10 e-commerce platforms make selling simpler

osCommerce

osCommerce

Price: Free

Platform: Stand-alone

Version reviewed: Online Merchant 3.0.2

Type of user: Internet storefronts

osCommerce is yet another PHP-script-based e-commerce system that provides some decent tools for webmasters who want to set up an online shopping solution -- and like OpenCart, it is completely free. You can hear the "but" coming here, so here it is: You will need some serious technical and development chops to pull this off.

osCommerce is one of those systems that you either love or hate. The administrative interface is sharp-looking and not too hard to navigate -- if you know where things are found. There is a very rough-and-ready feel to the system that isn't quite as smooth as OpenCart. The feature set seemed similar to the other tools in this review, though I was not able to find any shipping modules that would connect to existing shipping services.

And that "seemed" is a key symptom of the problem osCommerce has compared to other systems: You sense a lot of power under the hood, but the layout of the administrative tools is not intuitive at all, unless you spend time getting familiar with the layout and workflows of this system.

Making up for that shortcoming, though, is a very vibrant developer community that works collectively to create a lot of additional modules and plug-ins for osCommerce. I would say this system is more capable than the others in its class, but you are going to have to know what you're doing to make this platform work without pulling your hair out.

osCommerce is very much a professional developer's e-commerce system, and if your business has access to that kind of tech knowledge, it could be a solid fit.

PrestaShop

PrestaShop

Price: Free

Platform: Stand-alone

Version reviewed: 1.4.6.2

Type of user: Internet storefronts

PrestaShop is an intriguing (and free) platform, if only because the administrative interface doesn't try to copy Joomla and actually seems to put a little effort into making form and function work together.

It was the little things that stood out for me, such as including category and product management on the same launch page, or keeping all of a product's information on one data-entry page instead of breaking it up into multiple tabbed pages, as many e-commerce platforms do.

This might seem trivial compared to the larger features, but as I continued using the PrestaShop interface, I found this ease of use more appealing as time went on.

I found some oddities, too. For example, in the main settings page for shipping, I thought at first that I'd need to enter all of the shipping services' rate information on my own, instead of the software providing it. However, when I checked the Shipping & Logistics section of the Module administration page, I found some options to connect with shipping services and get the needed rate information. These options should have been made available from the actual settings page.

Little quirks like this kept popping up -- nothing to make me want to dump the system altogether, but enough to give that nagging sensation that this platform isn't quite baked.

And there's a potential deal-breaker: There are a lot of modules available for PrestaShop, but they are rather expensive. PayPal Pro payment support, for example, is available, but at $199, it's more expensive than some of the competing commercial systems.

It's clear that this is where PrestaShop is generating its revenue. More power to them, but there are similarly vibrant ecosystems out there for other commerce platforms that are far less pricey.

VirtueMart

VirtueMart eCommerce Solution

Price: Free

Platform: Joomla

Version reviewed: 2.0.6

Type of user: Internet storefronts

VirtueMart has recently undergone some major revisions, which may be giving it some new life in the Joomla e-commerce market.

Older versions were often knocked around for being out of date in terms of functionality and interface. That seems to no longer be the case. With the release of version 2.0, the open-source e-commerce extension is very well integrated with Joomla, a seamless fit that makes using and managing this extension a lot less complicated than some others in this review.

There isn't a lot of localization in this platform, and shipper and payment modules aren't available right out of the proverbial box, which is inconvenient. There's a healthy ecosystem, though, and a fair number of plug-ins available to enhance your VirtueMart experience.

Compared to other e-commerce platforms, there aren't as many features available in this tool, but it still outweighs HikaShop, the other Joomla contender in this field, in terms of features like shipping, gateways and product management. And the price -- free -- is certainly appealing. If I were to pick a Joomla-specific commerce system, VirtueMart would definitely be the place to start.