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E-Commerce · head to head

Saleor vs WooCommerce

Saleor logo

Saleor

E-Commerce

Open-source, headless e-commerce platform with a GraphQL API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WooCommerce logo

WooCommerce

E-Commerce

The flexible, open-source ecommerce platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Saleor saleor requires development resources to build a storefront, since it ships as an API-only backend without a front-end store out of the box.; WooCommerce the plugin is free but you must supply and pay for WordPress hosting, which WooCommerce itself puts at $25 to $350 per month for most stores
  • They diverge on capability: Saleor covers GraphQL API, WooCommerce covers Product management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Saleor and WooCommerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Saleor and WooCommerce differ
AttributeSaleorWooCommerce
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
Platformsweb, apiWeb
Founded20192011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Saleor

  • GraphQL API
  • Admin dashboard
  • Webhooks and apps
  • Omnichannel order processing
  • Configurator CLI
  • OpenTelemetry tracing
  • OpenID Connect support

Only in WooCommerce

  • Product management
  • Shopping cart
  • Payment integration
  • Shipping management
  • Tax calculations
  • Customer accounts
  • Order management
  • Inventory tracking

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Saleor

  • Custom headless storefrontsnot WooCommerce
  • Composable commerce architecturesnot WooCommerce
  • Omnichannel retail and B2B commercenot WooCommerce
  • Developer-built e-commerce requiring deep API accessnot WooCommerce

WooCommerce

  • Running an online store inside an existing WordPress sitenot Saleor
  • Selling physical, digital or subscription products with full control of the codenot Saleor
  • Building a customised commerce workflow through plugins and hooksnot Saleor

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Saleor

  • Saleor requires development resources to build a storefront, since it ships as an API-only backend without a front-end store out of the box.
  • Self-hosting requires managing infrastructure, scaling, and updates, which adds operational overhead compared to fully managed platforms.
  • Saleor Cloud's paid tiers start at $1,599/month, making the managed offering costly for small merchants compared to typical SaaS store builders.
  • The GraphQL-first, code-driven approach has a steeper learning curve for non-technical users than drag-and-drop e-commerce builders.

WooCommerce

  • The plugin is free but you must supply and pay for WordPress hosting, which WooCommerce itself puts at $25 to $350 per month for most stores
  • Functionality such as subscriptions and bookings comes from paid extensions priced at $29 to $299 per year each, renewed annually
  • Card payments through WooPayments cost roughly 2.50 to 2.90 percent plus 30 cents per transaction
  • Total cost depends on how many extensions a store needs rather than a single published plan price

Pricing, plan by plan

Saleor

Free
  • Sandboxes (Cloud)Free
    • Free forever tier for prototyping and development
  • Select (Cloud)$1599/month
    • Up to $200,000 GMV monthly
    • 0.8% fee on orders exceeding GMV limit
    • Dedicated Slack channel
  • Volume (Cloud)$3999/month
    • Up to $1,000,000 GMV monthly
    • 0.4% fee on orders exceeding GMV limit
    • Dedicated Slack channel
  • Enterprise (Cloud)$undefined/mo
    • Custom GMV limits
    • Fees negotiable as low as 0.2%
    • Project delivery lead

WooCommerce

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core ecommerce features
    • Unlimited products
    • Community support
  • Premium$299/year
    • All Free features
    • Premium support
    • Performance optimization

Which should you pick?

Choose Saleor if

  • You need graphql api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want admin dashboard.
Saleor review

Choose WooCommerce if

  • You need product management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want shopping cart.
WooCommerce review

Questions people ask

Is Saleor or WooCommerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Saleor starts at Free and WooCommerce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Saleor or WooCommerce?
Saleor starts at Free and WooCommerce at Free.
Does Saleor or WooCommerce run on more platforms?
Saleor runs on web, api. WooCommerce runs on Web.
Can I use Saleor for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Saleor best used for?
Saleor is most often used for custom headless storefronts, composable commerce architectures, omnichannel retail and b2b commerce, developer-built e-commerce requiring deep api access. Of those, custom headless storefronts and composable commerce architectures are not what WooCommerce is typically brought in for.
What can Saleor do that WooCommerce cannot?
Saleor covers GraphQL API, Admin dashboard, Webhooks and apps, Omnichannel order processing. WooCommerce covers Product management, Shopping cart, Payment integration, Shipping management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Saleor: Is Saleor free to use?

Yes. Saleor is open source under the BSD-3-Clause license and can be self-hosted for free. Saleor Cloud also offers a free Sandboxes tier for prototyping and development.

Source
WooCommerce: Does WooCommerce offer a money-back guarantee?

Yes. The platform offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Source
Saleor: How much does Saleor Cloud cost?

Saleor Cloud paid plans start at $1,599/month for the Select plan (up to $200,000 monthly GMV), with Volume at $3,999/month and custom Enterprise pricing for larger merchants.

Source
WooCommerce: Is WooCommerce secure for online payments?

The platform offers safe and secure online payments through its integrated system.

Source
Saleor: Does Saleor provide a storefront out of the box?

No. Saleor is an API-only, headless commerce backend built on GraphQL; storefronts must be built separately using the API and are not bundled with the platform.

Source
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