Starting an online store has never been so easy with the number of free, comprehensive and feature rich e-commerce platforms out there. Many can be installed on low-cost shared hosting and run just fine. Of course there is always the option of using a hosted solution like Shopify or CafePress but this post focuses on the open-source software choices that give you maximum control and flexibility.
OpenCart
OpenCart is a fantastic piece of open source e-commerce software. With the fairly recent release of version 1.5.x it now even includes features to manage affiliates and compare products. The default templates look great and the code is highly structured (using the popular MVC model) making it easy for developers to modify and extend. It also runs great on shared hosting without being to resource intensive. There is a large community and as a result a large number of add-ons, many available for free. The platform also supports a range of payment gateways that should cater for most online businesses.
Good For: Medium sized stores and developers.
Magento
Magento is somewhat newer than others yet it has grown incredibly quickly and massed an impressive client list. The free, unsupported version is open-source but there is also a paid, supported version available. The code base of Magento is somewhat more complicated than carts like OpenCart so extending it and modifying the core files is undoubtedly more challenging. It could be a good choice for businesses who want to start out with a free option but potentially upgrade to a paid, highly featured version later.
Good For: Medium-large stores looking to expand in the future.
osCommerce
osCommerce is perhaps one of the oldest and no doubt most established platforms. It is used on hundreds of thousands of websites and therefore has the largest user base. It has all the features that any small to medium store would require and is surprisingly quick and easy to set up. The range of extensions is also great with many paid and free choices. The major downside is the dated front end that can make customizing the look and feel of the site more of a challenge.
Good For: Smaller stores that are less design focused.
Spree
Spree has emerged as the leading Ruby on Rails (a framework for the Ruby language) based shopping cart solution. As a result it is still relatively young but is starting to boast an impressive feature and promised improvement from the growing open-source community. All of these make it a great choice for anyone who’s set on using Ruby on Rails rather than PHP.
Good For: Anyone who wants to use Ruby on Rails.
WordPress e-Commerce
The most popular plugin for adding e-Commerce features to WordPress is the aptly named WordPress e-Commerce. The plugin has a surprising amount of features and allows anyone to create a quick shop using the WordPress platform. It is however lacking when compared to other full-fledged platforms mentioned here. Therefore it’s best to choose this only if you plan on running a relatively small store and are a big fan of WordPress.
Good For: Smaller stores and WordPress fans
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is another highly featured, well designed popular framework. In my view it is perhaps the closest competitor to OpenCart with a virtually identical set of features, a thriving community and a large selection of add-ons. Considering they both have a very similar offering choosing between the two can be quite difficult. Things to look for could be any specific add-ons or templates you may require – check to see if either one offers something the other doesn’t. PrestaShop also has a paid support option which could be a game changer for non-technical people. On the other hand, I prefer OpenCart for its MVC code structure so perhaps that’s the better choice for developers.
Good For: Medium sized stores and non-technical people.
simpleCart.Js
This is perhaps the most unique shopping cart reviewed. Compared to the aforementioned, it is “lacking” in features but that’s also where it thrives. The name simpleCart should have been the giveaway as this is a 100% client-side, JavaScript based solution that allows anyone to add a shopping cart to a basic HTML website with no database or programming experience. It’s ideal if you already have a basic static website, just a few items to sell and some basic HTML experience. It supports PayPal, Google Checkout and Authorize.net meaning payment integration is a breeze.
Good For: Very small stores with just a few items.