PayPal Donations vs WordPress PayPal (WP PayPal)
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| Feature | PayPal Donations v1.9.11 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.7/5 Visit Details | WordPress PayPal (WP PayPal) v1.2.3.49 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.5/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 4,000+ |
| Last updated | August 17, 2026 | October 13, 2026 |
| Editions | Donations via PayPal | WP PayPal · Payment Button for PayPal add-ons ($) |
| Pros | Donate button through a shortcode or widget; Choose standard or custom button images; Sandbox mode for testing | PayPal Checkout with a sandbox mode for testing; Product and checkout shortcodes for buy-now buttons; Orders kept in the dashboard with a debug page |
| 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 | Many features are sold as separate paid add-ons; Needs PayPal API keys and sandbox setup before going live; Fewer store features than a full e-commerce plugin |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | 2 |
| 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 | PayPal Checkout API payments, wp_paypal_product shortcode, wp_paypal_checkout shortcode, PayPal IPN listener, Orders stored as a custom post type, PayPal sandbox credentials, Configurable sender for order emails |
| Integrations | ||
| Payment | PayPal | PayPal |
| Requires WordPress | 5.5 | 5.3 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | No |
| External services | www.paypalobjects.com | api-m.paypal.com, api-m.sandbox.paypal.com |
| Shortcodes | 1 | 2 |