How to Sell on WordPress Without WooCommerce (3 Methods)

When we first started selling online with WordPress, we automatically reached for WooCommerce.

But after helping many users, we’ve learned that WooCommerce isn’t always the best solution – especially for creators, digital product sellers, or those just starting out.

What many WordPress users don’t realize is that there are simpler ways to start selling without the complexity of a full eCommerce platform.

We’ve found three reliable methods that work well for different types of businesses. These options offer simple WordPress eCommerce solutions without unnecessary complexity.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to sell on WordPress without WooCommerce.

When Should You Sell on WordPress Without WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is an amazing ecommerce platform that is free to get started with, scalable, and flexible. However, it is not the ideal choice if you don’t plan to sell multiple physical products.

For instance, if you want to sell digital downloads like ebooks, music, or PDFs, then we recommend Easy Digital Downloads. This WordPress plugin is specifically designed for selling downloadable products and also has a free plan.

Similarly, if you want to sell subscriptions, then WP Simple Pay is the better alternative. This is because the tool lets you create a simple payment form with subscription plans, manage and cancel subscriptions, and allow recurring payments.

On the other hand, you may want to sell a single product on your website. For instance, you may have a food blog where you also plan on selling one or two food supplements.

In that case, using such a complex ecommerce platform is completely unnecessary, and it can be overwhelming. Instead, you could add a beginner-friendly payment form with WPForms.

When is WooCommerce Still the Best Choice for Your WordPress Store?

While the methods above are excellent for specific use cases, it’s important to understand that WooCommerce remains the industry standard for a reason.

You should consider using WooCommerce if you:

• Plan to sell a large catalog of diverse physical products.
• Need advanced inventory management, shipping calculations, and tax features.
• Require extensive customization for a full-fledged online store experience.
• Anticipate significant growth and need a highly scalable, all-in-one eCommerce platform.

For complex, large-scale online retail, WooCommerce’s powerful feature set and vast ecosystem of extensions often make it the superior choice.

What Do You Need Before Starting a Store in WordPress?

Before starting a store in WordPress, you need a domain name (your website address) and a reliable WordPress hosting plan to power your site.

Many providers, like Bluehost, offer affordable plans that include a free domain and SSL certificate.

Plus, they offer a huge discount to WPBeginner readers. To get the discount, click the button below.

Once you have done that, simply install WordPress, choose a theme, and start customizing your website.

For more details, see our tutorial on how to make a WordPress website.

Now, let’s see how to sell in WordPress without WooCommerce. For this tutorial, we will be discussing three methods. You can use the links below to jump to the method of your choice:

Method 1: How to Sell Digital Downloads in WordPress

If you want to sell digital goods in WordPress, then this method is for you. You will need Easy Digital Downloads, which is the best ecommerce plugin for digital products.

It has over 50,000 active installations and a 4.7/5 star rating on WordPress.org.

Several of our partner brands are also using it to sell their plugins and have had an excellent experience. To learn more, see our Easy Digital Downloads review.

Step 1: Install and Activate Easy Digital Downloads

First, you have to install and activate the Easy Digital Downloads plugin. For details, see our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Step 2: Configure Your Store Settings

Upon activation, visit the Downloads » Settings page in the WordPress dashboard. Here, you can start by adding your business name, type, address, city, country, and region. Then, click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Next, switch to the ‘Currency’ tab to add the currency you accept in your store.

By default, EDD also creates some pages for your online store. However, if you want to use existing pages you’ve already made for store functions, then you can switch to the ‘Pages’ tab to assign them.

Here, use the dropdown menu to use a pre-existing page like a checkout page, confirmation page, receipt page, etc.

Now switch to the ‘Payments’ tab from the top and check the boxes for the payment gateways that you want to add to your site.

Once you do that, you will need to enter your Stripe or PayPal account details to complete the integration. You can then also select a default gateway, configure checkout page options, and set up invoices using different settings.

For details, see our tutorial on how to sell music online in WordPress.

After that, move to the ‘Emails’ tab and add the email address and name that will be used when sending email messages to customers.

Finally, click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings. You can also configure other options according to your liking or leave them as they are.

Step 3: Add Your Digital Product

Now visit the Downloads » Downloads page from the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Add New’ button.

This will open the block editor, where you must add a name for your digital product. Then, in the block panel on the right, you can select a category, add tags, and embed an image for your digital product.

You can also add a description for the product according to your needs.

Then, scroll down to the ‘Download Files’ section and type a name for the file. Next, click the ‘Add New File’ button and upload the PDF, music file, or ebook from your computer.

Once that is done, scroll down to the ‘Pricing Options’ section and add a price for it.

Finally, click the ‘Publish’ button to store your settings. Now, repeat the process to add more products to your online store.

Then, visit your WordPress site to see the ecommerce website in action.

If you need more detailed instructions, see our step-by-step guide on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

Method 2: How to Sell Subscriptions in WordPress

If you plan to sell subscriptions or personal services, then this method is for you.

You can use WP Simple Pay, which is the best WordPress Stripe plugin on the market. It supports over 13 payment methods, including Klarna, SEPA Direct Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more.

It also comes with a visual builder, premade templates, and easy tax calculation, making it a flexible option for accepting payments on your WordPress site.

For more information about how it works, see our complete WP Simple Pay review.

Step 1: Install and Set Up WP Simple Pay

First, you need to install and activate the WP Simple Pay plugin. For details, see our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, a setup wizard will open up on your screen. Go ahead and click the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button.

This will take you to a new page where you must enter your license key. You can find this information in your account on the WP Simple Pay website.

Next, click the ‘Activate and Continue’ button.

You will then be asked to connect your plugin with Stripe. To do this, click the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button.

This will direct you to another screen, where you must log in to your Stripe account to connect it with WP Simple Pay. If you don’t have an account yet, then you can create one by visiting the Stripe website.

For more details, see our tutorial on how to accept Stripe payments in WordPress.

Step 2: Create a Subscription Payment Form

You will now be asked some other details that you can fill in according to your liking. Once that is done, you can go to the WP Simple Pay » Add New page in the WordPress dashboard.

Here, you will see a list of premade templates. Go ahead and click the ‘Use Template’ button under the ‘Payment Form’ template.

You will now be taken to the ‘Add New Payment Form’ page, where you can add a name and description to your form.

After that, choose ‘On-site payment form’ as your form type.

Next, switch to the ‘Payments’ tab from the left column and scroll down to the ‘Price Options’ section. Then, toggle the switch next to the pricing field to ‘Subscription’.

After that, add the pricing and configure the billing period according to your liking. For example, if you want to charge customers every month for a subscription, then you can choose 1 month as the billing period.

If you want to add multiple subscription plans for sale, then you can click the ‘Add Price’ button at the top. This will open another prompt where you can add pricing details for your other subscription plan.

Next, scroll down to the ‘Payment Methods’ section and check the boxes for the gateways that you want to add.

WP Simple Pay also supports Klarna, Affirm, SEPA, and AliPay, but you will need the pro version to unlock them.

Then, switch to the ‘Form Fields’ tab. Here, the payment form has the email address, price selector, and payment methods as the default fields.

However, you can add other fields like address, phone number, and name from the dropdown menu at the top. For more details on this, see our tutorial on how to sell personal training services in WordPress.

Step 3: Publish Your Payment Form

Finally, switch to the ‘Payment Page’ and check the ‘Enable a dedicated payment page’ box.

WP Simple Pay will now create a custom payment form page for you. You can customize the URL and choose a background color.

After that, just click the ‘Publish’ button to store your settings.

Now, visit your WordPress site to view the subscription payment form in action.

If you need more instructions, see our tutorial on how to create a WordPress form with payment options.

Method 3: How to Sell Limited Physical Products in WordPress

If you want to sell a few products on your website without creating a full-fledged online store, then this method is for you.

WPForms is the best WordPress contact form plugin, trusted by over 6 million websites and boasting a 4.8/5 star rating from thousands of reviews.

It offers 2000+ premade templates, a drag-and-drop builder, and complete spam protection. It also includes an AI form builder that lets you simply describe the form you want, and it generates it for you automatically.

You can use it to sell gift cards, single products, memberships, personal services, and more.

At WPBeginner, we use the tool to create our annual surveys and contact forms and have found it to be super beginner-friendly. To learn more, see our WPForms review.

Step 1: Install WPForms and the Payment Addon

First, you need to install and activate WPForms. For more information, see our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, visit the WPForms » Settings page to enter your license key. You can get this information from your account on the WPForms website.

Then, go to the WPForms » Addons page and locate the ‘PayPal Standard’ addon. After that, click the ‘Install’ button under it.

Once you do that, the payment gateway will automatically be added to your form.

Step 2: Create Your Product Order Form

Next, head over to the WPForms » Add New page from the WordPress dashboard and add a name for the form.

Then, click the ‘Use Template’ button for the template that you want to use. For instance, if you sell a few food supplements on your food blog, then you can choose the ‘Billing/Order Form’.

This will open the drag and drop builder where you will notice a form preview on the right with form fields in the left column. You can now add, delete, or rearrange these field options according to your liking.

For more in-depth instructions, see our tutorial on how to create an online order form in WordPress.

Now click on the ‘Available Items’ field to open its settings in the left column.

You can then add the names of the food supplements that you offer along with their pricing.

After that, switch to the ‘Payments’ tab and choose the ‘PayPal Standard’ option. Then, toggle the ‘Enable PayPal Standard payments’ switch.

Now, you need to add your payment gateway details to integrate with your form. Finally, click the ‘Save’ button at the top to store your settings.

Step 3: Add the Form to Your Website

Once that’s done, open the WordPress page or post where you want to add your form. Here, click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button to open the block menu and add the ‘WPForms’ block.

Then, select the form you created from the dropdown menu within the block itself. After that, click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to store your settings.

Now, visit your WordPress site to view the form in action.

Users can fill in this form to purchase your food supplements and pay using PayPal.

Keep in mind that WPForms also offers plenty of form templates for subscription plans.

So, if you want to sell memberships or recurring services alongside a small number of products, this tool may be the perfect choice.

This raises a good question: when should you use WP Simple Pay versus WPForms for subscriptions? WP Simple Pay is the best choice if recurring payments are the main focus of your business, as it has more powerful subscription features.

On the other hand, if you just need to add a simple subscription option to a versatile form builder that you use for setting up other forms, then WPForms is the ideal all-in-one solution.

Frequently Asked Questions About Selling in WordPress Without WooCommerce

Here are some questions that our readers have frequently asked about selling in WordPress without WooCommerce:

Do I need WooCommerce to sell on WordPress?

No, you don’t need WooCommerce to sell on WordPress. While it’s the most popular option, you can also use tools like Easy Digital Downloads for digital products or simple payment forms if you’re not building a full store.

What to use instead of WooCommerce on WordPress?

You can use alternatives like Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, or WP Simple Pay instead of WooCommerce. The right choice depends on what you’re selling, such as digital downloads, memberships, or single products.

Which is better, Shopify or WooCommerce for eCommerce?

Shopify is easier to set up, but WooCommerce gives you more control and flexibility. If you want a beginner-friendly hosted solution, go with Shopify. If you prefer full ownership and customization, WooCommerce is the better choice.

For more information, you can see our comparison on Shopify vs WooCommerce.

Is WooCommerce 100% free to use?

WooCommerce itself is free to use, but running a store is not completely free. You’ll still need to pay for hosting, a domain name, and possibly premium extensions.

Can ChatGPT build an eCommerce store on WordPress?

No, ChatGPT can’t build a full eCommerce store for you automatically. However, it can guide you step by step, help with product descriptions, and assist with setup instructions.

Which product is most selling in eCommerce stores?

There isn’t one single best-selling product in eCommerce. However, categories like fashion, electronics, beauty products, and home goods consistently perform well. Trends can change, so it’s important to research your market.

To get started, you can also see our guide on profitable eCommerce ideas.

Related Guides to Help You Set Up a Store in WordPress

If you’re interested in similar guides related to setting up a store in WordPress, just check out the following articles:

• WordPress eCommerce Setup Guide for Beginners (7 Product Types)
• How Much Do Ecommerce Websites Cost? (Real Numbers)
• How to Easily Integrate Shopify with WordPress (Step by Step)
• Tips to Grow Your Business Online (Without a Lot of Money)
• How to Create an Online Marketplace Using WordPress
• Ecommerce Website Maintenance Tips – How to Maintain Your Store
• 70+ Shopping Cart Abandonment Statistics (Expert Insights)

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