We’ve compiled our annual list of top 10 Best Open Source Shopping Carts. Our rankings are based on self-hosted shopping cart factors which include available features, ease of administration, extensibility, frequency of software updates, availability of updated documentation, and more.
The Rise of Open Source Shopping Carts
In 2017, ecommerce was a $29 trillion/year global economy. Organizations and individuals, alike, have taken notice-as the number of ecommerce web businesses increases every day.
Everywhere you look online there seems to be yet another web-based store or marketplace waiting to offer their product…but in actuality, most ecommerce businesses are designed to be as automated as possible, all-but eliminating the need for human interaction on the business side.
By mastering this method of business, an organization is able to maximize it’s potential market base and reach new clients. Of course, not all businesses are able to operate in this way. Even so, there is increasing amount and variety of goods and services being sold online. These factors, coupled with recent economic hardships faced by businesses and individuals, have driven demand for open source cart software.
Factors to Consider when Choosing Ecommerce Software
This is also another driving force of ecommerce-the ability to conduct business, service clients, and accept payment with little-with the possibility of doing all of those things while no one is working.
The key to achieving this ultimate dream of making money while sleeping, golfing, or anything that isn’t working, is a well-designed ecommerce shopping cart platform. The shopping cart is the lifeblood of ecommerce, responsible, in some part, for almost every facet of the online shopping/online selling dynamic, bringing buyers and sellers together, even when they are thousands of miles apart.
Considering the importance of the Shopping Cart to the ecommerce workflow, we decided to compare some of the available web-store software and compiled a list ranking the top open source ecommerce platforms.
Let’s be clear, most ecommerce platforms can cost a small fortune and create significant barriers to entry for small operations and individuals.
Well, fear not, because we have ranked our 10 Best Open Source Shopping Carts. This guide is intended to provide insight for those looking to start a web business, but don’t want to spend thousands up-front to setup their store.
You can get anyone of the featured software completely free, due to their status as “Open Source”-a term that refers to software which is available freely to the public.
Let’s take a look at the rankings:
10 Best Open Source Shopping Carts Ranked
No surprise, WooCommerce takes the top spot for the 4th consecutive year!
1. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is pretty great when you start to consider all of the features available, the responsive design, and the incredible amount of custom options-especially when you factor how much it will cost you to get…which is nothing!
Partially due to it’s relation to WordPress, the world’s number one website platform, WooCommerce is the most widely used ecommerce platform worldwide. As of 2024, nearly 10% of all websites are built on WooCommerce (including all non-ecommerce websites)!
WooCommerce has the benefit of legendary status as one of the original open-source shopping cart solutions, which gives it a slight edge in terms of valuable years of experience, experiments, and troubleshooting.
For those new to the IDEA of running an online web store or running a website, altogether, WooCommerce might be a tough place to start-purely due to the immense number of variables available. Having said that, WooCommerce delivers more of the premium-esque features we love than any other open-source shopping cart software we tested.
So though it is free software, there is always the possibility of extending further to meet the unique needs of any project. Also, be sure to check out the ever-expanding marketplace to learn about ready-made addons and themes available.
License type: GNL Public License
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal, Authorize.net, Evowise, etc
Getting Started with WooCommerce Shopping Cart
Launch your WooCommerce Store with WooCommerce Hosting! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
WooCommerce Store Showcase:
2. Magento
Magento is pretty great, when you start to consider all of the features available, the responsive design, and the incredible amount of custom options-especially , especially when you factor how much it will cost you to get…which is nothing!
Magento Ecommerce Features
- Customer Segmentation and Personalization
- Dynamic Rule-Based Product Relations
- Instant Purchase
- Content Staging and Preview
- Visual Merchandising
- Elasticsearch
- Responsive Design Themes
- Integrated B2B Functionality
- Powerful Admin Experience
- Promotions and Pricing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Site and Content Management
- Catalog Browsing
- Shipping
- Order Management and Customer Service
- Customer Loyalty
- Customer Accounts
- Support for Global Sites
- Advanced Analytics and Reporting
- Application Architecture and Security
- Layout and Theming
- Performance and Scalability
- Support
License type: Open source License (OSL V 3.0)
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal Express, Braintree, Klarna, Amazon Pay
Getting Started with Magento Shopping Cart
Launch your Magento Store with Magento Hosting! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available ) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
Magento Store Showcase:
3. OpenCart
OpenCart is pretty great, when you start to consider all of the features available, the responsive design, and the incredible amount of custom options-especially , especially when you factor how much it will cost you to get…which is nothing!
OpenCart has the benefit of legendary status as one of the original open-source shopping cart solutions, which gives it a slight edge in terms of valuable years of experience, experiments, and troubleshooting.
For those new to the IDEA of running an online web store or running a website, altogether, OpenCart might be a tough place to start-purely due to the immense number of variables available. Having said that, OpenCart delivers more of the premium-esque features we love than any other open-source shopping cart software we tested.
OpenCart also benefits from having a huge community of developers, agencies, and users-all of which are key assets to any open-source project.
So though it is free software, there is always the possibility of extending further to meet the unique needs of any project. Also, be sure to check out the ever-expanding marketplace to learn about ready-made addons and themes available.
License type: GNL Public License
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal, Check Standard , Direct Bank Transfer (BACS), Cash on Delivery, Stripe, Braintree for WooCommerce, Klarna Payments
Getting Started with OpenCart Shopping Cart
Launch your OpenCart Store with OpenCart Hosting! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available ) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
OpenCart Store Showcase:
4. PrestaShop
PrestaShop is pretty great, when you start to consider all of the features available, the responsive design, and the incredible amount of custom options-especially , especially when you factor how much it will cost you to get…which is nothing!
PrestaShop has the benefit of legendary status as one of the original open-source shopping cart solutions, which gives it a slight edge in terms of valuable years of experience, experiments, and troubleshooting.
For those new to the IDEA of running an online web store or running a website, altogether, PrestaShop might be a tough place to start-purely due to the immense number of variables available. Having said that, PrestaShop delivers more of the premium-esque features we love than any other open-source shopping cart software we tested.
PrestaShop also benefits from having a huge community of developers, agencies, and users-all of which are key assets to any open-source project.
So though it is free software, there is always the possibility of extending further to meet the unique needs of any project. Also, be sure to check out the ever-expanding marketplace to learn about ready-made addons and themes available.
License type: Open Software License 3.0
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal, Authorize.net, Evowise, etc
Getting Started with PrestaShop Shopping Cart
Launch your PrestaShop Store with PrestaShop Hosting! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available ) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
PrestaShop Store Showcase:
5. Bagisto
Bagisto allows you to build your own free eCommerce website and various post commerce solutions using the open source Laravel eCommerce platform.
Bagisto Features
- Sell on Multiple Channel
- Customer & Groups
- Payment Methods
- Product Catalog
- Categories
- Cart Managments
- Custom Attributes
- Insights Report
- Shipping Methods
- Simple & Configurable
- Dashboard
- Manage Order
- Localization
- Multiple Currency Support
- Access Control Level
- Taxes
- Sale Management
- Promotion & Discount Coupon
- Security
- Performance and Speed Optimization
- Powerful Video Marketing
- Personalized Newsletters
- Managing Out of stock Items
- Minimum Order Amount
License type: GNL Public License
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal, Authorize.net, Evowise, etc
Getting Started with Bagisto Ecommerce Store
Launch your Bagisto Ecommerce Store with Bagisto Hosting! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available ) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
Bagisto Store Showcase:
6. AbanteCart
AbanteCart is an open source ecommerce platform based on PHP. It is an ideal eCommerce solution for small to medium businesses.
AbanteCart Features
- Multi-Store
- Mobile & Tablet optimized
- Flexible product & options
- Customizable products
- Categorize products
- Digital products
- Migrate and import products
- Customer dashboard
- Store credits and account balance
- International Customer Support
- Security and Data encryption
- Powerful Admin Panel
- Layouts Management
- Order Management
- Seamless Shopping
- Email Marketing
- Banners
- Embed Products and Content
- SEO Ready
- Integrated Analytics and Reporting
- Automated Tax
License type: Open Software License 3.0
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal, Authorize.net, Evowise, etc
Getting Started with AbanteCart Ecommerce
Launch your PrestaShop Store with AbanteCart Hosting! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available ) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
7. Zen Cart
Zen Cart is a PHP e-commerce shopping cart program. It is an easy-to-setup and run online store. As with all open-source softwares, Zen Cart is available to use freely without license fees.
Zen Cart Features:
- Easy installation
- Multiple customer modes
- Unlimited category depth
- Multiple sales and discounts
- Unlimited extra pages
- Multiple payment options
- Multiple shipping options
- Discount coupons
- Gift certificates
- Multiple language
- Completely customizable
License type: Open Software License 3.0
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal, Authorize.net, Cash on Delivery, Square, Money Order, FirstData
Getting Started with Zen Cart Ecommerce
Launch your Zen Cart Store with Zen Cart Hosting! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available ) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
Zen Cart Store Showcase:
8. osCommerce
osCommerce is pretty great, when you start to consider all of the features available, the responsive design, and the incredible amount of custom options-especially , especially when you factor how much it will cost you to get…which is nothing!
osCommerce Features
- Product catalog management. You can have an unlimited number of products, product categories, manufacturers, product attributes.
- Special offers.
- Reviews.
- Customer management.
- Currency and language settings.
- Tax handling.
- Extension possibility through modules.
- Orders processing.
- Reports.
- Advanced tools (like banner control, cache control, database backups, security checks, and more).
License type: GNL Public License
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal, Authorize.net, Evowise, etc
Getting Started with osCommerce Store
Launch your osCommerce Store with osCommerce Hosting ! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available ) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
osCommerce Store Showcase:
9. Thirty Bees
Thirty Bees is pretty great, when you start to consider all of the features available, the responsive design, and the incredible amount of custom options-especially , especially when you factor how much it will cost you to get…which is nothing!
Thirty Bees Features
- Product catalog management. You can have an unlimited number of products, product categories, manufacturers, product attributes.
- Special offers.
- Reviews.
- Customer management.
- Currency and language settings.
- Tax handling.
- Extension possibility through modules.
- Orders processing.
- Reports.
- Advanced tools (like banner control, cache control, database backups, security checks, and more).
License type: GNL Public License
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal, Authorize.net, Evowise, etc
Getting Started with Thirty Bees Store
Launch your Thirty Bees Store with Thirty Bees Hosting! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available ) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
Thirty Bees Store Showcase:
10. LiteCart
LiteCart is an open source online e-commerce solution built with PHP.
LiteCart Features
- What can you do with LiteCart?
- Easy to install
- Extremely easy to use
- Easy to modify
- Innovative features
- Super high performance
- Modern technology
- Free E-Commerce Platform:
- Easy to install
- Extremely easy to use
- Easy to modify
- Innovative features
- Super high performance
- Modern technology
- LiteCart Admin Pantel
- Logical user interface
- Easy to navigate
- Reduced amount of mouse clicks
- Plug ‘n play admin apps
- Modern interface
- LiteCart Performance:
- Faster page loading
- Reduced server load
- Reduced bandwidth use
- Better SEO rank
- Increased sales
- LiteCart Programmming
- Unique framework
- Clean and simple code
- No third party dependencies
- Consistent code design
- Easy to learn
- Easy to modify
License type: Open Software License 3.0
Native Payment Integrations: PayPal, Cash on Delivery
Getting Started with LiteCart Ecommerce Store
Launch your LiteCart Store with LiteCart Hosting! Get the following features and add-ons included free:
- 100%-SSD storage (fastest read/write available ) – Perfect for database-driven Ecommerce store
- Free Professional migration service (optional) – Need to move from existing host? Great, we’ll handle Everything
- Lifetime Free SSL (includes automated renewals/installations) – Completely handsfree and PCIe compliant
- Industry-leading cPanel hosting panel – Make it easy to manage all aspects of your website and hosting service
- Email included –Â Connect domain to email and communicate with clients in a highly professional manner
- Softaculous Auto-Installer for easy app installation – Add a blog or forum to your store in 1 click
- Automatic Backup and on-demand restoration of your account in case of emergency
- 24/7 technical support – Get back to work quickly at anytime of the day
- Housed on our enterprise Dedicated Servers in TIER 3+ HIPAA-compliant data center in Dallas, TX
- Award-Winning Provider | Rad Web Hosting |Â @RadWebHosting | radwebhosting.com
LiteCart Store Showcase:
Conclusion
That concludes our list of the top 10 best open source shopping carts for this year. We’ll publish an updated list next year. Please share your feedback on the list and what we got wrong in the comments!
Additional Thanks:
BuiltWith Trends – Many showcase sites retrieved from their databases.
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