WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… vs Variation Swatches for WooCommerce (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce…
600K+ active installs
Free
Variation Swatches for WooCommerce
300K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Variation Swatches for WooCommerce has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 913 reviews) while WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… leads in active installations (600K+ vs 300K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… has accumulated 48M+ total downloads while Variation Swatches for WooCommerce has 9.2M+. WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… has a higher support resolution rate (100% vs 43%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… | Variation Swatches for WooCommerce | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2/5 | ► | 4.8/5 |
| Total Reviews | 105 | ► | 913 |
| Active Installs | 600K+ | ◄ | 300K+ |
| Total Downloads | 48M+ | ◄ | 9.2M+ |
| Support Resolution | 100% | ◄ | 43% |
| Last Updated | 3 weeks ago | ◄ | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2017 | 2017 | |
| Age | 9 years | 9 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.7+ | 5.9+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.5.1 | 2.2.3 |
Rating Breakdown
WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce…
Variation Swatches for WooCommerce
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… averaged approximately 13,119 daily downloads while Variation Swatches for WooCommerce averaged 1,837.
Recent Reviews
WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… Reviews
Excellent for beginner entrepreneurs in the US
Works great for most cases. It auto fetches and calculates the state (US) and an additional county or city sales taxes. It also takes into account regions without taxes within states that do have tax.
Hidden Jetpack dependency and blocked for “regulated” stores
Nowhere in the description does it say the plugin depends on Jetpack, yet support informed me that it uses Jetpack’s backend services. That means I’m forced to follow Jetpack’s terms even though Jetpa
Yay for No Jetpack
Title says all. Thanks for removing this dependency. Its the best change we’ve all been waiting for.
Variation Swatches for WooCommerce Reviews
Great Plugin
Support was slow at first as the team were on vacation – But when they were back online they went above and beyond. Well Done team!!
Excellent Support
I had an issue with my account, which was resolved very quickly and professionally.
Bad plugin
This plugin was installed together with a theme. But I don’t need it. But it’s impossible to deactivate and finally delete it. So I need to do a whole new installation avoiding that this plugin get’s
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… or Variation Swatches for WooCommerce more popular?
Which has better ratings — WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… or Variation Swatches for WooCommerce?
Are WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… and Variation Swatches for WooCommerce free?
Which plugin has better support — WooCommerce Tax (formerly WooCommerce… or Variation Swatches for WooCommerce?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.