Are you looking to create an online store? Want to know which is the best plugin that will help you in this task? Choosing the right eCommerce plugin is crucial for your business because a better platform means more opportunities for growth.

In this list of compared plugins, we are going to look at the 5 best WordPress plugins for create an online store.

What to expect from an eCommerce plugin?

There is a lot of WordPress plugins e-commerce available. But not all of them offer essential features that you would need to start your online store.

Some ecommerce plugins are good for selling digital goods like e-books, photos, music, etc. While others are better suited for selling physical goods that need shipping and inventory management. There are also e-commerce plugins that adapt to both varieties of products.

You need to choose a plugin based on what you want to sell and the features you are looking for to effectively run your online store.

Then you have to consider the different payment gateways you will use to accept payments. Make sure the plugin you choose supports default payment gateways or add extensions.

Your eCommerce plugin will not come with a theme. You would need to make sure that this plugin is compatible with a premium or good quality theme.

It is impossible for an ecommerce plugin to have all the functionality. Most of them, to solve their problems accept extensions. These " addons »Extend the functionality of your eCommerce plugin. Make sure there are enough extensions that will add all the functionality you are looking for.

And last but not least, you need to see what kind of assistance is offered with the plugin. Even if you hire a developer to work on your site, you would still need help from time to time. Make sure the plugin has a support system where you can easily get help.

1. WooCommerce

WordPress eCommerce plugin WooCommerce

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WooCommerce is the most popular eCommerce WordPress plugin. It was acquired by Automattic (the company ensure WordPress.org Service) in 2015. There are a large number of extensions and themes available on WooCommerce. It also has a large and passionate community of users and developers.

Benefits of using WooCommerce

Here are some of the benefits of using WooCommerce as an eCommerce plugin:

Extensions and Themes - There are hundreds of extensions and themes available for WooCommerce, which makes it flexible to match just about any type of store. A large collection of themes means you have a wide range of choices when it comes to designing and laying out your site.

Compatible with digital and physical products - With WooCommerce you can sell downloads (such as ebooks, music, software, etc.) and products of material consistency. With the integration of WooCommerce with Envira Gallery, you can easily sell photos from your website.

Affiliation and external products - the use of WooCommerce, allows you to add external products or products sold by affiliation on your shop.

Complete inventory management - WooCommerce is equipped with tools to easily manage your inventory or even assign it to a store manager.

Disadvantages of using WooCommerce

Too many options - WooCommerce is very easy to use, but the number of options available on the settings page can be quite intimidating for a new user.

Find extensions - There are a lot of extensions available for WooCommerce, sometimes a user cannot find the right extension for the features they are looking for.

2. Easy Digital Downloads

EasyDigitDownload WordPress eCommerce plugin

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Easy Digital Downloads allows you to easily sell digital downloads online using WordPress. It is very easy to use and comes with powerful features to create a functional store of digital products.

Benefits of using Easy Digital Downloads

User-friendly - Easy Digital Downloads is very easy to use, from the beginning you can understand how to add products and view them. It's really helpful for beginners.

Extensions - There are hundreds of extensions available for Easy Digital Downloads. Extensions for many payment gateways, platforms and services, or just to add additional functionality.

Themes: - Easy Digital Downloads works with almost all WordPress themes, but you can also choose a theme that fits your niche.

Disadvantages of using Easy Digital Downloads

Digital Downloads Only - As the name suggests, Easy Digital Downloads makes it easy to build e-commerce sites for digital products. For other types of products, the task will be complicated.

The sale of external products - If you want to add an external product or affiliate product to your EDD store, then you will need to install a third party extensions.

3. iThemes Exchange

iThemes WordPress eCommerce plugin-Exchange

Created by the authors of the popular BackupBuddy plugin, iThemes Exchange is a serious candidate for WordPress eCommerce platforms.

Benefits of using iThemes Exchange

Several types of products - iThemes Exchange supports digital downloads and physical goods. It also has a paid extension to sell subscriptions on your site.

Quick and easy configuration - After activation, it takes you directly to a setup wizard where you can quickly set up your site by choosing what you are going to sell and how you are going to receive payments.

Disadvantages of using iThemes Exchange

Small Community - iThemes Exchange is newer than many other popular eCommerce plugins. Although it is well documented and offers assistance. You can easily feel that their community is growing.

4. Shopp

shopp WordPress eCommerce plugin

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The fourth candidate in our list of best WordPress plugins eCommerce is the Shopp plugin. Let's take a look at some of its pros and cons.

Benefits of using Shopp

Separate tables in the database - The developers of the Shopp plugin, believe that by using separate tables in the database, they improve the performance of the database, which results in faster queries and pages.

Several types of products - The Shopp plugin is compatible with physical, digital and virtual products. Unlike other plugins on this list, the Subscription on Shopp product type allows you to sell products with recurring payments without having to purchase an extension.

Disadvantages of using Shopp

Limited free support - The biggest downside to using the Shopp plugin is that it doesn't have a forum for free support.

Separate Tables - While we have already listed this feature as an advantage, it could also be a disadvantage. We do not believe that using separate database tables significantly affects the speed of a website.

5. Shopify

Shopify WordPress plugin

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Shopify is a rapidly growing ecommerce platform that handles everything for you. Although it is a stand-alone service, it can be integrated with WordPress. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of Shopify

Benefits of using Shopify

Super easy for beginners - No need to worry about the technical aspects of an eCommerce store such as setting up SSL, integrating with different payment gateways, shipping, taxes, etc. Shopify handles all of this.

Support for digital and physical products - Whether you're selling physical goods like shirts or digital downloads like music, Shopify can handle it all.

Complete inventory management - Shopify offers an inventory editor and bulk importer combined with an order tracking device that makes inventory management easier.

Disadvantages of using Shopify

Monthly Fee Platform - Shopify charges you a monthly fee for using their platform which is comparable to purchasing hosting and addons for some plugins on this list.

Payments Shopify - Shopify encourages you to use their payment platform which is powered by Stripe and is a great option for beginners. However, if you want to complicate matters and use external systems, Shopify charges you additional fees.

Conclusion - The Best eCommerce WordPress plugin is:

If you want maximum control, flexibility and functionality, then WooCommerce is the best solution for you.

If you just want to sell digital products then you should use Easy Digital Downloads.

If you want quick setup and ease of use, then Shopify is the best ecommerce solution for you.