{"id":3424,"date":"2017-10-30T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T15:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/?p=3424"},"modified":"2017-10-29T22:38:12","modified_gmt":"2017-10-30T05:38:12","slug":"shopping-cart-comparisons-zen-cart-vs-woocommerce-vs-shopify-vs-bigcommerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/shopping-cart-comparisons-zen-cart-vs-woocommerce-vs-shopify-vs-bigcommerce\/","title":{"rendered":"Shopping Cart Comparisons: Zen Cart vs. WooCommerce vs. Shopify vs. BigCommerce"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/AdobeStock_52200984.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/AdobeStock_52200984.jpeg\" alt=\"Shopping Cart Comparisons\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/AdobeStock_52200984.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/AdobeStock_52200984-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing the shopping cart platform that is right for your e-commerce website can be daunting, so to make your task easier, we\u2019ve compared four popular shopping cart solutions: Zen Cart, WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/shopping-cart-comparisons-zen-cart-vs-woocommerce-vs-shopify-vs-bigcommerce\/#Zen_Cart\" >Zen Cart<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/shopping-cart-comparisons-zen-cart-vs-woocommerce-vs-shopify-vs-bigcommerce\/#WooCommerce\" >WooCommerce<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/shopping-cart-comparisons-zen-cart-vs-woocommerce-vs-shopify-vs-bigcommerce\/#Shopify\" >Shopify<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/shopping-cart-comparisons-zen-cart-vs-woocommerce-vs-shopify-vs-bigcommerce\/#BigCommerce\" >BigCommerce<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Zen_Cart\"><\/span><b>Zen Cart<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zen Cart is an open source e-commerce shopping cart software based on PHP and MySQL. Although recent trends show that many new e-commerce websites favor hosted platforms, open source carts like Zen Cart remain popular since developers can modify the source code to create highly customized solutions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Usability:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As is the case with any open source shopping carts, Zen Cart requires technical knowledge to install and customize. If you don&#8217;t have any coding experience, a developer can help you <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/services\/zen-cart-services?utm_source=Blog_4ShoppingCartComparisons\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">set up your e-commerce website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> exactly how you&#8217;d like it. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Cost:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zen Cart is free to download, install, and use. However, you need to factor in the cost of web hosting since hosting is not provided, and if you lack MySQL and PHP experience, you&#8217;ll have to factor in web design and development expenses.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WooCommerce\"><\/span><b>WooCommerce<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WooCommerce is a plugin that enables you to turn your WordPress site into an e-commerce site, and it is by far the most popular e-commerce shopping platform, with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/trends.builtwith.com\/shop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2,241,106 sites<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> using the WordPress plugin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Usability:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can easily download the WooCommerce plugin from the wp-admin of your site and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/services\/woocommerce-services?utm_source=Blog_4ShoppingCartComparisons\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">install it<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on your WordPress site. There is an abundance of features, and you can customize it to suit your needs right from the dashboard. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Cost:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WooCommerce is a free plugin; however, since it doesn&#8217;t include free hosting, that is an extra cost to consider. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shopify\"><\/span><b>Shopify<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Shopify only has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/trends.builtwith.com\/shop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the market share, the Canadian e-commerce platform is quickly becoming an e-commerce favorite.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Usability:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shopify&#8217;s rise to popularity is largely attributed to its ease of use. It provides novices with an uncomplicated, step-by-step process to set up their store and offers professionals a wide array of options. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/services\/shopify-services?utm_source=Blog_4ShoppingCartComparisons\">Setup<\/a> is as simple as creating an account, selecting a theme, and customizing it to suit your e-commerce needs. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Cost:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Shopify, you have a 14-day free trial, after which the cost will depend on the plan that you pick. The &#8220;Basic Shopify&#8221; plan will cost you $29 per month, the &#8220;Shopify&#8221; plan $79, and the &#8220;Advanced Shopify&#8221; plan $299. If you pay the fees upfront, you can save 10%on their annual plan and 20% on their biennial plan. While there are no transaction fees if you use Shopify Payments, using an external payment gateway will mean additional fees ranging from 0.5% to 2% depending on your plan. Since Shopify is a hosted solution, all their plans come with secure, unlimited hosting. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"BigCommerce\"><\/span><b>BigCommerce<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although BigCommerce only has less than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/trends.builtwith.com\/shop\/BigCommerce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">0.1%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the e-commerce shopping platform market share, it offers several features that make it an excellent choice for online commerce.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Usability:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though BigCommerce comes packed with functionality such as multi-channel retailing, SEO, and upselling, it is still intuitive and straightforward to use. Setup and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/services-bigcommerce-services-c-179_294?utm_source=Blog_4ShoppingCartComparisons\">customization<\/a> are easy for those who do not have a lot of technical experience. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Cost:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial, after which you can select the plan that suits your e-commerce needs. The &#8220;Standard&#8221; will cost you $29.95 per month, the &#8220;Plus&#8221; $79.95, and the &#8220;Pro&#8221; $249.95. You can save up to 10% if you pay annually rather than monthly. Hosting is included in their plans, and unlike Shopify, there are no transaction fees.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What e-commerce shopping cart platform do you use for your online business? Tell us your choice and reasons in the comments section below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Choosing the shopping cart platform that is right for your e-commerce website can be daunting, so to make your task easier, we\u2019ve compared four popular shopping cart solutions: Zen Cart, WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce. Zen Cart Zen Cart is an open source e-commerce shopping cart software based on PHP and MySQL. Although recent trends show&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":267,"featured_media":3425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[586],"tags":[815],"class_list":["post-3424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-web-development","tag-shopping-car-comparisons"],"modified_by":"Smita Ramphul","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/AdobeStock_52200984.jpeg","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/267"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}