7 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plug-ins in 2024

WordPress is a platform that allows creators and entrepreneurs from all over the world to build their own websites and publish their own blogs.

IIf you love WordPress for creating content and building community but 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.

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

The Shopify Buy Button is a popular WordPress ecommerce plug-in. With it, 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. It appears as a part of your WordPress site on the front end, 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 compatible payment 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 an 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 this Shopify vs. WooCommerce comparison to see a detailed breakdown, and check out these WooCommerce alternatives as part of your research.

3. Easy Digital Downloads

Price: Free to $99.50/year and $499.50/year
Free trial length: None, but you may request a refund within 14 days of purchasing
Mobile app features: Sales statistics, earnings tracker, individual sale information, customer database, recurring 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 for selling 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, advanced search engine optimization (SEO) tools, or features for physical products. You can, however, browse its library of add-ons to fulfill these functions.

4. BigCommerce for WordPress

Price: $39/month to $399/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

BigCommerce is a standalone ecommerce platform that also has a WordPress plug-in. It has many of the same standard features as some of the 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 the ability to sell in over 250 currencies. It’s also PCI compliant.

5. MemberPress

Price: $179.50/year to $499.50/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 for subscriptions, 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 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 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 for multichannel 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: Free (with a 2% processing fee) to $69/year and $89/year
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.

How to pick the best WordPress ecommerce plug-in

Not sure how to pick the right WordPress plug-in for your website? Follow these steps to help you find the right tool.

1. Figure out what you need

List the essential features your online store needs, such as payment gateways, shipping options, inventory management, and product variations. Understand your business model and identify specific functionalities that are critical for your operations. Some plug-ins might be able to handle more than one need.

2. Determine plug-in compatibility and integration

Ensure the ecommerce plug-in is compatible with your WordPress theme and other plug-ins you might already be using. Check for seamless integration with third-party tools and services, such as payment gateways, shipping providers, and analytics tools.

3. Schedule demos and check out free trials

Some plug-ins offer demos to help you see the platform in action. You might also be able to test out any free trials. Look for a user-friendly plug-in with an intuitive interface.

Don’t forget to find out about customer support options. You might also check out the plug-in’s website to see if it has clear documentation and support resources for troubleshooting issues on your own.

4. Download and install the plug-in

Once you’ve chosen your WordPress plug-in, you can download and install it on your website. The specific steps vary depending on the plug-in you choose.

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 or international. But others will only work for domestic sales.

What to look for in WordPress ecommerce plug-ins

When comparing the top WordPress ecommerce plug-ins, consider the following:

Site speed impact. How fast your website loads has 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 loading will 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.

The best online store builder doesn’t need an ecommerce plug-in

When you use an ecommerce 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 the Shopify App Store to turn your online store into a full-blown ecommerce empire.

Illustration by Eugenia Mello

WordPress ecommerce plug-ins FAQ

What plug-ins do I need for WordPress ecommerce?

The exact plug-ins you need for your WordPress ecommerce store will depend on the specific features and functionality you are looking to add. Some of the most popular ecommerce plug-ins include WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, WP Ecommerce, and MarketPress. Additionally, you may want to consider using a plug-in such as WPForms to create custom product pages, and a plug-in such as WPML to make your store multilingual.

What are plug-ins in ecommerce?

Plug-ins are pieces of software that extend or add functionality to an existing ecommerce website. These plug-ins can be used to add features such as payment processing, analytics, marketing tools, and customer service tools. Plug-ins can also be used to customize a website’s design, layout, and user experience.

How do I integrate ecommerce to WordPress?

The easiest way to integrate ecommerce to WordPress is to use a plug-in such as WooCommerce. WooCommerce is an open-source ecommerce plug-in designed to work seamlessly with WordPress. It’s free to download, install, and use, and provides a comprehensive suite of tools for creating and managing an online store. Additionally, there are a number of other plug-ins available that can be used to add features to your store, such as payment processing, shipping and inventory management, and more.

Is WordPress good for ecommerce?

Yes, WordPress is a good option for ecommerce. It’s an open-source platform with a wide range of plug-ins and themes that make it easy to create an online store. It also has a lot of features that make it a great choice for ecommerce, such as its search engine optimization capabilities, its ability to manage multiple payment gateways, and its support for multiple languages.