WooCommerce POS vs WooCommerce
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
WooCommerce POS
Self-hosted point of sale for WooCommerce stores
VS
WooCommerce
Open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress
| Feature | WooCommerce POS | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 47 | ★ 10,451 |
| First released | 2014 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Square POS, Shopify POS | Shopify, BigCommerce |
Why pick each one
Choose WooCommerce POS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose WooCommerce if…
- Massive plugin and theme library
- Large community and documentation
Frequently asked questions
Is WooCommerce POS or WooCommerce better?
Neither is universally better. WooCommerce has the larger community, while WooCommerce POS is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are WooCommerce POS and WooCommerce free and open-source?
Yes. WooCommerce POS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and WooCommerce under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run WooCommerce POS and WooCommerce with Docker?
WooCommerce POS: check the project docs for container support. WooCommerce: yes.