Astra vs WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Astra v4.14.1 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details | WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart v5.3.3 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.6/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 1M+ | 10,000+ |
| Last updated | October 15, 2026 | October 13, 2026 |
| Editions | Astra · Astra Pro ($) | Simple Shopping Cart |
| Pros | Header and footer builder with schema markup; Compatibility layers for WooCommerce, Elementor, LearnDash and Yoast SEO; Lightweight front end and RTL and translation support | Add-to-cart buttons through shortcodes; PayPal and Stripe checkout in the free code; Coupon discounts and an orders list in the admin |
| Cons | Astra Pro add-on and premium modules are sold separately; Free theme shows Pro upgrade notices in the admin; Optional usage tracking asks for consent first | Not a full store system; Extra features are separate add-ons; Payment gateways need your own PayPal or Stripe account |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | 1 |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Header and footer builder, Schema.org markup, WooCommerce compatibility layer, Elementor compatibility layer, LearnDash compatibility layer, Google Fonts in the typography options, Pro upgrade notices | Add to cart button shortcode, PayPal checkout, Stripe checkout, Manual checkout, Coupon discounts, Orders list in the admin |
| Integrations | ||
| Payment | — | PayPal, Stripe |
| E-commerce | WooCommerce | — |
| Plugins | Elementor, LearnDash, Yoast SEO | — |
| Other | Google Fonts | — |
| Requires WordPress | 5.3 | 6.0 |
| Requires PHP | 5.3 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | Only if you agree | No |
| External services | fonts.googleapis.com, api.ipify.org | www.paypal.com, www.sandbox.paypal.com, api.stripe.com |
| Shortcodes | — | 13 |