What Is WooCommerce, and Is It Right for Your Store?

"Free" is the first thing you'll hear about WooCommerce, and it's only half true. According to W3Techs, as of October 2026, 47.6% of websites with an identifiable e-commerce system run on WooCommerce. That's almost every second online store. The software itself costs nothing. The store you build with it does.

If you're asking what WooCommerce is because someone has quoted you for a WooCommerce store, the useful answer is less the definition and more the bill: what the free part covers, where the costs come from, and which shops are better off on another platform.

What WooCommerce actually is

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that turns an ordinary website into an online store. It isn't a standalone platform and it won't run without WordPress. You install it from the site's admin area like any other plugin, and you get a product catalogue, a basket, a checkout and order management.

It was built by WooThemes and released in September 2011. In 2015 it was bought by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, which still develops it. The code is open source (GPL licence), and the plugin's page on WordPress.org lists more than 7 million active installations.

The difference from Shopify that matters most is ownership. With Shopify you rent a store: the platform hosts everything and decides what is allowed. With WooCommerce the store is yours. The files and database sit on your own hosting, and you can move it, change it and extend it as you like. That freedom comes with a duty: someone has to look after the server, the updates and the security.

What you get for free, and what you pay for

The core plugin covers more than most small shops expect:

• products with variants (size, colour), images, categories and stock levels;
• a basket, checkout and customer accounts;
• orders with statuses, customer emails and refunds;
• VAT, discount coupons and shipping rates by zone;
• cash on delivery and bank transfer as built-in payment methods.

Cash on delivery matters in Bulgaria, where many shoppers still prefer to pay the courier. In WooCommerce it works straight after installation.

Where the costs come from

• Hosting. WooCommerce's own documentation recommends PHP 8.3 or later and a WordPress memory limit of at least 256 MB. The cheapest shared hosting often falls short. For a small store, budget €10–40 a month.
• Theme. Free themes are fine for a trial. A premium theme is a one-off cost; a custom design is a separate project.
• Extensions. Subscriptions, bookings, wholesale pricing, a link to your accounting software: there is an extension for each, often on a paid annual licence. Every extra plugin is one more thing to keep updated.
• Local integrations. Card payments through myPOS or ePay, shipping rates and waybills from Econt and Speedy. The plugins exist, but setting them up and testing them is real work.
• Maintenance. Updates to WordPress, WooCommerce and the plugins, backups, security monitoring. With a professional this usually runs €100–300 a month.

We set out the full picture by price tier in how much an online store costs in Bulgaria. In short: the software is free, but the build, the hosting and the maintenance are not.

When WooCommerce fits, and when it doesn't

WooCommerce is a good choice if:

• you already have a WordPress site and want to add a shop without starting over;
• you sell mainly in Bulgaria and need Econt, Speedy, ePay and cash on delivery (Bulgarian plugins for WooCommerce are more numerous and better established than those for Shopify);
• your content matters as much as your products: a blog, buying guides, pages that bring in visitors from Google;
• you want to own the store and its data rather than depend on a monthly subscription.

Consider another platform if:

• nobody will maintain the store. An abandoned WooCommerce site with outdated plugins is an easy target for attacks. If no one will own the updates, Shopify takes that worry away for a monthly fee;
• the catalogue is large and the traffic serious, but the hosting budget is minimal. WooCommerce handles thousands of products, but only on a server that can carry them;
• your business logic is unusual: complex wholesale pricing, several warehouses, a tight link to an ERP. At that point plugins start getting in each other's way, and a custom-built store can work out cheaper over time.

For a detailed comparison of the two most popular platforms here, read WooCommerce vs Shopify for Bulgarian stores.

The verdict

For most small and mid-sized Bulgarian stores that already run WordPress or sell mainly at home, WooCommerce is the most sensible choice. The plugin is free and well established, and the local integrations work. Just don't mistake it for a free store. Budget for hosting, integrations and maintenance before you pick a theme.

If you're not sure WooCommerce suits your catalogue and the way you work, tell us how you sell. Our e-commerce service starts with exactly that question, before we get to design, and you'll find indicative prices on our pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Is WooCommerce free?

Yes. The plugin itself is free and open source. You pay for hosting, a theme, paid extensions, the build and maintenance.

Can you use WooCommerce without WordPress?

No. WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin and only runs on a WordPress site. If you don't have one, WordPress goes in first, then WooCommerce.

What is the difference between WordPress and WooCommerce?

WordPress is the content management system: pages, blog, images. WooCommerce adds shop features on top: products, a basket, payments and orders.

Does WooCommerce work with Econt and Speedy?

Yes. Both couriers have WooCommerce plugins that show delivery prices, let customers pick an office and create waybills. Set them up and test them carefully before launch.

Is WooCommerce suitable for a large store?

It can be, if the hosting is good and someone keeps an eye on speed. Stores with thousands of products run on WooCommerce. In our experience, the problems come from a weak server and too many plugins, not from WooCommerce itself.