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The nopCommerce Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about nopCommerce in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPANovember 2026

nopCommerce

The Insider’s Guide

Free open-source ASP.NET Core shopping cart

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among online store builders, read from nopCommerce’s own pages.

Made by nopCommerce · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.2GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from nopCommerce’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on nopCommerce’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.2

GPA, above 9 of the 26 other online store builders we grade

nopCommerce is a free, open-source shopping cart built on ASP.NET Core. You host it yourself on Windows, Linux or Mac, with SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL, and extend it with plugins and themes from its marketplace. The developing company also sells premium support and a Web API plugin.

To get you started, here are 8 things to know about nopCommerce, taken from its own pages and our grades.

You install, host, update and secure it yourself, which assumes technical skill.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for a free .NET store you host yourself

    nopCommerce is a free, open-source .NET shopping cart you install on your own hosting, with plugins, themes and database options.

  2. 2

    It is free

    nopCommerce has no paid plan at all.

  3. 3

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  4. 4

    Runs where you choose

    Runs on .NET 10 on Windows, Linux or Mac, with Docker support and a choice of Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL databases.

  5. 5

    Web farm support

    The README says it works across web farms and Azure, with all methods asynchronous, for stores that need to scale across servers.

  6. 6

    Plugins and themes

    A pluggable architecture and a marketplace for themes, plugins and integrations. Developers can write their own and sell them there.

  7. 7

    A 2.2 GPA, above 9 of 26

    That is against the other online store builders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  8. 8

    Keep it

    nopCommerce is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

nopCommerce at a glance

Pricing
Free
Free plan
It is free
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web
Made by
nopCommerce
Category
Online Store Builders
Our grade
2.2 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for a free .NET store you host yourself

nopCommerce is a free, open-source .NET shopping cart you install on your own hosting, with plugins, themes and database options. There's no hosted plan on the pages we read, premium support and the Web API plugin are separate paid products, and you handle updates and security yourself.

ToolGPA report cardnopCommerceGraded Nov 12, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyCThe software is free, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. Premium support and the Web API plugin are sold separately, with prices we couldn't read.
Free plan and trialBFree and open source with no sales or product caps. You pay for hosting, and there's no hosted trial.
FeaturesCRuns on .NET with a choice of SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL, web farm support, plugins, themes and multi-factor sign-in. The REST API is a separate plugin.
Ease of useDNo store rating on record. You install, host, update and secure it yourself, which assumes technical skill.
Platforms and integrationsBWeb, running on Windows, Linux or Mac with Docker. A plugin and theme marketplace and a REST plugin connect other services.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.2

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who nopCommerce is for

  • Fits if your team works in .NET and wants the source code
  • Works for agencies building custom stores from plugins and themes

Who it is not for

  • Not for you if you want a hosted store, as no hosted plan is listed
  • Skip it if you can't run servers: install, updates and security are yours
  • Watch out: premium support and the Web API plugin are paid, with prices not published
  • Watch out: the project's own site blocked our check, so these facts come from its GitHub README

Good to know

Good for

  • Teams that work in .NET and want to customize the source
  • Merchants who want a free platform and can manage their own hosting
  • Agencies building custom stores with plugins and themes

Worth knowing

  • There is no hosted plan on the pages read; you arrange hosting, installation, updates and security yourself.
  • Premium support and the Web API plugin are separate paid products whose prices were not readable.
  • The nopCommerce site and its documentation answered with a bot check, so facts here come from the project's GitHub README.
  • The README says the core team gives professional support within 24 hours and has developed the product since 2008.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

Free

No paid plan at all

nopCommerce is free to use.

The software is free, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server.
From our grade for value for money

  • nopCommerce

    $0

    Free, open-source software that you host and run yourself. Premium support, plugins and themes are priced separately.

Read from github.com on Nov 12, 2026.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: Web

Free open-source ASP.NET Core shopping cart. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, online store.

Runs on .NET with a choice of SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL, web farm support, plugins, themes and multi-factor sign-in.
From our grade for features
Runs where you choose
Runs on .NET 10 on Windows, Linux or Mac, with Docker support and a choice of Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL or MySQL databases.
Web farm support
The README says it works across web farms and Azure, with all methods asynchronous, for stores that need to scale across servers.
Plugins and themes
A pluggable architecture and a marketplace for themes, plugins and integrations. Developers can write their own and sell them there.
Web API plugin
A REST plugin from the nopCommerce team covers backend and frontend methods, for connecting third-party services or mobile apps. It comes with source code.
Multi-factor sign-in
Multi-factor authentication is built in, alongside a store demo with both the customer front end and the admin area to try before installing.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

  • Docker
  • Microsoft Azure
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Microsoft SQL Server

nopCommerce is made by nopCommerce.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

9/26

Other online store builders it is graded above

nopCommerce's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 9 of the 26 other online store builders we grade, and level with 5.

It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 14 of 26) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).

nopCommerce has no paid plan.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 27 online store builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. nopCommerce’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 26
  • BFree plan and trialAbove 14 of 26
  • CFeaturesAbove 2 of 26
  • DEase of useAbove 0 of 26
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 26

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 21 online store builders. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. nopCommerce is the marked dot.

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1k$2kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessnopCommerceShopifyEcwidOpenCartBig CartelSquare Online

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

nopCommerce is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.

What you could not

  • Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
  • It plugs into other products, Docker, Microsoft Azure and PostgreSQL among them, and has an API.

What this rests on. nopCommerce’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

OpenCart, Shopware, PrestaShop, WooCommerce and BigCommerce

The 5 tools nopCommerce is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

13

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is nopCommerce free?

Yes. nopCommerce is free to use.

How much does nopCommerce cost?

nopCommerce lists one plan. nopCommerce: $0. Prices were read from github.com on Nov 12, 2026.

What platforms does nopCommerce work on?

nopCommerce is available on Web.

Does nopCommerce have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. nopCommerce is listed for Web.

Does nopCommerce have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. nopCommerce is listed for Web.

Is nopCommerce open source?

Yes. nopCommerce is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.

Does nopCommerce have an API?

Yes. nopCommerce offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does nopCommerce integrate with?

nopCommerce's listing names Docker, Microsoft Azure, PostgreSQL, MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server.

Who makes nopCommerce?

nopCommerce is made by a company of the same name.

What are the alternatives to nopCommerce?

The closest alternatives to nopCommerce in our directory are OpenCart, Shopware, PrestaShop, WooCommerce and BigCommerce.

How does nopCommerce compare with other online store builders?

nopCommerce's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 9 of the 26 other online store builders we grade, and level with 5.

Is nopCommerce good value for money?

ToolGPA grades nopCommerce C for value for money. nopCommerce has no paid plan.

Could I make my own version of nopCommerce?

nopCommerce is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from nopCommerce’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from nopCommerce's own pages on 12 November 2026, read from the project's GitHub page because its own site blocked the check. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by nopCommerce. Prices change, so check nopcommerce.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

5,038

Tools graded, in 95 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 5,038

    tools graded

  • 95

    categories

  • 739

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "nopCommerce: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/nopcommerce

Know someone choosing between online store builders?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/nopcommerce/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded online store builders after nopCommerce, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what nopCommerce’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. nopCommerce is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by nopCommerce. Prices and plans change: check nopcommerce.com before you buy.