Is WooCommerce Free? What You Pay for Around the Free Core

So WooCommerce is free in the way WordPress is free: the software costs nothing, and running a real store on it does. The upside is that you choose every cost, and WooCommerce doesn't take a cut as your sales grow. Here's what's free and what isn't, using WooCommerce's own figures.

What's free in WooCommerce

WooCommerce's pricing page says the free core platform includes:

• Unlimited products, orders and APIs.
• No platform fee and no revenue share on your sales.
• No features locked behind higher-priced plan tiers.
• The freedom to use any payment gateway or buy now, pay later provider without penalty, and to run more than one.

That last point is a real difference from hosted platforms. WooCommerce's comparison notes that some hosted rivals add a fee when you use a third-party payment provider; WooCommerce lists none.

What a WooCommerce store costs

WooCommerce breaks the costs into four parts. Here's how its pricing page describes them, as of October 2026:

Cost	What WooCommerce says
Core platform	Free, with no monthly subscription
Payments	No extra costs beyond your processor's own fees
Hosting	$25 to $350 a month for most stores, scaling with traffic and performance
Extensions	$29 to $299 a year per extension, added only if you want them

Hosting is the cost you can't avoid, because WooCommerce runs on WordPress on a server you choose. Extensions are optional; many stores start with the free core and add paid features later.

WooCommerce versus a hosted platform

WooCommerce's own comparison makes the trade-off clear. Hosted platforms bundle hosting and software into a monthly plan; WooCommerce charges nothing for the software and leaves hosting to you. Its comparison table also shows that it has no limit on product variants and no fee for selling in extra markets, where some hosted platforms set caps or charge per market.

If you want...	Better fit
The lowest monthly bill and full control	WooCommerce, with careful hosting choice
Everything handled for you in one plan	A hosted platform
No cut taken as sales grow	WooCommerce, which lists no revenue share
Lots of product options per item	WooCommerce, which lists unlimited variants

For a full side by side, see my guide to Shopify versus WooCommerce. If you've decided on WooCommerce, the best WooCommerce plugins covers the extensions worth paying for, and WooCommerce alternatives lists other platforms.

How to start a WooCommerce store for free

1. Get WordPress hosting. This is the one cost you can't skip.
2. Install WordPress, then add the free WooCommerce plugin.
3. Choose a payment processor. WooCommerce says you pay only that processor's fees.
4. Add your products. The core has no limit on products or orders.
5. Add paid extensions only when a real need comes up.

Where costs creep up

• Paid extensions. At $29 to $299 a year each, as of October 2026, a handful adds up.
• Hosting upgrades. WooCommerce says hosting scales with traffic and performance needs.
• A paid theme, if you want a design beyond the free ones.
• Developer time, if you want changes you can't make yourself.

What WooCommerce's own cost examples show

WooCommerce's pricing page includes sample total cost of ownership summaries from its agency partner StuntCoders. One describes a boutique luxury goods brand in Europe with $2M annual revenue and a highly customised store: initial development of $70,000 in year one, server hosting of $300 a year and premium plugins of $300 a year, as of October 2026. The pattern is the useful part. On a custom WooCommerce build, development and payment processing dwarf the software and hosting costs.

For a small store, the same logic applies at a smaller scale. The software is free, hosting is modest, and what decides your real cost is how much custom work you pay for and which paid extensions you add.

Product options and subscriptions

WooCommerce's comparison lists unlimited product variants on its own platform, where it notes some hosted rivals cap variants per product and limit the number of option types. It also lists no extra subscription processing fee with WooCommerce Subscriptions. If you sell products in many sizes and colours, or run a subscription box, those two lines are worth reading on its pricing page.

Why the free core suits growing stores

WooCommerce makes four promises about the free core on its pricing page. Costs are tied to infrastructure, not sales volume. Customisations stay yours. You can negotiate processor rates directly as your volume grows. And you can customise your checkout without being forced into an upgrade. Put simply, the bill grows with your hosting needs rather than with your sales, which is the opposite of a revenue-share model.

My advice

WooCommerce is a strong choice if you want to own your store and keep every sale's margin, because the software is free and it takes no revenue share. Budget for decent hosting from day one; it's the cost that decides whether your store feels fast. Start with the free core, list your products, and add extensions one at a time as a specific need appears, rather than installing a stack on launch day.

Frequently asked questions

Is WooCommerce free?

Yes. WooCommerce says it's free to download and use, with no monthly subscription, no platform fees and no revenue share.

What does a WooCommerce store cost?

WooCommerce lists hosting at $25 to $350 a month for most stores and extensions at $29 to $299 a year each, as of October 2026, plus your payment processor's fees.

Does WooCommerce take a cut of sales?

No. WooCommerce says there's no revenue share.

Do I need hosting for WooCommerce?

Yes. WooCommerce runs on WordPress, and you choose and pay for your own hosting provider.

Is there a product limit in WooCommerce?

No. WooCommerce says the free core includes unlimited products, orders and APIs.

Does WooCommerce charge a monthly fee?

No. WooCommerce says the core platform is free with no monthly subscription. Your monthly costs come from hosting and any paid extensions you choose.

Can I use any payment provider with WooCommerce?

Yes. WooCommerce says you can use any gateway or buy now, pay later provider without penalty and run more than one.