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The Top 5 Shopping Cart Software Providers

AbanteCart Logo

AbanteCart

Best shopping cart software

4.6 4.6 Stars
  • All-in-one e-commerce solution
  • Integrated analytics
  • API-enabled

Summary

  • Starting price
    • Free
  • PCI compliant and secure
    Secure system, PCI compliant
  • Payment gateways
    40 payment providers
  • Customizable
    Open-source software with little to no customization limits
  • Support
    User manual, community forum, and paid phone and email support
  • Self-host or in-house host
    Self-hosted

Trusted by over 31,000 sites, AbanteCart is my top pick for shopping cart software, largely due to its customization options and extensive community. AbanteCart is a free, open-source e-commerce solution that can be used to create an entire website or only as a shopping cart component.



I was most impressed with AbanteCart’s enterprise-grade features, flexible customization, interface for multiple stores, and a strong and helpful community. AbanteCart gives you the possibility to create unlimited products and subcategories as well as upload unlimited files. You can customize product pages and even gather information from the customer, such as their text and images for customized products.


With its multi-store feature, I was able to manage many stores simultaneously. You could have several stores selling entirely different products under the same installation.


Compared to the other sites on this list, AbanteCart's customer support isn't the strongest, as it doesn’t have free phone or email support. Instead, the company encourages you to go to its community forum for help. It’s possible to schedule a paid professional support call with the expert team if you have problems, with prices ranging from $59 to $299.


Who is AbanteCart best for?


We found that AbanteCart is the best free solution for small and medium businesses, due to its easy user interface (UI) for basic functions, responsive templates, and flexibility. Advanced features, such as editing and integrating the code with other applications, may require technical knowledge.


Recent upgrades to AbanteCart


Occasionally, AbanteCart makes large software updates, mostly driven by feedback from the community. In the latest release, there were updates to the storefront, improvements to the payment options, and many bug fixes. While releases don't occur every month, they're significant when they do.


AbanteCart pricing


There is no charge to download AbanteCart, but you have to spend money on hosting, themes, extensions, and plug-ins. In cases where you only want to integrate the shopping cart features into your existing website, the cost will be minimal or nonexistent.

Pros and cons of AbanteCart

Pros

  • Active community
  • Free software
  • Many features

Cons

  • No guaranteed free support
  • Advanced features can be hard to use for beginners
  • Set up process can be difficult for non-technical users
    BigCommerce Logo

    BigCommerce

    Best shopping cart software for growth

    4.4 4.4 Stars
    • Highly scalable
    • Fast loading speed
    • 24/7 tech support

    Summary

    • Starting price
      • $29.95 (15-day free trial)
    • PCI compliant and secure
      PCI compliant and highly secure system
    • Payment gateways
      Over 65 payment gateways
    • Customizable
      Very easy to tailor
    • Support
      24/7 tech support, help center, and community forum
    • Self-host or in-house host
      Hosted shopping cart software

    BigCommerce, one the closest competitors of Shift4Shop, is a comprehensive e-commerce platform that offers you everything you need to create and scale an online store. In addition to being one of the top platforms for growth, it's also one of the best e-commerce platforms.



    BigCommerce offers a built-in hosted shopping cart, flexible customization options, responsive themes, multiple payment gateways, and no transaction fees. Its cheapest plan includes unlimited staff accounts and one online store.


    Customer support is among the best in its industry. It provides users 24/7 support through phone, email, and tickets, which are available for all of the paid plans. As for self-service, I found a great selection, including a knowledgebase, videos, and a community forum.


    BigCommerce made multichannel selling easy for me. Through the platform, you can manage your Amazon, Facebook, eBay, and Pinterest stores.


    Who is BigCommerce best for?


    BigCommerce is the ideal solution for mid-size to enterprise businesses looking to grow, since it offers powerful integrations, fully customizable checkouts, as well as functionality for multiple currencies and storefronts. For small businesses and small-scale sellers, other solutions like Ecwid may be more convenient.


    Recent upgrades to BigCommerce


    BigCommerce launches new upgrades into its software almost weekly and makes them available for everyone to see in its product blog. The latest update includes things such as abandonment cart API, features for many stores, and a wide range of new promotion elements. As a result of these features, customers have even more freedom to customize.


    BigCommerce pricing


    BigCommerce offers a 15-day trial for all of its plans. As far as pricing goes, it is the most expensive option on this list. Similar to Shift4Shop, services start at $29.95 and go up to $299.95 per store per month, but BigCommerce doesn’t offer a free plan. For enterprise-level plans, it offers custom pricing.

    Pros and cons of BigCommerce

    Pros

    • Feature-rich and scalable
    • 15-day free trial
    • Great analytics for all plans
    • 24/7 tech support

    Cons

    • Interface can be overwhelming for first-time users
    • No multilingual customer support

    What customers are saying about BigCommerce

    BigCommerce is a good fit for businesses that don’t have multiple sites. It is fast, easy to use and set up, and has noteworthy templates. But it can be hard to customize. Also, customer service can be unreliable, and the platform is pricey.


    Read our full BigCommerce review.

    OpenCart Logo

    OpenCart

    Best shopping cart software for customization

    4.4 4.4 Stars
    • Open-source platform
    • Multilingual and multiple currencies
    • Unlimited products and categories

    Summary

    • Starting price
      • Free
    • PCI compliant and secure
      PCI compliant and secure when managed
    • Payment gateways
      36 payment gateways
    • Customizable
      Open source with no customization limit
    • Support
      Email support, and community forum
    • Self-host or in-house host
      Self-host solution

    OpenCart, like AbanteCart, is an open-source shopping cart solution that offers advanced and feature-rich functionalities. With nearly 20 years in the market, it has become one of the most popular shopping cart solutions.


    Thanks to OpenCart’s open-source nature and free script, I found it easy to modify the platform however I wanted. It supports 36 payment gateways, accepts multiple languages and currencies, and lets you manage numerous stores through one interface.


    You can add unlimited products, categories and subcategories, sell digital products, integrate product reviews, and even offer a reward system for your customers.


    It has free email support willing to help you with any platform-related problems. OpenCart also offers paid customer service ranging between $99 to $160 for those looking to get fast solutions. In terms of self-service, I liked using OpenCart’s active community forum, where users and experts help each other.


    OpenCart Dashboard


    Who is OpenCart best for?


    Based on my research, OpenCart is the perfect shopping cart solution if you have some technical knowledge and want an open-source platform with full customization freedom and good integrations.


    Recent upgrades to OpenCart


    In general, OpenCart releases small updates to its software frequently and larger updates every few years. The OpenCart 4.0 update launched recently, which included significant improvements to the admin interface, more robust product settings, and other design changes. OpenCart is known as a flexible shopping cart, and its updates make it even more so.


    OpenCart pricing


    You can download OpenCart for free. Similar to AbanteCart, the cost comes from the apps, themes, and extensions, which are similar in price among both providers – but OpenCart has a much wider variety. In general, there are some free apps, but most cost between $1 and $150. The price of website themes ranges from $15 to $30, and many free ones are available.

    Pros and cons of OpenCart

    Pros

    • Large selection of integrations
    • Active community
    • Highly customizable

    Cons

    • Developer skills needed for more in-depth customization
    • Limited customer support
    • Slow loading speed, plug-in might be necessary to speed up

    What customers are saying about OpenCart

    OpenCart is free, simple to use, and a good match for someone starting a small business. While the platform is customizable, it doesn’t have as many features as some other companies, and it can sometimes be slow.


    Read our full OpenCart review.

    Ecwid Logo

    Ecwid

    Best shopping cart software for user experience

    4.2 4.2 Stars
    • Handy mobile app
    • 24/7 support
    • Multilingual stores

    Summary

    • Starting price
      • Free
    • PCI compliant and secure
      PCI compliant and secure
    • Payment gateways
      70+ payment providers
    • Customizable
      Limited customization for non-technical users
    • Support
      24/7 phone, email, and live chat support, and large community
    • Self-host or in-house host
      Can be used on an existing website or hosted in-house

    Ecwid allows you to include a shopping cart on any existing website through the use of a widget, ideal for those who wish to expand their blog or information site and start to sell products online.



    Ecwid offers various helpful features: ease of use, the ability to integrate easily with existing websites, and a generous free plan. As part of the free plan, you can create a single online store, integrate the Ecwid shopping cart into your existing site, and have one staff account.


    Ecwid offers live chat support Monday through Friday for its paid plans. In addition, it offers email support for free and paid plans five days a week. I was able to access many self-service options with Ecwid, such as a knowledge base, FAQs, and a forum.


    Who is Ecwid best for?


    Ecwid is a great e-commerce solution for beginners because of its seamless integrations that allow you to sell anywhere, 24/7 technical support, and its easy-to-use interface.


    Ecwid’s integration page gives you the option to create a new website, blend its shopping cart into your existing site, or start selling on social media.


    Recent upgrades to Ecwid


    Ecwid is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms, and it has monthly updates. Recently, Ecwid added the option to display conditional custom checkout fields, which enables you to show custom fields for customers who select specific payment methods and shipping options. A few other recent updates include surcharge fees for checkout fields, language updates, and improvements to shipping options.


    Ecwid pricing


    Ecwid is the cheapest hosted option on this list and it could be argued it has the best price-quality ratio. The monthly plans range from $0 to $99, making it much more affordable than BigCommerce and Shift4Shop. However, the free plan is quite limited, allowing only one user account, providing limited checkout settings, and not allowing proper product type changes.

    Pros and cons of Ecwid

    Pros

    • Can be integrated into any website
    • Beginner-friendly
    • Free forever plan

    Cons

    • Limited customization
    • Limited customer support

    What customers are saying about Ecwid

    Ecwid is an affordable, easy-to-use e-commerce platform that offers quality support. Customizing some features can be hard and the SEO features could be improved.


    Read our full Ecwid review.

    Shift4Shop Logo

    Shift4Shop

    Best shopping cart software for integrations

    4.0 4.0 Stars
    • Unlimited data storage
    • Unlimited bandwidth
    • 24/7 tech support

    Summary

    • Starting price
      • Free
    • PCI compliant and secure
      PCI compliant and highly secure system
    • Payment gateways
      100+ providers
    • Customizable
      Very easy to tailor
    • Support
      24/7 support and good knowledge base
    • Self-host or in-house host
      In-house hosted shopping cart software

    Formerly known as "3dcart," Shift4Shop is an all-in-one e-commerce platform that provides a flexible shopping cart solution. I liked its robust features and great customer support.



    Shift4Shop is a hosted e-commerce shopping cart that integrates with over 100 payment gateways, has unlimited product options, and has a simple interface. Its cheapest plan is free and includes full customizability, 50+ mobile-ready themes, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited staff members.


    I could access 24/7 tech support through phone, email, and live chat. Its large knowledge base includes how-tos, video tutorials, HTML guides, user manuals, and e-commerce guides.


    Its strongest selling points are the generous free plan, suitability for beginner to advanced users, and a highly secure system. Shift4Shop ensures customer data security through PCI compliance, distributed denial of service(DDOS) protection, daily data backups, and more. Shift4Shop also promises to migrate your current e-commerce website for free.


    As for app integrations, Shift4Shop features several extensions and apps that make your shopping cart more useful. In general, these apps can help you to reduce abandoned carts by optimizing shopping carts using different methods, such as sending abandoned cart emails and customizing the process with pop-ups and time-sensitive offers.


    Who is Shift4Shop best for?


    My testing showed that Shift4Shop appeals to both beginners and experts. Beginners will find the ease of use, robust features, and excellent customer service to be great. And if you are an advanced user, you will likely appreciate the ability to directly edit HTML and CSS, and access the network of Shift4Shop experts.


    Recent upgrades to Shift4Shop


    Shift4Shop continuously improves its services through updates.Maintaining its platform constantly is the first step, but it goes further. Shift4Shop's administrative payment interface has been simplified to simplify payment management. It has updated the transaction status dashboard to improve clarity and streamline its onboarding process. Shift4Shop also allows you to request new features.


    Shift4Shop pricing


    The company offers a free End-To-End plan. Its only downside is that you have to use the payment processor, which comes with per-transaction payment processing fees. Also important to note is that the free plan is only available for U.S. customers. Paid plans run from $29 to $229 per store per month. Prices for Shift4Shop are nearly double the cost of Ecwid's plans, but almost identical to those of BigCommerce.

    Pros and cons of Shift4Shop

    Pros

    • Good built-in features
    • Great forever free plan
    • Secure system and daily data backups
    • API-access

    Cons

    • Limited free templates
    • Free plan only for U.S. customers
    • Must pay a monthly fee if you use a third-party payment processor

    What customers are saying about Shift4Shop

    hift4Shop, designed for small or medium e-commerce stores, offers many features. There are mixed reviews on whether it is easy to use and how effective the customer service is.


    Read our full Shift4Shop review.

    Compare the Best Shopping Cart Software

    Shopping cart softwareStarting priceBest features
    AbanteCart

    (4.6)

    AbanteCart Logo

    Best shopping cart software

    Why it’s best overall:

    AbanteCart has a low price of free with excellent customization options, a multi-store interface, and integrated analytics.

    Free
    • All-in-one e-commerce solution
    • Integrated analytics
    • API-enabled
    BigCommerce

    (4.4)

    BigCommerce Logo

    Best shopping cart software for growth

    Read our full BigCommerce review.

    $29.95 per month

    See pricing

    • Highly scalable
    • Fast loading speed
    • 24/7 tech support
    OpenCart (4.4)

    OpenCart Logo

    Best shopping cart software for customization

    Read our full OpenCart review.

    Free
    • Open-source platform
    • Multilingual and multiple currencies
    • Unlimited products and categories
    Ecwid

    (4.2)

    Ecwid Logo

    Best shopping cart software for user experience

    Free
    • Handy mobile app
    • 24/7 support
    • Multilingual stores
    Shift4Shop

    (4.0)

    Shift4Shop Logo

    Best shopping cart software for integrations

    Read our full Shift4Shop review.

    Free
    • Unlimited data storage
    • Unlimited bandwidth
    • 24/7 tech support

    What You Need to Know About Shopping Cart Software

    How much does shopping cart software cost?

    Shopping cart software generally costs $15 to $100 per month for paid plans. However, many free shopping carts are available.

    What is the best online shopping cart?

    The best online shopping cart is easy to use, fits your budget, and provides an effective user experience for your online store. Consult our list for the best online shopping cart options.

    Is shopping cart software secure?

    Having a secure, PCI-compliant shopping cart provider is essential. A globally recognized payment processing standard, PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) helps ensure the secure payment processing of credit cards. Most shopping cart solutions are plug-ins, and therefore have no security measures. This raises the need to select the best web hosting provider that takes website security seriously.

    What features should shopping cart software offer?

    A platform can have all the bells and whistles, but it’s not the right fit if it doesn’t have what you need for your business. Look for key features including SEO and marketing tools, reports and analytics, A/B testing, product catalogs, payment gateway integrations, and third-party integrations.

    Is it better to self host shopping cart software?

    There are usually two types of shopping cart providers: self-hosted and in-house hosted. Self-hosting means you need to have your own hosting, for example, using a plug-in like WooCommerce or X-Cart. In-house hosted providers take care of it for you, such as with Shift4Shop or AbanteCart.

    An in-house hosted shopping cart software may be a better option if you don’t have a website yet or are unsure about your technical skills. But self hosting may offer greater customization possibilities.

    How I Rated The Best Shopping Cart Providers

    I signed up for shopping cart software to see what each offers new users and how easy it is to navigate around each brand’s dashboard. I rated shopping cart providers based on PCI compliance and security, features, customization, customer support, and hosting options.

    See the details on these rating factors I used to test shopping cart software:

    • PCI compliance and security: Does the shopping cart offer PCI compliance and other standards for secure online payment processing?
    • Features: Do you get access to helpful features such as marketing tools, reporting, testing, and integrations?
    • Customization: Another important criterion we considered was customization. How easy is it to customize the platform to match your branding? Is the platform flexible enough to scale as your business grows?
    • Support: What are your options for support, such as live chat, phone, and email support, or self-service options such as a knowledgebase or FAQ?
    • Self-hosting or in-house hosting: Does the software offer customization of self hosting, or the management of in-house hosting?