WordPress Development
WordPress E-Commerce Options Compared: WooCommerce, EDD, MemberPress, and LearnDash
WooCommerce is not the only way to sell on WordPress. Here is how every major e-commerce solution compares — and which one fits what you are actually selling.
WooCommerce is not the only way to sell on WordPress. Depending on what you are selling, how many products you have, and what your technical comfort level is, a different e-commerce solution may serve you better. This guide covers every option.
WooCommerce — the default standard
WooCommerce is a free plugin that transforms WordPress into a full e-commerce platform. It handles physical products, digital downloads, subscriptions, bookings, and more through an extensive extensions library. It powers 28% of all online stores globally.
- Best for: any store with physical products, a product catalogue of 10+ items, or complex requirements (variable products, memberships, subscriptions)
- Zero platform transaction fees — you only pay your payment gateway’s processing fee
- Full control over the checkout experience, product pages, and order management
- Extensible with 700+ official extensions for every feature imaginable
Easy Digital Downloads — for digital products
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is purpose-built for selling digital products: software, ebooks, templates, courses, music, and any downloadable file. It is leaner than WooCommerce for digital-only stores and has a cleaner interface for managing downloads, licenses, and software updates.
If you exclusively sell digital downloads — no physical products, no shipping — EDD’s focused feature set makes it easier to set up and maintain than WooCommerce. If you sell a mix of digital and physical, or anticipate adding physical products later, WooCommerce is the better long-term choice.
MemberPress — for memberships and courses
MemberPress is a premium membership plugin that restricts content access based on membership level. It handles subscriptions, access control, and content dripping — delivering content progressively over time.
- Best for: membership communities, online courses, subscription content, coaching programmes
- Integrates with Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.Net for recurring billing
- Built-in course builder (MemberPress Courses) for structured learning content
- Rules-based access control: restrict any post, page, category, or custom post type by membership level
- Price: from $179/year
LearnDash — for online courses
LearnDash is the most feature-rich learning management system (LMS) plugin for WordPress. It is purpose-built for structured online education: courses, lessons, quizzes, certificates, and student progress tracking.
- Best for: structured online courses with assessments, certificates, and progress tracking
- Supports drip content, prerequisites, group enrolments, and instructor roles
- Integrates with WooCommerce (for payment processing) and MemberPress (for membership gating)
- Used by universities, training companies, and course creators globally
- Price: from $199/year
Choosing the right e-commerce solution
| What you are selling | Recommended solution | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Physical products | WooCommerce | Built for physical commerce: inventory, shipping, tax, variable products |
| Digital downloads (PDFs, templates, software) | Easy Digital Downloads or WooCommerce | EDD is leaner for digital-only; WooCommerce if mixing with physical |
| Online courses with quizzes | LearnDash + WooCommerce | LearnDash for course structure; WooCommerce for payments |
| Membership / subscription content | MemberPress or Restrict Content Pro | Purpose-built access control with subscription billing |
| Bookings (services, appointments) | WooCommerce Bookings or Amelia | Calendar-based booking with payment integration |
| Donations | GiveWP | Dedicated donation plugin with campaigns, recurring giving, and reporting |
Payment gateway setup for any WordPress e-commerce solution
Regardless of which e-commerce plugin you choose, you will need a payment gateway to process card payments. The right gateway depends on which countries your customers are in:
- Stripe — the global standard. Available in 40+ countries, excellent developer experience, competitive fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction in the US)
- PayPal — widely trusted globally. Strong for international transactions. Adds friction with PayPal account requirement for some customers
- Razorpay — strong for India and South Asia. Supports UPI, net banking, and local payment methods
- Flutterwave — leading gateway for African markets
- 2Checkout / Verifone — global payments supporting 200+ countries including markets where Stripe is not available
Need an e-commerce setup built on WordPress?
Simple Automation Solutions builds WooCommerce stores, membership sites, and course platforms for businesses worldwide — from initial setup to launch and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run WooCommerce and MemberPress on the same WordPress site?+
Yes — and this is a common combination. WooCommerce handles payment processing and product sales; MemberPress handles access control and membership rules. A customer purchases a membership through WooCommerce and MemberPress automatically grants access to the appropriate content. The integration requires careful configuration but is well-documented by both plugin developers.
What is the cheapest way to start selling on WordPress?+
WooCommerce (free) with Stripe (no monthly fee, pay-per-transaction) and a free WooCommerce-compatible theme like Storefront or Astra. Your only upfront cost is hosting and a domain. You pay Stripe’s processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) per transaction, with no monthly platform fees. This is significantly cheaper than Shopify’s Basic plan for most sales volumes.
Does WooCommerce slow down my WordPress site?+
WooCommerce adds database tables and page templates that increase page complexity. A WooCommerce store on a well-configured hosting plan with caching (WP Rocket) and image optimisation (Smush) can achieve excellent Core Web Vitals scores. The configuration matters more than the plugin itself — a poorly optimised WooCommerce store can be slow, but a properly configured one is not inherently slower than other platforms.
