Easy Digital Downloads
by Awesome Motive
The easiest way to sell digital products with WordPress.
The Specialist for Digital Creators
While WooCommerce can sell digital files, Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) was built exclusively for them. It strips away the complexity of shipping zones, inventory management, and logistics, leaving a lean machine for selling software, ebooks, and courses.
Who uses EDD?
Many of the WordPress plugins you use daily (like WPForms or MonsterInsights) actually use EDD to sell their licenses and handle auto-updates.
Key Features
- Software Licensing: The industry standard for managing plugin/theme license keys, renewals, and upgrades.
- File Access Control: strict controls over how many times a file can be downloaded and by whom.
- Customer Records: A dedicated view to see a customer's lifetime value and download history instantly.
Comparison: EDD vs. WooCommerce
| Feature | Easy Digital Downloads | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Effort | Low (Ready for digital) | Medium (Requires config) |
| Physical Goods | No (Requires addons) | Yes (Native) |
| Licensing | Native (Best in class) | Requires paid plugin |
| Bloat | Minimal | High |
Final Verdict
If you are a software developer, photographer, or ebook author, use EDD. The user experience for downloading files is superior. If you sell t-shirts and ebooks, stick with WooCommerce.
Our Review
If you sell digital products, WooCommerce is overkill. EDD is purpose-built for file delivery, license key generation, and digital customer management.
Pros
- Built strictly for digital goods (no shipping bloat)
- Excellent software licensing system
- Robust customer management
- Data reporting is superior to basic Woo
Cons
- Extensions are expensive (often $99+/yr each)
- Not suitable if you plan to sell physical merch later
- Marketplace is smaller than WooCommerce