Free WooCommerce Subscription plugin

What Is a WooCommerce Subscription Plugin and Why Do You Need One?

By default, WooCommerce does not support recurring payments or subscription-based products. If you want to charge customers on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis, you need to install a dedicated subscription plugin on top of WooCommerce. This is perfect for businesses that sell: – Monthly product boxes or subscription kits – Ongoing coaching or consulting packages – Digital memberships or access to gated content – Software licenses or tool access on a recurring basis – Gym or wellness plans billed monthly Without a subscription plugin, you would have to manually chase payments every billing cycle — which is a nightmare once you have more than a handful of customers. A good subscription plugin automates all of that: it charges the customer automatically, sends email notifications, and lets them manage their own subscription from their account page.

Why Choose the Free WP Swings Subscription Plugin?

There are a few free WooCommerce subscription options out there, but the one I consistently recommend to clients is Subscriptions for WooCommerce by WP Swings. It is available directly on the WordPress plugin repository, it has thousands of active installs, and it covers all the core features most small businesses need. Here is what you get for free: – Automatic recurring billing (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) – Free trial periods — let customers try before they buy – Sign-up fees on subscription products – Automated email notifications for renewals, cancellations, and expirations – A clean subscription management table in the WordPress dashboard – Customers can cancel their own subscription from their account page – Compatibility with popular payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal The plugin is clean, regularly updated, and the free version is genuinely useful — not just a stripped-down teaser for the paid version. It is a great starting point for any WooCommerce store owner who wants to offer subscription products without a big upfront investment.

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

Installing the WP Swings subscription plugin is exactly the same as installing any other WordPress plugin. Here is how to do it: – Go to your WordPress dashboard and click Plugins > Add New – In the search bar, type Subscriptions for WooCommerce – Look for the plugin by WP Swings and click Install Now – Once installed, click Activate Alternatively, you can download the plugin ZIP file directly from WordPress.org and upload it manually via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin. Once activated, you will see a new WP Swings menu item appear in your WordPress sidebar. That is where all the subscription settings live.

Step 2: Enable Subscriptions in the Plugin Settings

Before you can create subscription products, you need to turn on the core subscription functionality inside the plugin settings. This is a step a lot of people miss. – From the WordPress sidebar, go to WP Swings > Subscriptions for WooCommerce – Click on the General Settings tab – Check the box that says Enable Subscriptions – Save your settings That is it. With subscriptions enabled, a new subscription product type will now be available when you create or edit products in WooCommerce. One important note here: make sure your WooCommerce store requires customers to create an account at checkout. Subscriptions need a customer account to process future renewal payments. To enable this, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Accounts & Privacy and turn on Allow customers to create an account on the checkout page.

Step 3: Create a Subscription Product in WooCommerce

Now for the fun part — creating your first subscription product. This works just like creating any standard WooCommerce product, with a few extra fields. – Go to Products > Add New – Give your product a name and write a clear description – Scroll down to the Product Data section – Click the Product Type dropdown and select Simple Subscription (or Variable Subscription if you want to offer multiple tiers) – Add a product image and set your categories – Click Publish Once you select the Simple Subscription product type, you will see new subscription-specific fields appear in the product data panel. That is where you set your pricing, billing frequency, and any optional extras like free trials or sign-up fees.

Step 4: Configure Billing Cycle, Trial Period, and Sign-Up Fee

This is where you actually define how your subscription works. Inside the Product Data panel for your subscription product, you will see fields for the following:

Subscription Price and Billing Cycle

Set the recurring price for your subscription and choose how often customers will be charged. The free plugin supports daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly billing intervals. For example, you could charge $29 per month or $199 per year. You can also set a specific end date for the subscription if it is a fixed-term plan rather than an ongoing one.

Free Trial Period

Want to let customers try your product before committing? You can set a free trial period directly on the product. Set the number of trial days you want to offer — for example, 7 days or 14 days. Once the trial ends, billing kicks in automatically. This is a great conversion tool, especially for digital products and service-based subscriptions.

Sign-Up Fee

You can optionally charge a one-time sign-up fee in addition to the recurring price. This is useful if there is an onboarding or setup cost associated with your service. The sign-up fee is charged at the time of the first order, and then only the recurring price is charged on renewal.

Step 5: Manage Subscriptions from Your Dashboard

Once customers start subscribing, you can manage everything from a dedicated subscription table inside the WordPress dashboard. – Go to WP Swings > Subscriptions for WooCommerce > Subscription Table – Here you can see all active, cancelled, and expired subscriptions at a glance – You can search subscriptions by ID or parent order ID – You can cancel or delete subscription plans in bulk using the Bulk Action dropdown – You can also export all active subscriptions to a CSV file — handy for reporting or accounting From the customer’s side, subscribers can log in to their My Account page and manage their own subscriptions. They can view their subscription status, see upcoming renewal dates, and cancel their subscription without needing to contact you. This self-service functionality saves you a lot of back-and-forth with customers. The plugin also sends automated email notifications to both you and your customer whenever a subscription is created, renewed, cancelled, or expires. All email templates are customisable.

Free vs Pro: When Should You Upgrade?

The free version of Subscriptions for WooCommerce by WP Swings is genuinely capable and works well for most small businesses just getting started with recurring revenue. However, there are scenarios where upgrading to the Pro version makes sense. You might want to consider the Pro version if you need: – The ability for customers to upgrade or downgrade their subscription plan – Advanced dunning management (automatic retry logic for failed payments) – Manual subscription order creation by the admin – Support for more payment gateways beyond the free tier – Subscription pause and reactivation functionality – More granular control over subscription expiry dates set by the customer For most local businesses — gyms, coaches, salons, or small digital product sellers — the free version will cover everything you need to get started. You can always upgrade later once subscriptions are a proven revenue channel for your business.

Payment Gateways Supported by the Free Plugin

One of the most common questions I get from clients is: which payment gateways actually work with the free version? The free Subscriptions for WooCommerce plugin supports the following payment gateways: – WooCommerce PayPal Standard Payment Gateway – WPS PayPal Payment Gateway – Payfast – Amazon Pay Payment – WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway (including credit card, debit card, and Stripe SEPA Direct Debit) Stripe and PayPal are by far the most commonly used options for the clients I work with in the USA, UK, and Australia — and both work well with this plugin. Just make sure your chosen payment gateway is properly configured in WooCommerce before testing your first subscription checkout. Note that if you need additional or more niche payment gateways, the Pro version of the plugin supports a broader range of options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free WooCommerce subscription plugin?

Yes. The Subscriptions for WooCommerce plugin by WP Swings is a well-maintained, free plugin available on WordPress.org. It supports recurring billing, free trials, sign-up fees, and automated email notifications — all without any cost.

Does WooCommerce support subscriptions by default?

No, WooCommerce does not include subscription functionality out of the box. You need to install a dedicated subscription plugin to sell recurring products or services on your WooCommerce store.

What payment gateways work with the free WooCommerce subscription plugin?

The free Subscriptions for WooCommerce plugin by WP Swings supports Stripe, PayPal Standard, Payfast, Amazon Pay, and WPS PayPal. Stripe and PayPal are the most commonly used options for stores in the USA, UK, and Australia.

Can customers cancel their own WooCommerce subscription?

Yes. Customers can log in to their My Account page and cancel their subscription at any time without needing to contact the store owner. The plugin also sends automated email notifications when a subscription is cancelled.

Can I offer a free trial with the free WooCommerce subscription plugin?

Yes. You can set a custom free trial period (such as 7 or 14 days) directly on any subscription product. Once the trial ends, billing starts automatically. This feature is available in the free version of the WP Swings plugin.

What is the difference between WooCommerce Subscriptions (official) and the free WP Swings plugin?

The official WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin is a premium paid extension (over $199/year) developed by Automattic. The WP Swings plugin is a free community alternative that covers the core subscription features most small businesses need, including recurring billing, trials, and email notifications.

Can I charge a one-time sign-up fee with the free subscription plugin?

Yes. The free version of Subscriptions for WooCommerce allows you to add an optional one-time sign-up fee to any subscription product. This fee is charged at the first order, and only the recurring price is charged on each renewal.

Final Thoughts

And that is all there is to it — setting up a free WooCommerce subscription plugin does not have to be complicated or expensive. With the WP Swings plugin, you can have recurring subscription products live on your store in under 30 minutes, collect automatic recurring payments, and let customers manage their own subscriptions without extra admin work on your end. I have set this up for clients across a wide range of businesses — gyms, coaches, digital product sellers — and it consistently works well for getting a subscription model off the ground without the big investment of a premium plugin. If you prefer to watch rather than read, make sure you check out my full video tutorial on YouTube where I walk through the entire setup live on a real WooCommerce store. Got questions about your specific setup? Drop a comment below and I will do my best to help. And if you would like me to set this up on your site for you, feel free to get in touch with me directly through paramfreelance.com — I am always happy to help.