PLATFORM COMPARISON
Magento vs WooCommerce: Features, Cost and Migration (2026)
WooCommerce is the open-source ecommerce platform for WordPress, installed as a free plugin. Magento Open Source is standalone eCommerce software. For many teams the choice comes down to whether the site is a WordPress site first or a commerce platform first.
✦ FEATURES
Feature comparison.
| FEATURE | MAGENTO | WOOCOMMERCE |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Magento Open Source is eCommerce software for building an online store from the ground up. Its source files are licensed under OSL 3.0. | WordPress.org describes WooCommerce as the open-source ecommerce platform for WordPress. It lists the plugin as free, with paid commercial upgrades or support. |
| Hosting and setup | Adobe lists the PHP, search engine and database versions it supports and does not validate or support other combinations. Windows and macOS are not supported. | WordPress.org recommends a WordPress memory limit of 256 MB or greater. |
| Core price | Source files are licensed under OSL 3.0. Adobe Commerce pricing is not on the pages we reviewed. | Free core, no monthly platform fees and 0% revenue share. |
| B2B | Adobe's B2B documentation covers company accounts, shared catalogs, quick order, negotiable quotes, purchase order approvals and requisition lists. | The product page lists B2B support for wholesale pricing, advanced inventory management and account-based selling. |
| Multi-store and currency | A website holds at least one store. Store views handle layouts or languages, and currencies are managed per store view. | The product page lists multi-currency and multi-language support. |
| APIs | The Commerce Web APIs let you integrate third-party software and build headless applications. Adobe's docs split into REST, GraphQL and Getting Started guides. | The Store API provides public REST endpoints in the wc/store/v1 namespace for cart, checkout and product features. It does not require API keys or authentication tokens. |
| Extensions | Adobe's developer docs link to a Marketplace and describe App Builder as a way to extend Commerce. | The product page cites over 1,000 extensions in the WooCommerce Marketplace. |
| Payments | Adobe's developer docs do not publish payment processing rates. | WooPayments lists 2.90% + $0.30 per US card transaction, with no setup fees, monthly fees for online payments or other hidden charges. |
| Performance and scalability | Adobe's developer docs include a Performance guide under Operations. | A testimonial on WooCommerce's product page says "WooCommerce provides virtually unlimited scalability." That is a customer quote, and the page gives no benchmarks. |
| Security and updates | Regular support for the 2.4.9 release line ends on May 31, 2029. Adobe recommends installing the latest security patch for each release. | WooCommerce publishes a release schedule with a new release about every five weeks. |
| SEO | The Adobe pages we reviewed make no SEO claims. | The product page points to WordPress's SEO and built-in blogging capabilities as a way to drive free traffic. |
| Support | The repository's Get help section links to a Help center. | WordPress.org points to the WooCommerce Support Forum. For paid extensions, it says the Happiness Engineers aim to respond within 24 hours. |
| Ease of use and learning curve | Adobe's installation guide recommends Composer and says you should have intermediate technical knowledge and server access. | WordPress.org says automatic installation is the easiest option and points new users to a Getting Started guide and an optional Setup Wizard. |
✦ COST OF OWNERSHIP
Cost of ownership.
| COST ITEM | MAGENTO | WOOCOMMERCE |
|---|---|---|
| License | Open Source files are licensed under OSL 3.0. Adobe Commerce pricing is not on the pages we reviewed. | Core is free, with no monthly platform fees. (Also see: WooCommerce pricing.) |
| Hosting | Not published on the Adobe pages we reviewed. | $25 to $350 a month for most stores, per WooCommerce. (Also see: WooCommerce pricing.) |
| Extensions | Not published on the Adobe pages we reviewed. | $29 to $299 a year per extension. (Also see: WooCommerce pricing.) |
| Payment processing | Not published on the Adobe pages we reviewed. | WooPayments: 2.90% + $0.30 base fee per US card transaction. International card and currency conversion fees apply per the fees page. (Also see: WooPayments fees.) |
| Development | Your input: your agency or in-house rate. | Your input: your agency or in-house rate. |
✦ MIGRATION
Migration effort.
Moving from WooCommerce to Magento means mapping products, customers and orders into a different data model, and the WordPress side adds work that other platform moves do not have. Blog posts, landing pages and plugin-driven features live in WordPress and must be mapped or kept running separately from the commerce data. Rebuild or replace plugins that have no Magento equivalent, carry URLs across with redirects, and re-test payment, tax and shipping setup. Scope catalog size and plugin count first.
✦ CHOOSING
Which fits your store.
Choose Magento if
- You want standalone eCommerce software rather than a plugin on a CMS.
- You need a documented B2B module with company accounts and quotes.
- You want websites, stores and store views managed in one installation.
- You want separate REST and GraphQL guides for headless builds.
Choose WooCommerce if
- Your content already lives on WordPress.
- You want a free core and prefer to buy extensions one at a time.
- You want WordPress's SEO and blogging features alongside the store.
- You want a public Store API that needs no API keys.
✦ QUESTIONS MERCHANTS ASK
Common questions.
Is WooCommerce free?+–
The core is free, with no monthly platform fees. WooCommerce puts hosting at $25 to $350 a month for most stores and extensions at $29 to $299 a year each.
Is Magento free?+–
Magento Open Source files are licensed under OSL 3.0. Hosting and development are separate costs, and Adobe Commerce pricing is not on the pages we reviewed.
Do both support B2B?+–
WooCommerce lists B2B support for wholesale pricing and account-based selling. Adobe's B2B documentation covers company accounts, negotiable quotes and requisition lists.
What does each need to run?+–
Adobe lists supported PHP, search engine and database versions and does not support other combinations. WooCommerce runs on WordPress, where WordPress.org recommends a 256 MB memory limit or greater.
What do the vendors say about SEO and scalability?+–
WooCommerce points to WordPress's SEO and blogging capabilities, and a testimonial on its product page says "WooCommerce provides virtually unlimited scalability." The Adobe pages we reviewed make no SEO claim, and Adobe's docs include a Performance guide.
Where do I get support?+–
WordPress.org points WooCommerce users to the Support Forum, with paid extension support aiming to answer within 24 hours. The Magento repository links to a Help center.
SOURCES
- Magento on GitHub (README and license) (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce system requirements (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce B2B introduction (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce developer documentation (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce web API documentation (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce release versions (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce multi-site overview (opens in a new tab)
- WooCommerce pricing (opens in a new tab)
- WooCommerce on WordPress.org (opens in a new tab)
- WooCommerce product page (opens in a new tab)
- WooCommerce Store API docs (opens in a new tab)
- WooCommerce release schedule (opens in a new tab)
- WooPayments fees (opens in a new tab)
- Adobe Commerce installation overview (opens in a new tab)