Almost every store project we start begins with the same question: "Do I need WooCommerce or Dokan?" Both run on WordPress, both use the same checkout, and from the outside they can look identical. The difference is simple once you see it: WooCommerce is a shop, Dokan is a marketplace. Pick the wrong one and you pay for it later with a rebuild, so it is worth ten minutes now.
Who sells the products?
This is the question that decides it, and it has nothing to do with how big you are.
- You sell your own products. A clothing brand, a coffee roaster, a shop with its own stock: you need WooCommerce.
- Other people sell on your site. Makers, breeders, antique dealers or local shops each list their own items and you take a commission: you need Dokan on top of WooCommerce.
That second group is where most of our marketplace work comes from. Arbong lets people in Finland buy and sell desi clothing and decor, Rose Block Antiques gives each dealer their own corner of the shop, and Bully Puppy Market only lists breeders who pass a check. Very different products, same idea: many sellers, one site.
Not sure yet? Start with the shop. A WooCommerce store can grow into a Dokan marketplace later without losing a single product or customer.
What WooCommerce gives you
WooCommerce is the online store itself: products, categories, the cart, checkout, payments, shipping, taxes and order emails. It runs millions of stores, has an add-on for almost anything, and for a single seller it is usually all you need.
What Dokan adds
Dokan turns that store into a marketplace. Each seller gets:
- their own sign-up and a storefront page
- a dashboard to add products and handle their orders
- commission rules you set: a percentage, a flat fee or per category
- payouts, by hand or automatically through Stripe Connect or PayPal
You stay in charge the whole time: you approve sellers, set the rules and see every order.
Lite or Pro?
Dokan Lite is free and fine for testing an idea with a few friendly sellers. Most real marketplaces end up on Dokan Pro, because it adds vendor shipping, more payout options, reviews and reports. We will tell you honestly which one your plan needs before you pay for anything.
What it costs and how long it takes
On our side a store or marketplace starts from $1,299, with a written quote within 48 hours of a free call. A marketplace usually takes 3 to 6 weeks; the biggest factor is how custom the seller journey needs to be.
The best marketplace is the one sellers can use on their phone. If listing an item takes more than a few minutes, sellers simply stop listing.
The short version
- One seller, your own products: WooCommerce.
- Many sellers, and you take a cut: WooCommerce + Dokan.
- Not sure: start with WooCommerce and grow into a marketplace when the sellers come.
Want a second opinion on your idea? Tell us about it and we will tell you plainly which setup fits, even if the answer is "you do not need a marketplace yet".