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WooCommerce
WooCommerce · San Francisco, California, USA · founded 2005
What it is
WooCommerce is free, self-hosted software for operating an online store. Its core plan supports omnichannel sales, digital products, unlimited products, unlimited orders, and unlimited APIs, with no monthly subscription. Store owners can use abandoned-cart recovery and an app marketplace. The listed transaction fee is payment-only. Because the hosting model is self-hosted, the store runs on hosting managed by the user rather than on a hosted WooCommerce service. WooCommerce is made by WooCommerce, founded in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. The core plan is listed as free, billed free. This combination gives businesses a store foundation with broad catalog and order capacity, while leaving hosting responsibility with the operator.
For and against
For
- Free core plan with no monthly subscription
- Unlimited products, orders, and APIs
- Supports omnichannel sales
- Handles digital products
- Includes abandoned-cart recovery and app marketplace
Against
- Hosting is managed by the user
- Payment-only transaction fee still applies
- Self-hosted setup requires hosting responsibility
The verdict
WooCommerce offers a free core store platform with unlimited listed core capacities and support for multiple sales channels. Its self-hosted model gives operators hosting control but also makes hosting their responsibility.
Who it suits
WooCommerce suits businesses that want a self-hosted online store with omnichannel selling and digital-product support. It fits operators seeking unlimited core products, orders, and APIs without a monthly subscription.
Plans and prices
WooCommerce core
free download · no monthly subscription · unlimited products, orders and APIs
Read 15 Oct 2026 · woocommerce.com
WooCommerce mobile app
iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch · Android phones and tablets
Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Typical hosting
hosting cost for most stores · scales with traffic and performance needs
Read 15 Oct 2026 · woocommerce.com
Extensions
à-la-carte extensions · annual pricing per extension
Read 15 Oct 2026 · woocommerce.com
On the record
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Yeswoocommerce.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Analytics
- WooCommerce connects with Google Analytics and provides reporting intended to support data-driven decisions.woocommerce.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- API alternatives
- Developer documentation lists a Store API, Settings API, Payment Gateway API, Shipping Method API, Payment Token API and an experimental dual API with GraphQL.developer.woocommerce.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- App marketplace
- Yeswoocommerce.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- B2B
- The platform supports wholesale pricing, advanced inventory management and account-based selling through its B2B capabilities.woocommerce.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company facts
- Automattic Inc. is WooCommerce's parent company; Automattic was founded in August 2005, is headquartered in San Francisco and reports 1,447 employees.automattic.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company profile
- Gartner lists WooCommerce as founded in 2005, headquartered in San Francisco, with 201–500 employees and Automattic as parent company.gartner.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Digital products
- Yeswoocommerce.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Documentation depth
- WooCommerce publishes a code reference covering internal classes, API objects and functions, alongside merchant and developer documentation.developer.woocommerce.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Global selling
- Official pages describe multilingual content, multiple currencies, local payment methods and global tax compliance.woocommerce.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Hosting model
- self-hostedwoocommerce.com · read 20 Sep 2026
- Install base
- WordPress.org lists more than 7 million active WooCommerce installations.wordpress.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Latest notable release
- WooCommerce 10.9.0, released June 23, 2026, added checkout and dashboard performance work, admin UI polish and transactional email logging.developer.woocommerce.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Licence
- WooCommerce core is released under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: add-on dependence
- Independent reviews repeatedly say advanced functions often require multiple plugins or paid extensions, increasing cost and maintenance complexity.gartner.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: performance and updates
- Reviewers cite resource-heavy stores, plugin conflicts, disruptive updates and occasional glitches or breakage after updates.getapp.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: setup complexity
- Reviewers commonly report that initial configuration and the large number of settings create a learning curve for less technical users.capterra.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: support complaints
- Trustpilot reviewers report slow or unresponsive support, unresolved payment problems and long troubleshooting cycles.trustpilot.com · read 15 Oct 2026
