Saleor
WooCommerce
| Feature | Saleor | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $300/mo | Free / from $0/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | developer-teams, enterprise-ecommerce, multi-channel-retailers, graphql-enthusiasts | wordpress-users, small-businesses, developers, content-driven-stores |
| Founded | 2018 | 2011 |
| Graphql Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Channel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dashboard | ✓ | ✗ |
| Webhooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Apps System | ✓ | ✗ |
| Warehouse Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Promotions Engine | ✓ | ✗ |
| Product Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Payment Gateways | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shipping Options | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tax Calculation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Extensions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rest Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Saleor Pros
- GraphQL API-first architecture for modern frontends
- Enterprise features in free open-source edition
- Strong multi-channel commerce capabilities
- Built-in dashboard with excellent UX
✗ Saleor Cons
- Cloud hosting is expensive for startups
- Smaller community than Shopify/WooCommerce
- Self-hosting requires Python/Django expertise
✓ WooCommerce Pros
- Free and open-source with full control over code
- Massive extension marketplace (800+ official plugins)
- Built on WordPress (familiar to millions)
- Complete data ownership and no platform fees
✗ WooCommerce Cons
- Requires WordPress hosting and maintenance
- Performance depends on hosting quality and plugins
- Security responsibility falls on store owner
The Verdict
Saleor is built for developer teams and enterprise ecommerce, with a focus on graphql-api and multi-channel. WooCommerce targets wordpress users and small businesses and leads with product-management and payment-gateways.
On pricing, WooCommerce is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $300/mo for Saleor. That $300/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.