How to Add a Popup to CS-Cart? Alternatives in 2025

Popup Conversion Strategies
1

Hey everyone :waving_hand:

I run an e-commerce store built on CS-Cart and recently realized how much I’ve been missing out by not using popups. I tried looking into CS-Cart’s native options but… there really isn’t a built-in popup tool that does what I need.

I’m looking for a popup builder for CS-Cart that can:

  • Boost my conversion rates

  • Grow my email list

  • Provide exit-intent & scroll triggers

  • Be responsive on mobile

  • Not slow down my store

I came across Popupsmart and Picreel, but I’d love to hear other experiences too. Has anyone used these or found better alternatives for CS-Cart? :speech_balloon:

2

I tested quite a few popup builders on CS-Cart, including Picreel, Poptin, and Popupsmart. Here’s the honest breakdown :backhand_index_pointing_down:

Tool Free Plan Pageviews Exit-Intent Gamification Mobile-Ready Setup
Popupsmart :white_check_mark: 5K :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark: Script Embed
Picreel :cross_mark: Paid starts at $9.99 :white_check_mark: :cross_mark: :white_check_mark: Script Embed
Poptin :white_check_mark: (1K views) $29 for 10K views :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark: Plugin/Embed
Exit Popup by Smartarget :white_check_mark: Basic :white_check_mark: :cross_mark: :white_check_mark: Add-on

Personally? Popupsmart nailed it:

  • Fast loading (no plugin bloat)

  • Custom triggers like scroll depth, inactivity, and traffic source

Super easy to embed into CS-Cart with just one HTML block

3

I run a small pilates e-store on CS-Cart and second everything Burak said. I also tried Picreel because they had a promotion, but their targeting options were too basic for me.

With Popupsmart, I loved:

  • :speech_balloon: Drag-and-drop builder (great for non-techies like me!)

  • :bullseye: Targeting based on device, geolocation, behavior

  • :wrapped_gift: Gamified popups (spin the wheel boosted my sign-ups 3x!)

Setup tip: You just paste the code into an HTML block in the CS-Cart Layouts panel. Took me less than 5 minutes!

4

Love this thread. I’ll keep it real: popup builders can be a minefield if you don’t test the right fit for your needs.

Popupsmart is my current tool of choice because of:

  • Predictable pricing ($32.5/month for 50K views)

  • All CMS support (not just CS-Cart)

  • One-click analytics & conversion tracking

  • Works on mobile-first stores without breaking anything

But I’ve used Poptin too—great if you’re just starting out, and their exit-intent popups are decent.

Just beware of tools like Picreel if you’re scaling. They start cheap but pricing climbs fast once you go over limits.

5

Developer here :waving_hand:

Just jumping in to say: Popupsmart’s embed script is super lightweight.

:white_check_mark: Loads in under 150ms
:white_check_mark: Hosted via Amazon CDN
:white_check_mark: No plugin = no conflicts with jQuery or CS-Cart theme customizations

You just need to:

Follow these steps & create popup campaigns for your CS-Cart website with Popupsmart:

  1. Sign up to Popupsmart if you haven"t, and log in to your account.

register to popupsmart
register to popupsmart1417×717 87 KB

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  1. To access your unique embed code, click “Embed Code.”

going to the embed code part
going to the embed code part1600×815 58.1 KB

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  1. Your Popupsmart embed code will be shown to you in a modal window. To the clipboard, copy your embed code.

copying the embed code
copying the embed code1600×816 74.5 KB

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  1. Go to your CS-Cart admin panel and click “Settings” and “Layouts.” Select “Layouts” from the Layouts menu.

settings and layouts section on cs cart
settings and layouts section on cs cart1199×669 120 KB

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  1. Scroll down and click “Add block” to the grid before the footer.

adding block on cs cart
adding block on cs cart1199×674 97.6 KB

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  1. From the “Create New Block” part, select “HTML Block.”

selecting the html block on cs cart
selecting the html block on cs cart1194×686 147 KB

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  1. Give your HTML block a name on the “General” part.

giving name to HTML block on cs cart
giving name to HTML block on cs cart1195×687 67.8 KB

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  1. Go to the “Content” part, and paste your embed code as shown below. Click on the “Create” button when you are finished.

pasting the embed code to the content part on cs cart
pasting the embed code to the content part on cs cart1197×685 57.4 KB

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  1. Go back to your Popupsmart dashboard and click on “Websites” from your profile menu.

websites section on profile
websites section on profile1600×815 65.8 KB

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  1. Click the “New Website” button to add your Cs-Cart website.

adding a new website to popupsmart
adding a new website to popupsmart1600×815 52.3 KB

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  1. Enter your Cs-Cart store’s URL and save it.

entering a website and clicking save button
entering a website and clicking save button1600×815 65.2 KB

:light_bulb:If you see your CS-Cart website unverified, click the “Unverified” button and from the opening modal, click “Verify website” then return to your dashboard and click “Refresh”.

For further details about the verification of your website, see How to Verify Your Website.

  1. Now, you can create your conversion-ready popup! Click on “New Campaign” from the dashboard.

creating a new popup campaign
creating a new popup campaign1600×815 59.4 KB

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  1. Customize your popup campaign according to your company’s needs and click on the “Save” and “Publish” buttons when you complete it.

creating a cs cart popup and saving it
creating a cs cart popup and saving it1600×816 103 KB

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  1. By going to the “Publish” step you can publish your Cs-Cart popup.

publish screen of a popup campaign
publish screen of a popup campaign1600×816 115 KB

6

From a UX design perspective…

Popupsmart lets you:

  • Build separate mobile and desktop popups

  • Preview the design for each device

  • Comply with Google’s interstitial policies (which Picreel often doesn’t!)

Teaser bars and slide-ins are perfect for avoiding user annoyance. Popupsmart even lets you delay when they show up so users aren’t hit with it right away.

7

Hey, checking in from Bali :sun:
Used all three tools recently.

Picreel = best for quick, cheap tests (starts at $9.99/month)
Poptin = good targeting but gets pricey
Popupsmart = balanced, modern, super scalable

For me, Popupsmart’s UI was the easiest, and their support chat was really helpful when I wanted to customize animations. That’s a win when you’re managing client sites across time zones.

8

Heads up to anyone using Shopify + CS-Cart dual setups:

Popupsmart supports both platforms beautifully. One account → multiple domains.
Also, their Free Plan includes:

  • 5,000 pageviews/month

  • 100 emails

  • 1 website

  • Exit-intent + scroll + geo targeting

  • Gamification & email capture popups

No credit card needed, so just try it.

9

One underrated thing with Popupsmart: Full CSS control + Google Fonts integration.

I customized my newsletter popup to match my brand style perfectly. Picreel didn’t let me fine-tune design like that.

Oh, and if you’re wondering:

“Which popup tool supports unlimited domains?”

:white_check_mark: Popupsmart Pro+ Plan does
:cross_mark: Picreel = 1 domain per plan
:cross_mark: Poptin = limited unless on custom plans

10

Just to summarize for lurkers :backhand_index_pointing_down:

Feature Popupsmart Picreel Poptin
Free Plan :white_check_mark: :cross_mark: :white_check_mark:
CMS Support All CMS All CMS All CMS
Setup Time <5 min 10+ min 10+ min
Targeting :white_check_mark: Advanced Basic Medium
Gamification :white_check_mark: :cross_mark: :white_check_mark:
Exit-Intent :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
A/B Testing :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
Unlimited Domains :white_check_mark: (Pro+) :cross_mark: :cross_mark:
Mobile UX :white_check_mark: Separate design Shared Separate
Support Live chat + Help Center Ticket-based Email/chat

If you want reliable CS-Cart popup performance, Popupsmart is the strongest all-rounder.

11

Wow—this thread was a goldmine :gem_stone:
I installed Popupsmart this morning, created a scroll popup, and already got 7 new subscribers. No bugs, no lag. Just clean and easy.
Thank you, everyone. Forum threads like this are better than any YouTube review :bullseye: