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General Discussion

Posted by Nijad Kifayeh
Nijad Kifayeh
6,092 Points

Best e-commerce platform/framework?

I want to create an online-store front for a small business idea that I have.
I don't want to code the whole e-commerce side of the site and was wondering what you suggest for frameworks/platforms for e-commerce?
Open-source is preferred, but I'm definitely open to paid alternatives.
I don't need anything fancy, just your basic shopping basket (cookie and session implementation), database, invoicing, order notification, ability to accept credit cards/paypal, etc. (security is important though!!) .

2 Answers

Jesus Mendoza
Jesus Mendoza
23,288 Points
Jesus Mendoza
Jesus Mendoza
23,288 Points

There are a few out there; Prestashop, WooCommerce for WordPress and Shopify (Paid). Those are the ones i know.

Nijad Kifayeh
Nijad Kifayeh
6,092 Points

Never heard of Prestashop, thanks for the heads up!

Ricky Catron
Ricky Catron
13,023 Points
Ricky Catron
Ricky Catron
13,023 Points

You could go with the easy and simple paypal buttons if they serve your need. Their is a cart option as well but it is VERY limited. If you need a full platform it is likely not the right choice.

I used Squirrelcart for a client project once. It was tough but it was the best fit for them and the customer support is second to none.

Goodluck! --Ricky

PS. This is Treehouse not Reddit as your question suggested. I got a good laugh and frequent Reddit as well.

Nijad Kifayeh
Nijad Kifayeh
6,092 Points

hahaha...I took out the other reddit references but forgot that one! You'd think I'd learned my lesson from making the same mistake when sending out resume cover letters! ;-).
Thanks for the suggestions, never heard of Squirrelcart but will give it a look. It looks like going the wordpress route w/ the woo commerce plugin and a custom theme might be my best bet at this point.

Ricky Catron
Ricky Catron
13,023 Points
Ricky Catron
Ricky Catron
13,023 Points

For your project I think Woo commerce or another Plugin alternative would suit you best. SquirrelCart is great but I feel like it plus WordPress would do more harm then good.

Goodluck! --Ricky