Multi-vendor marketplaces built on WooCommerce (Dokan, WC Vendors, WCFM Marketplace) are among the most complex WooCommerce setups to migrate. A marketplace isn't just a store — it's a platform with multiple vendor accounts, vendor-owned products, commission rules, and vendor payouts. Migrating this to Shopify requires careful planning because Shopify is fundamentally a single-seller platform.

WooCommerce marketplace plugins

Dokan: The most popular WooCommerce multi-vendor plugin. Full-featured vendor dashboards, commission management, vendor stores, product ownership.
WC Vendors: Another popular option, similar to Dokan with vendor shop pages and commission system.
WCFM Marketplace: Feature-rich with extensive vendor management, notifications, and store settings.
Yith WooCommerce Multi-Vendor: YITH's marketplace solution with similar feature set.

The core challenge: Shopify is single-seller

Shopify was designed for one seller (the store owner) managing one catalog. The concept of multiple independent vendors each owning their own products and receiving their own payouts doesn't exist natively in Shopify.

For marketplace migration, you have two architectural paths:

Approach	When to use	Complexity
Shopify + marketplace app (Shipturtle, Onport)	Active marketplace with many vendors, need vendor dashboards	High — app configuration + vendor migration
Shopify single-store (vendor as product attribute)	Small number of vendors, operator manages all listings	Medium — vendors are just a product tag/attribute
Separate Shopify stores per vendor	Each vendor is a distinct brand with their own customer base	High — multiple full migrations
Purpose-built marketplace platform (Sharetribe, CS-Cart)	Large, complex marketplace with many vendors	Very high — different platform entirely

Shopify marketplace apps

Shipturtle

Most comprehensive Shopify marketplace app (2024–2026)
Vendor onboarding and dashboards
Product ownership per vendor
Commission management (% or fixed per vendor)
Vendor payouts (manual or automated via Stripe Connect)
Order routing to vendors
Price: $99–$499/month

Onport (formerly Jetti)

Focused on dropship marketplace model (brands supplying products to your Shopify store)
Supplier management, order routing, margin control
Best for: retail marketplace where you buy/resell vendor products
Price: custom pricing

MultiVendor Marketplace by Webkul

Comprehensive marketplace functionality for Shopify
Vendor registration, product management, commission system
Vendor storefronts within your Shopify store
Price: $30–$100+/month

Syncio (product sync, not vendor management)

If your "marketplace" is really a dropship or wholesale model — vendors supply products you sell under your brand — Syncio syncs products from vendor Shopify stores to your main store. Not a true marketplace but covers many dropship marketplace scenarios.

What the marketplace migration includes

Products (migrate with k-sync)

Product catalogs from WooCommerce can be migrated to Shopify. For marketplaces:

Each vendor's products can be imported as a separate k-sync project
Vendor name can be preserved as the product "Vendor" field in Shopify
Categories and tags migrate normally
The product-to-vendor assignment needs to be maintained in your marketplace app configuration

Vendor accounts (manual migration)

Vendor accounts in Dokan/WC Vendors are stored as WordPress users with special roles. These need to be recreated manually:

Export vendors from WooCommerce: Dokan → Vendors → Export (CSV with vendor name, email, commission rate, payment details)
In your chosen Shopify marketplace app, create vendor accounts using the exported data
Invite vendors to their new dashboard (vendors need to set new passwords)
Assign products to correct vendor in the marketplace app

Commission structures (manual recreation)

Commission rates per vendor, per category, or global defaults need to be recreated in your Shopify marketplace app. Export your commission configuration before migration.

Vendor payouts and earnings history

Outstanding vendor earnings (unpaid commissions) need to be handled before migration:

Pay out all pending vendor earnings before cutover where possible
Keep historical payout records in your WooCommerce export (vendors may query past earnings)
Your Shopify marketplace app will start fresh earnings tracking from day 1

Migrating Dokan specifically

Exporting vendor data from Dokan

Dokan → Vendors → Export to get vendor list with details
Dokan → Earnings → Export for earnings history per vendor
For each vendor, note their custom store URL (Dokan creates store pages at /store/vendor-name/)

Exporting products with vendor assignment

WooCommerce products in Dokan have a "vendor" meta field. When you export products from WooCommerce REST API (or via k-sync), the vendor assignment is in the product's meta data. You can use this to:

Import all products to Shopify and tag them with vendor name
Use tags or the built-in Shopify "vendor" product field to preserve ownership
In your marketplace app, use vendor tags to batch-assign products to the correct vendor

When Shopify isn't the right platform for your marketplace

Shopify works for marketplaces with these characteristics:

Moderate vendor count (under 50 active vendors)
Standard product types (physical goods)
Operators who want a Shopify frontend with marketplace functionality bolted on

Consider a purpose-built marketplace platform if:

Sharetribe: Peer-to-peer marketplaces (services, rentals, gigs). Purpose-built for two-sided marketplaces.
CS-Cart Multi-Vendor: Self-hosted marketplace with vendor dashboards, closest to a Dokan equivalent as a standalone platform
Marketplacer: Enterprise marketplace platform, used by major retailers
Mirakl: Enterprise, large vendor counts, sophisticated rules

Vendor communication during migration

Unlike regular customer migration, vendor migration affects your business partners who supply your inventory. Communication is critical:

Announce the migration early: Give vendors 4–6 weeks notice
Explain what changes: New dashboard, new login, same commission structure
Set expectations on product listings: Vendor products may need to be re-approved
Payout transition: Clarify the cutover date for earnings tracking
Provide documentation: How to use their new vendor dashboard
Migration support window: Offer a period where you help vendors transition

Marketplace migration checklist

Decide Shopify marketplace architecture (single store + app vs separate stores per vendor)
Choose Shopify marketplace app (Shipturtle, MultiVendor Marketplace by Webkul)
Export vendor list from WooCommerce with commission rates and payment details
Export all vendor earnings and pay out outstanding balances before cutover
Export product catalog — per vendor (can use k-sync with separate projects)
Create vendor accounts in Shopify marketplace app
Import products with vendor attribution (use Shopify "vendor" field + tags)
Recreate commission structures in marketplace app
Assign products to vendors in marketplace app
Set up payout method (Stripe Connect, manual payout)
Invite vendors to their new dashboards — they'll need to set new passwords
Test: vendor login → product management → test order → commission calculation → payout
Communication plan: notify vendors of timeline, new dashboard, and any changes

Marketplace migrations are among the most involved WooCommerce migrations because they affect vendor relationships, not just your own store. The technical migration is only half the work — the operational and communication side takes equal effort.

Migrating a WooCommerce marketplace to Shopify (2026)