/ Plugin Category

/ E-commerce & Shopping

/ Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy

Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy

By Syed Balkhi

E-commerce & Shopping /

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy Review - In-Depth Analysis

The #1 eCommerce plugin to sell digital products and subscriptions. Accept credit card payments with Stripe and PayPal and start your store today.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.2/10

User Rating

4.7/5 (based on 591+ reviews)

Active Installations

40,000+

Update Frequency

Outstanding It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

7.35 / 10 (High Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Easy Digital Downloads is the leading eCommerce solution for selling digital products. It allows you to create unlimited products without any hidden fees. You can easily set up your store and start selling within minutes using its integrated shopping cart and flexible payment options.

This plugin supports various payment methods including credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. It ensures secure transactions directly between your store and payment processors.

With powerful reporting tools, you can track sales, revenue, and customer growth. Easy Digital Downloads also offers features like discount codes, customer management, and file download protection, making it a comprehensive solution for digital sales.

Comparing to Alternatives

Easy Digital Downloads is a popular choice for selling digital products with several related plugins offering complementary or specific features. Here are some notable alternatives within its ecosystem.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Robust and clean codebase built on WordPress standards
Handles complex digital product workflows effectively
Strong and responsive customer support
Wide range of features for managing digital sales and subscriptions
Regular updates and a solid ecosystem of add-ons

Weaknesses

Recent introduction of a 3% platform fee on PayPal transactions without clear prior notice
Limited support for some regional payment gateways like South African PayFast
Security history includes multiple vulnerabilities requiring frequent updates
Some premium features require paid licenses which may increase costs

User Sentiment Analysis

The plugin enjoys a high overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 589 reviews, with 91% being 5-star ratings, reflecting strong user satisfaction. However, about 6.5% of ratings are 1-2 stars, highlighting some concerns.

Positive highlights

'Flawless Code & Rapid Support!' - Md. Sarwar Zaman
'Excellent support' - alain2204
'Great for Stock Photography Library' - shelleypaulson
'Excellent Support and Fast Resolution' - dfathers
'Love it! The basic version is free and fair for beginners.' - ninoloco

Common complaints

Unexpected 3% platform fee added to PayPal transactions without clear warning
Lack of support for certain payment gateways like South African PayFast
High cost of some third-party plugins and add-ons

Weaknesses

Security vulnerabilities have been reported and fixed in recent versions
Some users find the pricing model for premium features and add-ons expensive
Limited payment gateway options for certain regions

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Businesses and individuals looking to sell digital products with a reliable, feature-rich WordPress plugin that offers strong support and a mature ecosystem.

Not ideal for

Users requiring extensive support for regional payment gateways not supported by default or those unwilling to manage frequent updates due to past security vulnerabilities.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers core digital product selling features, including PayPal integration and basic store management tools.

Pro version

Premium features such as advanced payment gateways, subscription management, enhanced reporting, and priority support are available through paid licenses.

Final Verdict

Easy Digital Downloads is a powerful and well-supported plugin ideal for selling digital products on WordPress. Its clean codebase, extensive features, and responsive support make it a top choice for many users. However, recent changes to pricing and a history of security vulnerabilities require users to stay vigilant and updated.

While it has strong competition and some regional payment gateway limitations, its mature ecosystem and frequent updates provide a solid foundation for digital commerce. Users should weigh the cost of premium features and consider their payment gateway needs before committing.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy plugin.

Digital Store

Ecommerce

Payments

Screenshots

FAQ

Full searchable docs for Easy Digital Downloads and all our extensions can be found at https://easydigitaldownloads.com/docs

Contributors and developers

“Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.