Tag: Best WordPress Plugins

Adding YouTube videos to your WordPress website can boost engagement, drive traffic, and provide shareable content for social media. Videos are a powerful tool for promoting branding and marketing and showcasing diverse content that appeals to audiences. Moreover, featuring videos on your site can improve its visibility in search engine ranking pages (SERPs), making them valuable for search engine optimization (SEO). To help you find the best WordPress YouTube plugin for your site’s needs, we’ve compiled a list of our top recommendations in this post.

Let’s get started.

What Are WordPress YouTube Plugins?

A WordPress YouTube plugin is an extension that can be installed on a WordPress website to display YouTube videos or feeds. It allows users to easily embed videos from YouTube onto their website and customize the display of those videos, such as changing the layout, adding branding, or adding additional options like video playlists or live-streaming. They are designed to simplify the process of adding YouTube videos to a WordPress site without requiring users to have technical knowledge or coding skills.

10 Best WordPress YouTube Plugins

To determine the best WordPress Youtube plugins, we considered several factors. First, we examined reviews and the number of installs, as these metrics can provide insights into a plugin’s popularity and credibility. Then, we took into account the features available in both the free and paid versions of each plugin. Based on these considerations, we present our list of the best WordPress Youtube plugins.

1. Feeds for YouTube

Feeds for YouTube is a versatile WordPress YouTube plugin that allows you to embed YouTube feeds on your website and customize them to match your site’s branding. You can connect to YouTube in two ways: through an API, which is the recommended method, or by connecting your YouTube account. While connecting your account is a simpler process, creating an API Key is more complex but offers additional options, such as adding playlists, favorites, live-streaming capabilities, or single videos.

Key Features for Feeds for YouTube:

• Channel feed (free version)
• Embed YouTube playlist (pro)
• Live streams (pro)
• Single Videos (pro)
• Extensive customization options for layout and feed styles

With Feeds for YouTube, styling your YouTube feed is effortless. The plugin offers several templates, including a carousel, cards, list, gallery, and feature your latest video, among others (pro only). Additionally, there are multiple layouts to choose from, giving you plenty of options to customize the appearance of your feed. You can also select a custom color theme and style the header and buttons of your feed, ensuring that it perfectly matches your website’s aesthetic. With these features, you can create a cohesive look and feel throughout your website, enhancing your users’ experience.

Best For:

Feeds for YouTube is one of the best WordPress YouTube plugins that offers a plethora of customization options for YouTubers, bloggers, and businesses. It provides a straightforward way to showcase YouTube content on a website and elevate its visual appeal and engagement. However, to access all of the plugin’s features, you need to obtain an API Key, which could be challenging for beginners. If you’re seeking a more straightforward solution for embedding videos, Embed Plus YouTube might be a better option.

Pricing: Free, with premium prices starting at $49 per year.

Get Feeds for YouTube

2. Envira Gallery

Envira Gallery is one of the most feature-rich gallery plugins for WordPress that also has benefits for YouTubers. With Envira Gallery, you can easily embed video galleries, feature videos in a lightbox, and embed video thumbnails on pages to create a visually appealing gallery to feature your YouTube content.

Key Features for Envira Gallery:

• Add a YouTube gallery (pro)
• Video lightbox (pro)
• Video thumbnails (pro)
• Extensive customization options

Envira Gallery offers various customization options such as enabling lazy loading, defining dimensions, margins, padding, pagination, and choosing the number of columns. However, to access these features for videos, upgrading to a pro license is required.

Best For:

Envira Gallery is ideal for photographers, artists, and bloggers who want to create robust image galleries and showcase videos. It’s user-friendly and highly customizable. However, a pro license is required to access all the features. If you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution, consider the Video Gallery plugin.

Pricing: Free, with pro licenses starting at $89 per year.

Get Envira Gallery

3. Embed Plus YouTube

The Embed Plus YouTube plugin is a powerful tool for WordPress users who want to improve their YouTube embeds. One of its special features is offering more customization options than the standard YouTube embed code. With Embed Plus, users can easily control video playback, autoplay, and other video settings. Additionally, it has a video editor that lets users trim videos, add annotations, and create chapters, all within the WordPress text editor. This is convenient since users don’t need to visit YouTube to edit their videos, saving time and effort.

Key Features for Embed Plus YouTube:

• Supports all editors including classic and Gutenberg blocks
• Set parameters for autoplay, mute, and more
• Edit videos directly in WordPress
• Live stream with live chat
• Defers javascript and lazy loads videos
• Multiple layout options
• Google, Bing, and Yahoo schema markup

Embed Plus also supports live streams, live chat, and YouTube playlists, which can be added with the YouTube Wizard block in either the Gutenberg or classic editor. Moreover, it’s compatible with other WordPress plugins, such as caching plugins, which allows for easy integration into existing websites.

Best For:

Overall, Embed Plus is an excellent tool for website owners who want more control and flexibility over their YouTube embeds. Its user-friendly interface and customization options make it an attractive choice for those looking to enhance the functionality of their WordPress site with embedded YouTube videos. However, one downside is that users need an API Key from YouTube to feature galleries on their site. Although this is not a dealbreaker, it might be a bit cumbersome for those who are unfamiliar with creating API keys through Google.

Pricing: Free, with pro plans starting at $39.99 per year.

Get Embed Plus YouTube

4. Video Gallery

Our next best WordPress YouTube plugin is Video Gallery. With its user-friendly interface, it’s effortless to create stunning video galleries on your WordPress website. Unlike other plugins, there’s no need for an API Key – simply paste YouTube links into the setup wizard, and voila! You can customize your gallery by adding titles, descriptions, and overlay images to each video. The best part? There’s no limit to the number of videos you can feature in your gallery. Plus, with the option to configure Ajax pagination styles, your users can seamlessly navigate through all your videos.

Key Features for Video Gallery:

• Simple setup wizard
• Embed video galleries with a shortcode
• No API required
• Add videos by YouTube link

Video Gallery is a user-friendly plugin that provides a simple yet effective interface, including 9 themes, fields, and various styles, to embed a YouTube video gallery into your WordPress site with ease. Users can follow the setup wizard to configure the settings and embed galleries with a simple shortcode, making it easy to use even for those with limited technical skills.

Best For:

If you’re searching for a hassle-free way to create video galleries without the need to host live streams or chat, then Video Gallery is the perfect solution for you. No need to fuss over creating a Google API Key, simply create a shortcode to create a simple yet stunning video gallery. Though it may not offer many advanced features, it’s still the best WordPress YouTube plugin for beginners. However, if you need a more robust plugin, we recommend checking out Feeds for YouTube.

Pricing: Free, with pro licenses starting at $15 for six months.

Get Video Gallery

5. WP YouTube Lyte

Our next top YouTube plugin on the list is WP YouTube Lyte – a straightforward and easy-to-use plugin for embedding YouTube videos. While you’ll need a Google API Key to use this plugin, once you have it set up, embedding video is a breeze. It offers customization options such as player size and position, and even the ability to force HD quality for your videos. Additionally, the caching feature helps keep your site clutter-free by removing old data.

Key Features for WP YouTube Lyte:

• Force HD
• Control video caching
• Set player size and position

WP YouTube Lyte stands out with its ability to transform links directly into lazy-loading videos that significantly reduce download size and rendering time. This unique feature allows you to easily paste links into the page editor, saving you time and effort. Alternatively, you can use shortcodes to embed videos and playlists, giving you greater control over customization options such as auto-play, start time, and more.

Best For:

For those seeking a straightforward YouTube plugin that doesn’t require extensive configuration to function optimally, WP YouTube Lyte is an excellent solution. This plugin offers user-friendly features and simple customization options, making it an ideal choice for those who prioritize ease of use.

Pricing: Free

Get WP YouTube Lyte

6. ELEX WordPress Embed YouTube Video Gallery

The next YouTube plugin on our list is the ELEX WordPress Embed YouTube Video Gallery, which offers an array of customization options to embed videos, playlists, and video galleries using shortcodes. With ELEX, you can tailor your video display with features such as customizable pagination, popup and inline play modes, and even the option to add a subscribe button.

Key Features for ELEX WordPress Embed YouTube Video Gallery:

• Extensive customization options
• Embed, videos, playlists, and galleries
• Several play modes
• Add a custom subscribe button
• WooCommerce integration

Additionally, the plugin offers extensive layout configuration options, including custom video containers, colors, hover effects, and drop shadows.

Plus, ELEX WordPress Embed YouTube Video Gallery offers unique integration with WooCommerce. With this feature, you can easily add product videos to your WooCommerce products, and even specify their placement within the product gallery. Whether you prefer to display videos at the beginning or the end of the gallery, ELEX makes it easy to enhance your product pages with engaging video content.

Best For:

ELEX WordPress Embed YouTube Video Gallery’s extensive customization options make it ideal for those who want to tailor the appearance of their video content to match their site’s design. Additionally, the seamless integration with WooCommerce makes it an excellent choice for those who want to enhance their product offerings with engaging video content.

Pricing: $79 per year

Get ELEX WordPress Embed YouTube Video Gallery

7. Feed Them Social

Feed Them Social is a versatile social media plugin that lets you embed feeds from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or any combination of these platforms. Whether you’re using the free or pro version, you’ll have access to a wide range of customization options for your feeds.

Key Features for Feed Them Social:

• Multi-platform social media embed plugin
• No API required
• Display a follow button
• Ajax pagination (pro)

Setting up Feed them Social is a simple process. The plugin doesn’t require API, so you just need to connect to your Google account to display your videos. The plugin offers several customization options, including follow button placement, container color, and the number of columns, all of which are available in the free version. If you want to display more than six videos, enable Ajax pagination, or play videos in a popup window, you will need to upgrade to the pro version.

Best For:

Consider using Feed Them Social if you want to display multiple social media feeds on your website. The plugin allows you to easily add YouTube videos by connecting your Google account, without requiring an API. However, if you only need to display YouTube videos and don’t require integration with other social platforms, you may want to consider using Video Gallery or WP YouTube Lyte instead.

Pricing: Free, with premium licenses starting at $50 per year.

Get Feed Them Social

8. EmbedPress

EmbedPress is a WordPress plugin that allows users to embed and display various types of media content on their websites with just a URL. It supports over 75 different types of media sources, including YouTube. EmbedPress provides customizable options for embedding, including player size, aspect ratio, and autoplay settings, among others. It offers Gutenberg block, classic editor, and Elementor integration, as well as shortcodes for easy insertion of media content into pages and posts.

Key Features for EmbedPress:

• Embed feeds for various social media platforms including YouTube
• Seamless integration with Gutenberg, Classic editor, and Elementor
• Robust customization options

With EmbedPress, you can fully customize your YouTube feeds. You can adjust the number of videos to feature, set custom start and stop times for autoplay videos, enable fullscreen mode, and more. Additionally, EmbedPress provides custom blocks for both Elementor and Gutenberg users, allowing for even more advanced customization options.

Best For:

For those who use Elementor or Gutenberg and want to embed feeds from various platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, or Google Calendar, EmbedPress is an ideal solution. With its user-friendly interface, setting up EmbedPress is a breeze. Additionally, it offers a variety of customization options to make embedding videos on your website more convenient.

Pricing: Free, with premium licenses starting at $39 per year.

Get EmbedPress

9. Video Gallery – YouTube Playlist, Channel Gallery by YotuWP

Another popular YouTube plugin that allows you to easily embed videos from your YouTube channel is called Video Gallery – YouTube Playlist, Channel Gallery by YotuWP. With this plugin, you can create specific display parameters using a shortcode generator for displaying a playlist, channel, single video, or videos by keyword. The plugin offers multiple layout types and customization options to determine the number of videos per page, columns, pagination type, and more.

Key Features for Video Gallery – YouTube Playlist, Channel Gallery by YotuWP:

• Robust shortcode generator
• Feature videos by channel, playlist, and more
• Configure player size, button styles, and title/description

YotuWP allows you to customize your video gallery by adding video box effects, tweaking video thumbnails, page layout, pagination, and colors for each feature. Additionally, YotuWP’s caching feature allows you to specify how often videos are refreshed, ensuring that your content is always up-to-date and your site remains speedy.

Best For:

If you’re looking for a plugin that offers a variety of layout options, and the ability to style buttons, pagination, and feed type, then YotuWP is an excellent choice. Like other similar plugins, YotuWP requires an API key, but once you have that setup, the configuration process is easy.

Pricing: Free, with the pro license for a $21 one-time fee.

Get Video Gallery – YouTube Playlist, Channel Gallery by YotuWP

10. Automatic YouTube Gallery

Finally, if you’re looking for a simple and user-friendly YouTube gallery plugin, Automatic YouTube Gallery is worth checking out. With this plugin, you can easily feature your channel’s videos or playlists on your WordPress site. The setup process is fast and straightforward, with options to select a theme (classic for the free version, inline, popup, slider for pro), the number of columns and videos per page, as well as how your videos appear on your page or post.

Key Features for Automatic YouTube Gallery:

• Easy setup controls
• Multiple configuration options
• Shortcode generator

Automatic YouTube Gallery is a plugin that works by allowing you to configure your desired display options and then generate a shortcode that can be used on any post or page in virtually any WordPress theme. While the free version of the plugin gets the job done, you may want to consider upgrading to the pro version to access additional features, such as the ability to feature your videos through different display methods.

Best For:

Whether you’re a blogger, marketer, or business owner, Automatic YouTube Gallery offers a simple and effective way to showcase your YouTube content on your WordPress site.

Pricing: $3.99 per month (billed annually).

Get Automatic YouTube Gallery

What is the Best WordPress YouTube Plugin Overall?

Choosing the best YouTube plugin for your WordPress website can be a tough decision, especially with so many great options available. However, after careful consideration of features, ease of use, customization options, and support, our overall top pick is Feeds for YouTube.

Not only does Feeds for Youtube offer an extensive range of features and customization options, but it also has excellent performance optimization and caching capabilities. This ensures that your site runs quickly and smoothly, even when displaying multiple videos.

Need more plugins? Check out all our articles featuring the best plugins to use in WordPress.

The post 10 Best YouTube Plugins for WordPress in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

Have you ever encountered problems with WordPress failing to deliver emails effectively? If you’ve been a dedicated WordPress user for a while, chances are you have. This is because WordPress’s default mail system, PHP Mail(), can be unreliable. For consistent email delivery through WordPress, it’s recommended to use WordPress SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). You can achieve this through an external service or a plugin. In this post, we’ll explore the best WordPress SMTP plugins.

Let’s get started.

What is an SMTP Plugin for WordPress?

An SMTP plugin for WordPress is a simple tool that allows you to configure SMTP for sending email messages from your WordPress website. As previously mentioned, the default PHP mail function isn’t the best, with emails sometimes being marked as spam, or not delivered at all. SMTP plugins work by connecting your site to an external SMTP server, which is both more reliable and more secure. These plugins usually provide options for configuring the SMTP server, such as host, port, encryption method, and authentication details.

7 Best WordPress SMTP Plugins

When researching the best WordPress SMTP plugins, we took a few things into consideration. Our approach was anchored on various factors, the first being the number of installations. It’s a well-known fact that the number of users can be an indicator of a plugin’s effectiveness. Secondly, we tested each of the entries on our list to ensure proper functionality. Third, we looked at features, reviews, and whether the plugins are being maintained. So without further ado, let’s break down our list.

1. WP Mail SMTP

Our top pick for best WordPress SMTP plugins is WP Mail SMTP, which boasts over 3 million installs and is the most popular option available. There are several reasons why it has such a large user base. Firstly, setting up SMTP with WP Mail SMTP is a breeze. You can easily configure the plugin in just a few simple steps using a handy configuration wizard to start sending emails through your desired provider in a matter of minutes.

Moreover, WP Mail SMTP stands out for its extensive support for different email service providers. The plugin supports a wide range of mailers, including SendLayer, Sendinblue, Gmail, Mailgun, SendGrid, and Zoho Mail, among others. With so many options available, you can easily choose the provider that works best for your needs. As an added bonus, most of the more popular choices are available with the free version of the plugin.

While WP Mail SMTP does offer recommendations for which email service provider to choose, it does so intending to make the setup process as seamless as possible. It’s worth noting that there may be some partnerships at play, but ultimately the plugin allows you to select the provider that best meets your needs. For instance, if you choose Gmail, you will receive a warning message indicating that it’s suitable for sending small amounts of emails, but it may not be ideal for larger volumes due to rate limitations and restrictions.

Key Features for WP Mail SMTP:

• Easy setup wizard
• Support for major SMTP email providers
• One-click migration from other SMTP plugins
• Email tracking for site-wide and WooCommerce-specific emails
• Multisite support

Although some advanced features are only available with the paid Pro version of WP Mail SMTP, they are well worth the investment. For example, the email log feature allows you to easily resend or forward any email to one or more email addresses directly from within the WordPress dashboard. Additionally, the plugin’s advanced tracking capabilities let you monitor email performance by tracking metrics such as opens and clicks. This is especially useful for WooCommerce users who want to keep track of their e-commerce-specific emails.

One of the biggest advantages of upgrading to the pro version is multisite support. This allows users to manage email logs and track emails across all sub-sites without having to navigate to each individual site. For those who manage multiple sites, this feature can save a significant amount of time and effort. Other advanced features such as alerts, additional connections, and smart routing are also available in the Pro version.

Best For:

If you’re looking for an SMTP plugin that offers more advanced features and capabilities, WP Mail SMTP is an excellent choice. This plugin is ideal for those who need to manage multiple WordPress sites within a multisite environment, as it provides seamless integration and support for all sub-sites. Additionally, WP Mail SMTP offers a wide range of email service providers to choose from, allowing you to select the one that best suits your needs.

Pricing: Free, with a pro license starting at $49 per year.

Get WP Mail SMTP

2. Sendinblue WordPress Plugin

Next on our list is the official plugin for Sendinblue, a popular marketing automation solution. If you’re already using Sendinblue for your marketing needs, this plugin is a must-have addition. In addition to providing a newsletter, email marketing, and subscribe form features, the plugin also offers SMTP functionality. By rerouting the default wp_mail() function to use Sendinblue’s SMTP provider, you can ensure that your emails are delivered reliably and securely.

After installing the plugin, Sendinblue makes it easy to connect to your account to start routing emails through them with one step:

With Sendinblue, signing up and using their platform is completely free. Not only do you get access to important features such as email collection, list building, SMTP to send transactional emails, email marketing builders, and the ability to schedule your email marketing campaigns, but you can also send up to 300 emails per day with the free license. This makes it a great option for those who don’t expect to send a large volume of emails daily.

Key Features for Newsletter, SMTP, Email marketing, and Subscribe forms by Sendinblue:

• SMTP transactional email routing
• Collect and build email lists
• Create and schedule email marketing campaigns
• Email optin form creation

Another key feature of the plugin is the ability to create custom email opt-in forms to display on your website. With this tool, you can easily create and customize opt-in forms to collect email addresses from your site’s users. There are plenty of email templates to choose from, or you can simply design your own. Form fields can also be customized to collect specific information about your users.

Best For:

If you are a Sendinblue user who wants to add SMTP mail functionality to your WordPress site, the Newsletter, SMTP, Email Marketing, and Subscribe Forms plugin by Sendinblue is an excellent choice. However, if you only need a simple tool for this function and are not interested in marketing automation, you may want to consider the next plugin on our list, Easy WP SMTP.

Pricing: Free, with plans starting at $25 per month.

Get The Sendinblue WordPress Plugin

3. Easy WP SMTP

Moving on to the next plugin on our list, we have Easy WP SMTP. This plugin offers a simple and lightweight alternative to other SMTP plugins, making it a great option for those who prefer a more streamlined approach.

While it may lack some of the advanced features of other plugins we’ve mentioned, Easy WP SMTP is still a capable and reliable option to consider. It offers support for multiple email providers, including SendLayer, Mailgun, Sendinblue, and SMTP.com, and allows you to configure your own.

Unlike the previous two plugins, there is no wizard to guide you through the setup process. However, if you have the technical know-how, setting up your own connection should not be a problem. You’ll need to input details such as your host, type of encryption, port, and other settings.

Key Features for Easy WP SMTP:

• Lightweight
• Manual SMTP connection – no setup wizard
• Send test emails
• Email debugging

Easy WP SMTP also comes equipped with a couple of handy features to help you troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Firstly, you can send a test email to ensure the plugin is working correctly. Secondly, the plugin allows you to debug events, with two types of event types available: email sending errors and email sending debug. This is particularly useful in case you encounter any issues with your emails not being sent.

Best For:

Easy WP SMTP is the ideal plugin for anyone seeking a straightforward solution to guarantee email deliverability via SMTP. Although it lacks the fancy features of other plugins, it is a reliable and cost-free option that will undoubtedly get the job done.

Pricing: Free

Get Easy WP SMTP

4. Post SMTP Mailer/Email Log

The next contender in our list is Post SMTP, which is also worth considering. It provides a user-friendly configuration wizard that helps you get started quickly. Once you enter your email address, the plugin suggests an email provider and automatically inputs the outgoing mail server for you. For example, when we proceeded to connect our Gmail email address, Post SMTP recommended smtp.gmail.com, which is the default outgoing mail server for Gmail.

You’ll then proceed to a connectivity test, which shows you the available providers for Gmail:

Beyond that, you’ll likely need to follow the link provided to guide you on setting up the connection. Depending on the provider you choose, the setup can be simple or daunting. For example, we chose Gmail, which required us to connect to the Google cloud console, set up a new project, then go through the steps to create a client ID and secret. It’s not the easiest task to complete, especially for beginners.

Despite the setup difficulty, Post SMTP offers a variety of standard features that other plugins typically require a premium license for. With this plugin, you can access an email log, set up a fallback SMTP connection, configure email validation, assign additional reply-to emails, and customize advanced network settings. These features can be extremely useful and save you the cost of having to purchase a premium license for other plugins that offer the same functionalities.

Key Features for Post SMTP Mailer/Email Log:

• Email log
• Configure fallback SMTP connection
• Assign additional reply-to email addresses
• Advanced network settings
• Chrome extension

Moreover, Post SMTP offers an optional Chrome extension that notifies you of any delivery failures, which can help you monitor and resolve email deliverability issues promptly. Failure to address these issues can lead to lost email subscribers, decreased sales, and an inability to engage with your site visitors effectively. Furthermore, the plugin offers various add-ons that you can purchase to extend its functionality. These add-ons include Zoho Mail Pro, which enables you to connect your Zoho account, Mail Control, which lets you configure the types of emails sent, Twilio, which offers live chat integration, Office 365 support, and the Better Email add-on, which allows you to design email marketing campaigns

Best For:

Post SMTP is a robust SMTP plugin that offers a variety of additional features for those who require them. With a free download, the plugin includes an email log, fallback SMTP connections, and a Chrome extension. Additionally, its various add-ons extend the plugin’s capabilities, allowing for better control over your customer interactions. However, if you require more integrations, you may find Sendinblue’s SMTP plugin to be a better fit.

Pricing: Free, with add-ons starting at $39.99 per year.

Get Post SMTP Mailer/Email Log

5. FluentSMTP

FluentSMTP is our next entry, offering support for a wide range of email providers that other plugins don’t have. With FluentSMTP, you can connect to Elastic Email, Netcore, and Postmark, in addition to the popular providers that other SMTP plugins support. As for features, FluentSMTP is comparable to the other plugins on our list, including email logs and native API connections.

However, one standout feature is the ability to set up daily or weekly notifications for sending stats and failed emails. Additionally, FluentSMTP allows you to configure multiple email service providers, automatically routing both transactional and marketing emails.

Key Features for FluentSMTP

• Intelligent email routing
• Multiple email providers supported
• Daily/Weekly notifications
• Error log

FluentSMTP is not only feature-rich, but it also comes at no cost, unlike other plugins on our list. It offers similar features to Easy WP SMTP, without requiring any add-ons or extra purchases. Additionally, FluentSMTP is one of the most simplistic and lightweight options on our list, running as a single-page application that ensures smooth and speedy performance. This means that you won’t have to worry about your site slowing down as a result of using this plugin.

Best For:

FluentSMTP is a dedicated SMTP plugin and doesn’t have any additional features beyond that. On the other hand, its simplicity and straightforwardness make it a great choice for those who just need an SMTP plugin without the bells and whistles.

Pricing: Free

Get FluentSMTP

6. WP SMTP

WP SMTP is a straightforward SMTP plugin developed by the creators of the widely used image gallery plugin, Modula. Unlike some other plugins, WP SMTP does not use a configuration wizard, add-ons, or additional functionality. It takes a no-frills approach, providing only what you need to get the job done.

To use WP SMTP, you’ll need to manually configure your settings, which may differ depending on the email provider you choose. You’ll need to enter details such as SMTP host, SMTP port, and authentication and security options such as SSL or TLS. However, it’s worth noting that WP SMTP doesn’t provide this information, so you’ll need to obtain it from your email provider.

Key Features for WP SMTP

• Simple SMTP plugin
• Email log with export to CSV

WP SMTP offers a feature that allows you to export the email log as a CSV file. This enables you to search through the entries for any issues with email deliverability, such as bounces or errors, as well as track whether or not the emails were clicked. This information can be incredibly useful in gaining insights into how your website is interacting with your audience, allowing you to optimize your email strategy accordingly.

Best For:

WP SMTP is great for those who don’t need a fancy interface or help setting up a secure SMTP connection. Those who prefer to download email logs for meticulous scrutiny will appreciate the export to CSV feature. That being said, if you’re looking for a bit more out of an SMTP plugin, consider looking at WP Mail SMTP or Sendinblue’s SMTP plugin.

Pricing: Free

Get WP SMTP

7. SMTP Mailer

The last SMTP plugin we have on our list is SMTP Mailer, which is also a straightforward option. While manual configuration is required to set up the connection, the plugin developer offers a convenient list of common SMTP provider credentials on their website to help those who may need assistance setting things up.

SMTP Mailer offers a handy feature where you can send a test email through the SMTP server to ensure that your settings are correct. The plugin will then report whether the test was successful or failed, ensuring that you don’t miss out on important emails sent from WordPress. While this feature isn’t unique to SMTP Mailer, it’s still a valuable tool for those setting up SMTP connections.

Key Features for SMTP Mailer

• Simple SMTP connection
• Helpful documentation
• Ability to send a test email

Other than being a simple plugin, WP SMTP offers the ability to double-check settings with a handy email test function. Plus, those needing help with configuring their SMTP connection will be pleased with the plugin documentation which contains information on SMTP hosts such as Sendinblue, Yahoo SMTP, Outlook, SendGrid, Mandrill, Amazon SES, and more. One downside is that it does not support the ability to connect to the Gmail SMTP server.

Best For:

Budget-conscious individuals will find WP SMTP straightforward, without any over-the-top features. Set up requires manual entry, so those who expect a convenient configuration wizard should look elsewhere, especially if they plan to use the Gmail SMTP server.

Pricing: Free

Get SMTP Mailer

Final Thoughts on the Best WordPress SMTP Plugins

SMTP plugins provide a secure and reliable way to send emails from your WordPress site. In this post, we’ve covered our picks for the best WordPress SMTP plugins on the market.

WP Mail SMTP is a great option for those looking for a plugin with a robust feature set. It has a straightforward configuration wizard for easy setup of secure connections, supports most major SMTP providers, and integrates well with most form plugins and WooCommerce. This makes it an all-in-one solution for configuring SMTP connections, without the need for additional software or add-ons.

If you’re looking for more plugins, check out our post on the 15 Best WordPress Newsletter Email Opt-in Plugins, or the 26 Best WordPress Marketing Plugins for 2023 to get more insight on the best plugins for your WordPress site.

The post 7 Best SMTP Plugins for WordPress in 2023 appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

When building an ecommerce website on WordPress, picking between WooCommerce and other platforms is crucial. Once you determine which plugin to use, you can take steps to personalize your eCommerce website to make it more effective and unique. In this post, we’ll share the best WordPress ecommerce plugins available, including WooCommerce-based options as well as other solutions, to help take your website to the next level.

Let’s get started.

What is a WordPress Ecommerce Plugin?

An ecommerce plugin is software that adds ecommerce functionality to a WordPress website giving you the ability to sell products, process payments, manage orders, and customize your online store. Therefore, these plugins are necessary when building an ecommerce site. There are many free and paid options to choose from based on your needs.

Why Do I Need WordPress Ecommerce Plugins?

Ecommerce plugins manage online stores, including products, pricing, shipping, taxes, and automation. They also offer search customization, filtering, checkout streamlining, and multi-vendor marketplace options, resulting in a highly capable store that boosts sales and revenue.

16 Best WordPress ECommerce Plugins

We carefully selected this list of eCommerce plugins for WordPress to help businesses enhance their online stores with additional features and functionality. Our selection criteria included reviews, installs, support, ease of use, and compatibility with the latest WordPress version for security and stability.

Without any further delay, let’s dive right into our top picks for the best WordPress ecommerce plugins.

1. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the go-to ecommerce platform for WordPress sites, being the most used option. However, while it has the most features and plugins available, it may not be the easiest option. Configuring it and adding products, including taxes, can be tedious. Nevertheless, WooCommerce remains a popular choice for millions of WordPress sites due to the number of plugins available for it.

WooCommerce has incredible support with lots of helpful guides and resources on its website. Companies such as YITH make useful plugins that can help make your online store unique and make it stand out from the crowd.

Key Features for WooCommerce:

• Complete ecommerce solution for WordPress
• Lots of plugin options
• Hefty knowledge base
• Endlessly scalable
• Unmatched analytics tools

WooCommerce gives you a lot of information about how your store is doing, like how many sales you’ve made and what customers are doing. You can start with the free plugin and then add more features as your business grows.

Best For:

WooCommerce is ideal for those who desire a custom ecommerce solution and have the knowledge or resources to manage and optimize their online store. It may not be easy for newbies who have limited time to learn the platform.

Pricing: Free. Note that the “free” price of WooCommerce doesn’t tell the whole story. Most store owners will need to purchase a few premium add-ons, and those can be pricey.

Get WooCommerce

2. Easy Digital Downloads

Easy Digital Downloads simplifies digital storefront management and sales, making it a must-have for ecommerce sites selling digital products. It works alone or integrates with WooCommerce, allowing you to set single and variable pricing with an immediate purchase or cart-saving options. It seamlessly works with popular WooCommerce SEO plugins such as Rank Math and Yoast SEO, optimizing product pages for better SERPs visibility.

Key Features for Easy Digital Downloads:

• Multiple purchasing formats
• Functions as a standalone ecommerce solution or integration with WooCommerce
• Integrates well with Divi and other popular WordPress themes
• Multiple payment gateway options
• Addons for recurring payments, shipping, and frontend submissions

Easy Digital Downloads allow you to use any theme, including Divi. Plus, Divi’s Theme Builder lets you create customized download product templates. The platform’s dynamic content feature enables you to customize EDD fields to display download images, product descriptions, pricing, and add-to-cart buttons. Add-ons can be used to enable subscription-based products, multi-vendor marketplaces, and seamless email opt-ins with Mailchimp integration. Easy Digital Downloads also supports several payment gateway add-ons.

Best For:

Those who are looking to feature digital products on their websites will find Easy Digital Downloads one of the best WordPress ecommerce plugins available. With multiple payment options, custom template support through Divi, and both single and variable product options, EDD is a great option for selling digital products online.

Pricing: Free, pro license starting at $99.50 per year.

Get Easy Digital Downloads

3. Dokan Multi Vendor

Dokan MultiVendor is the best WordPress ecommerce plugin for creating a multi-vendor marketplace with options to monetize through commissions and subscriptions. It requires WooCommerce and comes in both free and paid versions. The free version offers features such as unlimited vendors with individual front-end dashboards.

This free version also includes a comprehensive order management dashboard, various widgets, email notifications for orders, and multi-language support with WPML.

Key Features for Dokan Multi Vendor:

• Multiple product options
• Website monetization opportunities
• Comprehensive order management dashboard
• WooCommerce integration
• Multilanguage support through WPML

Dokan offers a variety of features to make your experience setting up a multivendor website a breeze, but the most compelling by far is its ease of use. With a straightforward setup wizard, you can easily configure how vendors will pay you and the level of control you want to have over them. To make things even easier, Dokan will even install WooCommerce for you.

Best For:

Dokan MultiVendor simplifies creating a multivendor marketplace on WordPress with unlimited vendors, easy order management, and fee earning. However, the free version has limited features. The professional version starts at $149 per year before add-ons, but it is the most versatile multi-vendor ecommerce plugin for WordPress.

Pricing: Free, with a premium license starting at $149 per year.

Get Dokan Multi Vendor

4. Ecwid for WordPress

Ecwid is a cloud-based ecommerce platform that allows businesses to sell products on multiple platforms, integrating seamlessly with WordPress using the Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart plugin. It offers over 40 payment options, social media selling, and comprehensive shipping and tax collection options for a reasonable monthly fee. While a free account allows up to 5 products, upgrading to a pro license is required for more. The fees for a pro license are lower than the costs of customizing a WooCommerce store.

Key Features for Ecwid for WordPress:

• WooCommerce alternative
• All-in-one ecommerce solution
• Seamless WordPress integration
• Sell products on social media

Ecwid offers nearly 100 storefront templates, providing ample design options for your online store. It is fully compatible with all WordPress themes, allowing you complete control over the look and feel of your website. However, the editing options for Ecwid storefront themes are limited, which means you may need to adjust your WordPress styling to ensure a cohesive look and feel.

Best For:

Those looking for a cost-effective alternative to WooCommerce that doesn’t require expensive plugins will find Ecwid to be an excellent choice. With its simple interface, setting up a full-featured ecommerce store is a breeze.

Pricing: Free, with plans starting at $14.08 per month.

Get Ecwid for WordPress

5. MemberPress

MemberPress is a top membership plugin for WordPress that offers a wide range of features, including multiple payment gateways, subscription management, digital downloads, discounts, and affiliate program integration. It seamlessly integrates with popular affiliate marketing plugins like Pretty Links and can be used alone or integrated with WooCommerce.

Key Features for MemberPress:

• Multiple payment gateway support
• Digital downloads
• Subscription-based products
• Integrates with top affiliate plugins
• Integrates with WooCommerce, or is a standalone option for ecommerce
• Ability to create trial memberships

Another unique feature of MemberPress is the ability to offer trial memberships. By allowing potential members to test out your site, you allow them to determine if it’s right for them. This can help increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately resulting in higher retention rates.

Best For:

For membership-based ecommerce websites, choose MemberPress as the go-to solution. It offers numerous features and is easy to set up with a configuration wizard, getting your website ready in minutes. One downside is the lack of a free plugin or demo, but they offer a 14-day money-back guarantee. That should appease those who aren’t 100% convinced that MemberPress is right for them.

Pricing: Starting at $179.50 per year.

Get MemberPress

6. SearchWP

WordPress users know that the built-in search function is inadequate. But there’s a solution: SearchWP. This ecommerce plugin replaces it with a customizable, advanced search system that delivers more accurate and relevant results. Better search results can enhance the user experience, leading to increased satisfaction, loyalty, and better product visibility.

SearchWP integrates with popular ecommerce plugins such as WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, and Dokan Multivendor, delivering accurate search results for custom fields. It also integrates with WPML for multilingual ecommerce websites and searches form entries for WP Forms, enhancing its capabilities.

Key Features for SearchWP:

• Customizable search system
• Ability to search custom fields
• Multilingual support
• Integration with other popular ecommerce plugins

The free version of SearchWP only offers Ajax live search. For full functionality, you need to buy the premium version. It provides an extensive settings dashboard to configure search parameters for posts, pages, media, and custom fields.

Best For:

Those wanting to make all of their site’s content searchable should consider SearchWP. With support for all post types, including custom fields, it is a valuable ecommerce plugin for any website.

Pricing: Free, with premium plans starting at $99 per year.

Get SearchWP

7. WP Forms

WP Forms is a top form building plugin that offers excellent features for ecommerce. It lets you create custom forms to collect customer information, process orders, and handle other ecommerce tasks. It integrates with popular payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Square, enabling you to accept payments within forms.

Key Features for WP Forms:

• Drag and drop form builder
• Integration with payment gateways
• Track form submissions
• Customizable form templates
• Integration with Divi

With WP Forms, there’s no need for WooCommerce. The plugin enables you to create customizable checkout forms that include customer-specific fields to personalize the checkout process. You can also match your site’s branding seamlessly thanks to WP Forms’ integrated styling options.

Best For:

If you plan to sell a few products and don’t need all the extra hassle of installing and configuring WooCommerce, WP Forms is one of the best WordPress ecommerce plugins available.

Pricing: Free, with premium licenses starting at $49.50 per year.

Get WP Forms

8. Funnelkit

Funnelkit is one of the best marketing plugins for WordPress. It lets businesses create sales and lead generation pages for ecommerce sites with various page types, such as opt-in pages, sales pages, thank you pages, and webinar registration pages.

Key Features for Funnelkit:

• A/B testing
• Assortment of landing page types
• Analytics dashboard

The plugin’s drag-and-drop builder makes it easy to create pages using a wide selection of design elements. Additionally, Funnelkit includes A/B testing functionality, allowing users to compare different versions of their pages and optimize them for better performance.

Best For:

Funnelkit is the ideal tool for boosting eCommerce sales through landing pages. Its templates, compatible with popular WordPress themes such as Divi, Elementor, and Gutenberg, make creating landing pages easy.

Pricing: Free, with premium licenses starting at $99.50 per year.

Get Funnelkit

9. SendPulse Web Push

Web Push by Sendpulse is a key component of a successful omnichannel marketing strategy. It lets businesses send notifications through major browsers and mobile devices to alert customers about upcoming sales, discounts, and other important information. By allowing customers to opt in, web and mobile notifications can increase engagement and drive sales.

Key Features for SendPulse Web Push:

• Web and mobile notifications
• [ feature ]
• [ feature ]

Web Push notifications are free, but for advanced notification features, SendPulse offers robust options. This includes SMS messages, and chatbots through popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Moreover, SendPulse allows you to create landing pages, popups, and engaging email marketing campaigns.

Best For:

Those who are looking for unique ways to interact with their customers will find SendPulse Web Push a fantastic option. With additional communication methods available with pro plans, SendPulse can be your go-to marketing solution for your eCommerce website.

Pricing: Free, with pro plans starting at $7.68 per month.

Get SendPulse Web Push

10. ShopWP

ShopWP is a full-featured ecommerce plugin that bridges the gap between Shopify and WordPress, allowing users to sell Shopify products on their WordPress site. It provides automatic product syncing, customized styling options, and a robust filtering system. The product embed interface allows for easy editing and publishing of Shopify products directly within the WordPress dashboard.

Key Features for ShopWP:

• Integrate Shopify into WordPress
• Automatic product syncing
• Vast styling options
• Advanced filtering options

Setting up ShopWP is a breeze. Just connect your Shopify account, sync your products, and add extensions like Yotpo reviews or Recharge subscriptions if desired. This is perfect for beginners and only takes a few minutes. The free version includes filtering, sorting, variants, Ajax pagination, and the Shopify cart experience, but the developer no longer supports it. For advanced features like image zoom and direct checkout, upgrade to the pro version. If you prefer Shopify to WooCommerce, this is worth it.

Best For:

ShopWP is an excellent solution for Shopify users who wish to take advantage of the extensive customization options available on WordPress.

Pricing: Free, with the pro version starting at $199 per year.

Get ShopWP

11. WP Gridbuilder

WP Grid Builder is a powerful eCommerce plugin that lets you create custom grid layouts for pages, posts, and products with a drag-and-drop interface. It comes loaded with designs that can be easily customized. Other features include lazy loading, Ajax pagination, WooCommerce integration, and tons of options for product filters.

Key Features for WP Gridbuilder:

• Easy to customize
• Variety of design templates
• Lazy Loading, custom filter options
• Works with WooCommerce

WP GridBuilder lets you fully customize the search options for your products. You can place them on the left, right, or top of your page. You can also add color swatches to help people with vision problems search more easily.

Best For:

WP Grid Builder is a useful ecommerce plugin for those who want to create dynamic and beautiful product layouts without needing coding skills.

Pricing: $49 per year.

Get WP Gridbuilder

12. WP Simple Pay

WP Simple Pay is a popular ecommerce plugin for WordPress that accepts single and repeat payments, making it ideal for subscription-based products. Its custom checkout process works easily with WordPress sites and supports multiple currencies. This makes it a top choice for any business looking for a solid payment solution.

Key Features for WP Simple Pay:

• Multiple payment options, including buy now, pay later
• Subscription-based product support
• Multiple currency support
• Custom payment forms

WP Simple Pay offers various payment options with both versions of the plugin. The free version enables payments via Stripe, while the pro version provides more options, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and buy now, pay later options through AfterPay, Klarna, and ACH Direct Debit. The pro version also allows for custom payment forms, while the free version only permits custom payment buttons.

Best For:

WP Simple Pay is a great complete solution for those looking to collect payments without the need for a complicated plugin like WooCommerce.

Pricing: Free, with premium plans starting at $49.50 per year.

Get WP Simple Pay

13. Ecommerce Product Catalog for WordPress

Ecommerce Product Catalog for WordPress allows you to create a product catalog or online store without the need for WooCommerce. It offers features such as an easy setup, product management, customizable layouts, several payment options, and advanced filters to sort products.

Key Features for Ecommerce Product Catalog for WordPress:

• 4 product catalog setup choices
• Advanced sorting and product filter options
• Custom field support
• Multiple payment options

The plugin offers different options for ecommerce situations such as a web store, inquiry, affiliate, or simple catalog, with each option installing the necessary parts. However, display options are limited and require CSS or custom field creation knowledge to customize products. Nonetheless, custom fields can be used to create dynamic product templates for viewing products in themes that support full site editing.

Best For:

If you are looking for a simple ecommerce solution and have experience with CSS or creating templates with premium themes, then Ecommerce Product Catalog for WordPress could be a good option for you.

Pricing: Free, with add-on bundles starting at $49 per year.

Get Ecommerce Product Catalog for WordPress

14. WP Easy Cart

Up next is another WooCommerce alternative, WP Easy Cart. Like other plugins on our list, it offers an easy setup wizard to help you build your online store. That being said, the interface isn’t as simple as other options. It has a messy appearance that may be a bit frustrating at first.

Key Features for WP Easy Cart:

• Easy setup
• Social media sharing options
• Product variations
• Sale pricing
• Inventory management

Once you get over the dashboard hump, you’ll find WP Easy Cart easy to understand. To help you along, you can install demo content to get a feel for how the plugin works. The product page itself is pretty impressive with social media sharing icons, product variations, sale pricing, as well as inventory management. The paid version adds a few more features including abandoned cart emails, coupons, and promotions, as well as the ability to cross-sell products.

Best For:

Those who are looking for a simple ecommerce plugin that doesn’t require WooCommerce should check out WP Easy Cart. There are ample options to make your online store look nice, options to share products on social media, and great inventory management – all for free.

Pricing: Free, with premium licenses starting at $69 per year.

Get WP Simple Pay

15. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is a powerful lead-generation tool that can improve ecommerce websites with features such as exit-intent technology, reducing cart abandonment, and growing email lists. Although setup can be tedious and requires a credit card, OptinMonster’s simple dashboard makes it one of the best WordPress ecommerce plugins available.

The plugin dashboard is simple and easy to follow. You’re met with the ability to create different kinds of calls to action:

OptinMonster offers customizable templates such as exit intent popups, floating bars, slide-ins, and more for businesses to easily create campaigns using a simple drag-and-drop builder.

Key Features for OptinMonster:

• Generous amount of templates
• Comprehensive dashboard
• Track campaign performance with advanced analytics tools
• Helpful documentation (pro users only)

Additionally, OptinMonster provides businesses with effective popups, an intuitive dashboard, and a suite of analytics tools to track campaign performance and make data-driven decisions to improve conversion rates and revenue. Personalization tools allow businesses to set up tracking for ecommerce-specific plugins, tailor reporting to their needs, and gain valuable insights into their customers’ behavior and preferences. However, to access personalization features, you’ll need to become a pro member, with plans starting at $9 per month.

Best For:

OptinMonster offers essential tools for ecommerce websites that can help increase engagement and create impressive call-to-actions, along with providing robust reporting tools. In addition, if you are a Shopify or WooCommerce user, OptinMonster is the best ecommerce plugin for taking your website’s performance to the next level.

Pricing: Free, with pro licenses starting at $9 per month (billed annually).

Get OptinMonster

16. Divi

Lastly, we have Divi – one of the most amazing premium themes that natively supports WooCommerce. Divi comes packed with over 20 WooCommerce modules, that allow you to design every aspect of your site using the powerful front-end Visual Builder. As mentioned earlier, Divi also offers its Theme Builder, which allows you to create gorgeous templates to house your products, categories, and shop pages.

Key Features for Divi:

• Native WooCommerce support
• No-code Visual Builder
• Create product, shop, and category pages with Theme Builder
• Over 2000 free layouts
• Over 200 design elements
• Integration with popular plugins

Divi has a few other stellar features, such as its global color management system that enables you to set default colors for your entire site, to provide design consistency across all pages. Divi also includes an A/B testing tool, mobile editing tools, and over 2000 design layouts that are available for free use within the theme.

Best For:

Divi is an amazing theme that works well for both new WordPress users and professional designers. It offers tons of design layouts, native WooCommerce support, and robust design options, making it an excellent choice for those who want to create a unique and powerful ecommerce website.

Pricing: Premium licenses start at $89 per year.

Get Divi

What is the Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugin?

WooCommerce is by far the most popular WordPress ecommerce plugin, and it’s a great way to get your store up and running. It’s free, but most stores will need to purchase quite a few paid add-ons that can really add up. Alternatively, if you are selling digital goods and want an easy all-in-one solution, you should consider Easy Digital Downloads.

Of course, creating your store is only the first step! You’ll also need to promote it. OptinMonster is a great way to generate leads and build your mailing list and Funnelkit is a great way to improve conversions. And of course, if you are looking for a great theme or page builder that works well with all of these plugins, look not further than our very own Divi!

Looking for more ecommerce plugin options? Check out our posts for the best WooCommerce image zoom plugins, as well as excellent WooCommerce social media plugin options.

The post 16 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins in 2023 (Pros & Cons) appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.