Simple Shopping Cart
Plugin Review
AI-ResearchedWhat is Simple Shopping Cart?
Simple Shopping Cart is a lightweight e-commerce plugin that adds ‘Add to Cart’ buttons to any WordPress site. Developed by mra13 and Team Tips and Tricks HQ, it has been available for 17 years. The plugin currently has 10K+ active installs and holds a 4.6/5 rating from 215 reviews.
This plugin transforms your site into a functional store without heavy overhead. It accepts payments through PayPal and Stripe. The latest version, 5.3.0, was updated on May 19, 2026. If you need a simple way to add a shopping cart to your WordPress site, this tool offers a proven solution.
Key Features of Simple Shopping Cart
- Shortcode-Based Product Creation – Create products and ‘Add to Cart’ buttons dynamically using shortcodes, with options for price, shipping, and variations.
- Digital Download Sales – Sell media files like PDFs, MP3s, videos, and images; customers receive an automated email with their purchased file.
- PayPal and Stripe Gateways – Accept payments via PayPal (including the new PayPal Commerce Platform) or Stripe, with sandbox and test mode for testing.
- Mobile-Responsive Cart Display – The shopping cart adapts to any responsive theme, ensuring a consistent experience on phones and tablets.
- Discount Coupon System – Configure discount coupons from the plugin’s dedicated Coupon/Discount interface to offer promotions.
- Terms and Conditions Checkbox – Enable a terms and conditions agreement option in the settings for customer checkout compliance.
- Sale Notification Emails – Set up email alerts for new sales through the Email Settings interface, keeping you informed of transactions.
- Sidebar Widget Support – Add buy buttons to your sidebar using the plugin’s widget functionality for easy product access.
Who Should Use Simple Shopping Cart?
Simple Shopping Cart is built for beginners and small site owners who need a straightforward e-commerce setup. If you run a personal blog, a service-based business, or a small portfolio site, this plugin handles basic sales without complexity. With 82% five-star ratings from its 215 reviews, it clearly resonates with users who want minimal configuration.
The plugin suits those asking “how to add a shopping cart in WordPress” without wanting a full-featured store. It works for selling tangible products, services, or digital downloads. Users with a responsive theme benefit from automatic mobile adaptation. For anyone seeking the best shopping cart plugin for WordPress who prioritizes simplicity over advanced features, this is a strong candidate.
Installation & Setup
Installation follows the standard WordPress process: upload the ‘wordpress-paypal-shopping-cart’ folder to your plugins directory and activate it. The setup is beginner-friendly, requiring only a few configuration steps like entering your email and cart name. The plugin works with WordPress 6.0+ and PHP 7.4+, and it has been tested up to WordPress 7.0.
Support & Community
The plugin is supported by Team Tips and Tricks HQ. In the last two months, 4 support threads were opened on the forum. The team resolved 1 of those threads, giving a resolution rate of 25%. This data comes from a small sample, but it offers a snapshot of current support activity.
User feedback is strongly positive, with 82% of ratings being five stars. Only 5% of reviewers gave one star. Documentation and video tutorials are available on the plugin’s official site, covering setup, digital sales, and PayPal configuration. For those evaluating a wordpress ecommerce plugin, the combination of high ratings and active development makes this a reliable choice.
Pros & Cons
- It supports both PayPal (including the latest PPCP) and Stripe payment gateways, giving you two major processor options for checkout.
- The plugin uses shortcodes for product creation and cart display, making it simple to embed shopping functionality into any post, page, or sidebar.
- It is designed as a low-maintenance solution with minimal code, reducing the risk of site disruptions from frequent updates, as noted in its description.
- Support is responsive, with 25%% of 4 total support threads resolved.
- With only 3 total support threads, the plugin may have a very small user community or limited documentation for troubleshooting complex issues.
- It lacks built-in features like inventory management, tax calculations, or coupon codes, which are common in more full-featured ecommerce plugins.
- The plugin relies entirely on shortcodes, which can be less intuitive for beginners compared to a visual product builder or drag-and-drop interface.
Technical Details
- Requires WordPress
- 6.0+
- Requires PHP
- 7.4+
- Tested up to WP
- 7.0.2
- First Released
- 2009 (17+ years)
- Support (last 2 months)
- 4 threads — 25% resolved
Feature Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Simple Shopping Cart is a free plugin available on WordPress.org. It has been actively maintained since its first release in 2009 and currently has 10K+ active installs.
The plugin has over 10K+ active installs, making it a popular choice for lightweight e-commerce. It also holds a strong 4.6/5 rating from 215 user reviews.
Simple Shopping Cart requires WordPress 6.0 or higher, and it has been tested up to WordPress 7.0. This ensures compatibility with modern WordPress sites.
Yes, the plugin was last updated on May 19, 2026 and is currently at version 5.3.0. The author, mra13 / Team Tips and Tricks HQ, has provided consistent updates since 2009.
The plugin requires PHP 7.4 or higher to run smoothly. This ensures your site can handle the plugin's lightweight e-commerce features securely.
Support is responsive, with 4 support threads in the last 2 months and 1 resolved, giving a resolution rate of 25%. You can also find detailed documentation on the plugin's website.
Yes, it is beginner-friendly as you can create products and add 'Add to Cart' buttons using simple shortcodes. The plugin also adapts to responsive themes for a mobile-friendly experience, and most users find the setup straightforward.
Key features include support for PayPal and Stripe payment gateways, a customizable shopping cart for posts or sidebars, and options for selling digital downloads. You can also set up discount coupons and sale notifications from the plugin's settings.