Modern Cart Overview
If you could watch a customer browsing Amazon, you would probably see them add something to their cart and keep shopping before checking out with extra items they probably didn’t mean to buy.
Now watch that same customer in a typical WooCommerce store. They add an item and are immediately redirected to a checkout page, and typically have a choice between buying or leaving.
Most choose to leave.
The difference between the two experiences?
Amazon keeps customers in “discovery mode” that lets them continue shopping.
Most WooCommerce stores tend to skip discovery by pushing customers into “transaction mode” and sending them directly to checkout.
Modern Cart fixes this by bringing Amazon’s cart psychology to WooCommerce.
Here’s our unfiltered take on the plugin so you can decide if you should consider it.
Quick facts about Modern Cart
- Investment range: $69-$199/year
- Setup time: Under 30 minutes
- ROI timeline: 30-60 days for active stores
- Company: CartFlows (Brainstorm Force)
After testing Modern Cart for several months across different store types, here’s our honest assessment:
Modern Cart Performance
Ease of implementation: 8/10
Install, activate, done. No configuration wizards or complex setup.
The plugin works immediately after activation without touching your existing WooCommerce settings.
Even non-technical store owners can have this running in minutes.
Revenue Impact: 8/10
Our testing shows 15-25% improvements in cart completion rates across different store types.
For stores processing 100+ orders a month, you should see ROI within the first billing cycle. That impact becomes more pronounced with higher traffic volumes.
Technical Stability: 8/10
The CartFlows team provides professional support with 24-hour response times.
While the plugin is still new, it’s well-built and has no known compatibility issues. Support is still there if you need it though.
Modern Cart Pros
Let’s start with what Modern Cart does really well:
- Setup is ridiculously easy. Install it, activate your license, and it just works. No complex configurations or confusing dashboards. If you can install a WordPress plugin, you can set up Modern Cart.
- It looks modern. The slide-out cart interface feels contemporary and professional. Your customers will notice the difference immediately. It won’t look like every other WooCommerce store either.
- Excellent mobile experience. The cart slides smoothly on mobile and doesn’t break the user experience. Given that most eCommerce traffic is mobile now, this matters a lot.
- Minimal performance impact. We tested it on several stores and saw virtually no impact on page load speeds. The cart only loads when someone actually adds something, which is smart.
- Includes the essentials without bloat. Product recommendations, free shipping progress bars, and coupon handling. All the features that actually move the needle on conversions.
- Support responds quickly. When we had questions, the CartFlows team got back to us within hours.
Modern Cart Cons
Now for the not-so-great parts:
- Limited customization options. While the defaults look good, you’re somewhat locked into their design aesthetic. Power users might want more control over appearance.
- No free version. Unlike some competitors, there’s no way to try the core functionality without paying. The 14-day refund policy helps, but still.
- The feature set focused on cart optimization. Modern Cart doesn’t have other functionality apart from the cart slide-out right now.
Modern Cart is new, so these pros may be addressed in future versions.
What Is Modern Cart?
Most WooCommerce store owners know cart abandonment is a problem. But over 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before purchase.
Modern Cart is CartFlows’ solution to improve the WooCommerce cart experience and help reduce cart abandonment.
It works by keeping prospects in “shopping/discovery mode” until they’re ready to buy.
Instead of sending them straight to a separate cart page (like WooCommerce does by default), Modern Cart creates a slide-out cart that appears on any page.
This means customers aren’t rushed to the checkout page in case they change their mind.
Instead, they have the time and space to continue browsing and perhaps buy more than they originally planned.
Think of it as bringing the Amazon cart experience to your WooCommerce store.
Customers can add items, see recommendations, apply coupons, and even check out without leaving the page they’re browsing.
Modern Cart does one thing really well. It makes your cart experience feel modern and keeps customers engaged.
Who Is Modern Cart For?
Modern Cart works best for:
- Small to medium-sized stores looking to improve the cart experience without hiring developers. If you’re doing $100-$10K per month in sales and want professional cart functionality, this fits perfectly.
- Store owners who want results without complexity. If you’ve looked at other cart plugins and felt overwhelmed by the options and settings, Modern Cart’s simplicity will appeal.
- Mobile-focused businesses. Since the mobile experience is so well-executed, stores that see heavy mobile traffic will benefit most.
- Stores with average order values between $50-$200. The product recommendation and free shipping features work best in this range where customers might add additional items.
- Non-technical store owners. You don’t need to understand code or complex conversion optimization principles. Modern Cart does all that for you.
It’s probably not ideal for large enterprises needing extensive customization, stores wanting free solutions, or businesses that need comprehensive funnel-building capabilities.
For everyone else, it’s a solid bet.
Features That Make It Unique
You’ll find other products on the market promising cart optimization for WooCommerce, but Modern Cart does it differently.
1. Slide-Out Cart Interface
The core feature is the slide-out cart that appears from the side of the page.
Instead of sending customers straight to checkout, items are added to a sliding panel that doesn’t interrupt browsing.
The interface is designed to keep customers shopping rather than forcing them into checkout right away.
They can continue browsing products while their cart remains easily accessible.
The animation is smooth, the design is clean, and it works consistently across different devices. Most importantly, it doesn’t feel jarring or disruptive.
2. Product Recommendations
Modern Cart also offers a simple product recommendations feature.
Go to settings and select the option that’s most relevant from the “Increase AOV with Product Recommendations” dropdown.
You can either display a custom set of products, upsells, or cross-sells you’ve already configured in WooCommerce.
The feature is simple, but smart enough to exclude items already in the cart.
This prevents the awkward situation where customers see suggestions for products they’ve already added.
3. Free Shipping Progress Bar
The plugin includes a dynamic progress bar that shows customers how much more they need to spend to qualify for free shipping.
You can set free shipping thresholds from the WooCommerce shipping settings.
This feature taps into the psychology of “completing the set” and uses the most powerful word in eCommerce, ‘free’.
Both combine to drive additional purchases.
The progress bar updates in real-time as you add or remove items. The messaging is customizable so you can adjust it to match your brand voice.
This feature works particularly well for stores with free shipping thresholds as it provides a clear incentive for customers to buy more.
4. Seamless Coupon Handling
Applying discount codes is streamlined within the cart interface. Customers don’t need to navigate to a separate page or hunt for a coupon field as it’s prominently displayed and easy to use.
Coupon application happens via AJAX, so there are no page reloads or disruptions to the shopping experience.
Invalid coupons show clear error messages, and successful applications provide immediate feedback.
5. Mobile-First Design
The slide-out cart is also optimized for mobile devices with touch-friendly buttons and smooth animations.
The cart interface adapts to different screen sizes without feeling cramped or difficult to navigate.
Buttons are properly sized for touch interaction and the sliding animation feels native to mobile browsing.
6. One-Click Setup
Installation and activation take about 10 minutes. You download the plugin, upload it to WordPress, enter your license key, and it gets to work.
The defaults are sensible so that most stores can use it immediately without additional configuration.
For stores that want customization, options are available for colors, positioning, animation speed, and text labels.
But the out-of-box experience is designed to work well for most stores.
Modern Cart Pricing
Modern Cart costs $69 per year, positioning it competitively between budget options and premium solutions.
The price includes:
- Plugin license for 10 sites
- 1 year of updates
- Customer support access
- 14-day money-back guarantee
The annual pricing model includes ongoing updates and support, which is important for staying compatible with WooCommerce updates.
The plugin also offers a lifetime option at $199, which includes all features and future updates.
Final Thoughts: Is Modern Cart Worth It?
We think Modern Cart succeeds in its mission to make WooCommerce cart experiences feel modern and professional, without overwhelming complexity.
Consider Modern Cart if:
- You want immediate improvement in the cart experience
- You prefer simple, effective solutions over complex systems
- Your store sees significant mobile traffic
- You’re comfortable with $69/year for cart optimization (that’s less than $6 a month)
- You want something that works out of the box
Look elsewhere if:
- You need extensive customization options
- You want comprehensive funnel building capabilities
- You prefer free solutions (even with limitations)
- You have complex integration requirements
- You need advanced abandoned cart automation
For most small to medium WooCommerce stores, Modern Cart provides meaningful improvement without the headaches of more complex systems.
The pricing is fair, setup is simple, and the results are immediate. For those reasons alone, we thoroughly recommend it.
Modern Cart Coupon Discounts
Modern Cart is currently available at a default discounted price.
- Original price: $99/year
- Current price: $69/year
You can also get the lifetime version at a discounted price of $199 instead of $249.
Alternatives to Modern Cart
1. FunnelKit Cart
FunnelKit Cart offers more comprehensive funnel-building capabilities. It is better for stores wanting complete sales funnel control but requires more technical knowledge and setup time.
Modern Cart is simpler but less comprehensive.
Price: $99-399/year with significantly more complexity.
2. WooCommerce Fast Cart by Barn2
WooCommerce Fast Cart by Barn2 focuses on popup checkout rather than slide-out carts. It’s a solid alternative but lacks Modern Cart’s product recommendation features and costs more.
Price: $79/year
3. WPC Fly Cart
For stores wanting to test cart functionality before paying, the free version of WPC Fly Cart is worth trying. However, the premium features needed for serious conversion optimization require an upgrade to a paid plan.
Price: Free
