How to Sell on WordPress Without WooCommerce

WordPress powers more than 43% of all websites on the planet, and most website owners equate “selling online” with using WooCommerce. However, you can even sell your products, digital downloads, or services without even using WooCommerce. In this blog, you will get to understand how to sell on WordPress without WooCommerce.

The good news is that several lightweight options work well with WordPress. They let you take payments quickly. Plus, you avoid the hassle of a full eCommerce plugin.

This guide will explain why and when to skip WooCommerce. It will compare key features and show you three effective ways to sell on WordPress without it. You’ll get step-by-step guides, best practices, and expert tips.

Let’s get started!

Why Sell without WooCommerce?

Though WooCommerce is the most used WordPress eCommerce platform, it isn’t always the best option for some major reasons.

Read this blog to learn to make money with WordPress.

• Less Complexity & Quicker Setup: WooCommerce’s huge feature set can make launch times slower. Simple plugins such as Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) take minutes to install, allowing you to begin selling digital products without setting up dozens of options.
• Better Site Performance: Each product, variation, and extension increases database tables and scripts. For small sites with a few products or service options, more streamlined solutions prevent wasted queries and page-load time.
• Lower Costs: WooCommerce typically involves paid extensions (e.g., subscriptions and bookings), which cost hundreds of dollars a year. Alternatives such as Stripe Payment Links or PayPal buttons are free to embed and charge only transaction fees.
• Targeted Functionality: Plugins with digital downloads (EDD) targeted functionality, forms+payments (WPForms/JetFormBuilder), or direct pay buttons offer only what you require—nothing more and nothing less.

When Not to Use WooCommerce to Sell on WordPress?

Don’t use WooCommerce if your needs align with any of the following:

• Selling One or Two Products: A cart and checkout process isn’t worth it for just a single eBook or service bundle.
• Selling Services or Appointments: No shipping, inventory management, or variations needed. A basic payment form is enough.
• Accepting Donations or Tips: Non-commercial transactions (tips, donations) are best processed through PayPal or Stripe donation links.
• Selling Digital Downloads Alone: Plugins such as EDD are file-security, licensing, and update-optimized features that WooCommerce does more generally.
• Performance-Critical or Content-Ahead Sites: Blogs and portfolios value content speed; lighter payment integrations preserve fast page loads.
• Simple Subscription Handling Required: Whereas the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin is available, but Stripe Payment Links or WP Simple Pay plugins make recurring billing easier without custom code.

Selling With WooCommerce vs. Without WooCommerce: A Brief Comparison

How to Sell on WordPress Without WooCommerce in 3 Methods

Here are the three different methods to sell on WordPress without WooCommerce. You can select one based on your product type as well as business model. Each method contains complete setup instructions.

Method 1: Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)

Recommended for Digital products (eBooks, software, music, courses).

1. Install and Activate EDD Plugin

• In your WP Dashboard, head to the Plugins section, followed by Add New.
• Then search for Easy Digital Downloads and click Install Now.
• Finally, click on the Activate button to activate the plugin.

2. Configure General Settings

• Go to Downloads, then Settings, and finally the General section.
• Configure your Store Address, Currency, and Download Method (for example, Force Downloads).

3. Create Your First Product

• Go to Downloads, and click on Add New.
• Add a Product Title and Description.
• Upload your file under Download Files.
• After that, under Details, set the Price, and hit the Publish button.

4. Set Up Payment Gateways

• In Downloads, navigate to the Settings option and look for Payments.
• Then, activate PayPal and/or Stripe.
• Lastly, click on Save Changes.

5. Create Your Checkout Page

• EDD automatically generates Checkout, Purchase History, and Success pages.
• Customize using Gutenberg blocks or the [download_checkout] shortcode.

6. Add Extensions (Optional)

• Integrate email marketing (Mailchimp), licensing (Software License Manager), or affiliate tracking (AffiliateWP).
• Install only what you require to maintain high performance.

7. Promote & Track

• Insert product blocks anywhere: [download id="123"].
• Use Downloads, then Reports to track sales and income.

Tip: Write detailed product descriptions. Add screenshots or video demos every 300 words. This boosts engagement and improves SERP features.

Method 2: Stripe Payment Links & Buttons

Recommended for services, one-off items, subscriptions, and donations.

1. Install and Activate WP Full Pay Plugin

• Go to Plugins, then Add New.
• Search for WP Full Pay and click on Install.
• Then click on Activate.
• Then sign in to your Stripe Account.
• Then go to Products, then Add Product, and type in the details of your product. Also, you can choose to add optional Recurring settings for subscriptions.

• You can also display the behavior by showing a confirmation message stating that the payment was successful or redirecting to a page displaying the same.

2. Generate Payment Link

• Inside WP Full Pay, then Forms.
• Then select your form type.

3. Copy Link or Embed Code

• Simply first select your form and copy the shortcode generated by the plugin.
• Then, just paste your copied shortcode into your WordPress page, or generate a URL link to a button.
• Lastly, save the changes. You can also preview your payment button live.

Tip: Use descriptive anchor text like “Buy My eBook Now” to boost SEO and clarity.

Method 3: Using PayPal Button (No Plugin)

Recommended for simple cartless sales, donations, and event tickets.

Here are the steps to follow:

• Go to the PayPal buttons website and log in.
• Select any of the button types for your WordPress site.
• Then generate the HTML code and copy it.
• In the WP Dashboard, edit your Page/Post, add a Custom HTML block, and paste the code PayPal Developer.
• Finally, save and preview.

Tip: Use conditional logic to show/hide fields and create upsells, without writing a line of code.

Conclusion

Selling on WordPress without WooCommerce is entirely possible—and often more powerful—by choosing a light solution that fits your needs.

When you’re selling digital downloads, single-time services, or accepting donations, plugins such as Easy Digital Downloads, Stripe Payment Links, and PayPal buttons (or form-based alternatives like WPForms) enable you to build secure payment flows in minutes.

These choices offer simplified configurations, minimal performance overhead, and lowered recurring costs, but maintain essential functionalities like file protection, recurring payments, and adaptive checkout experiences.

By opting for the method that aligns with your product type and business model, you can enjoy a clean, simplified eCommerce experience on your WordPress website—no WooCommerce required.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)