WordPress is a platform that allows creators and entrepreneurs from all over the world to build their own websites and publish their own blogs.
If you love WordPress for creating content andbuilding communitybut want to make the leap to commerce, you won’t have to leave your preferred platform behind—there are many turn-key ecommerce plug-ins for WordPress available today. Here are a few popular, trusted options for turning your existing WordPress site into a checkout-ready storefront.
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What you need for WordPress ecommerce plug-ins
You can’t add a WordPress ecommerce plug-in to any old website. It must be a website built on the WordPress platform. Beyond that, you’ll want to ensure your site is secure and updated to the latest version of WordPress.
You’ll also want to know what products you’re selling. Some plug-ins only work for digital or physical products, while others can accommodate both. Some are also built only for recurring payments, like subscription-based companies. So you’ll also want to know if you need recurring payments or not.
And finally, it’s important to understand where you’re selling. Some plug-ins can handle all kinds of sales, regardless of whether it’s domestic orinternational. But others will only work for domestic sales.
What to look for in WordPress ecommerce plug-ins
When comparing WordPress ecommerce plug-ins, consider the following:
- Site speed impact.How fast your website loadshas an impact on your search rankings and user experience. Slow-loading websites often get dinged by search engines—not to mention create a frustrating customer experience. Adding plug-ins to your store means adding more data to load—which also means it’ll take more time. Ensure the plug-in of your choice won’t make a significant impact.
- Reviews. It’s always a good idea to read customer reviews to find out how real-world users enjoy using the plug-ins themselves. You can learn things here that you wouldn’t from the plug-in’s website.
- Customer support. If you’re not tech-savvy, you might need some help installing or using the plug-in. If this is important to you, look for options with implementation assistance as well as accessible—and free—customer support.
- Price. Budget is always a concern for every business decision. And while it’s not necessarily about finding the cheapest option, you do want to ensure your investment is worth it.
7 best WordPress ecommerce plug-ins
1.Shopify Buy Button
- Price:$5/month, included in all Shopify subscription plans
- Free trial length:3 days
- Mobile app features:Track sales, add and edit products, view reports, manage staff, process orders, upload product photos, get order notifications
- Point of sale (POS):Shopify, Amazon Pay, Authorize.net, PayPal, Braintree, BitPay, Checkout.com, and more
With the Shopify Buy Button, you can add ecommerce to your WordPress site in minutes. Shopify gives you a code to put on your website wherever you want the Buy Button to appear. It’s a straightforward way to monetize your pre-existing WordPress blog or website.
With the Shopify Buy Button, all you have to do to start selling is copy and paste the code to your WordPress site. You can even customize the look and feel to match what you’ve already built.
Rather than creating a whole new Shopify store from scratch, the Buy Button creates a mini-site, independent but co-existent to your WordPress site. On the front end, it appears on your WordPress site, but it’s actually connected to your secure Shopify platform in the back end—so you get to take advantage of Shopify’s other ecommerce features.
Additional advantages of the Shopify Buy Button include the ability to add unlimited products, integrate more than 100 compatiblepayment gateways, track sales and growth trends, and simplify foreign taxes and currency conversion.
Turning your WordPress site into an online storefront is as simple as generating a code with just a few clicks. Simply drop the Buy Button into place and choose the product you’d like to feature. The Shopify Buy Button creates a standalone mini-storefront on your WordPress website and connects directly with Shopify’s secure shopping cart platform. All you need is a product to sell and you’re ready to launch.
Create your own Buy Button with Shopify.
2. WooCommerce
- Price:Free
- Free trial length:n/a
- Mobile app features:Add products, receive real-time notifications, manage orders, track statistics, manage multiple stores
- Integrations:WooCommerce Payments, Stripe, PayPal, Square, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Google Shopping, Walmart, Etsy, eBay, Wish, Reverb, Lazada, Bonanza, HubSpot, Facebook, Mailchimp, Google Ads
WooCommerce is a popular ecommerce plug-in for WordPress built by Automattic. WooCommerce was developed specifically to fill WordPress’s ecommerce gap. You can customize WooCommerce’s look and feel to match your branding, as well as leverage its many integrations.
With WooCommerce, you can sell both physical and digital products and tap into more than 100 compatible payment gateways. You can also create product variants, sell affiliate items, and configure sales tax and shipping settings. Note that WooCommerce requires regular maintenance and updates.
Read ourShopify vs WooCommercecomparison to see a detailed breakdown, and check out theseWooCommerce alternativesas part of your research.
3. Easy Digital Downloads
- Price:$99.50/year to $499.50/year (free version available)
- Free trial length:None, but you may request a refund within 14 days of purchasing
- Mobile app features:iOS only, sales statistics, earnings tracker, individual sale information, customer database, andrecurring payments
- Integrations:Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Braintree, Authorize.net, 2Checkout, SOFORT Banking, BitPay, Coinbase, Mailchimp
Easy Digital Downloads is a WordPress plug-in forselling digital products. You can customize a shopping cart and accompanying Buy button to embed on your WordPress site.
This plug-in has the ability to use discount codes and create customer profiles. You can also track your sales with its analytics reporting.
Easy Digital Downloads doesn’t have an unlimited number of SKUs, advancedsearch engine optimization (SEO)tools, or features for physical products.
Learn more:With Shopify's Digital Downloads app, you can upload digital files like videos, songs, and graphic designs as products on your store.
4. BigCommerce for WordPress
- Price:$29.95/month to $299.95/month
- Free trial length:15 days
- Mobile app features:Check store analytics, manage product catalog, manage orders, issue refunds, and print invoices
- Integrations:Square, PayPal, ConnectPOS, Epos Now, Hike POS, Vend, Heartland retail, Google Shopping, Mercado, Wish, Facebook, Sellbrite, Walmart
BigCommerceis a standaloneecommerce platformthat also has a WordPress plug-in. It has a lot of the same standard features as many other plug-ins on this list, including POS integrations, multichannel capabilities, analytics reporting, and SEO tools.
BigCommerce offers up to 600 SKUs, multichannel selling, sales in more than 100 countries, and over 250 currencies. It’s also PCI compliant.
5. MemberPress
- Price:$1179.50/year to $399.50/year
- Free trial length:14-day money-back guarantee
- Mobile app features:n/a
- Integrations:Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, open API, Active Campaign, ChatGPT, EasyAffiliate
MemberPress is designed specifically to accommodate recurring payments on the WordPress platform. The plug-in allows forsubscriptions, memberships, and other recurring-payment business models.
With MemberPress, you can view and manage paying members, share individual landing pages and assets, and create coupon codes. You can also build a community forum to engage with your community of subscribers.
It doesn’t have dedicated features for selling physical products or processing one-time transactions.
6. Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart
- Price:Free version available to $82.50/month
- Free trial length:Free plan available
- Mobile app features:Scan products,track inventory, manage sales, accept payments
- Integrations:Square, Clover, Vend, Alice, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping, FreshBooks, CapsuleCRM
The Ecwid WordPress plug-in is another option that works via embed HTML. You can also use it in social media and other online platforms—Ecwid has features formultichannel selling.
The ecommerce tool includes unlimited storage, regular backups, and upgrades and security updates. It also syncs inventory data across platforms and channels, as well as automates sales tax reporting and filing for US-based merchants. You can choose from one of 40 compatible payment processing tools.
7. WP EasyCart
- Price:$69/year and $89/year (free plans available, with a 2% processing fee)
- Free trial length:14 days
- Mobile app features:Order notifications
- Integrations: Square, Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay
WP EasyCart is a shopping cart plug-in made specifically for the WordPress platform. There are features suited for selling both physical and digital products.
Features include the ability to sell gift cards, set up recurring payments for subscriptions, send invoices, and collect donations. It’s also PCI compliant.
The best online store builder doesn’t need an ecommerce plug-in
When you use a platform like Shopify, you don’t need to bother with a plug-in to make your first sale. You have all the tools you need right from the start. Then, as your business grows, choose from thousands of integrations and plug-ins in theShopify AppStore to turn your online store into a full-blown ecommerce empire.
Illustration by Eugenia Mello