PayPal Digital Downloads
Note: PayPal Digital Goods is no longer available for new PayPal accounts. This feature remains available for accounts that already have it active. If you have any quetions, please contact PayPal directly.
Consider an alternative
PayPal Digital Downloads shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 9 years ago, and scores 35/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (90+ active installs)
- No update in 8 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.9 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where PayPal Digital Downloads stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| digital downloads | >100 |
| digital goods | >100 |
| downloads | >100 |
| paypal | >100 |
| shop | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6 from 7 reviews
About PayPal Digital Downloads
From the official readme · v1.4Description
Overview
Note: PayPal Digital Goods is no longer available for new PayPal accounts. This feature remains available for accounts that already have it active. If you have any quetions, please contact PayPal directly.
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The PayPal Digital Downloads WordPress plugin makes it easy to turn your WordPress site into an eCommmerce website and start selling digital products via PayPal.
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Simply install the plugin, enter your PayPal business information on the settings page, and use the automatic button inserter to place PayPal Buy Now buttons on your site.
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PayPal Digital Downloads works with any WordPress theme.
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This plugin is developed by an Official PayPal Partner.
If you are selling digital goods, this PayPal plugin is a must because it keeps customers on your website by opening a popup window where they can pay.
This reduces the likelihood of customers leaving during checkout. Unlike most PayPal website integerations that keep customers on your site, no security certificate (SSL) is required.
What makes this PayPal plugin different then others on the WordPress Repository is the level of security built into how the digital files are handled.
Other plugins render the items URL on the webpage by using MD5 encryption. However the MD5 URL can be easily broken allowing anyone to get your item for free.
What this PayPal plugin does, is it creates a unique hexidecimal string at install. Then in combination with MD5 encrypts your digital products URL into a string capable of being decoded only by your website. This is medical grade encryption and makes obtaining the download URL nearly impossible.
PayPal Digital Downloads Features
- Works with any WordPress Theme
- Each button has its own product name, price, and download URL.
- Built in support for 18 languages (PayPal currently supports 18 languages)
- Built in support 25 currencies (PayPal currently supports 25 currencies)
- PayPal testing through SandBox
- Choose from 4 different PayPal button types.
WPPlugin is an offical PayPal Partner. Various trademarks held by their respective owners.
Installation
Automatic Installation
- Sign in to your WordPress site as an administrator.
- In the main menu go to Plugins -> Add New.
- Search for PayPal Digital Downloads and click install.
- Configure values in the settings page.
- In a page or post editor you will see a new button called “Digital Downloads” located right above the text area beside the Add Media button. By using this you can create a shortcode for a Buy Now button.
Changelog
8/20/16 Bug fix - More then one button on a page / post was not properly opening the popup window.
1.4
- 8/20/16
- Bug fix – More then one button on a page / post was not properly opening the popup window.
1.3
- 4/6/16
- Bug fix – Fixed header issue. (Special thanks to Nick M)
- Added feature – Allow guest checkout.
1.2
- Bug fix release – attempt to fix headers already sent error caused on some servers
1.1
- Bug fix release
1.0
- Initial release
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best PayPal Digital Downloads alternatives
All digital downloads plugins →
FAQ
PayPal Digital Downloads: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 5, 2026
Is PayPal Digital Downloads free?
Yes. PayPal Digital Downloads is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is PayPal Digital Downloads safe to use in 2026?
PayPal Digital Downloads shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 9 years ago, and scores 35/100 on our health check.
How many websites use PayPal Digital Downloads?
PayPal Digital Downloads is active on 90+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 17,115 times since it launched in March 2015. It was downloaded 76 times in the last 30 days.
Does PayPal Digital Downloads work with WordPress 7.1?
PayPal Digital Downloads is officially tested up to WordPress 4.9.33, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does PayPal Digital Downloads need?
PayPal Digital Downloads requires PHP 5.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was PayPal Digital Downloads last updated?
The latest version, 1.4, was released on November 16, 2017 (9 years ago).
Who makes PayPal Digital Downloads?
PayPal Digital Downloads is developed and maintained by Scott Paterson.
What are the best alternatives to PayPal Digital Downloads?
The most popular alternatives to PayPal Digital Downloads are Easy Media Download (9K+ installs), Premium Packages (2K+ installs) and PDF Ink Lite (2K+ installs).
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