Easy Digital Downloads vs Polar
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted e-commerce platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Easy Digital Downloads | Polar |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | E-commerce Platforms | E-commerce Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 893 | ★ 10,278 |
| First released | 2012 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Gumroad, SendOwl | Lemon Squeezy, Gumroad |
What are Easy Digital Downloads and Polar?
Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads is an open-source WordPress eCommerce plugin focused on selling digital products such as software, ebooks, and music. It handles checkout, secure file delivery, discount codes, and sales reporting.
- Specialized in digital goods
- Software licensing add-on
- Secure file delivery
- Detailed sales reporting
Polar
Polar is an open-source monetization and payments platform for developers selling digital products, subscriptions, and license keys. It handles checkout, tax, and customer management for indie software businesses.
- Digital product checkout
- Subscription billing
- License key delivery
- Developer-focused
Easy Digital Downloads vs Polar: key differences
Easy Digital Downloads is written in PHP, while Polar is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Easy Digital Downloads versus Apache-2.0 for Polar. Easy Digital Downloads is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Polar. Easy Digital Downloads is the more established project (first released 2012), while Polar arrived in 2023. Polar has the considerably larger community, at 10,278 GitHub stars versus 893. Polar lists first-class Docker deployment; Easy Digital Downloads does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Easy Digital Downloads if…
- Purpose-built for digital products
- Clean WordPress integration
Watch out for
- Requires WordPress
- Best features are paid extensions
Choose Polar if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Easy Digital Downloads or Polar better?
Neither is universally better. Polar has the larger community, while Easy Digital Downloads is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Easy Digital Downloads and Polar free and open-source?
Yes. Easy Digital Downloads is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Polar under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Easy Digital Downloads and Polar with Docker?
Easy Digital Downloads: check the project docs for container support. Polar: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Easy Digital Downloads or Polar?
Easy Digital Downloads has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Polar. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.