# Best Shopping Cart Software - Page 5 *By [Subhransu Sahu](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/subhransu-sahu)* Shopping cart software is an essential [e-commerce software](https://www.g2.com/categories/e-commerce) for online retailers, helping businesses create a smooth buying experience by allowing customers to add, review, and purchase items in a virtual cart. Used by businesses of all sizes, this software makes the checkout process faster and easier for both customers and merchants. Shopping cart platform includes features like product catalog integration, [inventory tracking](https://www.g2.com/glossary/inventory-tracking), and support for multiple payment methods, making store management simpler. Customers can easily add products, calculate totals, and securely complete their purchases. For businesses, the software helps with order processing, [inventory management](https://www.g2.com/articles/inventory-management), customer tracking, user accounts, discounts, and shipping cost calculations to improve the shopping experience, leading to higher sales and satisfied customers. Other related software that sellers use in conjunction with e-commerce shopping cart software or independently are [catalog management software](https://www.g2.com/categories/catalog-management), [e-commerce personalization software](https://www.g2.com/categories/e-commerce-personalization), and [e-merchandising software](https://www.g2.com/categories/e-merchandising). To qualify for inclusion in the Shopping Cart category, a product must: - Allow customers to add, remove, and edit items in their cart - Display product details, including descriptions, images, prices, and availability - Integrate with inventory systems to update product availability in real time - Enable secure payment processing and support multiple payment methods - Send email communication to a customer to confirm their order has been received - Send automated emails or notifications to remind customers of items left in their cart - Automate tax calculation, shipping fees, and any applicable discounts or promotions - Integrate with shipping providers and calculate shipping costs - Track cart abandonment rates, conversion rates, and other key metrics to optimize performance ## How Many Shopping Cart Software Products Does G2 Track? **Total Products under this Category:** 119 ### Category Stats (May 2026) - **Average Rating**: 4.2/5 - **New Reviews This Quarter**: 17 - **Buyer Segments**: Small-Business 74% │ Enterprise 15% │ Mid-Market 12% - **Top Trending Product**: Payhip (+0.075) *Last updated: May 18, 2026* ## How Does G2 Rank Shopping Cart Software Products? **Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:** - 30 Analysts and Data Experts - 3,700+ Authentic Reviews - 119+ Products - Unbiased Rankings G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category. ## Which Shopping Cart Software Is Best for Your Use Case? - **Leader:** [Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento Commerce)](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-commerce-formerly-magento-commerce/reviews) - **Highest Performer:** [ShopWired](https://www.g2.com/products/shopwired/reviews) - **Easiest to Use:** [Shopaccino](https://www.g2.com/products/shopaccino/reviews) - **Top Trending:** [ThriveCart](https://www.g2.com/products/thrivecart/reviews) - **Best Free Software:** [ShopWired](https://www.g2.com/products/shopwired/reviews) --- **Sponsored** ### LupaSearch LupaSearch – AI-Powered eCommerce Search & Discovery About LupaSearch: Headquartered in Europe and founded by a team of veteran search engineers and data scientists, LupaSearch is a fast-growing technology company dedicated to solving the complexities of eCommerce findability. We specialize in serving mid-to-enterprise level online retailers who manage large, complex catalogs. Our mission is to bridge the gap between human intent and machine results, helping businesses globally turn their site search into a high-performing sales assistant. Key Features & Functionality: LupaSearch offers a sophisticated Hybrid Search Engine that combines vector-based semantic search with advanced keyword matching and Large Language Models (LLMs). This ensures the platform understands the "why" behind a query, handling typos, long-tail searches, and multilingual nuances with ease. Key functionalities include AI-driven personalization, dynamic faceted navigation that adapts to search context, and automated product recommendations. Designed for developers and business users alike, our seamless API allows for custom ranking based on business priorities like margins, stock levels, or active promotions. Primary Value & Problem Solved We solve the "zero-results" problem and eliminate the friction that causes high-intent customers to bounce. By providing highly relevant, personalized results in milliseconds, LupaSearch significantly boosts search conversion rates (CR) and revenue per session. We turn site search from a basic utility into a strategic revenue-driving channel, giving eCommerce teams the data-driven insights they need to understand customer demand and optimize their assortment. [Visit website](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bad_program%5D=ppc&secure%5Bad_slot%5D=category_product_list&secure%5Bcategory_id%5D=263&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_id%5D=2428&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bmedium%5D=sponsored&secure%5Bplacement_reason%5D=neighbor_category&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=566&secure%5Bprioritized%5D=false&secure%5Bproduct_id%5D=1216468&secure%5Bresource_id%5D=263&secure%5Bresource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bsource_type%5D=category_page&secure%5Bsource_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.g2.com%2Fcategories%2Fshopping-cart&secure%5Btoken%5D=28d7b895565165531ec6e594f54422fa52d2f14c4e65cd639031094be066a0c7&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lupasearch.com%2Fdemo-call%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=book_demo) --- ## What Are the Top-Rated Shopping Cart Software Products in 2026? ### 1. [Papertrell](https://www.g2.com/products/papertrell/reviews) Papertrell is a leading eCommerce platform for selling digital products to anyone, anywhere, instantly. With Papertrell you can sell eBooks, audio-books, comics, music, videos and online courses to a global audience. Whether it’s one-time purchases or recurring subscriptions, simply upload and start selling instantly. Instead of relying on file downloads, give your customers a rich user experience with Papertrell's digital library with built-in readers and media players. Papertrell also provides you with an advanced dashboard to manage your online sales. You can setup your own branded storefront or simply connect your existing eCommerce store to start selling digital products. Some of the world's leading brands like Hachette, Mayo Clinic, Michel Thomas and Amar Chitra Katha trust Papertrell to power their global digital product sales. Visit https://www.papertrell.com for a free trial **Average Rating:** 4.8/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 2 **How Do G2 Users Rate Papertrell?** - **Quality of Support:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10) **Who Is the Company Behind Papertrell?** - **Seller:** [Papertrell](https://www.g2.com/sellers/papertrell) - **Year Founded:** 2011 - **HQ Location:** Bangalore, IN - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/papertrell (5 employees on LinkedIn®) **Who Uses This Product?** - **Company Size:** 100% Small-Business ### 2. [Penni Cart](https://www.g2.com/products/penni-cart/reviews) Build and Customize Webflow Stores with Ease, No Extra Tools Required **Who Is the Company Behind Penni Cart?** - **Seller:** [Penni Cart](https://www.g2.com/sellers/penni-cart) - **Year Founded:** 2024 - **HQ Location:** N/A - **Twitter:** @penni_cart (8 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/penni-cart/ (2 employees on LinkedIn®) **Who Uses This Product?** - **Company Size:** 100% Small-Business ### 3. [Qikify Slide Cart Drawer](https://www.g2.com/products/qikify-slide-cart-drawer/reviews) Qikify Slide Cart Drawer is a Shopify app that gives shoppers a faster checkout with a sticky add to cart bar (variant & quantity pickers) and a slide cart drawer. Lift AOV with AI cart upsell and cross-sell that can work with subscription or tiered offers, plus a progress bar and free shipping bar that unlock a free gift. Shoppers can apply a cart discount, add notes, and pick cart add-ons like gift wrapping or shipping protection. A floating sticky cart with full customization, theme sync, trust badges; works w/ Shopify Discounts & Bundles. - Slide cart drawer: Allows shoppers to view cart without leaving current page - Progress bar: Incentivize purchases w/ free gift, tier goals, free shipping bar - AI cart upsell: Recommend related items, gift wrapping, discount code box - Sticky add to cart: Always-visible add to cart button during products scroll - More widgets & add-ons: Trust badges, subscription, order note, announcement bar **Who Is the Company Behind Qikify Slide Cart Drawer?** - **Seller:** [qikify](https://www.g2.com/sellers/qikify) - **Year Founded:** 2017 - **HQ Location:** Hà Nội, VN - **Twitter:** @byqikify - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/qikify/ (13 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** Ownego ### 4. [Quick2Cart](https://www.g2.com/products/quick2cart/reviews) Quick2Cart is a super flexible shopping cart with Multi-Vendor, Multi-Store and awesome Social Integrations. Plus you have the option to use the native Product manager or integrate with CCKs like Zoo, K2 or even Joomla Content. **Who Is the Company Behind Quick2Cart?** - **Seller:** [Techjoomla](https://www.g2.com/sellers/techjoomla) - **Year Founded:** 2009 - **HQ Location:** Pune, IN - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/techjoomla (3 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 5. [Shopnix](https://www.g2.com/products/shopnix/reviews) Shopnix is an eCommerce service provider and allows users to create an online store easily. **Who Is the Company Behind Shopnix?** - **Seller:** [Cloudnix](https://www.g2.com/sellers/cloudnix) - **Year Founded:** 2010 - **HQ Location:** Bangalore, IN - **Twitter:** @CloudnixLabs (16 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/2627548 (18 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 6. [Simpler](https://www.g2.com/products/simpler/reviews) Increase your conversion rate by up to 46% with Simpler Checkout. Let your customers complete their purchases in seconds. Simpler is a one-step, mobile-optimized checkout that reduces cart abandonment and increases conversion. With just one simple and swift integration you can have Simpler on your website and also offer your shoppers their favourite payment method (Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna & more). How does it work? With Simpler checkout, shoppers can provide essential details, select their preferred shipping methods, and finalize their purchase - all within a single, streamlined window. For first-time shoppers, Simpler Checkout is at least 50% faster than the native checkout, resulting in higher conversion rates. Returning customers can complete their purchases in as little as 6 seconds, strengthening loyalty with a delightful shopping experience. **Average Rating:** 5.0/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 2 **How Do G2 Users Rate Simpler?** - **Quality of Support:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.4/10) - **What is your organization's estimated ROI on the product (payback period in months)?:** 0.8/10 (Category avg: 10/10) **Who Is the Company Behind Simpler?** - **Seller:** [Simpler](https://www.g2.com/sellers/simpler) - **Year Founded:** 2021 - **HQ Location:** London, GB - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/simplerso (21 employees on LinkedIn®) **Who Uses This Product?** - **Company Size:** 100% Small-Business #### What Are Simpler's Pros and Cons? **Pros:** - Ease of Use (2 reviews) - Convenience (1 reviews) - Customer Support (1 reviews) - Payment Ease (1 reviews) - Quick Service (1 reviews) **Cons:** - Integration Difficulty (1 reviews) - Integration Issues (1 reviews) - Lack of Integrations (1 reviews) - Poor Interface Design (1 reviews) - UX Improvement (1 reviews) ### 7. [Spurtcommerce](https://www.g2.com/products/spurtcommerce/reviews) Spurtcommerce - A quick and easy Node JS and Angular eCommerce solution to develop an awesome e-commerce Website **Who Is the Company Behind Spurtcommerce?** - **Seller:** [Spurtcommerce](https://www.g2.com/sellers/spurtcommerce) - **Year Founded:** 2011 - **HQ Location:** Chrompet, Chennai, IN - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/spurtcommerce/ (1 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 8. [STM Smart One Page Checkout Extension for Magento 2](https://www.g2.com/products/stm-smart-one-page-checkout-extension-for-magento-2/reviews) Magento 2’s standard checkout spreads the ordering process across multiple pages. Every additional click presents an opportunity for the customer to drop off. Studies show that up to 70% of all shopping carts are abandoned before the purchase is completed—often due to a checkout process that is too lengthy or confusing. The STM Smart One Page Checkout Extension solves this problem. Address details, shipping options, payment methods, and the order summary are consolidated onto a single page. Your customers see exactly what to expect at a glance—without switching pages or losing their bearings. The result: faster checkout times, fewer abandoned carts, and a measurably higher conversion rate. Hyvä, Luma compatible - Mollie, Ayden, Klarna, Paypal **Who Is the Company Behind STM Smart One Page Checkout Extension for Magento 2?** - **Seller:** [Storetown Media](https://www.g2.com/sellers/storetown-media) - **Year Founded:** 2012 - **HQ Location:** Tornesch, DE - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/storetownmedia/ (1 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 9. [SunShop](https://www.g2.com/products/sunshop/reviews) Success Begins with Your Ecommerce Software. Easy Online Store Setup & Administration. Extensive Customer Payment Support Options. Popular Social Marketing Tools. Mobile Ready Frontend & Backend **Who Is the Company Behind SunShop?** - **Seller:** [Turnkey Web Tools](https://www.g2.com/sellers/turnkey-web-tools) - **Year Founded:** 2003 - **HQ Location:** Temecula, us - **Twitter:** @turnkeywebtools (301 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** http://www.linkedin.com/company/turnkey-web-tools-inc. (1 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 10. [Tradepoint Ecommerce](https://www.g2.com/products/tradepoint-ecommerce/reviews) Tradepoint Ecommerce is an integrated shopping cart solution designed to integrate with Tradepoint Enterprise as the back end software management solution. **Who Is the Company Behind Tradepoint Ecommerce?** - **Seller:** [Tradepoint](https://www.g2.com/sellers/tradepoint) - **Year Founded:** 2010 - **HQ Location:** N/A - **Twitter:** @Tradepoint (49 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradepoint-360-inc. (2 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 11. [Trolley](https://www.g2.com/products/trolley/reviews) Trolley is a payments solution that works with any website - or over email, WhatsApps or SMS. Backed by Stripe, we help you to sell products, subscriptions, digital downloads or anything else you want, simply by pasting a few lines of HTML into any website. **Who Is the Company Behind Trolley?** - **Seller:** [Trolley](https://www.g2.com/sellers/trolley) - **HQ Location:** N/A - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/No-Linkedin-Presence-Added-Intentionally-By-DataOps (1 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 12. [ViArt Shop](https://www.g2.com/products/viart-shop/reviews) ViArt Shop is a PHP based shopping cart software. **Who Is the Company Behind ViArt Shop?** - **Seller:** [ViArt](https://www.g2.com/sellers/viart) - **HQ Location:** N/A - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/No-Linkedin-Presence-Added-Intentionally-By-DataOps (1 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 13. [Voma](https://www.g2.com/products/voma/reviews) The new checkout page for your online business. Voma helps professional creators, coaches, consultants, and agencies rapidly create and test unique offers. With our blazing-fast checkout pages, businesses can easily sell products, subscriptions, order bumps, and upsells. **Who Is the Company Behind Voma?** - **Seller:** [Voma](https://www.g2.com/sellers/voma) - **HQ Location:** N/A - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/No-Linkedin-Presence-Added-Intentionally-By-DataOps (1 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 14. [VP-Cart](https://www.g2.com/products/vp-cart/reviews) VP-CART is an all-in-one hosted eCommerce solution - suitable for the business owner who wants to get up and running with minimum fuss. With VPCART Storefront you can, - Create and customize an online store - Sell in multiple places, including web, mobile, social media, online marketplaces, brick-and-mortar locations, and pop-up shops - Manage products, inventory, payments, and secure your storefront How does It work? It does not matter if you are just starting a business or you have an established business and want to grow, VPCART can help you. Even if you know what you’re selling already, it may give you some ideas for other services you could sell to grow your business. - It’s entirely easy to install. - It also has an open-source package, so you’ll find a massive library of themes, add-ons, and more. - It’s straightforward to use and built with complete beginners in mind. Giving you full control over the final design, - Your store is mobile-friendly right out of the box, so it will look and perform great no matter what devices your visitors are using to shop. We also provide web hosting services and our hosting is far superior to many other hosting services available on the market. Because we have developed the shopping cart software ourselves, we have ensured our hosting services have been geared to provide optimum performance, with guaranteed stability, speed, and security. VP-CART can be used in almost every country in the world. And we currently support the following languages English, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Spanish, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish. So it is your choice to use VP-CART as is, integrate with your existing web, or customize it to suit and start selling. Need more information, kindly send us an email. **Who Is the Company Behind VP-Cart?** - **Seller:** [VP-ASP](https://www.g2.com/sellers/vp-asp) - **HQ Location:** Birmingham, gb - **LinkedIn® Page:** http://www.linkedin.com/company/eforeknowledge (2 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 15. [Web Partner](https://www.g2.com/products/web-partner/reviews) Web Partner is the Abbasoft E-Commerce solution built specifically for SAP Business One ERP(enterprise resource planning) software. **Who Is the Company Behind Web Partner?** - **Seller:** [Abbasoft Technologies](https://www.g2.com/sellers/abbasoft-technologies-672a6799-23f1-48ad-84e4-645274fe1301) - **Year Founded:** 2008 - **HQ Location:** Zug, CH - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/beonesolutions (171 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 16. [WedgeCommerce](https://www.g2.com/products/wedgecommerce/reviews) WedgeCommerce allows centralizing eCommerce on Salesforce with a beautiful storefront. This effective application can be used to combine data warehousing and Customer Relationship Management allowing self-service portals. **Who Is the Company Behind WedgeCommerce?** - **Seller:** [WebKul](https://www.g2.com/sellers/webkul) - **Year Founded:** 2010 - **HQ Location:** Noida - **Twitter:** @webkul (1,786 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/webkul/ (556 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 17. [Whatacart](https://www.g2.com/products/whatacart/reviews) Whatacart is a platform for new eCommerce store. **Who Is the Company Behind Whatacart?** - **Seller:** [Usha Singhai Neo Informatique](https://www.g2.com/sellers/usha-singhai-neo-informatique) - **Year Founded:** 2008 - **HQ Location:** Gurgaon, IN - **Twitter:** @ushainfo (53 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** http://www.linkedin.com/company/usha-singhai-neo-informatique-pvt.-ltd. (5 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 18. [XoniC Shopsoftware](https://www.g2.com/products/xonic-shopsoftware/reviews) XoniC Shopsoftware enables users to create a professional, mobile optimized and successful online shop. **Who Is the Company Behind XoniC Shopsoftware?** - **Seller:** [Xonic Solutions](https://www.g2.com/sellers/xonic-solutions) - **HQ Location:** Chemnitz, Sachsen, DE - **LinkedIn® Page:** http://www.linkedin.com/company/xonic (1 employees on LinkedIn®) ### 19. [Zeus Cart](https://www.g2.com/products/zeus-cart/reviews) Zeuscart team is well-committed to redefine the open source community, by improving the usability of a software and by introducing rich user interface. Generally, the open source community software lacks a rich user interface. Zeus cart team knew this obvious fact and as a result, We committed to develop a rich UI and a highly usable shopping cart software. Our designers focused on the web 2.0 trends and other usability engineering bases and succeeded in bring out a software that meets the demands of web 2.0, commencing a march towards a new generation. **Who Is the Company Behind Zeus Cart?** - **Seller:** [Zeuscart](https://www.g2.com/sellers/zeuscart) - **HQ Location:** N/A - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/No-Linkedin-Presence-Added-Intentionally-By-DataOps (1 employees on LinkedIn®) ## What Is Shopping Cart Software? [E-Commerce Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/e-commerce) ## What Software Categories Are Similar to Shopping Cart Software? - [E-Commerce Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/e-commerce-platforms) - [E-Merchandising Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/e-merchandising) --- ## How Do You Choose the Right Shopping Cart Software? ### What You Should Know About Shopping Cart Software ### What is shopping cart software? Shopping carts or shopping cart software are tools used by companies to sell products and services online. For customers, it facilitates the overall process of browsing through the products, adding products to the cart, and making a payment to purchase the products in an online store. More advanced tools integrated with the online shopping cart enable unique customization for the customers. For businesses, it allows them to collect multiple data and dive deeper into the customers’ purchasing patterns helping them make better sales and marketing decisions. In its most basic form, shopping carts bridge the gap between the buyer and seller in an [e-commerce](https://learn.g2.com/hub/e-commerce) ecosystem. At best, an e-commerce shopping cart meets the requirements of both the business and its customers proportionately. ### What are the common features of shopping cart software? Shopping cart solutions provide a wide range of features that vary by vendor. However, there are some common features buyers must keep in mind before making a purchase. - [Catalog management](https://www.g2.com/articles/catalog-management) **:** A shopping cart allows a listed representation of all the items or stock keeping units (SKUs) that the buyer sells online. Clear product titles, images, price details, and an option to edit quantity or size help improve the overall usability of the cart. This information helps buyers find, add, or delete items from the cart, across their preferred categories.  - **Abandoned cart solutions:** [Shopping cart abandonment](https://learn.g2.com/cart-abandonment) is a recurrent issue for e-commerce stores. Most of the time, customers don’t buy and simply browse for options, which leads to abandoned carts. Abandoned cart savers help marketers target the buyer by sending messages, emails, and notifications to remind them of the products left in the cart. - [Payment gateway](https://www.g2.com/glossary/payment-gateway-definition) **integration:** Online shopping cart software must provide its customers with a seamless payment experience as it is a crucial part of the overall checkout process. Payments made via debit or credit cards, e-wallets, cash on delivery (COD), etc. must be seamlessly accepted. The more payment methods offered, the more likely it is to address the customer’s preferred payment.  - **Tax and shipping rates calculation:** Enabling automatic sales tax calculation allows users to know how much tax is implemented into their product and improves overall business transparency. Shopping cart software also calculates shipping rates based on the billing address provided by the customer. - **User-friendly interface:** Customers must feel comfortable navigating through the shopping cart to the final checkout. A complicated [user interface](https://www.g2.com/glossary/user-interface-definition) poses a risk to customer engagement and conversion. To maximize [user experience](https://www.g2.com/glossary/user-experience), e-commerce websites along with online cart systems make it easier for customers to shop. ### Who uses online shopping cart software? Shopping cart platform simplifies the relationship between buyer and seller by handling multiple activities in the business process. Below are some common users of the software. - **E-commerce professionals:** E-commerce professionals who manage an online storefront and sell their products or services to customers worldwide must integrate shopping cart software into their existing websites. The type of e-commerce shopping cart needed can be decided by considering the nature of the business, target market, and product offerings. - **Web developers:** Developers who work for e-commerce companies often customize shopping carts to make them easier to use or to integrate them with other solutions, such as [accounting](https://www.g2.com/categories/accounting?source=search). While shopping cart software provides standard online stores, customization is often needed for advanced features. This is particularly important for free open-source shopping cart products with limited functionality. - **Web designers:** Designers are responsible for creating intuitive and visually appealing shopping cart interfaces. They focus on optimizing navigation and reducing friction points to enhance the user experience and lower cart abandonment rates on [e-commerce websites](https://learn.g2.com/e-commerce-website). ### What types of shopping cart software exist? Every e-commerce site must have a shopping cart functionality that enables customers to buy their desired products. Shopping carts are differentiated by how they’re integrated into a website and how the backend process is managed.  #### Fully-hosted shopping carts These are [software-as-a-service (Saas)](https://www.g2.com/articles/what-is-saas)e-commerce solutions that are fully owned and managed by vendor firms. Hence, the company that created it handles all the development and upgrade of the software. These hassle-free solutions only require a monthly fee or subscription-based pricing to access all the vendor’s core features. The user just needs to sign up and set up a store. #### Open-source shopping carts These are 100% customized solutions that a user can host on their own server. As they are freely available, self-hosted shopping carts allow any developer to access the source code and modify cart templates as per requirements. While they have their advantages, managing such open-source software could require high expertise. In most cases, finding centralized [customer support](https://www.g2.com/glossary/customer-support-definition) could be a real struggle in case of any technical issue. #### A hybrid of online and self-hosted options Self-hosted solutions are usually free but limited in functionality, while SaaS solutions require a paid subscription to use more advanced features, customizations, and customer support. To provide the best of both worlds, some vendors offer both options, combining the flexibility of open-source software with the convenience of a SaaS platform. This approach allows businesses to customize their e-commerce experiences while relieving them of the complexities of hosting, security, and infrastructure management. ### What are the benefits of shopping cart software? A good selection of shopping cart platforms is highly essential for all e-commerce efforts.  - **Convenient shopping:** Buyers shop online only because they don’t want to go through the tedious process of shopping in-store. Hence, online shopping carts need to provide basic convenience features like catalog management, abandonment cart saver, payment gateways, coupons and discounts, and a grievance redressal system. - **Improved order management:** This software enables sellers to easily track an order from its point of placement to its point of delivery. It notifies sellers each time a new order is placed or an existing order is canceled. It also notifies details needed to process an order, such as product variants, item codes, order number, shipping, and payment details. - **Data collection and analysis:** Shopping cart solutions contain various data points, such as sales, marketing, or inventory management data, that influence the overall buying process. Hence, it is essential to have an analytical capability that can be integrated into shopping cart software to export this data in different formats for further analysis. ### Challenges with e-commerce shopping cart While shopping cart software ensures reliability and convenience, there are potential challenges that a business or customer might have to deal with.  - **Frauds and security** : Shopping cart solutions must ensure 100% secure online operation against [data breaches](https://www.g2.com/articles/data-breach) and protection of consumer data against possible theft. To protect user privacy such as credit card numbers or bank details, the software must be [SSL (secure socket layer)](https://www.g2.com/glossary/ssl-definition) certified and [PCI (payment card industry) compliant](https://www.g2.com/glossary/pci-compliance-definition).  - **Errors, crashes, and load time** : There are chances that a shopping cart might show some errors while calculating the overall price of products. Similarly, website crashes and load time are the most common issues that make an e-commerce cart dysfunctional. It is essential to make sure the site is up to date and there are no issues. - **No guest checkout:** Forcing customers to create an account before purchasing can discourage impulse buys and lead to more abandoned carts, as many shoppers prefer the ease of a quick guest checkout. ### What does shopping cart software cost? Shopping cart software pricing can vary widely based on features, scalability, and support.  Many platforms offer free plans with limited features, making them ideal for small businesses or startups. Monthly subscriptions generally range from $20 to $300+, with higher-tier plans providing more advanced options. Annual subscriptions often come with discounts of 10% to 20%. Some platforms also charge transaction fees per sale. Enterprise-level solutions may offer custom pricing based on specific business needs, and additional tools or integrations can incur extra charges.  There are also freemium models that let businesses try basic versions before committing to upgrades. When choosing a plan, it’s essential to consider all costs, including potential hidden fees and scalability. _Always check the vendor's website for accurate pricing information._ ### Which companies should buy online shopping cart software? Businesses that sell products or services online benefit from shopping cart software. Here’s a closer look at the types of businesses that should consider investing in it. - **E-commerce retailers:** Businesses running online stores need shopping cart software. From platforms like Amazon to small stores, whether they sell electronic goods or clothes use it to manage product listings, simplify the checkout process, and securely handle payments. - **Subscription-based businesses:** Companies offering recurring services or products, like streaming platforms (Netflix) or subscription box services, benefit from shopping cart features that support automated billing and subscription management. - **Food and beverage businesses:** Restaurants, cafes, and food delivery services use shopping carts for online ordering systems. - [Business-to-business (B2B)](https://www.g2.com/glossary/b2b-definition) **companies:** Businesses selling to other businesses like Grainger often require shopping cart features like bulk order processing, invoice generation, and custom pricing. ### What are the alternatives to shopping cart software? Alternatives that can replace this type of software, either partially or completely: - [E-commerce platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/e-commerce-platforms): These are primarily B2C software but few vendors operate on B2B as well. E-commerce software acts as a one-stop solution for someone who wants to build a business online and is looking for a platform to start. Most of the e-commerce platforms come with an integrated shopping cart feature. Some of the leaders in this category, according to [G2’s Fall 2024 Grid Report](https://www.g2.com/reports/5257cd31-61ad-44c8-8d73-1c2d9f39e2c8/preview), include [Shopify](https://www.g2.com/products/shopify/reviews), [WooCommerce](https://www.g2.com/products/woocommerce/reviews), [Salesforce Commerce for B2C](https://www.g2.com/products/salesforce-commerce-for-b2c/reviews), and [Wix](https://www.g2.com/products/wix/reviews). ### Software related to shopping cart software Related solutions that can be used together with shopping carts include: - [Payment gateways](https://www.g2.com/categories/payment-gateways): Payment gateways act as a platform that allows customers to pay for the products or services they purchase from the e-commerce platform. Hence, it is essential to integrate a secure payment gateway into the shopping cart for seamless payment processing. It is possible to find a free shopping cart solution, but every payment gateway charges a transaction fee on each order they process.  - [E-commerce tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/e-commerce-tools)[:](https://www.g2.com/categories/e-commerce-tools) E-commerce software or tools are integrated with e-commerce platforms to make business processes more efficient and productive. These are functionality-based solutions that help in email automation, creating website widgets, data collection, and migration on the e-commerce platform. ### How to buy shopping cart software To select the best shopping cart software for your business, follow the steps below. #### Requirements gathering (RFI/RFP) It’s essential to pick the right online shopping cart for a business. Gathering individual requirements and comparing them with the features provided by the vendor makes the task easier. Some carts provide advanced features but impose restrictions as per different price packages. While others might be cheap but lack some of the basic features required to qualify as a good shopping cart. Requirements for shopping cart software selection vary by [company size](https://learn.g2.com/business-size). Small businesses typically have a limited budget and hence opt for specific functionalities like catalog management, abandonment cart saver, and online payment gateways. Mid—and large-size businesses would go for something that charges a premium but must be equipped with advanced features that support customization and integration with other tools like [Google Analytics](https://www.g2.com/products/google-analytics/reviews?source=search), [customer relationship management (CRM)](https://www.g2.com/categories/crm?source=search), point-of-sale, and marketing tools. #### Compare shopping cart software products The software demo is a crucial step before deciding which product to opt for. E-commerce websites must be compatible with the shopping cart to handle the traffic. The volume of business and website bandwidth are some of the metrics buyers should keep in mind before shortlisting vendors. Once that is done, each vendor should be given a chance to deploy their software, run a demo, and go through the purchasing process that the buyer would follow in a real shopping scenario. #### Selection of shopping cart software **Choose a selection team** Selecting a team consisting of experts from all the teams that will use the software is highly essential in the purchasing process. Typically, they should include team members or leads who will use the software, those in charge of the software budget, executives who will sign off on the software purchase, IT personnel responsible for implementation and maintenance of the software, and management who will oversee the entire process.  **Negotiation** The process of negotiation is important to decide and bring onboard the final vendor. It generally happens after an in-depth analysis and discussion on [requests for proposals (RFP)](https://www.g2.com/articles/rfp-request-for-proposal)/requests for information (RFIs) offered by multiple vendors. The final negotiation generally takes place between two selected vendors out of which one is selected based on the services, prices, and discounts offered on the deal.  **Final decision** The final decision should be taken after all the data and information related to the software from the vendor are analyzed properly. ### Implementation of shopping cart software #### How is the software implemented? Businesses can implement shopping cart software into their e-commerce website either during the start of their [business operations](https://learn.g2.com/business-operations) or they can switch from existing software vendors to another as per contract or business requirements.  #### Who is responsible for implementation? Implementation of this software is handled by a designated team that consists of project managers from vendors or technical experts from its partners, as well as an in-house technical team led by technical consultants and supported by the IT department.  #### What does the implementation process look like? The implementation process isn't always easy. Basic shopping cart software for small companies requires less effort to implement. However, mid- or large-sized enterprises seeking shopping cart software with advanced features would find it complicated and require technical expertise to implement. First, shopping cart software stores various data. If a business is switching from one vendor to another, it is essential to migrate the existing data, such as sales data, inventory data, and so on, to the new platform. This secures the data and minimizes the risk of data loss. Secondly, after the software is implemented, a demo test should be conducted to check its compatibility and performance with the company's other software. Any bugs or issues should be fixed quickly to ensure the system's smooth operation during a real buying scenario. Thirdly, users need to get accustomed to the new software before they start using it frequently. Different departments would require different modules of the software to learn. For instance, the sales team might use a different module than customer support or inventory. Proper training and guidance must be provided to the employees for ease of use. #### When should you implement the software? Prior planning and scheduling of the software's implementation are essential to avoid problems during go-live. It is also recommended to inform all the departments and stakeholders (vendor, partner, employees, customers, etc.) associated with the software for day-to-day operations. ### Shopping cart software trends - **Personalized shopping carts** : Increased competition forces companies to go beyond general configuration and optimize customers' buying experience by offering features like tailored product recommendations, targeted marketing, and customized checkout experience. Website builders and shopping cart software developers are more focused on developing tools that make customers feel more welcome and address specific needs. - **Voice search** : Voice search is getting increasingly popular for activities like ordering products, tracking packages, and finding product information. Businesses must optimize their product listings and descriptions for voice-based searches to stay competitive. - [Augmented reality (AR)](https://www.g2.com/glossary/augmented-reality-definition): The use of AR allows customers to preview products in their environment before purchasing. This feature enhances the shopping experience, making it more interactive and increasing conversion rates. - **Mobile shopping** : [Mobile commerce](https://www.g2.com/glossary/mobile-commerce-definition) is becoming a cornerstone of e-commerce, with many shopping cart platforms offering mobile-responsive pages by default to cater to the growing number of smartphone users. - [AI chatbots](https://www.g2.com/categories/ai-chatbots): These are valuable tools for providing round-the-clock customer support. They can handle common queries and guide customers through their shopping experience, improving satisfaction while reducing the need for human intervention.