If you’re thinking about selling online, you’ve probably come across WooCommerce. It’s a powerful WordPress plugin that lets you turn any website into a fully functional online store with just a few clicks.
WooCommerce first launched back in 2011 as an open-source project from the team at WooThemes. It quickly took off thanks to its easy setup and user-friendly design—in fact, it hit over a million downloads just two years after its debut.
Today, WooCommerce powers millions of online stores around the world. By some counts, it’s behind more than 5 million websites, making up nearly 39% of the global e-commerce market. It’s popular with businesses of all sizes—boutiques, big brands, and everything in between.
One thing that sets WooCommerce apart is that it’s open-source. That means anyone can view, modify, or extend the code—and the core plugin is free to download and use. You’ll just need to cover the basics like hosting and a domain name, plus any extra features you want. This makes it easy (and affordable!) to get started, and you never have to worry about someone else controlling your store. You own your site and your data, and you can move hosts or customize your shop however you like.
Flexibility is a huge selling point for WooCommerce. Since it runs on WordPress, you can shape your online store any way you want. Pick from thousands of themes—including plenty designed just for e-commerce—or work with a designer to build something totally unique. Plus, you can tweak every part of your shop, from the look and layout to the features you offer.
Developers love WooCommerce for its flexible customization options. You can add your own code or connect just about any external service using hooks and APIs. That means you aren’t limited in what you sell—physical products, digital downloads, memberships, subscriptions, and more are all possible. Whether your business is simple or complex, WooCommerce can handle it.
Worried about outgrowing your platform? With WooCommerce, that’s not an issue. As long as your hosting can handle it, you can add unlimited products and process as many orders as you need. It’s a great fit whether you’re running a small shop now or planning to scale up in the future.
In 2015, WooCommerce was acquired by Automattic—the team behind WordPress.com and a major supporter of the WordPress project. With Automattic’s resources and expertise, WooCommerce keeps getting better, with improvements in security, performance, and features rolled out regularly.
WooCommerce gives you all the basics right from the start, but you’re not limited to what comes out of the box. There’s a huge marketplace of official extensions (over 1,000!) and thousands of third-party plugins. Need to add a special feature? There’s almost certainly an extension or plugin for it.
All in all, WooCommerce offers a winning mix of features, flexibility, and freedom. Its massive community and Automattic’s ongoing support mean you’re working with a platform that’s reliable and always improving. Whether you’re launching your very first online store or growing an established business, WooCommerce has the tools and support to help you succeed online.