20+ Open Source Ecommerce Platforms in 2024: A Comprehensive Analysis

In this article, we’ll delve into the world of open source ecommerce platforms, offering a comprehensive guide to the 20+ best options available for 2023.

Key Takeaways

1. Square Online: Best Overall Free Ecommerce Platform
2. Wix Ecommerce: Best User-Friendly Ecommerce Platform
3. Ecwid: Best Ecommerce Platform for Small Businesses
4. WooCommerce (On WordPress): Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform
5. CS-Cart Multi-Vendor: Best Multi-Vendor Ecommerce Platform
6. PrestaShop: Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform for Startups
7. Medusa: Best Headless Ecommerce Platform
8. nopCommerce: Best .NET Open Source Ecommerce Platform
9. X-Cart: Best PHP Ecommerce Platform
10. Solidus: Best Customizable Open Source Ecommerce Platform
11. Magento Open Source: Most Popular Open Source Ecommerce Platform
12. OpenCart: Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform for Small to Medium Businesses
13. osCommerce: Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform for Early-stage Businesses
14. JigoShop: Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform for WordPress
15. Drupal Commerce: Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform for Enterprise Businesses
16. WP eCommerce: Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugin for Simple Stores
17. Spree Commerce: Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform for Customization
18. Joomla: Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform for Multilingual Stores
19. Branchbob: Best Ecommerce Platform for Flexibility and Design Control
20. Big Cartel: Best Ecommerce Platform for Artists and Creators
21. Jimdo: Best AI-Powered Ecommerce Website Builder
22. Weebly: Best Easy-to-Use Ecommerce Platform for Beginners

1. Square Online – Best Overall Free Ecommerce Platform

Pros of Square Online

• User-friendly setup: Download the online store app, install it, and use the easy drag-and-drop editor to design your site for free.
• Affordable and clear pricing: The pricing structure only requires you to pay 2.9% plus 30¢ per transaction once you begin selling.
• Diverse integrations: Square works with third-party apps for added functionalities and offers a Connect API for custom integrations.
• Social media selling: Sell your products on Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter while keeping your inventory synced across all channels.
• Multi-platform selling: Square supports both online and physical store sales.

Cons of Square Online

• Holds funds: Square is known for frequently holding funds for transactions it flags as suspicious to prevent fraud.
• Limited functionality: Square may not be suitable for complex ecommerce websites that require more advanced functionalities.
• Support limitations: While support is available through various channels, live chat support is missing, and email and social media are the preferred methods.

2. Wix Ecommerce

Pros of Wix Ecommerce

• Simple drag-and-drop builder: Wix offers an incredibly easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder. This tool allows you to design and customize a complete site without any coding skills.
• Value for money: While online store features offer a price tag, they offer substantial value. For as little as $16.50, you can access powerful ecommerce functionalities.
• Professional themes and templates: Wix boasts a vast collection of professional and stylish site themes and templates. These are all optimized for responsiveness and mobile viewing.
• Extensive App Market: With the Wix App Market, you can add various functionalities to your premium site. This includes ecommerce features such as abandoned cart recovery, payment processors, global shipping providers, and more.
• No extra charges: Wix doesn’t take a percentage of your payments when you sell online. Only the payment processors deduct their standard transaction fees.

Cons of Wix Ecommerce

• No free ecommerce option: Setting up a free ecommerce website on Wix is not possible. After upgrading to at least the $16.50 ecommerce package, you can only start selling.
• Advertisements on the free plan: The free plan has ads that can disrupt your site’s layout, leading to a cluttered appearance.
• Limited customization: Wix doesn’t provide access to its underlying code, which means your customization options are limited to what the themes and templates offer.
• Theme switching limitations: Once you edit a specific website theme, you cannot switch to a different one midway. You would have to start the editing process from scratch.

3. Ecwid

Pros of Ecwid

• Site conversion: Ecwid can convert any existing website into an ecommerce site, making it an excellent tool for expanding your online presence.
• Ideal for small businesses: The basic online store features offered by Ecwid are perfect for startups and small businesses looking to venture into online selling.
• Mobile optimization: Ecwid ensures your shopping cart is automatically adjusted for mobile devices, providing a seamless shopping experience for your customers on any device.
• Selling on multiple sites: Ecwid allows you to concurrently sell your products on multiple websites, expanding your market reach.
• No transaction fees: Unlike some ecommerce platforms, Ecwid doesn’t charge additional transaction fees when you make sales.

Cons of Ecwid

• Limited advanced features: Ecwid lacks some advanced ecommerce features, making it less suitable for larger, more dynamic online stores.
• Requires coding knowledge: While Ecwid can be integrated into existing websites, this process does require some basic coding skills.

4. WooCommerce (On WordPress) – Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform

Pros of WooCommerce

• Free to download: The WooCommerce plugin is available for free, and for many online stores, this is all they need to start.
• Numerous payment gateways: WooCommerce integrates with major payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, Amazon Pay, and PayFast.
• Easy-to-use themes: WooCommerce provides many themes that make site setup a breeze. You can source themes from the official WooCommerce store or third-party platforms like ThemeForest.
• Coupons and discount features: You can easily offer promotional discounts using the extension library of WooCommerce.
• Comprehensive support: As a widely-used platform, WooCommerce has excellent support. Be sure to keep your plugin updated before seeking help.
• Multiple help options: With WooCommerce’s help center, you can access videos, documentation, forums, bug reporting, educational resources, and a setup wizard.

Cons of WooCommerce

• Additional costs: Despite being free to download, WooCommerce can incur extra charges for themes, extensions, hosting, and domain names.
• Complex setup: Setting up WooCommerce, including hosting and WordPress integration, can be intimidating for beginners.
• Technical knowledge required: To get the most out of WooCommerce, you’ll need some technical know-how. Without this, you may need to hire experts, which can add to the overall cost.

5. CS-Cart Multi-Vendor

Pros of CS-Cart Multi-Vendor

• Comprehensive features: CS-Cart Multi-Vendor is a comprehensive ecommerce platform offering all essential tools for running an online marketplace. Vendors can choose customizable themes for their stores.
• Self-hosted platform: Being self-hosted, CS-Cart Multi-Vendor provides unlimited flexibility. You install it on your server, allowing you to manage all the tools as you see fit.
• One-time payment: The platform isn’t free but only requires a one-time fee, sparing you the hassles of monthly subscriptions.
• Extensive documentation: The platform has comprehensive documentation and video tutorials for troubleshooting and understanding the system’s workings.
• Emphasis on marketing and security: CS-Cart Multi-Vendor offers many SEO and digital promotion tools. It prioritizes safety, releasing updates and patches regularly.
• User-friendly admin panel: The primary one is intuitively designed, ensuring easy navigation and a straightforward learning curve.

Cons of CS-Cart Multi-Vendor

• Not entirely free: CS-Cart Multi-Vendor isn’t a free platform. After a 15-day trial, you must purchase the software, starting at $1,450.
• Requires separate hosting: A self-hosted platform requires a third-party hosting solution and a developer for setup and ongoing maintenance.
• Short money-back guarantee period: The 30-day guarantee may not be enough to explore the platform’s features in depth.
• Vendors’ interface complexity: While the admin panel is user-friendly, vendors might find their interface less intuitive, potentially needing more time to adapt to the tools and functions.

6. PrestaShop – Best Open Source Ecommerce Platform for Startups

Pros of PrestaShop

• User-friendly: PrestaShop offers an intuitive interface that simplifies inventory management and store upkeep. There’s also a live demo available for trial before registration.
• Multilingual and multi-currency support: PrestaShop supports different websites for various languages and currencies, with back-office translation in up to 75 languages.
• Lightweight: Compared to other platforms like Magento, PrestaShop is relatively light, which helps in keeping your site running fast and smoothly.
• Multi-vendor support: Like OpenCart, you can run multiple stores from a single interface.
• Extensive themes: PrestaShop boasts over 4,500 templates, ensuring each website has a unique look. Themes can be sorted by compatibility, category, style, functionality, and developer.

Cons of PrestaShop

• Limited scalability: While you could grow a large, international store with PrestaShop, it’s best suited for small to medium-sized businesses.
• Extra cost for extensions: While not required for a regular online store, it often seems necessary to purchase some extensions, which can be costly.
• Average default theme: The default theme provided by PrestaShop isn’t as appealing as those offered by other open-source platforms like WooCommerce.
• Lack of marketing tools: PrestaShop offers limited marketing tools. For example, it doesn’t allow cross-selling, a feature many users find missing.

7. Medusa

Pros of Medusa

• Speed and Performance: Medusa is notably quick and light, making it an ideal choice for those concerned about performance.
• Highly Customizable: Users have full access to the source code, allowing for customization per individual needs. You’re free to use your preferred programming language for front-end development.
• Ease of Use: Medusa stands out as user-friendly among other open-source alternatives. You can add custom APIs, create plugins, and introduce integrations to compensate for missing functionalities.
• Quick Setup: You can set up Medusa swiftly using just three commands.
• Comprehensive Documentation: Medusa provides detailed self-help documentation for deployment and getting started.
• Active Community: An involved community can assist you throughout the development process.
• Free of Charge: Medusa is completely free to use.

Cons of Medusa

• Limited Plugins and Integrations: Since Medusa is relatively new, it doesn’t have many native plugins and integrations available.
• Language Support: Currently, Medusa only supports English for stores and doesn’t cater to other languages.
• Simple Storefronts: The existing storefronts of Medusa are pretty basic, with limited functionality. To enhance, one needs to have good development skills.
• Few In-built Features: Currently, calling Medusa a “Shopify Alternative” seems a bit of a stretch as it doesn’t offer anywhere near the same level of functionality.

8. nopCommerce

Pros of nopCommerce

• Free to Use: nopCommerce is a free, open-source ecommerce platform. You can acquire and use it without any charge.
• Two Download Options: nopCommerce provides two download options. One is a simple one-click install version for those not familiar with programming. The other option is a source code version for developers to leverage extensive customization capabilities.
• Essential Features: nopCommerce comes with all the necessary features for setting up a fully-functional online store. It allows you to sell diverse products and services, manage SEO settings, integrate additional apps, and modify the underlying code.
• Multiple Stores: nopCommerce lets you manage multiple ecommerce stores from a single admin interface. You can also build a marketplace where multiple vendors can sell their goods.
• Vibrant Developer Community: nopCommerce is backed by a large global community of developers who continually enhance the platform to improve its speed, security, and overall quality.
• Thousands of Prebuilt Integrations: The platform offers thousands of prebuilt integrations with popular shipping, payment, marketing, site building, and hosting solutions. This means you can immediately connect your nopCommerce system to almost any well-known ecommerce solution.

Cons of nopCommerce

• Limited Audience: nopCommerce primarily targets individuals with CSS, HTML, MS SQL, and .NET programming skills. You may find a more suitable straightforward solution if you lack these skills.
• Additional Costs: While the nopCommerce software is free to download, you might face substantial costs for development services, third-party add-ons, themes, web hosting, and an SSL certificate.
• Limited Customer Support: Once you’ve downloaded and installed nopCommerce, it’s up to you to maintain the platform and resolve any issues. Customer support is quite limited.

9. X-Cart

Pros of X-Cart

• Full Customization: With Solidus, you can design a personalized store. You’re not just limited to simple changes like colors and text. You can create unique features and aesthetics to give your customers a one-of-a-kind shopping experience.
• Free to Use: Solidus is open-source so you can use its framework at no cost.
• High Flexibility: Whether you want to build a single ecommerce store or an entire marketplace, Solidus lets you manage all your site’s features and functions from a single backend. This includes payment, logistics, product management, etc. Plus, you can integrate Solidus with third-party services to make everyday tasks easier.
• Automation: Solidus allows you to automate features that could slow down your business, such as managing inventory and products.

Cons of X-Cart

• Requires Coding Knowledge: Though Solidus is free, you need a good understanding of Ruby and Ruby on Rails coding and its framework. If you don’t have this knowledge, you’ll need to hire a software engineer to get you started.
• Takes Time to Set Up: Solidus is designed for coding websites from scratch, so it takes more time to set up a primary ecommerce store than drag-and-drop platforms. You must also plan your website in detail before you start coding or hiring a web developer.
• No Customer Support: While there are online resources and a community to help with questions, Solidus doesn’t have a dedicated customer support system. If something goes wrong, you must depend on your software engineer to fix it.

10. Solidus

Pros of Solidus

• Fully Customizable Store: Solidus allows you to create a fully customized store, offering a unique and personalized customer experience based on your team’s decisions and desired aesthetics.
• Free and Open-Source: Solidus is a free and open-source framework providing cost-effective access to its features and capabilities.
• Incredibly Flexible: Whether a standalone eCommerce store or a full-fledged marketplace, Solidus offers flexibility to manage all site features, payments, logistics, and product management from a unified backend. Integration options enable seamless workflow with preferred third-party service providers.
• Automation: Solidus enables automation of various business aspects like inventory, stock, and product management, streamlining operations.

Cons of Solidus

• Requires Ruby and Ruby on Rails Knowledge: Solidus necessitates extensive knowledge of Ruby and Ruby on Rails coding and framework. Non-tech-savvy users may need to hire a software engineer for implementation.
• Longer Setup Time: Compared to drag-and-drop eCommerce platforms, setting up a primary store in Solidus takes longer, as it is designed for coding websites from scratch. Thorough planning is essential before coding or hiring a web developer.
• Limited Customer Support: Solidus lacks a dedicated customer support system. Users rely on online resources and the community or software engineers to resolve and troubleshoot problems.

11. Magento Open Source – Most Popular Open Source Ecommerce Platform

Pros of Magento

• Free and Scalable: Magento offers a free version with an option to upgrade to a paid version for business expansion and growth.
• Comprehensive Built-in Features: Magento provides an extensive list of features out of the box, including coupons, sitemaps, bulk import/export, one-page checkout, and order tracking.
• Automated Marketing: Send product alerts to customers, such as price alerts and back-in-stock messages, for effective automated marketing.
• Multi-lingual Sites: Create separate sites based on user location, making them suitable for large or enterprise stores.
• Customizability: Customize the user interface, admin area, and store appearance to create a unique and branded experience.

Cons of Magento

• Cumbersome and Resource-Hungry: The abundance of features in Magento can make it complicated and resource-intensive, requiring optimization efforts to avoid site slowdowns.
• Requires Development Skills: While anyone can learn to use Magento, it is most suitable for users with development skills. Larger companies often hire developers with coding expertise to work with Magento.
• Limited Customer Support: Magento lacks dedicated customer support, and users often rely on online resources or developers for assistance.
• Expensive for Enterprise Users: Magento’s Enterprise features to cater to larger businesses, making it relatively expensive when considering theme, hosting, and domain costs.

12. OpenCart

Pros of OpenCart

• Low Startup Costs: OpenCart is a free download, and many free themes are available, reducing initial expenses.
• Solid Features: OpenCart’s extensive catalog functionality benefits order processing, offering options for different product sizes, colors, lengths, and heights.
• User-Friendly: Setting up OpenCart is straightforward and has a lower resource usage than Magento, making it suitable for average users.
• Wide Payment Gateway Support: OpenCart provides access to popular and niche payment gateways, allowing users to choose their preferred options.
• Multiple Store Support: OpenCart allows products with personalized settings and pricing to appear in different stores.

Cons of OpenCart

• Limited Features Compared to Magento: While OpenCart offers solid features, it falls short compared to Magento’s feature list.
• Costly Add-ons: Users may need to purchase many add-ons to customize OpenCart, which can become expensive fully.
• Limited Customization Options: Although OpenCart is user-friendly, it offers fewer customization options, which might not satisfy experienced developers.
• Update Issues: Updates in OpenCart can cause problems for websites with custom elements, and bugs may arise due to the inability to test on all custom websites.

13. osCommerce

Pros of osCommerce

• Strong Online Support: The osCommerce forum provides extensive online support with millions of active conversations and over 1.5 million posts, allowing users to find answers to their questions and share thoughts.
• Access to Plugins and Add-ons: osCommerce’s strong community offers access to numerous free plugins and add-ons, enhancing the platform’s functionality with just a click.
• Easy Customization: osCommerce is easy to open up and customize, making it suitable for less experienced developers. Hiring a developer to work with osCommerce is also relatively easy.
• Abundance of Free Features: Users can take advantage of over 7,000 free features, making osCommerce one of the most cost-effective options on the list.

Cons of osCommerce

• Limited Scalability: osCommerce may not scale well for larger ecommerce websites, making it more suitable for small to mid-sized stores.
• Higher Maintenance Requirements: osCommerce requires more maintenance than other platforms, involving updates, security measures, and SEO work.
• Prone to Errors: Due to the ability to modify code in osCommerce, it may be more susceptible to errors and breakages, necessitating the expertise of a skilled developer.
• Security Concerns: Past security incidents have raised questions about osCommerce’s security, warranting the need for improvement in this area.

14. JigoShop

Pros of JigoShop

• User-Friendly: JigoShop is exceptionally easy to use, making it an ideal choice for beginners and intermediates. They offer a demo version of the front end and back end, allowing users to preview the website before downloading.
• Attractive Themes: The platform provides a wide selection of visually appealing themes, and users can enjoy a 14-day money-back guarantee on themes, along with a 10% discount on the next purchase for leaving a review.
• Code Customization: Editing the website’s code is relatively simple, although no website development partners are listed, leaving users to handle code editing themselves.
• Abundant Integrations: JigoShop offers numerous integrations and add-ons, similar to WordPress, providing users various solutions. Currently, 40 free extensions are available to aid in setting up the store.

Cons of JigoShop

• Limited Customer Support: JigoShop lacks customer support options, leaving users to rely on forums and blog posts provided by JigoShop.
• Initial Feature Set: The platform’s initial feature set is not extensive, requiring the installation of add-ons for additional functionality. Although 40 free extensions are available, free SEO options are notably absent.
• Cost of Themes: While JigoShop’s themes are attractive, finding free themes can be challenging, and users may need to consider theme expenses in their budget.
• Limited Partnerships: Due to its relatively lower popularity, JigoShop has a limited number of partners listed on its website, including only one option for website hosting.

15. Drupal Commerce

Pros of Drupal Commerce

• Developer-Focused: Drupal Commerce was designed with professionals and developers in mind, offering a powerful and flexible platform with strict development standards for high-quality output.
• Built-in Caching: The platform has built-in caching, resulting in better overall speed and performance than other open-source ecommerce solutions like Magento.
• Security: Drupal Commerce has a built-in security system and receives frequent updates to address reported bugs, ensuring a secure environment.
• Supportive Community: The online community provides continuous support, and Drupal’s website offers an extensive help guide and video library covering various topics, including ecommerce basics, Drupal new release webinars, product tutorials, and more.

Cons of Drupal Commerce

• Steep Learning Curve: Drupal Commerce can be challenging for newcomers, and discussions within the community mostly revolve around experienced developers.
• Resource-Intensive: As Drupal Commerce websites often become large with numerous components and modifications, they may consume more resources, leading to potential performance issues.
• Paid Support: Support from the creators of Drupal Commerce, the ‘Commerce Guys,’ comes at a cost, starting at $580 per month for site modifications, onboarding, and auditing.
• Complicated Interface: Even experienced developers may find the interface complex, and the development guidelines are highly restrictive.
• Hosting Requirements: Drupal Commerce requires high power and speed, ideally hosted on a VPS or dedicated server, making low-cost hosting options unsuitable.

16. WP eCommerce

Pros of WP Ecommerce

• Payment Gateways: WP Ecommerce supports a variety of payment gateways and provides support for integrating additional gateways if needed.
• User-Friendly Backend: The plugin’s backend is easy to navigate, and the frontend appearance is clean and modern. Customization is simple with CSS and HTML modifications.
• Robust Coupon Feature: WP Ecommerce offers a powerful coupon feature with options for one-time use, percentage-based or fixed value discounts, and restrictions on specific products.
• Direct Customer Support: Users can pay for direct customer support for assistance and guidance.
• Built-in SSL: SSL is provided by default for secure checkout on the store.

Cons of WP ecommerce

• Limited Add-ons: The plugin offers only 16 add-ons in the store, limiting the available functionalities.
• Multilingual Tools: The multilingual tools are considered average, and users await more advanced multilingual and multi-currency features in future updates.
• Uncertain Premium Support: Users report issues with premium support, including missing training videos leading to 404 errors.
• Limited Themes: Compared to WooCommerce, WP Ecommerce has fewer available WordPress themes.
• Infrequent Updates: According to the WordPress site, the plugin has not been updated in the last year, which may raise concerns about compatibility and support.

17. Spree Commerce

Pros of Spree Commerce

• Easy Customization: Spree Commerce offers easy customization, allowing users to create their ideal store flexibly.
• Fast and Flexible: The platform is fast, lightweight, and flexible, providing a powerful admin module for efficient management.
• Comprehensive Support: Spree Commerce has a large community offering comprehensive support and assistance.
• Reliable Support: Users can expect reliable and solid support from the platform.
• Extensive Extensions: Spree Commerce officially maintains numerous extensions, providing additional functionality to enhance the store.
• Seamless Integrations: The platform offers fast and easy integrations with third-party solutions for expanded capabilities.

Cons of Spree Commerce

• Coding Skills Required: Working with Spree Commerce may require coding or technical skills to implement customizations effectively.
• Technical Support Needed: Some aspects of Spree Commerce may require the assistance of technical support or Ruby on Rails experts.
• Specialized Web Developers: Certain functionality in Spree Commerce may necessitate the involvement of specialist web developers for implementation.

18. Joomla

Pros of Joomla

• Free to Use: Joomla is a free platform allowing users to build websites without additional costs.
• Ecommerce Support: The platform supports ecommerce websites and provides helpful resources for growing online stores.
• Easy Installation: Joomla is easy to install using PHP scripts that are user-friendly and straightforward to work with.
• Vast Extension Availability: Users can access a wide range of extensions thanks to the active community contributing to Joomla’s ecosystem.
• Built-in SEO Functionality: Joomla has built-in SEO features to optimize your website for search engines.
• Multilingual Support: The platform supports multiple languages, making it suitable for global selling and reaching international audiences.

Cons of Joomla

• Complexity: Joomla can be more complex than other ecommerce builders, requiring a learning curve for beginners.
• Limited Compatibility: Some integrations and extensions may be incompatible with Joomla, impacting functionality options.

19. Branchbob

Pros of Branchbob

• Flexibility for Coding Experts: Branchbob offers lots of flexibility for users familiar with coding, allowing for extensive customization.
• Design and Developer Functionality: The platform provides excellent design and developer tools, enabling users to create professional and sophisticated websites.
• Fast Page Speed and Image Optimization: Branchbob ensures fast page loading times and optimized images for an enhanced user experience.
• On-page SEO Included: The platform includes on-page SEO features to help improve website visibility in search engine rankings.
• Expert Access for Beginners: Branchbob offers expert support and assistance, even for beginners who may not be familiar with coding.
• No Fees, Including Transaction Fees: The platform does not charge any fees, including transaction fees, providing a cost-effective solution for users.

Cons of Branchbob

• Coding Knowledge Required: Users may need coding knowledge to utilize the platform’s tools and features fully.
• Limited Ecommerce Capabilities: The ecommerce capabilities of Branchbob may be limited in some areas compared to other ecommerce website builders.
• Lesser Known Platform: Branchbob may not be as well-known as other ecommerce website builder products, which could impact user familiarity and adoption.

20. Big Cartel

Pros of Big Cartel

• Specialized Ecommerce Tools for Artworks: Big Cartel offers a wide range of specialized ecommerce tools for selling artworks, making it an ideal platform for artists and creators.
• Customizable Predesigned Themes: While coding provides the best customization options, you can still create a unique free ecommerce website by customizing Big Cartel’s predesigned themes.
• Multi-channel Selling: You can generate additional revenue by selling not only on your ecommerce store but also on Facebook and in person.
• User-Friendly Onboarding: Big Cartel’s user-friendly onboarding process makes it incredibly easy to build an ecommerce website, even for beginners.
• Extensive Customization Options: For users with coding skills, Big Cartel allows extensive customization of the site, providing complete control over the website’s appearance and functionality.

Cons of Big Cartel

• Limited Advanced Features: Big Cartel primarily targets artists and creators, so that it may lack some advanced ecommerce website features compared to other platforms.
• Coding Skills Required: Achieving a fully customized online store on Big Cartel requires coding skills, which might be challenging for users without technical knowledge.
• Limited Selling Capabilities in Free Plan: The free plan on Big Cartel has limited selling capabilities, restricting the number of products you can list to only five.

21. Jimdo

Pros of Jimdo

• Dolphin AI Website Builder: Jimdo’s Dolphin AI website builder automatically generates an ideal layout based on your preferences and site details, simplifying the website creation process.
• Predesigned Themes: Jimdo offers a variety of predesigned themes suitable for standard sites, business sites, and ecommerce websites, giving you options for different projects.
• Transaction Fee-Free: Unlike some platforms, Jimdo does not charge transaction fees on your store, allowing you to keep more revenue.
• SEO Features: Jimdo comes with built-in SEO features to help improve your website’s ranking on search engines like Google, increasing its visibility to potential customers.

Cons of Jimdo

• No Free Ecommerce Option: Jimdo does not offer a free ecommerce plan, and you can only access ecommerce features by subscribing to either their Ecommerce or Unlimited paid plans.
• No Support for Digital Goods: Jimdo’s online store features do not support selling digital goods, limiting the types of products you can sell through the platform.
• Limited Ecommerce Capabilities: The ecommerce capabilities on Jimdo are relatively basic, making it more suitable for simple ecommerce websites rather than complex online stores.

22. Weebly

Pros of Weebly

• User-Friendly: Weebly is easy to use, making it beginner-friendly for those new to website building and ecommerce.
• Ecommerce Tools: Weebly recently added ecommerce tools to the free plan, providing straightforward options for selling products online.
• Unlimited Products: With Weebly, you can sell as many products as possible on your online store.
• Easy Setup: Weebly is an excellent option for business owners with limited experience, as it offers a straightforward setup process.

Cons of Weebly

• Limited for Large Businesses: Weebly may not be the best choice for large businesses with many products to sell, as it may lack more advanced features required for extensive ecommerce operations.
• No Multi-Channel Selling: Weebly does not support multi-channel selling, meaning you can only sell your products through your Weebly website and not on other platforms or marketplaces.
• Advertisements on Free Plan: The free plan of Weebly includes ads on your site, which may not be ideal for those looking for a more professional and ad-free online presence

Open Source Ecommerce Platforms: FAQ

Conclusion: Is An Open Source Ecommerce Platform Right for You?

If you want to explore open-source ecommerce platforms, keep in mind that many other options are not mentioned here, all of which are free and continually evolving. 

While open source platforms offer advantages and cost-saving benefits for scalable businesses with development resources, for most users, non-open source solutions like Shopify, BigCommerce, or Volusion may be more practical, as they provide dedicated customer support, hassle-free maintenance and an easier path to scaling without the need for dedicated developers.