There are two reasonable options for importing and exporting WooCommerce products. The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite is the official premium extension from the WooCommerce team. WP All Import is a third-party plugin with broader features. Both handle bulk product imports and exports through CSV. The question is which one is the right plugin for your catalog.
In this comparison, we'll walk you through where each plugin works well, where each one hits a wall, and what changes when you move from the official extension to a third-party option.
📑 Table of Contents
Quick Comparison: WP All Import vs WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite
| WP All Import | Product CSV Import Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $169 per year or $1,299 lifetime | $59 per year |
| File formats | CSV, XML, Excel, Google Sheets | CSV only |
| Variable products | Four linking methods, single import | Two-step workflow with documented issues |
| Custom fields | ACF, Meta Box, JetEngine, WPML, Yoast, inline PHP | Scalar meta + WooCommerce extensions |
| Scheduling | Cron + paid service | No |
| Update without duplicates | Yes (selective fields) | Partial (merge mode only) |
| Mapping interface | Drag-and-drop with PHP editor | Dropdown-based |
| Rating | 4.7/5 on WordPress.org (1,960 reviews) | 2.8/5 on WooCommerce.com (12 reviews) |
The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite is a reasonable first upgrade from the built-in tool if your catalog depends on a specific list of officially supported WooCommerce extensions.
WP All Import is the broader upgrade that handles more file formats, more third-party plugins, more variable product structures, and any catalog that needs scheduled imports or reliable bulk updates.
This comparison is one of three in our best WooCommerce product import and export plugins guide, alongside WP All Import vs the built-in tool and WP All Import vs WebToffee's Product Import Export Plugin for WooCommerce.
Variable Product Handling
| WP All Import | Product CSV Import Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Variable products | Full support | Supported with documented issues |
| Linking methods | Parent SKU, parent ID, group ID, XML child elements | Parent SKU or parent ID only |
| Workflow | Single import | Two imports (parent, then variations) |
| "Used for variations" flag | Handled correctly via dedicated field | Set indirectly, often breaks |
| Variable-specific documentation | Detailed guide with screenshots | Basic workflow documentation |
Variable products are the area where the gap between the two plugins is most visible to store owners. The Suite handles variable products, but the experience has been the source of recurring complaints in user reviews since the extension was first released.
The Suite's workflow requires two separate imports: one for parent products, then a second for variations linked to the parents through the parent SKU or parent ID. The parent import creates the variable product shell, and the variations import attaches the variation rows. This works when the CSV is structured exactly as documented, but it leaves room for errors that are not always obvious.
The "Used for variations" flag is the most common source of trouble. The Suite sets this flag indirectly based on whether an attribute appears in a variation row. Renaming an attribute through the CSV, or having variation rows out of order, can quietly clear the flag. The result is a variable product with attributes but no variations, which requires manual cleanup in the WordPress admin.
WP All Import handles variable products through four explicit linking methods. You choose parent SKU, parent ID, group ID, or XML child elements on the mapping screen, depending on how your file is structured. The plugin has dedicated Attributes and Variations tabs that handle each relationship explicitly. There are no documented cases of variations flattening into simple products through normal use of the plugin.
For stores with more than a few dozen variations, this difference alone tips the decision.
File Format Support
| WP All Import | Product CSV Import Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| CSV | Yes | Yes |
| XML | Yes (with XPath support) | No |
| Excel | Yes (XLS, XLSX) | No |
| Google Sheets | Yes (paste URL) | No |
| TXT | No | No |
The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite reads CSV files in UTF-8 encoding, plus plain TXT files. That is the full list. If your supplier sends XML, you have to convert it before importing. If your team maintains the catalog in Google Sheets, you have to download it as CSV first.
WP All Import reads four formats natively: CSV, XML, Excel, and Google Sheets. The XML support includes XPath expressions for pulling data from nested nodes, including XPath from the parent element for variation-level fields. This matters for stores receiving supplier feeds in XML, which is a common format in B2B and industrial catalogs.
Google Sheets support is more useful than it sounds. You paste the sheet's URL during import setup, and the plugin reads it directly. No download, no re-upload, no version-control problem when the spreadsheet changes. For stores that already maintain their catalog in a shared Google Sheet, this saves a step the Suite cannot skip.
Custom Field Support
| WP All Import | Product CSV Import Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Scalar custom meta | Yes | Yes (via meta: prefix) |
| Custom taxonomies | Yes | Yes (via tax: prefix) |
| ACF fields | Yes (dedicated add-on) | Limited (manual meta: mapping) |
| Meta Box fields | Yes (dedicated add-on) | Limited (manual meta: mapping) |
| JetEngine fields | Yes (dedicated add-on) | Limited (manual meta: mapping) |
| WPML translations | Yes | No |
| Yoast SEO | Yes (via custom meta) | Limited |
| Inline PHP transformations | Yes | No |
| Serialized/structured data | Yes (via PHP editor) | No (scalar only) |
| Officially supported extensions | ACF, Meta Box, JetEngine, Gravity Forms, Users | Subscriptions, Composite Products, Min/Max Quantities, Brands, Pre-Orders, Product Vendors, Deposits, Box Office, Gift Cards |
Custom field support is where the two plugins take meaningfully different approaches, and the right choice depends on which plugins your store already uses.
The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite has been officially tested with a specific list of WooCommerce extensions. If your catalog depends on Subscriptions, Composite Products, Brands, Product Vendors, Pre-Orders, Deposits, Box Office, Min/Max Quantities, or Gift Cards, the Suite will handle those fields reliably because the extension was designed with them in mind.
WP All Import ships dedicated add-ons for ACF, Meta Box, JetEngine, Gravity Forms, and Users, plus an inline PHP function editor that lets you write custom logic for fields without a dedicated add-on. The PHP editor is the feature that separates WP All Import from every other import plugin in this category. Any field can be passed through a PHP function during import, which is how developers handle wholesale pricing tiers, role-based price tables, and other structured data that no CSV column can express directly. Fields from other WooCommerce extensions show up in the Custom Fields column on the mapping screen and can be mapped without writing PHP.
If your store depends on WooCommerce extensions from the Suite's official list, the Suite is a strong fit. If your store depends on ACF, Meta Box, JetEngine, or any third-party field system that is not in the Suite's list, WP All Import is the only realistic option between the two.
Product Bulk Update Features
| WP All Import | Product CSV Import Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Match existing products | By SKU or ID | By SKU or ID |
| Update without creating duplicates | Yes (selective fields) | Partial (merge mode only) |
| Choose which fields to update | Yes | Partial (full merge overwrites) |
| Delete missing records on import | Yes | Yes (Delete ALL Products tool) |
| Preview before running | Yes | No |
Bulk update behavior diverges in important ways. Both plugins can match existing products by SKU or ID and update them in place rather than creating duplicates. The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite handles this through a dedicated Merge Products mode that runs as a separate import. WP All Import handles it through the same import screen with an option to select which fields to update.
The Suite's merge mode overwrites existing data with the values in your CSV. If you are doing a price-only refresh and your file does not include descriptions, the Suite will not clear descriptions, because the merge only updates the fields your CSV includes. But you cannot selectively update specific fields while leaving others untouched within a single merge.
WP All Import has a more granular update model. You can choose exactly which fields to overwrite on existing products. A price-only refresh does not touch descriptions, images, or stock if your file does not include them. The import preview shows exactly which rows will be created, updated, or skipped before any changes hit the database.
The Suite has one bulk update capability WP All Import lacks: the Delete ALL Products and Delete ALL Variations tools under WooCommerce > Status > Tools. These are irreversible and useful for clearing a catalog before a fresh import. WP All Import does not have an equivalent one-click deletion tool, though you can configure an import to delete missing records.
Scheduling and Automation
| WP All Import | Product CSV Import Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled imports | Yes (WordPress cron, server cron, or paid service) | No |
| Scheduled exports | Yes (with WP All Export) | No |
| Import from URL, FTP, or SFTP | Yes | No |
| Email reports after each run | Yes | N/A |
| Re-run existing import | Yes (saved templates) | No |
Scheduling is the most clear-cut gap between the two plugins. The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite has no scheduled import feature. Every import is triggered manually from WooCommerce > CSV Import Suite. If your catalog needs to update nightly from a supplier feed, the Suite cannot do it on its own.
WP All Import supports scheduled imports through two mechanisms. WordPress cron is the default and runs on the site's own scheduling. Server cron gives you tighter control over timing and server load. The paid scheduling service ($19 per month) runs unlimited imports across unlimited sites from WP All Import's own infrastructure, which is useful for stores that do not want to leave a cron job running on their own server.
Exporting is also part of the picture. WP All Export ships with the same scheduling options, and both plugins can be set to email a report after each scheduled run.
Mapping Interface
| WP All Import | Product CSV Import Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Mapping style | Drag-and-drop | Dropdown-based |
| Visual preview of source data | Yes | No |
| Panels for each data category | Yes (Title & Description, WooCommerce, Images, etc.) | Single column mapping screen |
| Inline PHP functions | Yes (right-click any field) | No |
| Saved templates | Yes (per user, reusable) | Partial (last mapping per user only) |
The mapping interface is where you spend most of your time during a product import. The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite uses a column mapping screen where source columns appear as dropdowns and you select the matching target field. It works, but there is no visual preview of how the mapped data will look once imported.
WP All Import uses a drag-and-drop interface. Source columns, elements, or XPath nodes appear on the right side of the screen. Target WooCommerce fields appear on the left, organized into panels by data category (Title & Description, WooCommerce Add-On, Images, Custom Fields, and so on). You drag an element from the right to a field on the left to map it. A live preview shows exactly how each field will be transformed, including any PHP function you have applied.
The PHP function editor is the part of the interface that turns WP All Import from a mapping tool into a data transformation tool. Right-click any target field, and you can wrap it in a PHP function. This is how stores handle data cleanup on the fly, like normalizing phone numbers, formatting prices, or constructing compound values from multiple source columns.
For a single CSV with default WooCommerce columns, both mapping screens are fast enough. The moment your file has any custom structure or transformation needs, the drag-and-drop interface and PHP editor pay for themselves on the first import.
Third-Party Plugin Compatibility
| WP All Import | Product CSV Import Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce Subscriptions | Yes | Yes (officially tested) |
| WooCommerce Composite Products | Yes | Yes (officially tested) |
| WooCommerce Brands | Yes | Yes (officially tested) |
| Product Vendors | Yes | Yes (officially tested) |
| WooCommerce Bookings | Yes (via PHP transformations) | Partial (no Person Types or Resources) |
| Pre-Orders | Yes | Yes (officially tested) |
| Deposits | Yes | Yes (officially tested) |
| Gift Cards | Yes | Yes (officially tested) |
| Box Office | Yes | Yes (officially tested) |
| Min/Max Quantities | Yes | Yes (officially tested) |
| Product Bundles | Yes | No (WooCommerce recommends built-in importer instead) |
| Per Product Shipping | Yes | No (WooCommerce recommends built-in importer) |
| WooCommerce Memberships | Yes | No |
| ACF | Yes (dedicated add-on) | No |
| Meta Box | Yes (dedicated add-on) | No |
| JetEngine | Yes (dedicated add-on) | No |
| WPML | Yes | No |
Third-party plugin compatibility is where the difference between the two tools is most visible. The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite has been tested with a specific list of WooCommerce extensions, and if your store runs any of those extensions, the Suite handles their fields reliably.
The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite has documented compatibility issues with several WooCommerce extensions, including Product Bundles (WooCommerce recommends the built-in importer instead), WooCommerce Bookings with Person Types or Resources, Per Product Shipping, and WooCommerce Memberships. These are not minor edge cases. WooCommerce Bookings in particular is a common extension for stores selling appointments or rentals, and the Suite explicitly cannot import booking data with person types or resources attached.
WP All Import ships dedicated add-ons for ACF, Meta Box, JetEngine, Gravity Forms, and Users, plus the PHP editor that handles any other plugin's custom fields through custom code. The broader third-party plugin ecosystem is more comprehensively covered.
If your store runs one of the extensions the Suite officially supports and nothing else, the Suite is a reasonable choice. If your store runs ACF, Meta Box, JetEngine, WPML, Bookings, Memberships, or any plugin outside the Suite's officially tested list, WP All Import is the more capable option.
Pricing
| WP All Import | Product CSV Import Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $169 (WooCommerce Import Package) | $59 (1-year plan) |
| Long-term option | $1,299 Ultimate Lifetime Package | $94.40 (2-year plan, 20% off) |
| Site licenses | Unlimited | 1 site |
| Renewal fees | None on lifetime, optional annual after first year | Auto-renews unless canceled |
| Money-back guarantee | 90 days | 30 days |
The annual pricing favors the WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite at first glance. $59 per year is meaningfully cheaper than $169 per year for the WooCommerce Import Package. For a single store doing occasional CSV imports, the Suite's lower price point is a real advantage.
The cost equation changes once you factor in scope and time horizon. The WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite license covers one site. WP All Import's WooCommerce Import Package and Ultimate Lifetime Package both include unlimited site activations, which makes WP All Import dramatically cheaper for agencies and developers managing multiple stores.
For a single store, the lifetime license at $1,299 pays for itself against the Suite within two to three years. The Suite's 2-year plan at $94.40 is cheaper than two years of WP All Import's annual license at $338, but it does not cover any of the broader format support, scheduling, or third-party compatibility that justify the upgrade.
For agencies, the math is simple. WP All Import's unlimited site activations make it the only sensible option at any price.
WP All Import vs WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite: When to Use Each
The decision between WP All Import vs WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite comes down to which extension your store depends on, and how often you need to import or export products.
Use the WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite when:
- Your catalog depends specifically on Subscriptions, Composite Products, Brands, Product Vendors, Pre-Orders, Deposits, Box Office, Min/Max Quantities, or Gift Cards, and nothing else
- You are doing one-time catalog migrations or occasional bulk updates through CSV
- You are comfortable with the two-step variable product workflow
- You prefer first-party compatibility with the WooCommerce team over broader third-party coverage
- You need the Delete ALL Products and Delete ALL Variations tools for clearing a catalog
Use WP All Import when:
- Your catalog includes XML, Excel, or Google Sheets files
- You have variable product catalogs beyond a few dozen variations
- You use ACF, Meta Box, JetEngine, WPML, Yoast SEO, or any third-party plugin that adds custom fields outside the Suite's officially tested list
- You need scheduled imports from supplier feeds, FTP/SFTP servers, or remote URLs
- You need bulk updates without duplicates, with selective field updates
- You need PHP transformations for cleaning up or restructuring data on import
- You are an agency or developer managing multiple WooCommerce stores
- You want a lifetime license instead of annual renewal
For a deeper look at each plugin on its own, see our WP All Import review and our WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite review. For a side-by-side with the other two plugins in this space, see our best WooCommerce product import plugin article.
Frequently Asked Questions: WP All Import vs WooCommerce Product CSV Import Suite
How do I import products in WooCommerce without a plugin?
To import products in WooCommerce without a plugin, go to Products > All Products in your WordPress admin and click Import at the top of the page. Upload a UTF-8 encoded CSV file that matches the WooCommerce Product CSV Import Schema, map your columns to product fields on the next screen, and click Run the Importer.
How do I export products from WooCommerce?
To export products from WooCommerce, go to Products > All Products and click Export at the top of the page. Choose which columns, product types, and categories to include, decide whether to export custom meta, and click Generate CSV. The exported file follows the same schema the importer expects.
Does WooCommerce have a built-in CSV importer?
Yes. WooCommerce includes a built-in CSV importer and exporter that has been part of the plugin since version 3.1. It is accessed from Products > All Products in your WordPress admin and does not require any additional plugin or purchase.
