There are two eCommerce plugins for WordPress that help you convert WordPress site into an online store, WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads. Both platforms provide an amazing user experience, multiple products and plugins, and integration with WordPress, which makes the procedure much easier. With both great options, the question arises: WooCommerce vs Easy Digital Downloads – Which one is better?
One of the most frequently heard comparisons between these two platforms is that WooCommerce is better for physical products, although it supports all types of products, and Easy Digital Downloads is used to sell digital products.
But there is a lot more to consider when looking for the best eCommerce platform for your business. Thus, we have prepared a detailed comparison guide for you so you can make an informed decision. Let’s get started!
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WooCommerce vs Easy Digital Downloads: Pros and Cons
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms available for WordPress and rightfully so. It provides multiple features out-of-the-box such as managing products, inventory, payments, shopping cart, and much more. WooCommerce is also compatible with 3rd-party plugins and extensions and is completely customizable. It is suitable for all sizes of businesses and is popular among developers and beginners.
Pros
- Free open-source eCommerce platform.
- Easy to set up and create your online store.
- Provides unlimited themes, plugins, and extensions, both free and paid.
- Completely customizable and flexible platform.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Doesn’t provide hosting, domain, or security.
- Requires coding knowledge for customization.
Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads makes selling digital products a breeze. This eCommerce platform is equipped with multiple features out-of-the-box such as a full shopping cart system, full data reporting, unlimited file downloads, and much more. EDD is perfect for home-based or small businesses. It also provides integration with major platforms and extensions and also has an extensive community available to help you out.
Pros
- Easy to set up.
- Supports digital products.
- Provides many options for plugins, themes, and extensions.
Cons
- Limited customization.
- Pricing plans are costly.
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WooCommerce vs Easy Digital Downloads: Comparing Every Aspect
Below we have compared WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads on multiple aspects so we can determine which one is the winner
1. Ease of Use
Your chosen eCommerce platform must be easy to use and manage, as you have to handle day-to-day operations. Let’s see which one is the better option: WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads?
WooCommerce is available for free download and is extremely easy to set up. Once installed, a Setup Wizard is automatically displayed that asks you to fill a few forms regarding the location and type of your business. It also helps you set up payment gateways, shipping taxes, and much more. It provides multiple features out-of-the-box such as product management, inventory, discounts, coupons, etc. All of which you can manage and review directly from the dashboard.
Whereas Easy Digital Downloads does not have a setup wizard and you have to configure the store yourselves on the settings page. In terms of products and services, EDD is mainly used for selling digital products, although you can use extensions to sell physical products also. EDD also has its marketplace for plugins and extensions and is also compatible with 3rd-party products.
In terms of usability, WooCommerce wins due to the setup wizard and multiple product type support.
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2. Pricing
Maintaining a site requires money and thus choosing a cost-effective eCommerce solution is also a priority. Let’s see which one is the winner, WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads, in terms of pricing.
As mentioned above, WooCommerce is free to download and use. It comes with many features to set up a basic site but for additional functionality, it has an extensive marketplace filled with themes, plugins, and extensions, both free and paid. The paid products are priced justly and cheaper than EDD. Moreover, with WooCommerce, you need to buy a domain, hosting service, and SSL certificate, which can be cost-effective if you use the right hosting service, such as, BlueHost, whose basic plan is priced at $2.95/mo.
Easy Digital Downloads provides 4 different pricing plans depending on the number of sites or the extensions included. These plans are Personal for $99/yr, Extended for $199/yr, Professional for $299/yr, and All Access for $499/yr. These pricing plans are a great way to save money because the plugins and extensions available individually are costlier than WooCommerce.
In pricing, it’s a tie. With WooCommerce, you can only pay for the functions you need and a lot of the plugins are also available for free. Whereas, EDD can also provide you access to multiple plugins for multi-sites in cost-effective bundles.
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3. Add-Ons and Plugins
When it comes to plugins and extensions, WooCommerce is the ultimate choice as it provides unlimited options for each function. Some of these plugins are even available for free and add amazing features to your site to improve the user experience. Moreover, it is also compatible with 3rd party plugins and products and doesn’t affect the speed or performance of the site.
Easy Digital Downloads also has its own marketplace and is compatible with 3rd party plugins as well. But the options are limited. But that doesn’t mean that its plugins and add-ons are any less impressive.
Both add amazing features to your site and thus it’s a tie regarding plugins and extensions between WooCommerce vs Easy Digital Downloads. Although, if it’s the quantity you are looking for, go for WooCommerce.
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4. Customer Support and Community
As we know, WooCommerce is among the most popular eCommerce platforms, and that means it has huge communities and forums available that can help you out with your queries. As it powers more than 20% of the online stores worldwide, you can find WooExperts easily. You can also find detailed documentation, guides, blogs, etc on the web.
Just like WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads also provide support through a ticketing system. It also has communities and forums available although at a much smaller level.
WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads? In terms of support, WooCommerce is the better option due to a larger community and experts available.
5. Payment Options
When it comes to payment options, WooCommerce supports over a hundred payment gateways, both major and local. WooCommerce and EDD also support all the major payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, 2Checkout, and Authorize.Net . But most of the payment gateways provided by WooCommerce are available for free whereas you would have to pay $89 to use Stripe through EDD.
Thus, with regards to variety and options, WooCommerce is the winner in this aspect.
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Conclusion: WooCommerce vs Easy Digital Downloads – Who’s The Winner?
Both WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads are amazing eCommerce platforms for WordPress that enable selling products online immensely easy due to their added functions and plugins. We have chosen WooCommerce as our winner because it supports selling both physical and digital products whereas EDD only supports digital products, although a plugin can be used to sell physical products as well but on a basic level.
Secondly, WooCommerce has unlimited options regarding themes, plugins, extensions, payment gateways, and much more, which you can find for free also, whereas EDD has fewer options and they are costly as well.
Lastly, WooCommerce popularity is also an advantage because it means extensive support, regular updates, and maintenance.
