WordPress is a powerful and versatile platform that can help you create and manage your own online store. However, to turn your WordPress site into a fully functional ecommerce store, you need to install a plugin that provides you with the features and tools you need to sell your products or services online.

There are many WordPress ecommerce plugins available, but which one is the best for your needs? In this guide, we will compare and review the top 5 WordPress ecommerce plugins based on their popularity, features, ease of use, pricing, and user ratings. We will also provide you with a comparison table that summarizes the main differences between them.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the most popular and widely used WordPress ecommerce plugin, with over 20% of WordPress websites using it. It is also the most feature-rich and flexible plugin, as it allows you to sell any type of product, whether physical, digital, or membership-based. You can also extend the functionality of WooCommerce with hundreds of free and premium extensions that add features such as payment gateways, shipping methods, product variations, coupons, analytics, and more.

WooCommerce is free to use, but some extensions may require a yearly subscription fee. WooCommerce also integrates well with many WordPress themes, especially the Storefront theme that was created by the WooCommerce developers. WooCommerce has a 4.6 out of 5 stars rating based on over 3,000 user reviews on WordPress.org.

Pros

  • Free and open-source
  • Supports any type of product
  • Highly customizable and extendable
  • Large community and documentation
  • Compatible with many WordPress themes

Cons

  • May require some technical skills to set up and manage
  • Some extensions can be expensive
  • May affect site performance if not optimized

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is a WordPress ecommerce plugin that specializes in selling digital products, such as ebooks, software, music, videos, etc. It is designed to be simple and easy to use, with a minimal and intuitive interface. EDD provides you with the essential features to sell digital products online, such as product management, payment gateways, customer management, file delivery, discount codes, reports, and more.

EDD is also free to use, but it offers many premium extensions that add more features and integrations. Some of these extensions include software licensing, recurring payments, email marketing, reviews, social media integration, etc. EDD has a 4.7 out of 5 stars rating based on over 300 user reviews on WordPress.org.

Pros

  • Free and lightweight
  • Ideal for selling digital products
  • Simple and user-friendly
  • Supports multiple payment gateways
  • Offers many premium extensions

Cons

  • Limited functionality for physical products
  • Some extensions can be pricey
  • May require some coding skills to customize

Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart

Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart is a WordPress ecommerce plugin that allows you to create an online store that syncs with multiple platforms and channels. With Ecwid, you can sell your products not only on your WordPress site but also on Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping, and more. Ecwid also provides you with a mobile app that lets you manage your store from anywhere.

Ecwid is easy to set up and use, as it does not require any coding or hosting. It also offers a free plan that lets you sell up to 10 products online. However, if you want to access more features and sell more products, you need to upgrade to one of the paid plans that start from $15 per month. Ecwid has a 4.6 out of 5 stars rating based on over 200 user reviews on WordPress.org.

Pros

  • Easy to set up and use
  • Syncs with multiple platforms and channels
  • Offers a free plan
  • Provides a mobile app
  • Does not affect site performance

Cons

  • Requires a monthly fee for more features and products
  • May not be compatible with some WordPress themes
  • May have limited customization options

WP EasyCart Shopping Cart and eCommerce Store

WP EasyCart Shopping Cart and eCommerce Store is a WordPress ecommerce plugin that aims to provide a complete solution for your online store. It supports both physical and digital products as well as subscriptions and donations. It also offers features such as product variations, inventory management, order management, customer management, taxes, shipping, coupons, email marketing, social media integration, and more.

WP EasyCart has a free version that lets you sell up to 10 products online. However, if you want to access more features and sell unlimited products, you need to upgrade to the premium version that costs $69 per year or $99 for lifetime access. WP EasyCart has a 4.4 out of 5 stars rating based on over 100 user reviews on WordPress.org.

Pros

  • Supports both physical and digital products as well as subscriptions and donations
  • Offers a complete solution for your online store
  • Provides a free version
  • Has a reasonable pricing for the premium version
  • Integrates with many payment gateways and services

Cons

  • May have a steep learning curve
  • May require some coding skills to customize
  • May conflict with some WordPress themes and plugins

BigCommerce WordPress Plugin

BigCommerce WordPress Plugin is a WordPress ecommerce plugin that integrates your WordPress site with the BigCommerce platform. BigCommerce is a powerful and scalable ecommerce platform that provides you with everything you need to run and grow your online store. With the BigCommerce WordPress Plugin, you can use the BigCommerce platform to manage your products, orders, customers, payments, shipping, taxes, etc., while using WordPress to manage your content, design, and SEO.

The BigCommerce WordPress Plugin is free to install, but you need to have a BigCommerce account to use it. BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial, after which you need to choose one of the paid plans that start from $29.95 per month. The BigCommerce WordPress Plugin has a 3.8 out of 5 stars rating based on over 20 user reviews on WordPress.org.

Pros

  • Integrates your WordPress site with the BigCommerce platform
  • Provides a powerful and scalable ecommerce solution
  • Offers a 15-day free trial
  • Does not affect site performance
  • Supports headless commerce

Cons

  • Requires a monthly fee for the BigCommerce platform
  • May have limited customization options
  • May have compatibility issues with some WordPress themes and plugins

Comparison Table

To help you compare the top 5 WordPress ecommerce plugins at a glance, we have created a comparison table that summarizes their main features, pricing, and user ratings.

Plugin Features Pricing User Rating
WooCommerce Supports any type of product, highly customizable and extendable, large community and documentation, compatible with many WordPress themes Free (some extensions may require a yearly subscription fee) 4.6/5
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) Ideal for selling digital products, simple and user-friendly, supports multiple payment gateways, offers many premium extensions Free (some extensions may require a yearly subscription fee) 4.7/5
Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart Syncs with multiple platforms and channels, offers a free plan, provides a mobile app, does not affect site performance Free for up to 10 products online (paid plans start from $15 per month) 4.6/5
WP EasyCart Shopping Cart and eCommerce Store Supports both physical and digital products as well as subscriptions and donations, offers a complete solution for your online store, provides a free version, integrates with many payment gateways and services Free for up to 10 products online (premium version costs $69 per year or $99 for lifetime access) 4.4/5
BigCommerce WordPress Plugin Integrates your WordPress site with the BigCommerce platform, provides a powerful and scalable ecommerce solution, offers a 15-day free trial, does not affect site performance, supports headless commerce Free to install (BigCommerce platform requires a monthly fee starting from $29.95 per month) 3.8/5

Conclusion

Choosing the best WordPress ecommerce plugin for your online store depends on various factors such as your budget, your product type, your desired features, your technical skills, and your personal preference. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for every online store owner.

However, based on our comparison and review, we recommend WooCommerce as the best overall WordPress ecommerce plugin, as it is the most popular, feature-rich, flexible, and customizable plugin that can suit any kind of online store.

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