WordPress is the largest content management system and currently powers more than 25% of the websites on the internet. There are an unlimited number of plugins that can help you to extend the functionality of the base WordPress installation, and one of the most commonly used types of plugins is e-commerce shopping carts, which allow WordPress sites to take orders for specific items that have been listed in a shop. There are many free plugins that can be installed with your WordPress installation, and then many offer additional add-ons that can further extend your e-commerce shop.

 

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the largest e-commerce plugin for WordPress available today, built by the very well-known team at WooThemes. It is by far the most popular e-commerce plugin currently available for WordPress and is jam-packed with some of the best features. There are many additional extensions that can be purchased that allow you to further extend the functionality of WooCommerce by adding additional payment gateways, making changes to the way that the checkout system works, or any number of extensions that they have made available through their own marketplace. WooCommerce is completely free, but with the addition of some extensions can get a bit pricey over time.

 

Easy Digital Downloads

Easy Digital Downloads is a lightweight solution for those that would like to sell digital products via WordPress, without cost. They do not include many of the features that would be included in a larger solution like WooCommerce, but provide all of the basic features that a website selling digital products would want and need. The plugin is built with all of the basic digital coding standards in mind and continues to be a very popular solution for companies that are offering digital products through their WordPress websites. Additionally, they offer more than 200 themes and extensions that allow you to change the look and functionality of Easy Digital Downloads.

 

WP eCommerce

WP eCommerce is one of the oldest and most respected e-commerce shopping carts available today for WordPress. It differs a bit from other options because it allows you to completely customize HTML and CSS so that you have complete control over how the website looks. This is great for websites that want a consistent feel throughout all of the pages of their e-commerce platform. It allows you to sell physical items, digital downloads, memberships and has a number of plugins that can add functionality to your installation. With more than 2.9 million total downloads, WP e-commerce continues to be one of the strongest e-commerce platforms on the market today.

 

Ecwid

Ecwid is another exceptionally popular option for companies that are looking to add a new e-commerce solution into the mix but don’t want to start a brand new website. You can quickly integrate Ecwid into your existing website in just a few short minutes. Ecwid comes with four different plans, one of which is absolutely free. It is a feature-rich solution that allows for offsite hosting. Ecwid has become one of the most popular WordPress e-commerce shops for a good reason – it has a number of excellent features that can’t be found anywhere else.

 

MarketPress

MarketPress, an e-commerce solution is written and offered by the excellent team at WPMU Dev, a company that offers a number of well-designed plugins. It is reliable, and is coded with complete compliance with the latest versions of WordPress. It comes with beautiful themes that can easily be customized and integrates perfectly with BuddyPress and Multisite, allowing you to create a network of online stores.

If you would like to merge the benefits of E-Commerce and WordPress into one and begin offering high quality products through your own website, these 5 plugins are all excellent choices.