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WooCommerce

Free open-source WordPress plugin for full control; you arrange your own hosting.

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Entry plan
$0 (free plugin)
Tx fee
0%
Free themes
Thousands
Apps
Thousands

Best for

Developers and businesses wanting full control. Free plugin, pay for hosting only.

Pricing breakdown

All prices in AUDLast verified 11 June 2026

Every fee we track, grouped by where it applies.

Strengths and trade-offs

Pros

  • Free, open-source plugin
  • Maximum flexibility and control
  • Thousands of themes and plugins
  • No platform transaction fees

Cons

  • Requires separate hosting and maintenance
  • Needs developer support for complex builds
  • No single vendor for support

About WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free, open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress and the most-used platform globally by install count. The plugin itself is free; your real cost is your own hosting plus any premium extensions. It offers near-unlimited flexibility and thousands of themes and plugins, but requires WordPress setup and ongoing maintenance.

WooCommerce was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco, USA.

How WooCommerce compares

Side-by-side with the closest alternatives by estimated cost.

Subscription plus hosting estimate for self-hosted platforms. Payment processing not included.

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Common questions about WooCommerce

The same questions Australian merchants ask before signing up.

  • The WooCommerce plugin itself is free and open source. However, running a WooCommerce store requires paid WordPress hosting, a domain name, and often paid extensions or themes. The $4 to $45/mo range covers typical shared-to-managed hosting costs.

  • WooCommerce charges no platform transaction fees. When you use WooPayments, the native processing rate is 1.75% + $0.30 (WooPayments) per online transaction. Third-party gateways such as Stripe or PayPal carry their own rates, but WooCommerce itself adds nothing on top.

  • You do. WooCommerce is self-hosted, meaning you choose and pay for your own hosting provider, keep WordPress and plugins updated, and handle backups and SSL certificates. This gives maximum control but requires ongoing technical attention.

  • There is no product limit imposed by WooCommerce. Practical limits are set by your hosting plan and server resources rather than by the software itself.

  • WooCommerce can scale to large catalogues with the right hosting and developer support. Many high-volume stores use it successfully. That said, a headless or purpose-built enterprise platform may offer better performance optimisation for very large operations.

  • WooCommerce has no software licensing cost and charges no transaction fees, making it cost-effective for stores that already have developer resources. Shopify is a hosted solution that includes support, security, and infrastructure but charges a monthly platform fee and transaction fees if you use a third-party gateway.

  • Basic to developer-level skill is needed. Setting up a simple store is accessible to non-developers using a managed WordPress host, but customising checkout flows, integrating complex shipping rules, or scaling a high-traffic store typically requires developer involvement.

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Compare WooCommerce against every other Australian provider on price, contract terms, and features.

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