WooCommerce Pre-Orders is a paid extension that lets customers order products before they are released. Stores use it for launches, with payment either upfront or charged automatically on release. If you only need part of it, you can get a focused plugin built for your own site and pay once.
WooCommerce Pre-Orders: $179 a year for one site (Single-site subscription, 1 year).
Your own plugin on Pluginora: from $9 once, with 5 free changes. Try it first for $1.
What WooCommerce Pre-Orders does
- Optional availability date and time
- Charge customers automatically when the product is released
- Change a product's release date
- Email all customers who pre-ordered a product
- Cancel pre-orders for a product
- Custom pre-order order status
- Optional pre-order fee
Free version: No (paid WooCommerce.com extension only).
What you can build instead
A Pluginora plugin does one job for your site. For WooCommerce Pre-Orders, that could be:
- Show 'Pre-order' button text and an expected ship date on selected products
- Tag orders that contain pre-order products
- Show a pre-order notice in the cart and order email
A small custom plugin would not replace charging customers automatically on release or bulk pre-order management.
Related plugins you can build:
Cost over 3 years
| WooCommerce Pre-Orders | Your own plugin | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $179 | From $9 |
| Year 2 | $179 | $0 |
| Year 3 | $179 | $0 |
| 3-year total | $537 | From $9 |
When WooCommerce Pre-Orders is the better choice
- You need to charge saved cards automatically on the release date
- You need bulk tools to change dates, email or cancel all pre-orders for a product
- You sell many pre-order products and want them managed from one screen
When your own plugin makes more sense
- You use one or two of its features, not the whole package.
- You would rather pay once than renew every year.
- You want it to work exactly the way your site needs, and to change it on request.
How to get your own
- Describe it. For example: “Change the button to 'Pre-order now' on products tagged 'coming soon', show the expected ship date, and add a note to the order email.”
- See the plan and price. Ora replies with what it will build and a fixed price. Nothing is built until you approve.
- Try it for $1. Test it on a practice site for 7 days, then keep it and pay the rest once.
Questions
Is there a free alternative to WooCommerce Pre-Orders?
There is no free version of WooCommerce Pre-Orders. Free plugins from other makers may cover part of it. A Pluginora plugin costs from $9 once and does exactly the job you describe.
How much does WooCommerce Pre-Orders cost?
It costs $179 a year for one site (Single-site subscription, 1 year), as listed on woocommerce.com on 20 October 2026. 1-year plan, no discount shown; 2-year plan is $286.40 (20% off $358). 30-day money-back guarantee. Prices change, so check their pricing page.
Will my own plugin do everything WooCommerce Pre-Orders does?
No. A small custom plugin would not replace charging customers automatically on release or bulk pre-order management. It does the focused job you describe, built for your site.
Does Pluginora copy WooCommerce Pre-Orders?
No. Ora builds a new plugin from your description. It does not copy any code, text or design from WooCommerce Pre-Orders or any other product.
Can I try it before I pay the full price?
Yes. For $1, Ora builds your plugin and you test it on a private practice site for 7 days, with 2 changes. If you keep it, the $1 comes off the price.
Product names are trademarks of their owners. Pluginora is not affiliated with or endorsed by Woo. The name WooCommerce Pre-Orders is used only to describe the product being compared.