Looking for the best WordPress ecommerce plugins to boost your online store? Check out our top picks for 2024 and take your business to the next level!
When it comes to building an online store on WordPress, selecting the right eCommerce plugin is crucial for success. With numerous options available, making an informed decision can be challenging. However, conducting thorough research before deciding on a platform is essential to avoid losing money and missing out on growth opportunities.
In this informative article, we compare the top WordPress eCommerce plugins to help you make an informed choice for your business.
What is a WordPress Ecommerce Plugin?
A WordPress eCommerce plugin a software add-on that is installed on a WordPress website, providing ecommerce functionalities and features to your WordPress site. These plugins are typically designed using the PHP programming language due to its versatility and widespread use in web development.
Once installed, an eCommerce plugin seamlessly integrates with the existing website, allowing you to create product listings, manage inventory, process payments, and handle customer orders more efficiently.
With an eCommerce plugin's customization options, you can tailor your online store's appearance and functionality according to your company's brand identity and your specific requirements.
What is the Best eCommerce Plugin for WordPress?
Now that you know what to look for in an eCommerce platform and what you need to get started, here are our top picks for the best eCommerce platform for WordPress users.
Let's take a look at each one of them and compare their pros and cons.
1. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a powerful eCommerce plugin for WordPress and one of the most popular plugins that has gained tremendous popularity among online businesses worldwide. With its ease of use, flexibility, and extensive range of features, it has become the go-to choice for individuals and businesses looking to set up an online store.
Being integrated seamlessly with WordPress, WooCommerce allows users to leverage the familiar interface and functionality of the popular content management system. Its a core plugin in wordpress allowing to you to sell unlimited products. Its also one of the best plugins for eCommerce SEO that search engines understand.
What sets WooCommerce apart is its extensive library of addons and themes, offering users endless possibilities to customize their online stores. These addons enable additional functionalities such as advanced inventory management, payment gateways integration, shipping options, and more.
The availability of numerous themes allows businesses to create visually stunning and user-friendly websites tailored specifically for their brand. WooCommerce benefits from a vibrant developer community that actively contributes to its growth by creating new extensions and updates.
The WooCommerce Premium Version comes with some great features. If you are using the free WooCommerce plugin you might have some limitations, but you can find their premium plans to pick one you can afford.
2. Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is a highly convenient and efficient platform for selling digital downloads online through WordPress.
Its user-friendly interface and extensive set of features make it the ideal choice for anyone looking to create an attractive and functional digital goods store. With EDD, users can effortlessly sell software, making it the ultimate eCommerce solution for any website.
One of the standout features of Easy Digital Downloads is its seamless integration with WordPress. This means that users can take advantage of all the capabilities WordPress has to offer while simultaneously harnessing the power of EDD's specialized tools and functionalities.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, EDD offers a straightforward installation process and intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate.
3. MemberPress
MemberPress is a powerful WordPress membership plugin that offers an array of features for selling subscription-based digital products and services. One of the standout advantages of MemberPress is its extensive integration options.
It seamlessly integrates with various third-party tools and platforms, allowing users to connect their membership site with popular email marketing software, payment gateways, and content delivery networks. This makes it incredibly convenient for website owners to manage their memberships and deliver premium content to customers.
MemberPress is an exceptional WordPress membership plugin that boasts impressive integration capabilities and supports seamless integrations with WooCommerce.
4. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a popular choice for businesses looking to create an eCommerce website using WordPress. One of the main advantages of BigCommerce is its seamless integration with WordPress.
This means that you can have all the benefits of a scalable eCommerce platform while still being able to use WordPress to manage your content and run your website.
This integration allows you to have access to the vast array of plugins and themes available in the WordPress ecosystem, making it easy to customize your online store.
BigCommerce provides a powerful integration plugin for WordPress that simplifies the process of embedding products into your website. It automatically creates important pages such as sign-in, cart, account, and checkout pages for you, saving you time and effort in setting up these essential elements.
The platform also offers features like inventory management, payment gateways, and shipping options, making it a comprehensive solution for online retailers.
5. Shopify for WordPress
Shopify is a rapidly expanding eCommerce platform that offers a comprehensive solution for entrepreneurs and businesses looking to establish an online presence.
Unlike other platforms, Shopify doesn't just provide a plugin or limited services. It offers an all-in-one solution that handles everything from website creation and design to inventory management, payment processing, and marketing tools.
This makes it incredibly convenient for users as they don't have to worry about finding multiple plugins or services to meet their needs.
One of the standout features of Shopify is its hassle-free nature. Users can simply sign up for an account, choose a theme, add their products, and the platform takes care of the rest.
Everything from the technical aspects of running an online store to ensuring secure transactions are handled by Shopify, leaving entrepreneurs free to focus on growing their business rather than dealing with technicalities.
On top of this, Shopify offers a vast range of customization options so users can tailor their online stores according to their branding requirements. It comes with the ability to get some advanced features on their higher premium plans.
6. Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart
The Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart is highly regarded for its exceptional ratings and unique setup that sets it apart from other platforms like WooCommerce. While it may resemble WooCommerce in terms of appearance, Ecwid offers a distinctive advantage in that it can be utilized on any type of website.
This versatility allows users to seamlessly integrate an online store into various platforms such as Drupal, Tumblr, Facebook, WordPress, and many others. In contrast, WooCommerce functions solely as a plugin exclusively for WordPress.
Although WooCommerce is undoubtedly a reliable and popular choice within the WordPress community, its functionality is limited to this particular content management system.
The ability to utilize Ecwid on different platforms gives users the freedom to expand their online presence beyond one specific website or CMS. For organizations or individuals who already have existing websites on various platforms, using Ecwid eliminates the need to migrate or create an entirely new site just to add an online store.
Additionally, this flexibility allows businesses to reach more customers by selling products through multiple channels. Whether someone has a blog on Tumblr or operates a business page on Facebook, they can easily integrate Ecwid's shopping cart feature into these platforms and effectively sell products without limitations.
What to Look for In a WordPress Ecommerce Plugin
When searching for a WordPress eCommerce plugin for your site, it's important to carefully consider the features that are essential for your specific business needs.
First and foremost, you should determine the type of products you will be selling. If you plan on selling digital goods such as eBooks, photos, or music, then finding a plugin specifically designed for digital downloads is crucial. These plugins often include features like secure file storage and automated delivery systems.
On the other hand, if you intend to sell physical products that require shipping, it's imperative to select an eCommerce plugin that seamlessly integrates with shipping services and provides tools for inventory management and order tracking.
This will enable you to efficiently handle shipping logistics and ensure timely delivery of your customers' orders.
If your business model involves dropshipping where a third-party supplier handles order fulfillment and shipping on your behalf, then it's vital to find an eCommerce solution that supports this functionality.
Look for plugins that offer integrations with popular drop-shipping platforms or have built-in features to facilitate seamless communication between your online store and suppliers.
Therefore, before making a decision on which WordPress eCommerce plugin to use, thoroughly evaluate its features and compatibility with your specific business requirements.
When searching for powerful WordPress eCommerce plugins, it is important to consider elements beyond your store's needs. Apart from looking for a specific fit for your type of online business, here are the most important features to consider.
The Most Important Features to Consider
Impact on Site Speed
Installing a large number of plugins can have a negative impact on your website's loading speed, which in turn can affect both user experience and search engine ranking.
To address this problem, you have the option of choosing lightweight plugins or investing in a select few high-quality plugins that offer multiple functions.
If your selected plugin has a free version, it is recommended to first test it on a staging environment before installing it on a live site. Alternatively, you can choose a premium plugin that provides a free trial for testing purposes.
Reading review articles and forums can provide valuable insights into the performance of each plugin and identify any potential issues that could impact your website's speed.
Additionally, if you are using Hostinger's WordPress hosting, you will have the ability to monitor your plugins and access helpful performance tips in the hosting control panel.
Payment integrations are available.
Choosing a plugin with payment gateway integrations that are compatible with your store's needs is important for processing online transactions. Installing them separately can affect your page load time and SEO.
There are plugins that come with built-in payment processors or an in-house payment gateway, while others offer them as add-ons. It is important to research the availability of the plugin in your country and check for any transaction fees.
On top of payment integrations, look for CRM integrations available for the plugin for easy customer management.
Customization
Every online store has unique requirements, making it necessary to find WordPress plugins that can be customized to align with your business objectives.
Plugins offer access to documentation and learning materials that explain all the features and methods of customization on your website. A good number of plugins provide shortcodes and hooks to simplify the customization process.
If you have limited coding knowledge, you can choose popular plugins that have an active support forum to assist with any questions. Additionally, you could consider hiring plugin developers to help you establish eCommerce functionality on your WordPress site.
Support
One of the disadvantages of eCommerce is that downtime can result in a decrease in revenue and customers.
Plugin conflicts and issues can lead to website downtime, so getting prompt assistance is important to minimize damage to your brand.
It is important to choose a plugin with easily accessible support through multiple channels. It is recommended to select plugins that offer 24/7 support in case of a plugin conflict.
Plugins often offer premium support as part of their paid plans, which may be a valuable investment for essential plugins that are crucial for your eCommerce store's operations.
In Summary: The Best eCommerce Plugins
WordPress eCommerce plugins help run eCommerce businesses using the content management system. Choosing the right WordPress eCommerce plugin is crucial because they offer various features.
Here are the top eCommerce plugins for WordPress and their best uses:
- WooCommerce: This plugin is ideal for online stores with different types of products.
- Easy Digital Downloads: Specifically designed for selling digital goods like eBooks, online courses, and media files.
- BigCommerce for WordPress: Provides robust analytics tools and a scalable infrastructure for medium to large businesses.
- MemberPress: Highly recommended for selling exclusive content through membership subscriptions.
- Shopify: A highly regarded plugin suitable for businesses with both brick-and-mortar and online stores.
- Ecwid eCommerce Shopping Cart: A highly effective plugin for eCommerce sites looking to enhance their presence on social media platforms.
