WordPress makes it super easy to launch your own online store: all you have to do is choose a WordPress host that can keep your store fast and secure, and pick an eCommerce plugin that suits your needs. Do that and you’ll be able to set up a fully functional store with minimal effort!
Plugins will allow you to create a storefront where customers can buy directly from your website and so much more. There are many options to chose from and each has its own unique features that make it different from other plugins.
Here’s a rundown of six popular eCommerce plugins for WordPress in 2022:
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the most popular eCommerce plugin for WordPress and that’s for many good reasons. It comes with everything you need to set up your own store. It’s highly customizable, easy to use for both beginners and experts alike, and it integrates smoothly with other popular platforms like MailChimp and Google Analytics. WooCommerce offers a variety of customizations, including payment gateways, shipping options, and conversion tracking tools.
You have two ways to get started with WooCommerce:
- Get a managed WooCommerce hosting plan: This is the easiest and the fastest way for you to set up a WooCommerce store. Some managed WordPress hosting providers offer you managed WordPress hosting for WooCommerce where WooCommerce comes preinstalled with your WordPress website. You do not have to spend any extra time installing the WooCommerce plugin on your site after WordPress is set up.
- Install the WooCommerce plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory: You can also install it through the WordPress Plugin Directory and activate it on your site.
Whichever way you set up your WooCommerce store, the easy-to-use plugin will then help you add products to your site and accept payments through PayPal and other payment gateways. It’s great for entrepreneurs who like the idea of taking charge of their website without having to learn how to code from scratch. Furthermore, it has a huge library of extensions that help you add additional functionalities to your store for your logistical, technical, and marketing needs.
Pricing: Free.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is another popular choice among business owners looking to set up an online store. Like WooCommerce, it comes with everything you need in one easy package–no coding required! It is an incredibly versatile platform that allows you to easily customize your ecommerce store. You’ll be able to choose from hundreds of themes and customize your site to match your branding needs. You’ll also have access to a variety of apps and integrations, including Google Analytics integration, so you can track visitor behavior on your site.
With BigCommerce, you can sell on social media and marketplaces, manage your products, track inventory and orders, and accept payments–all in one place. You can even add a blog and some other features to help you build a successful community around your brand. It offers multiple payment options such as PayPal and also allows you to accept credit cards via other third-party gateways like Stripe.
Pricing: Plans start at $29.95/month.
Ecwid
Ecwid is an eCommerce plugin that enables you to create a fully functional online shop without having to write any code. The plugin has an intuitive interface and supports an unlimited number of products, attributes, payment gateways, and currencies. It also provides a customer wishlist feature, which allows customers to save products for future purchases. Ecwid also comes with free email marketing and social media integration features which allow you to promote your products on social media and send product updates to your customers through email campaigns.
Pricing: Free plan with up to 10 products and limited features.
Prodigy Commerce
Prodigy Commerce Website Homepage
Prodigy is a relatively new entrant to the WordPress eCommerce scene. While their platform focuses more on professionals who may want to build custom solutions, they also have a full integration with Elementor Pro for no-code store building.
Continuing its unique approach to eCommerce on WordPress, many components of the store are hosted by Prodigy on AWS, while the core WordPress site can be hosted anywhere. This is done to help with site speed and security.
Pricing: Prodigy Commerce is completely free at any scale as Prodigy makes money through its partnerships with payment processors that they have integrated into their platform. Store owners do not pay anything above-and-beyond what they would typically pay to process payments.
Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads Website Homepage
If your online store focuses on selling digital products–like music files or eBooks–the Easy Digital Download plugin is probably your best option for selling those items on your website. It’s easy to set up and customize and has built-in support for PayPal and other payment gateways. You can also integrate with MailChimp for marketing campaigns and analytics tools like Google Analytics so you will know how well your website and ads are performing.
Pricing: Plans start at $99.50/year.
MemberPress
This plugin enables you to manage your memberships or subscriptions on your site without writing code or making customizations. You can include checkout buttons and make changes on the fly without having to download any files. In just two steps, you can make it so that when someone signs up for your membership program (or just starts using your website), they get a personalized discount code that they can use on checkout at checkout.
A membership model is often a good way to go if you’ve got products that require frequent updates or additions from customers (think digital magazines or software), so this plugin is going to be useful to a lot of businesses that are seeking recurring revenue streams.
Pricing: Plans start at $179/year.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to build an eCommerce site that’s user-friendly, easy to manage, and feature-rich, WordPress is the right platform for you. Whichever plugin you decide to go with, remember to optimize your site for performance to provide your customers with a delightful buying experience.
And of course, your site can only be as fast as your managed WordPress host can make it. As luck would have it, you’re already on a site with hosting plans that will keep your site fast no matter how many customers are checking out. 😉
Amanda Tsourakis
With over a decade of experience in the tech industry, Amanda's experience demonstrates her sales expertise. Her commitment to building, training, and guiding high-performing teams has been instrumental in driving Pressable's success. Amanda's extensive background in sales and marketing, coupled with her sharp business acumen, has made her an invaluable asset to the tech community. Her ability to identify and foster talent, combined with her passion for developing winning sales strategies, has propelled her to the forefront of the industry. When she's not expertly navigating the tech sales landscape, she loves spending quality time with her family, loves travel and adventure, lounging pool/beach-side, playing tennis, working out, and meeting people/making friends all along the way!
