Setting up product variations can be quite difficult using the default WooCommerce settings. Adding individual image galleries, swatches, better variation options, and other customer-friendly options becomes much easier with dedicated WooCommerce product variation plugins.
This is why the Wowmall blog presents you with the best WooCommerce plugins available in the market to add product variations. But first, let us look at variable products and why you should consider using a plugin for them.
What are woocommerce product variations
It might be common knowledge to our readers if they use WooCommerce but for clarification’s sake, let’s talk about Product Variations first. When you create a WooCommerce product, you can choose for the product to be a variable product. This means you can create different variations or versions of the same product using its attributes.
For example, if we set a type of T-shirt as a product type, you can easily define its colour and size as attributes. Thus, using these attributes, you can create different product variations of this T-shirt that your customers can order.
This can include the T-shirt in red, blue or yellow colour or L, M or S sizes. Your product variations will depend on the product’s attributes, and defining these attributes and variations isn’t that difficult on WooCommerce.
Why use WooCommerce Product Variation Plugins?
Managing product variations using the default WooCommerce settings is pretty straightforward and easy to operate. However, the real issue arises when you have a huge catalogue of products with multiple variations. Setting these products and variations and displaying them on your website can be quite a task.
By default, WooCommerce lacks significant product variation options. This includes sorting based on stock availability for different product variations, better swatch display options, or better galleries for product variations.
The default display for product variations is just a simple dropdown selector, which is quite lacking. It is quite difficult to present your customers with great product variations with the lack of better display options, custom images for each variation and an overall preview of what they are purchasing with each product variation.
Well, the easiest solution to these issues is to simply use a dedicated WooCommerce plugin for managing product variations. With these plugins, you can solve issues by adding multiple variations or setting specific icons and images for each product variation and more.
So if you’re searching for just the perfect WooCommerce Product Variation plugin, then look no further. These product variation plugins are designed to help your customers have an easier time browsing your product variations and ensure that you receive more sales. You’ll also find plugins designed for specific purposes, as well as plugins for building variation tables.
Best WooCommerce Product Variation Plugins
Moving on, we will be discussing the six top plugins for WooCommerce product variations. These include:
- WooCommerce Better Variations
- Variation Swatches and Photos
- Variation Shared Inventory for WooCommerce
- Variation Swatches for WooCommerce
- YITH WooCommerce Color and Label Variations
- WooCommerce Bulk Variations
Let’s discuss the features of each of these plugins one by one.
1) WooCommerce Better Variations
WooCommerce Better Variations vastly improves your product variation display using two different product displays. With WooCommerce Better Variations, you get a sorted product display that disables out-of-stock product variations.
You can also choose to sort available/in-stock products, so they are displayed above out-of-stock products. This way, your customers can easily see which product variations are available instead. Additionally, you can also choose to add an ‘out-of-stock’ text or back-in-stock dates, so your customers know when to expect the product variations to be available again.
WooCommerce Better Variations also comes with a full grid display mode where you can display all your product variations in a single grid. This grid comes with bulk selection options, multiple selections, and quantity selectors. This way, your customers can also bulk order different product variations quickly without any hassle.
Look no further if you’re looking for a simple yet effective plugin designed for better B2B and B2C sales.
Key features
- Two unique display modes for better product variation displays.
- Disable/Sort out-of-stock product variation and add coming-soon dates for the next stock refill.
- Large product variation grid display with multiple product variation selections for bulk purchases.
- Easily re-style or re-sort product variations as per your demand and display in-stock text for customer convenience.
Pricing
WooCommerce Better Variations is a premium plugin that starts at an annual price of $59. Moreover, you are also covered under a 14-day money-back guarantee.
2) Variation Swatches and Photos
Variation Swatches and Photos improves the WooCommerce product variations page by adding better variation options and swatches. This plugin replaces the default product variation selections with colour and image swatches. This way, you can specify precisely the colour of the product your customers are buying or just add a specific image for that variation.
With a better display of the product, your customers are more likely to consider purchasing the product. For example, if you have a product with different colour options, you can display the specific hex code of the product’s colour using a dedicated colour swatch.
Alternatively, you can also set up swatches for composite products and set up attribute combinations using both the colour and the image swatches.
Lastly, the plugin is quite easy to use, and if you’re looking for a no-nonsense plugin to improve your WooCommerce Product Variations, then this plugin is perfect.
Key features
- Dedicated Image and Color Swatches for product variations.
- Enable Unique swatches for Variable products.
- Compatible with Composite products and variable products with attribute combinations.
- Easy to use, user-friendly options and swatches customization.
Pricing
Variation Swatches and Photos is a premium plugin. You can buy this plugin for an annual fee of $99. Besides, you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you aren’t satisfied with the product.
3) Variation Shared Inventory for WooCommerce
Variation Shared Inventory for WooCommerce helps you manage your product stocks but also helps you sell products in bulk using inventory management and shared stock management. Use this fantastic plugin to set up product variation pages specifically for bulk purchases and B2B sales.
This plugin gives you a dedicated Shared Variation Inventory option which you can use to share stocks between different product variations. This works perfectly for setting up large-quantity sales with varying selections of quantity.
For example, if you’re selling paper, you can set up product variations with multiple stacks of paper (e.g. 10 copies, 50 copies, 100 copies.) Then, using the plugin, you can easily share the stock between each of the variations using a single centralized tab.
The plugin is the perfect option if you’re selling large volumes of the same products in different sizes and quantities and want to optimize your business for bulk sales.
Besides, you can also enable additional options designed specifically for bulk sales, such as automatic stock updates for each variation based on total stock, overselling prevention, dedicated stock variation management options and much more.
Key features
- Shared Variation Inventory management with Variation Quantity Multiplier for each product.
- Automatic stock value updates for each product and variation.
- Easy to use Stock Manager that helps you manage stock for each product variation.
- Overselling prevention with cart validation in case a customer selects more variations than the number of available products.
Pricing
Variation Shared Inventory for WooCommerce is available for a premium price of $49 annually. Besides, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you aren’t satisfied with your experience.
4) Variation Swatches For WooCommerce
Variation Swatches for WooCommerce is another great option if you want to redesign your variation product display to be more presentable to your customers. Choose from a variety of swatches, such as radio images, labels, colours and more.
The plugin is designed to replace the default dropdown selection for product variation. Instead, it provides you with a professional, high-quality swatch selection menu with amazing customization options.
Moreover, the plugin is easy to customize and set up but also comes with auto-convert options, so you can easily convert all your product variations to swatches without manually doing it for each variable product. You can also choose to use a variety of swatches for each specific product. For example, you could put label swatches for some, buttons for others and more.
Furthermore, you can also choose to hide or blur out-of-stock variation swatches and enable tooltips for your swatches as well. Overall, the plugin is designed to help you improve your customer’s shopping experience and help you secure more profits.
Key features
- Flexible Variation Product Swatches options such as labels, buttons, images, colour and text.
- Auto convert Product Variations to swatches and convert globally created attribute variations into specific swatches.
- Includes options to reorder/sort product variations
- Cross/Blur/Hide out-of-stock variation swatches
- Add swatches tooltips.
- Add Display Swatches/Images to your Shop/Archive pages so your customers can add the product variation directly from your shop catalogue.
Pricing
Variation swatches is a freemium plugin with an optional Pro version starting at a $49 annual price. Besides, the pro version offers a 30-day money-back guarantee as well.
5) YITH WooCommerce Color and Label Variations
YITH WooCommerce Color and Label Variations is easily among the most popular WooCommerce product variation plugins. The plugin provides a one-stop solution to enable unlimited product variations with full control over how your customers interact with each variation. You can set custom images, icons, or dynamic labels that adapt to your website and products with this amazing plugin.
Likewise, you can easily set up custom colours or set image attributes to your product variation with just a few clicks. The best part is that you can set unique image galleries for each variation and add custom tooltips, product variation descriptions, attribute descriptions and more.
Moreover, you can also add a dynamic quick view to each product variation so your customers can view how the variation looks when they hover over it.
Similarly, you can also choose to display single variations directly on your Shop or Archive pages, so each variation is displayed as a separate product. This saves you the hassle of creating and displaying each product variation separately on your shop pages, and your customers can purchase the specific variation directly without opening the product page.
Key features
- Unlimited Product Variation customization with colour pickers, custom image attribute selectors, custom buttons and more.
- Easily enable unique image galleries for each variation, attribute tooltips, descriptions and more.
- Directly add product variation as a separate item to your Shop pages without having to set up each product page.
- Fully WPML compatible, which helps you translate your product variation details into any language.
Pricing
YITH WooCommerce Color and Label Variations is available as a freemium plugin. So, you may use it as a free-to-use plugin or purchase a premium option for an annual fee of about $85. Besides, the premium version has you covered under a 30-day money-back guarantee.
6) WOOCOMMERCE BULK VARIATIONS
If you’re planning to sell products in bulk with multiple variations, then WooCommerce Bulk Variations is the plugin for you. With WooCommerce Bulk Variations, you cannot just only add and edit product variations quickly using a unified Variations tab, but you can also enable options that let your customers easily buy your variations in bulk.
You can filter, edit and customize multiple variations simultaneously using a dedicated Variations tab that lets you set variation images, change stock status, and change prices, all without having to switch to any tabs or pages.
Moreover, the plugin comes with a dedicated grid display for variable products that display all the product information, stock and prices for each variation in a neat, user-friendly table. Customers can easily define the quantity for each variation and choose the ones they want to buy using the table.
Additionally, you get two unique modes to show your variation grids using the Order form or the Price matrix display. This way, you can either define specific quantity sizes directly or let your customers define their own quantities, which is quite convenient for B2B websites and large-scale supply businesses.
Key features
- 2 Unique Grid Displays that let your customers order product variations in bulk.
- Dedicated Variations tab for adding and editing product variations individually or collectively.
- Professional Variation display section with options to add attribute descriptions, stock details, prices, quantity selectors and more.
- Set and Display Variation images in bulk, as well as customize the grid to fit as many variations as you’d like.
Pricing:
WooCommerce Bulk Variation is only available for a premium plan starting at an annual fee of $79. Moreover, just like all the plugins on our list, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Conclusion: Best WooCommerce Product Variation Plugins
That ends our list of the Best WooCommerce Product Variation plugins. Each of these plugins is designed to help you build better product variations and replace the default dropdown product variation selector with something that is more presentable and professional looking.
Each of these plugins is sure to entice your customers to buy your product variations(or multiple ones) with innovative customizations, variation grids or even complete overhauls of how you set up your WooCommerce variable products.
We’re sure that these plugins will fit perfectly for your product variation needs, and if you’d like more information or help regarding variable products, you can let us know in the comments, and we’ll help you as much as we can.
Additionally, if you want to learn more about setting up your WordPress websites for various kinds of businesses like dropshipping or learning websites, why not check out some of our other articles:
