Choosing the best ecommerce plugin for WordPress is essential if you’re ready to launch your online store and share products with the world, whether they’re T-shirts, digital downloads, or exclusive subscription content. With so many plugins available, each offering various features for managing products, payments, and orders, it can feel overwhelming to find the right one.
But don’t worry. This guide breaks down the best options for the best ecommerce plugin for WordPress, explains how they work, and will help you pick the perfect plugin to power your store and easily start selling on WordPress.
What Makes a Good eCommerce Plugin?
If you’re choosing an ecommerce plugin for WordPress, think about what features are most important to you. Here’s what to look for:
Easy to Use
The best plugin should be easy to set up and use, even if you’re starting. Some plugins come with setup wizards that guide you through the setup process step by step, making it less confusing.
Customization Options
Customization means you can make your store look and work how you want. Look for a plugin with many themes (how your website looks) and add-ons (extra features) that let you build the store you need.
Helpful Tools for Marketing and SEO
Good marketing tools help people find your store. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tools help your store appear when people search for products online. Some plugins also have tools for discount codes, gift cards, and other ways to bring in customers.
Extra Room to Grow
As your business grows, your plugin should grow with it. A good plugin can connect with tools for email marketing, inventory management (tracking products), and customer relationship management (CRM).
Fast and Secure
Your store should load quickly so people don’t have to wait. A slow store can make customers leave before they buy. It’s also important to choose a plugin that keeps customer data safe, with features like SSL certificates (which protect sensitive information like credit card numbers).
Quick Look: Comparing Popular Ecommerce Plugins
Here’s a quick comparison of WordPress’s most popular ecommerce plugins.
| Plugin | Best For | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | All kinds of online stores | Free + paid add-ons | Flexible, works for physical and digital products |
| Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) | Digital goods | Free + premium plans | Simple for selling digital files like eBooks |
| MemberPress | Membership sites | From $179.50/year | Lets you sell exclusive content and courses |
| BigCommerce | Multichannel selling | From $29/month | Allows selling on multiple platforms |
| WP EasyCart | Simple stores | Free + premium plans | Easy setup and reporting tools |
In-Depth Reviews of Each Plugin
1. WooCommerce: The Best for All Types of Stores
WooCommerce is the most popular ecommerce plugin for WordPress. It’s free to start, but you can add extra features (called add-ons) if you need more options. WooCommerce is highly flexible, meaning you can sell nearly anything.
Main Features: WooCommerce lets you list products, take payments, and manage orders. It works for both physical products (like clothes) and digital products (like eBooks).
Pros: Very customizable, works with many WordPress themes, has a big community that can help you.
Cons: Many options might seem confusing if you’re starting, and some useful add-ons cost extra.
Price: Free, with add-ons available at different prices.
WooCommerce is ideal if you want a store that can grow as your business grows. Since so many people use it, many online tutorials and guides help you learn how it works.
2. Easy Digital Downloads (EDD): Best for Selling Digital Files
If you’re planning to sell only digital products, like eBooks, music, or software, Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) might be your best choice. It’s designed specifically for digital items, so it’s simple and easy to use.
Main Features: EDD lets you sell and manage digital files with tools to help you track sales and downloads.
Pros: Easy for digital-only stores, has good reporting tools.
Cons: Not very useful if you want to sell physical items.
Price: Free for basic features; premium plans start at $89.55/year.
EDD is perfect if you’re only selling digital items. It’s straightforward and has no extra features you don’t need for digital products.
3. MemberPress: Best for Membership and Subscription Sites
If you want to sell access to exclusive content, like videos, courses, or articles, MemberPress is a great option. It lets you create membership plans where users pay to access special content.
Main Features: Membership levels, access control, reminders for members.
Pros: It lets you offer different access levels, useful for people selling courses or exclusive content.
Cons: It takes a little time to set up if you want many different membership options.
Price: Starts at $179.50/year.
MemberPress is perfect for building a community around exclusive content. You can have different membership levels so that some people can access more content than others.
4. BigCommerce: Best for Selling on Multiple Platforms
BigCommerce lets you sell products on Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram. This makes it easy to reach more customers and manage sales across different channels.
Main Features: Multi-channel selling, PCI-compliant checkout (safe payments), real-time shipping rates.
Pros: Sell on multiple sites, secure checkout, good for businesses with many products.
Cons: Limited customization and themes may cost extra.
Price: Starts at $29/month.
BigCommerce is ideal if you want to sell across multiple platforms. It lets you manage everything from one place, which is great if you want to reach a larger audience.
5. WP EasyCart: Best WooCommerce Alternative for Beginners
If you’re looking for a simple way to start selling online, WP EasyCart is a great choice. It’s like WooCommerce but designed to make setup and management easier for beginners.
Main Features: Order management, abandoned cart recovery (reminds people to finish shopping), and basic reports.
Pros: Easy to use, free version available.
Cons: Fewer features than WooCommerce, add-ons cost extra.
Price: Free with a 2% transaction fee or premium starting at $69/year.
WP EasyCart is great for small businesses or first-time store owners who want a simple setup without too many features.
Extra Tools to Help Your Store Grow
As your business grows, you might need more tools to keep track of customers, run promotions, and measure your success. Here are some helpful tools that work with these plugins:
Add-Ons and Extensions
Each plugin has different add-ons that give it extra features. For example, WooCommerce and EDD have add-ons for email marketing, inventory tracking, and payment options. These add-ons help you do more with your store as it grows.
Multi-Platform Selling
Consider selling on platforms like Facebook, Amazon, or Instagram to reach more customers. Plugins like BigCommerce make it easy to sell across multiple channels.
SEO and Analytics Tools
SEO helps people find your store. Plugins like Yoast SEO and All in One SEO can improve your search engine rankings. Analytics tools like Google Analytics and MonsterInsights let you see how many people visit your store and what they buy.
How to Keep Your Store Fast and Secure
Keep It Fast
A slow website can make customers leave. Some plugins, like EDD and WP Simple Pay, are lightweight and don’t slow down your site. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check how fast your store is.
Make Sure It’s Mobile-Friendly
More and more people shop on their phones, so your store needs to look good on small screens. Choose plugins that work well with mobile-friendly themes.
Security Tips
Security is very important when running a store. Make sure your store has SSL certificates to protect customer information. Most plugins, like WooCommerce and BigCommerce, are PCI compliant, which means they follow strict rules to keep credit card payments safe.
Real-Life Examples of Using Ecommerce Plugins
These examples show how different businesses use ecommerce plugins to succeed:
WooCommerce for a Clothing Store: A clothing store uses WooCommerce to add products, manage orders, and take payments. They also use WooCommerce’s SEO add-ons to ensure people can find their store online.
EDD for a Music Store: A digital music store uses EDD to sell songs and albums. They can add free samples for customers to listen to before buying.
MemberPress for Online Courses: A teacher uses MemberPress to sell access to online classes. Students pay for a membership and get access to exclusive video lessons and articles.
Useful Tips for Beginners
Start Small: You don’t need to add every feature right away. Start with a simple setup and add more features as your business grows.
Look for Support: Many plugins have communities, tutorials, and support options. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
Test Your Site: Before selling, check that your site works well on both desktop and mobile. Make sure it loads quickly and all payment options work smoothly.
Update Regularly: Ecommerce plugins often release updates to improve security and add new features. Keeping your plugin updated will help keep your store secure and working well.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best free ecommerce plugin for WordPress?
WooCommerce is a great free choice for all kinds of stores, including both physical and digital products.
Do ecommerce plugins make your site slow?
Some plugins can slow down your site, especially if they have many features. Lightweight options like EDD are better for simple stores.
Why is SSL important?
SSL protects customer data, making it safe to enter payment information. It’s important for any store that takes payments to have SSL.
