What is the difference between WooCommerce and Saleor?

WooCommerce is best for WordPress users wanting e-commerce functionality, while Saleor is best for Teams wanting GraphQL-first headless e-commerce. WooCommerce starts at Free and Saleor starts at Free.

Is WooCommerce or Saleor cheaper?

WooCommerce starts at Free and is free. Saleor starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Saleor?

Both WooCommerce and Saleor offer free tiers.

WooCommerce vs Saleor (2026)

At a glance

	WooCommerce	Saleor
Best for	WordPress users wanting e-commerce functionality	Teams wanting GraphQL-first headless e-commerce
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Dashboard	—	✓
Extensions	✓	—
GraphQL	—	✓
Headless	—	✓
Multi-Channel	—	✓
Payments	✓	—
Shipping	✓	—
WordPress Plugin	✓	—

WooCommerce

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes WordPress Plugin as a core feature, purpose-built for e-commerce workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in e-commerce

Try WooCommerce → Full review

Saleor

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes GraphQL as a core feature, purpose-built for e-commerce workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in e-commerce

Try Saleor → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both WooCommerce and Saleor are free, so this decision comes down to features and philosophy rather than budget.

Feature gaps: WooCommerce offers Extensions, Payments and Shipping that Saleor lacks. Saleor brings Dashboard, GraphQL and Headless that WooCommerce does not have.

Team fit: WooCommerce is geared toward any size teams, while Saleor is aimed at mid-size teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Both WooCommerce and Saleor are open source, so self-hosting and code audits are on the table with either choice.

Where each tool shines: WooCommerce's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes wordpress plugin as a core feature, purpose-built for e-commerce workflows. Saleor's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes graphql as a core feature, purpose-built for e-commerce workflows.

Watch out for: With WooCommerce, users commonly note that may lack some advanced features. With Saleor, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose WooCommerce if...

You need a tool built for wordpress users wanting e-commerce functionality
You specifically need Extensions and Payments
You care about includes wordpress plugin as a core feature, purpose-built for e-commerce workflows
Your team size fits the any size profile WooCommerce is designed for

Choose Saleor if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting graphql-first headless e-commerce
You specifically need Dashboard and GraphQL
You care about includes graphql as a core feature, purpose-built for e-commerce workflows
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Saleor is designed for