Dokan vs Garnet
Dokan turns a WooCommerce store into a marketplace. Garnet does the same on Shopify. Here is how they compare on cost, hosting, vendor tools and support, and which one fits your project.
The short answer
Choose Dokan if your store runs on WordPress and WooCommerce, you have a developer or agency, and you want the lowest license cost. Choose Garnet if you sell on Shopify, or want a hosted marketplace where vendors sync their own stores and the vendor team talks to a human when something breaks.
What is Dokan?
Dokan is a multi-vendor marketplace plugin for WordPress, built on WooCommerce. It adds vendor registration, a front-end vendor dashboard, vendor stores and commissions to a WooCommerce shop. Dokan Lite is free; Dokan Pro adds paid modules such as Stripe Connect payouts, vendor subscriptions and table-rate shipping. Dokan reports more than 40,000 active marketplaces.
Dokan vs Garnet at a glance
| Dokan | Garnet | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | WordPress + WooCommerce | Shopify |
| Hosting and updates | Your server: you update WordPress, WooCommerce, Dokan and the theme | Hosted by Shopify and Garnet, updated continuously |
| Price | Lite free; Pro from $149/year (1 site, 4 modules) to $699/year (20 sites, all modules) | Contact us |
| Automated vendor payouts | Stripe Connect from Professional ($199/year), PayPal Marketplace from Business ($374/year) | Stripe, PayPal, Mollie, Airwallex and bank transfer |
| Vendor stores sync | XML import/export (Business plan) | Real-time sync with Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento, BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, plus API, CSV/XML feeds and Google Sheets |
| Vendor onboarding | Registration form and setup wizard | One-link onboarding with application review, store connection, shipping, membership and payout steps |
| White label | Vendor dashboard inside your WordPress site | Your logo, colors, wording and custom domain; no Garnet branding |
| Support | Ticket support; live chat on Enterprise | Human support by the Garnet team, no chatbot |
Dokan prices per its pricing page, read on 1 October 2026.
Cost: cheap license, real running costs
Dokan's license is cheaper than most marketplace software, and Dokan Lite costs nothing. The real bill comes from around it: hosting that can take marketplace traffic, a developer to apply updates and fix plugin conflicts, and the Pro tier that unlocks the module you need. Automated payouts with PayPal Marketplace, for example, require the Business plan.
With Garnet, hosting, security, updates and support are part of the service, and Shopify's checkout comes with no maintenance at all.
Vendor experience
Both tools give vendors a dashboard to add products, manage orders and see earnings. The difference is how vendors bring their catalog. On Dokan, vendors list products in the dashboard or by file. On Garnet, a vendor already selling on Shopify or WooCommerce connects their store once; products, stock, orders and tracking then sync in real time. For marketplaces recruiting established brands, that removes the main reason vendors refuse to join.
Payments and payouts
Dokan supports several payout gateways through Pro modules, including Stripe Connect, PayPal Marketplace, Mangopay and Razorpay, depending on your plan. Garnet connects Stripe, PayPal, Mollie and Airwallex, with manual or scheduled automatic payouts, and commissions set by vendor, product or order.
Support and maintenance
With Dokan, your marketplace is a stack of WordPress plugins you maintain. When an update breaks checkout, you or your developer find out which plugin caused it. With Garnet, the Garnet team maintains the app and answers support directly, with at least 50% overlap with your working hours.
Who should choose Dokan
- You already run a WooCommerce store and want to stay on WordPress.
- You have a developer or agency for hosting and updates.
- Your budget is tight and the free Lite version covers your needs.
Who should choose Garnet
- You sell on Shopify, or are ready to move to it.
- Your vendors already run their own online stores and need to sync, not re-list.
- You want a hosted marketplace and a support team that knows marketplaces.
Other WooCommerce multi-vendor plugins
Dokan is not the only way to build a WooCommerce multi vendor marketplace. WC Vendors and MultiVendorX are the two other plugins most WooCommerce teams compare it with. Both follow the same model: a free core plugin, paid add-ons, and hosting on your own WordPress site. If you are set on WooCommerce, compare those three. If you are open to Shopify, see our guide to thebest multi-vendor marketplace software.
Switching from Dokan to Garnet
Moving from Dokan means moving the store itself from WooCommerce to Shopify, with Shopify's import tools for products, customers and order history. Vendors then join your Garnet marketplace through the onboarding link. Vendors who keep their own WooCommerce store connect it and keep selling from it.
See how a move works step by step: migrate from another platform.
What merchants say about switching
"Before finding them, I was stuck with another Shopify app that felt messy and rigid. When Garnet reached out, I decided to make the switch and I'm glad I did."
Dokan vs Garnet questions
What merchants ask before choosing between Dokan and Garnet.
Ask a QuestionWhat is Dokan?
Dokan is a WordPress plugin that turns a WooCommerce store into a multi-vendor marketplace. It is available as a free Lite version and a paid Pro version.
How much does Dokan Pro cost?
On 1 October 2026, Dokan Pro annual plans ran from $149 (Starter, 1 site) to $699 (Enterprise, 20 sites), with lifetime licenses also available. Prices shown on Dokan's site include promotional discounts.
Is Dokan free?
Dokan Lite is free and covers vendor registration, a vendor dashboard and commissions. Features like Stripe Connect payouts, vendor subscriptions and shipping modules need Dokan Pro.
Does Dokan work with Shopify?
No. Dokan only works with WordPress and WooCommerce. Garnet is the Shopify equivalent.
Dokan vs WC Vendors vs MultiVendorX: which is best?
All three are WooCommerce plugins with a free core and paid add-ons. Dokan is the best known, with 40,000+ active marketplaces by its own count. Compare them on the payout gateways and modules your plan includes.
Can vendors on WooCommerce sell on a Garnet marketplace?
Yes. Vendors connect their WooCommerce store to your Shopify marketplace, and products, orders and tracking sync automatically.
Running a marketplace on Shopify? Talk to the team that builds Garnet
Book a 30-minute demo. We'll look at your vendors, your catalog and your payouts, and tell you honestly whether Garnet fits.
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