WooCommerce Pricing: How Much Does It Cost To Run A Store? (2024)

WooCommerce and WordPress are both free, open-source software. While this can represent considerable savings, when it comes to WooCommerce pricing, there are still some costs involved in launching a new store.

One of the reasons many people choose WooCommerce is because, like the software itself, costs are customizable — you have a lot more control over what you spend and when than with most other eCommerce platforms.

WooCommerce setup costs: hosting and domain fees

WooCommerce is a plugin, so you’ll need a WordPress site that can use plugins. The very first thing you’ll need to do is choose is a host for your store and buy a plan.

This is actually quite easy. WooCommerce and WordPress both recommend hosts like SiteGround, Bluehost, and Pressable. These hosts are great to start with, although if you’re migrating an eCommerce store, or will be running a large site, work with a host with specific WooCommerce expertise. WordPress.com also offers a Business plan, which allows sites to upload plugins.

Consider the following when choosing a host:

  1. How many sites are on your server? If using a shared hosting plan, resources are distributed between all of the other websites on the same server. Too many sites can slow things down, especially during peak times.
  2. Is there good customer service? If you ever have problems, are there customer service reps that are available 24/7 to help? Consider available support methods (phone call, live chat, forums, etc.) and whether they charge an additional support fee.
  3. What security features are provided? Look for automatic backups, malware prevention, and email spam filters.
  4. What is the server uptime? Uptime is the percentage of time servers (and your website!) are up and running. You want as high a percentage as possible.
  5. How does the host perform on speed? A fast site starts with your host. Read customer reviews to learn from their experiences and keep an eye out for SSD servers and high-level resource allocation (like RAM and CPU).
  6. Can you easily scale? As your site grows, make sure that you can upgrade your hosting plan without needing to migrate.

Read more about WooCommerce hosting options and the performance measures you should expect.

With WooCommerce, you have a lot more control over what you spend, and when you invest it, than with most other eCommerce platforms.

Hosting can be as little as $3.95 per month and as high as $5,000. Most hosts offer an initial free or low-cost period, with discounts when you buy hosting services for two or more years.

WooCommerce Pricing: How Much Does It Cost To Run A Store? (1)

The next cost is registering a domain, or site name. Like hosting, domain registration often comes at an inexpensive introductory price that rises over time, with discounts when you buy multiple years of service. Expect to pay about $15 per year for each domain name you use.

Many hosts offer free domain searches, so you can find out early on if the name you like is available, has been taken, or is for sale. You can purchase a domain name from your host, or from domain registrars like Godaddy.

Hosting costs: $120 per year (average)

Domain registration: $15 on average, but could be much more expensive if purchasing a domain from a private seller

eCommerce and WooCommerce themes: to pay or not to pay?

Now we’re getting into optional costs. The first one you’ll face will be your eCommerce website theme.

If you’ve used WordPress in the past, you know there are thousands of free themes, many of which have been optimized for WooCommerce.

Many new eCommerce businesses start out with WooCommerce’s official Storefront theme, which is both well-designed and simple. There are a variety of available child themes specifically designed for a variety of industries, and you can modify almost anything directly from the WordPress Customizer. If you run into trouble, WooCommerce provides excellent support. There are also numerous WordPress meetups and WordCamps where you can connect with experts who have volunteered to help solve problems.

Storefront is an intuitive and flexible, free WordPress theme offering deep integration with WooCommerce.

If you’re leaning towards a free theme, choose one that is well-maintained and created by a developer with WooCommerce experience (e.g. has been updated recently and is compatible with the latest version of WooCommerce).

There are, of course, good reasons to buy a theme from a WooCommerce developer instead of using a free one:

  • Free themes tend to look similar, so your site won’t stand out as much.
  • Free themes have limited functions.
  • Paid themes provide customer service; at best, free ones offer a Q&A board.
  • Paid themes are regularly updated.

Paid WordPress and WooCommerce themes cost anywhere from $20 to $100 per year.

Theme cost: $0 – 100 per year

Store management costs

There are some essential functions that come with managing an online store, like shipping and payment gateways, each of which involve their own expenses.

Shipping

Out of the box, WooCommerce provides options for flat rate shipping, free shipping, or local pickup. For many small businesses, these are the only choices needed.

The WooCommerce Shipping extension is a free option that connects to USPS and allows you to print shipping labels right from your WordPress dashboard and save money at the same time.

If you do need more advanced choices, choose between shipping extensions like Table Rate Shipping ($99), ShipStation Integration (starting at $9/month), and Distance Rate Shipping ($79). See a full list of available shipping extensions.

Payment gateways

Payment gateways allow you to safely and securely accept payments online. Each one varies in cost and structure and WooCommerce integrates with all the major options.

The best option is to use WooCommerce Payments, which allows you to manage payments directly in your WooCommerce Dashboard.

WooCommerce Payments has no setup charge and no monthly fees. You pay 2.9% + $0.30 for each transaction made with U.S.-issued credit or debit cards. For cards issued outside the U.S., there’s an additional 1% fee.

Eligible merchants can also benefit from Instant Deposits using WooCommerce Payments. Instead of waiting the standard two-day period to access your funds, you can request an instant deposit and receive the money within 30 minutes – including nights, weekends, and holidays.

For more information, see our FAQ on deposit schedules.

Another choice is to use Paypal. With a basic Paypal account, you won’t need to pay a monthly fee, but will pay 2.9% + 0.30 cents per sale to Paypal. This will direct your customers to Paypal’s site, where they can pay with their account or credit card.

If you want to accept credit card payments directly on your site, you can upgrade to Paypal Pro, which costs an additional $30.00 per month. Other options include Stripe (2.9% and 0.30 cents per transaction with no additional fees) and Authorize.net (2.9% and 0.30 cents per transaction + $25/month.) View all payment gateway options.

Shipping costs: $0 – $108 per year on average

Payment gateway costs: 2.9% + .30 cents per sale plus a monthly fee of $0 – $30 per month on average

WooCommerce running costs: communications, SEO, and security

WooCommerce itself offers a lot of free tools — many borrowed from WordPress and adapted for WooCommerce. Extensions act like plugins for WooCommerce, allowing you to add functionality to your checkout, payment gateways, shipping, and more. Here’s a list of ten free extensions directly from WooCommerce.

There are two services I can’t imagine overlooking for an eCommerce store:

  • Customer communications. With email marketing, reach out to customers to encourage repeat purchases, recover abandoned carts, or thank them for orders. WooCommerce integrates with a variety of email marketing tools, like MailChimp, which offers both free and paid plans (starting at $9.99 a month), and Jilt, which starts at $29 a month. With seamless WooCommerce integration, you can sync customers and products, encourage upsells, and track everything from email opens to conversions. View all available email marketing extensions for WooCommerce.
  • Search engine optimization (SEO) tools like Yoast and All In One SEO provide suggestions and functionality to improve your site’s search engine rankings. Both offer free options, with paid plan upgrades.

It’s always advisable to strengthen site security just in case. The vast majority of hosts are very security-conscious, but there’s no harm in adding an extra layer. Services to check out include Sucuri and SiteLock. Sucuri costs $25/month (but bills annually; you’ll be charged $300). SiteLock has different plans but doesn’t publish them, so you’ll have to contact them for details. They offer a free security tool to Bluehost customers, and will heavily discount upgrades as well.

Bluehost also recommends Jetpack, which offers a free plan with basic security functions, like brute force attack prevention and automatic updates. Its paid services includes additional security — automated malware scanning and security fixes, as well as daily or real-time backups. Jetpack’s Premium package costs $99/year and includes many other website tools that help with everything from performance and design to marketing and management.

It’s also important to factor an SSL certificate into the costs of running an eCommerce site. SSL certificates encrypt sensitive information, like credit card data, between a customer’s browser and your server. It’s critical for online stores and, in most cases, is provided for free by your host. If your host doesn’t provide a free option, the cost varies between $8/year to $65/year.

Communications: free to $348 per year

SEO: free to $79 per year

Security: free to $300 per year

SSL certificate: typically free but could cost up to $65 per year

Additional spending: customer experience enhancement

If your budget allows you to do more with your website, the next area of focus should be enhancements that boost the customer experience and drive conversions. No matter your needs, WooCommerce offers both free extensions and paid solutions.

  • Add product page features. Offer add-ons like gift wrapping, set up a waitlist, or let customers name their own price.
  • Enhance the checkout page. Add last-minute upsells, edit checkout fields, or allow shoppers to log in using social media.
  • Make your store your own. Create beautiful pop-ups, showcase products in a slideshow, or turn your store into an online catalog.
  • Customize navigation and search. Add advanced filters, create table views, or assign brands to each product.
  • Market your products. Connect with social media, set up Google shopping ads, or follow up with customers.

It’s possible to ‘overdo it’ with WooCommerce by adding too many bells and whistles. Using too many unnecessary extensions might slow down your website; even the smallest of delays could cost you a sale.

Ultimately, the amount you spend on your WooCommerce site is up to you! You have full control over budgeting and prioritizing the needs of your website and business.

What about hiring a developer?

You may be able to hire developers at an hourly rate to assist with elements of your site that are outside of your expertise. Developers’ fees will range dramatically from $10 to $100+ per hour. Or, you can hire a developer to design and build your entire site from scratch. This can also vary, but might cost anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000.

WooCommerce provides a list of hand-selected, high-quality experts. They know both WordPress and WooCommerce extremely well and can get you up and running efficiently.

Customize your store; customize your budget

The ability to customize WooCommerce doesn’t just mean creating a unique look and functionality — that customization includes the costs associated with developing and running a store. If you’re on a really tight budget, it’s possible to create a fully-functioning store for the cost of a domain name and hosting plan (as low as $135 per year). Well-funded or established stores could spend thousands or more.

With some customization, most store owners can probably get started for around $1,000.

We’d love to hear from you in the comments how you set up your store.

We’re nearly at the end of this introductory series — tomorrow we cover how to set up a new WooCommerce store as the final piece.

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WooCommerce Pricing: How Much Does It Cost To Run A Store? (2024)

FAQs

What percentage does WooCommerce take? ›

WooCommerce Payments has no setup charge and no monthly fees. You pay 2.9% + $0.30 for each transaction made with U.S.-issued credit or debit cards. For cards issued outside the U.S., there's an additional 1% fee.

How much does it cost to make a WooCommerce? ›

WooCommerce itself is free. But a domain name (about $12/year), and a hosting service is needed ($5-$25 monthly). WooCommerce can have additional costs like a theme (~$59), plugins & extensions (from $25 each) and developer fees ($20-$150/hour).

Does WooCommerce take a commission? ›

In short, WooCommerce takes a commission on sales, ranging from 2.9% to 29. 9%. This commission is based on a variety of factors, including the type of product, the size of order, and the country in which the order was placed.

Why is WooCommerce so expensive? ›

Most WooCommerce costs tend to come from premium extensions, which can quickly add up. When it comes to hidden WooCommerce costs, here are three elements you want to keep in mind: Integration with additional payment gateways. Advanced shipping features.

What is the disadvantages of using WooCommerce? ›

While WooCommerce offers a number of benefits, there are also some disadvantages to using this popular eCommerce platform. These disadvantages include limited customization options, no customer support, and lack of scalability.

Is WooCommerce good for small businesses? ›

WooCommerce is a free and versatile ecommerce tool that is fast to set up and great for small businesses. The customer support is favorable, and there are many features to choose from, though some could be better.

How much does WooCommerce cost a month? ›

How Much Does WooCommerce Cost? It costs about $10/month to cover the basic features you'll need to make the free WooCommerce plugin functional. Moving beyond the basics towards some bells and whistles will cost an additional $200 or so per year.

Is WooCommerce good for large business? ›

Overall, we would say that WooCommerce is not ideal for large businesses. It lacks essential features, it is not very scalable, and it may not be able to handle large amounts of traffic.

Is Shopify of WooCommerce cheaper? ›

WooCommerce is cheaper since it is free while Shopify offers solutions ranging from $9 to $299 per month and takes between 0.5 and 2% commission on your sales. Let's dig a little deeper to better understand the cost of both the platforms.

Is there something better than WooCommerce? ›

Shopify is the best WooCommerce alternative

Ultimately, you want to choose an ecommerce platform that suits your business now and can grow with you. WordPress may be a great platform for bloggers and non-ecommerce sites, but WooCommerce is more limited in terms of supporting business growth.

What is better than WooCommerce? ›

WooCommerce alternatives for your online store
  • Shopify.
  • BigCommerce.
  • Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento)
  • Shopify Buy Button.
  • Easy Digital Downloads.
  • MemberPress.
1 Nov 2022

Is WooCommerce cheaper than Etsy? ›

The verdict: Etsy is much cheaper than WooCommerce since this E-marketplace doesn't require any initial expense to set up and also, the listing fee is super cheap.

Is it better to use WooCommerce or Shopify? ›

If you are looking for a cost-effective solution, and you want to have full control of your online store, then WooCommerce is the best platform for you. If you want something that's completely hassle-free that has infinite scalability, then Shopify is the better platform for you.

Which is faster WooCommerce or Shopify? ›

In a nutshell: Shopify will let you get your store live quicker than WooCommerce. If you're starting from scratch or have limited technical skills, Shopify is the best option. Getting your store 'live' is far quicker and easier.

Can WooCommerce handle 1000 products? ›

The answer is yes, it can! WooCommerce is a very scalable platform, and is capable of handling large catalogs. Firstly, you will need to make sure your hosting plan can handle the extra load. Overall, yes, WooCommerce can handle 1000 products.

Can WooCommerce handle 1 million products? ›

According to WooCommerce, it can handle 1 million and more products; in fact, it is built for handling unlimited products if you focus on optimizing the page loading time, website speed, or database queries.

Is Wix better than WooCommerce? ›

Both offer the features that should be in an ideal ecommerce platform but differentiate from one another in many ways. While Wix is a better option for users building an aesthetic store, WooCommerce is best suited for users seeking SEO-optimized and mobile-friendly shops.

Why WooCommerce is best for an online store? ›

WooCommerce offers many helpful features, like order tracking, customer engagement, delivery status updates, inventory management, and more. With over 27 million downloads to date, WooCommerce powers 99% of all WordPress stores. WooCommerce has a low degree of difficulty. It's easy to use for beginner site owners.

Can I use WooCommerce without prices? ›

Yes, you can use WooCommerce without prices. This can be useful if you want to create a catalog of products without selling them online. You can also use WooCommerce without prices if you want to sell products in-person or offline. In order to do this, you will need to disable the price field on the product page.

Does WooCommerce pay sales tax? ›

The answer to whether WooCommerce charges sales tax depends on a few factors. If you are running a physical store, then you are required to charge sales tax on all purchases made in that state. If you are an online store, then you will only need to charge sales tax in states where you have nexus.

Which payment method is best for WooCommerce? ›

The Top WooCommerce Payment Gateways
  1. Stripe. Stripe is one of the most popular payment gateways on the market, largely because of its clean design, ease of use, and developer-friendly documentation and setup. ...
  2. PayPal Pro. ...
  3. Square. ...
  4. Authorize.net. ...
  5. Amazon Pay. ...
  6. Apple Pay. ...
  7. Alipay.

Can WooCommerce handle 5000 products? ›

What is the maximum WooCommerce can handle? Sky is the limit. We've seen instances of shops with 100,000+ products listed, handling thousands of transactions per minute.

Is WooCommerce no longer free? ›

WooCommerce is free to download and use. There are no monthly fees, and you only pay for the hosting and domain name for your website. PRO TIP: Please note that WooCommerce does not offer a free trial. If you are interested in using WooCommerce, please purchase a license.

Which big brands use WooCommerce? ›

10 Of The Best Ecommerce Sites Built With WooCommerce
  • Porter and York.
  • Barefoot Buttons.
  • Underwear Expert.
  • The Good Batch.
  • Untold Wish.
  • Root Science.
  • Marché du Pre.
  • Bluestar Coffee Roasters.
28 Jan 2018

Do I need a PayPal business account for WooCommerce? ›

You need a PayPal business account for WooCommerce. This type of account allows you to accept payments in multiple currencies from your store customers.

Can WooCommerce shut you down? ›

But with WooCommerce, you don't need to worry about your site getting banned or shut down. It's an open-source platform that you can host anywhere you like. So, you have full ownership and complete access to the code. It means there is no way WooCommerce or WordPress can take any action against your online store.

Why switch from WooCommerce to Shopify? ›

If we focus on how easy it is to create a fully-functioning store ready to accept orders, Shopify is the clear winner. With WooCommerce, you'll need to build a WordPress website if you don't already have one. You'll also have to provide web hosting and a domain name.

What is the most profitable Shopify store? ›

Top 100 Most Successful Shopify Stores
RankStore AddressAlexa
1colourpop.com3,311
2jeffreestarcosmetics.com4,262
3fashionnova.com5,015
4reddressboutique.com8,014
93 more rows

Why migrate from Shopify to WooCommerce? ›

While Shopify allows you to export customer data and orders, you have to pay a fee to back up your website design and settings. WooCommerce, however, has a variety of excellent, free backup options. And if you need more advanced functionality, Jetpack Backup is an excellent choice.

Who is WooCommerce owned by? ›

WooThemes was acquired by Automattic, the company best-known for WordPress.com and Jetpack, in mid-2015. Rebranded as WooCommerce and bolstered by a passionate community of partners, developers, and business leaders, we've continued our efforts to develop and democratize commerce to this day.

Why did WooCommerce order fail? ›

There are several reasons why an order might fail on WooCommerce. The most common reasons are incorrect addresses, insufficient funds, and declined credit cards.

Is WooCommerce hard to learn? ›

Despite its popularity, there is a common misconception that WooCommerce is difficult to use. This couldn't be further from the truth! WooCommerce is actually very user-friendly, and can be easily set up and managed by anyone, even if you don't have any technical expertise.

Is WooCommerce Free 2022? ›

First and foremost, WooCommerce is completely free to download and install because of its open-source nature. You can develop your website at your will and on your budget rather than paying a monthly or annual subscription fee.

How to sell on WordPress without WooCommerce? ›

5 Best WooCommerce Alternatives
  1. Ecwid – A WordPress plugin which allows you to add a shopping cart to your site.
  2. WP eCommerce – WordPress' own ecommerce plugin with advanced design.
  3. Shopify – The best ecommerce website builder on the market today.
4 Oct 2022

Is WooCommerce beginner friendly? ›

WooCommerce also comes with a beginner-friendly interface. You don't need to be an expert in IT or coding to begin. Thus, many businesses choose to use it. In fact, according to Barn2, approximately 3.8 million online shops are running on WooCommerce today.

Is WooCommerce the best eCommerce platform? ›

It is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on the web, powering over 30% of all online stores. WooCommerce is a flexible and extendable platform with a wide range of features, making it the perfect choice for businesses of all sizes.

Is WooCommerce good for eCommerce? ›

WooCommerce is a good choice for businesses that are looking for an easy to use and affordable eCommerce platform. It offers a wide range of features and extensions, and it is easy to set up and use. WooCommerce is a good choice for businesses of all sizes.

What is better WooCommerce payments or stripe? ›

Stripe charges a 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction fee, while WooCommerce Payments charges a flat 2.9% transaction fee. This means that businesses who process a lot of small transactions will save money with WooCommerce Payments, while businesses who process fewer large transactions will save money with Stripe.

How does WooCommerce make money? ›

WooCommerce makes money by selling hundreds of useful plugin extensions, or platform add-ons. Because they own and manage the platform, it's a fantastic revenue model for them. It enables them to earn from the extensions that are used by business owners.

Is Shopify more SEO friendly than WooCommerce? ›

Shopify is clearly the one to beat in the list of ready-made SEO-friendly eCommerce platforms. Meanwhile, WooCommerce, powered by WordPress and has plenty of integrations with reasonable prices, reinforcing itself in every ranking competition for SEO.

What is the best eCommerce platform? ›

The Best E-Commerce Platforms of 2022
  • Squarespace: Best Overall E-Commerce Platform.
  • Square Online: Best for Omnichannel Selling.
  • Ecwid: Best for Existing Sites.
  • Shift4Shop: Best Free E-Commerce Platform.
  • Shopify: Best for Dropshipping.
  • Wix: Best Drag-and-Drop Editor.
  • Weebly: Best Value.
  • BigCommerce: Best for Boosting Sales.
18 Nov 2022

How much RAM do you need for WooCommerce? ›

Initially, a RAM of 2 GB is sufficient to handle all the processes of your WooCommerce store.

Is WooCommerce good for SEO? ›

WooCommerce SEO (search engine optimization) is essential to any successful eCommerce businesses. It can help your company appear higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). Products ranked high in search engine results pages (SERPs) reach more people.

Which SEO plugin is best for WooCommerce? ›

Top 7 WooCommerce SEO Plugins in 2022
  • Rank Math.
  • All in One SEO.
  • WooCommerce SEO by WordLift.
  • Yoast WooCommerce SEO.
  • WP-Backlinks.
  • SEO Optimized Images.
  • Jetpack.

What percent does WooCommerce take? ›

WooCommerce Payments has no setup charge and no monthly fees. You pay 2.9% + $0.30 for each transaction made with U.S.-issued credit or debit cards. For cards issued outside the U.S., there's an additional 1% fee.

Can you have 2 stores with WooCommerce? ›

Yes, you can have multiple stores on WooCommerce. You can either use the WooCommerce Multistore Plugin, or you can use the WooCommerce Multi-Site Plugin. Both of these plugins will allow you to have multiple stores on WooCommerce.

How often does WooCommerce payout? ›

As mentioned above, this would be 7 business days from the initial purchase. If the merchant is on a weekly deposit schedule on Thursdays, for example, the funds would be sent on the coming Thursday, a total of 9 business days after the initial purchase.

How does WooCommerce pay out? ›

If they have a weekly deposit schedule set for Fridays, the payment would be paid out on the following Friday. Most banks will reflect the deposit in your account as soon as they receive the transfer from WooCommerce Payments. Some may take a few extra days to make the balance available to you.

Does WooCommerce automatically calculate tax? ›

Your store is enabled to automatically calculate taxes at checkout (you can check this in WooCommerce > Settings > Tax under the Automated taxes setting)

Does WooCommerce automatically calculate sales tax? ›

WooCommerce will automatically calculate and add the appropriate taxes to each order based on the customer's location. This can save you a lot of time and hassle, as you won't need to manually calculate taxes for each order.

Is WooCommerce good for big business? ›

Overall, we would say that WooCommerce is not ideal for large businesses. It lacks essential features, it is not very scalable, and it may not be able to handle large amounts of traffic.

Is WooCommerce expensive? ›

How Much Does WooCommerce Cost? It costs about $10/month to cover the basic features you'll need to make the free WooCommerce plugin functional. Moving beyond the basics towards some bells and whistles will cost an additional $200 or so per year.

Does WooCommerce report to IRS? ›

Form 1099-K is an information filing required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States. WooCommerce Payments is required to issue a 1099-K to U.S. persons with payments processed that exceed the following thresholds: For returns for the calendar year 2022: Gross payments that exceed $600.

How do I hide tax in WooCommerce? ›

1. Setting Tax Exclusive Prices (Hide Tax At The Checkout)
  1. Go to the WooCommerce settings.
  2. Select the Tax option.
  3. Check the option 2 i-e (No, I will enter price exclusive of Tax)
  4. Then, choose on which basis you want the tax to be calculated either customer billing address, shipping address or store billing address.

Can you use a VPN to avoid sales tax? ›

You simply need to change your original IP address with one of the VPN server's IP to avoid paying extra charges for VAT. (As noted, please research your country's laws and regulations on this, in addition to Amazon's policy, to see if this is illegal, as it's not advisable to conduct any form of illegal activity.)

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