In this article I’ll discuss the changes that were recently made with the Ninja Shop eCommerce plugin for WordPress and what it means for you and how it will set Ninja Shop apart from its competitors.
Looking Back
You can read my last couple articles regarding Ninja Shop here and here, and you’ll see how excited I was, but then my plans fizzed out, mainly because I was pretty disappointed in their original pricing strategy.
I believe Ninja Shop has the potential to be a bigger hit then WooCommerce, and to lead the way in WordPress eCommerce plugins. For one really important reason, it’s simple!
Simple to setup, simple to use, and ultimately a [simple] light weight plugin.
The Original Pricing Model
Don’t get me wrong here. I wasn’t disappointed because they were charging, I was frustrated because they were making the price a barrier to entry.
Sure they have a free [limited] version of the plugin, but the minute you needed to integrate with anything, you would have to start paying hundreds of dollars.
It just didn’t make since.
While the original model was very typical, I didn’t feel it was right for conquering the space.
Three paid tiers, each one adding more features, but increasing by $100 or more.
So if you went all in on the plugin you were paying over $400 per year.
What Impact The Changes Will Have
Before I outline the changes, I wanted to address why these changes are game changers and why I believe it will set them apart in the eCommerce plugin space.
First, there is no other WordPress eCommerce plugin structured this way! Their new structure is typical of a hosted eCommerce solution, something like Shopify [which started as a WordPress plugin BTW].
Probably the biggest impact, is that the new pricing model removes all the barriers!
They didn’t make it completely free, but the price is now manageable and supports a software model people are accustomed too.
What They Changed
Instead of charging hundreds of dollars per year for updates and support, like 99% of WordPress plugin developers do, they switched to a subscription based model more like the typical web based software providers do.
With Ninja Shop you pay $9/month for the full featured plugin.
So whats the catch?
I’m glad you asked!
It’s not really a catch, but once you start processing $500/month in revenue, Ninja Shop will charge you $9/month plus .9% of that $500+.
But wait there’s more!
The monthly charge caps out! So you will never pay more than $99/month to Ninja Shop.
So what does that mean in simple terms?
You will have to sell $10,000 from your Ninja Shop store before you get to the $99/month cap.
Not bad right!? Pretty sure most people will be good with spending $100 to make $10k.
You can read more about it and use the cost calculator on their site here!
The Wrap Up
If you’re serious about building an online store and want to get up and running quickly with as little cost as possible, Ninja Shop is your answer!
I’m excited about these changes and have more hope for Ninja Shop’s ability to really compete in the market.
You won’t find another premium eCommerce plugin with this kind of pricing or opportunity!