A WordPress-friendly alternative to Easy Digital Downloads.
Keep WordPress as your storefront. Use 2DL (2Download) for hosted checkout, entitlements, and secure delivery.
Canonical: https://2dl.app/easy-digital-downloads-alternative
Easy Digital Downloads vs 2DL: the short version
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is a strong choice when you want everything inside WordPress. 2DL is a better fit when you want to keep WordPress as the storefront but move checkout + secure delivery + entitlement logic to a hosted backend to reduce operational complexity.
Reduce plugin/hosting operational surface area by running checkout + delivery as a hosted service.
Access is purchase-backed, not “who has the link”. Signed, time-limited downloads are supported.
Align access with payment status: revoke access after refunds/disputes to reduce leakage.
Cost model and payouts
With WordPress-first stacks, the “cost” is often a mix of plugin licensing, hosting, maintenance, and incident risk. 2DL shifts more of that to a hosted backend.
- Commerce backend runs in WordPress (plugins + hosting performance).
- You manage updates, compatibility, and delivery security hardening.
- Great when you want everything self-managed inside WP.
- Checkout + entitlements + delivery run as a hosted service.
- WordPress can remain the storefront via an integration workflow.
- Built-in entitlement gating and revocation controls.
If you want maximum self-hosted control, EDD can be the better choice. If you want to reduce ops while keeping WP as the front end, 2DL is a strong fit.
Which is the better fit?
| Choose Easy Digital Downloads if… | Choose 2DL if… |
|---|---|
| You want your full commerce backend inside WordPress. | You want WordPress as the storefront but a hosted backend for checkout + delivery. |
| You are comfortable managing plugins, hosting, and security hardening. | You want to reduce operational risk and keep delivery security centralized. |
| You prefer self-managed flexibility even if it means more maintenance. | You want entitlement gating and refund-aware revocation out of the box. |
| You want to build custom WP workflows deeply. | You want a faster path to secure delivery with fewer moving parts. |
Switching path
A common approach is to keep WordPress pages and swap delivery + checkout to 2DL step-by-step.
- Create products in 2DL and upload files (entitlements define access).
- Connect Stripe and test a full purchase → receipt → download flow.
- Integrate WordPress as the storefront (buttons/embeds or plugin workflow).
- Move one product first, validate support load and conversion, then migrate the rest.
- Keep legacy purchases accessible while new sales route through 2DL.
See also: WordPress digital downloads guide.
FAQ
Yes. 2DL (2Download) can be used with WordPress while handling hosted checkout, entitlements, and secure delivery as a hosted service.
Easy Digital Downloads is plugin-first: your WordPress site is the commerce backend. 2DL is a hosted commerce + delivery backend that can integrate with WordPress as the storefront.
Yes. Many sellers keep WordPress for marketing/content and use 2DL for checkout + delivery + entitlements.
Yes. 2DL gates downloads via entitlements and can issue signed, time-limited links. Access can be revoked after refunds or disputes.
EDD can be a great fit when you want everything inside WordPress and are comfortable managing plugins, hosting performance, and ongoing maintenance.
2DL is a better fit when you want a hosted backend for checkout + secure delivery and you want entitlement gating and refund-aware revocation without adding more WordPress operational surface area.
Use the comparison hub to see differences across platforms including WordPress-first options.