WooCommerce Pricing: How Much Does WooCommerce Cost?
Last Updated on November 12, 2025 by Himanshu Rawat
If you’re planning to start an online store with WooCommerce, one of the first questions that probably comes to mind is: How much does WooCommerce actually cost?
The answer: WooCommerce itself is free, but running a WooCommerce store isn’t completely free. There are several costs involved, including web hosting and domain registration, as well as themes, plugins, and optional extensions. Understanding WooCommerce pricing helps you estimate your budget more accurately and plan your store setup efficiently.
Let’s break it all down step-by-step so you can estimate the real cost of using WooCommerce in 2025.
What Is WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is the leading open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress, transforming any WordPress site into a complete online store with customizable products, payment methods, and shipping options.
It powers over 4.6 million active e-commerce stores worldwide, holding a 69.78% share of the e-commerce platform market. WooCommerce has rapidly grown in popularity within the e-commerce sector and has become the leading e-commerce platform, with more than 6.2 million users. Though free to use, you’ll still need to invest in hosting and additional tools to ensure your store runs smoothly — which is where understanding WooCommerce pricing becomes important.
Is WooCommerce Free?
The WooCommerce core plugin is completely free to install and use on any WordPress website. You can start setting up your store right after installation. However, this “free” version includes certain limitations and additional needs that store owners should be aware of before going live.
What You Get for Free:
- Ideal for Beginners: A great choice for hobbyists or first-time store owners who want to experiment with e-commerce without making an upfront financial commitment.
- Product Management: Easily create, edit, and organize both physical and digital products, complete with images, descriptions, and pricing options.
- Shopping Cart & Checkout: Offer customers a seamless shopping experience with a built-in cart and a secure checkout process that works right out of the box.
- Payment Integrations: Accept payments through popular gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and direct bank transfers. No extra setup required for basic use.
- Order & Inventory Management: Stay on top of your business with tools that let you process orders, track stock levels, and manage inventory efficiently.
Main Costs Involved in Running a WooCommerce Store
Here’s a complete 2025 guide explaining what you’ll need and the key factors that determine the overall WooCommerce pricing for running a successful online store. This breakdown will help you understand WooCommerce pricing across hosting, domains, and additional services.
Web Hosting
- Hosting stores your website files and makes your store accessible online.
- Basic WooCommerce hosting costs range from about $7–$40/month, with annual costs between $100 and $1,000+, depending on your store size and traffic.
- Cost for larger or high-traffic stores can reach $2,000–$10,000 per year for specialized hosting.
Domain Name
A domain name acts as your store’s unique web address (like yourstore.com), helping customers find and recognize your brand online. It’s a vital part of building your store’s identity and improving visibility. Typically, a standard domain (.com, .net, etc.) costs between $10–$20 per year, though prices may be slightly higher for special extensions such as .store or .shop, or if you choose to add privacy protection and other extras.
Key things to keep in mind:
- Many hosting providers offer a free domain for the first year when you purchase an annual hosting plan.
- Always check the renewal cost, as it’s often higher than the first-year promotional price.
- Include this as a recurring expense in your WooCommerce budget to avoid surprises later.
Required Security (SSL)
An SSL certificate is essential for any WooCommerce store. It enables HTTPS to secure customer data like logins and payments, while also showing the padlock icon that builds trust. Most web hosts now include free SSL certificates, making it easy for store owners to activate secure connections offering strong encryption for small to mid-sized stores.
Additional considerations:
- Some merchants prefer premium SSL certificates for extra assurance and advanced features.
- Premium options may include higher warranty coverage, extended validation (EV), or support for multiple domains/subdomains.
- Prices for premium SSL certificates typically range from $20 to $280+ per year, depending on the brand and level of validation.
- Always check your hosting plan to see if SSL is included or needs to be purchased separately, as pricing and features differ across providers.
Payment Processing
Payment processing in WooCommerce is simple and cost-effective. Most popular gateways like WooCommerce Payments, Stripe, and PayPal charge no setup or monthly fees. Instead, you only pay a small transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 for each successful payment made using U.S.-issued credit or debit cards.
Key details:
- International payments include an extra 1%–1.5% cross-border fee.
Example: A $100 U.S. sale costs about $3.20, while an international sale may cost around $4.20. - PayPal may have a slightly higher fixed fee (around $0.49 per transaction).
- You can connect multiple payment gateways and only pay fees when sales occur.
- Fees are automatically deducted from your payouts; no separate billing is needed.
Themes
WooCommerce offers both free and premium themes to suit different needs. The free Storefront theme, built by WooCommerce’s own team, is lightweight, mobile-friendly, SEO-optimized, and integrates perfectly with all WooCommerce features. It allows basic customization like colors, layouts, and widgets, ideal for beginners or budget-conscious store owners.
For more flexibility, premium themes provide advanced design options, pre-built templates, faster performance, and priority support. Prices typically range from $49 to $150+ per year, with some offering lifetime licenses. Investing in a premium theme gives you greater control over your store’s look, branding, and customer experience.
Optional (But Common) Costs
Plugins and Extensions
WooCommerce’s power comes from its extensions, both free and paid, which add features such as subscriptions, bookings, improved checkout, advanced analytics, SEO, and more.
- Premium plugins/extensions: $20–$250 each per year.
- Essential plugins (SEO, product add-ons, marketing, advanced shipping): Expect at least $100–$500 per year for a small store, up to several thousand per year for larger ones.
Shipping Extensions and Tools
- Built-in options: Free (flat-rate, local pickup).
- Advanced shipping tools: $79–$250 per year.
- Order fulfillment and shipping label software (like ShipStation): Often $9.99/month and up.
Maintenance and Development
- Self-maintenance: Free, but costs your time.
- Outsourced development: $10–$100+/hour for customizations, troubleshooting, or advanced integrations.
- Routine maintenance by professionals: $600–$4,800+ per year for hassle-free site management.
Marketing
- Email marketing integrations (e.g., Mailchimp): $10–$50+/month.
- SEO plugins: Yoast Premium $89/year, All-in-One SEO $49.50/year, others vary.
- Advanced analytics plugins: $25+/month for detailed sales and audience reporting.
Understand the key costs involved in your first year running a WooCommerce store, including hosting, domain, SSL, themes, plugins, and payment fees. Plan your budget with this clear cost overview.”
WooCommerce vs Shopify: Cost Perspective
Trying to decide between WooCommerce and Shopify? Here’s a quick look at how their costs compare so you can choose the platform that fits your budget and business style best.
WooCommerce offers full flexibility, letting you customize everything from hosting and plugins to themes. Costs can start as low as $100 per year for basic setup (hosting + domain), but can rise with premium extensions or custom development.
Shopify, on the other hand, provides a fixed monthly plan ($29–$399+) that includes hosting, SSL, and core eCommerce tools. It’s simpler to set up and manage, with predictable costs.
- Choose WooCommerce if you want full control and flexibility.
- Choose Shopify if you prefer an all-in-one, hassle-free platform.
How a Growing Online Store Manages WooCommerce Costs Efficiently
1. Case study of a Smile Brilliant
Smile Brilliant, a tech-first oral care company, uses WooCommerce to manage over 2,000 products and handle around 50,000 orders annually. After migrating from a custom-built platform, they found WooCommerce’s open-source flexibility ideal for scaling and automation.
Their yearly setup, including managed hosting, a premium theme, essential plugins, and Klaviyo for targeted email and SMS campaign,s costs about $4,000–$5,000.
By automating customer engagement and personalized marketing flows, Smile Brilliant achieved a 47% increase in automation-driven revenue, a 36% repeat purchase rate, and an impressive 39x ROI on their marketing investment, all while keeping operational costs efficient.
2. Store Example: Small DIY WooCommerce Store
To give you a clearer idea, here’s an example scenario of how much a small business store might spend when starting out with WooCommerce.
- Store Type: Small DIY WooCommerce Store
- Approximate Products: Around 2,000
Here’s what the cost breakdown might look like:
- Hosting: $5–$10/month (shared hosting plan)
- Domain Name: $10–$15/year
- SSL Certificate: Free (usually included with hosting)
- Theme: Free or a premium theme (~$50 one-time)
- Plugins: Basic free tools plus a few premium ones ($50–$200/year)
- Email Marketing: Using a free tier or low-cost service (like Mailchimp or Brevo)
- Maintenance: Self-managed with occasional paid support when needed
- Payment Processing Fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Estimated Annual Cost: $100–$300
6 Tips to Lower WooCommerce Store Costs
Here are practical tips to lower WooCommerce store costs without sacrificing essential features or quality:
1. Choose Affordable Hosting Wisely
- Start with a reliable but budget-friendly hosting provider optimized for WooCommerce.
- Look for introductory offers with free SSL and domain bundles.
- Upgrade hosting only as your traffic and resource needs grow to avoid overspending early.
2. Use Free or Low-Cost Themes and Plugins
- Begin with free, well-coded themes like Storefront to avoid theme expenses.
- Use free versions of essential plugins initially, upgrading only when necessary.
- Evaluate plugins carefully to avoid redundant or overlapping functionality.
3. Opt for Essential Paid Extensions Only
- Prioritize must-have paid plugins that improve sales or operations significantly.
- Avoid buying bundle packs that include features you don’t need.
- Check for free alternatives or all-in-one plugins that bundle several functionalities at a lower cost.
4. Handle Some Maintenance Yourself
- Learn and apply basic WooCommerce maintenance tasks (updates, backups) to save on developer fees.
- Use free or low-cost tools for backups and security monitoring.
5. Monitor Payment Processing
- Use WooCommerce Payments or Stripe for competitive transaction fees.
- Consolidate payment gateways to limit complexities and extra fees.
6. Plan Your Marketing Budget Smartly
- Use email marketing and SEO tools with generous free tiers.
- Use social media and organic reach before investing heavily in paid ads.
Final Thoughts
WooCommerce is one of the most cost-effective ways to build an online store but “free” doesn’t mean “without cost.” While the core plugin is free, real-world expenses like hosting, domains, SSL certificates, themes, and extensions add up.
The beauty of WooCommerce lies in its flexibility. You can start small with minimal investment and scale as your business grows. Whether you’re building a side hustle or a full-scale eCommerce brand, WooCommerce lets you control every expense and tailor your store to fit your exact budget and goals.
If you’re willing to invest some time in learning and managing your setup, WooCommerce offers unmatched freedom, customization, and long-term savings compared to fixed monthly platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is WooCommerce really free to use?
Yes. The WooCommerce plugin itself is 100% free to download and use on any WordPress site. However, you’ll still need to pay for essentials like hosting, a domain name, and optional premium extensions or themes.
2. How much does it cost to run a basic WooCommerce store?
A simple WooCommerce store can cost around $100–$300 per year, covering basic hosting, a domain, and SSL. This cost can increase as you add premium themes, plugins, or marketing tools.
3. What are the biggest hidden costs of WooCommerce?
The most overlooked expenses are plugin renewals, developer fees, and advanced hosting upgrades as your store grows. Always check renewal pricing and factor these into your annual budget.
4. Can I build a WooCommerce store without hiring a developer?
Yes! Many store owners set up WooCommerce themselves using tutorials and user-friendly hosting providers. However, hiring a developer can save time if you need custom features or complex design changes.
5. WooCommerce vs Shopify which is cheaper in the long run?
WooCommerce can be cheaper long-term if you manage hosting and updates yourself, as you only pay for what you use. Shopify is easier to maintain but comes with fixed monthly fees that can add up over time.
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