5 Best WooCommerce Menu Cart Plugins to Use in 2025

So you want a better WooCommerce cart, something that makes your store feel smoother and easier to shop from.

Well the basic WooCommerce setup doesn’t really give you much when it comes to advanced cart stuff.

That’s why there’s a bunch of WooCommerce cart plugins out there free and paid that help you show the cart in the menu or make it pop out or even let customers check out faster.

In this blog I’ve picked a few really solid WooCommerce cart plugins that are actually worth using.

They’re gonna help you add better cart features to your WooCommerce store without making things complicated.

Why Your WooCommerce Store Needs a Smart Cart Solution

If you’ve got a WooCommerce store then you already know how much stuff goes into making it work right. But one thing that really matters is the cart. Like seriously it's what connects the shopping part to the actual buying part.

A smart cart helps your customers keep track of what they’re adding. They can see what they picked, maybe change the quantity or remove something or even just check totals while still browsing. Without a cart that shows up easily or updates in real time people might bounce or forget what they added. Happens a lot actually.

And let’s be real nobody wants to go all the way back to the product page just to double check stuff. A good cart just makes everything easier, smoother and faster. Especially for mobile users or people who get distracted quick. So yeah your WooCommerce store kind of needs a smart cart setup to actually make sales happen.

Tips to Choose the Right WooCommerce Cart Plugin for Your Site

There’s tons of WooCommerce cart plugins out there and yeah it gets confusing real quick. Some look good but don’t really do much. Others have all these features but they slow your store down or don’t work with your theme. So how do you know which one to pick right

First just think about what you actually need. Do you want a cart that shows up in the menu or maybe a side cart that pops out when someone adds a product. Or maybe you want both. Some plugins give you that flexibility, some don’t.

Also make sure the plugin works with your current theme. If it breaks stuff or looks off that’s not gonna help. Always check for plugin updates and active support too. A cart plugin that hasn’t been updated in a year yeah that’s a red flag.

Another thing is to check if it lets you customize. Like colors, text, icons, small things that make your store feel more like your brand. Some plugins are just fixed styles and that’s kinda boring.

And of course test the performance. No one wants a cart that lags or freezes up. Look for something lightweight but still full of options. If it’s got reviews and good ratings that’s usually a good sign too

Top Picks for the Best WooCommerce Cart Plugins

Finding a cart plugin that actually fits your store is kind of a big deal. So here’s some solid options that make things smoother faster and just better for both you and your shoppers. Check these out.

1. Extendons Menu Cart – Add Cart Icons Anywhere in Your Store

If you ever wanted full control over where the cart icon shows up this is it. The Extendons WooCommerce Menu Cart lets you drop the cart icon anywhere you want in your WooCommerce store like on the header, nav, footer, or wherever.

It’s super flexible and you don’t gotta touch code. Just use the shortcode and place the cart where it makes the most sense for your layout. It’s clean and simple and it works without a mess.

Main Features

• Easily add a cart icon anywhere using shortcode or widget
• Show total product count and cart price in real time
• Choose from flyout cart sticky cart or side cart styles for WooCommerce
• Display a WooCommerce mini cart anywhere in your store layout
• Customize your cart icon design size and colors to match your brand
• Get real-time updates when users add or remove items from cart
• Fully works with almost every WooCommerce theme
• No tech skills or coding needed to set things up

2. Mini Ajax Cart for WooCommerce – Lightweight Cart Preview Tool

Mini Ajax Cart is this neat plugin that keeps things light but powerful. You can place your cart in multiple positions and the layout options are pretty flexible too. It's perfect for quick previews and changes

Your shoppers can add stuff, update quantity or remove stuff without leaving the page. You also get animations and cart design customizations so your cart looks how you want it to

Main Features

• Choose cart position anywhere on store
• Make unlimited carts
• Customize design colors text fonts
• Add coupon field for discounts
• Animation for cart entrance and hover
• Ajax updates no refresh

3. Side Cart for WooCommerce – Slide-In Cart with Auto Display

Side Cart for WooCommerce gives you that smooth slide-in cart that pops up automatically when a product is added. No reloads just a slick little cart on the side

It’s got options to hide carts on certain pages plus you can choose exactly what shows inside it. Shoppers can view products update quantities or just go straight to checkout

Main Features

• Hide cart on certain pages
• Fly-to-cart animation
• Ajax add and remove
• Add to cart without reload
• Custom cart size and colors
• Show shipping and coupon inside

4. Cart All in One – Full Suite of Cart Features for WooCommerce

This one’s like the all-rounder. Cart All In One gives you a bunch of cart tools in one plugin. Sidebar cart sticky cart menu cart and even direct checkout all packed together

The best part is that shoppers can apply coupons right inside the sidebar cart and go straight to checkout with just one click. Saves time and helps reduce cart drop-offs big time

Main Features

• Sidebar cart pop-up
• Dropdown cart and menu cart
• One click checkout on sidebar
• Add to cart with Ajax
• Custom cart layout and style
• Apply coupons in the cart

5. Direct Checkout for WooCommerce – Skip the Cart Streamline Sales

Sometimes you just want your users to skip the cart page completely. That’s what Direct Checkout does. It sends customers straight to checkout after they hit buy

You can clean up the checkout form too. Get rid of stuff like comments or coupons if you don’t need them. The idea is speed no distractions just buy and go

Main Features

• Skip cart go straight to checkout
• One page checkout setup
• Clean up form - remove extra fields
• Ajax add to cart support
• Speeds up the process
• Reduces server load

Conclusion

There’s a bunch of cart plugins out there but these five are the ones that really stood out. I tried to make it easy for you to pick the one that fits your WooCommerce store the best

Hope this blog helped you figure out which WooCommerce Side Cart plugin is right for your setup. Whether you want something simple like a menu cart or something more complete like a side cart or direct checkout these plugins got you covered

And hey if you're stuck or confused about anything just drop a comment below. I’ll be around to help you out. Thanks a lot for stopping by and giving this a read

FAQ

Q1: How do I add a WooCommerce cart to the menu?

Use a plugin that offers a WooCommerce cart icon shortcode to insert the cart directly into your site’s menu, allowing customers quick access to cart contents.

Q2: How can I show a WooCommerce mini cart in the header?

Place the WooCommerce mini cart shortcode into a header widget area or template file to make it easily visible on every page.

Q3: Is it a complicated process to install a WooCommerce menu cart plugin?

It is actually a very simple installation process no matter which menu cart plugin you go for. You can check out the installation process in the documentation for the side cart WooCommerce plugin.

Q4: Is it possible to add a WooCommerce mini cart without a plugin?

Yes, but adding a mini cart WooCommerce without plugin requires editing your theme's PHP files. Using a plugin is more reliable and user-friendly.

Q5: What is the best way to display a side cart in WooCommerce?

Activate a side cart for WooCommerce that appears automatically when a product is added. It improves the buying experience and reduces cart abandonment.