Top 5 Open Source eCommerce Software
Choosing an open-source e-Commerce solution is a complicated task as you are bombarded with number of packages and options. Each of the software has its own set of plus and minus. It is best to try research about the e-Commerce platform before choosing it.
Like other functions of Internet marketingt, e-Commerce is constantly evolving. This can be proved as alone in United States, it is estimated that online sales will cross $2499 billion by 2014 and 175 million people will be shopping online only by 2016. There’s no doubt that to keep up with the demand, every day new software and technologies ship in the market. The concept of open source is gaining popularity with small businesses as it lowers the cost and help in building the revenue.
But choosing open source e-Commerce software is not easy as you will be bombarded with different options and packages. Each platform has its own set of features, designed from different perspectives and users in mind. Here are top 5 open source e-Commerce software solutions to consider as per e-Commerce Web Design service providers:
osCommerce: This is the oldest open source e-Commerce software as it has been around since early 2000. And has proven to be a great choice for businesses to set up the online stores. It is very easy to set-up and run the software with all the plugins and themes and non-technical person can also complete the process. The extensive feature list of the software includes compatibility with all PHP 4 versions, features are enabled by default, object oriented backend, multilingual support, allows layout changes and easy integration into an already existing site, support dynamic images and also offer products to category and category to category support.
Magento: It is the world’s fastest growing e-Commerce open source platform and serves 12,000 merchants worldwide. It started in 2007 and within four years it was acquired by eBay. It offers complete control and flexibility over content, functionality and presentation. It is jam-packed with amazing and useful features like marketing promotions and tools, search engine optimization, product browsing, catalog management, product browsing, international support, shipping, customer services and order management.
Prestashop: It is the most flexible and reliable open-source e-Commerce software that has revolutionized e-Commerce industry by offering features that engage shoppers to increase online sales. Some of the features offered are: inventory management, Product export to Amazon or eBay, select the number of products per page, cross selling, selling downloadable products, unlimited categories, attributes and products, product comparison, powerful layered navigation and advanced stock management.
OpenCart: It is a powerful and scalable e-Commerce platform which is fast gaining popularity over others because of its usability and simplicity. It is preferred by both small and medium size online retailers because of the number of features on offer. Some of the features are: unlimited categories, products, manufacturers and module instance system, use multiple languages, accept multiple currencies, allow automatic image resizing, accept payment in multiple currencies, freedom to choose from more than 8 shipping methods and over 20 payment gateways.
Zen Cart: It is truly a state-of-art e-Commerce open source, user-friendly software. The software is targeted towards developers and advanced users. It offers the online retailers a number of marketing and customer management tools. Some of the features offered are several customer modes to facilitate unrestricted shopping, manifold sales and discounts, use multiple language support, multiple currency support and multiple payment means. It also features a showcase mode with and without prices and XHTML complaint that is almost table-less layout.
There are lot of different e-Commerce open source solutions with different features, advantages and disadvantages. It is best to research before making a final decision. Or you can even take suggestions from the e-Commerce Website Development companies that you have hired to tweak these software solutions to suit your online store needs.
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