Easy Digital Downloads is a WordPress plugin for selling digital files through paid extensions. ThriveCart is a standalone shopping cart with one-time pricing. Both connect to Stripe and PayPal.
When the Platform Becomes the Project
But there’s a different problem.
Easy Digital Downloads runs on WordPress. You need hosting, security management, plugin updates, PHP maintenance, and backups. You need paid extensions for core features like recurring billing. Plugin conflicts eat hours. Your WordPress site becomes a project on top of selling digital products.
ThriveCart takes a different route. No WordPress needed. But user reviews tell a consistent story: bugs that break subscription management, poor customer support, and criticism getting removed from their Facebook group.
Both platforms add overhead that pulls your focus from the actual online business. You end up managing the tool instead of serving customers.
When you compare Easy Digital Downloads vs ThriveCart, the question isn’t just “which has better features.” It’s “which platform stays out of my way?”
What Selling Should Actually Look Like
You picked a shopping cart to sell things. Not to manage WordPress hosting. Not to troubleshoot why a plugin broke your checkout. Not to send support tickets that go unanswered for days.
The basics should work from day one. Protected download links. Recurring billing with trials and setup fees. Upsells after purchase. A checkout that loads fast without ten plugins behind it.
That’s the approach behind CartMango (full disclosure: this post is published by CartMango, and we include our limitations alongside the comparison). It’s hosted, so there’s no WordPress, no hosting to manage, no add-ons to buy.
Support comes from the founder. Average response time: 2 hours 16 minutes. No chatbot. No ticket queue.
CartMango is free until 2027. Zero monthly fees, zero commission. Stripe and PayPal processing fees still apply, but the platform itself costs nothing right now.
For creators and entrepreneurs who want to sell digital products without the platform becoming a second job, this is a simpler path.
Easy Digital Downloads vs ThriveCart vs CartMango
Here’s how all three compare across the features that matter most for digital product sales:
| Feature | Easy Digital Downloads | ThriveCart | CartMango |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep recurring payments if you leave? | ✅ Your recurring revenue stays with you | ✅ Your recurring revenue stays with you | ✅ Your recurring revenue stays with you |
| Completely free? (Stripe/PayPal fees apply to all) | ❌ Personal: $99.50/yr Extended: $199.50/yr Professional: $299.50/yr All Access: $499.50/yr | ❌ $495 for the base plan. $295/yr extra for expanded features. $195 extra for course hosting. | ✅ Zero monthly cost, zero commission. Every feature included (until 2027). |
| Learning management system (LMS) | ❌ Not available | ✅ Available for an extra $195 | ❌ Planned for future release |
| Funnels (upsells & downsells) after initial purchase | ✅ Professional plan and higher ($299.50 – $499.50/yr) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Customer support | No live chat, but support quality is good. Standard support comes with Personal & Extended plans ($99.50 – $199.50/yr). Premium support is included with Professional & All Access plans ($299.50 – $499.50/yr). | Many users report poor customer support and deleted criticism in their official Facebook community | Founder-led personal support, no chatbots, no live chat. Typical response time runs about 2hr+ |
| Buy now, pay later (BNPL) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Order bumps to boost sales | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Subscriptions (trials & setup fees) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Dynamic coupons & discounts | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fast, optimized checkouts | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| No login required to buy | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Direct payout to Stripe/PayPal (no withholding) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Download links protected from sharing? | ✅ | ❌ Downloads can be pirated because links have no protection | ✅ Links are protected |
| Integrations | ✅ Large lineup: Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, Kit, ActiveCampaign, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Zapier (Extended $199.50/yr), Slack (Professional $299.50/yr) | ✅ Large lineup: connects to top email, membership, fulfillment, analytics, webinar, and payment tools, plus Zapier for thousands more. | ⚠️ Fewer native integrations, but Make.com gives access to 3,000+ apps. Current native options: Stripe, PayPal, Kit, ActiveCampaign, Beehiiv, and BirdSend. More coming soon. |
| Affiliate management | ❌ No | ⚠️ Yes for an extra $295/yr | ❌ Coming soon |
| Best for | WordPress users who sell digital products like ebooks and software, and also offer physical merchandise. | Creators who prefer a one-time upfront payment to access most features (not all), and who can tolerate mediocre support. | Solo digital creators who refuse to let platforms hold their recurring income, want instant setup, personal support, and zero platform fees (free until 2027). |
| Free migration | ❌ No free migration | ❌ No free migration | ✅ Free migration included |
These are the links for each platform: Easy Digital Downloads, ThriveCart, CartMango.
CartMango: Built for a Specific Kind of Seller
CartMango is easy to use by design. It’s not trying to replace WordPress or compete with full funnel builders. It’s a hosted cart for solo digital creators who want to start selling without managing infrastructure.
If you’re a coach, consultant, or entrepreneur selling ebooks, templates, or courses, CartMango covers the core workflow. Checkout, payment processing through Stripe and PayPal, digital product delivery with protected links, upsells, and subscription billing with trials.
What it doesn’t have: an LMS for hosting video courses. If you need a course platform today, pair CartMango with a separate tool.
Native integrations are limited compared to EDD’s extension library or ThriveCart’s third-party connectivity. CartMango connects to Kit, ActiveCampaign, Beehiiv, and BirdSend directly. For anything else, the Make.com integration connects to thousands of other apps.
Who is CartMango for?
- Sellers who keep their recurring revenue portable
- Those who want protected download links for their digital files
- Creators who want to talk to a real person when something breaks
- Anyone building an online business without paying platform fees yet
Free until 2027. All features included from day one.
Easy Digital Downloads: The WordPress Digital Selling Plugin
Easy Digital Downloads, often shortened to EDD, is a WordPress plugin purpose-built for selling digital downloads. It started in 2012 and has become a go-to for WordPress users who want to sell digital goods from their own site.
The free version of the plugin handles basic digital product sales. Beyond that, you buy extensions.
What Easy Digital Downloads offers
EDD offers features like:
- Digital file delivery with protected download links
- Subscription and recurring billing (paid add-on)
- Order bumps and fast checkout pages
- Coupon and discount management
- Payment gateways: Stripe, PayPal, and more
- Guest checkout (no login required)
- Physical product support via shipping extension
- Software licensing for selling WordPress plugins and software
The extension catalog spans 100+ addons, and you can bundle products together with the Extended plan. If you use Easy Digital Downloads on a WordPress site, you can customize nearly every part of your e-commerce store. The plugin integrates with major email and marketing tools.
EDD pricing structure
- Personal: $99.50/yr (1 site)
- Extended: $199.50/yr (subscriptions, bundles)
- Professional: $299.50/yr (funnels, premium support)
- All Access: $499.50/yr (every extension)
These prices don’t include WordPress hosting, SSL, or email service. The total cost of running EDD goes beyond the plan pricing alone.
The limitations
EDD requires WordPress. No standalone option. You manage hosting, security, updates, and backups yourself. Plugin conflicts happen, and resolving them can be time-consuming for small businesses without dedicated tech help.
No built-in LMS. No affiliate management. Funnels only come with the Professional tier at $299.50/yr or higher.
Best for
WordPress users who want full control and customization over their digital product store. Particularly strong for selling ebooks, software, and digital content with licensing keys.
This is the link for Easy Digital Downloads.
ThriveCart: The One-Time Payment Cart
ThriveCart sells on a simple promise: pay once, use forever. No monthly fees for the base plan. For sellers tired of recurring charges eating into margins, that pricing model hits hard.
The $495 one-time payment gets you a shopping cart with strong checkout functionality. It’s a standalone ecommerce platform. No WordPress required, no hosting to manage.
What ThriveCart offers
- High-converting checkout page templates
- One-click upsells and downsells
- Order bumps at checkout
- Subscription billing with trials and setup fees
- A/B testing for checkout pages
- Buy now, pay later payment options
- Coupon and discount codes
- Affiliate tracking (Pro+ at $295/yr)
- Course hosting through ThriveCart Learn
- Lets you integrate with major email, membership, and webinar tools plus Zapier
ThriveCart pricing structure
- Standard: $495 one-time (core cart, unlimited products)
- Pro+: $295/yr (advanced reporting, affiliate management)
- Learn+: $195 one-time (expanded course hosting)
The “one-time” pitch has caveats. Affiliate tools and advanced features now require Pro+ at $295/yr, adding a recurring charge to the lifetime plan.
The limitations
Download links have no protection. A customer can share your link, and anyone who clicks it gets your digital files for free. For sellers of downloadable ebooks, templates, and PDFs, this is a piracy risk.
Customer support is a consistent pain point in user reviews. Multiple users describe criticism removed from the official community.
Best for
Sellers who want to pay once and get strong checkout and funnel features. Works well if download link protection isn’t a priority and you can handle support gaps.
This is the link for ThriveCart.
What You’ll Actually Spend: A Cost Breakdown
Every sale includes Stripe/PayPal processing (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Here’s the real cost at different revenue levels.
Assumptions: $50 average order, cheapest plan for each platform.
| Monthly Revenue | EDD Cost (per month) | ThriveCart Cost (per month) | CartMango Cost (per month) | Savings vs EDD (per year) | Savings vs ThriveCart (Year 1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 (20 orders) | $8.29 platform + $35 processing = $43.29 | $0 platform + $35 processing = $35 | $0 platform + $35 processing = $35 | $99.50 | $495 |
| $5,000 (100 orders) | $8.29 platform + $175 processing = $183.29 | $0 platform + $175 processing = $175 | $0 platform + $175 processing = $175 | $99.50 | $495 |
| $10,000 (200 orders) | $8.29 platform + $350 processing = $358.29 | $0 platform + $350 processing = $350 | $0 platform + $350 processing = $350 | $99.50 | $495 |
| $50,000 (1,000 orders) | $8.29 platform + $1,750 processing = $1,758.29 | $0 platform + $1,750 processing = $1,750 | $0 platform + $1,750 processing = $1,750 | $99.50 | $495 |
Savings against EDD stay flat at $99.50/yr because EDD charges a fixed annual fee.
The ThriveCart column needs context. ThriveCart charges a one-time $495 lifetime fee, not a monthly or annual subscription. For this comparison, we amortized that $495 across Year 1 so you can see the savings side by side. Since CartMango is free, you save that full $495 in Year 1. After Year 1, both ThriveCart and CartMango cost $0/month in platform fees, so there are no further savings to compare. That’s why the savings column says “Year 1” rather than “per year.”
EDD’s $8.29/month doesn’t include hosting, security, or paid extensions. The real cost gap is wider than this table shows.
Easy Digital Downloads vs ThriveCart vs CartMango: Which Fits Your Business?
These are the links for each platform: Easy Digital Downloads, ThriveCart, CartMango.
Each platform serves a different priority for selling digital products.
Choose Easy Digital Downloads if:
- You already run a WordPress site and want to sell from it
- Full customization and control over your online store matters
- You sell software and need licensing key management
- You’re comfortable managing WordPress, hosting, and extensions
- You want to sell digital and physical products from one plugin
Choose ThriveCart if:
- You prefer paying once rather than annual or monthly fees
- Strong checkout and funnel features are central to your strategy
- You need wide third-party integration support
- Download link protection isn’t critical for your products
- You can work around inconsistent support
Choose CartMango if:
- Zero upfront cost and zero monthly fees matter now
- Protected download links are important for your digital content
- You want direct access to human support
- Keeping recurring revenue portable is non-negotiable
- You don’t need an LMS or affiliate program today
In the Easy Digital Downloads vs ThriveCart comparison, each platform has clear trade-offs. EDD offers flexibility but adds maintenance overhead. ThriveCart offers one-time pricing but no download protection. CartMango offers simplicity but fewer integrations.
Starting fresh? CartMango’s free-until-2027 model lets you test without risk.
Related Reading
- 8 Ejunkie alternatives: the cart stuck in 2009 (2026)
- Easy Digital Downloads vs ThriveCart: the piracy problem (2026)
- Sellfy alternative: escape the revenue lockout (2026)
- 7 Payhip alternatives & the captive income (2026)
- 7 SendOwl alternatives for digital creators (2026)
- Best Gumroad alternative in 2026: 7 options compared
- Easy Digital Downloads alternative: top 7 options (2026)
- ThriveCart vs Sellfy: the revenue captivity (2026)
- SendOwl vs Sellfy: the recurring income handcuffs (2026)
- SamCart vs Sellfy: the customer cash hostage (2026)