Creating a multivendor WordPress marketplace is one of the most effective strategies today for starting a scalable e-commerce business, similar to Amazon, Etsy or eBay.
Two of the most popular plugins for making a multivendor marketplace are WC Vendors and WCFM Marketplace.
In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the features, strengths and differences between these two plugins to help you choose the solution that best suits your needs.
What is a multivendor marketplace?
A multivendor marketplace is a platform where multiple sellers can register, set up their own store and sell products or services to customers, while the site administrator manages the platform and earns a commission on sales.
To make a successful markteplace on WordPress, it is essential to choose a reliable, feature-rich and easy-to-manage multi vendor WordPress plugin.
1. WordPress marketplace: overview of plugins
WC Vendors
WC Vendors is one of the longest-running and most popular multi vendor WordPress plugins, used by more than 8,000 stores worldwide.
It allows you to turn a WooCommerce site into a full-fledged marketplace, managing commissions, payments, seller roles and more. It is available in free and Pro versions, with numerous extensions for advanced features.
WCFM Marketplace
WCFM Marketplace (WooCommerce Frontend Manager Marketplace) has quickly established itself as one of the most comprehensive and feature-rich plugins for creating multivendor marketplaces.
It offers an extremely powerful free version and numerous premium extensions, making it very flexible for both small projects and large marketplaces.
2. WooCommerce marketplace plugin: key features compared
| Features | WC Vendors | WCFM Marketplace |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor Dashboard | Yes, frontend and backend | Yes, advanced frontend |
| Product Management | Yes, simple and variables | Yes, with advanced variants |
| Customizable commissions | Yes, global, by vendor or product | Yes, global, by vendor or category |
| Payment management | WooCommerce gateway, Stripe, PayPal, etc. | WooCommerce gateway, Stripe, PayPal, etc. |
| Vendor reviews | Yes, integrated system | Yes, advanced, with administrator control |
| Subscription support | Yes, via WooCommerce Subscriptions | Yes, via integrated membership module |
| Shipment Management | Flat rate, table rate | Zones, weight, country, advanced |
| Mobile app for salespeople | No | Yes |
| Ticket/inquiry system | No (email only) | Yes, integrated ticket and inquiry |
| SEO Customization | Limited, via external plugins | Advanced, integrated social SEO |
| Coupon management | Yes | Yes, advanced |
| Bookings/Services | Yes, with extension | Yes, integrated |
| Multi-language support | Yes, WPML compatible | Yes, WPML compatible |
| Themes support | Compatible with most themes | Compatible with most themes |
| Price | Free + Pro | Free + Addon |
3. Ecommerce plugin: Detailed feature analysis
Dashboard and vendor management
- WC Multivendor Marketplace offers an intuitive dashboard with sales reports, order and product management, commissions, and the ability to export data. Sellers have their own profile with logo, social, reviews and products.
- WCFM Marketplace excels because of its extremely rich and customizable frontend dashboard. Sellers can manage everything from the frontend: products, orders, shipments, coupons, statistics, support requests and more. The experience is similar to that of professional marketplaces, thanks in part to the free mobile app for sellers.
Commissions and payments
Both plugins allow you to set global commissions, by vendor or by product. WC Vendors also offers the ability to add fixed costs to commissions, while WCFM allows even more granular management, including by product category or membership.
For payments, both rely on WooCommerce’s gateways (PayPal, Stripe, wire transfer, etc.), but WCFM also offers reverse withdrawal (direct payment to the seller who then pays the admin the commission) and automatic or manual payment handling.
Shipment Management
- WC Vendors supports flat rate and table rate shipping, but does not natively integrate WooCommerce shipping zones, leaving vendors to set custom rules.
- WCFM Marketplace offers much more advanced shipping management: zones, weight, country, free shipping, on-site pickup, integration with third-party plugins, and global management by the administrator.
Reviews, tickets and support
- WC Vendors integrates a review system for vendors, visible on profile pages. However, the support system is limited: customers can only contact vendors by email.
- WCFM Marketplace offers an advanced review system with manual approval, ability to manage support tickets, pre- and post-sale inquiry, and store policy management directly from the seller panel.
SEO and customization
- WC Vendors relies on external plugins for SEO (such as Yoast SEO), offering only basic functions.
- WCFM Marketplace allows sellers to customize meta tags, social images, titles and descriptions, improving store visibility on search engines and social networks.
Subscriptions and memberships
- WC Vendors allows the sale of subscription products through the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension and offers membership plans for vendors in the Pro version.
- WCFM Marketplace integrates a free membership module, with the ability to create different levels of membership for sellers, each with custom features and commissions.
Mobile app and usability
One of the great advantages of WCFM Marketplace is the presence of a free mobile app for sellers to manage their store wherever they are. WC Vendors, on the other hand, does not offer this option.
4. WordPress Marketplace website: ease of use and support
- WC Multivendor Marketplace is known for its ease of installation and configuration, ideal for those looking for a quick and uncomplicated solution. Support is considered responsive and documentation is comprehensive.
- WCFM Marketplace offers a lot of features even in the free version, but this richness can be initially dispersive for novices. Support is active, but some reviews complain of slow response times or improvable documentation for advanced customizations.
5. Performance, scalability and compatibility
Both plugins are designed to support large marketplaces with hundreds of sellers and thousands of products.
However, WCFM Marketplace is often preferred for more complex projects because of its scalability and the many extensions available.
As for compatibility, both work with most WooCommerce themes and support popular plugins such as WPML for multilingual translation.
6. WordPress Market: Pricing and business models
- WC Vendors PRO: free version with basic features, paid Pro version for advanced features such as full frontend, membership, coupon management, advanced shipping, automatic payments, etc.
- WCFM Marketplace: the free version is already very comprehensive; premium extensions (Ultimate, Groups & Staff, Delivery, Affiliate) add advanced features at affordable, modular prices.
7. WordPress Marketplace plugins: comparing pros and cons
WC Vendors
Pros:
- Easy to set up and use
- Intuitive dashboard for salespeople and admins
- Excellent integration with WooCommerce
- Solid support and documentation
Cons:
- Fewer advanced features in the free version
- Fewer customization options for vendors
- Lack of mobile app for vendors
- Customer/vendor support system can be improved
WCFM Marketplace
Pros:
- Extremely feature-rich free version
- Advanced and customizable frontend dashboard
- Integrated ticket, inquiry and support system
- Free mobile app for marketers
- Advanced management of shipments, commissions, membership
- Affordable and modular premium extensions
Cons:
- It can be complex for those who are novices
- Some critical reviews on technical support
- So much customization may require more setup time
8. Which plugin to choose for your multivendor marketplace?
The choice between WC Vendors and WCFM Marketplace depends on your specific needs:
- Choose the WC Vendors Marketplace plugin if you want a simple, reliable, easy-to-configure multi vendor WordPress plugin with good support. It is ideal for those who want to get started right away, without too much customization, and need a stable and proven solution.
- Choose the WCFM Marketplace plugin if you want maximum functionality right out of the free version, an advanced frontend dashboard, the ability to manage everything from mobile, and a highly customizable platform ideal for complex or fast-growing marketplaces.
Both plugins are valid and widely used, but the choice depends on your specific needs and the level of complexity you want to manage in your marketplace.
Both WC Vendors and WCFM Marketplace are great plugins for creating a multivendor marketplace on WordPress.
The choice depends on the level of complexity you want, your budget, and the specific functionality your project needs.
WC Vendors remains a solid and reliable choice, while WCFM Marketplace stands out for its comprehensiveness and flexibility, often proving to be the preferred solution for those seeking maximum control and customization of their markteplace.
Choosing the right multi-vendor WordPress plugin is the first step to building a successful multivendor marketplace: carefully assess your needs and take advantage of free demos to test functionality before deciding.
We at Factory Communication have used both.
