PayPal Donations vs WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | PayPal Donations v1.9.11 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.7/5 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 | 20,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Last updated | August 17, 2026 | October 13, 2026 |
| Editions | Donations via PayPal | Simple Shopping Cart |
| Pros | Donate button through a shortcode or widget; Choose standard or custom button images; Sandbox mode for testing | Add-to-cart buttons through shortcodes; PayPal and Stripe checkout in the free code; Coupon discounts and an orders list in the admin |
| Cons | Donations go straight to PayPal with no on-site records; Shows admin notices when PHP or WordPress is too old; Only a donate button, no recurring or tiered donations | 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 | Donate button shortcode, Sidebar donate widget, Standard or custom button image, PayPal sandbox switch for testing, Return page and purpose defaults | Add to cart button shortcode, PayPal checkout, Stripe checkout, Manual checkout, Coupon discounts, Orders list in the admin |
| Integrations | ||
| Payment | PayPal | PayPal, Stripe |
| Requires WordPress | 5.5 | 6.0 |
| Requires PHP | — | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | www.paypalobjects.com | www.paypal.com, www.sandbox.paypal.com, api.stripe.com |
| Shortcodes | 1 | 13 |