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TL;DR: You can install WooCommerce on WordPress.com and launch a full online store — with products, payments (Stripe, PayPal), shipping, and tax automation. The plugin itself is free. The Business plan ($25/month) is the minimum practical tier; the Commerce plan ($45/month) bundles $2,000+/year worth of premium extensions. I set it up on a real site and here’s the full walkthrough.
Can You Really Run a Store on WordPress.com?
Short answer: yes. And it’s more capable than most people think.
WooCommerce is the world’s most popular e-commerce plugin — 7 million active installs, built by Automattic (the same company behind WordPress.com). It powers everything from single-product stores to enterprises doing millions in revenue.
Since WordPress.com opened plugin access to all paid plans in April 2026, you can technically install WooCommerce on the $4/month Personal plan. But here’s my honest take: if you’re serious about selling, you need the Business plan ($25/month) at minimum or the Commerce plan ($45/month) for the full package.
Let me explain why, and walk you through the entire setup.
Which WordPress.com Plan Do You Actually Need?
This is the question everyone asks first. Here’s the honest breakdown:
| Plan | Price | Can Install WooCommerce? | Should You Use It for a Store? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | $4/month | Yes | No — only 6GB storage, no staging site, no backups with restore. Fine for testing, not for a real store. |
| Premium | $8/month | Yes | Same limitations as Personal. Not recommended for stores. |
| Business | $25/month | Yes | Yes — 50GB storage, SFTP access, staging site, daily backups. Minimum practical tier for e-commerce. |
| Commerce | $45/month | Pre-installed | Best option — WooCommerce + all premium extensions bundled, 0% commission, shipping carriers, tax automation. |
The Commerce plan is $20/month more than Business, but it bundles premium WooCommerce extensions that would cost $2,000+/year if purchased separately — Product Bundles, AutomateWoo (abandoned cart emails), shipping carrier integrations (UPS, FedEx, USPS), automated tax calculation, and more.
My recommendation: If you’re launching your first store and want to test the waters, the Business plan at $25/month is solid. If you’re serious about e-commerce and want everything pre-configured with zero commission fees, the Commerce plan at $45/month pays for itself quickly.
Step 1: Install WooCommerce
On the Commerce plan, WooCommerce comes pre-installed. On the Business plan (or any paid plan), you install it manually — takes about 60 seconds.
Go to Plugins → Add Plugin, search for “WooCommerce,” and click Install and activate.
After activation, WooCommerce adds a whole new set of menu items to your dashboard — Products, Orders, Customers, Payments, Analytics, and Marketing. Your WordPress site just became a full e-commerce platform.
Step 2: Run the Setup Wizard
WooCommerce launches a setup wizard automatically after activation. It asks three things:
1. Your experience level. “I’m just starting my business,” “I’m already selling,” or “I’m setting up for a client.” This tailors the setup flow to your needs.
2. Your store details. Store name, industry type, location, and email address. WooCommerce uses this to configure payments, shipping zones, and tax rates automatically.
3. Your business location. This determines currency, tax rules, and available payment gateways. You can change everything later in WooCommerce Settings.
The entire wizard takes under 5 minutes. After that, you land on the WooCommerce Home dashboard.
Step 3: The WooCommerce Dashboard
Once setup is complete, you get a full e-commerce command center inside WordPress:
From here, you can:
- Add products — physical, digital, variable (sizes/colors), or affiliate products
- Set up payments — WooPayments (Stripe-powered), PayPal, Square, and 100+ gateways
- Configure shipping — zone-based rates, flat rate, free shipping, carrier integrations
- Automate taxes — WooCommerce Tax calculates rates automatically based on location
- Track analytics — revenue, orders, products, categories, coupons, and stock levels
- Run marketing — coupons, email campaigns, Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram integrations
Setting Up Payments
WooCommerce supports 100+ payment gateways. The big three for most stores:
WooPayments (recommended) — Built by Automattic, powered by Stripe. Accepts credit/debit cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. Available in 18 countries. No monthly fees — just 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction in the US. Set it up directly from Payments → Finish Setup in your dashboard.
Stripe — If you need more control or currency support (135+ currencies), install the Stripe plugin directly. Same fee structure as WooPayments.
PayPal — 200+ countries, 425M+ active users. Good as a secondary payment option alongside credit cards. Install the WooCommerce PayPal Payments plugin.
You can run multiple gateways simultaneously so customers choose their preferred method at checkout.
Do You Even Need WooCommerce? (Simpler Alternatives)
Here’s something worth knowing: WordPress.com has built-in payment features that don’t require WooCommerce at all.
The Payments Block (available on all paid plans) lets you accept one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, and donations via Stripe — no plugin needed. You can also use PayPal buttons and Paid Content blocks for gating premium content.
Here’s when to use each:
| What You’re Selling | Best Solution |
|---|---|
| Donations or tips | Payments Block (no WooCommerce needed) |
| 1-3 simple products | Payments Block |
| Paid newsletter or membership | Paid Content Block |
| 5+ products with inventory | WooCommerce |
| Variable products (sizes, colors) | WooCommerce |
| Physical products needing shipping | WooCommerce |
| Digital downloads | WooCommerce |
| Full store with cart + checkout | WooCommerce |
If you’re just accepting payments for a service or selling one digital product, you don’t need WooCommerce. The built-in Payments Block handles that with zero setup.
What Does the Commerce Plan Bundle That Business Doesn’t?
This is the part nobody calculates, so let me do the math.
The Commerce plan ($45/month) is $20/month more than Business ($25/month) — that’s $240/year extra. Here’s what you get for that:
- 0% commission on Payments Block transactions (Business charges 2%)
- AutomateWoo — abandoned cart emails, automated workflows (~$159/year value)
- Product Bundles — sell product packages (~$99/year)
- Gift Cards — digital gift cards (~$99/year)
- Shipping carriers — UPS, USPS, FedEx, Canada Post, Royal Mail, Australia Post integrations (~$79/year each)
- Shipment tracking with customer notifications
- TaxJar + Avalara — advanced multi-jurisdiction tax automation (~$99/year)
- Back In Stock Notifications — alert customers when items return
- Premium themes — store-specific designs like Amulet, Kiosko, Storefront
- In-person payments — card reader support (US/Canada)
If you bought those extensions individually on the Business plan, you’d spend $2,000+/year. The Commerce plan bundles them all for $240/year more. The math is clear — if you need even 2-3 of these extensions, the Commerce plan saves you money.
What About Woo Express?
If you’ve heard of “Woo Express” and are confused about how it relates to WordPress.com — here’s the deal: Woo Express has been discontinued and folded into the WordPress.com Commerce plan.
Woo Express was Automattic’s standalone hosted WooCommerce platform launched in 2023 as a Shopify competitor. It used the same infrastructure as WordPress.com. In 2025-2026, they consolidated everything into the WordPress.com Commerce plan. Same infrastructure, same features, better integration.
If you’re looking for “Woo Express,” the WordPress.com Commerce plan is what replaced it.
FAQ
Can I use WooCommerce on WordPress.com’s free plan?
No. Plugin installation requires a paid plan. You can technically install WooCommerce starting from the Personal plan ($4/month), but the Business plan ($25/month) is the practical minimum for a real store.
Is WooCommerce itself free?
Yes. The WooCommerce core plugin is 100% free. What you pay for is the WordPress.com hosting plan and any premium extensions you add (shipping carriers, automation tools, etc.). The Commerce plan bundles most premium extensions for $45/month total.
Does WordPress.com take a commission on my sales?
On WooCommerce transactions, no — you only pay the payment gateway’s processing fee (Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30). On the built-in Payments Block, WordPress.com charges 2-8% depending on your plan (0% on Commerce). This is separate from gateway fees.
Can I sell digital products on WordPress.com?
Yes. WooCommerce supports downloadable/virtual products out of the box. Upload your files, set a price, and customers can purchase and download instantly. No additional plugins needed for basic digital sales.
What payment methods can my customers use?
With WooPayments (included): credit/debit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay. Add Stripe for 135+ currencies, PayPal for 200+ countries, or Square for in-person sales. You can run multiple gateways simultaneously.
Summing Up!
Launching an online store on WordPress.com with WooCommerce is more straightforward than most people expect. Install the free plugin, run the 5-minute setup wizard, add your products, connect a payment gateway, and you’re selling. The entire process from “I want a store” to “I can accept orders” takes under an hour.
My recommendation: start with the Business plan at $25/month if you want to test the waters. Upgrade to Commerce ($45/month) once you’re ready for abandoned cart emails, shipping carrier integrations, and zero commission fees — the bundled extensions alone make it the better deal for any serious store.
The days when you needed Shopify, BigCommerce, or a custom self-hosted setup just to sell a few products are over. WordPress.com + WooCommerce handles it all — from your first sale to scaling up.
