20 Best Shopping Cart Programs and Applications in 2024

Consumers now want fast and straightforward checkouts and payments when purchasing online. Your online shop, therefore, needs shopping cart software. It helps create an easy-to-use virtual storefront on your website. However, with the wide array of available solutions, finding the best shopping cart programs and applications for your site could be taxing.

A good shopping cart is user-friendly, easily accessible, and prominently displayed. But the best shopping cart solution also makes browsing and purchasing products a breeze. If you’re looking for a shopping cart solution for your store, read on to compare the best shopping cart applications and programs we have curated.

With the spread of online shopping comes an abundance of popular shopping cart software. Online shops leverage these tools to enhance the shopping experience. Still, some customers abandon their transactions, leaving their orders incomplete. In Q2 2022, 75% of online shopping baskets in the United States were abandoned. Mobile customers abandoned carts at an 85% rate during that quarter.

Over a third of polled online shoppers in the US said they abandon their carts due to unexpected shipping costs. Other reasons cited were the following:

• The coupon code or promo code did not apply to my purchase
• Final fees were too high (e.g. sales tax)
• I couldn`t see/calculate the total order cost upfront
• Too long/complicated checkout process
• The site did not accept the payment type I wanted to use
• Concerns about security

Meanwhile, post-pandemic, shoppers are returning to physical stores. A survey revealed that 91% of polled consumers reported shopping for groceries in person versus the 31% who purchase online. The share of online grocery shopping dropped by 7% from the previous six months whereas the in-person shopping rate did not change.

Consumers dislike online shopping primarily because they cannot see the product in person. Nevertheless, ecommerce technology is continuously evolving to address consumer issues. Today’s augmented reality (AR), for one, is giving consumers a better look at products. The best shopping cart applications and programs, meanwhile, are making checkouts more straightforward, secure, and faster.

What is the cost of shopping cart software?

The cost of shopping cart software can vary depending on features, functionality, and business size. Here’s a breakdown:

• Free Shopping Cart Software: Free solutions like WooCommerce or OpenCart offer basic functionality without a cost. While ideal for small businesses or startups, they may have limited features and minimal support. They may require technical expertise to set up.
• Subscription-Based Software: Subscription models range from $10 to $300 monthly, depending on the plan. For example, Shopify offers plans starting at $29 per month, with more feature-rich plans costing up to $79 or more. These plans typically include hosting, security, and support.
• Enterprise-Level Solutions: Larger businesses may opt for highly customizable enterprise solutions with advanced features. These systems can range from $500 to several thousand dollars per month, with providers like Magento and Salesforce Commerce Cloud offering scalable options for big e-commerce operations.
• Transaction Fees: Many shopping cart platforms charge transaction fees (typically 1% to 3% per sale). These fees can accumulate, especially for businesses with high sales volumes, so it’s important to factor them into the overall cost.
• Additional Costs: Additional charges for premium themes, third-party integrations, or extra plugins may apply. These costs can vary depending on your business needs.

Best Shopping Cart Programs and Applications

1. NetSuite SuiteCommerce

NetSuite SuiteCommerce is an omnichannel ecommerce platform. Alongside its omnichannel solutions, it provides a robust shopping cart. This tool is also among the best shopping cart application to integrate with your WordPress or WooCommerce site. It enhances the shopping experience in your online store.

At the same time, the solution helps manage all crucial operations in a single system, including inventory tracking across several channels. It arms sales and marketing teams with consumer data to enhance their plans, processing orders from order collection to delivery, customer service, among others.

NetSuite SuiteCommerce

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NetSuite SuiteCommerce is a multi-tenant SaaS solution. It enables merchants to deliver a unique and engaging online experience. This software has single sign-on integration with external systems. This includes Bronto Integration, SCIS, and Content Delivery Integration.

NetSuite SuiteCommerce offers a quote-based plan. You can contact the vendor for a custom quote for more pricing details.

2. Wix

Wix makes it possible for small and medium-sized companies to start profitable online stores. It gives customers the best shopping experience possible. Among its many features is a shopping cart. You can plug this cart into your WordPress blog or WooCommerce site to make online shopping convenient.

Wix lets you create an eye-catching storefront by simply personalizing and branding any template on the platform. The cutting-edge product galleries that Wix offers are simple to use. They allow sellers to make all needed changes with a straightforward drag-and-drop method.

However, Wix is most useful in guiding customers through the sales process. It encourages them to make additional purchases. The platform makes it simple to identify the desired goods with suggestions and recommendations.

Wix offers a free trial and four plans, ranging from $4.08 to $16.17. Setting up a website is free, but you need to buy a plan to get more of its functionalities.

3. Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is an enterprise cloud-based ecommerce platform for high-volume merchants. Shopify Plus provides a trustworthy and secure ecommerce shopping cart. It integrates payment gateways like Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal to accept credit cards.

As one of the best shopping cart programs and applications, this tool provides selling capabilities that are at par with an establishment’s. This is minus the high cost and hassles of conventional enterprise solutions. It is a highly decentralized, multi-tenant platform that processes billions of dollars annually. This platform lowers IT costs and eliminates the need to worry about bandwidth, rack space, or transaction fees.

The restful APIs, SDKs, and an app store provide a wide range of integration opportunities. You can integrate thousands of professionally developed apps to enhance your store’s functions. You can also build your apps with the assistance of one of the vendor’s reliable partners.

Only individual quotes are available for Shopify Plus pricing. For more specific pricing information and a quote tailored to your needs and budget, get in touch with Shopify Plus directly.

4. BigCommerce

Over 60,000 companies rely on BigCommerce, an ecommerce platform, for all aspects of their online store operations. It makes online selling easier, given its variety of ecommerce functions and robust features. Plus, its shopping cart solution covers PayPal One Touch, Amazon Pay, and Apple Pay. As such, shoppers can check out items with a click.

BigCommerce’s SEO tools are another crucial feature. You can increase website traffic and conversion rates. In addition, it boasts a partnership with Google. Thus, websites built on the platform include automatic implementation of industry-standard SEO.

Over 600 app partners are available in the carefully curated BigCommerce app marketplace. These partners are in various fields, such as marketing, B2B/wholesale, catalog/order management, mobile, and more. These include Netsuite ERP, Hubspot, Salesforce, Facebook, Google, and other programs.

The software has four pricing tiers: Standard, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise. The page builder, single-page checkout, and native mobile functionality are all included in the $29.95/month Standard plan. The Plus plan, the most popular subscription, costs $79.95 per month or $71.95 per month when paid annually.

5. X-Cart

X-Cart is a highly adaptable shopping cart solution with many features and integration support. Thus, launching an online store is a breeze. Its license plans are ideal for startups and mid-sized/growing businesses.

The platform comes with a ton of tools to make sure you have complete control over the management of your items and orders. X-Cart is also capable of easily managing more than one million SKUs. On the other hand, your customers will value how simple and natural it is to search for an item using tags and keywords.

The platform has a wide range of third-party applications’ support for integration. For instance, there is Google AdWords for advertising. HubSpot and Salesforce are for CRM and MailChimp for email marketing. Additional partners for X-Cart include over 400 payment processors. Some are free, while others require paid add-ons or X-Payments to access them.

With a range of license types available at X-Cart, starting at $495, you can choose the one that best suits your needs. One license is good for lifetime use; you can scale it up or down later. Additionally, an entirely free on-premise version is provided that you can host on your own.

6. Shopify

Shopify is a recognized ecommerce platform. It includes many features and tools that let businesses set up and run physical stores and sell goods online. Shopify is a feature-rich platform. It also provides a safe and reliable shopping cart with over 100 payment gateways.

It is regarded as one of the top ecommerce solutions in the market by industry experts and business owners alike. This is especially true for the top-notch Shopify Advanced version.

Shopify supports connecting to various business software and systems. Such integrations include those with KISSmetrics, Fulfillrite, Zapier, QuickBooks, and more.

Shopify offers four pricing plans, ranging from $9 to $299 per month. You can also try Shopify for 14 days free.

7. Shift4Shop

Shift4Shop, formerly known as 3dcart, is an ecommerce software to help you build a strong online store. Users can easily create their online stores with its robust ecommerce platform. It has extensive features and partnerships with more than 200 top business service providers. These include shipping companies, tax calculators, payment solutions, and more.

The software, which is a member of the Shift4 family, provides a fully integrated payment processing solution out of the box. As long as they use the Shift4 payment processor, users can use the platform for free forever. Meanwhile, you can choose from Shift4Shop’s plans without paying additional transaction fees. That is, if you want to use other payment platforms.

Shift4Shop provides API access. It also integrates with Facebook and Google Tools.

Shift4Shop is free forever. You can access all its features without switching to Shift4 as your credit card processor. Shift4Shop has three plans for other payment processors, ranging from $29/month to $229/month.

8. Squarespace

Squarespace is a do-it-yourself website builder. Its features are easy-to-use tools for SMBs and individuals wishing to create a personal blog or business website. You can create an online shop, complete with a shopping cart showing the number of items in the cart and which leads to a checkout page. The software’s templates, customization possibilities, and integration build your internet presence fast.

The software makes website creation quick and simple with simple navigation, a dynamic editing tool, and a previewer. It even provides a variety of elements you can use for your page, including galleries, images, charts, buttons, spacers, and text. It is free with minimal functionality. But you can open more features with various reasonably-priced plans.

Squarespace supports integrations with business systems and applications. Such integrations include those with Twitter, Facebook, Getty Images, Google Analytics, Shopify, LeadDyno, and Zapier.

Squarespace has three product options that offer simple pricing and no hassles. A 14-day trial is also available if you want to test out how Squarespace works for yourself. All products are billed monthly or annually, with the lowest prices being $12 and $16, respectively.

9. PayKickstart

PayKickstart is an all-in-one shopping cart management solution that is fully automated, extremely customizable, and equipped with various conversion boosters and other tools to increase sales and revenue.

PayKickstart has capabilities for sophisticated monitoring and reporting of all transactions and activities. It helps create sales, commissions, revenues, and traffic metrics reports, among others. In other words, it provides practically all the tools required to run your online stores, market your goods, and increase your revenue.

This software can be fully integrated with over 40 service applications. These include those with Paypal, Zapier, and Demio. It also integrates with tax systems compliant with sales and VAT tax collection for territories like Canada and European Union countries. So there is also no need for third-party tax services.

PayKickstart doesn’t impose additional transaction fees, unlike other shopping cart software. The services are provided through monthly subscription plans with actual flat rates. Regardless of the kind and the advanced features offered by a certain plan, the features of products and services vary. The 14-day free trial of the software allows users to test it out.

10. Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Salesforce Commerce Cloud  combines various functionalities such as order management, predictive intelligence, mobile-first POS, online store, and ecommerce. It helps you manage your products, pricing, promotions, and content. In this way, you can increase customer engagement. You can also plug in its shopping cart solution to your WordPress or WooCommerce page.

This tool’s intelligence capabilities offer data-based insights. That is for both direct individual customer interaction and business decisions. These capabilities work together to cross-channel power commerce at every stage. From online shopping to order fulfillment and customer service.

Salesforce’s AppExchange is where third-party systems and apps can connect with Salesforce Commerce Cloud.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud has two pricing plans: Salesforce B2C Commerce and Salesforce B2B Commerce. It does not have a free trial, and you have to contact the vendor for pricing details.

11. WooCommerce

WooCommerce was created to turn any WordPress website into a lovely online shop. WooCommerce is a very dependable and powerful plugin that boasts enterprise-level features. It was created using WordPress best practices on both the front and back ends.

With this tool, you can create a standalone online store from scratch. You can also start selling products using an already-existing WordPress blog or website. Although it is a free plugin, paid updates and upgrades are also available.

WooCommerce can integrate with just about any service provider. Some of its popular integrations include those with Zapier, WordPress, USPS, UPS, Amazon Payments, and PayPal.

Woocommerce is a free shopping cart plugin. Woocommerce offers priced license upgrades, extensions, and updates to those who want more than just the basics.

12. Volusion

Volusion is a scalable ecommerce and shopping cart platform created to support the expansion of your business. With a long history of pleased clients and a 99.9% uptime guarantee, Volusion will come in handy for new customers looking for safe checkouts.

Volusion uses many smart selling tools. These include end-to-end marketing campaigning to streamline and improve your customers’ experience. You can also leverage quick lead generation techniques. These assist you in developing and broadening your reach to new and international audiences.

Additionally, Volusion works to create solid partnerships and native third-party integrations. It integrates well with all major social media platforms, Paypal, FedEx, Amazon Pay, and others.

This tool has a very flexible pricing structure. It offers four different pricing plans created to meet the needs of all users to ensure that everyone can benefit from its functionality. Depending on storage, features, and integrations, monthly costs range from $15 to $135. Users can test out different plans with a free 14-day to see which suits them the best.

13. PrestaShop

Prestashop is an open-source ecommerce platform. Users can download it from the vendor website or have it hosted in the cloud. Over 800,000 people are part of the system’s supportive community. This community works to keep Prestashop exclusively focused on open-source ecommerce.

Prestashop offers a wealth of robust features and integrations. These intend to assist users in creating their online stores from scratch. Numerous business organizations and entrepreneurs use it all over the world.

The tool integrates with popular business services and programs. Included in this list are Google Analytics, eBay, and payment options like PayPal, Simplify by Mastercard, and Authorize.Net.

Prestashop is an open-source ecommerce solution. It comes in two editions: a cloud-based ecommerce system and a downloadable platform. It has a free trial, and the plans are quote-based.

14. Pinnacle Cart

Pinnacle Cart is a user-friendly, feature-rich, completely customizable ecommerce solution. It provides services like digital marketing, customer support, development, and more. It has a wealth of practical features thoughtfully arranged in an easy-to-use interface. This is on top of several customizable templates.

The shopping cart platform is ideal for small businesses and international enterprises. It supports various languages and currencies and comes with a quick-start guide to assist you in the setup process. Pinnacle Cart provides first-time users with sample products. It also automates in populating of their test database to make setting up your store faster and simpler.

Your store is hosted in a PCI-compliant environment. You can quickly link it to other helpful programs like QuickBooks, Stamps.com, Avalara, and more using their apps center. Other integrations include those with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Paypal, QuickBooks, etc.

Pinnacle Cart provides four enterprise pricing packages. All these are loaded with tools and functionalities to address various demands and budgets, ranging from $44.95/month to quote-based packages. With its free trial offering, you can try Pinnacle Cart at no charge.

15. Jimdo

Jimdo has a user-friendly interface that assists in creating online stores. Jimdo offers a very versatile package for startups and freelancers.

Using a tablet, smartphone, or computer to create a website is simple with Jimdo. Its interface enables even beginners to create a unique online presence with a blog and an ecommerce store. More than 8 million websites have been developed using this application, which is available in 12 languages.

Jimdo supports integrations with Dropbox, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube, among others.

Website builder product Jimdo has three paid versions in addition to a free one. There is a free trial and one free plan. The cheapest paid plan available has a monthly cost of $7.50, but all plans are billed annually.

16. OpenCart

OpenCart is a PHP/MySQL-based open-source shopping cart. This platform is offered as a free ecommerce solution. It is user-friendly and powerful and has a well-designed user interface and a larger library of extensions.

OpenCart is packed with all the essential features a user would require from an ecommerce solution. As such, it is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses and online stores. The user-friendly setup and multi-store functionality make it a great choice for SMBs.

OpenCart supports integrations with business systems and applications. These include PayPal, UPS, FedEx, and Skrill.

The open-source shopping cart OpenCart is free to use.

17. LemonStand

LemonStand is an ecommerce platform for start-ups and companies that boasts a hyper-customizable environment and full access to all website codes. It is scalable and can grow with its users, whether they are developers or business owners. Its user-friendly interface makes building stunning ecommerce websites simple.

LemonStand handles all important facets of your online business. Selling physical goods, digital goods, and recurring subscriptions are just a few. With these, you can concentrate on growing your sales. Leverage flexibility when using front-end techniques to design a stunning interface with branding.

With its developer-friendly API, integrations, and tools, LemonStand works well with many other apps. These include, but are not limited to, Google Analytics, USPS, Freshdesk, and Zapier.

Based on the size of monthly orders, LemonStand’s three plans are priced to accommodate all business budgets. The cost per month ranges from $19 to more than $399. You can try LemonStand for 14 days at no cost.

18. SITE123

SITE123 is a website builder created for individual and business users to make building a website simple. The tool makes it simple and quick for users without coding or design experience to create an online presence. You can set up your website with the help of the advanced wizard’s ready-made templates and layouts.

Because SITE123 is SEO-friendly, search engines can index your website without any additional coding from you. The interface automatically adapts when using a computer, smartphone, tablet, or other devices.

On your website, SITE123 offers social media integration. Additionally, you can use third-party website plugins. These include those from its App Market such as analytics and webmaster tools. Examples include Woopra, PtEngine, Google Analytics, and LiveChat, among many others.

SITE123 is accessible without charge. You may purchase its affordable premium plan if you opt to have your own custom domain. You can choose to be billed annually at $9.80/month or monthly at $14/month.

19. Ecwid

Ecwid is a web-based online store builder intended for companies and people who already have websites. It allows you to build an online store that integrates with your existing website rather than building an entirely new one.

Users of Ecwid can build online catalogs using a user-friendly builder functionality. The tool also includes a wide range of features. Photos, credit card payments, and shipping costs are just a few. Ecwid is essentially a widget rather than a stand-alone online store. Thus, it is distinct from other ecommerce platforms.

In addition to your website, Ecwid can be embedded in mobile apps, blogs, marketplaces, and your company’s Facebook and Twitter pages. It integrates with Squarespace, Tumblr, WordPress, LiveChat, etc.

Ecwid provides four SMB and enterprise pricing plans, one of which is free and has unlimited bandwidth for a single online store. The cost range from $15 to $99 per month, and there is a free trial period.

20. FastSpring

For websites looking to sell digital goods, apps, software, and SaaS that can meet all of their business needs, FastSpring is the ideal tool. FastSpring first appeared on the market in 2005 and was created by professionals from the ecommerce sector.

The most recent technologies are available to FastSpring for the upkeep of databases and ecommerce platforms. It offers some cutting-edge solutions that can increase your sales. You can connect with your client from different countries while protecting their privacy and security.

FastSpring integrates with both MailChimp and PayPal.

Three different packages—two of which are fee-based—are available for FastSpring. The alternative is offered on a by-quote basis.

Choosing the Best Shopping Cart Program and Application

The best shopping cart solution is the one that fits your needs, budget, and customer preference best. While NetSuite SuiteCommerce tops this list of the best shopping cart programs and applications, it’s recommended to benchmark the others against it to check which software truly matches your requirements.

Remember that the best ecommerce tools go beyond shopping carts. Many platforms and services can help you build a digital business altogether.

Finally, be sure to review ecommerce trends to make sure your business is keeping up with the times.

Key Insights

• NetSuite SuiteCommerce: Best overall shopping cart program for feature-rich, multi-tenant SaaS solutions, integrating seamlessly with WordPress or WooCommerce.
• High Abandonment Rates: 75% of online shopping carts in the US were abandoned in Q2 2022, with mobile users abandoning at an 85% rate.
• Common Reasons for Cart Abandonment:
  • Unexpected shipping costs.
  • Inability to apply coupon codes.
  • High final fees.
  • Complicated checkout processes.
  • Unaccepted payment methods.
  • Security concerns.
• Shift to Physical Stores: Post-pandemic, 91% of consumers shop for groceries in person, highlighting a trend back to physical shopping.
• Evolving Ecommerce Technology: Augmented Reality (AR) and improved checkout processes are addressing consumer concerns, enhancing the online shopping experience.
• Diverse Options: There are numerous shopping cart solutions available, each catering to different business needs, from simple plug-ins like WooCommerce to comprehensive platforms like Salesforce Commerce Cloud.

FAQ

1. What is the best shopping cart program in 2024? NetSuite SuiteCommerce is considered the best shopping cart program and application in 2024 due to its comprehensive features, multi-tenant SaaS solution, and integration capabilities with platforms like WordPress and WooCommerce.
2. Why do consumers abandon their online shopping carts? Consumers often abandon their carts due to unexpected shipping costs, complicated checkout processes, high final fees, inability to apply coupon codes, unaccepted payment methods, and security concerns.
3. How can online retailers reduce shopping cart abandonment rates? Retailers can reduce abandonment rates by offering transparent shipping costs, simplifying the checkout process, accepting a wide range of payment methods, ensuring coupon codes work correctly, and providing a secure shopping environment.
4. Are consumers shifting back to physical stores? Yes, post-pandemic trends indicate a shift back to physical stores, especially for groceries. Surveys show that 91% of consumers prefer shopping for groceries in person compared to 31% who shop online.
5. How is ecommerce technology evolving to enhance the shopping experience? Ecommerce technology is incorporating features like Augmented Reality (AR) to give consumers a better view of products. Improved checkout processes are also making online shopping more straightforward, secure, and faster.
6. What factors should be considered when choosing a shopping cart solution? When choosing a shopping cart solution, consider the software’s features, integration capabilities, ease of use, pricing, customer support, and how well it fits your specific business needs and customer preferences.

By Louie Andre

B2B & SaaS market analyst and senior writer for FinancesOnline. He is most interested in project management solutions, believing all businesses are a work in progress. From pitch deck to exit strategy, he is no stranger to project business hiccups and essentials. He has been involved in a few internet startups including a digital route planner for a triple A affiliate. His advice to vendors and users alike? "Think of benefits, not features."