SureCart vs WooCommerce

After lots of research online, you’ve decided to set up a store using the WordPress CMS. But just as you’re making this important decision, you’re faced with another one. What’s the best way to turn the WordPress base into an eCommerce site?

So, should you go with WooCommerce or SureCart?

In this article, we’ll introduce both tools, look at the pros and cons of each, and help you find the best fit for your online store.

Let’s start by taking a look at what WooCommerce and SureCart are all about.

Introduction to eCommerce Plugins

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system, which is basically a tool you can install on your site when you’re setting it up (most hosting services can do this for you). It’s used to create and manage content on your WordPress site, from blog articles to fixed portal pages.

One of the best things about WordPress is that there are tens of thousands of plugins you can install with just one click. These are extra tools (some free, some paid) that can be added to your site to extend or introduce new features.

There are lots of different WordPress plugins out there, and some of them are dedicated to selling digital products. These are the ones that introduce all the features needed for an WordPress website to function properly.

The most well-known plugin in this area is WooCommerce. It’s another free and open-source tool used by millions of online stores around the world. Even though WooCommerce is really popular, there are other WordPress eCommerce plugins.

SureCart is the main competitor we’re looking at today.

What is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is a plugin with a long history: it was launched on September 27, 2011, and has been updated continuously for almost 15 years thanks to the huge community behind it. Right now, the eCommerce plugin has over 7 million active installations, with a mix of small stores that are just getting started and huge, successful commercial operations.

Because it’s open source, anyone can help improve the code, which has allowed WooCommerce to change and adapt quickly to the changing needs of the online marketplace. That means that every user helps to make this tool better and there are also lots of resources online that you can use to practice with the tool.

What is SureCart?

SureCart is a newer tool than WooCommerce, with the first version launching on July 20, 2022. Since then, it’s been updated constantly, and version 3.0 is currently in beta testing.

The SureCart plugin has over 40,000 active installations, which is a small number compared to WooCommerce, but still worth mentioning given its young age.

SureCart is a hybrid between a free tool like WooCommerce and a SaaS (Software as a Service) like Shopify. It offers a plugin that turns WordPress into an eCommerce platform, but with several subscription plans to choose from.

Main Features

Let’s quickly go over what these two tools are all about.

WooCommerce: potential, flexibility and convenience

WooCommerce is well-known for being affordable (since it’s open source), easy to use (though there’s a bit of a learning curve at first), and for its huge potential and flexibility. It can take any form and specialize in any way thanks to the many plugins available.

There are hundreds of plugins that cover all the bases, from creating marketplaces (like Facebook’s or eBay’s) to setting up membership plans and subscriptions, designing advanced promotional and discount strategies, and much more.

Plus, there’s a backend control panel that’s similar to the one you’d use with WordPress.

SureCart: great support and functionality

Unlike WooCommerce, SureCart is presented as a service, which makes it generally more secure and with excellent customer support. Unfortunately, that kind of support isn’t available on WordPress/WooCommerce. The different plans include some advanced features (like abandoned cart retrieval), which you have to add in WooCommerce using separate plugins.

In the next few points, we’ll go over the most important things to consider when comparing the two so you can choose the best tool for your needs.

WordPress Integration & Support

As we’ve seen, both plugins were made especially for WordPress, so they integrate really well. What about support?

WooCommerce has hundreds of plugins, and SureCart promises to work with most of the other ones that are out there for WordPress.

WooCommerce: huge community and endless resources

One of the main differences between these two tools is the level of support they offer. We’ll get into the details of the price later on.

It’s worth noting that WooCommerce, just like WordPress, doesn’t come with customer service and support. It’s not like everyone who uses these tools has no support. You’ve got the tools themselves, and you can also tap into a huge community with lots of resources, including tutorials, blogs, forums, videos, and more.

In any case, we’re not talking about direct assistance, which might be a deal-breaker for some sellers.

SureCart: 24-hour support

On the other hand, SureCart offers 24/7 active customer support on every plan (including Launch), and the higher-level plans just give your requests a higher priority.

If you’re looking for a solution that offers direct support, SureCart is a great option.

Comparison & Pricing

When it comes to pricing, WooCommerce is pretty easy to analyze, but you have to dig a little deeper with SureCart.

How much does WooCommerce cost?

As we mentioned before, WooCommerce is a totally free tool that runs on WordPress, which is also free.

So, what kind of costs can a seller who builds their WooCommerce store expect to face?

• Cost of hosting and domain – To get your online store up and running, you’ll need to choose a hosting plan and purchase your domain name (like www.WEBSITENAME.com). The cost of the domain is very low and is usually paid yearly, while the cost of hosting is calculated per month of use, and you’ll save money if you pay annually or every two years. The cost of hosting can vary a lot between providers, so it’s tough to give an exact figure. But, on average, we’re looking at around $15 to $20 per month.
• Cost of possible themes and plugins – There are multiple plugins and free themes out there, but the higher-quality ones often come with a price tag. Depending on what your site needs, you might want to set aside some budget for integration with premium tools.

In general, WooCommerce is the most cost-effective solution on the market as you’re in control of all costs, and there are no recurring costs or percentages on sales (except for those applied by the payment methods you use on your store).

How much does SureCart cost?

Speaking of SureCart, there are several costs to keep in mind:

• Cost of hosting and domain – Same for WooCommerce, as SureCart is a WordPress plugin and is not hosted on their servers.
• Themes and plugins – SureCart has more advanced features than the basic version of WooCommerce, but you might still want to use additional plugins (if they’re compatible), which could increase your costs over the initial investment.

On top of that, you’ll also have to cover the cost of SureCart. As we mentioned earlier, the three packages come with additional costs. Let’s take a look at them together:

• Launch Plan – This basic plan doesn’t have a set price. It’s actually free, but there is a 1.9% fee for each transaction in the online store.
• Grow Plan – The intermediate plan costs $39 a month, but you can get it for $19 a month if you sign up for the annual plan (which means paying $228 upfront). One thing to note is that it doesn’t include sales commissions, except for the ones that come with the payment methods.
• Scale Plan – The top-tier plan costs $69 a month, but you can get it for $49 a month if you sign up for the annual plan (which means you’ll pay $588 upfront). There aren’t any fees in this case either.

Aside from these three plans, each vendor can also get the lifetime solution of the Scale plan for $1,599 (which is often discounted to $999) or in 11 monthly payments of $99. If you’re a vendor planning on opening a store that’ll be around for more than two years, the lifetime plan is definitely the cheaper option.

All in all, it’s clear that SureCart is more expensive than WooCommerce.

Scalability

Another big thing for online sellers is being able to scale their store up or down as needed. This basically means that the portal can handle more users without slowing down.

This growth can be either gradual and spread out over time (like with any store that gets more popular over time) or sudden and limited to a specific period (like with events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday).

If your site is slow or even crashes, it’s a big problem for your business. Not only will you lose sales at that moment, but you’ll also damage your brand’s reputation.

So, a good site (unless it’s a very small, niche business) needs to be scalable.

When it comes to WooCommerce, the scalability of its eCommerce is directly related to the hosting service you choose. Cheaper solutions have a harder time sustaining a drastic change in site traffic, so it’s important to choose a hosting service that can handle the growth.

In addition, there are plugins that can help you manage user traffic, cache, and speed up site navigation. As a general rule, WooCommerce is one of the most scalable platforms out there, but it can be affected by human error.

Regarding SureCart, you’ll want to make sure your hosting service can handle it, since it’s not a self-hosted solution.

Also, there are different price plans, so you can start out with a basic one and then choose a more premium one when you’re ready to buy.

Which one should you choose?

It’s tough to give a simple answer because it really depends on what you need as an online business owners and what you’re looking for in a service like this.

If you’re looking for an affordable, highly customizable, and easy-to-use tool, WooCommerce is the way to go. If you’re a seller who cares more about your store’s potential than about short-term sales, this is a great option.

SureCart is a great option for those who want to avoid the stress of creating and managing their online store on their own. WooCommerce has a huge community, and SureCart offers round-the-clock support.

The sales system is also simple to use, although it doesn’t have as many customization options as WooCommerce.

If you’re looking to create a one-of-a-kind store with all the latest tools and features, WooCommerce is the best option. If you’re looking to create a standard store, both tools have their own set of features. SureCart also offers some features that you can access directly in the tool, without the need for additional plugins, although there is a monthly cost.

Conclusion

No matter which tool you go with, it’s important to study it in-depth so you can get the most out of it and ensure your online store is a success.

One of the tricky things about WooCommerce is that there are so many plugins to choose from. That’s why we suggest checking out the wide selection of plugins for YITH to find the best tools for your eCommerce.