Having a trustworthy and feature-rich eCommerce platform is essential for success in the quickly evolving world of online business, and you need to know which Ecommerce Plugins to pick. With a huge variety of plugins, WordPress provides several options for creating and maintaining an eCommerce website. Six of the top WordPress eCommerce plugins that are currently on the market in 2023 will be compared and contrasted in this article. To assist you in making an informed choice for your online store, we’ll take a step-by-step approach, highlighting the key attributes, benefits, and disadvantages of each plugin.
- WooCommerce
- Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)
- BigCommerce
- MemberPress
- Ecwid
- Shopify
Easy Digital Downloads Ecommerce Plugin
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is a strong Ecommerce Plugin if you sell primarily digital goods like eBooks, software, or downloads. It is a popular choice for many online business owners due to its lightweight design and dedication to digital products.
Here are the steps to set up EDD:
Step 1: Log in to your WordPress dashboard to install the Ecommerce Plugin
Step 2: Navigate to “Plugins” and click on “Add New.”
Step 3: Search for “Easy Digital Downloads” and click on “Install Now.”
Step 4: Once installed, click on “Activate” to enable the plugin.
For digital products, EDD Ecommerce Plugin offers features like file access control, customer management, coupon codes, and payment gateways. It enables you to manage licenses and track sales while selling and delivering digital goods to your customers. In order to increase its functionality, EDD Ecommerce Plugin also provides a number of add-ons, including recurring payments, software licensing, and content restriction.
Pros of Easy Digital Downloads
- User-friendly interface designed especially for digital goods.
- Lightweight and speed-enhancing.
- Capabilities for complete reporting and tracking.
- Extensive documentation and hooks, and friendly to developers.
- Excellent assistance with subscriptions and software license sales.
Cons Easy Digital Downloads
- Limited features for sales of physical goods.
- Fewer extensions and themes than WooCommerce.
- Some types of customization may need to be coded.
Start selling your digital goods right away with Easy Digital Downloads Ecommerce Plugin!
WooCommerce Ecommerce Plugin
The most widely used WordPress ecommerce plugin, WooCommerce powers millions of online stores across the globe. It offers a user-friendly interface, a wide range of functionality, and flexibility.
Here is a step-by-step tutorial for installing WooCommerce:
Step 1: Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
Step 2: Navigate to “Plugins” and click on “Add New.”
Step 3: Search for “WooCommerce” and click on “Install Now.”
Step 4: Once installed, click on “Activate” to enable the plugin.
WooCommerce provides a variety of extensions, editable themes, and first-rate documentation to make it easy for you to set up and run your online store. You can easily create product listings, manage inventory, set up shipping preferences, and integrate well-known payment gateways with WooCommerce. Additionally, it offers thorough reporting and analytics to monitor the performance of your store. Additionally, WooCommerce provides several extensions to improve the functionality of your store, including the ability to add subscriptions, reservation systems, and memberships.
Pros of WooCommerce
- Strong ecommerce platform that has many features.
- There are many different extensions and themes available.
- Smooth WordPress integration.
- Large and supportive community.
- Tutorials and full documentation.
Cons of WooCommerce
- For newcomers, there are so many choices that it can be overwhelming.
- Certain sophisticated features demand premium extensions.
- Technical know-how might be needed for high customization.
MemberPress Ecommerce Plugin
MemberPress is a great option if you want to build a membership-based eCommerce website. You are able to sell subscriptions, digital downloads, online courses, and the ability to impose membership-based content restrictions.
Here are the steps to set up MemberPress:
Step 1: Install and activate the MemberPress plugin.
Step 2: Configure basic settings such as membership levels, pricing, and access rules.
Step 3: Create membership pages and customize their appearance.
Step 4: Set up payment gateways to process subscriptions.
Step 5: Manage members, subscriptions, and content restrictions through the MemberPress dashboard.
MemberPress provides complete membership management, content drip-feeding, adaptable pricing structures, and integration with well-known payment gateways. It gives you the ability to create and manage various membership tiers, manage content access, and provide exclusive benefits to your members.
With MemberPress, you can easily manage member accounts, offer discounts, and set up recurring subscriptions. A variety of features are offered to improve the membership experience, including customized dashboards, drip content schedules, and email notifications. In order to interact with your members successfully, MemberPress also integrates with well-known email marketing services.
Pros of MemberPress
- Functionalities and features for membership sites.
- Options for flexible content access control and drip content.
- Easy WordPress integration.
- Integrated payment gateways and assistance with third-party integrations.
- Large amounts of support and documentation.
Cons of MemberPress
- Yearly Pricing
- Few Payment Options (Only PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net are supported by MemberPress)
BigCommerce Ecommerce Plugin
BigCommerce is a well-known eCommerce Plugin that works with WordPress in a manner similar to Shopify. It is appropriate for both small businesses and enterprise-level stores due to its broad feature set and scalability. It can manage lots of transactions and traffic without affecting performance. The platform also provides third-party app integrations, enhancing the functionality of your store.
Here are the steps to set up BigCommerce:
Step 1: Sign up for a BigCommerce account and create your store.
Step 2: Install the official BigCommerce plugin from the WordPress plugin repository.
Step 3: Connect your BigCommerce store by following the setup instructions provided.
BigCommerce has features like multi-channel selling, advanced SEO capabilities, customizable themes, and a safe checkout procedure. You can easily track and manage your products with its effective inventory management system, take care of shipping and fulfillment, and manage complex pricing and discounts.
BigCommerce offers a variety of expert-looking themes from which to choose, enabling you to build an online store that is visually appealing. Additionally, it integrates with a number of well-known payment gateways, making it simple for customers to make secure purchases. BigCommerce’s built-in analytics and marketing tools assist you in optimizing your store for search engines and monitoring sales results.
Pros of BigCommerce
- Scalability and a wide range of ecommerce features.
- Advanced SEO and marketing tools.
- Capabilities for integrated multi-channel selling.
- Reliable and safe hosting.
- 24-hour customer service.
Cons of BigCommerce
- Limited control over the checkout procedure.
- Compared to other plugins, customization options are more limited.
Shopify Ecommerce Plugin
Shopify is a well-known standalone ecommerce platform that integrates with WordPress without being a WordPress-specific plugin. It offers a full range of features and a simple setup procedure.
Here are the steps to set up Shopify:
Step 1: Sign up for a Shopify account.
Step 2: Install and activate the Shopify Buy Button plugin on your WordPress site.
Step 3: Connect your Shopify store to WordPress using API credentials.
Step 4: Customize the appearance of your Shopify-powered store.
Step 5: Manage products, inventory, and orders through the Shopify dashboard.
Shopify provides a simple user interface, effective inventory management, safe payment methods, and a large theme and extension library. You can use Shopify’s robust eCommerce features while utilizing WordPress’s content management features by integrating Shopify with WordPress. With this setup, you can manage orders, design beautiful product pages, and access Shopify’s robust app ecosystem for extra functionality.
Pros of Shopify
- Strong and convenient e-commerce solution.
- Extensive app store with a variety of integrations and plugins.
- Advanced order tracking and inventory management.
- Processing payments in a safe and reliable manner.
- 24/7 devoted customer service.
Cons of Shopify
- Limited control over the checkout procedure.
- Compared to other plugins, customization options are more limited.
- Scaling and extra features will cost more.
Start selling your goods right away with Shopify!
Ecwid Ecommerce Plugin
Ecwid is a flexible ecommerce plugin that lets you sell goods on a variety of platforms, including WordPress. It offers easy installation and great integration possibilities.
Here are the steps to set up Ecwid:
Step 1: Sign up for an Ecwid account.
Step 2: Install and activate the Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart plugin.
Step 3: Connect your Ecwid store to WordPress using API credentials.
Step 4: Customize the appearance of your Ecwid-powered store.
Step 5: Manage products, inventory, and orders through the Ecwid dashboard.
Ecwid provides extra tools, social media integrations, cart recovery for abandoned items, and integration with email marketing services to improve the functionality of your store. You can optimize your store and increase sales by using these features.
Ecwid’s flexibility is one of its notable benefits. It enables you to sell goods not only on your WordPress website but also on other social media sites and online markets like Facebook and Instagram. You can maximize your sales potential and reach a larger audience thanks to this multi-channel selling capability.
Pros of Ecwid
- Simple platform integration, including WordPress.
- Mobile-friendly and responsive design.
- Numerous payment options.
- Support for multiple languages and currencies.
- User-friendly for beginners with an easy setup procedure.
Cons of Ecwid
- Large businesses might have few options for scaling.
Start selling your goods right away with Ecwid Ecommerce Plugin!
Summary
For your WordPress website to function as an online store, selecting the appropriate ecommerce plugin is crucial. Even though WooCommerce continues to be the market leader, other plugins like Easy Digital Downloads, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Ecwid provide distinctive features and integrations to meet a variety of business requirements. By carefully following the provided step-by-step instructions and weighing the pros and cons, you can make a wise decision and confidently start your ecommerce journey. When choosing the best plugin for your WordPress ecommerce site, keep in mind to take into account elements like product type, customization needs, scalability, and ongoing support.