WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free, open‑source e‑commerce plugin for WordPress that transforms a standard website into a fully functional online store. It provides all the core tools you need to sell physical products, digital downloads, subscriptions, and services. Key features include:

• Seamless WordPress integration – installs as a plugin and works with any WordPress theme.
• Product management – unlimited products, variations (size, color, etc.), inventory tracking, and SKU support.
• Payment gateways – built‑in support for major processors (Stripe, PayPal, Square) plus hundreds of extensions for additional providers.
• Shipping options – flexible rates, zone‑based shipping, live carrier calculations, and local pickup.
• Tax handling – automatic tax calculations for multiple jurisdictions.
• Extensions ecosystem – thousands of free and premium add‑ons for marketing, SEO, analytics, subscriptions, bookings, memberships, and more.
• Responsive design – mobile‑friendly storefronts that adapt to any device.
• Developer friendly – extensive REST API, hooks, and templates for custom functionality.

Because it’s built on WordPress, WooCommerce inherits the platform’s robust content‑management capabilities, SEO friendliness, and large community support.

WooCommerce Marketplace (Multi‑Vendor Marketplace Extension)

The WooCommerce Marketplace extension (often referred to as “WooCommerce Multi‑Vendor” or “Marketplace”) adds a complete marketplace layer on top of a standard WooCommerce store, allowing multiple independent sellers to list and manage their own products within a single site. Core capabilities include:

• Vendor registration & dashboards – sellers create accounts, upload products, set prices, and track orders from a dedicated front‑end dashboard.
• Commission structures – store owners define flat‑rate, percentage‑based, or tiered commissions per vendor, with automated payouts.
• Product approval workflow – admin can review and approve new listings before they go live.
• Separate shipping & tax rules – each vendor can configure their own shipping methods and tax settings.
• Vendor‑specific reports – sales, earnings, and performance metrics are available per seller.
• Frontend product management – vendors edit product details, inventory, and images without accessing the WordPress backend.
• Support for multiple payment gateways – payments can be split automatically or held for later manual disbursement.
• Customizable storefront – themes and templates can be tailored to showcase individual vendor pages, ratings, and reviews.

Together, WooCommerce and its Marketplace extension enable you to run a full‑featured, multi‑vendor e‑commerce platform—similar to Amazon or Etsy—while retaining full control over branding, policies, and revenue models.