⏳ In a hurry? Here’s your osCommerce Reviews snapshot: 0.00
Summary
osCommerce is an open-source e-commerce platform that allows users to build online stores with a range of features including customer and order management, payment and shipping options, and support for multiple languages and currencies. It was first released in 2000 and has since become a popular choice for online businesses of all sizes.
Overall
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Ease of Use - 80%
80%
-
Features and Flexibility - 80%
80%
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SEO & Mobility - 80%
80%
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Help & Support - 75%
75%
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Pricing - 100%
100%
Pros
- Easy to learn and use
- Extensive community support
- Open Source means it can be modified to suit specific needs
- It's free
Cons
- UI is not as easy to use as more recent ecommerce platforms
- No hosting service
- Limited options for mobile
Introduction to our osCommerce Reviews:
In this osCommerce reviews, how well does this open-source builder stack up in an increasingly competitive market? Moreover, that features does it have, and is there osCommerce hosting? Is there osCommerce WordPress migration functionality?
Overview: Meet osCommerce – open-source online store builder
The emergence of Shopify and, in this case, osCommerce, has revolutionized the scene by making it much easier to create and manage online stores. The osCommerce platform known as Online Merchant boasts 352,924 members and the creation and management of 21,076 live online stores.
Ease of Use:
To start this, osCommerce reviews – is it easy to use? Because osCommerce was introduced in 2003, its user interface is, in all honesty, a throwback to the point-and-click site builders that were so common in the late 1990s. In theory, this makes the platform easy to use. However, in practice, it’s somewhat clunky in the sense that it doesn’t utilize the drag-and-drop mode that has become standard among page builders. While the base UI is intuitive, you can expect that administrative work on any store built on the platform to be more time-consuming.
On the other end of the spectrum, that of your customer’s, an osCommerce site is easy enough to navigate and shop through – but, visually, it’s not that appealing.
osCommerce Features and Flexibility:
Out-of-the-box:
Upon installation, you will find the following features at your fingertips:
- Multiple languages and currency support so you can run overseas shops;
- Archival function for customer history and orders;
- Zone-specific tax handling functionality;
- Unlimited auto-generation for product attributes;
- Order processing facility;
Themes and Templates:
In this osCommerce reviews, while there are design options and osCommerce templates free of charge, giving your web store a more contemporary look means going farther out the net for themes and templates.
Moreover, if you want to spruce up your site, we recommend that you look into user-created themes which are available for download on the osCommerce community page or you can download osCommerce WordPress themes and templates from sites like ThemeForest and Template Monster.
Customisation Tools:
osCommerce boasts over 9,000 add-ons – mostly user-developed – that its clients can use to make their sites more visually appealing or perform more effectively and efficiently. For instance, these tools include themes and templates and modifications for payment, customer service handling, inventory, taxation, and SEO.
But what if an online store owner can’t find a mod or app that fits their needs? In our osCommerce reviews, that’s where osCommerce’s Open Source nature comes in handy. This enables anyone who has specific requirements to easily modify and tailor the platform to exactly what they need. Naturally, to take full advantage of this, you need to have a programming or software development background. However, I find it useful to do a live test of your store through osCommerce Demo.
3rd Party Integrations:
Integration with leading payment portal PayPal is pre-built into the osCommerce Online Merchant interface. The platform also offers integration with SagePay, and the UI contains security functions developed by NS8.
It is interesting to note at this point, that one will need to do a custom workaround to get osCommerce WordPress functionality. For instance, you need to install the osCommerce WordPress Product Display plugin if you want your products shown on your blog.
osCommerce Hosting:
For this osCommerce reviews, sites built with osCommerce are mostly self-hosted: the site owner has to upload the site to a third-party host – which is something that those using more recently developed eCommerce site builders don’t do anymore as they offer dedicated hosting to their clients.
osCommerce hosting does have tie-ups with four hosting providers that offer discounted plans for sites built on the platform. These are osCommerce hosting partners:
SEO and Mobility:
osCommerce users have access to a handy tool called Ultimate SEO URLs. Specifically, this tool enables site owners, developers, or system administrators to create search engine-friendly and cross-server compatible URLs for their web stores. This functionality is compatible with both *NIX and Windows/IIS servers.
Officially, osCommerce doesn’t have an official edition for either Android, iOS or any other mobile operating systems. Fortunately – and, we cannot emphasize enough how much osCommerce’s Open Source foundations help in this – developers who are part of the platform’s online community have taken the initiative and created apps like Pinta Webware’s osCommerce Mobile Admin (available on Google Play) and a community-developed version for iOS which is compatible with the most recent desktop release of the platform.
eCommerce Tools:
The osCommerce App Marketplace offers a plethora of options when it comes to productivity tools for those doing business online. You have plenty of choices regarding payment tools, shipping facilities, and capabilities for order processing. The current lineup also includes a migration tool called Cart2Cart which helps online vendors move data from an existing site built on a different platform to a new one built on osCommerce; Easy Populate for stocking, inventory, and cataloguing; and Tawk.To, a live chat interface for customer service. Should you require osCommerce WordPress data migration, you can use the Cart2Cart Shopping Cart Migration service.
Support and Resources:
Aside from the user-developed downloads in its App Marketplace, osCommerce offers a wealth of technical resources through its extensive online community where users and developers share information and offer assistance in osCommerce forums whenever necessary. But that's about it.
osCommerce Pricing:
osCommerce downloads and for its community-specific version, osCommerce Phoenix is free. However, if you’re going to use third-party apps, mods, or integrations, these might need to be paid for.
Conclusion and Recommendation to our osCommerce Reviews:
Who is osCommerce best used for?
osCommerce is recommended for those who are just wading into the waters of the eCommerce sector. Despite its somewhat archaic UI, new users can easily find their way through the program. It is also an effective platform for small businesses.
Who is osCommerce not best used for?
However, if you belong to a medium to large enterprises or small businesses looking to scale, this isn't for you. Scaling osCommerce up can take a lot of time and effort; probably not a prudent thing to do with the rapidly evolving nature of today’s online marketplace.
osCommerce Alternative:
There are several osCommerce alternatives you could consider.
| Rank | Key Features | Price (Basic Paid Plan) | Transaction Fee | My View | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Shopify | Comprehensive e-commerce features, large app store, excellent SEO tools | $29/month Check Pricing | 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (for online credit card rates) | Ideal for most online stores due to its comprehensive features | Try For Free |
| 2. Squarespace | Beautiful templates, great for small to medium-sized stores, powerful marketing tools | $12/month Check Pricing | None (but payment processor fees apply) | Great for creatives and those who need a visually stunning online store | Try For Free |
| 3. Webflow | Deep customization options, good for web designers, CMS features | $12/month Check Pricing | 2% on customer's checkout total | Best for designers needing high degree of customization | Try For Free |
| 4. Square Online | Syncs with Square POS, good for small to medium-sized stores, unlimited products | Free to start, e-commerce from $12/month Check Pricing | Yes, 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction | Great for existing Square POS users | Try For Free |
| 5. WooCommerce | Open-source, highly customizable, requires WordPress | Free Check Hosting Pricing | Depends on payment gateway used | Best for WordPress users and those who want total control | Try For Free (with Nexcess Hosting) |
| 6. Wix | User-friendly, great for small stores, wide range of templates | $14/month Check Pricing | None (but payment processor fees apply) | Great for small businesses or beginners | Try For Free |
| 7. Big Cartel | Designed for creators and artists, easy to use, limited features | Free for up to 5 products, plans from $9.99/month Check Pricing | None (but payment processor fees apply) | Ideal for artists and creators with smaller product lines | Try For Free |
| 8. Ecwid | Can be integrated into any website, good for small to medium-sized stores | Free for up to 10 products, plans from $15/month Check Pricing | Depends on payment gateway used | Good for those who want to add a store to an existing site | Try For Free |
| 9. Volusion | Good inventory system, comprehensive e-commerce features | $29/month Check Pricing | None (but payment processor fees apply) | Good for medium-sized businesses | Try For Free |
| 10. Weebly | Easy to use, good for small stores, powered by Square | Free to start, paid plans from $6/month Check Pricing | 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction | Good for small businesses or beginners | Try For Free |
- osCommerce vs Shopify: Shopify has become the gold standard for online commerce. In my view, it's the best of osCommerce alternatives.
- osCommerce vs WooCommerce: Nevertheless, WooCommerce is rapidly becoming a viable open source osCommerce alternative, particularly for those who already have some experience with basic CMS platforms like WordPress.org. Likewise, WooCommerce already has built-in functionality for mobile conversion as well as dedicated mobile development editions.
- osCommerce vs Magento: Also along the open source CMS route you can consider Magento for larger scale business but inline with open source platforms.
- osCommerce vs OpenCart. Both are open source platforms, but OpenCart is a better alternative for an online store.
osCommerce Reviews Final word:
However, if you’re just getting started in eCommerce, you should give osCommerce a try as a way of getting your feet wet and learning the ropes of the field. osCommerce is now under new management releasing v4 in 2021. Thereafter, you can scale up to the more complex platform as your business grows.
FAQ:
How much does osCommerce cost?
osCommerce can be downloaded free of charge directly from the developer’s website.
Can I modify the osCommerce platform if I want functionalities that are specific or exclusive to my shop?
Yes. osCommerce is an Open Source program that can be hacked and revised to suit your needs.
Can I download templates or osCommerce addons?
Yes, there are numerous options available via the official App Marketplace.
That's all for now:
Thank you for reading our osCommerce reviews! Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our ever-growing blog of review and comparison articles of eCommerce platforms, SEO software, screen capture tools, webinar and conferencing software, education platforms, website builders, and more such as;