WooCommerce already has basic cross-selling built in, through the Linked Products tab on every product. For bundles, “frequently bought together” boxes or discounts on combinations, you need a plugin. The best fit depends on what you are selling: fixed bundles, build-your-own boxes, or simple add-on suggestions. This guide compares ten current options.
What is a WooCommerce cross-selling and product bundles plugin?
These plugins help you sell more than one item per order. They fall into three groups, and many plugins cover more than one.
- Cross-sells suggest related products at the right moment, usually on the product page or in the cart.
- Bundles package several products into one offer, often at a lower combined price than buying each alone.
- Order bumps and upsells add a one-click offer at checkout or after payment.
Cross-sells and upsells are different things. An upsell offers a better or bigger version of what the shopper is viewing. A cross-sell offers something that goes with it, like a case for a phone.
What WooCommerce does on its own
Open any product and look at the Linked Products tab. It has two fields. Upsells show on the product page. Cross-sells show in the cart. That is enough for a small shop with a handful of obvious pairings, and it costs nothing.
It stops there. Core WooCommerce cannot sell a bundle as a single item, give a discount for buying products together, track stock across the parts of a kit or show a “frequently bought together” box with a shared add-to-cart button. That is the gap these plugins fill.
Grouped products are not bundles
WooCommerce also has a Grouped product type, and people often confuse it with a bundle. A grouped product is a page that lists several separate products, each with its own quantity box and its own price. The shopper adds the ones they want. Nothing is combined, no discount applies and the items stay separate in the cart.
That works for a set of related items, such as the parts of a sofa range, where the buyer chooses freely. If you want one price for the set, a shared discount or a single line in the cart, you need a bundle plugin.
How to use one
- Decide the offer. Pick one pairing or bundle that makes sense, such as a camera with a memory card.
- Choose the format. A fixed bundle, a “buy together” box, or a mix-and-match box each need different plugin features.
- Set the pricing rule. Keep the combined price, add a percentage discount or give a fixed amount off.
- Check stock behaviour. Decide what happens when one part of a bundle sells out.
- Place the offer. Product page, cart or checkout. Start with the product page.
- Measure. Watch whether average order value rises and whether the offer slows checkout.
Ten plugins compared
- Product Bundles
- YITH WooCommerce Product Bundles
- WPC Product Bundles
- WISDM Custom Product Boxes
- Product Bundle Builder
- Chained Products
- YITH Frequently Bought Together
- WPC Frequently Bought Together
- Upsell Funnel Builder
- UpsellWP
1. Product Bundles
Product Bundles is a paid extension made by the WooCommerce team. It sells bundles of simple, variable and subscription products, supports bulk discount packages and lets customers build a box with minimum and maximum quantities. It can also make assembled products from parts you track in stock.
It is the most complete option here and the one to choose for a serious bundling catalog. It has no free version.
2. YITH WooCommerce Product Bundles
YITH WooCommerce Product Bundles lets you create a bundle product, choose how many items it holds and pick the products. The bundle detail page shows the combination clearly.
A free version is on wordpress.org, with a premium version for more features. It suits stores that already use other YITH plugins.
3. WPC Product Bundles
WPC Product Bundles from WPClever combines several products into one deal for cross-selling. It has a free version, a live demo and documentation, and it works with other WPC plugins.
It is a sensible first plugin to try if you want bundles without paying up front.
4. WISDM Custom Product Boxes
WISDM Custom Product Boxes (now also called Custom Product Bundles on the vendor’s own site) lets customers fill a box themselves, or you can offer pre-filled and partly filled boxes. It works with WooCommerce Subscriptions, so a customer can subscribe to a custom box.
Choose it for gift boxes, hampers, sample packs and any “pick six” offer. It is a paid extension.
5. Product Bundle Builder
Product Bundle Builder for WooCommerce from AsanaPlugins lets you combine products into deals and offer savings on the group. It has a free version and a paid upgrade.
It is a lighter alternative when you do not need a long list of bundle types.
6. Chained Products
Chained Products from StoreApps links several products and sells them as one fixed bundle. Buying the main product adds the linked items automatically, and the customer cannot change the contents. Stock is tracked for each linked item, so the bundle cannot be bought when a part is unavailable.
It is the right tool for fixed kits, where every customer gets the same contents. It is a paid extension.
7. YITH Frequently Bought Together
YITH Frequently Bought Together adds an upsell section to the product page that suggests items usually bought together. You choose which products to suggest, and shoppers add the group in one click.
It has a free version. Use it for the Amazon-style “buy these together” box rather than for true bundles.
8. WPC Frequently Bought Together
WPC Frequently Bought Together shows buy-together suggestions at the bottom of the product description. You can set a discount as a percentage or an amount, search products by SKU or title and drag to reorder them.
It is free to start and pairs with WPC Product Bundles if you want both features from one vendor.
9. Upsell Funnel Builder
Upsell Funnel Builder for WooCommerce from WP Swings creates post-purchase upsells, one-click upsells, order bumps, cross-sells and frequently bought together offers. It merges two earlier plugins, One-Click Upsell and Order Bump, into one.
Pick it when your focus is offers at checkout and after payment, not bundle products.
10. UpsellWP
UpsellWP places upsell and related-product offers across the shopping journey, including frequently bought together, bundles and product recommendations. It has a free version and a pro version with more offer types.
It is a good middle option if you want product page and checkout offers handled in one plugin.
Which type do you need?
| Goal | Best match |
|---|---|
| Sell a fixed kit as one product | Chained Products, Product Bundles |
| Let customers build a box | WISDM Custom Product Boxes, Product Bundles |
| Show a “bought together” box | YITH or WPC Frequently Bought Together |
| Offer a one-click add-on at checkout | Upsell Funnel Builder, UpsellWP |
| Try bundles with a free plugin | WPC Product Bundles, YITH Product Bundles, Product Bundle Builder |
How to price a bundle
A bundle should feel like a deal, but it should not cost you margin you cannot afford. Work out the combined cost of the parts before you set the discount.
- Percentage off the total is simple to explain and scales with the basket.
- Fixed amount off works when the parts vary in price.
- A bundle price is easiest for shoppers to understand and works well for kits.
- Free gift with purchase protects the price of the main item.
Keep the discount modest on products with thin margins. If a bundle contains an item that is often on sale, check that the bundle rule and the sale price do not stack in a way you did not intend.
Stock and shipping checks
Bundles touch inventory, tax and shipping, so test them before you promote them.
- Confirm whether stock is reduced on the bundle, on each part, or on both.
- Check how shipping weight and dimensions are calculated for the bundle.
- Run a test order with a coupon, to see how discounts apply.
- Check how refunds work when a customer returns one item from a bundle.
- Look at how bundles appear in order emails and packing slips.
If you sell downloads or services in a bundle, our guide to virtual product plugins helps with the setup.
Where to place the offer
Placement changes how an offer feels. A product page suggestion reads as help, because the shopper is still deciding. A cart suggestion reads as a reminder. A checkout order bump reads as a last-minute add-on, so keep it small, cheap and clearly related.
Start on the product page, where the shopper is still comparing. Add a cart cross-sell once that works. Leave checkout and post-purchase offers for last, and keep them to one item, so the payment step stays short.
Mistakes to avoid
- Offering too many suggestions. Two or three related items convert better than a wall of options.
- Suggesting unrelated products. A cross-sell should obviously go with the main item.
- Hiding the discount. If the bundle saves money, say how much on the product page.
- Running overlapping plugins. Two plugins that both print a buy-together box confuse shoppers and can break the cart.
- Skipping mobile checks. Product pages carry less space on a phone, so test where the box lands.
For the step-by-step build of a bundle, see our walkthrough on how to set up and customize product bundles in WooCommerce.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cross-sell and an upsell in WooCommerce?
An upsell offers a better or bigger version of the product being viewed. A cross-sell offers a related item that goes with it. WooCommerce shows upsells on the product page and cross-sells in the cart.
Can WooCommerce sell bundles without a plugin?
Not properly. Core WooCommerce has a Grouped product type but no bundle type, so you would have to create a separate product by hand and manage the stock yourself. A bundle plugin does this for you.
Is there a free WooCommerce bundles plugin?
Yes. WPC Product Bundles, YITH WooCommerce Product Bundles and Product Bundle Builder all have free versions on wordpress.org. Product Bundles and Chained Products are paid extensions.
What is the difference between a bundle and a frequently bought together box?
A bundle is sold as one product, often with its own price. A frequently bought together box suggests separate products that the shopper adds together in one click.
Can customers build their own box?
Yes, with a plugin that supports mix-and-match boxes, such as WISDM Custom Product Boxes or Product Bundles. You set the allowed items and the minimum and maximum quantities.
How does stock work for a bundle?
It depends on the plugin. Chained Products tracks stock for every linked item, and some bundle plugins reduce the stock of each component. Test with a real order before launch.
Will bundles work with subscriptions?
Some do. Product Bundles supports subscription products, and WISDM Custom Product Boxes works with WooCommerce Subscriptions. Check the listing for the plugin you choose.
Where to go next
Once your offers are live, keep an eye on the rest of the store. Our guides on import and export plugins, analytics plugins and order management plugins help you manage the extra orders bundles can bring.