WooCommerce — The free, open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress — fully customizable, and you own your store.
Verdict at a glance
Total ownership and flexibility — a free, open-source store you fully control on WordPress.
The plugin is free, but you pay for hosting, extensions, and maintenance — and you manage it all yourself.
The best ecommerce option for WordPress users and developers who want full control, content + commerce, and no platform lock-in.
Real-world ratings (third-party)
The rating above is DigiJaws’s own editorial verdict. Here’s how it scores on independent review platforms, pulled directly from each platform as of 2026-08-06:
| Platform | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.4/5 | 1,281 |
| Capterra | 4.5/5 | 1,047 |
Ratings and review counts change as new reviews come in — check the linked platform for the live number. We don’t (yet) run our own on-site review collection, so we cite third-party aggregators for independent signal.
Overview
WooCommerce is a free, open-source ecommerce plugin that turns any WordPress site into a store. It offers unlimited products, deep customization, a huge extension library, and full ownership of your data and storefront — with no platform transaction fees.
The catch is that “free” applies only to the core plugin: you provide hosting, security, updates, and paid extensions/themes, and you manage the stack yourself. Real-world stores typically run a few hundred to several thousand dollars a year.
Key features
- Full WordPress integration
- Unlimited products
- Open-source & fully customizable
- Huge extension library
- Own your data
- Best content + commerce
Pricing (as of 2026-09-10)
Model: open-source plugin (self-hosted) · Free tier: yes (plugin free; pay hosting/extensions) · Entry paid: Free core plugin; hosting $25–$350/mo
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Core platform | Free | ★ No monthly subscription and 0% revenue share |
| Payments | Processor fees only | Choose your own processor; WooCommerce adds no extra cost |
| Hosting | $25–$350/month | Vendor-stated range for most stores; scales with traffic and performance |
| Extensions | $29–$299/year each | Added a la carte to extend the store |
⚠️ The plugin is free; real cost is hosting + extensions + maintenance. Verify current extension pricing on woocommerce.com.
Ratings breakdown
- Ease Of Use: 3.6/5
- Features: 4.4/5
- Value: 4.3/5
- Support: 3.6/5
Pros
- Free & open-source
- Total control & customization
- Best content + commerce (WordPress)
- No platform transaction fees
- Huge ecosystem
Cons
- You manage hosting, security & updates
- Costs add up (hosting + extensions)
- Steeper for non-technical users
- Performance depends on your setup
Who it’s for
- WordPress users and developers
- Content-driven stores; budget-conscious with technical skill
Who it’s not for
- Non-technical users wanting a fully managed store (use Shopify)
- Those wanting zero maintenance
Best use cases
- WordPress stores
- Content + commerce
- Custom & budget stores
Integrations
WordPress plugins, Stripe / PayPal, Payment gateways, Thousands of extensions.
Alternatives
Shopify, BigCommerce, Ecwid.
Recent changes
WooCommerce now publishes its real cost structure rather than leaving hosting to the reader. As verified on 2026-09-10, the core plugin is free with a 0% revenue share, payments cost only your processor’s fees, hosting is stated at $25 to $350 a month for most stores, and extensions run $29 to $299 a year each. The “hosting from about $5 a month” figure in older comparisons understates the realistic floor by a wide margin — the total cost of a WooCommerce store is hosting plus extensions, not the plugin.
Frequently asked questions
Does WooCommerce have a free plan?
Yes — the core WooCommerce plugin is completely free and open-source with unlimited products; your real costs are hosting (which WooCommerce now states at $25–$350/mo), optional paid extensions, and premium themes.
Why isn’t WooCommerce truly “free” in practice?
The plugin itself has no license fee, but running a real store means paying for hosting, security, updates, and typically some paid extensions (payments, shipping, subscriptions) — real-world stores often run several hundred to a few thousand dollars a year all-in.
Is WooCommerce better than Shopify?
WooCommerce gives you full ownership, content + commerce flexibility, and no platform transaction fees, but you manage hosting and maintenance yourself; Shopify is a fully managed, non-technical-friendly platform with less customization freedom — see our Shopify review for the comparison.
What is WooCommerce’s rating on G2 and Capterra?
As of 2026-08-06, WooCommerce holds 4.4/5 on G2 (1,281 reviews) and 4.5/5 on Capterra (1,047 reviews). See the ratings table above for links to the live pages.
Similar tools in Ecommerce Platforms
Sources
- https://www.omnisend.com/blog/woocommerce-pricing/
- https://costbench.com/software/ecommerce/woocommerce/
- https://www.swell.is/content/woocommerce-pricing
Compiled from public sources; last verified 2026-09-10. Pricing is subject to change — verify with the vendor. Ratings reflect editorial opinion.
Head-to-head: Shopify vs WooCommerce
WooCommerce Review (4.0/5): Features, Pricing & Verdict (2026). DigiJaws, 2026. https://digijaws.com/reviews/woocommerce/