WooCommerce is the open-source WordPress plugin launched in 2011 to add online-store features.
WooCommerce began as WooThemes’ Jigoshop fork and was released in September 2011. It lets WordPress site owners manage products, prices, orders, payments, shipping, and tax settings from within the WordPress environment. This made it possible to turn a content-management site into a customizable online shop.
The plugin became widely used because WordPress already had a large ecosystem of themes, plugins, developers, and hosting providers. Store owners can extend WooCommerce with additional payment gateways, inventory tools, subscriptions, bookings, and marketing integrations.
WooCommerce is often confused with Magento or PrestaShop because all three support e-commerce websites. The key distinction is that WooCommerce is built specifically as an extension for WordPress, whereas Magento and PrestaShop are standalone commerce platforms.