PayPal Donations vs PayPal Buy Now Button
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| Feature | PayPal Donations v1.9.11 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.7/5 Visit Details | PayPal Buy Now Button v2.0.6 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.5/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Last updated | August 17, 2026 | September 23, 2026 |
| Editions | Donations via PayPal | Easy PayPal & Stripe Button · Easy PayPal & Stripe Button Pro ($) |
| Pros | Donate button through a shortcode or widget; Choose standard or custom button images; Sandbox mode for testing | Buy Now buttons placed anywhere with a shortcode; PayPal and Stripe checkout without a full store; Setup helpers for PayPal and Stripe accounts; Simple button manager 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 | No catalogue, cart or stock management in the free edition; PayPal and Stripe connection goes through the vendor's wpplugin.org relay; Pro features are sold separately |
| 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 | Buy Now button shortcode, Button manager (custom post type), Insert button from the editor media toolbar, PayPal account connection (PPCP onboarding), Stripe Connect checkout session |
| Integrations | ||
| Payment | PayPal | PayPal, Stripe |
| Other | — | wpplugin.org connection relay |
| Requires WordPress | 5.5 | 4.7 |
| Requires PHP | — | 5.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | Only if you agree |
| External services | www.paypalobjects.com | wpplugin.org, www.paypalobjects.com, js.stripe.com |
| Shortcodes | 1 | 1 |