WooCommerce is the world’s most popular eCommerce plugin for WordPress. It’s a completely free open-source eCommerce platform that you can download and run on any web hosting provider.
Since WooCommerce doesn’t provide hosting for you, you’ll need to buy web hosting and a domain name to make sure your website can be accessed by users worldwide.
Pros
- It’s easy to get started with WooCommerce. You can create an online store quickly even if you’re a total beginner.
- You’ll be hosting your website yourself, which gives you full control. Although you’ll need to pay for WooCommerce hosting, but this doesn’t have to cost a lot.
- There are loads of WooCommerce themes (designs), giving you the opportunity to create a store that truly reflects your brand.
- There are thousands of WooCommerce plugins that you can use to add new features and grow your business.
- You can sell anything with WooCommerce whether it’s physical products, digital downloads, membership plans, dropshipping stores, or affiliate products.
- You can add unlimited products to your store which gives you the freedom to grow your eCommerce business as big as you want.
- WooCommerce doesn’t charge you any transaction fees at all. You’ll only have to pay your payment service provider like PayPal or Stripe, or your bank.
Cons
- If you’re a total beginner, WooCommerce has a bit of a learning curve and can be trickier to get started with than some other options. You’ll need to buy hosting and a domain name, for instance.
- You’ll be responsible for maintaining your online store as it grows. This might mean upgrading your hosting plan, optimizing your WordPress site for SEO, or paying for a security plugin.
