Open source eCommerce platforms offer numerous benefits such as being free to use, customizable, scalable, providing more ownership and control, having lower costs, and boasting strong developer community support.
Popular open source eCommerce options to consider are WooCommerce, Spree Commerce, OpenCart, Magento, Zen Cart, Joomla, PrestaShop, and CubeCart.
When selecting an eCommerce platform, it's important to assess functionalities, customization options, community support, security measures, scalability scope, integration capabilities, and mobile responsiveness.
So, your business cash inflow is booming and the next step you want to take is serving a larger market – a great choice indeed! And what can be a better way to target a vast consumer group than going online?
According to Statista, global retail e-commerce sales reached 5.8 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, and is projected to touch the eight trillion mark by 2027. While there is no surprise in these numbers and growth, it can be a golden opportunity for your business.
If you are willing to start an eCommerce business, the first and foremost decision you will make is choosing the right eCommerce platform. I advise you to evaluate the core differences between different technology stacks before selecting one. With any platform, you will get an online store, but the features, costs, and scalability will vary.
In your research, you will find two major types of platforms: open source and SaaS eCommerce. Both types cater to different needs and offer different features. But, in general, open source eCommerce is a better option due to its high scalability.
If you have technical skills or hire an expert eCommerce development company, you can build a user-centric platform as you want it. So, let’s explore the basics of open source eCommerce, the reasons to choose it, some top platforms to watch, and how you can choose the right one.
What is Open Source eCommerce?
An open source eCommerce platform is software that offers you complete access to its original source code. You can customize and configure the platform at any time, giving you full control over your store’s design and functionality. Typically, these platforms are free to use and download.
Open source eCommerce platforms also offer add-ons and extensions to increase the scope of functionalities. Although the customizations require web programming skills, you can take the help of eCommerce developers. You can even implement inventory management or integrate a payment gateway in your online store. By hiring skilled eCommerce developers, you can alter the platform to meet your needs.
Top Reasons to Choose Open Source over SaaS eCommerce
You might be wondering why I am emphasizing the usage of open source eCommerce rather than SaaS eCommerce, right? So, let’s look at some reasons how it overweighs SaaS eCommerce:
Customization Options
SaaS eCommerce platforms offer many themes and plugins, but they often come with limitations. On the other hand, eCommerce open source platforms grant you full access to the source code, so you have a universe of possibilities.
Whether you need custom features, integrations, or a completely unique design, an open source eCommerce software is your go-to option.
Complete Control
With SaaS platforms, you will have to operate within the confines defined by the provider. It might limit the types of products you offer, your marketing strategies, and even the customer data you can access. Open source eCommerce platforms give you full ownership and control of your digital store.
With open source eCommerce, you can choose your eCommerce hosting partner, manage consumer data, and add functionalities that meet your business goals.
Unmatched Scalability
As your online business grows, your eCommerce platform should adapt to it. SaaS platforms may come with limitations of products, orders, or bandwidth. Or you might need to switch to a costlier subscription plan to accommodate your growth. But this is not the case with open source eCommerce.
When using open source eCommerce software, you can scale your business by adding more servers or developing custom functionalities. Open source eCommerce gives you a high level of flexibility to scale your business.
Cost-Effective Advantage
While SaaS platforms offer predictable monthly fees, these costs can accumulate in the long run. Open source eCommerce requires you to invest in hosting costs and hire eCommerce developers; these costs are significantly lower than SaaS subscriptions when you see the bigger picture.
Unlike SaaS solutions that charge ongoing subscription fees, open source platforms typically don’t charge any licensing fees. And you won’t even have to pay escalating costs based on your sales volume or number of products.
8 Open Source eCommerce Platforms You Should Consider
Now that you know the open source eCommerce basics and its importance, let’s compare some top open source eCommerce platforms:
WooCommerce is one of the most popular and widely used open source eCommerce platforms. The majority of its user base consists of WordPress users and small businesses. With WooCommerce, you can easily install a shopping cart plugin, run it, and configure it to any specific needs.
And if you can’t find the necessary feature, you can search for it from its large extension marketplace. Using WooCommerce doesn’t require any setup or recurring fees. However, you might need to hire WooCommerce developers to take full advantage of the platform.
Pros:
Easy updating with WordPress and plugin update architecture
Seamless integration with CMS systems and third-party applications
Convenient order management for tracking product inventories, variations, history, and status
Cons:
Requires setting up additional WordPress components for a visually appealing store
Expensive plugins and additional apps may be needed due to insufficient out-of-the-box features
Not ideal for enterprise-level projects due to the limitations of the WordPress architecture
Spree Commerce is a headless eCommerce platform that caters to a wide range of businesses, offering both open-source and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions. The Spree as a Service option provides robust eCommerce capabilities along with direct access to cloud hosting through a subscription model, while the open source version is cost-effective but may have limitations in features. The platform’s core features offer inventory management systems, SEO tools, and an analytics dashboard to empower online retailers in enhancing their operations.
As it is an open source software, setting up and hosting Spree Commerce requires manual installation and configuration. You also need to familiarize yourself with customizing various features independently. With coding knowledge or by hiring a developer, this platform will grow with your online shop simultaneously.
Pros:
Lightweight, quick, and adaptable platform with a robust backend admin module
Extremely customizable, allowing you to create a special and adaptable shopping cart experience
Quick and easy access to customer information for seamless management of user accounts
Ideal for managing multiple stores, launching a multi-vendor marketplace, or operating in the B2B sector
Cons:
Small user and developer base, which can lead to higher development and maintenance costs
Limited ready-made plugins are available, so it requires hiring professional developers to create custom add-ons
OpenCart is another open-source eCommerce platform known for its user-friendly interface and extensive customization options. With a vibrant community and support for over 40 languages, it caters well to small and medium-sized businesses seeking a global reach.
Entrepreneurs appreciate the platform’s wide range of features, including over eight shipping options, 20 payment gateways, and hundreds of pre-built themes. OpenCart integrates seamlessly with various extensions and allows for quick app installation. It’s also lightweight and deploys easily on most web hosting providers.
Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) is a robust eCommerce platform catering to the needs of high-volume online stores. This enterprise-grade solution, built with PHP, offers exceptional scalability, flexibility, and customization options.
Used by over 250,000 businesses globally, it empowers merchants to manage complex product catalogs and handle significant traffic surges. It offers an extensive marketplace featuring over 3,000 free and paid extensions.
While Adobe Commerce offers robust features, it comes with a steeper learning curve compared to other open-source options. So, if you have limited technical expertise, hiring Magento developers will help you unlock the platform’s full potential.
Pros:
Excellent for SEO optimization using keywords and tags
Lightweight platform ensuring fast website page loading
Supports various extensions such as payment processing, order management, billing, and customer communication
Cons:
The open-source edition lacks advanced features present in Adobe Commerce, such as the B2B suite and Adobe Cloud
Limited technical support for the open-source edition, requiring users to resolve issues independently or seek help from the community.
Zen Cart is a widely-used, cost-free shopping cart software that is user-friendly, making it a popular choice for online store owners across various platforms. Developed on a PHP framework with a MySQL database and HTML components, it offers a robust selection of over 2,000 add-ons in 16 categories.
The platform provides functionalities for customer relationship management (CRM), accounting, and content management. Additionally, it supports seamless integration with a range of payment gateways, featuring built-in payment modules such as AIM, Check/Money Order, Cash on Delivery, Free Order, and PayPal.
Pros:
Products can be easily sorted into categories and subcategories for organized browsing
Attributes such as color, size, and more can be created to enhance product information
Bulk addition of products simplifies inventory management.
Cons:
The site’s reporting system is rudimentary, providing limited insights
Modifying the platform can be time-consuming and may necessitate starting from scratch at times.
Joomla is a leading open-source content management system (CMS) renowned for its versatility in supporting eCommerce functionalities when integrated with extensions like WooCommerce for WordPress. Widely favored by businesses and educational institutions, it offers robust solutions for user management and access control.
One of Joomla’s key strengths is its ability to effortlessly accommodate diverse content types, thanks to its array of modules and components that enable the seamless presentation of various formats. Its vast extension marketplace further enhances the platform’s appeal by providing over 6,000 options, ranging from directories and live chat support to sophisticated inventory management tools.
Pros:
User-friendly configuration options and intuitive visual administration interfaces make it ideal for beginners.
Boasts extensive content management capabilities, allowing users to effectively handle articles, tags, modules, menus and integrate third-party tools.
Offers better loading times and improved SEO potential when configured correctly, outperforming some features of WordPress.
Cons:
Relies heavily on plugins and extensions for eCommerce functions, which can be costly and complex to implement.
Limited customization options for paid plugins and restrictions in the free version make it less suitable for mid- to large-sized businesses.
Lacks robust SEO and marketing features compared to other platforms.
PrestaShop is a powerful open-source eCommerce platform that caters to businesses of all technical backgrounds. It boasts a robust feature set, with regular updates and a vast library of themes and plugins for customization. For those new to eCommerce, it offers fully managed services with comprehensive hosting and maintenance support. While this might come at a premium cost, it provides peace of mind for those without coding expertise.
PrestaShop provides merchants with various functionalities, including one-page checkout, downloadable product sales, and cross-selling tools. This feature-rich platform offers over 600 core functionalities and access to a marketplace with over 5,000 modules, everything from shipping and marketing to back-office administration.
Pros:
Over 3000 mobile-optimized templates available
Low server resource requirements
Robust CRM tool for managing customer relationships, including segmented user groups and automated email capabilities
Flexible product configuration and structured workflow for efficient content generation
Cons:
Insufficient online documentation and user guides that are hard to comprehend
Lack of dedicated technical support
Slow loading speed, negatively impacting search engine optimization and site rankings
CubeCart is a free, open-source eCommerce platform that’s rapidly gaining traction among businesses. It uses a template-driven responsive design, which ensures your online store looks visually appealing and adapts seamlessly across desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Apart from responsiveness, CubeCart offers extensive customization options and the ability to manage an unlimited number of products, customers, and orders. You can also leverage its built-in social media integration and compatibility with popular plugins like Mailchimp to streamline marketing efforts.
Pros:
Easy setup for quick implementation
Provides detailed sales reporting and analytics
A large and active developer community
Cons:
Limited functionality when scaling to larger stores
Absence of live support for immediate assistance
Factors to Consider When Choosing an Open Source eCommerce Software
As you can see, there are multiple open source eCommerce platforms available to build an online store. But you need to pick one for your requirements, and it’s not as easy as choosing what to order for lunch (though ordering lunch isn’t easy, either!).
You need to consider your business needs, future growth potential, and ease of use when selecting a suitable eCommerce software.
Here are some things you should focus on:
Features and Functionality: Evaluate the features and functionality of the platform. Look for essential eCommerce features such as product management, order processing, payment gateway integration, and shipping options. Advanced features like multi-currency support, SEO tools, and marketing features can also add significant value.
Customization and Flexibility: Ensure the platform offers a high degree of flexibility and customization options. This allows you to tailor the design, functionality, and user experience to align with your brand and business goals.
Community and Support: A robust community can be a valuable resource when using open source software. Check the size and activity level of the platform’s community. Active forums, regular updates, and contributions from developers can provide you with the support and resources needed to troubleshoot issues and enhance your store.
Security: Security is paramount for any eCommerce website. Look for platforms that prioritize security with features like SSL support, data encryption, regular security updates, and compliance with security standards. Ensuring your platform can protect customer data and transactions is crucial for building trust and credibility.
Scalability: Consider the scalability of the platform. Your eCommerce needs will grow as your business expands, so it’s important to choose a platform that can handle increased traffic, more products, and higher transaction volumes. Scalability ensures your website remains fast and responsive even as your business grows.
Integration Capabilities: Your eCommerce platform should seamlessly integrate with other tools and services you use, such as payment gateways, shipping providers, CRM systems, and marketing automation tools. Integration capabilities streamline operations and help create a cohesive system that enhances efficiency.
Mobile Responsiveness: With a significant number of eCommerce traffic coming from mobile devices, it’s important to have a mobile-responsive platform. Smartphones are the key drivers of retail website traffic and orders, accounting for 80% of total visits and 66% of total transactions. So, ensure your chosen platform offers mobile-friendly themes and a responsive design to provide a seamless shopping experience across all devices.
FAQs on Open Source eCommerce Platforms
Q1. What are the hosting requirements for open-source platforms?
Open-source eCommerce platforms typically require a web server, PHP, and a database. The specific versions depend on the platform, so check the documentation. You’ll also need sufficient server resources – RAM, CPU, and storage based on your store’s size and traffic. Many platforms provide recommended features for optimal performance.
Q2. Can open source eCommerce platforms support multiple languages and currencies for international sales?
Yes, most open source eCommerce platforms support multiple languages and currencies. They offer features like language packs, currency converters, and localization tools. These platforms enable you to reach a global audience by providing a seamless shopping experience in various regions, enhancing your store’s international appeal and usability.
Q3. How do open-source platforms handle SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?
Open-source eCommerce platforms typically come with built-in SEO features or plugins. These include customizable meta tags, clean URLs, sitemaps, and integration with analytics tools. Some platforms also offer advanced SEO settings, like schema markup and breadcrumb navigation, helping improve search engine rankings and visibility, which drives organic traffic to your store.
Conclusion
Choosing your eCommerce platform is the first and most important decision that will decide your store’s future. So, it is necessary to consider your needs, technical knowledge, and business size.
While SaaS eCommerce platforms like Shopify and Salesforce Commerce Cloud are easy to use, open source software offers you much-needed flexibility to scale your business and communicate your brand’s unique identity.
This list of open-source eCommerce platforms might help you find a perfect fit, although you should weigh your options before proceeding.
And if you are still confused about making a final decision, you can contact our experts today. We are happy to help!
John Niles, a dedicated Technical Consultant at BrainSpate since 2023, specializes in eCommerce. With a global perspective, he crafts insightful content on cutting-edge web development technologies, enriching the digital commerce landscape.
