List of Shopping Carts

[apply75]

An attempt to sort out the shopping cart mess

http://www.shoppingcartindex.com

[bj]

I had a recent awful experience trying to get ZenCart working properly on all levels for a UK shop. I would suggest that you avoid it for those uses. Got so I was wondering what the problem du jour was gonna be.

Switched to CubeCart instead, and it was customized and running for UK within around 15 minutes. I could also skin CubeCart with a nice clean CSS/XHTML design which I had pretty much total control over. The client found the CubeCart interface much easier to work with as well.

I understand CubeCart as being free with linkback and only forum support, and pay to remove it and get active developer support. Forum support is okay, though sometimes a bit slow.

[gretta_001]

FREE
Aceflex Cart: www.aceflex.com/usa/products/shoppingcart.asp

[gretta_001]

Aceflex Cart is pure ASP shopping cart software. Recently, the new Quick start guide has been released which gives easy and straight steps to configure back office. If you need a powerful and robust application for e-commerce, you might check Aceflex B2C software from this company too. For more information visit: www.aceflex.net.

[ambassador]

-------
Dec 30, 2005

Here are two additional programs that offer a search engine friendly way to exhibit products on the Internet.

1. www.catalogintegrator.com
2. www.searchfit.us.com

The first (www.catalogintegrator.com) does not have a full-featured administration mechanism, but it can be purchased so you do not have to continually pay monthly fees to use it.

The second (www.searchfit.us.com) is more robust, but requires you to continually pay a substantial monthly fee for its use (like the www.applepiecart.com mentioned earlier).

After researching shopping carts for approximately two years now, I have not found a single one that is truly search engine friendly (SEF) right out of the box, and does not require you to continually pay substantial monthly fees for its use.

The ApplePie and Searchfit carts are truly SEF, but they require substantial, never-ending monthly fees. I would really like to see both of these companies offer a complete, buy-it-once version of their shopping carts.


Ambassador
-------

[ambassador]

-------
Dec 30, 2005

Anyone know of a full-featured shopping cart program that produces static (X)HTML web pages and does not require never-ending monthly fees?

Hey Google and Microsoft - here is an idea. Make a full-featured shopping cart program that sells for a one time fee of $300 or less, and that can be hosted most anywhere (Linux or Windows servers), and that also produces static (X)HTML pages (or some other GUARANTEED search engine friendly pages) that are not restricted with regard to their capacity to exhibit any layout or function. Doing so would probably get you 500,000+ units sold in the first two years, not to mention other profitable value-added services that could be offered (e.g. skins, mods, hosting for those who choose you to host it, etc.), and yet another venue in the quest for the Internet via 'hooks' into browsers, web analytics, and more.

I will be glad to provide detailed specifications, alpha and beta testing services, compatibility reports, usability factors, etc.

Ambassador
-------

[ADAM Web Design]

Interesting thought, but the static XHTML pages that are produced don't necessarily come from the cart itself.

Allow me to demonstrate:

http://www.hibiscusflorals.com

If you go through the site, there are various product pages that have non-dynamic extensions.

But...none of those pages exist.

For example:

http://www.hibiscusflorals.com/silk_...dding_packages

Is not a page anywhere on the site.

Confused? Hopefully I can explain this in a way that makes some sense.

As I stated before, the page above does not exist. However, it has a category name of "silk flower wedding packages". I've created a custom 404 (default page used to handle "page not found" errors) that checks the URL, sees if there's something that's supposed to match it (in this case, silk flower wedding packages) and display that in its place.

Neither the user nor an SE would know unless I told them, and both the user and the SE get the same experience.

In other words, the cart itself doesn't handle the SEO...the developer, via customization and/or application, does.

Note: the cart above has recently been tweaked so that duplicate category and product URLs are going to be merged, so right now the full SEO effect cannot be determined (Google thinks www.domain.com/ABC.html is different than www.domain.com/abc.html .)

So...Google, Yahoo!, MSN et all aren't going to sell you what you want, simply because it's already incorporated functionality within most servers...it just has to be accessed.

The other problem with your logic is that it applies out-of-the-box thinking to areas where customization is of the utmost importance, and the out-of-the-box solutions are more difficult to customize due to the the fact that the developers of the cart aren't the developers of the sites using the cart. In your case, you want to have your cake and eat it too. Sorry dude...that just ain't gonna happen.

[ambassador]

-------
Dec 31, 2005

The matter of Google or Microsoft supplying what you have called an out-of-the-box solution is quite feasible. Many modifiable out-of-the-box SEF shopping carts already exist (for example; The SearchFit Cart, The ApplePie Cart, etc.). The issue being addressed is, as stated in the earlier Dec 30, 2005 post, the fact that these carts require you to continually pay their rather expensive hosting fees too - you cannot buy just the shopping cart software. Thus, their 'shopping cart' becomes very very expensive.

Of course, whether or not Google or Microsoft does indeed produce the described SEF shopping cart that Google and Microsoft can indeed produce, is a matter we cannot control. Anyone can; however, suggest the idea and point to the likelihood of its very profitable rewards - as has been done here.

Ambassador
-------

[roban]

I use Cube Cart and moderate their forum as well. Might I suggest you move it from Pay to Free as it is free if you keep the footer link.

[BazaarBuilder]

Provides an easier solution to adding a shopping cart system to a website.

www.bazaarbuilder.com

Requires no programming, database setup/installation. Just signup and start using. Comes with free integration with your website.

[wetchman]

Here's another one for consideration in the Paid section:

PD Shop Pro

http://www.pagedowntech.com/products/

Anyone have any options or experience with this one?

[hornsby]

For those interested in selling subscription or digital products, Modular Merchant is a full-featured shopping cart with inventory management tools and specialized modules for downloadable and recurring products. And, of course, you can sell traditional products, too.

Modular Merchant is a monthly subscription-based cart, available both as a hosted service on their servers, or it can be set up on your own domain.

[gretta_001]

If a company is interested in comination of shopping cart, e-commerce features along with CRM, a good choice is http://www.aceflex.com/aceflexb2c.asp. Already very extensive customer base worldwide, software is suitable for merchants in different regions. Check yourself, how companies with it can rapidly grow up in sales on the Internet. Very SEO friendly, especially with new features for static HTML generation.

[rybczyk]

I've seen a lot of people say this cart is good for UK or US of Europe, etc. What do you guys think is the best worldwide?

[gretta_001]

Aceflex e-commerce software (http://www.aceflex.com/usa/b2c_e-commerce_software.asp) is extremely competitive in US, UK, Continetal Europe, Japan, Asia and Australia. Development team is also very helpful especially in terms of addition new features and quick fixes. Functionality for customer services which is growing exponentially. Check the newly launched live chat service at http://www.aceflex.com which is also developed by them. Seems like they speak many languages and can be in real value for merchants expanding overseas.

[weslinda]

I utilize Pinnacle Cart with one of my clients and it has worked well. Needed a few add ons, to really make it "feature rich", but a very robust cart for those looking for a solid cart. Very easy to manage and they have given solid support whenever I needed it.

www.pinnaclecart.com

Too bad I don't make money on them. Oh well, good cart.

passionspice.com is built on it.

[diana777]

I've been using the Interchange Application server as a shopping cart solution since 2002. It has a steep learning curve, with support from a highly active community of developers, but once I got a handle on the basics, I realized there aren't any other solutions that can offer everything this gem has. The icing on the cake: It's free.

Example of a site I designed using Interchange for the e-Commerce application:

www.purolatorairfilters.com/cgi-bin/cart/index.html

The Interchange Site:
www.icdevgroup.org/

Hope some of you find this useful.

Diana

[SteveIrw]

New ecommerce software announced - Avactis shopping cart software, which is easy customizable to any design. Easy integration with the existing sites thanks to tag technology.

[timmathews.com]

You guys ever check out the Candypress Cart?
http://www.candypress.com
It is pretty sweet, I based http://www.BlanketMall.com on it.

[Paul B]

Surprised the open source (free) osCommerce hasn't been mentioned yet. This is a system with which I have built some 50 stores. It is roboust and very comprehensive.

It is a fine example of a shopping cart build by boffins not business people. Thus it is very hard to get up and running quickly and major design mods require hacking dozens of core files. The developer's "idealistic" attitude has spurned may offshoots and versions like:

Cre Loaded - osCommerce with dozens of unnecessary contributions already added.

Zen Cart - osCommerce with some of the bloated coding removed and actually compliant code, but many osc contibutions don't work with it. Installation very easy.

OSCMAX - like 'Cre', loads of extras added.

The whole 'TEP' (The Exchange Progect) as osCommerce was originally called has got bogged down and looks like it may well grind to a halt. 'Milestone 3' - the next version has been 'almost ready for realease for 2 years. In fact, not a bad idea with software that works, but with code dates 2003 and over 1000 files in the standard package osCommerce remains a beast to be tamed. Many so-called template systems available merely add yet another layer to the code and still leave the store looking much like the original.

[Zoviet]

Just look on this - CS-Cart shopping cart software. I think it's a best solution.

[levelfourdesigns]

www.levelfourstorefront.com

A full flash interface with a PHP admin studio and a fairly cheap price, even has a developer package...

just another option, but not nearly as feature rich as some shopping cart systems. but if simplicity is the thing needed, possibly a good looking option.

[lorenzinho]

http://www.aspdotnetstorefront.com is cool. They provide you with source code, there are no recurring payments, and all urls are search engine friendly.

[orange655321]

You noted Zen Cart above. CRE Loaded is similar so if you did not like one you might not like the other, but it is worth noting and is a great open source cart based on osCommerce and it has the functionality needed.

[Dubbya]

I'm using VP-ASP now. Much better in the back end and there are a ton of things you can do to customize it in the front end. My site looks nothing like it did out of the box.

There are some free addons plus the documentation and support is pretty good.

http://www.vpasp.com/

[johnno]

For those of you who have an interest in free Java eCommerce software, there is a new product at http://www.konakart.com that claims to be database compatible with osCommerce as well as having a Java API and a SOAP Web Service interface.

[HighConversions]

If you're looking for [url=http:// High Conversions offers solutions tailored to your needs.

[color=red]Ctabuk edit - self promotion - links removed[/color]

[simonwheatley]

[url=http:/ provide your own web shop for £199. Easy to use, editable through your web browser (nothing to install), search engine friendly and takes credit/debit card payments.

(Disclaimer: I work for Startershop.)

[color=red]Ctabuk another self promo - link removed - place the link in your sig by all means but please try not to sell your own products as being the solution to a thread question[/color]

[julesn]

Nobody seems to have mention the (IMHO) mighty fine http://www.make-a-store.com a PERL based cart with hosted or licence options, and one of the most flexible/configurable e-commerce solutions out there.

Another one worth looking at particularly for UK merchants is http://www.lynxinternet.com/ written in ASP.NET but also relatively flexible.

jules.

[thedark]

here go those i remember:
mals-e.com
storefront.net
paypal.com - yeah, they offer a cart, trivial though
x-cart.com
actinic.co.uk
litecommerce.com
shopfactory.com

which is the best? depends on what you need. i mostly use x-cart. seems got used to it.

[webworld]

We are searching for a shopping cart with secure digital download facility and common integrated payment gateways. We have looked at so many now we are getting rather confused, hence this post for help.

Our main requirement vis-a-vis modify needs is that we can list our products in single line format. That is, all fields for an individual product will be in columns across one line of the list. If you have a moment, look at what we currently have at: https://www.musicbackingtracks.com/song_catalog.php

We want to retain this basic layout, which will be suitable for all our current and anticipated (future) product types. Ideally, each product name is a link to a Product Details pop up (table) for that product.

Please, can anyone point us to a suitable (minimal programming required) software. We prefer php based/mySQL. We want to buy the software, not pay recurring fees.

Any help will be gratefully received.

Regards,
Ron S

[vwebworld]

Ron S.

I believe Zen Cart (open source) can provide for your needs. It is php based and the plus is... the process of handling downloads / types pf downloads is already built in to the program.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

~Roland

[webworld]

Thank you Roland, I'll certainly have a look at this.

I've also been recommended to Ecomm Plus at Shopping cart software for Dreamweaver, Frontpage, CSS ecommerce shopping cart templates

It has a digital download module, and is said to be very easy to modify.

Has anyone here any experience with this cart??

Regards,
Ron S

[Peter (IMC)]

Shopping Cart Software SEO Rated #1 is missing in that list. Not a huge company yet, but it's got great software. Also interesting if you want to simply show your products online and not sell them online. Great CMS!

[vwebworld]

I recently completed a Golf Lessons ZenCart site that incorporates digital downloads. Zen Cart has improved from the older versions.

Integration/set-up with PayPal is easier process now too.

~Roland

[rjgifts4u]

I have been using Zen cart for several months and whenever I had trouble I just e-mailed customer service. They would either fix the problem for me or let me know what I have done wrong. There are instructions for Zen Cart.

[castory]

If you visit download.com under the ecommerce category there is the fortune3 ecommerce wizard which popular shopping cart software has tons of downloads and positive reviews. I designed my online store with this program and I'm very pleased, not only because it can create professional ecommerce solutions for people of every skill level but because it is also a true seo shopping cart software as I sell my vitamins without paying for advertising.

[cardinal252]

One I have recently been using is Virtuemart, its a module for the very popular and well supported Joomla framework. It provides a pretty full featured shopping cart and CMS in one. You can build a site in very little time from scratch with very little knowledge, the only downside I have found with it, is that it doesn't load balance.

[abbeydguru]

i strongly believe the free OsCommerce still stands out.

[sub_kovert]

this thread goes back a while but i still think that the best cart is here

ASP Shopping Cart Software for Ecommerce - Standards compliant, SEO, UK VAT and US State Tax support

www.mtmc.co.uk was built using V5.1 and Miles Workwear using V6

I have built several other sites using this software and it is easy to skin, V6 is pure XHTML markup and CSS, SEO friendly and easy to master. It isn't free, but if you want a decent solution then I fully recommend it.

[nikkyn]

we would like to introduce vevocart.
currently, Vevocart is totally free in a production environment. you can download at ASP.NET Shopping Cart Software and E-Commerce Solutions
we hope we can helped SME get started in ecommerce business.

[fahadp]

Thanks! I have found alot of good options from the above posts and there are some good shopping carts exisiting out there.

I also have good experience with Premier e-commerce web site development company, as i am using their software on couple my sites.

[pixma85]

monstercommerce software works great ,but seo needs alot of work. New update coming for existing cart users in Jan 08.

Zen cart works nicely but not practical for a larger stores.

[PuReWebDev]

I use E-commerce for Everyone - Amazon.com Storefront Solutions , they're shopping cart service works great and it pays for itself. I'm very happy with it.


thanks,
PuReWebDev

[Hax Or]

If you like Zen Cart, but you want a FREE ASP shopping cart, check out Comersus Free ASP Shopping Cart :: Comersus

It's a blast setting this one up. Works with 1&1 Internet's MS servers.

[crankydave]

I'll throw another into the mix...

ShopSite Pro

Been working with it on a rebuild and really like it. Very easy to use, highly customizable, lots of features, a lot of nice add on modules available.

Dave

[NateDesmond]

Volusion is another shopping cart to consider. You can visit it at Shopping Cart Software by Volusion Ecommerce Solutions. I have tried there demo, and it seemed to work pretty well.

You also might want to consider OS Commerce. It is a free, open source shopping cart. You can visit it's site at osCommerce, Open Source Online Shop E-Commerce Solutions.

[Shades]

I just started using 3D cart for my webpage. I started with the ZenCart but hated it. The only provider I have linked up to 3D cart is google checkout so far and works well.

[Steferner]

I'm surprised E-junkie isn't listed here... although the thread was originally pasted in 2006... but if you're still making that list...

There's E-junkie.com which is a super easy to use hosted copy-paste shopping cart solution.
Fatfreecart.com which was created by E-junkie - and it's free
and BuckDrop.com which is free as well -- mostly for accepting donations

[lcom593]

Try Interspire's shopping cart...

Shopping Cart Software by Interspire

Interspire Shopping Cart incorporates store management, marketing and advertising, a Google Adwords generator, design, customization and setup abilities, a content management system and shopper tools. The newest edition of Interspire Shopping Cart has even more features to support online business growth including:

Single Page Checkout -- Encourage increased conversion rates with simple checkout that eliminates clicking through multiple pages and reduces shopping cart abandonment. Interspire Shopping Cart also now integrates Google Checkout.

Shipping Zones --Allow customers to view shipping cost estimates prior to check out which can be specified depending on country, state, or postal code.


Order Processing -- Interspire Shopping Cart offers the ability to completely process orders on the iPhone by logging into the store’s control panel. Users will have the ability to view, filter and search orders by keyword/status and page through hundreds/thousands of orders without having to go back to their desk.

Multiple Currency -- The software automatically detects currency and works with Webservice X to offer multiple currency support.

Intuit QuickBooks Sync -- Sync orders, new products, customer information and inventory into QuickBooks using the free QuickBooks Web connector.

Statistics and Analytics -- In order to ensure sales goals are being achieved, store owners can monitor the store with overview, order, customer and search statistics.

Developer Documentation -- Developers can find all documentation for building add-ons, customizing templates, private labeling as well as using the XML API in the Interspire Developer Network, IDN.interspire.com.

Pricing and availability
Interspire Shopping Cart 3.5 is available via download from the Interspire web site. Pricing for Interspire Shopping Cart Starter Edition is $295 US, Interspire Shopping Cart Professional Edition is $995 US and Interspire Shopping Cart Ultimate is $1,795 US. All purchases include three months of free support and updates. Interspire has plans to release Interspire Shopping Cart hosted edition in August 2008 which will allow shop owners to simply fill out a form and have a complete shop ready to go in less than five minutes.

About Interspire
Interspire is a worldwide leader in business software delivered on demand. Interspire software enables service providers to deliver ecommerce, email marketing and content management software to their existing customer base, to increase revenue and to reduce customer churn. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia, Interspire has offices throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific. Interspire software is used by more than 20,000 businesses worldwide. For more information on Interspire visit www.interspire.com.