Running an online raffle should be simple. Set up a prize, sell tickets, pick a winner.
Instead, most platforms make it expensive. Raffall charges a percentage of every ticket sale. WordPress raffle plugins lock winner selection or PDF tickets behind a premium version. Even "free" plugins nag you to upgrade every time you open the settings.
If you already have a WooCommerce store, you don't need any of them. You can run unlimited raffles through your existing checkout — with the right plugin.
We build WordPress plugins, and charity raffle organisers are some of the people we hear from most. They need gift ticket purchasing, provably fair draws, and compliance tools — and most solutions either don't offer those or charge heavily for them. So we tested every WooCommerce raffle plugin we could find to see what actually delivers.
Here's what's out there and how they compare.
What You Actually Need to Run a Raffle Online
Before looking at plugins, here's what matters for a proper online raffle — based on what charity organisers and community groups consistently ask for:
- Ticket sales through a real checkout. Not a form submission that emails you. A proper payment flow with order confirmations, invoicing, and refund handling.
- Gift ticket purchasing. This comes up constantly. Supporters want to buy tickets for elderly relatives or family members who can't purchase online. The recipient's name needs to go into the draw, not the buyer's.
- Fair, verifiable winner selection. Random number generation that you can prove was fair. Important for charity compliance and participant trust.
- PDF tickets with unique codes. Printable tickets with QR codes for physical events or proof of entry.
- Countdown timer and progress bar. Creates urgency and social proof on the raffle page.
- Email notifications. Automated messages for purchase confirmation, gift ticket receipts, and winner announcements.
- Works with your existing payment gateways. Stripe, PayPal, bank transfers — whatever you already have connected.
- GDPR compliance and audit trail. Personal data handling tools and a complete record of every action for regulatory reporting.
The Plugins We Tested
RafflePress
RafflePress is probably the first result when you search for "WordPress raffle plugin." But it's not really a raffle plugin in the traditional sense — it's a giveaway and contest builder designed for lead generation and social media engagement.
The free version doesn't sell tickets or process payments at all. You need the Pro plan ($49.50/year) or Growth plan ($99.50/year) to unlock useful features. If you want to run a "follow us on Twitter and tag three friends to enter" style promotion, RafflePress is genuinely good at that.
But it doesn't integrate with WooCommerce checkout, doesn't generate PDF tickets, and doesn't support gift purchasing. For actual raffle ticket sales with payment processing, it's built for a different use case entirely.
Giveaway (formerly Lottery) for WooCommerce by Flintop
Giveaway for WooCommerce by Flintop is the most expensive option at $129/year, and also one of the more feature-rich.
It supports automatic and manual winner selection, ticket generation, instant win prizes, countdown timers, and tiered pricing. For marketing-style promotions — instant wins, question-and-answer prompts, engagement campaigns — this plugin has the most flexibility.
What we liked: the configuration is extensive, giving power users a lot of control. What to know: that same depth feels like overkill for a simple charity prize draw. It doesn't include gift ticket purchasing or Random.org integration for provably fair draws.
Ultimate Raffle for WooCommerce
Ultimate Raffle by AspiringPlugins ($59/year) covers the basics: ticket generation, progress bars, winner announcements, manual and automatic selection. It supports HPOS and Block Checkout, which is good.
It's a newer plugin with around 100 active installs, so the track record is still developing. Geared more toward marketing giveaways and contests than compliance-focused raffle management. No gift tickets, no QR code PDF tickets, no third-party random number verification. Worth watching as it matures.
Raffle Play Woo
Raffle Play Woo is a free plugin on WordPress.org with solid reviews (5 stars from 22 reviews, 900+ installs). The free version handles basic ticket generation and assignment. The premium version adds reports, winner recording, custom raffle names, and PDF display.
A decent lightweight option if you need basic raffle functionality without a lot of setup. The raffle management lives in its own interface rather than fully integrating with WooCommerce checkout, which keeps things simple but limits flexibility. No gift tickets, no Random.org, no QR codes.
Giveaway Lottery for WooCommerce by WebCartisan
Giveaway Lottery by WebCartisan ($89/year) positions itself as a unified raffle + giveaway + lottery engine. Ticket generation, countdown timers, winner reveal wheels, and dynamic email notifications.
The Pro version adds predefined winners, bonus tickets, and instant checkout. For e-commerce stores running promotional raffles to boost customer engagement, WebCartisan's approach is well-suited. No gift ticket purchasing, no QR code PDF tickets, and no Random.org integration.
Raffle for WooCommerce
Raffle for WooCommerce is our own plugin — full disclosure, we built it. It's completely free. No premium version exists. No features are gated behind a paywall.
What we think works well: gift ticket purchasing is built into the checkout flow. Buyers choose whether the ticket is for themselves or a gift. The recipient gets an email with their ticket details and their name goes into the draw. This was the feature we heard the most requests for from charity organisers, and it's the reason we built the plugin. Random.org integration provides provably fair draws, PDF tickets include QR codes, and a full audit trail handles charity compliance reporting. Countdown timers, progress bars, and an analytics dashboard are all included.
What to know: it's newer and has a smaller install base than established alternatives like Flintop's plugin. It also doesn't include instant win prizes or gamification features — it's focused on traditional raffle functionality, not marketing-style giveaways.
Comparison Table
Here's how they all stack up on the features we tested:
| Feature | Raffle for WooCommerce | Giveaway by Flintop | Ultimate Raffle | Raffle Play Woo | Giveaway Lottery (WebCartisan) | RafflePress |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (forever) | $129/year | $59/year | Free (limited) | $89/year | $49.50–$99.50/year |
| Gift ticket purchasing | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| WooCommerce checkout | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | No (own form) |
| PDF tickets with QR codes | Yes | No | No | No (premium PDF) | No | No |
| Random.org fair draws | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Countdown timer | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| HPOS + Block Checkout | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Audit trail (compliance) | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Instant win prizes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Upgrade nags | None | N/A (paid only) | N/A (paid only) | Yes (free version) | Yes (free version) | Yes (free version) |
For marketing giveaways and social media contests: RafflePress and WebCartisan's plugin are purpose-built for engagement campaigns, lead generation, and promotional giveaways. They're good at what they do.
For e-commerce promotional raffles: Flintop's Giveaway plugin has the widest feature set for stores that want to run promotional draws with instant wins and engagement mechanics. It's the most expensive option, but if marketing-style promotions are your primary use case, it's the most capable.
For charity raffles and compliance-focused draws: This is where the options thin out significantly. Gift ticket purchasing, provably fair draws via Random.org, and a proper audit trail aren't widely available. Raffle for WooCommerce is the only plugin that covers all three — and it's free. We built it, so factor that bias in.
For a quick, simple raffle with minimal setup: Raffle Play Woo's free version gets you running fast with no complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people buy raffle tickets for someone else?
Of the plugins we tested, only Raffle for WooCommerce supports gift ticket purchasing. The buyer completes checkout, the recipient gets an email with their ticket details, and the recipient's name goes into the draw.
How do I make sure the draw is fair?
Three approaches: manual selection (you pick), automatic random selection (the plugin picks when the raffle ends), or Random.org integration (certified random numbers for provably fair draws). For anything with charity compliance requirements, Random.org is the way to go.
Do these plugins work with Stripe and PayPal?
Any WooCommerce-native raffle plugin works with whatever payment gateways you already have connected. The checkout is your standard WooCommerce checkout.
Can I run multiple raffles at the same time?
Yes, across most of these plugins. Each raffle is typically a separate WooCommerce product with its own settings, dates, and ticket limits.
What about GDPR compliance?
This varies by plugin. Look specifically for personal data export and erasure tools that integrate with WordPress's built-in privacy features. If you're running charity raffles in the EU or UK, this isn't optional.
Is running an online raffle legal?
Laws vary significantly by country, state, and even municipality. In many jurisdictions, charity raffles require a license. Some places restrict online ticket sales entirely. Check your local regulations before setting anything up — no plugin can make an illegal raffle legal.
The Bottom Line
The WooCommerce raffle plugin space is smaller and less mature than you might expect. Most of the options are really giveaway or contest plugins that have been stretched to cover raffle functionality.
If you're running a straightforward promotional giveaway for your online store, you have several good options at different price points. If you need compliance-focused charity raffle features — gift purchasing, provably fair draws, audit trails — the choices narrow down considerably.
Test on staging before going live. Run a few fake purchases. Try the winner selection. Make sure the experience works for your specific situation before selling real tickets.
If you need the charity-focused feature set — gift tickets, Random.org, audit trail — all for free, check out Raffle for WooCommerce.
