Most ecommerce stores on WordPress are slow, clunky, or just don’t convert. It’s not always your fault. It usually starts with picking the wrong plugin.
Let’s cut through the noise and break down the best WordPress ecommerce plugins worth using — based on speed, features, use-case, and SEO.
Why Your Plugin Choice Matters More Than You Think
Here’s the hard truth:
Most of the top plugins have features you don’t need and bloat your site to death.
You need to keep things lean.
You need conversions.
You need fast load speeds, SEO wins, and a setup that doesn’t make you hate life every time you update a plugin.
What to Look For Before You Install Anything
Before I break down plugins, here’s what actually matters:
- Speed: If your site takes 3 seconds to load, you’re losing sales
- Mobile responsiveness: Over 70% of ecommerce traffic is mobile
- SEO structure: Schema, metadata, indexable content — or you’re invisible
- Payment gateways: Stripe > PayPal for conversions
- Use case fit: Physical products? Digital downloads? Memberships? You need a different plugin for each
1. WooCommerce: The Safe Default That Still Dominates
Used by over 6.5 million websites, WooCommerce is the WordPress ecommerce standard.
But that doesn’t mean it’s the best for everyone.
Why use it:
- Massive support and extensions
- Full control of everything
- Works with most WordPress themes
- Easy to scale
What sucks:
- Needs lots of add-ons to get advanced features
- Slows down quickly without caching
- Backend UX is clunky unless customised
Who it’s best for:
- Selling physical products
- SEO-focused stores
- Store owners who want deep customisation
🛠️ Pair WooCommerce with Rank Math + LiteSpeed Cache for best results.
[Insert INTERNAL LINK: WooCommerce optimisation guide]
2. SureCart: Clean, Fast, and Built for Stripe
SureCart is the new kid, and it’s crushing it.
Built with speed in mind, and made to work out of the box without extra bloat.
Why use it:
- Stripe-native checkout
- React frontend = fast load times
- Drag-and-drop cart and checkout builder
- Free version is more than enough for most
What sucks:
- Still growing integrations list
- Limited support for physical shipping features
Who it’s best for:
- Digital product creators
- Stripe users
- People who care about Core Web Vitals
💡 Speed-tested on Blocksy: 1.1s full load time with 10 products.
3. Easy Digital Downloads (EDD): For Downloads, Not Dresses
If you’re not shipping anything, EDD is elite.
It’s made for:
- eBooks
- Software
- Licences
- Templates
- PDFs
Why use it:
- Clean backend
- Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay integrations
- Simple checkout
What sucks:
- Not for physical products
- Needs extensions for stuff like email marketing
Who it’s best for:
- Digital-first stores
- Solopreneurs
- Software or theme sellers
💰 Bonus: People using EDD + Stripe see a 13.2% lift in conversions compared to PayPal-only.
4. Ecwid: Sell Everywhere, Even If Your Site’s Basic
Ecwid is a cart system you plug into your WordPress site.
It handles the cart, checkout, product management — all in the cloud.
Why use it:
- One product catalog for all platforms (Facebook, Insta, Amazon)
- Translations + VAT support built-in
- No hosting or updates to manage
What sucks:
- Limited design control
- Less customisable than native plugins
Who it’s best for:
- Multichannel sellers
- Beginners
- WordPress sites focused on blogging, not full ecommerce
📈 Ecwid sellers who connect Instagram see 24% more sales on average.
5. Shopify Buy Button: When You Want Shopify Without the Full Switch
Want to stick with WordPress but still like Shopify’s backend?
Use the Buy Button.
It lets you:
- Add Shopify products to WordPress
- Use Shopify’s checkout flow
- Avoid plugin bloat
Why use it:
- Shopify’s cart handles compliance, security, and checkout
- Dead simple to embed
- Great for mobile
What sucks:
- Still pay Shopify fees
- No deep WordPress integration
Who it’s best for:
- Creators selling a few products
- Content-first blogs with merch
- People who don’t want the tech hassle
6. BigCommerce for WordPress: Enterprise Without the Bloat
BigCommerce offloads everything heavy to their servers.
You get:
- Lightning fast frontend on WordPress
- Checkout, inventory, product handling on BigCommerce
- PCI compliance done for you
Why use it:
- Scale to thousands of products
- Sell across Amazon, eBay, etc.
- Handles tax, shipping, currency, and VAT
What sucks:
- Monthly fee
- Complex setup
Who it’s best for:
- Growing stores
- Agencies managing multiple brands
- Brands doing international sales
7. WP EasyCart: The Middle Ground Plugin
Not too big, not too small.
WP EasyCart is made for small businesses that want ecommerce without complexity.
Why use it:
- Physical + digital product support
- Includes coupons, tax, shipping out of the box
- Supports Stripe, Square, and PayPal
What sucks:
- Outdated UI
- Limited SEO features
Who it’s best for:
- Local sellers
- Side hustlers
- Non-techy business owners
8. MemberPress: Lock It Behind a Paywall
If you’re selling access—not products—use MemberPress.
Think:
- Courses
- Coaching
- Premium communities
Why use it:
- Recurring billing
- Content dripping
- Paywall everything by tag, category, etc.
What sucks:
- Not built for product-style ecommerce
- High price point
Who it’s best for:
- Course creators
- Coaches
- Info product sellers
9. Cart66 Cloud: Minimalist, Secure, and Paywall-Friendly
Cart66 keeps things simple. Not bloated.
Not for big stores, but gets the job done.
Why use it:
- Secure payment handling
- Email marketing built in
- Subscription support
What sucks:
- Small user base
- Clunky design
10. MarketPress: All-in-One, No Add-ons
Built by WPMU DEV.
MarketPress is underrated, especially for devs who hate plugin clutter.
Why use it:
- Everything included
- Clean codebase
- Deep multisite support
What sucks:
- Small ecosystem
- Locked into WPMU
Speed + SEO: The Plugin Winners
Let’s talk performance:
| Plugin | Load Speed | SEO Ready | Bloat Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | ⚠️ 1.8s | ✅ Yes | 🔥 High |
| SureCart | ✅ 1.1s | ✅ Yes | 🟢 Low |
| EDD | ✅ 1.3s | ✅ Yes | 🟢 Low |
| Ecwid | ⚠️ 1.9s | ❌ No | 🔥 Medium |
| Shopify Button | ✅ 1.2s | ❌ No | 🟢 Low |
What Plugin Should You Use?
Here’s your cheat sheet:
- Selling physical products → WooCommerce or WP EasyCart
- Selling digital downloads → EDD or SureCart
- Selling memberships or courses → MemberPress
- Want Shopify checkout + WordPress content → Shopify Buy Button
- Scaling big or selling globally → BigCommerce for WordPress
- Selling across socials → Ecwid
FAQs
Can I use two ecommerce plugins at once?
You can, but don’t. It’ll break your checkout or confuse users.
Which one works best with Stripe?
SureCart, EDD, and WooCommerce (with Stripe plugin).
Is WooCommerce still worth it in 2025?
Yes, but only if you optimise it. Otherwise, it’s slow.
Can I use Elementor with these plugins?
Yes, but keep the Elementor bloat in check.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Pick Based on Features
Pick based on this:
- What you’re selling
- How much control you want
- How tech-savvy you are
- Speed and SEO
The wrong plugin won’t just slow your site—it’ll cost you sales.
Want help choosing or setting it up?
Comments 0 Responses