WooCommerce is the most popular and widely used WordPress eCommerce plugin out there. However, it is not without its flaws and might not been to best solution for you.
Also even though the core WooCommerce plugin is free, once you start buying the often necessary extensions to make a fully functional ecommerce website WooCommerce can start getting pretty expensive to use.
Hiding in the background however are many impressive WordPress eCommerce alternatives. So why not consider one of them?
In this article we will look at 8 WordPress eCommerce plugins and solutions. We will discuss their features, what they offer and how they can benefit your store. Most importantly, this post can help you make a decision on which WooCommerce alternative best suits your needs.
Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads is a free WordPress eCommerce plugin that has been created to let you sell digital downloads from your website. With unlimited downloads and a full shopping cart service, this plugin provides a good all round user experience.
The analytics provided by Easy Digital Downloads are definitely worth a mention. You can track earnings, filter reports for specific products and even view specific customer’s lifetime value and activity. This will help you not only understand your business, but also the actions of your customers. Other features include customer management, discount codes and numerous add ons that can be purchased separately.
Shopify
Unbeknown to many, Shopify is a great way to turn your WordPress website into an online store. For $9 a month the Shopify Buy Button creates a standalone mini storefront on your website. This is fully customizable, so you can select appropriate colors to match your brand. You can sell unlimited products, just add the Buy Button and you are ready to go.
When a product is purchased, your WordPress online store connects directly with Shopify’s shopping cart platform. This means that your customers can add their card details, feeling confident with a safe and secure Shopify checkout experience. Shopify also helps you track sales and growth trends, giving you an in-depth understanding of your business and customers.
WP eCommerce
WP eCommerce is another free WordPress plugin that enables you to sell products online quickly and easily. Whether you sell subscriptions to online courses and membership sites, digital downloads or physical items, WP eCommerce is there to help.
The plugin is very easy to customize and integrates with many different payment gateways. It has built in marketing, management and shipping tools. So products should be sold and sent to customers as part of a fast and effective service. You can also purchase additional modules to extend your eCommerce store.
Jigoshop
Jigoshop will help turn your WordPress website into a professional and dynamic online store. This free WordPress eCommerce plugin is fast and relatively straightforward to set up. It offers an extensive number of shop settings. Choose from the currency you want to use to selecting payment and shipping gateways.
Jigoshop is compatible with selling a variety of products. You can sell downloadable or virtual products, variable and grouped physical products, as well as affiliate products. It also includes various reporting features. This enables you to understand how your online shop is performing.
iThemes Exchange
iThemes Exchange is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to sell digital and physical products online. It has a simple, intuitive interface that enables you to quickly and easily list and display products. Customers can add products to their shopping cart and make purchases using PayPal or Stripe. You can also buy an add on to create a membership site.
The Exchange Pro Pack is another option available from iThemes. This lets you access numerous add ons, including custom URL tracking, advanced tax reporting and the ability to send invoices. These extensive features offered in the premium package make it a good choice if you are looking to start a successful eCommerce business.
MarketPress
MarketPress from WPMU DEV creates an elegant shopping experience for your buyers. It is easy to customize, allowing you to create the storefront of your dreams. It includes powerful widgets and solid shortcodes which helps produce an online shop that can sell either real objects or digital downloads.
Many of the impressive features in this plugin will help make your store stand out from the crowd. MarketPress supports all main payment gateways and major currencies. It also offers multiple shipping options. As well as this it provides unlimited product variations, coupons and discounts. Most importantly, it looks great with any WordPress theme. If you are serious about your eCommerce online store then MarketPress maybe the plugin for you.
Cart66
Cart66 is a premium WordPress eCommerce solution. Quick to set up, you can create an online store in just a few easy steps. This plugin offers extensive features, making it the whole package for store owners and users alike.
Cart66 allows you to sell anything you want, from digital and physical products, to memberships and subscriptions. The plugin offers live shipping, recurring billing and timed follow up emails. It can create a membership site, storing customer history and order details. It will also accept one time and recurring donations.
Cart66 offers a 14 day free trial so you can test out their services and see if this is the plugin for you.
Shopp
Shopp is a professional high performance WordPress eCommerce plugin. This free tool runs thousands of online storefronts and will support you through every stage of the selling process. It promotes sales, adds new products, updates inventory and ships orders. Everything you need from an eCommerce plugin.
Shopp is built for developers, so you can make a custom store to match your brand image. However, it also comes with starter templates, email templates and a style sheet to get you off on the right foot. If you want a flexible plugin that lets you create the perfect store for your business, the check out Shopp.
Final Thoughts
All of the plugins and solutions mentioned in this article are good options for creating, running and supporting an online shop. Think carefully about your stores needs, then select a plugin accordingly.
What WordPress eCommerce plugin would you recommend? Please share your thoughts in the comments below…
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This is the article that many have been hoping for – an alternative to WooCommerce. I don’t know how they did it, but, the vast majority of eCommerce theme builders have taken the time to support and/or make their themes Woo compatible, meaning that without Woo activated, another shopping cart isn’t going to work. Then, there’s always the Ajax plugins that Woo “strongly recommends.” Before long, your website is plugin heavy, and a server buster! Thank you for sharing.