Looking to sell digital products on WordPress? You’ve probably come across SureCart and Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) in your search. Let’s break down what makes each platform unique and help you figure out which one might be right for your business.
SureCart, launched in 2022, is a versatile e-commerce platform that handles both physical and digital products. Its distinguishing feature is its headless architecture – using proprietary software and processing transactions through dedicated servers rather than your WordPress installation. The platform emphasizes modern design and streamlined setup, as well as speed and performance.
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD), established in 2012, specializes specifically in digital product sales. Its decade-plus of experience and extensive ecosystem of extensions have made it a go-to choice for businesses selling software, ebooks, and other digital goods.
Despite their different approaches, both platforms are equipped to handle digital product businesses. Let’s explore how they compare across features and capabilities to help you make an informed decision.
Pricing Models and Value Proposition
The pricing structures of these platforms reveal much about their target markets and value propositions. SureCart adopts a modern, subscription-based approach with three tiers: a free plan for beginners, a Growth plan at $39 monthly ($228 annually), and a Scale plan at $69 monthly ($588 annually). The free plan includes basic features but carries a 2% transaction fee, while higher tiers remove this fee and add increasingly sophisticated capabilities.
EDD takes a different approach with its annual pricing model. Starting at $199.50 per year for the Personal Pass, it offers comprehensive functionality right out of the gate. The Professional Pass at $299.50 annually adds software licensing and recurring payments, while the All Access Pass at $499.50 provides every extension in their catalog. This pricing structure often proves more economical for established businesses, particularly those needing multiple site licenses or advanced features.
eCommerce Features
When it comes to core eCommerce functionality, both SureCart and Easy Digital Downloads offer comprehensive solutions, though their approaches and capabilities differ significantly.
SureCart handles both digital and physical products through a clean, intuitive interface. Its file protection system ensures secure delivery of digital products, while basic variant management and inventory tracking meet the needs of most small to medium-sized businesses. The platform logs download attempts and provides essential file access controls, though these features aren’t as extensive as EDD’s offerings.
EDD excels in digital product management, offering unlimited file versions and sophisticated variant management. Its bundled product support enables the creation of complex product packages, while detailed download logging and flexible file access expiration controls provide comprehensive oversight of product delivery. These capabilities make EDD particularly well-suited for businesses with complex digital product catalogs or software distribution needs.
SureCart provides popular payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, and Mollie. The platform supports multiple currencies and includes automated tax calculations. Its subscription-handling capabilities and secure payment processing provide a solid foundation for both one-time and recurring payments.
In contrast, EDD offers an even more extensive payment gateway ecosystem, supporting over ten different providers including Stripe, PayPal, and Amazon. This flexibility extends to its manual payment gateway option, allowing businesses to process offline payments or use lesser-known payment providers. The platform’s tax management system provides greater control over tax rules and calculations, though it requires more initial setup than SureCart’s automated approach.
Both platforms provide customers with user dashboards, featuring purchase history tracking, and automated email notifications through a user-friendly interface. In both cases, buyers have easy access to their purchases and account information.
Similarly, both platforms have built-in eCommerce reporting capabilities. However, EDD’s reporting suite is more comprehensive, offering detailed sales analytics, advanced revenue reporting, specific tracking of digital products, and custom report generation with multiple export formats. This depth of analysis makes EDD more suitable for businesses requiring detailed performance insights.
Software Licensing Capabilities
If you’re selling software, here’s something to think about: EDD lets you create unlimited active licenses with their Professional plan ($299.50/year), while SureCart’s similar features come with their Scale plan ($588/year). That’s nearly double the price for comparable capabilities.