If you’re building a store with WordPress and your focus is selling digital products — like software, PDFs, audio files, or memberships — you’ve probably run into this question:
Should I use Easy Digital Downloads or WooCommerce?
I’ve set up both dozens of times. One is streamlined, the other is flexible. Depending on what you’re selling and how you want to grow, the wrong choice could cost you hours of headaches or hundreds in plugin bloat.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know. We’ll look at pricing, performance, payment gateways, licensing, ease of use, and more. By the end, you’ll know exactly which one is right for your business.
Quick Overview: Easy Digital Downloads vs WooCommerce
Let’s start with the basics. These two tools solve different problems, even if they look similar at first glance.
| Feature | Easy Digital Downloads | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Main Purpose | Selling digital products | Selling physical and digital products |
| Pricing Model | Core is free, Pro $199/year | Core is free, extensions vary |
| Strengths | Lightweight, fast, built-in licensing | Highly customizable, massive plugin library |
| Weaknesses | Not ideal for physical products | Can be bloated and slow |
| Best For | Software, eBooks, digital goods | Retailers, hybrid stores |
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is purpose-built for selling digital products. It’s clean, fast, and doesn’t come with all the overhead needed for shipping, inventory, or fulfilment.
WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a general ecommerce plugin. It supports both physical and digital goods, but its default setup leans heavily toward traditional online retail.
Pricing: WooCommerce Can Add Up Fast
At first glance, both platforms seem affordable. They’re both free to install. But when you break down what you actually need to run a professional digital store, the numbers tell a different story.
Easy Digital Downloads Pricing
EDD offers a free version, but most serious sellers will need the EDD Pro Pass.
- EDD Personal – $199/year (for one site)
- Extended Pass – $299/year (adds more integrations)
- All Access – $499/year (includes every extension they make)
The Personal Plan includes the core features most digital sellers need:
- Recurring payments
- Email marketing tools
- Stripe and PayPal
- Software licensing
- Advanced reporting
- Email automation
You don’t need to worry about stacking dozens of plugins — it’s all bundled.
WooCommerce Pricing
WooCommerce itself is free. But to replicate the features included in EDD Pro, you’ll likely need to purchase multiple add-ons. Here’s a realistic stack:
- Subscriptions – $239/year
- Software Add-on (like WooCommerce Software Add-on) – $129/year
- PayPal/Stripe/Apple Pay integrations – Often free, but setup time adds up
- Product Bundles / File Protection / Download Expiry – Free and paid mix
So while Woo seems cheaper upfront, the real cost to run a digital store professionally often ends up $400–$800/year.
Verdict: EDD offers better value for digital sellers with more bundled tools and fewer surprises.
Selling Digital Products: EDD Is Made for It
If you’re selling downloads, EDD is just easier. It’s focused entirely on delivering files and managing licenses.
WooCommerce can do it too — but you’ll spend more time tweaking settings that have nothing to do with digital goods.
What You Get With EDD
Out of the box, EDD supports:
- Instant digital file delivery
- File access control and download limits
- Auto-generated license keys
- Software versioning
- Expiring download links
- Customer account management
You also get easy integrations with tools like:
- ConvertKit
- Mailchimp
- Slack
- Zapier
For someone selling plugins, themes, or digital subscriptions, EDD removes all the friction.
What You Get With WooCommerce
Woo supports digital products, but its feature set is aimed at a wider market.
- Digital products can be uploaded and marked as “virtual”
- File downloads are supported, but file access management is basic
- Licenses or recurring payments require third-party plugins
- There’s more flexibility — but also more complexity
If you’re planning to also sell merch, printed goods, or mix physical/digital inventory, Woo might make more sense.
Verdict: EDD is hands-down better for digital-only businesses.
Performance and Speed: EDD Runs Lighter
I’ve tested both EDD and WooCommerce on clean WordPress installs and live client sites. The performance difference is noticeable, especially if you don’t have aggressive caching or managed hosting.
Why EDD Is Faster
- No shipping, inventory, or tax calculations
- No heavy checkout fields
- Lightweight database schema
- Fewer background processes
EDD focuses on delivering files and tracking users — that’s it. That means fewer plugins, less code, and faster load times.
WooCommerce Load Times
Woo adds a lot to your WordPress site:
- Shipping zones and rates
- Coupons and taxes
- Product attributes and variations
- Multistep checkout
Even if you disable most of this, it still loads Woo scripts and styles. You’ll need caching, a CDN, and possibly performance plugins like Asset Cleanup or Perfmatters to match EDD’s speed.
Verdict: EDD is faster and leaner for stores selling only digital goods.
Payment Gateways: Both Do the Job, But EDD Keeps It Simple
Both plugins support the major players like:
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
But the experience setting them up is different.
Payment Setup in EDD
EDD offers simple extensions or integrations for:
- Stripe
- PayPal Standard / Express
- Authorize.net
- Paddle
- Coinbase
Stripe and PayPal are included in all paid EDD plans, and setup is straightforward. You don’t have to deal with transaction classes or physical product taxes unless you want to.
Payment Setup in Woo
Woo supports over 100 gateways, which is great if you need options. But:
- Each gateway is its own plugin
- You’ll have to manage updates and conflicts
- Refunds or renewals can get complicated with subscriptions
Some payment gateways also require connecting with WooCommerce Subscriptions, which adds more cost and complexity.
Verdict: Woo wins on flexibility. EDD wins on simplicity.
Licensing, Memberships, and Subscriptions
This is where EDD really pulls ahead — especially if you sell software or any product that needs a license key.
Licensing With EDD
EDD’s Software Licensing extension handles:
- Unique license keys for each purchase
- License renewal reminders
- API for activating/deactivating software
- Version tracking
- Renewal discounts
If you’re a developer selling plugins or SaaS, this tool is gold.
The Recurring Payments extension also lets you:
- Sell monthly/annual plans
- Auto-renew subscriptions
- Offer free trials and upgrades
Licensing With WooCommerce
There’s no native licensing system. You’d need a third-party like:
- WooCommerce Software Add-On
- License Manager for WooCommerce
Same for recurring payments — WooCommerce Subscriptions is the standard, but it’s a separate purchase and adds extra layers of setup.
Verdict: EDD is far better for managing subscriptions and licenses.
Design and Templates: WooCommerce Has the Edge
When it comes to theming, WooCommerce has a much larger ecosystem. You’ll find thousands of free and premium themes built just for Woo.
- Compatible with nearly all WordPress themes
- Most builders (Elementor, Kadence, Bricks) support Woo modules
- Deep integration with page builders
EDD works with any WordPress theme too, but you might need to customise styling or create templates manually if your theme doesn’t support EDD-specific layouts.
That said, if your store is minimal and focused on downloads, this may not matter.
Verdict: WooCommerce wins on theme variety and builder integrations.
User Experience: EDD Is Quicker to Set Up
Setting up WooCommerce for a digital-only store means disabling a lot:
- Turn off shipping
- Remove physical product fields
- Clean up checkout
- Modify templates
EDD is focused on one thing — so there’s no fluff to remove.
- Add a product
- Upload the file
- Set a price
- Done
The admin UI is also cleaner, especially for store owners who aren’t developers. I’ve found non-technical users get the hang of EDD much faster than Woo.
Verdict: EDD is more beginner-friendly for digital sellers.
Support and Community: WooCommerce Is Bigger, EDD Is More Focused
WooCommerce has a massive user base. That means more:
- Documentation
- YouTube tutorials
- Facebook groups
- Stack Overflow threads
But support is fragmented. Woo itself doesn’t always provide deep help unless you’re on a paid plan or hosted on something like WooCommerce.com.
EDD’s team is smaller, but more focused. If you’re selling digital goods, their documentation and ticket system are laser-targeted at your needs.
Verdict: Woo wins on size. EDD wins on specific support for digital-first businesses.
Final Verdict: Choose EDD If You’re All-In On Digital
Here’s how I’d break it down.
Choose Easy Digital Downloads if:
- Your business is 100% digital
- You sell plugins, themes, courses, or files
- You need licensing or recurring payments
- You want speed, simplicity, and a cleaner dashboard
Choose WooCommerce if:
- You sell physical and digital products
- You need advanced shipping and inventory
- You want access to a broader ecosystem
- You have developers on hand to optimise and manage complexity
This article was built with one goal: helping you choose the right tool for selling digital products on WordPress.
If your business is digital-first, Easy Digital Downloads is a better long-term fit — it’s faster, leaner, and doesn’t get in your way.
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