Probably it is not a secret that WooCommerce is one of the world's leading shopping carts. Industry reports indicate that WooCommerce powers millions of active online stores globally. This number has steadily grown, with WooCommerce remaining a strong choice for a significant percentage of all e-commerce platform switches. So we decided to find out what were the reasons that pushed a relatively new solution from its early days to become a market leader in a remarkably short time.
1. WordPress Plugin
Here comes a simple fact: WordPress is the most used CMS in the world. According to different sources hundreds of millions of websites are built with WordPress, representing approximately 43% of all websites globally. Huge number of site owners who use WP sooner or later reach a moment when they want to sell something to their audience. In this case there are basically two options:
- Use an independent shopping cart like Magento, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Shopify, or BigCommerce etc. It means spending time on learning how everything works which honestly may become a serious issue. Merchants would also need to find appropriate hosting environment since some platforms are quite resource-consuming.
- Use a native WordPress plugin for e-Commerce. It can be easily installed into WP admin panel and doesn doesn’t require too much time to get acquainted with. It totally looks and feels as WordPress.
In most cases the choice is obvious. But why exactly merchants choose WooCommerce over other e-Commerce plugins?
2. Stable and Bugless
Since its initial release in September 2011, WooCommerce quickly gained a reputation of a stable and comparingly bugless solution. First versions couldn’t boast strong out-of-the-box functionality. However, it was more than enough to create a small online business. And even more inspiring was that WooCommerce Development Team didn't seem to sleep at all...
3. New Versions, Fixes and Extensions
WooCommerce GitHub page has seen numerous releases over the years, demonstrating continuous development. Developers Team did their best to:
- Provide new features that Woo Community really needed.
- Quickly and effectively fix reported bugs.
- Improve cart usability and user-friendliness.
Add an intuitive admin interface, several hundreds of extensions, open source code and all the beautiful templates from Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com). All together it makes WooCommerce a preferable solution not only for WordPress users but for all e-merchants.
4. Well Supported
Unlike a huge part of open source solutions that fail to deliver strong support for their product WooCommerce did all their best to help users cope with any kind of issues:
- Documentation
- FAQs
- Video Tutorials
- Community Forum
- HelpDesk
As a result a merchant who faces a problem can easily fix it by himself or get professional help from Support Team.
5. Price.
And yes, we almost forgot - WooCommerce is totally free.
Why Numbers May Lie
Installing a WooCommerce plugin at WordPress site doesn’t always mean the site owner will use it. Users may simply play with a new extension and find out how things work or, for business reasons, after test driving WooCommerce, go to another solution, etc.
However, even taking this into consideration, the WooCommerce success story is still a remarkable example of how to create, launch and maintain a great e-Commerce solution.
P.S.: in case you are interested in WooCommerce migration (from any most popular shopping carts, such as migration from Magento) check this page for more info on how to make your data transfer simple and effective.
Monthly Update – February 2026
February 2026 highlights the accelerating importance of a seamless omnichannel experience and robust cybersecurity for all e-commerce platforms, including WooCommerce. Modern online businesses must ensure their customers enjoy a consistent and frictionless journey across all touchpoints, from social media to mobile apps and desktop browsers. This means integrating inventory, customer data, and marketing efforts to provide a unified brand interaction. Furthermore, with increasing cyber threats, fortifying your WooCommerce store's security is non-negotiable. Implement multi-factor authentication, regular security audits, and stay updated with the latest patches to protect sensitive customer data and maintain trust. Consider exploring headless commerce architectures for greater flexibility and speed, allowing you to future-proof your store against evolving technological landscapes. For WooCommerce users, this also involves judiciously choosing plugins and themes, ensuring they are well-maintained and from reputable developers to minimize vulnerabilities. Proactive security measures and a unified customer experience are key to thriving in today's competitive digital marketplace.
For more details, explore our FAQ section or schedule a call with a migration expert.
