What Is An eCommerce Shopping Cart Software?<\/h2>\n
Shopping cart software solutions allow website visitors to purchase goods and services online through convenient payment portals. They also enable business owners to track and manage inventory, monitor sales, offer discounts, and maintain loyalty programs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
What Makes A Great Ecommerce Platform For Small Businesses?<\/h2>\n
What makes an eCommerce software \u201cgreat\u201d will depend on the following factors.<\/p>\n
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User experience: <\/b>Online shopping cart software should be easy to use for both seller and consumer. The best ones are easy to set up, even with little to no programming experience.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Value for money: <\/b>eCommerce software costs anything from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. If you\u2019re unsure which platform you prefer, take advantage of trial periods to determine how well your software performs and integrates with existing systems.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Scalability: <\/b>Even if a basic eCommerce solution is just what your business needs at the moment, there\u2019s no guarantee it\u2019ll continue to work for you as your business grows. Consider a platform that can scale up along with your operations.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Mobile-friendliness: <\/b>Of the millions of online shoppers that own a smartphone, roughly 60% of them use it to shop. To reach a wider audience, you\u2019ll need to invest in mobile-responsive software.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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User reviews: <\/b>You can learn a lot about a platform by consulting shopping cart software reviews.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Product handling: <\/b>Some eCommerce solutions are specifically tailored to sell physical or digital products. For instance, if you are selling physical products, you may want to select a platform that you can use to track courier services.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Security: <\/b>While cash on delivery is a necessary and common payment option, most shoppers prefer to use credit cards. Choose a web provider with a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate to protect sensitive customer information. Software with additional website monitoring tools can identify any security or performance issues.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nCommon Features To Look For In An eCommerce Platform<\/h2>\n
Different eCommerce platforms will have a wide range of solutions and may not always be the same. However, you can expect to see these standard functionalities across nearly all of them.<\/p>\n
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Payment gateways: <\/b>Most, if not all, shopping cart platforms should have a payment processor that supports common payment options such as Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. The more payment methods your software can accommodate, the better.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Automatic calculation: <\/b>Online checkouts involve a lot of miscellaneous fees. Your software should be able to calculate taxes, special discounts, and shipping rates so that pricing is completely transparent. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Currency compatibility: <\/b>If you ship products internationally or run international stores, pick a platform that accurately applies conversion rates.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Language options: <\/b>If you sell to international customers, having multiple language options will encourage shoppers to browse and check out.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Analytics and insights: <\/b>Tracking sales trends is the key to increasing overall profits. Use software that can keep track of orders, average sales, and abandoned carts.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nSaaS VS Open-Source<\/h2>\n
SaaS (software-as-a-service) and open-source are the two primary types of eCommerce software. They are differentiated by how they\u2019re distributed and who manages them. <\/p>\n
Open-source software is available to any developer who wants to access and edit the source code. The software is often free, with add-ons and bug fixes constantly and readily available. Unlike SaaS, an open-source shopping cart does not have centralized customer support. Users will also have to perform updates themselves.<\/p>\n
SaaS solutions combine shopping cart features with web hosting. With SaaS software, you can run your online store directly from a web browser. In addition, developers are responsible for handling updates and maintenance, so you won\u2019t have to install anything yourself. With that in mind, SaaS digital shopping cart solutions can be expensive.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nDo I Need to Use Integrations?<\/h2>\n
While integrations are not necessary, they are helpful and often preferred. Integrating your online shopping cart system with other platforms can save you time and money if you already have existing CRM, accounting, and project management software.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nHow Much Does An eCommerce Shopping Cart Software Cost?<\/h2>\n
How much you pay for an online shopping cart service will depend on what it can offer. Most online shopping cart software have packages for small, medium, and large companies. These are often available on a subscription basis, with monthly fees costing anywhere between $20 and $150.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll also likely have to pay additional transaction fees, usually charged by the payment gateway and\/or for using the service itself. If you don\u2019t use a specific software\u2019s built-in payment gateway, transaction fees can cost as much as 2% of a single purchase.<\/p>\n
In addition, you\u2019ll also have to consider whether the software charges for monthly data and storage. Naturally, cheaper plans will offer smaller storage capacity. You can determine how much monthly data you consume on average by tracking statistics like the size of the images you use on your website and how many site visitors you get in a month.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n8 Million+<\/mark> Ready Automations
For 750+<\/mark> Apps<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nTry Integrately For FREE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nOur Top Picks for the Best eCommerce Shopping Cart Software<\/h2>\n
Here are our top picks for the best eCommerce shopping cart software on the internet:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n
\nShopify<\/a><\/h2>\n
Shopify is a go-to choice for many businesses with online stores. It boasts powerful features such as logo makers, custom website designs, domains, and even the option to buy an existing shop. You can even use Shopify to chat with customers, track orders, and send invoices. You can automate hundreds of Shopify tasks with Integrately<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Thousands of themes: <\/b>Compared to other eCommerce platforms, Shopify has more than 1,300 premium and customizable themes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Powerful integrations: <\/b>Shopify integrates with nearly every third-party app you need to run an online store. You can easily find an extension or plugin within the app store if it’s not built-in.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Shopping cart abandonment notifications: <\/b>A customer might abandon their cart now and then. With Shopify, you can recover and remarket them for a successful future sale.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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No-refund policy: <\/b>Unfortunately, you won\u2019t be able to recover any lost funds if a sale goes wrong.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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No multiple discounts: <\/b>Sellers can only provide one discount per order. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Associated app fees: <\/b>To incorporate multiple apps into your Shopify store, you\u2019ll have to pay a monthly app subscription fee. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
A Basic plan costs $29\/month, while Shopify and Advanced plans cost $79\/month and $299\/month, respectively.<\/p>\n
Click here to try Shopify today!<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.integrately.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Shopify.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nBigCommerce<\/a><\/h2>\n
For large-volume sellers, BigCommerce is an excellent option. It boasts multiple payment options such as through money order, checks, or bank transfer and doesn\u2019t charge any fees from third-party gateways. If you\u2019re having trouble managing BigCommerce\u2019s plenty of features, automate them with Integrately<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Channel manager: <\/b>Connect products already listed for sale on other platforms like Amazon or eBay.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Unlimited use: <\/b>Every plan provides unlimited products, storage, and bandwidth.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Multiple online payment processors: <\/b>BigCommerce offers many payment processing options like Stripe, Braintree, PayPal, and Amazon and does not charge any third-party fees.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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No POS system: <\/b>Unlike Shopify, you can\u2019t take in-person payments as BigCommerce lacks a POS system.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Not ideal for small or medium businesses: <\/b>Businesses earning below $50,000 have to set up sales tax<\/a> rates and automated shipping.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Annual sales thresholds: <\/b>Users cannot exceed a certain amount of sales per tier. For instance, Standard tier users cannot exceed $50,000\/year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Standard plans cost $29.95\/month, while Plus and Pro plans cost $79.95\/month and $249.95\/month, respectively. You can also try BigCommerce free for 15 days.<\/p>\n
Click here to try BigCommerce today!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.integrately.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/BigCommerce.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nSquare<\/a><\/h2>\n
If you occasionally make in-person sales, Square is the shopping cart platform for you. It organizes online and offline sales in a single intuitive dashboard that produces easy-to-read visual reports. It is also compatible with dozens of POS systems and has excellent uptime. Automate hundreds of actions on Square with Integrately<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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- Robust onboarding: <\/b>Using Square for the first time is highly intuitive. Simply answer a questionnaire about your business and choose from a single booking page or full online store.<\/li>\n
- Vast app library: <\/b>You can integrate apps from 16 categories on the Square Online Marketplace or even create third-party add-ons.<\/li>\n
- Stories: <\/b>Promote your products and services through a blog via Square\u2019s Stories feature.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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- Heavy transaction fee: <\/b>Square charges 2.9% of your sales and an additional 30 cents per credit card transaction.<\/li>\n
- Poor image editing options: <\/b>Square\u2019s photo editing options are limited to cropping. If you want professional product shooting services, you\u2019ll have to pay $9.95 per product.<\/li>\n
- Limited customer service: <\/b>While most other eCommerce platforms offer 24\/7 customer service support, Square\u2019s team is only available on weekdays from 9 am to 9 pm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
You can start building an online store on Square for free or get a Professional account that costs $12\/month. Performance and Premium plans cost $26\/month and $72\/month, respectively.<\/p>\n
Click here to try Square today!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.integrately.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Square.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nWix<\/a><\/h2>\n
Are you looking to build a business website and online store all in one? Try Wix \u2013 this drag-and-drop builder has hundreds of free templates and can get your website up and running in just a few minutes. <\/p>\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Powerful ADI tool: <\/b>Answer just a few questions about what you plan to sell and what kind of elements you\u2019d like to see on your site and Wix\u2019s Artificial Design Intelligence feature will whip something up for you.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Step-by-step guide: <\/b>If you\u2019re setting up a professional email address, social media ads, or payment gateway for the first time, Wix walks you through pretty much everything.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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One-click install: <\/b>Integrate anything from accounting software to shipping couriers in just one click.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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No template switching: <\/b>Unlike other digital shopping cart and website building software, Wix doesn\u2019t let you change your template once you\u2019ve chosen one.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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No payments on a free domain: <\/b>If you choose to use Wix for free, you won\u2019t be able to receive any payments.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
You can try Wix for free for 14 days then get a Basic Business Plan for $30\/month. Payment processing fees cost 2.9% plus 30 cents per credit card transaction.<\/p>\n
Click here to try Wix today!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.integrately.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Wix.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nEcwid<\/a><\/h2>\n
Ecwid is an excellent shopping cart platform for businesses with more than one social media platform but no optimized website. With it, you can sell items from sites like Google, Instagram, or Facebook. It has a generous free plan and affordable tiers if you need advanced features. You can even automate tasks like receiving credit card payments and completing transactions with Integrately<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Extensive free tier: <\/b>If you\u2019re new to eCommerce selling, you can try out Ecwid\u2019s free tier, which allows users to sell up to ten products at a time. You can also enjoy powerful features like automatic tax rate calculations, discounts, and inventory tracking.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Responsive design: <\/b>Ecwid\u2019s mobile integration is seamless \u2013 you can even edit product pages from your phone.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Superior language options: <\/b>For international sellers, Ecwid offers functionality in over 50 different languages.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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No add-ons: <\/b>With Ecwid, what you see is what you get. By purchasing a paid tier, you simply increase the number of products you can sell.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Manual coding: <\/b>While Ecwid is simple to use, you\u2019ll have to set up and code everything manually.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Slow growth: <\/b>Because it doesn\u2019t offer extra features like website building, Ecwid may not be ideal for scaling businesses.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
You can use Ecwid for free or get a Venture plan for $15\/month. Transaction fees depend on the payment gateway.<\/p>\n
Click here to try Ecwid today!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.integrately.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Ecwid.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\nWooCommerce<\/a><\/h2>\n
For businesses with an already-existing WordPress website, WooCommerce is the best shopping cart solution. Not to mention, the plugin is entirely free. If you already have Integrately<\/a>, you can easily automate all your WooCommerce tasks.<\/p>\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Sizable extensions library: <\/b>If you\u2019re looking for more than what the basic plugin can do, WooCommerce has an extensions marketplace for add-ons like real-time shipping rates, various payment gateways, and even newsletter subscriptions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Compatible with existing backend: <\/b>View your orders, create coupons, and dissect sales reports all from your WordPress dashboard.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Completely free: <\/b>If you\u2019re on a budget, WooCommerce won\u2019t break the bank, but you may have to pay extra for other handy features.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Expensive plugins: <\/b>While you can access plenty of features for free, some of WooCommerce\u2019s extensions cost upwards of $29.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Additional costs for payment and shipping: <\/b>Some payment and shipping options can add up, so choose your solutions wisely.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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- Poor image editing options: <\/b>Square\u2019s photo editing options are limited to cropping. If you want professional product shooting services, you\u2019ll have to pay $9.95 per product.<\/li>\n
- Vast app library: <\/b>You can integrate apps from 16 categories on the Square Online Marketplace or even create third-party add-ons.<\/li>\n
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