Are you on the lookout for the best e-commerce plugin for your WordPress website?

Picking the right platform to start your online store is crucial because it offers more possibilities for expansion. There is a wide range of options to choose from, and your choice should reflect your requirements. WordPress is generally favored over other platforms for its versatility, with over 40% of all websites powered by WordPress. It is also equipped with powerful plugins that will help you convert your WordPress website into an eCommerce site and establish a fully functional digital shop effortlessly.

How to choose a WordPress e-commerce plugin?

Like we mentioned previously, you will need to choose a plugin based on your requirements. Here are some of the factors that should be taken into consideration.

• The type of product you intend to sell
• Level of technical expertise
• Plugin costs
• Support base, user reviews and regular updates
• Integration with third-party applications
• Payment and shipping options
• Customisation and design options

Before we select a plugin, we need to do the following – 

• Choose a website hosting provider that will host your website.
• Get SSL certification, and 
• Choose a domain name.

Let’s now look at the eCommerce plugin competitors that are vying for your attention.

The Top WordPress Plugins for Setting up an eCommerce Store

1. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the platform that powers more than 28% of all e-commerce websites, and for a good reason. Since it is owned by Automattic (aka the creators of WordPress), you can be sure of the fact that you will get regular updates and support for your e-store.

Features:-

• Open-source, free and flexible digital platform.
• Can handle both physical and digital sales.
• Set up your store within minutes.
• Supports a wide range of payment and shipping options.
•  Integrated with major third-party apps such as MailChimp, Google Ads, Facebook etc.

2. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an open SaaS platform with a plugin that seamlessly integrates with the WordPress ecosystem, BigCommerce allows you to expand your business on a much larger scale than what was possible for WooCommerce.

Features:-

• The plugin comes with many advanced features, such as complex catalogue creation, currency handling, taxation and shipping support, etc.
• The plugin handles the resource-heavy commerce part, which leaves WordPress to focus on managing content. This demarcation ensures that speed is not affected.
• Handles PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance by taking control of the checkout.
• Provides more than 65 payment gateway options.
• Allows you to sell across multiple marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, etc.

  3. Easy Digital Downloads

If you only plan on selling digital products such as software, documents, photographs, ebooks, audio files, graphics, videos, or any other type of media file, Easy Digital Downloads is the plugin for you. This is a free plugin whose functionalities can be improved with the purchase of any one of the Passes available, or by acquiring extensions.

Features:-

• Buy digital products directly from the product page (using the “Buy Now” button), or purchase multiple items from the shopping cart.
• Multiple payment options including Stripe, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
• Manage customers’ purchase history as well as keep track of important metrics with the help of reports.
• EDD prevents unapproved access to your files.
• Easily create discount codes to drive up sales.

4. WP EasyCart Shopping Cart and eCommerce Store

WP EasyCart has been gaining a lot of traction recently because many small business owners have turned to this plugin for setting up their stores. This can be attributed to the fact that the other plugins that we have mentioned previously need certain knowledge to leverage their power, and small businesses don’t have the luxury of learning these skills. 

Features:-

• Supports a broad range of products – physical, digital, subscriptions, etc.
• Create a store that is compatible with all devices.
• Multiple payment options such as PayPal Express, Square, and Stripe.
• SCA and GDPR compliance.
• The premium version is jam-packed with advanced add-ons that won’t put a dent in your pockets.

We hope that this post has helped you find the best WordPress eCommerce plugin for your business needs. If you have any questions or want to share something, please drop us a comment below.