Easy Digital Downloads is one of the go-to WordPress plugins for selling digital products online. It works well, but it isn’t the only option, and for some sellers it isn’t the best one.
If you’re looking for an Easy Digital Downloads alternative that fits your budget, your product type, or your growth plans better, this guide walks through the strongest options and how they compare.
Below you’ll find the best alternatives to Easy Digital Downloads, current pricing for each (including EDD’s own), and a simple framework for picking the right one.
Why look for an Easy Digital Downloads alternative?
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is a popular WordPress plugin for selling digital goods like ebooks, software, music, and other downloadable products. Its interface is clean and setup is quick.
Still, there are real reasons sellers go looking for an Easy Digital Downloads alternative:
- The free core plugin is limited compared to some all-in-one platforms.
- Easy Digital Downloads pricing can feel steep once you add the paid extensions most stores end up needing.
- It leans heavily on extensions for functionality, so costs and complexity stack up.
- Better customization often means sourcing third-party themes and plugins.
- It’s WordPress-only, so it isn’t a fit if you don’t want to run a WordPress site.
- Larger or multi-channel stores can find it harder to integrate.
Easy Digital Downloads pricing
Since cost is one of the main reasons sellers switch, here’s where EDD stands. The core plugin is free, but most stores need paid extensions, which EDD bundles into annual “Passes”:
- Personal Pass — around $99/year: Core extensions, simple payment gateways, and a single site.
- Extended Pass — around $199/year: Adds subscriptions/recurring payments, advanced gateways, and multi-currency.
- Professional Pass — around $299/year: Supports 2 sites and adds licensing, multi-vendor tools, and priority support.
- All Access Pass — around $499/year: Covers 3 sites and every official extension.
EDD charges no transaction fees, which is a genuine plus. The catch that pushes people to alternatives is that the features most stores want (subscriptions, advanced gateways, licensing) sit behind the higher passes.
Best Easy Digital Downloads alternatives to sell digital products
Here are the strongest alternatives to Easy Digital Downloads, with current pricing for each.
Shopify
Shopify is a hosted platform for building an eCommerce store without code. It handles digital and physical products, scales well, and extends through a large app ecosystem.
Highlights:
- User-friendly interface that simplifies setting up an online store.
- A wide range of customizable themes for a distinct storefront.
- Integrates with many payment gateways.
- Core store-management features including inventory and order tracking.
- Strong scalability, suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Pricing (2026):
- Basic: $39/month ($29/month billed annually)
- Grow (formerly the “Shopify” plan): $105/month
- Advanced: $399/month
- Plus: from $2,300/month
Using Shopify Payments, the card rate on Basic is 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction. Third-party gateways add a surcharge on top.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a SaaS eCommerce platform built for growing and scaling stores. It’s an open-SaaS platform that pairs a hosted experience with strong API flexibility.
Highlights:
- Highly scalable and built to grow with your business.
- Native multi-channel selling, including social and major marketplaces.
- Strong built-in SEO controls: customizable URLs, meta tags, and sitemap generation.
- Solid security for customer data.
- Mobile-optimized storefronts out of the box.
Pricing (2026, billed monthly):
- Standard: $39/month
- Plus: $105/month
- Pro: $399/month
- Enterprise: quote-based
For years BigCommerce’s headline advantage was zero transaction fees. Note that it introduced a transaction fee in mid-2026, so check its current pricing page before committing.
Gumroad
Gumroad is a low-friction platform for selling digital products with no monthly fee. It’s popular with creators who want to start selling fast without building a full store.
Highlights:
- Simple, quick setup with a hosted storefront.
- No monthly fee, so new sellers can list without upfront cost.
- Built-in email and audience tools.
- Now acts as Merchant of Record, handling global sales tax, VAT, and GST for you.
- Clear analytics on sales and customer behavior.
Pricing (2026):
- Direct sales: a flat 10% + $0.50 per transaction, with no volume discount.
- Discover marketplace sales: a flat 30% per transaction (processing included).
- Payment processing (roughly 2.9% + $0.30 via Stripe) applies on top of direct sales, so the effective direct-sale rate is around 12.9% + $0.80.
The trade-off is clear: no upfront cost, but the flat 10% (with no reduction as you scale) makes Gumroad expensive at higher volumes.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free, open-source WordPress plugin that turns your site into an online store. It’s the most flexible option here and handles both digital and physical products.
Highlights:
- Native WordPress integration.
- Extensive customization to match your brand.
- Highly scalable as your store grows.
- A large library of free and paid extensions.
- A big, active developer and user community.
- Free core plugin, cost-effective for anyone already on WordPress.
Pricing:
- WooCommerce itself is free.
- Real costs come from hosting, a domain, a theme, payment processing, and extensions.
- Total cost of running WooCommerce ranges from roughly $135/year to several thousand, depending on your setup.
Which is the best Easy Digital Downloads alternative?
The right Easy Digital Downloads alternative depends on your business. Work through these questions before deciding:
- What do you sell? Digital only, physical, or both? EDD and Gumroad lean digital; WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce handle both.
- What’s your budget? A flat per-sale model (Gumroad) suits low volume; a monthly plan (Shopify, BigCommerce) suits steady volume; a plugin (WooCommerce, EDD) suits WordPress owners.
- What features do you actually need? Match subscriptions, licensing, and gateways against each option’s plan.
- How well does it integrate with your other tools?
- Which payment methods does it support?
- Is it easy for you and your customers?
- Will it scale with you?
There’s no single winner. Gumroad is best for creators starting out, WooCommerce for WordPress owners who want control, Shopify for a polished hosted store, and BigCommerce for stores scaling fast.
Whichever platform you pick, one thing stays constant: you’ll want clear reporting across it. That’s where Putler fits in. It doesn’t replace EDD or its alternatives; it sits on top and gives you the analytics they don’t.
Putler: your reporting layer across every platform
Putler is an analytics tool for eCommerce and SaaS businesses. Alongside direct integrations with Easy Digital Downloads, Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Gumroad, it consolidates data from 17+ data sources including eCommerce stores, payment gateways, and Google Analytics under one roof.
Here’s what Putler adds on top of whichever platform you choose.
Dedicated dashboards
Putler’s home dashboard gives you an overall view of your business, so you can watch key metrics and make quick, informed decisions. It also includes dedicated dashboards for sales, products, subscriptions, customers, and web visitors.
Real-time reports
Putler’s real-time reporting keeps your sales, customer, and product data current, so you can respond quickly to changing conditions and act on opportunities as they appear.
Customer segmentation
Putler’s segmentation splits your customer base by criteria like demographics, purchase history, and engagement. Targeting specific customer segments with personalized campaigns improves engagement, drives conversions, and lifts ROI.
Sales forecasting
Putler generates sales forecasting reports. The home dashboard shows last month’s performance and predicts the month ahead, and a dedicated forecasting dashboard called the Time Machine supports deeper planning.
Reports on demand
Every business reports differently, so Putler offers customizable reports built around your goals. Track sales performance, analyze customer behavior, and measure campaign effectiveness, then visualize it all for actionable insight.
You can explore the full feature set on the Putler website, or try the live demo here.
Conclusion
Choosing the right platform to sell your digital products matters. Easy Digital Downloads has real strengths, especially for established WordPress stores, but newcomers and multi-channel sellers should weigh the alternatives.
Compare product fit, customization, pricing, and scalability, and take the time to research before deciding. And whichever platform you land on, Putler can sit alongside it as your reporting layer, turning raw sales data into decisions.
FAQs
Are there any free alternatives to Easy Digital Downloads?
Yes. WooCommerce is the best free alternative to Easy Digital Downloads. If you have a WordPress site, you can install the free plugin and start selling. Gumroad is also free to start, charging per sale rather than a monthly fee.
How much does Easy Digital Downloads cost?
The core EDD plugin is free, but most stores need paid extensions bundled into annual passes: Personal around $99/year, Extended around $199/year, Professional around $299/year, and All Access around $499/year. EDD charges no transaction fees.
Does Easy Digital Downloads work with WooCommerce?
Easy Digital Downloads and WooCommerce are two separate WordPress plugins. EDD is built specifically for digital products, while WooCommerce is more versatile and handles both physical and digital goods. You can run both on one site, but most sellers pick one as their main store.