Haul vs WooCommerce for UK & EU sellers
WooCommerce is free to install — but free doesn’t mean cheap. Between hosting, plugins, security, and maintenance, the real cost adds up fast. Here’s how it compares to Haul for independent sellers.
Haul vs WooCommerce at a glance
WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that turns a self-hosted WordPress site into an online shop. While the plugin itself is free, you need to pay for hosting (£10–50/month), SSL, a theme (£40–80), and plugins for features like reviews, shipping zones, and VAT invoicing (£100–300+ per year). You also need to manage your own security updates, backups, and performance. Haul is a fully managed e-commerce platform that starts at £15/month with zero transaction fees and includes every feature out of the box — no hosting to manage, no plugins to buy, no security patches to worry about.
Feature-by-feature comparison
An honest look at what each platform offers for selling products online.
| Feature | Haul | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Sign up and start selling | Install WordPress, WooCommerce, configure hosting |
| Hosting | Fully managed (Cloudflare edge) | Self-hosted (you pay separately) |
| Transaction fees | Zero | Zero (plugin is free) |
| Payment processing | Stripe: 1.5% + 20p | Stripe/PayPal: 1.5%–25% + 20–30p |
| Product variants | Unlimited groups & options | Attributes & variations (can be complex) |
| Built-in reviews | Included on all plans | Basic reviews included |
| Discount codes | All plans | Built in |
| Custom domain | All plans | Your own hosting, your domain |
| SSL certificate | Free, automatic | Depends on your host |
| Security updates | Managed by Huskai | Your responsibility |
| Backups | Automatic | Your responsibility (or paid plugin) |
| VAT / tax support | UK & EU VAT built in | Requires paid plugin (£50–100/yr) |
| Stock management | Full stock control | Basic (extensions for advanced) |
| Page builder | Section-based editor | WordPress block editor or paid builder |
| Blog | Included | WordPress is built for blogging |
| Themes / templates | Growing library | Thousands of WordPress themes |
| Extensions / plugins | Everything built in | Huge plugin ecosystem |
| Technical skill needed | None | Moderate (WordPress knowledge required) |
The real cost of “free”
WooCommerce is free to install, but running a WooCommerce shop has real costs that add up quickly. Here’s what a typical first year looks like.
Haul Starter
£15/mo
- Zero transaction fees
- Hosting, SSL, security — all included
- Reviews, discounts, VAT — all included
- Stripe processing: 1.5% + 20p
- No technical maintenance
WooCommerce
“Free”
- Hosting: \u00a310\u201350/mo
- Premium theme: \u00a340\u201380 one-off
- SSL certificate: \u00a30\u201350/yr
- Essential plugins: \u00a3100\u2013300/yr
- Security / backups: \u00a350\u2013100/yr
- Your time maintaining: Priceless
WooCommerce’s “free” plugin requires paid hosting, a premium theme, and paid extensions for features Haul includes at £15/month. Most small sellers end up spending £30–80/month on a WooCommerce setup that matches what Haul offers out of the box.
What WooCommerce does better
We believe in honest comparisons. Here’s where WooCommerce genuinely excels.
Unlimited flexibility
WooCommerce is open-source and infinitely customisable. If you need a completely bespoke checkout flow, custom integrations, or unusual business logic, WooCommerce gives you full control of the code.
Massive plugin ecosystem
With thousands of WordPress plugins available, you can add almost any feature imaginable. From advanced shipping rules to multi-currency support, there's probably a plugin for it.
Built on WordPress
If you already have a WordPress site with content, blog posts, and SEO authority, adding WooCommerce lets you sell products without starting from scratch on a new domain.
No vendor lock-in
You own your server, your code, and your data completely. You're not dependent on any single company staying in business or keeping their pricing the same.
What Haul does better
Haul was built for sellers who want to sell, not manage servers.
Zero maintenance
No hosting to configure, no WordPress updates to install, no security patches to apply, no plugin conflicts to debug. Haul is fully managed — you focus on your products, we handle the infrastructure.
Everything included
Reviews, discount codes, VAT invoices, stock control, shipping zones, email templates, and a page builder — all included in every plan. No hunting for plugins or comparing pricing tiers.
Faster and more secure
Haul runs on Cloudflare's global edge network with built-in DDoS protection, automatic SSL, and CDN-cached assets. No server security to worry about — no outdated plugins to exploit.
Set up in minutes, not days
A WooCommerce shop takes hours (or days) to set up properly — choosing a host, installing WordPress, configuring WooCommerce, finding plugins, customising a theme. A Haul shop is live in under 30 minutes.
Predictable pricing
£15 or £35 per month. That's it. No surprise hosting bills, no plugin renewal fees, no cost creep. You know exactly what you'll pay every month.
Built for sellers, not developers
WooCommerce assumes you're comfortable with WordPress. Haul assumes you're comfortable with selling. The admin dashboard is clean, focused, and doesn't require any technical knowledge.
Frequently asked questions
- Is WooCommerce really free?
- The WooCommerce plugin is free, but running a WooCommerce shop is not. You need paid hosting (£10–50/month), a premium theme (£40–80), and paid plugins for features like VAT invoicing, advanced shipping, and subscriptions (£100–300+ per year). The total cost typically exceeds what you’d pay for a fully managed platform like Haul.
- Can I migrate from WooCommerce to Haul?
- Yes. Export your WooCommerce products as CSV and import them into Haul. Product names, descriptions, prices, images, and variants all transfer across. If you need help with the migration, our support team can guide you.
- Do I need to know how to code to use WooCommerce?
- Not necessarily, but it helps significantly. Basic setup is manageable, but customising your theme, troubleshooting plugin conflicts, and managing server security often requires technical knowledge or hiring someone who has it. Haul requires zero technical skill.
- What about WooCommerce security?
- WordPress and WooCommerce are frequent targets for hackers because of their popularity. You’re responsible for keeping WordPress, WooCommerce, all plugins, and your theme up to date with security patches. A single outdated plugin can compromise your entire shop. Haul handles all security automatically.
- Is WooCommerce or Haul better for a small UK seller?
- For most small UK sellers, Haul is simpler, cheaper in practice, and requires no technical maintenance. WooCommerce makes sense if you already have a WordPress site, need highly custom functionality, or have a developer on hand. If you just want to sell products without managing servers, Haul is the better choice.
Sell without the server headaches
Haul is launching soon. Register your interest to get early access and be first in line.