#  >  > Programming, Development, Design, Technical Discussion >  >  > Technology and Design Forum >  >  > CMS & Frameworks >  >  Top 10 E-Commerce Content Management Systems(CMS)

## Bhavya

A content management system (CMS) is a software or set of related programs that are used to create and manage digital content. CMSes are typically used for enterprise content management (ECM) and web content management (WCM). CMS features vary widely.Most CMSes include web-based publishing,format management,history editing and version control,indexing,search,and retrieval. By their nature,content management systems support the separation of content and preparation.

Both enterprise content management and web content management systems have two components : A content management application (CMA) and A content delivery application(CDA). There is almost no limit to the aspects that must be considered before an organization decides to invest in a CMS. There are a few basic functionalities to always look for,such as an easy-to-editor interface and intelligent search capabilities.However,for some organizations,the software they use depends on certain requirements.For example,consider the organization's size and geographic dispersion. The CMS administrator must know how many people will be utilizing the application, whether the CMS will require multi language support and what size support team will be needed to maintain operations. It's also important to consider the level of control both administrators and end users will have when using the CMS.

There is a wide number of both free and subscription-based CMS offerings available for personal and enterprise use. the following are some of the top ecommerce CMS platforms.


*Magento Community Edition*


Magento Community edition is a free open-source ecommerce platform that anyone can download and use to build an online store.It is perfect for small businesses that want to experiment and learn how to build an ecommerce site.Because it's open source anyone can modify it in a way to meet his own needs.Additionally,you can take advantage of the Magento extension marketplace to enhance your functionality. Magento community is a good starting point that doesn't require a big investment right of the bat.


*Strengths*

Magento community edition Is a free open source platformOffers the users a great opportunity to change the code freely that is perfectly fit for the company and business requirements.Offers you with more flexibility for adopting the business needs based on the products you are offeringOffers you with range of functions that can be purchase as a module to gain different functionsFulfills all the needs of any store owners.There are many Magento extensions and widgets available in the marketThere is growing community in the magento who are very passionate and dedicated developers,providers and users.

*Weakness*

Using PHP,Which will not handle the load often regardless to the amount of hardware that is thrown at it.Working without proper knowledge on magento can be dangerous as magento development require a proper team who have good experience working on magento platform.



*Bigcommerce.com*



BigCommerce is a pro eCommerce platform that underwent a significant overhaul last year and introduced a whole slew of new features.It currently powers more than 90,000 online stores, Which shows the platform is a serious contender in the eCommerce world.Some major BigCommerce users include Toyota,Martha Stewart,Original Moxie- and that's just scratching the surface.The platform has all the tools and functionality needed to set up your online store,manage your inventory,process your orders,and maintain your store's branded look and feel.

*Strengths*

It's an all-in-one solution platform.It's comes amazing and practical tools included in their monthly plan.they have everything-Integration with an email newsletter,unlimited product variations,shipping configurations,handling returns,social sharing,product wish lists,promotion campaigns,secure payment gateways,even store static reports and product reviews.User-friendly PlatformA large app storeCustomers friendly ,allow Facebook integrate.Fast and extremely secureManage entire hosting processCan get support 24/7

*Weakness*

Doesn't post the sale price on the item,only at checkout,which is inconvenient for both the customers and the web shop ownersAllows only 7 free website templates,else beside these 7 is paid starting from 145$Dependent on the design of pixel union




*Drupalcommerce.org*



Drupal Commerce is open-source eCommerce software that augments the content management system Drupal Within the context of a Drupal-based site,Drupal Commerce presents products for Purchase;Walk customers through the checkout process;Keeps track of invoices,receipts,orders,and payments;facilities shipping and payment;and performs other functions need by online merchants.
Like Drupal,Drupal Commerce can be extended through the use of modules that add functionality and themes that defines visual presentation.there are more than 300 Drupal Commerce-specfic modules available free in such catergories as payment gateways,shipping service providers,and administrative and development tools.

*Strengths*

Free and open source codeDeveloper-friendlyBetter ScalabilityServe the APIStart with Blank slateLarge professional online communityRich source of modulesFast speedFull security

*Weakness*

Difficult to learnNeed technical expertiseTrouble in UpgradingCan Consume many of the resourcesNot a good platform for custom InstallModule capapility can be bad



*OpenCart
*


OpenCart is an online store management system.It is PHP based,Using a MySQL database and HTML components.Support is provided for different languages and currencies.It is freely available under the GNU General Public License.It is quite a popular script for managing your online shopping cart. Large number of plugins,Good efficiency and easy customization make it an interesting alternative for Prestashop.

*Strengths*

Convenient and Practical for SEOIntegrating reaction kinetics payment systemsautomatic imposition of the water mark on the photoSupport for multiple types of paymentsHas it's own reporting systemMulti currency payment systemCustomers-Friendly

*Weakness*

While updating script to a new version,some of the functionalities will not work or show errors.Basic unoptimized version of the script makes the client to download about 500kb of just CSS and javaScript codeLack of functionalities




*PrestaShop
*


PrestaShop is a free,open source e-commerce solution.The software is published under the open software license.It is written in the PHP programming language with support for the MySQL database management system. PrestaShop is currently used by 250,000 shops worldwide and is available in 60 different languages. PrestaShop is faced with the challenge of generating revenues.By leveraging the size and international scope of it's open-source community, The company established two main sources of revenue.

 PrestaShop Addons,a marketplace through which merchants purchase custom addons and themes for their stores Strategic partnership with e-commerce industy leaders such as paypal or Google.

*Strengths*

Administration panel is quite intuitive and easy to masterLarge supportive communityEasy installation and modificationCan install missed functionalities for freeQuite efficientDevelopment cost is less expensiveofficial store has trustworthy and secure modulesEasy version upgradeHighly active forum to get quick help

*Weakness*

Large number of bug fixesPayable functionalitiesAverage scalablity




*OsCommerce
*


Os Commerce-"Open Source Commerce" is an e-commerce and online store-management software program.It can be used on any web server that has PHP and MySQL installed. It is available as free software Under the GNU General Publc License.There are currently two releases of OsCommerce. Versions2.3(Stable) and 3.0(in development) are developed as two independent programs, and as such do not share code.contributions,the official name for the open-source community developed plugins,are developed for either 2.3 or 3.0, and are incompatible with one another.

*Strengths*

Very cheap costCan easily customize and integrate it to any websitesFlexibilityperson with good designing skills can make the required modificationsEasy upgrade, Most upgrades are free

*Weakness*

Lack of technical supportOnly programming knowledge customers can accrue the flexible applicationsmanually monitored software updatesNeed development in securityDelays in transacting.



*Zen Cart
*


Zen Cart is an online store management system.It is PHP based,using a MySQL database and HTML components.Support is provided for numerous languages and currencies,and it is freely available under the GNU General Public License. That means anyone can totally modify,develop or tailor the software depending on their needs, even individuals who possess basic IT and web development expertise. It's an open source shopping solution.

*Strengths*

Developed by expertsFocused on user's needsEasy to set-upConvenient featuresFree eCommerce shopping CartCustomizable

*Weakness*

Poor layoutsUpgrades are hard to doRequires PHP knowledge to customize




*Spree Commerce
*


Spree Commerce is an open source eCommerce solution based on Ruby on Rails.Loaded with tools and features that allow users to build and maintain an online store.Spree Commerce is a viable choice for individuals and business that are looking for a flexible,fast and afforable eCommerce hosting solution.Spree Commerce is a bit technical and may require users to be least semi-fluent in the programming language. or hire an experienced designer and developer to help in creating and deploying your site.

*Strengths*

FlexibilityFaster developmentFull ownership and controlFully functional platformEasy Payment Integration

*Weakness*

Need for shipping integrationLack of supply managementLack of order management





*WooCommerce ( WordPress)
*


WooCommerce is for selling products and services.Specifically,It makes doing these things affordable and accessible.You can sell digital and physical products,manage inventory and shipping,take secure payments,and short taxes automatically.You keep 100% control over all your data,there's support for mobile devices,and the potential to scale your sites is limitless. Woocommerce is by far the best designed and most popular eCommerce plugin for wordpress. In fact,it's now the most popular eCommerce solution accross all websites. Just like WordPress,Woocommerce is free and open source.So despite it's premium feel, it's completely free for anyone to download,use and modify.

*Strengths*

Free And open sourceProfessional and customizable-Many free plugins are available to customizeProvides lots of analytic tools to make top choice of developers.Very secure-regular updates undergoes for security purpose.Provides lots of functionality.You can change all the content easily.Good flexibility.

*Weakness*

Frequent updates.Customize site can be costlyPlugin requires effective knowledge to use.



*VirtueMart
*


VirtueMart is an open source e-commerce solution designed as an extension of the Mambo or Joomla! content management systems(CMS).VirtueMart is written in PHP and requires the MySQL database environment for storage.IT is best suited for low medium level traffic websites.VirtueMart supports an unlimited number of products and categories,With products able to be assigned to multiple categories.VirtueMart supports multiple prices for a single product,based around shopper groups or a quantity range,and permts the use of a variety of different payment gateways.

*Strengths*

Free to downloadNumerous IntegrationsUnlimited products

*Weakness*

Developer skills requiredLimited featuresAdd-ons often necessaryNo customer support.



As you can see, there's a lot of choices when you're wondering which of the top eCommerce platforms is going to be the best for your needs.For instance,there are different popular eCommerce CMS you might consider when building a business website, an e-commerce store and etc.
However ,there are also popular eCommerce CMS platforms that are quite universal and can run pretty much any type of eCommerce stores. In the end,though,picking the right eCommerce CMS for yourself is not only about doing what everyone else doing, but also paying attention to the trends.

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## Beacon

Wow, This is something really interesting and detailed post @Bhavya, I personally vouch WordPress with Woocommerce, Magento and Prestashop for any eCommerce businesses, Not just handy, But these three are top notch in terms of features, Security and UX. Once again, Thank you so much for this amazing post 
 :you rock man:

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## Bhavya

> Wow, This is something really interesting and detailed post @Bhavya, I personally vouch WordPress with Woocommerce, Magento and Prestashop for any eCommerce businesses, Not just handy, But these three are top notch in terms of features, Security and UX. Once again, Thank you so much for this amazing post


Thank you so much for your appreciating words Beacon It means a lot  :Smile: . Once Again thank you for your Personal input. You Simplify top 10 into top 3. :Cool:

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