WooCommerce is a full e-commerce platform inside WordPress. If you have 1 to 10 products, you do not need to build a shop.
WooCommerce turns a WordPress site into a full online store — catalogue, cart, inventory, plugins. It is a project that requires ongoing maintenance. bookto checkout is one payment page per product — no WordPress, no plugins, no maintenance. Create a product and share the link.
WooCommerce is the most widely used e-commerce plugin for WordPress, and for good reason — if you need a full online store, it is a solid foundation. But "full online store" is exactly what most freelancers, consultants, and coaches do not need. They have a handful of offers, not a catalogue. Their clients pay directly, not through a cart.
Setting up WooCommerce correctly — with a payment gateway plugin (Mollie for WooCommerce, for instance), VAT handling, transactional email configuration, and a theme that works — takes days and ongoing attention. bookto checkout takes 5 minutes and requires none of that.
Side by side
| WooCommerce | bookto checkout | |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WordPress | ✓ | ✗ |
| Requires hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Setup time | Days | 5 minutes |
| Plugin management | Ongoing | None |
| iDEAL / Bancontact | Via Mollie plugin | ✓ Native |
| VAT capture | Via plugin (extra config) | ✓ Built in |
| Order record with buyer details | ✓ | ✓ |
| Confirmation email to buyer | ✓ (with config) | ✓ Customisable per product |
| Works without a website | ✗ | ✓ |
| Monthly cost (realistic) | €20–€60+ (hosting + plugins) | €7–€12 flat |
| Right for 1–10 products | Overkill | ✓ |
| Right for 50+ products / full shop | ✓ | ✗ |
Who each is right for
WooCommerce is right if you…
- Already run a WordPress site and want a full shop
- Sell many products that buyers can combine in a cart
- Need inventory management and shipping integrations
- Have technical knowledge or a developer available
- Sell physical products to many anonymous consumers
bookto checkout is right if you…
- Have 1 to 10 defined products — sessions, packages, books, workshops
- Do not want to build or maintain a WordPress shop
- Want iDEAL and Bancontact without installing a plugin
- Need VAT handled automatically, without configuration
- Want to be live and accepting payments today
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between WooCommerce and bookto checkout?
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that turns your WordPress site into a full e-commerce store — product catalogue, shopping cart, inventory, shipping, and a plugin ecosystem. It requires WordPress, hosting, technical setup, and ongoing maintenance. bookto checkout is a standalone checkout page per product. No WordPress needed, no plugins, no hosting to manage. Create a product, share the link, get paid.
Do I need WooCommerce if I already have a WordPress website?
Not necessarily. If you want to add one or a handful of payment pages to your existing WordPress site, bookto checkout is simpler: add a button or link to your WordPress page that points to your bookto checkout URL. No plugin installation, no WooCommerce setup, no compatibility issues. WooCommerce makes sense if you need a full product catalogue with cart and inventory management.
Is bookto checkout cheaper than WooCommerce?
WooCommerce itself is free, but it requires WordPress hosting (€5–€20/month), a domain, and often paid plugins for payment gateways, VAT handling, and email. When you add those up, the real cost of a working WooCommerce setup is typically €20–€60/month or more — plus developer time if you need customisation. bookto checkout is €7–€12/month all-in, with VAT handling included and no plugins required.
Does WooCommerce support iDEAL and Bancontact?
Yes, but through the Mollie for WooCommerce plugin, which you install and configure separately. bookto checkout uses Mollie natively — iDEAL, Bancontact, SEPA, and credit cards are supported without any plugin.
Can I use bookto checkout without having a WordPress site?
Yes. bookto checkout is completely independent of WordPress. You get a standalone URL per product that works anywhere — your own site, a bio link, an email, a social post, or a WhatsApp message. No website required at all.
When does WooCommerce make more sense than bookto checkout?
WooCommerce makes sense if you already run a WordPress site and need a full shop — many products, inventory management, physical shipping, or a large catalogue. If you are a freelancer, consultant, coach, or trainer with 1 to 10 defined offers and no need for cart logic, bookto checkout is the faster and simpler path.