Ordering.co vs WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free, general-purpose e-commerce plugin for WordPress: you host it, secure it, and add paid extensions to approach restaurant ordering. Ordering.co is built for restaurants and local commerce from the ground up, with menus, delivery zones, pickup, dispatch, and a merchant app on one catalog and order flow.
| Capability | Ordering.co | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Menus with modifiers and options | Included | Add-on |
| Delivery zones with per-zone fees | Included | Add-on |
| Store hours, prep times, and multi-store catalog | Included | Add-on |
| Self-ordering kiosk | Included | Add-on |
| Call center console | Included | Add-on |
Add-on: only through third-party apps or paid extensions.
Ordering.co at a glance
- years building ordering technology
- 12+
- of orders a month, on auto-scaling infrastructure
- Millions
- products across ordering channels, operations, and delivery
- 20+
- features, from catalog to dispatch
- 1,500+
Enterprise brands running on Ordering.co technology
Why restaurants and local-commerce operators choose Ordering.co over WooCommerce
WooCommerce was built for general e-commerce, not for how restaurants and local delivery businesses operate.
Built for restaurants and local commerce
Menus, delivery zones, and dispatch, native
Ordering.co ships with restaurant menus with modifiers and options, delivery zones with per-zone fees, pickup, ASAP and scheduled orders, and store hours and prep times, on one catalog and order flow. On WooCommerce, that same operation is assembled from the core plugin plus a restaurant extension, a delivery-zone extension, and a scheduling extension, each configured, billed, and updated on its own.
Enterprise-proven
Technology proven with enterprise restaurant groups
Ordering.co runs ordering for enterprise groups such as Alsea, which operates Domino's, Starbucks, Burger King, and seven more brands on one platform across more than 4,000 locations. WooCommerce is a general-purpose plugin for a single WordPress store, not a platform built around multi-brand, multi-store restaurant operations.
Millions of orders a month
Infrastructure that scales without a hosting decision
Ordering.co runs on auto-scaling infrastructure that can process millions of orders a month. A WooCommerce store's capacity depends on the hosting plan the merchant chooses and pays for directly, and WooCommerce's own pricing page puts typical hosting at $25 to $350 a month, on top of the plugin and its extensions.
20+ products, 1,500+ features
One flow for the whole restaurant operation
Ordering.co brings more than 20 products and more than 1,500 features: kiosk, call center, a merchant app and kitchen display, driver dispatch, and delivery partners, on the same catalog and order flow as the storefront. Reaching the same operation on WooCommerce means stacking separate extensions, most from different developers, each with its own settings and support.
12+ years
Twelve years of ordering technology behind you
Ordering.co has been building ordering technology for more than 12 years, and the platform reflects the operating lessons of every restaurant, multi-store group, and delivery business on it.
Side by side
Every row is something a restaurant or local-commerce operator can run on Ordering.co without adding a plugin.
| Capability | Ordering.co | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering built for restaurants and local commerce | ||
| Menus with modifiers and options | Menus with modifiers, options, and product add-ons, built into the ordering flow. | Add-onThrough the paid Restaurant for WooCommerce extension ($149 a year), not the core plugin. |
| Delivery zones with per-zone fees | Delivery zones with fees set per zone, configured with the rest of the store. | Add-onThrough the Distance Rate Shipping extension; the core plugin ships flat-rate, free, and local-pickup shipping only. |
| Pickup, ASAP, and scheduled orders | Pickup, ASAP orders, and scheduled orders with delivery time slots, in one checkout. | Add-onLocal Pickup is a core shipping method; scheduled delivery time slots need the Delivery and Pickup Scheduler or Restaurant for WooCommerce extensions. |
| Store hours, prep times, and multi-store catalog | Store hours, prep times, and several stores or locations on one catalog. | Add-onStore hours through extensions such as Restaurant for WooCommerce or Pickup Delivery Agent; several locations through a separate extension such as Multi Store Manager. |
| QR and table ordering | QR ordering and table ordering as configured order types on the same catalog. | Add-onThrough the Restaurant for WooCommerce extension's dine-in and QR table ordering feature. |
| Store, delivery, and dispatch operations | ||
| Merchant order app and kitchen display | Ordering Merchant on web, iOS, and Android, plus a kitchen display for order prep. | Orders are managed in the WordPress admin or the WooCommerce mobile app; there is no kitchen display on the official marketplace. |
| Drivers and delivery partners | Driver App and Ordering Delivery for an in-house fleet, plus connected delivery partners with per-store selection. | Add-onThrough extensions such as Quick Commerce for dispatch and riders, Uber Direct Shipping, and DoorDash's own WordPress plugin, each installed and billed separately. |
| Self-ordering kiosk | Ordering Kiosk: customers order and pay from tablets or large screens in the store. | Add-onOnly through third-party plugins outside the official WooCommerce.com marketplace, such as a self-checkout add-on for a separate point-of-sale product; not a listed WooCommerce.com extension. |
| Call center console | Agents find customers by phone number, take orders, and reorder from one screen. | Add-onPhone Orders and Payments, an official WooCommerce.com extension, marks orders as placed by phone and processes payment from the order screen; it does not include a call-center console with customer lookup by phone number. |
| Point of sale for in-store orders | Ordering Merchant covers in-store order entry as part of the same platform. | A point of sale built into the WooCommerce mobile app, with extensions such as FooSales for more. |
| Build and extend | ||
| API and webhooks | The Ordering.co API and webhooks, included on every plan. | A REST API is included in WooCommerce core. |
| MCP for AI tools | Connect compatible AI tools to your Ordering.co account through MCP. | Native MCP support in WooCommerce core, currently a developer preview. |
| AI ordering by WhatsApp and voice | AI Ordering Agents take orders through voice, WhatsApp, chat, and web conversations on your catalog. | Add-onWhatsApp ordering and AI shopping assistants through separate extensions; no native AI ordering agent. |
“Not listed” means the capability does not appear in WooCommerce's product lineup. Confirm scope and terms with each provider.
Where WooCommerce stops, for a restaurant or local-commerce operator
What operators run into building restaurant and local-commerce ordering on WooCommerce.
Restaurant ordering lives in paid extensions
Menus with modifiers, delivery time slots, and QR table ordering are not in the core plugin. WooCommerce's own extensions page prices Restaurant for WooCommerce at $149 a year (or $238.40 for two years), and lists extensions generally at $29 to $299 a year each.
Delivery zones and dispatch are separate purchases
Per-zone delivery fees need the Distance Rate Shipping extension, scheduled time slots need the Delivery and Pickup Scheduler or Restaurant for WooCommerce extensions, and in-house driver dispatch needs a further third-party plugin, each sold and billed on its own.
Hosting, security, and updates are the merchant's job
The core plugin is free to download, but WooCommerce's own pricing page puts hosting at $25 to $350 a month for most stores, with the merchant choosing and paying the host.
No kiosk or call center console on its own marketplace
WooCommerce's own marketplace lists no self-ordering kiosk and no call-center console with phone lookup; its Phone Orders and Payments extension ($89 a year) processes orders entered by hand.
Proven with enterprise brands.
The platform you would run on already runs ordering for Alsea, a multi-brand restaurant group with more than 4,000 locations.
Alsea runs WOW+ and ten restaurant brands on one ordering platform.Domino's, Starbucks, Burger King, Vips, and six more brands share one app, one website, call centers, and a delivery operation that assigns drivers automatically.10 brands on WOW+4,262 locationsMexico and ColombiaRead the Alsea storyHow to move from WooCommerce to Ordering.co
A WooCommerce move consolidates a plugin stack into one platform, not a single menu paste. Build and test the new setup while WooCommerce stays live, then switch the domain once the checks pass.
What moves
Menu and catalog
Products, categories, modifiers or add-ons, images, and prices from your WooCommerce catalog and any restaurant extension you run today.
Customers and order history
Customer records and order history that your WooCommerce export contains and that your data rights allow.
Delivery zones and store hours
Delivery zones, fees, time slots, and store hours configured in your shipping settings and delivery extensions.
Payments and integrations
Payment gateway, POS, and delivery-partner connections, reconfigured against your existing provider accounts where the provider supports it.
Domain
Your store domain points to the new storefront once testing on Ordering.co passes.
How the move runs
Export your WooCommerce data
Export products, customers, and orders from WooCommerce's own CSV export tools, and keep that file as your backup. Record settings an export may not include, such as modifier structures, delivery zones, and loyalty or points balances from your extensions.
Map your plugin stack to Ordering.co products
Match your restaurant extension's menus and modifiers, your delivery-zone and scheduling extensions, and your driver or delivery-partner plugin to Ordering Web, Ordering Apps, Ordering Merchant, and Driver App with Ordering Delivery. Add call center, kiosk, or AI agents only if the operation needs them.
Import and configure
Import your catalog and customers, style the storefront, and connect payments, delivery partners, and POS. Test one store before you run the full catalog.
Test with real orders
Run real orders end to end: pickup, delivery, kitchen display, driver dispatch, and payment settlement. Train your team on the new tools before customers see them.
Cut over and tell people
In a low-volume window, point your domain to the new storefront. Tell customers what changes, then keep WooCommerce only as a reference until you are ready to retire it.
Duration depends on catalog size, how many extensions your current stack runs, payments, delivery, and app-store access if you also ship native apps, so the scope, responsibilities, and timing are set in your project plan.
Questions from WooCommerce store owners
Why choose Ordering.co over WooCommerce for restaurant or local-commerce ordering?
Ordering.co is built for restaurants and local commerce: menus with modifiers, delivery zones, pickup, ASAP and scheduled orders, kiosk, call center, and driver dispatch, all on one catalog and order flow. On WooCommerce, that same operation is a general e-commerce plugin plus a stack of paid, separately maintained extensions.
How does pricing compare?
WooCommerce's core plugin is free, but its own pricing page puts hosting at $25 to $350 a month and extensions at $29 to $299 a year each; a restaurant setup typically needs several. Ordering.co's Restaurant path starts from $99 per active location a month, with delivery and AI ordering usage billed separately when used. Compare against your own catalog and extension list.
Is WooCommerce open source? Is Ordering.co?
WooCommerce's core plugin is open source under the GPL, and the store owner hosts, secures, and updates the site and its extensions. Ordering.co gives you an API, webhooks, MCP for AI tools, and, on eligible plans, frontend source code for the storefront and apps, while Ordering.co operates the backend infrastructure.
Will my customers need to download a new app?
Only if you decide to ship native customer apps, since WooCommerce itself is a website plugin without one. Ordering Web runs on your own domain, and Ordering Apps can launch under your own developer accounts and app listing when you choose to add them.
Can I keep my store domain?
Yes. Ordering Web runs on your own domain with an SSL certificate. At cutover you point the domain you already control to the new storefront.
What happens to my WooCommerce data?
WooCommerce's own export tools let you download products, customers, and orders as CSV files. Keep that export as your backup. Ordering.co can import the records those files contain and that your rights allow; the fit for each field is confirmed during the project, not assumed.
Can I run WooCommerce and Ordering.co at the same time during the move?
Yes. Build and test the new setup while WooCommerce keeps taking orders on your live site, then cut over once pickup, delivery, kitchen display, and payments have been tested end to end.
How long does a move from WooCommerce take?
It depends on catalog size, how many extensions your current stack runs, payments, delivery, and app-store access if you add native apps. There is no standard timeline; the plan for your operation sets the sequence, responsibilities, and dates.
WooCommerce and every other product name on this page are trademarks of their respective owners. Ordering.co is not affiliated with WooCommerce.
Move your restaurant or local-commerce ordering off a plugin stack.
Bring your WooCommerce catalog and the extensions you run today. We'll show you the Ordering.co setup and the move in a live demo.