I tested 8 WordPress plugins to find the best one for selling digital products in 2024.
Some of the plugins were impressive, but others didn’t meet the criteria for inclusion on this list.
I gave priority to features, pricing, and the overall user experience.
According to these criteria, here are the 3 best plugins for selling digital products:
1. Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) tops the list. It is an eCommerce plugin specially designed for selling digital products.
As the name suggests, the goal is to make digital products selling easy on WordPress.
This means it only comes with features you need to sell digital products, nothing else like shipping, inventory, etc. It is like WooCommerce but only built for digital products.
It is easy to start with Easy Digital Downloads. After installing the plugin, you’ll go through a 5-step setup.
You just need to fill in your business details, connect the payment method, and create the products. That’s it.
It is free to start, and it is enough for a small digital store. But if you need more features like recurring payments, then you need to pay.
Key Features
- Supports multiple product types like bundles and services
- Built-in eCommerce pages like Cart, Checkout, Order History, etc.
- Detailed Analytics Dashboard
- Supports PayPal and Stripe
- ‘Pay What You Want’/Donation Option
- Offers variable pricing
- Customizable Discount Coupons
- Refund and Dispute Handling
Pricing
Easy Digital Downloads offers a free version with essential features. I have mentioned some of them above.
Pricing starts at $89.55 annually for one website if you need extra features.
They also have Extended Pass and All Access Pass, which offer more features and site licenses.
What I Like about Easy Digital Downloads
First of all, it is optimized for selling digital products. It doesn’t load your dashboard with unnecessary features.
The free version contains all the features of a functional digital product store.
There are lots of conditional options available to control file downloads.
It simplifies the customer experience by eliminating unnecessary checkout fields and auto-creates accounts with just an email.
Things I Didn’t Like
EDD might not be the best option if you are just starting out and require a subscription feature.
Even if you decide to pay, the cheapest plan does not include this feature, as it is only available starting from the $159.60 plan.
Buying a higher-tier plan for just a single feature is not cost-effective.
They used to offer single add-on purchases, but they no longer do. In this situation, EDD may not be the best choice.
Additionally, there are a few design options for the checkout, shop, and account pages.
2. SureCart
I would have given SureCart the number one spot, but it isn’t solely focused on digital products.
SureCart is a perfect alternative to WooCommerce, filling a gap in the WordPress eCommerce market with its modern solution.
It supports physical products, digital goods, and subscriptions. If EDD isn’t the right fit for you, SureCart is an excellent choice.
Key Features
- Customizable shopping experience
- Flexible checkout form builder
- Multiple payment options (one-time payment, subscription, and donation)
- Licensing option available for digital products
- Real-time VAT and sales tax calculations
- Secure digital file storage
- Discount Coupons
- Offers variable pricing
- In-built affiliate functionalities
- Support for multiple payment gateways, including manual gateways
- Proper email delivery without the need for external plugins
Pricing
The free version includes all the features necessary for a digital store to get started. You won’t believe that all the mentioned features are available for free.
In addition to the free tier, SureCart offers two paid plans – Grow and Scale. These plans start at $29 per month if paid monthly, or $19 per month if paid yearly.
What I Like about SureCart
I really like the design of SureCart. It’s very modern and user-friendly, making it easy to use for non-technical people.
SureCart offers many useful features for free, especially for digital stores such as subscription and licensing.
SureCart has design support with popular page builders like Elementor and Gutenberg. Also, WooCommerce themes like Astra, Avada, and Flatsome, provide many design options.
Things I Don’t Like
I don’t have any specific dislikes. If I were to nitpick, I could mention the lack of some sub-features for digital products like EDD.
But that’s not SureCart’s fault because it’s not primarily designed for digital products. SureCart is a comprehensive solution.
Whether you should use SureCart depends entirely on your needs.
3. WooCommerce
It’s obvious to have WooCommerce on the list. WooCommerce is an extremely popular eCommerce solution for WordPress.
WooCommerce offers a vast array of features, making it possible to create any type of online store. It supports physical, digital, and subscription-based products.
Since WooCommerce is developed by the parent company of WordPress, it integrates seamlessly with WordPress.
If you need a wide range of features but don’t want to spend a lot of money, WooCommerce is the solution.
Key Features
- Supports every major payment gateway
- Order and Inventory Management
- Allows customers to leave ratings and reviews
- Automates tax calculations based on location
- Different sizes, colours, and other variations
- Vast number of features for shipping
- Built-in tools for tracking sales and performance
- Compatible with translation plugins
- Expandable features with plugins
Pricing
WooCommerce is free, but there are additional costs for extensions and extra functionality when you buy WooCommerce’s official extensions.
However, there are also free plugins available for the same features. The overall cost depends on the extensions you have chosen.
What I Like about WooCommerce
WooCommerce is open-source and offers hundreds of third-party plugins to expand its features for free.
It is compatible with all e-commerce themes and page builders, making it highly customizable.
WooCommerce provides advanced features, ideal for scalability.
It is supported by a large, active community and excellent support, ensuring robust security.
Things I Don’t Like
WooCommerce is ideal for selling physical products. If you only sell digital products, you’ll find many unnecessary features on your dashboard.
You may also need to install many plugins for advanced features, which sometimes cause compatibility issues.
While WooCommerce is highly expandable, it relies on third-party plugins. It is not a complete one-plugin solution.
Which Plugin You Should Use
It depends.
If you want a complete solution and are open to spending money, Easy Digital Downloads is a great option.
For subscription features, which are a premium feature in Easy Digital Downloads, SureCart is a good choice.
If you need more features, customizability, and future scalability while keeping costs low, WooCommerce is the solution.
Don’t worry about getting everything perfect right away. Start small with the free versions and experiment to see what fits best with your style and needs.
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