Cart abandonment is one of the biggest challenges for WooCommerce stores. One frequent cause is interrupting a shopper’s browsing flow when they must leave the product page to view or edit their cart. Sliding side carts (drawers or fly-outs) fix this by showing cart contents without a full page load, letting customers adjust quantities, apply coupons, and proceed to checkout while staying on the product or category page. That reduces friction, often improving conversion rates.
I installed and tested 13 sliding side cart plugins and shortlisted the seven best. Below is a quick comparison, why side carts help, how I tested these plugins, short reviews of each top pick, other plugins I tried, and guidance on which to choose.
Quick overview: 7 top plugins
- aThemes Merchant — Free plan available; Premium from $79/yr — Best for conversion-focused stores. Key features: smart cross-sells, countdown/reserve timers.
- FunnelKit Cart — Free plan available; Pro from $99.50/yr — Best for high-volume stores and upsells. Key features: one-click upsells, checkout templates.
- ShopEngine (for Elementor) — Free plan available; Pro from $53.10/yr — Best for Elementor users. Key features: visual builder, modular cart elements.
- Side Cart WooCommerce — Free; Pro from $29/yr — Best for simple projects. Key features: real-time Ajax updates, lightweight.
- Fast Cart for WooCommerce — Free — Best free option. Key features: Ajax cart, light/dark modes.
- Side Popup Cart for WooCommerce — No free plan; starts $39/yr — Best for real-time updates and flexible layouts. Key features: side or popup mode, lightweight.
- WPC Fly Cart for WooCommerce — Free plan available; starts $29 one-time — Best for visual polish. Key features: smooth animations, many icons and skins.
Why add a sliding side cart?
- Fewer full page loads: instant cart view and updates via AJAX.
- Lower friction = higher conversions: shoppers stay on product pages while editing cart.
- Faster interactions: change quantities, add coupons, or go to checkout quickly.
- Modern UX: aligns with customer expectations and looks professional.
Most plugins also let you style the cart, tweak behavior, and track conversions.
How I tested I installed each plugin on a live WooCommerce site and evaluated:
- Installation and initial setup speed
- User experience (adding items, editing quantities, applying coupons)
- Customization and display options
- Performance impact (page load/resource usage)
- Mobile responsiveness and behavior on small screens
Top picks (short reviews) 1) aThemes Merchant — Best for conversion-focused stores Pros: Easy setup, clean sliding and floating cart options, integrated conversion tools (product recommendations, countdown/reserve timers). Smooth UX and relevant cross-sell suggestions. Cons: Some advanced conversion features require the Pro plan. Pricing: Free (Lite); Premium from $79/yr. Notes: Merchant is more than a cart drawer — it’s a conversion toolkit. Good balance of functionality and polish.
2) FunnelKit Cart — Best for upsells and high-volume stores Pros: Excellent upsell and one-click offer tools, built-in coupon features, pre-built checkout templates, designed to scale for heavy traffic. Cons: Complex upsell flows take time to build; can be overkill for small shops. Pricing: Free (Lite); Pro from $99.50/yr. Notes: If increasing average order value is a priority, FunnelKit is powerful and reliable.
3) ShopEngine (WooCommerce Builder for Elementor) — Best for Elementor users Pros: Deep Elementor integration, visual cart builder, 40+ templates, modular elements for full control over cart layout. Cons: Requires Elementor; feels heavyweight if you only need a simple drawer. Pricing: Free (Lite); Pro from $53.10/yr. Notes: Perfect for stores already on Elementor that want pixel-perfect cart design.
4) Side Cart WooCommerce — Best for simple projects Pros: Fast setup, compatible with most themes, real-time AJAX updates, lightweight footprint. Cons: Core free version focuses on cart basics with limited marketing tools. Pricing: Free; Pro from $29/yr. Notes: A reliable, no-frills sliding cart that just works.
5) Fast Cart for WooCommerce — Best free option Pros: Fully free, AJAX-driven updates, light/dark modes, mobile responsive. Cons: Lacks advanced upsell and marketing features found in paid plugins. Pricing: Free. Notes: Great for small shops that want a polished, dependable cart without spending money.
6) Side Popup Cart for WooCommerce — Best for flexible layouts and live updates Pros: Toggle between side drawer and popup, real-time updates, good styling options, lightweight. Cons: Lots of options can feel overwhelming; some features require premium. Pricing: Starts at $39/yr. Notes: Ideal if you want both drawer and popup behavior with reliable live updates.
7) WPC Fly Cart for WooCommerce — Best for visual appeal Pros: Smooth animations, several bubble icons and skins, multiple display styles. Cons: Some eCommerce features are premium; one-time licensing can be relatively expensive for small stores. Pricing: Starts at $29 (one-time). Notes: Choose this if animation quality and visual polish matter most.
Other plugins I tested (brief)
- Caddy: Clean slide-out cart with upsells and save-for-later; premium unlocks analytics.
- XT Floating Cart: Smooth animations and live updates; reported CSS conflicts on some custom themes.
- Addonify Floating Cart: Free, responsive, lightweight with Undo for removed items.
- CartPops: Elegant fly-out with product recommendations; advanced triggers in Pro.
- Cart All in One: Feature-rich sidebar cart with one-click checkout and AJAX; can feel cluttered.
- Mini Floating Cart for WooCommerce: Clean mini cart; limited third-party integrations.
Which should you pick?
- Most stores: aThemes Merchant — polished cart plus conversion tools like cross-sells and timers.
- For aggressive upsells and growing shops: FunnelKit Cart — best upsell toolkit.
- For Elementor-based sites: ShopEngine — full visual control and templates.
Start with a free or Lite version (Merchant, FunnelKit Lite, Fast Cart, ShopEngine Lite) to measure impact on UX and conversions. Upgrade when you need advanced marketing features, upsells, or performance improvements.
FAQs Q: Why isn’t my side cart updating automatically? A: Usually caching, theme, or plugin conflicts. Clear caches, confirm AJAX is enabled in settings, and disable other plugins temporarily to isolate conflicts.
Q: Do sliding side carts reduce abandonment? A: Generally yes. They reduce friction by keeping shoppers on the page and making edits quick, which typically improves checkout completion rates.
Q: Are free sliding cart plugins sufficient? A: For many small and medium stores, yes. Free options handle core needs. Paid plans add upsells, advanced customization, and performance features for high-volume stores.
Q: Are sliding carts mobile-friendly? A: Yes — the plugins above are mobile responsive. Some offer mobile-specific toggles to disable or adjust behavior on phones.
Q: Which plugin has the best upsell features? A: FunnelKit Cart is the most feature-rich for upsells, with one-click offers and coupon tools designed to increase AOV.
Additional resources
- How to add weight-based shipping in WooCommerce
- How to give a first-purchase discount in WooCommerce
- How to set up a WooCommerce rewards program
If you want a quick test, try Merchant’s free version first to see how a sliding side cart affects user experience and conversions on your store. Upgrade to a paid plan if you need advanced upsells or more conversion features.
