TL;DR
WordPress doesn’t include a shopping cart, so you need a plugin to sell anything. These are the ones I’d actually install, plus how to set your cart up.
- WooCommerce – Best overall: free, over 7 million active installs, works with any theme.
- SeedProd – Best for designing custom cart and checkout pages without code.
- Easy Digital Downloads – Best for selling ebooks, software, and other digital products.
- MemberPress – Best for memberships, courses, and subscriptions.
- Adding a cart – Install WooCommerce and it creates your cart, checkout, and account pages automatically. Full steps below.
- Leaving BigCommerce? – WooCommerce with SeedProd is the strongest alternative. I cover the rest further down.
You can publish products on your WordPress site all day, but nobody can buy them. A fresh install has no cart, no checkout, and no way to take payment until you add a WordPress shopping cart plugin.
I’ve tested the most popular carts on WooCommerce stores I’ve managed, and this guide shows you which ones are worth your money. You’ll also see how to add a shopping cart to your site step by step, and which options to pick if you’re moving away from a hosted platform like BigCommerce.
Why Do You Need a WordPress Shopping Cart Plugin?
WordPress doesn’t include a built-in shopping cart or payment system. You can publish product information, but you can’t take orders or process payments without adding that functionality yourself.
A dedicated shopping cart plugin solves that. It lets you accept payments securely, display products professionally, and give shoppers a smooth checkout.
Without one, you’re stuck asking customers to send money manually through PayPal or bank transfers. Most shoppers find that unprofessional and risky.
A WordPress shopping cart plugin makes it easy to:
- List and manage multiple products
- Let users add items to their cart as they browse
- Show all selected products on a dedicated shopping cart page
- Accept credit cards, digital wallets, and other payment methods
- Upsell or recommend related products during checkout
- Simplify the purchase process so fewer customers abandon their cart
Most shopping cart plugins also connect with services you already rely on, like shipping providers, email marketing platforms, and Google Analytics.
How I Chose the Best WordPress Shopping Cart Plugins
I’ve managed WooCommerce stores for clients and tested hundreds of WordPress plugins over 15 years, so I know how frustrating it is when a cart plugin is missing key features or slows your site down.
For this list, I focused on plugins that met the following criteria:
- Ease of use: Each plugin had to be beginner-friendly with clear setup instructions and a clean interface.
- Core shopping cart features: Support for product listings, cart management, and secure checkout was a must.
- Payment options: Plugins had to support multiple gateways like Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, or direct bank transfers.
- Customization and design: The ability to match the cart and checkout pages to your site’s branding was key.
- Integrations: I looked for plugins that work well with popular email marketing tools, analytics platforms, and shipping providers.
- Value for money: Pricing needed to be fair for the features offered, whether free or premium.
Only plugins that delivered on all of the above made the cut.
Best Shopping Cart Plugins for WordPress
Based on the criteria above, here are the best WordPress shopping cart plugins I recommend. Each one works with the latest version of WordPress, supports secure checkout, and offers solid integrations with other tools.
1. WooCommerce: Most Popular WordPress Shopping Cart Plugin
| Pricing: Free core plugin + paid extensions |
| Free Plan / Trial: Yes |
| Standout Features: 🔹 Works with any WordPress theme 🔹 Huge library of extensions 🔹 Supports physical, digital, and subscription products |
| Rating: A |
| Best For: Stores that need maximum flexibility |
WooCommerce is the most popular WordPress shopping cart plugin, with more than 7 million active installations. It’s free to use and includes everything you need to sell products, manage inventory, and accept payments.
It works with any WordPress theme and integrates with Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and more. You can also add advanced features with thousands of extensions, from subscriptions and memberships to bookings and analytics.
I’ve used WooCommerce on client stores I’ve managed, and it’s one of the most flexible options. Combined with SeedProd, you can design custom product, cart, and checkout pages that match your brand and boost conversions.
Pros:
- Free to start with
- Large extension library for extra features
- Works with any theme or builder
- Integrates with SeedProd for custom checkout flows
Cons:
- Premium extensions can add up
- Some features need extra plugins or developer help
- Can be resource-heavy on cheaper hosting
Verdict: WooCommerce is the best all-round choice for growing WordPress stores. Pair it with SeedProd for complete control over your cart and checkout experience.
2. SeedProd: Best for Custom Checkout and Landing Pages
| Pricing: Starts at $39.50/year |
| Free Plan / Trial: Yes (SeedProd Lite) |
| Standout Features: 🔹 Drag-and-drop builder with 300+ templates 🔹 Built-in WooCommerce blocks (cart, checkout, products) 🔹 Supports maintenance mode, coming soon pages, and more |
| Rating: A |
| Best For: Store owners who want full design control over checkout and landing pages |
SeedProd is the best drag-and-drop website builder for WordPress. It’s perfect if you want to design custom checkout pages, product pages, or high-converting landing pages without touching code.
The plugin comes with ready-made templates and WooCommerce-specific blocks for carts, checkout, featured products, and add-to-cart buttons.
You can fully customize the look and layout, so more shoppers make it through checkout.
I’ve used SeedProd to build tailored checkout flows and promotional pages for WooCommerce stores I’ve managed, and it consistently improved sales. The interface is simple, it’s fast, and it works with any theme, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues.
Pros:
- Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor
- Includes WooCommerce cart and checkout blocks
- Hundreds of templates that work with any theme
- Also supports coming soon, maintenance, and login pages
Cons:
- Best used alongside WooCommerce (not a standalone cart system)
- Some advanced features only in Pro version
Verdict: SeedProd is built for store owners who want the buying journey to match their brand. Run it alongside WooCommerce and you design the product, cart, and checkout pages yourself, no developer needed.
Plan check before you buy: SeedProd’s WooCommerce blocks are included in the Elite plan. The lower plans cover landing pages, theme building, and everything else in this guide.
3. BigCommerce: Best for Scalable Online Stores
| Pricing: Starts at $29/month (billed annually) |
| Free Plan / Trial: Yes (15-day trial) |
| Standout Features: 🔹 Hosted solution with enterprise-grade security 🔹 Built-in multi-channel selling (Amazon, Instagram, etc.) 🔹 Automatic cart and checkout page creation |
| Rating: A- |
| Best For: Large or growing stores that need scalability and built-in integrations |
BigCommerce is a fully hosted eCommerce platform that integrates with WordPress. It’s designed for stores that need enterprise-grade security, faster performance, and room to scale without hitting hosting limits.
The plugin automatically creates essential store pages, like product listings, cart, and checkout, and keeps them SEO-friendly. It also supports selling on Amazon, Instagram, and other channels, so you can reach more customers without extra integrations.
I’ve tested BigCommerce on projects that needed more power than traditional WordPress hosting could handle. The hosted backend means you don’t manage servers or updates, and its built-in payment and shipping options are reliable.
Pros:
- Enterprise-level performance and security
- Built-in multi-channel sales support
- Automatic store, cart, and checkout page setup
- No additional transaction fees
Cons:
- Higher monthly cost compared to plugins like WooCommerce
- Less flexible design customization without a drag-and-drop builder
- Some features may feel overkill for smaller stores
Verdict: BigCommerce makes sense once a store outgrows regular WordPress hosting. Smaller shops end up paying for scale they don’t use yet, so if the monthly fees put you off, I’ve covered the best BigCommerce alternatives later in this guide.
4. MemberPress: Best for Membership and Subscription Stores
| Pricing: Starts at $199.50/year |
| Free Plan / Trial: No (14-day money-back guarantee) |
| Standout Features: 🔹 Built-in membership and subscription management 🔹 Content dripping and advanced access control 🔹 Integrates with major payment gateways |
| Rating: A |
| Best For: Selling memberships, online courses, or subscription-based products |
MemberPress is the leading WordPress membership plugin if your store focuses on subscriptions or premium content. It makes it simple to sell memberships, courses, and other digital products with recurring billing.
The plugin includes access controls that restrict content by user roles or subscription tiers. Content dripping lets you release lessons over time, which is why course creators rate it so highly.
I’ve tested MemberPress on several client projects where managing access was crucial. It integrates smoothly with WooCommerce, LearnDash, and popular payment gateways, and I’ve found it very reliable for creating recurring revenue.
Pros:
- Easy setup for memberships and subscriptions
- Advanced access control and content dripping tools
- Integrates with WooCommerce, LearnDash, and email marketing services
- Supports multiple payment gateways
Cons:
- Higher starting price than most shopping cart plugins
- Better suited for digital products than physical goods
Verdict: MemberPress is the pick for membership sites, online courses, and anything sold on recurring billing.
5. Easy Digital Downloads (EDD): Best for Selling Digital Products
| Pricing: Free Lite plugin + paid plans from $99.50/year |
| Free Plan / Trial: Yes (EDD Lite) |
| Standout Features: 🔹 Designed specifically for selling digital goods 🔹 Full shopping cart system for multiple downloads 🔹 Supports Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and more |
| Rating: A |
| Best For: Stores focused on digital products like eBooks, software, or online courses |
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is the best option if your store is dedicated to selling digital products. It’s quick to set up and skips all the physical-store features you’d never use.
The free Lite plugin supports multiple file downloads in a single order, customer account management, and integrations with payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Paid plans from $99.50/year add recurring payments, software licensing, and email marketing tools.
I’ve used EDD to sell digital downloads like PDFs and WordPress plugins, and I appreciate how lightweight it is. It loads quickly, looks clean out of the box, and doesn’t bolt on features you only need for physical products.
Pros:
- Purpose-built for selling digital goods
- Free Lite plugin with essential features included
- Integrates with major payment gateways and email services
- Lightweight and fast compared to full eCommerce platforms
Cons:
- Not designed for physical products
- Paid plans can add up in cost
- Advanced features like subscriptions need higher tiers
Verdict: For digital-only stores, EDD beats running full WooCommerce: it’s lighter and faster to launch. Pair it with SeedProd’s EDD blocks for custom landing pages and checkout experiences.
6. Ecwid Shopping Cart: Best Hosted Cart for Small Stores
| Pricing: Starts at $5/month (Starter plan) |
| Free Plan / Trial: No (free plan discontinued) |
| Standout Features: 🔹 Cloud-based platform with WordPress plugin 🔹 Low-cost entry point for small stores 🔹 Multi-channel selling (social media, marketplaces) |
| Rating: B+ |
| Best For: Small stores wanting a low-cost, hosted shopping cart |
Ecwid Shopping Cart is a cloud-based eCommerce platform that works with or without WordPress. You can either use the Ecwid dashboard to manage your store or connect it to your existing WordPress site using their plugin.
Ecwid used to offer a free plan, but that’s gone now. Plans start at $5/month for the Starter tier, with higher tiers adding social media selling and marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
I’ve tested Ecwid on a small boutique site, and it was quick to set up and easy to use. The hosted platform means you don’t worry about performance or security, though customization is more limited than WooCommerce.
Pros:
- Cheapest hosted entry point at $5/month
- Works on any website, not just WordPress
- Includes multi-channel selling and built-in hosting
- Quick setup and easy to manage
Cons:
- No free plan anymore
- Advanced features require higher-priced plans
- Customization options are more limited than WooCommerce or SeedProd
Verdict: At $5/month, Ecwid is the cheapest way to get a hosted cart running on a small site. If a free start matters more, WooCommerce or WP EasyCart cost nothing to install.
7. WP EasyCart: Best for Simple Stores with Unlimited Products
| Pricing: Free core plugin, premium plans start at $69/year |
| Free Plan / Trial: Yes (free version available) |
| Standout Features: 🔹 Unlimited products and orders, even on the free plan 🔹 Integrates with Stripe, Square, and PayPal 🔹 Automatically creates store, cart, and account pages |
| Rating: B+ |
| Best For: Small stores needing a simple, free solution with room to grow |
WP EasyCart is a lightweight shopping cart plugin that automatically sets up your store, cart, and account pages after installation. It’s designed to be simple, with fewer settings to configure than WooCommerce.
The free version supports unlimited products and orders, though it charges a 2% application fee on sales. Premium plans from $69/year remove that fee and add advanced shipping options, coupons, and Mailchimp integration.
I’ve tested WP EasyCart for small client stores and found it easy to set up, though it doesn’t offer as much customization as WooCommerce. It’s a good fit if you want a simple cart and checkout without extra complexity.
Pros:
- Free version allows unlimited products and orders
- Quick setup with automatic store, cart, and account pages
- Integrates with major payment gateways
- Premium plans add advanced features as you grow
Cons:
- Free version takes a 2% fee on every sale
- Fewer customization options than WooCommerce
- Not built for complex stores
Verdict: WP EasyCart suits stores that just need products, a cart, and a checkout with no learning curve. Budget for the $69/year plan once sales pick up, so you stop losing 2% on every order.
Alternative: If you prefer an even simpler setup, check out the WordPress Simple PayPal Shopping Cart plugin, which adds lightweight PayPal checkout options using shortcodes.
Which WordPress Shopping Cart Plugin Is the Best?
After testing all of the plugins in this guide, I recommend SeedProd and WooCommerce as the best WordPress shopping cart solutions for most stores.
WooCommerce is the most flexible option for building a full eCommerce store. It’s free to start with, works with any WordPress theme, and can grow with your business thanks to its huge library of extensions.
SeedProd is ideal if you want complete design control. You can use its drag-and-drop builder and WooCommerce blocks to create custom product, cart, and checkout pages that match your brand and convert better.
In many cases, the best approach is to use both: WooCommerce for the core shopping cart functionality and SeedProd to design the perfect checkout experience.
If you’re focused only on digital products, Easy Digital Downloads is another excellent option. And for membership or subscription sites, MemberPress is the clear winner.
WordPress Shopping Cart Plugin Comparison
Now you’ve seen each plugin in detail, here’s how they compare side by side on pricing and best use case.
| Plugin | Pricing | Free Plan | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | Free/paid extensions | Yes | Stores needing maximum flexibility |
| SeedProd | Starts at $39.50/year | Yes | Complete design control over checkout & WordPress pages |
| BigCommerce | Starts at $29/month | Trial only | Large or fast-growing stores needing scalability |
| MemberPress | Starts at $199.50/year | No | Membership sites, online courses & subscriptions |
| Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) | Free, paid plans from $99.50/year | Yes | Selling digital products like eBooks, software, and PDFs |
| Ecwid Shopping Cart | Starts at $5/month | No | Small stores wanting a low-cost hosted solution |
| WP EasyCart | Free, premium plans from $69/year | Yes | Simple stores needing a straightforward cart system |
How to Add a Shopping Cart to WordPress
Picked your plugin? Here’s how to get a working cart on your site with WooCommerce, the option most stores start with.
The whole setup takes about 15 minutes, and WooCommerce creates your cart, checkout, and account pages for you.
Step 1: Install WooCommerce
Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Plugins » Add New. Search for “WooCommerce”, click Install Now, then Activate.
Step 2: Run the WooCommerce Setup Wizard
WooCommerce launches its setup wizard as soon as you activate it. Enter your store’s name, industry, and location, then click Continue.
The wizard also offers optional extra features. You can skip these for now and add them later once you’ve had time to look through them properly.
Step 3: Add Your Products
Go to WooCommerce » Home and choose how to add your products. You can add each product manually, start from a template, or import an existing catalog from a CSV file (a plain spreadsheet of your products).
If you import a CSV, WooCommerce asks you to map your spreadsheet columns to product fields like image, price, and description. Once mapped, click Run the Importer.
Step 4: Set Up Your Payment Methods
Click the Payments tab in your WordPress admin and follow the setup instructions for each payment method you want to offer. Stripe, PayPal, and others are available as suggested add-ons.
Worried about cost? WooCommerce is free, and accepting credit cards through WooPayments has no monthly fee. You only pay per-transaction fees, so the core cart and checkout setup costs nothing.
That’s the store live. WooCommerce automatically creates your cart, checkout, and account pages, so you don’t need to build them yourself.
Step 5: Customize Your Cart Page with SeedProd
The default WooCommerce cart page works, but it isn’t built to convert. According to Baymard Institute, nearly 7 in 10 shoppers abandon their cart before completing a purchase.
A custom cart page can close some of that gap without new traffic. With SeedProd, go to SeedProd » Pages, add a new landing page, and drag the Cart block from the WooCommerce section into your layout.
Clicking the block lets you customize every part of your cart: button labels, colors, field backgrounds, and more.
You can also add SeedProd’s Testimonials, Star Rating, and Countdown Timer blocks around the cart for social proof and urgency. The visitor-specific timer is worth a look because it ties the countdown to each shopper’s session instead of a shared deadline.
When your design is finished, publish the page. Then go to WooCommerce » Settings » Advanced and select your new page as the cart page.
Click Save Changes, and shoppers who click “View Cart” now see your custom design.
A few more changes can lift the number of shoppers who finish checkout:
- Enable guest checkout. In WooCommerce, go to Settings » Accounts & Privacy and allow orders without an account. Forced registration is one of the biggest friction points in eCommerce.
- Show pricing up front. Surprise fees at checkout are a top reason shoppers abandon, so display shipping estimates on the cart page.
- Keep the cart visible. A cart icon in your site header helps shoppers keep track of what they’ve added as they browse.
- Test on mobile. Most stores see the majority of traffic on phones, and SeedProd lets you preview and adjust mobile layouts without leaving the editor.
For more ways to recover lost sales, see this guide on what causes shopping cart abandonment and how to fix it.
What Are the Best BigCommerce Alternatives?
BigCommerce earned its spot in this list, but it isn’t the right fit for everyone. The monthly fees add up, the dashboard can feel complex, and you give up the full control that comes with running your store on WordPress.
If any of that sounds familiar, the strongest BigCommerce alternatives are already in this guide:
- WooCommerce is the best free alternative. You keep full ownership of your store, avoid monthly platform fees, and can sell physical and digital products from day one.
- SeedProd pairs with WooCommerce to replace BigCommerce’s design tools. You get visual control over your shop, product, cart, and checkout pages without a developer.
- Easy Digital Downloads is the better pick if you only sell digital goods. It’s leaner than BigCommerce and faster to launch.
Prefer to stay on a hosted platform? Shopify is the closest like-for-like swap, starting at about $29/month with a short free trial.
Squarespace and Wix also handle small stores well if design simplicity matters more than deep eCommerce features. And for enterprise stores with a development team, Magento Open Source offers endless customization, though most small businesses will find it overkill.
My recommendation stays the same either way: WooCommerce with SeedProd gives you the most control for the least ongoing cost.
FAQs About WordPress Shopping Cart Plugins
Does WordPress have a built-in shopping cart?
No. WordPress doesn’t include a shopping cart, checkout, or payment processing by default. You need a plugin like WooCommerce to add those features, and it creates your cart, checkout, and account pages automatically when you install it.
What’s the easiest WordPress shopping cart plugin for beginners?
SeedProd is the most beginner-friendly because of its drag-and-drop builder and pre-made WooCommerce blocks. If you just need a basic cart, WP EasyCart is another good option with a quick setup process.
Can I add a shopping cart to WordPress for free?
Yes. WooCommerce is free, and taking card payments through WooPayments has no monthly fee, only per-transaction charges. WP EasyCart’s free version is another option, though it takes a 2% fee on each sale.
Which shopping cart plugin is best for digital products?
Easy Digital Downloads is purpose-built for selling digital files like eBooks, software, and PDFs. It’s lightweight and includes features like customer account management and download tracking.
How do I add a WooCommerce cart to a page using a shortcode?
WooCommerce provides the [woocommerce_cart] shortcode to embed the cart on any page. Add a Shortcode block in the WordPress editor and paste it in. Keep in mind this renders the default cart layout. For a custom design, use SeedProd’s WooCommerce Cart block instead.
Choosing the right WordPress shopping cart plugin comes down to your business needs. WooCommerce covers the store itself, and SeedProd gives you control over how your cart and checkout pages look and convert.
You don’t need to build anything from scratch. Get started with SeedProd today and design a cart page that turns more browsers into buyers.
For more help with your online store, check out our other guides:
- How to Secure Your WooCommerce Site
- How to Make a Sales Funnel Landing Page in WordPress
- How to Sell on WordPress Without WooCommerce
- How to Set Up an Online Store in WordPress
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