Is WooCommerce owned by WordPress?

WooCommerce is owned by Automattic, the same parent company that owns WordPress.com, not WordPress itself. This important distinction helps clarify the relationship between these powerful platforms. Automattic acquired WooCommerce in 2015 when it purchased WooThemes for approximately $30 million. While WordPress (the software) is maintained by the non-profit WordPress Foundation, WooCommerce operates under Automattic’s corporate umbrella, benefiting from their resources while maintaining deep integration with the WordPress ecosystem. This relationship has helped WooCommerce become the world’s most popular e-commerce solution for WordPress websites.

Understanding WooCommerce and WordPress: The basics

WordPress and WooCommerce represent two distinct but deeply interconnected components of the modern website development ecosystem. To understand their relationship, we must first understand what each one does.

WordPress began as a blogging platform but evolved into a full-featured content management system (CMS) powering approximately 43% of all websites on the internet. It provides the fundamental infrastructure for creating, managing, and publishing digital content.

WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a specialized e-commerce plugin designed specifically for WordPress. It transforms a standard WordPress site into a fully-functional online store with product pages, shopping carts, checkout processes, and payment integrations.

This symbiotic relationship means that WooCommerce leverages all of WordPress’s core capabilities while adding specialized e-commerce features. For businesses considering WooCommerce development, understanding this relationship is crucial for making informed decisions about your online store’s architecture.

Who actually owns WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is owned by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com (which is different from the open-source WordPress software). The ownership journey began in May 2015 when Automattic acquired WooThemes, the company that originally created WooCommerce, for approximately $30 million.

This acquisition represented a significant strategic move in the e-commerce space. Prior to this, WooCommerce had already become the most popular e-commerce platform for WordPress websites, with millions of active installations worldwide.

The corporate structure looks like this:

• Automattic Inc. – The parent company founded by Matt Mullenweg
• WordPress.com – A commercial hosting service run by Automattic
• WooCommerce – An e-commerce division of Automattic

It’s important to note that WordPress (the software) itself is maintained by the non-profit WordPress Foundation, not Automattic. This creates an interesting dynamic where WooCommerce is owned by a commercial entity while being built for an open-source platform.

Since the acquisition, Automattic has invested heavily in WooCommerce’s development, expanding its capabilities and market reach. This ownership arrangement has given WooCommerce the resources to grow while maintaining its deep integration with the WordPress ecosystem.

Is WordPress required to use WooCommerce?

Yes, WordPress is absolutely required to use WooCommerce. Unlike standalone e-commerce platforms like Shopify or Magento, WooCommerce cannot function independently—it exists exclusively as a WordPress plugin.

This technical relationship means:

• You must first install WordPress before you can install WooCommerce
• WooCommerce uses WordPress’s database structure and core functions
• Updates to WordPress can affect WooCommerce’s functionality
• WooCommerce inherits WordPress’s security profile and hosting requirements

This dependency creates both advantages and considerations. On one hand, if you’re already familiar with WordPress, adding WooCommerce is relatively straightforward. On the other hand, you need to ensure your hosting environment can support both WordPress and the additional demands of an e-commerce store.

For businesses looking to launch an online store, this means starting with a solid WordPress foundation is essential. Working with experienced WooCommerce development specialists can help ensure both components work together seamlessly, creating a robust e-commerce solution that leverages the best of both platforms.

What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org regarding WooCommerce?

The distinction between WordPress.com and WordPress.org creates significant differences in how you can implement and use WooCommerce, which is crucial to understand before launching an e-commerce project.

WordPress.org refers to the self-hosted version of WordPress where you download the software and install it on your own web hosting. With this approach, you have complete freedom to install WooCommerce and any additional plugins or custom code needed for your online store. This provides maximum flexibility and control but requires more technical management.

WordPress.com is the commercial hosting service run by Automattic. On WordPress.com, WooCommerce is only available on higher-tier paid plans (Business and Commerce). While this option is more straightforward to set up, it comes with limitations on customization and additional costs.

Most serious e-commerce businesses choose the WordPress.org (self-hosted) route for their WooCommerce stores as it provides greater control over design, functionality, and performance optimization. This approach also allows for specialized WooCommerce extensions that might not be available on WordPress.com’s platform.

How does the WordPress-WooCommerce relationship benefit store owners?

The integration between WordPress and WooCommerce creates numerous advantages for online store owners that wouldn’t be possible if they were completely separate systems. This symbiotic relationship translates into tangible benefits for e-commerce businesses.

One of the most significant advantages is the unified ecosystem that allows store owners to handle both content marketing and product sales within a single platform. This eliminates the complexity of managing separate systems for your blog and your shop.

Other key benefits include:

• Access to thousands of WordPress themes compatible with WooCommerce
• Ability to utilize WordPress’s robust content management alongside product listings
• Seamless integration between blog content and product pages, improving SEO and user experience
• Shared user database and authentication system
• Consistent admin interface for managing all aspects of your website
• Lower learning curve if already familiar with WordPress

The relationship also means store owners can leverage WordPress’s impressive plugin ecosystem to extend their online shops with additional functionality. From advanced SEO tools to social media integrations, email marketing systems to analytics dashboards—these can all work cohesively with your WooCommerce store.

For businesses working with professional WooCommerce development partners, this relationship enables the creation of highly customized shopping experiences while maintaining the content flexibility that WordPress is known for.

Key takeaways about WooCommerce and WordPress integration

Understanding the relationship between WooCommerce and WordPress helps clarify why this combination has become the world’s most popular open-source e-commerce solution. Here are the essential points to remember:

• WooCommerce is owned by Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com), not by WordPress itself
• WooCommerce functions exclusively as a WordPress plugin and cannot operate independently
• For maximum flexibility, self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org) offers better WooCommerce implementation options than WordPress.com
• The integration provides a unified platform for both content and commerce, creating operational efficiencies
• This relationship grants access to both ecosystems’ extensions, themes, and development communities

The WordPress-WooCommerce connection represents a perfect example of how specialization and integration can create powerful solutions. WordPress excels at content management, while WooCommerce delivers robust e-commerce functionality. Together, they form a platform that can scale from small boutique shops to enterprise-level online retail operations.

For businesses considering an e-commerce solution, understanding this relationship helps inform better decisions about platform choice, implementation approach, and long-term scalability. Whether you’re launching a new online store or migrating an existing one, the WordPress-WooCommerce integration offers a flexible, powerful foundation for your e-commerce success.