Having an online presence is essential to make your place in today’s competitive world. Having an eCommerce site can play a significant role in increasing your brand accessibility. This, in turn, increases revenue. However, making an eCommerce website is sometimes a big hassle, especially if you do not have the funds to go for paid services. Open-source eCommerce platforms can be a good alternative.
Also read: Using Machine Learning and AI in Business Process Automation
10 Open Source eCommerce Platforms
There are several eCommerce platforms for building your sites. Following are the top 10 open-source platforms that can you consider:
nopCommerce
nopCommerce is a popular platform on the Microsoft framework and is currently powering over 50,000 stores. It comes with a range of high-quality features that can allow you to make variable complexity projects and stores. Further, there are multi-currency and multi-language options available as well.
nopCommerce comes with several plugins and themes to help you design everything according to your preferences. The only major drawback is that it is not beginner-friendly and requires some technical knowledge.
OpenCart
If you are a small business with limited programming experience, OpenCart is ideal for you. It is pretty simple; however, that translates to less functionality. While the features it offers are less, OpenCart is still useful in helping you build an eCommerce store. There are several plugins you can choose from, and the overall response time is pretty fast.
The only downside is that it is greatly reliant on plugins. Therefore, you might incur some compatibility issues. However, if you are looking for a simple eCommerce store, OpenCart can come in handy.
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is perhaps one of the most user-friendly open-source eCommerce platforms available today. It powers over 250,000 stores and allows you to customize everything. It offers a self-hosted version. However, if you do not have advanced technical skills, there is a fully hosted option available as well.
While the customizations are great, they are relatively limited. For instance, you do not get much freedom to play around with the graphics. Further, you might have to buy additional themes and templates if you are not satisfied with free ones.
osCommerce
osCommerce is another excellent open-source eCommerce platform you can choose. It has been in the market for 15 years and has over 7000 add-ons to help you build the perfect store. Further, there are several customization options as well. They can help in designing an appealing storefront.
osCommerce powers more than 260,000 stores and has thousands of satisfied customers worldwide. The support community is also pretty great and can help you solve any issue you might face. However, since the platform is old, it is not scalable, and some of the features are mediocre quality. The UI also seems outdated, especially in comparison to the newer options available today.
Zen cart
Zen Cart offers an amazing product management system. From controlling inventory to creating offers and sales, the platform helps you stay in control. You can do almost anything with it.
However, the platform is prone to slowing down if you add too many products. Therefore, this might not be the ideal option if you are in a large store. Further, the UI is not attractive at all, and the templates available are not that great. Hence, your storefront might not offer the visual appeal as some of its market alternatives.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a rapidly growing open-source eCommerce platform. It offers a simple integration with WordPress, which makes it easy to install and use. Further, it is mobile-friendly, so your store will be usable on phones or tablets as well.
However, WooCommerce can only be used with WordPress, which might be a problem for some retailers.
Jigoshop
Jigoshop is another WordPress based eCommerce platform that comes with a range of features to design an attractive storefront. It offers several plugins and extensions that can be used to make the most of your store. Further, it is easy to use and can help you get started in no time. However, some features require specification for every option. For example, if you are selling a t-shirt, you will have to specify each size’s color separately. This can be a little time consuming, especially if you have a large number of products to offer.
The free version comes with limited functionality. So, you might have to purchase some upgrades.
Spree Commerce
Spree is based on Ruby on Rails and is a simple platform. The functionality is easy to use and does not require much effort. It is also scalable, so it can help you design an effective storefront, regardless of your company size. Spree is one of the fastest-growing open-source eCommerce platforms today.
VirtueMart
VirtueMart is an SEO friendly, easy to use eCommerce platform that can help you design your storefront in no time. It comes with several language options making it suitable for several regions worldwide. It can allow for a larger customer base.
The SEO feature can help you get organic traffic and drive up sales. It can also be integrated with Joomla, which is a pretty great feature as well.
3D Cart
Lastly, the 3D cart is another online store builder that comes packed with a range of features. It comes with a 15-day trial and has 24/7 technical support. Further, it offers a quick setup and can help you build your store easily.
Conclusion
All the above-listed options are some of the best open-source eCommerce platforms available today. Selecting the optimal one depends on your preferences and requirements. Overall, WooCommerce is a pretty solid option. It is user-friendly and offers some great features that make it stand out from its market alternatives.