Cartwright vs WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin with a vast ecosystem and a huge install base — familiar, flexible, and plugin-driven. Cartwright is a modern TypeScript/Next.js commerce engine with an AI-native admin, an MCP/agent layer, and serverless hosting, owned end-to-end with no plugin sprawl. Choose WooCommerce if you live in WordPress and want the biggest plugin marketplace; choose Cartwright if you want a modern developer experience, AI/agent-commerce built in, and a codebase you control without managing PHP, plugins, and a database server.
| Dimension | Cartwright | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Stack | TypeScript + Next.js + React, serverless-friendly. | PHP + WordPress + MySQL. |
| Extensibility | Code it yourself; feature flags + tool registry. | Enormous plugin marketplace (quality varies). |
| AI / agents | MCP, ACP/A2A, AI admin, AI-search — built in. | Via third-party plugins. |
| Hosting / ops | Vercel + Turso; no servers to patch. | WordPress hosting, PHP, DB, plugin/security upkeep. |
| Performance | Modern Core Web Vitals baseline by default. | Depends heavily on theme + plugin load. |
| Best for | Modern DX + AI commerce, owned. | WordPress-native teams wanting the plugin ecosystem. |
Frequently asked
- Can I migrate from WooCommerce to Cartwright?
- Yes — product CSV import is built in, and the “Hoptify” onboarding can pull design + products across. You move to a modern TypeScript codebase you own.
- Do I need WordPress for Cartwright?
- No. Cartwright is a standalone Next.js app — no WordPress, PHP, or plugin stack to maintain.
- Is Cartwright as extensible as WooCommerce?
- Differently: instead of a plugin marketplace, you extend the code directly, with feature flags and a typed tool registry. You trade marketplace breadth for full control and a modern DX.
Try it in one command
npx create-cartwright@latest my-shopMIT-licensed. Read the docs or see the full comparison hub.