Abandoned cart software sends timed reminders to shoppers who leave without buying, by email, SMS or WhatsApp. The right one depends on where your store runs and which channel your customers answer, and it should let you control the subject line, the opening of the message and the unsubscribe.
The subject line decides what your reminder is
A cart reminder feels like a helpful nudge when you're the one sending it. A regulator can read it differently, and the software you choose decides how much say you've got over the parts that matter.
In the US, the CAN-SPAM rule is the place to look. The Cornell Legal Information Institute publishes the FTC's text as 16 CFR 316.3, and it says: "If an electronic mail message consists exclusively of the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service, then the 'primary purpose' of the message shall be deemed to be commercial." Where a message mixes things, the rule looks at whether the subject line and the content placed at the start of the body read as promotion.
Here's how to read that for your own emails. Look at your reminder as a stranger would. If the subject line sells and the first thing in the body is a promotion, you're looking at a marketing email, and you should treat it as one, unsubscribe included. If you'd like it to read as a note about the items someone left behind, that item has to lead, and the subject has to say so.
So this is a tool-choice point. Pick software that lets you change the subject, the body layout and the unsubscribe, and be wary of anything that hands you a fixed template. Other countries have their own rules, so check the regulator where your customers live. None of this is legal advice.
Seven recovery tools side by side
These are all aimed at online stores, and they're listed alphabetically, not ranked. The middle column is the quickest way to tell them apart, because it shows what kind of product you'd be adding to your store.
| Tool | Kind of tool | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| CartBoss | SMS reminders | Reminding shoppers by text message |
| CartStack | Dedicated recovery tool | Reaching shoppers across channels, plus on-site retention |
| Metorik | Analytics with cart recovery | Reminders run from the same data as your reports |
| Moosend | General email platform | Cart automations as one part of wider email |
| Retainful | Email and WhatsApp platform | Reminders by email and WhatsApp together |
| Seguno | Email inside Shopify | Running store email from the Shopify admin |
| SmartrMail | Email for three store platforms | Editing templates and approving each send |
Every description here comes from each vendor's own website, so read anything that sounds like a promise as the vendor's own claim.
Inside your store, on your email platform or added on
Most comparison lists sort these by features. I'd sort them by where they'd sit in your day, as that decides who ends up looking after the reminders once the novelty's gone.
- Inside the store admin. Seguno runs from inside Shopify, so there's no separate place to log in to. It's the narrowest fit here, as it's built for Shopify.
- On an email platform you'd use for more than carts. Moosend and SmartrMail both treat cart emails as one job among several, next to your other campaigns and automations. Retainful belongs here too, with WhatsApp sitting next to email, so you'll want to check your consent for that channel separately.
- Inside your reports. Metorik starts from store analytics for WooCommerce and Shopify, with cart recovery on the same data. It makes sense if the numbers are what you open every morning.
- Added on, just for recovery. CartStack is built around recovering carts across channels, so ask which channels it'd cover for your store. CartBoss sends SMS reminders, and text consent is its own question, so check that separately as well.
If you already pay for an email platform, look at what it does with carts before you add anything. My guide to email marketing automation covers the wider picture if you're still deciding how much of your email should run by itself.
Cart recovery tools from A to Z
Here's one line on each, in no particular order beyond the alphabet.
CartBoss
Best for: Store owners who want cart reminders sent by SMS, from a tool whose site describes setting it up with no coding.
CartStack
Best for: Stores wanting one dedicated recovery tool across several channels, with on-site retention and visitor identification alongside the reminders.
Metorik
Best for: WooCommerce and Shopify owners who already live in their reports, as cart recovery sits next to automations and broadcasts inside an analytics app.
Moosend
Best for: Sellers wanting a general email platform with abandoned cart automations and templates; its site says you keep store data in your own integration.
Retainful
Best for: Online stores wanting email and WhatsApp in one platform, covering cart recovery, welcome sequences and next-order coupons.
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Seguno
Best for: Shopify merchants who'd rather not leave the admin, with campaigns, abandoned cart automations, product reviews and popups, billed through Shopify by its own account.
SmartrMail
Best for: Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce stores wanting ready-to-edit templates; its site says you adjust the copy and approve it before any send goes out.
My advice if you run a small shop
Don't start with the channel count. Start with the platform your store runs on, then ask who's going to write and check these messages. A tool that's already where you work will get looked at. A clever one you log in to twice a year won't, and a stale reminder quietly keeps going out to every shopper who leaves.
I'd get one email reminder right before adding anything else. Write it yourself, keep the item at the top, and only then think about a second channel. Text and WhatsApp feel more personal, which is exactly why a badly timed one lands badly, and you'll need to be sure you've got permission to use them.
Also, think about what you're teaching people. If every reminder carries a discount code, some shoppers may learn to leave things in the cart and wait. For more on what a store's email should be doing overall, my ecommerce email marketing best practices are the next read.
Check these before the first reminder goes out
- Read the subject line by itself. Would a stranger take it as a promotion or as a note about their cart?
- Open a test message on your phone and look at what shows first. That's the start of the body the rule talks about.
- Change the wording and layout yourself. If you can't, you've found out early that you're stuck with someone else's template.
- Click the unsubscribe link in your test, then confirm that address stops getting reminders.
- Buy something after a test cart and make sure the reminders stop. Nobody wants a nudge for a thing they've already bought.
- If you're sending SMS or WhatsApp, check your consent for each channel separately, as email permission doesn't settle it.
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Frequently asked questions
What does abandoned cart software do?
It spots shoppers who add something to a cart and leave, then sends them a reminder. Depending on the tool, that goes by email, SMS or WhatsApp, usually with the items they left behind.
Do I need a separate tool if my email platform has cart emails?
Often you don't. If your current platform lets you edit the subject, the layout and the unsubscribe, try that first. A separate tool makes more sense when you want a channel your platform doesn't offer.
Does a cart reminder count as a marketing email?
It can. Under the US CAN-SPAM rule, the subject line and what leads the body shape how a message is read, and a message that's only promotion counts as commercial. Other countries differ, and this isn't legal advice, so check with the regulator.
Can I send cart reminders by SMS or WhatsApp?
Some of the tools here offer those channels. Rules and permissions for them aren't the same as for email, so check your consent for each one separately before you switch it on.
How many reminders should I send?
There's no single right number. Start with one you've written well, watch your replies and unsubscribes, and only add another if it's saying something new.
Which of these work with WooCommerce or Shopify?
Several name one or both on their own sites, and the lines above show which. Ask the vendor to confirm your exact setup before you commit, particularly if you've got a heavily customised store.
