WordPress is an affordable and fully customizable blank canvas to create an ecommerce store. But it can seem a little daunting. The default WordPress site is incredibly basic and doesn’t even have an ecommerce storefront. Thankfully, there are plugins that can add the functionality or customizability you need. 

In this article, we’ll talk about:

What are the best free WordPress plugins for an ecommerce store?

How do they help?

Where can you find them?

If you’re looking for free WordPress plugins that help with an online store, this article will be your one stop shop for them all. 

TL;DR: There are plugins for any ecommerce function you need and multiple plugins that can do the same job. The important thing is to look out for well-written plugins that aren’t buggy. However, wading through reviews is time-consuming. So we’ve tested plugins and come out with the ultimate list below. Our first recommendation is to install MalCare to protect your store from day one. 

With a vast market of free WordPress plugins at your fingertips, navigating the necessities and functions can be difficult. If you’re new to ecommerce stores, you may struggle with knowing what your store needs. To make this article a little more helpful, we thought it was best to categorise the plugins as follows:

Plugins for ecommerce store content and customization

WooCommerce – ecommerce storefront

Elementor – page design and customization

Easy Digital Downloads – downloadable goods

Simple Membership – Membership functionality

Subscriptions for WooCommerce – subscription management

Plugins for managing transactions

WooCommerce Multilingual and Multicurrency – international transactions

WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway – Accept payments

WooCommerce Tax – calculate taxes

Plugins for shipping, delivery and fulfilment

Order tracking – WordPress Status Tracking – Tracking status of orders

WooCommerce Shipping – manage shipping

Plugins for marketing and sales

RankMath – SEO

Google Site Kit – traffic analysis

Ultimate Social Media Sharing icons – social media sharing

WPForms – forms builder

Hubspot – email marketing and live chat

Plugins for store essentials

Airlift – performance

MalCare – security

Real Simple SSL – SSL encryption

Akismet Anti-Spam – spam prevention

Best free WordPress plugins for an ecommerce store 

We’ve ranked the plugins by the number of active installations. Active installations can be a good sign of popularity and quality of plugin. While the plugins on this list are free (or have free versions), we must mention that some premium plugins are worth the investment. For example, BlogVault is a premium backup plugin that takes real time backups automatically. This saves you the trouble of manually backing up your ecommerce site on a regular basis. MalCare, a security plugin on this list, has a free version and some premium plans. While the free security plugin will protect your site with a firewall and scan for malware every day, in case your site does get hacked, the premium plan will help you reverse damage with one-click cleanups. 

With that in mind, let’s dive into our list of the best WordPress ecommerce plugins. 

1. WooCommerce 

WooCommerce is the first step to building an ecommerce site on WordPress. It’s a blank canvas that allows you to sell anything, from anywhere. It is designed to integrate well with other plugins or extensions that add more flexibility. It’s got a dashboard that helps you manage every aspect of your orders, right out of the box. 

What does it do?

Creates product/service listings

Sets up shipping configurations

Sets up flexible payment methods

Manages orders on dashboard

Why do we recommend it?

Easy install and setup

Integrates easily

Developer-friendly

2. Elementor

Elementor is our favourite page builder because of how easy it makes customising your WooCommerce pages. It has a great premium version but the free version is chock-full of basic widgets that allow you to insert images, text, buttons, tabs, icons, and so much more. It’s  especially useful if you use the plugin to edit pre-designed Elementor templates that suit your business. 

What does it do?

Adds headings and titles

Inserts and edit images

Creates buttons or icons

Displays product photos

Modifies layouts of widgets

Why do we recommend it?

Great community

Superb support team 

Developer-friendly

Alternatives: Gutenberg 

3. Real Simple SSL

As an ecommerce store, you will be handling a lot of private customer data. You need to be able to be able to protect this data. Real Simple SSL can be your saving grace. It helps with migrating from HTTP to HTTPS in just one click. In fact, no matter what type of site you own, we recommend you install this WordPress plugin. 

What does it do?

Offers easy SSL migration

Monitors server health

Protects site visitor data

Offers privacy controls

Why do we recommend it?

Necessary for security

Easy install and setup

Alternatives: WP Encryption

4. Akismet Spam Protection 

Spam comments can be frustrating and a pain to manually delete or block. If comments are an important part of your store, Akismet Spam Protection has a free version that can help you manage them. It monitors your comment section for spam and misleading links. It keeps track of the comment history and enables you to block them, if you want. It’s the best way to keep your comment section interactive. 

What does it do?

Monitors comments for spam

Logs the status of comments

Exposes all misleading links

Blocks worst spam comments

Why do we recommend it?

Easy-to-use plugin

Great support team

Alternatives: Titan Anti-spam and Security

5. Contact Forms by WPForms

WPForms is a popular free WordPress plugin for ecommerce stores because it helps you easily create all types of forms. You can create forms for your contact pages, billing details, registration pages, or even conduct surveys. The plugin comes with a library of pre-designed templates that saves you the trouble of creating a page from scratch. 

What does it do?

Offers pre-designed templates

Helps with entry management

Provides instant notifications

Creates high performance forms

Creates multi-page forms

Adds functionality to upload files

Creates custom files

Offers smart captcha functionality

Why do we recommend it?

Drag-and-drop builder

Easy-to-use

Alternatives: Contact Form 7

6. Site Kit by Google

Site Kit by Google is a free ecommerce plugin that collects data from other Google tools like GA4 and Google Ads. It avoids the need to install individual plugins on your site and reduces the time it takes to gather data from different sources for analytics. It’s incredibly easy to use too. 

What does it do?

Provides stats on WordPress dashboard

Provides stats from Google tools

Offers page-wise analytics metrics

Why do we recommend it?

Quick install and setup

Easy-to-manage Google tools

Alternatives: Exact Metrics

7. RankMath

A WooCommerce SEO plugin like RankMath helps you understand the Google search engine and make changes that earn you higher rankings. We recommend the plugin because of how good their AI is. It understands your site’s content and offers suggestions that are designed to optimise your ecommerce store for a search engine. 

What does it do?

Suggests changes with AI

Offers keyword information

Helps with smart linking

Eases schema markups

Suggests related keywords

Why do we recommend it?

Great documentation

Amazing support team

Alternatives: Yoast SEO

8. WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway

To accept credit card payments, your WooCommerce store needs to be integrated with payment gateways like Stripe. Stripe is a popular payment gateway that has the added bonus of being trustworthy amidst customers. WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway is a free plugin that helps you integrate your store with Stripe and accept payments in over 35 countries across the globe. 

What does it do?

Integrates with Stripe payment gateway

Enables Apple Pay at checkout

Enables Google Pay at checkout

Why do we recommend it?

Reliable payment gateway

Easy setup

Alternatives: PayPal

9. WooCommerce Tax

Taxes are notoriously difficult to understand and incorporate into an online store. WooCommerce Tax is an amazing plugin that helps you calculate and charge tax to the customer. If you have products that have variable tax, or want to sell in countries with differing tax laws, this is the plugin to help you out. WooCommerce Tax is a free ecommerce plugin that does one job but does it well. 

What does it do?

Automatically calculates sales tax

Automatically collects sales tax

Why do we recommend it?

Built by good developers

Has great documentation

Great support team

Alternatives: EU/UK VAT Compliance Assistant for WooCommerce

10. WooCommerce Shipping

Savings on shipping costs? Savings on time and effort? Automatically create shipping labels? These are the benefits of the free ecommerce plugin WooCommerce Shipping. It works with local US carriers and partners with popular postal services like DHL and USPS. These partnerships also come with discounted shipping rates that we’re sure you’d appreciate. 

What does it do?

Offers discounted shipping rates

Provides labels for printing

Enables international shipping

Works with USPS and DHL

Why do we recommend it?

Integrates well with WooCommerce

Easy setup and installation

Alternatives: ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin

11. Hubspot

Hubspot does a lot of things like email marketing and analytics. It also has a popular live-chat and chatbot feature, and provides you with all the tools you need to encourage impressions. It helps you build a relationship with your customers and has a great way to monitor and generate leads. 

What does it do?

Adds live chat functionality

Adds chat bot functionality

Helps with email marketing

Uses a reporting dashboard

Monitors contacts and leads

Creates forms and popups

Why do we recommend it?

Great reporting feature

Full customizability

Alternatives: LiveChat and OptinMonster

12. MalCare 

There are very few things, if any, that are more important to a site than security. Sure, you can manually scan for malware but it requires a lot of meticulous work. MalCare is a free WordPress plugin that can do it in minutes. All you need to do is sign up and add your site to the dashboard. We love how easy, effective, and powerful the plugin is. 

What does it do?

Instals a real time firewall

Offers login protection

Conducts daily malware scan

Monitors for vulnerabilities

Offers community support

Note: While MalCare has a great free version, when it comes to important things like security, we recommend you upgrade to one of the premium plans. Every site should have the following features:

Malware removal

Bot protection

Performance monitoring

Personalised support

Why do we recommend it?

Great for single sites

Regularly updated

Automatic security for your site

Doesn’t put a load on your server

13. Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons

Sharing your products on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can showcase your products to a larger audience. It’s also nice if your site visitors can find you on social media platforms and follow your work. This is why a free plugin like this one is useful. 

What does it do?

Offers 16 social media icons

Attaches actions to icons

Displays sharing icons on pages

Customises locations of icons

Why do we recommend it?

Great tool for marketing

Easy to install

Alternatives: Sassy Social Share

14. WooCommerce Multilingual and Multicurrency 

If you’re selling to a global audience, making sure that your customers can understand your content and buy products in their preferred currency is crucial. WooCommerce Multilingual and Multicurrency is a free ecommerce plugin that can do it all. It reduces the hassle you go through and aids you in selling to a larger audience. 

What does it do?

Displays multiple currencies

Adds currency switchers

Helps format currencies

Helps with content translation

Accepts local payment methods

Why do we recommend it?

Easy to use

Easy set up

Alternatives: Weglot Translate and CURCY

15. Easy Digital Downloads 

While WooCommerce natively supports the sale of downloadable products, Easy Digital Downloads specializes in it. You have the ability to keep digital downloads behind a paywall, so that customers that haven’t paid can’t access them. The plugin also manages your orders and offers a direct checkout functionality if your customer wants to skip the cart. It’s a great way to grow a digital products WooCommerce store. 

What does it do?

Creates detailed reports

Showcases products

Protects product files

Provides clean checkout

Manages order status

Manages customer details

Accepts Stripe payments

Offers discount functionality

Why do we recommend it?

Highly customisable code

Compatible with any theme

Great documentation

Alternatives: Download Monitor

16. Simple Membership

Simple Membership is a popular membership plugin that has an amazing free version. It enables you to monetise your content and prevent non members from accessing it.  You can encourage more memberships by teasing the exclusive content. The plugin also helps you customise the customer experience by creating a login page and member profiles. Most importantly, we love the plugin for its admin functionality. For example, you can manage every aspect of your memebrships from approving them to providing a good login experience.

What does it do?

Showcases teaser content

Enables debugging

Enables content protection

Approves members manually

Enables members to cancel easily

Creates front-end profiles

Creates front-end login pages

Why do we recommend it?

Fully customisable

Easy membership setup

Great admin functionality

Alternatives: Ultimate Member

17. Subscriptions for WooCommerce

A free subscription plugin like Subscriptions for WooCommerce empowers you to get regular payments. IIf you’re looking for a free WordPress plugin that can convert simple products to subscription products, we think you’d love this plugin. It’s packed with all the features you’d need to manage a successful subscription site. 

What does it do?

Accepts recurring payments

Offers free trial functionality

Manages payment frequencies

Manages subscription orders

Monitors recurring transactions

Limits free trial frequency

Enables easy cancellations

Why do we recommend it?

Compatible with payment gateways

Easy-to-customise subscription plans

Alternatives: YITH WooCommerce Subscription

18. Order Tracking – WordPress Status Tracking 

As your ecommerce business grows, managing orders can be difficult. The Order Tracking – WordPress Status Tracking plugin is a free ecommerce plugin for your WooCommerce store that does exactly what its name suggestd. You can not only customise your tracking but easily update statuses of orders. This helps customers keep track of where their purchases are. 

What does it do?

Creates infinite orders

Enables search for orders

Updates order status

Creates custom statuses

Enables deleting of orders

Customises tracking pages

Customises timezone settings

Why do we recommend it?

Helps improve customer experience

Translates to multiple languages

Alternatives: Orders Tracking for WooCommerce

19. Airlift

A slew of factors go into making a page rank well on Google search results: page load speed being one of them. Things like badly written code or large image files can slow your site down. Airlift is a complete performance solution that optimises your site files on multiple fronts to make your site lightning fast. You can sign up for Airlift now to experience the plugin. 

What does it do?

Enables CDN on your site

Optimises the site’s CSS 

Enables caching on the site

Helps with image optimisation

Why do we recommend it?

Easy-to-use

Quick install

Great support

Note: While we’ve listed free plugins, we’d be remiss to not reiterate that not all free plugins are great. There are some premium plugins that are better than their free counterparts, and worth the investment. One such example is BlogVault, a backup plugin that is designed for ecommerce sites. It takes real-time backups that help you avoid any loss of data. 

How to pick the best free ecommerce plugins for your WordPress site?

Picking a WordPress plugin can be difficult, but by a general rule of thumb, the following are the top factors to look out for:

Compatibility: The plugin needs to be compatible with the WordPress version that your site has, the theme you’ve installed, and all the other plugins you’ve installed. We recommend you check the reviews and WordPress community for any issues other people have faced. 
Rate of updates: Every new update comes with bug and vulnerability fixes. A vulnerable plugin can be hacked and used to hack your site. This is why we also recommend installing a security plugin like MalCare that warns you of vulnerabilities as soon as they’re identified. 
Support team: If you’re new to WordPress, you may need some help using plugins to customise your site. A great support team can help you out in a jiffy. We recommend you check reviews for evidence of a good support team. 
Documentation: Along similar lines of support is documentation. Documentation has information about the plugin, how to install it, how to use it, and any information that a user will find useful. We recommend looking for documentation before you install the plugin. 
Active installations: This shows the number of people that use the plugin. It’s a sign of how popular the plugin is. A popular plugin is usually a good bet. 

Final thoughts

Plugins are an absolute blessing…..as long as they don’t have bugs and don’t disrupt your site. We recommend you install a security plugin like MalCare to scan for vulnerabilities, especially when you manage a site that stores customer information. 

FAQs

What are the best free WordPress plugins for ecommerce?

The best plugins for a WordPress ecommerce store are:

WooCommerce 

Elementor 

Easy Digital Downloads

Simple Membership 

Subscriptions for WooCommerce 

WooCommerce Multilingual and Multi-Currency 

WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway

WooCommerce Tax 

Order Ttracking – WordPress Status Tracking

WooCommerce Shipping 

RankMath

Google Site Kit 

Ultimate Social Media Sharing icons

WPForms 

Hubspot 

Airlift 

MalCare 

Real Simple SSL

Akismet Anti-Spam 

Is WordPress free for ecommerce stores?

Aside from the domain and hosting fees, your entire WordPress ecommerce site can be free. There are free plugins that help you make the most out of your WordPress site. 

How do I add ecommerce to WooCommerce for free?

Install WooCommerce, a free WordPress plugin to add ecommerce functionality to your site. It allows you to add products and accept cash on delivery payments, out of the box. 

The post Top 19 Free Ecommerce WordPress Plugins appeared first on MalCare.