Hosting costs
WooCommerce requires self-hosting, unlike Shopify which includes hosting. Budget shared hosting starts at $5-25/month, managed WordPress hosting at $25-100/month, and premium hosting at $100-500+/month.
WooCommerce fees calculator
Estimate your total monthly cost of running a WooCommerce store. Includes hosting, payment processing, plugins, and domain costs.
$/mo
$
$/mo
Most WooCommerce stores need SEO, security, and backup plugins ($20-50/mo)
10%
International cards incur an extra 1% fee
$434
estimated monthly cost
4.3% of your revenue
Hosting$63
Processing$340
Plugins$30
Domain$1.25
$5,207
Annual cost
$3.24
Per transaction (134 orders)
No platform transaction fees. Unlike Shopify, WooCommerce doesn't charge additional transaction fees on top of your payment gateway fees. You only pay what WooPayments charges.
Understanding WooCommerce costs
Payment processing
WooPayments charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction in the US. A key advantage: WooCommerce has no additional platform transaction fee, unlike Shopify's 2%/1%/0.5% third-party gateway surcharge.
Plugin ecosystem
WooCommerce's power comes from plugins, but costs add up. Essential plugins (SEO, security, backups) run $200-400/year. Premium plugins for shipping, subscriptions, or marketing add $100-300/year each.
WooCommerce vs Shopify
Small stores often find Shopify cheaper (everything included for $39/month). But at $20k+ monthly revenue, WooCommerce can be more cost-effective due to no platform transaction fees and more hosting flexibility. Compare both in our platform cost comparison.
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WooCommerce product quizWooCommerce fees FAQ
Everything you need to know about WooCommerce pricing, hosting costs, and payment processing fees.
WooCommerce core is free and open source. However, running a WooCommerce store requires paid hosting ($5-$500+/month), a domain (~$15/year), and you'll likely need paid extensions for features like advanced shipping, SEO tools, or security. Payment processing also costs ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. So while the software is free, the total cost of ownership is not.
A basic WooCommerce store costs roughly $30-$100/month (budget hosting + essential plugins + payment processing). A mid-range store typically costs $100-$300/month. Enterprise stores with premium hosting, multiple plugins, and high volume can cost $500-$2,000+/month. Payment processing fees are additional and scale with revenue.
It depends on your revenue. For small stores (<$5k/month revenue), Shopify Basic ($39/month all-inclusive) is often cheaper than WooCommerce once you factor in hosting, SSL, security plugins, and maintenance. For larger stores ($20k+/month), WooCommerce can be cheaper because there are no platform transaction fees. You only pay payment processing. WooCommerce also has no revenue caps or forced plan upgrades.
WooPayments (WooCommerce's built-in payment processor, powered by Stripe) charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for US cards. International cards incur an additional 1% fee. Unlike Shopify, there's no additional platform transaction fee on top. You only pay the payment processing fee regardless of which gateway you use.
For small stores (< 1,000 products, < 5,000 visits/month), budget shared hosting ($5-25/month) works. For growing stores, managed WordPress hosting ($25-100/month) from providers like SiteGround or Cloudways offers better performance and support. High-traffic stores need premium hosting ($100-500+/month) from WP Engine, Pressable, or WordPress VIP.
Common hidden costs include: (1) Premium plugins that require annual renewal ($50-300/year each), (2) Developer time for customization and maintenance, (3) SSL certificates (though most hosts include free ones now), (4) Security monitoring tools, (5) Performance optimization, (6) Regular WordPress/WooCommerce updates and compatibility testing. Budget an extra 20-30% above your estimated costs.
Not necessarily for a basic store. WooCommerce has gotten more user-friendly with block themes and the site editor. However, for custom functionality, theme customization, or complex integrations, developer help is recommended. Many businesses budget $500-$5,000 for initial setup and $100-$500/month for ongoing maintenance.
WooCommerce supports virtually any payment gateway. The most popular are WooPayments (built-in, 2.9% + $0.30), Stripe (2.9% + $0.30), PayPal (3.49% + $0.49), and Square (for POS). Unlike Shopify, WooCommerce doesn't charge extra transaction fees for using third-party gateways. You only pay the gateway's own fees.
Essential extensions (SEO, security, backups) typically cost $200-$400/year. Adding shipping, subscriptions, and marketing tools can bring the total to $500-$1,500/year. Most WooCommerce extensions are billed annually. Budget for 3-8 paid extensions at $50-$279/year each, depending on your store's needs.
Yes. Tools like Cart2Cart and LitExtension can migrate products, customers, and orders from Shopify to WooCommerce. Migration typically costs $50-$300 depending on store size. The main considerations are: rebuilding your theme/design, setting up hosting, and replacing Shopify apps with WooCommerce equivalents. Many agencies specialize in Shopify-to-WooCommerce migrations.
Yes, WooCommerce powers some very large stores. With proper hosting (managed or enterprise), caching, and optimization, WooCommerce can handle 100,000+ products and high traffic. The open-source nature means unlimited customization. However, large stores need professional development and premium hosting, increasing costs to $500-$5,000+/month.
This calculator provides estimates based on publicly available pricing from WooCommerce, hosting providers, and payment processors as of 2026. Actual costs vary based on your specific hosting provider, payment volumes, negotiated rates, and which extensions you choose. Use this as a planning tool, then get specific quotes from providers.