow the setup wizard, add products, and connect payments and shipping.
Integrations
WooCommerce works with Stripe, PayPal, Square, Mailchimp, Google and thousands of WordPress plugins.
Support
WooCommerce has documentation, community forums and support for paid extensions.
Real-world use cases
- A blogger adds a shop to a WordPress site.
- A brand sells subscriptions with an extension.
- A shop sells products with many options.
What it costs
Prices checked October 26, 2026, from WooCommerce’s own pricing page unless noted. Prices change often, so check the official page before you buy.
- WooCommerce plugin: free.
- Hosting: WooCommerce says $25 to $350 a month for most stores.
- Extensions: about $29 to $299 a year each.
- WooPayments card processing about 2.5% to 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction.
- No platform fee or revenue share.
What we like
- Free and open source.
- No platform fee or revenue share.
- Thousands of extensions and themes.
- You own your store and data.
- Unlimited products and variants.
What to watch for
- You pay for and manage hosting, security and updates.
- Paid extensions add up.
- More technical than hosted platforms.
The fine print
- Extensions renew yearly.
- Payment processors charge their own fees.
- Your host and plugins affect speed and security.
The main alternative: Shopify
Shopify is the hosted alternative. It handles hosting, security and updates for you, with a large app store.
What it costs: $29/mo billed yearly, $39 monthly (Basic), checked October 26, 2026
Pick WooCommerce if you…
- already use WordPress.
- want full control and no platform fee.
- have custom store needs.
Pick Shopify if you…
- want a hosted store with less upkeep.
- want to launch quickly.
Our take
WooCommerce is free, flexible and gives you full control of a store on WordPress, but you take on hosting and upkeep. If you would rather not manage the technical side, compare Shopify.
Side by side
| Company | Best for | Trial / refund |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | WordPress users who want full control of their online store | Free; paid extensions have their own terms |
| Shopify | Product-first stores that plan to grow | 3-day trial, then $1/mo for 3 months |
From our company records. Check the official pages for current prices.
What we checked
- WooCommerce's pricing page and plan terms, read October 26, 2026
- Shopify's details: from our existing company record and review, not re-checked on October 26, 2026
- WooCommerce's feature, help and integration pages listed below (links checked October 26, 2026)
Sources
Visit WooCommerce’s official site
How we review
We read the company's own terms, test the sign-up or booking steps where we can, and compare it with alternatives. A commission never changes what we write. Read our disclosure.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we believe are useful. Read our full disclosure.