eCommerce – The word is already well known. Every business is moving towards eCommerce. We are observing crazy figures every day in industry. Everyone knows that eCommerce is the present and the future. Though when it comes to implementation, many entrepreneurs get stuck in the war of eCommerce Framework. More than 100 of eCommerce frameworks are available in market. The very first and important question comes when any entrepreneur ignites decision to start eCommerce, “Open Source v/s Closed Source”. Which one to choose? What are the Pros and Cons? Which is more economic?

As eCommerce Website is not going to be the only business of any entrepreneur, it is better to choose eCommerce Framework considering all factors. Lets break this confusion in few points:

What is Open Source?

The word itself defines that the “Source” of eCommerce Framework is “Open”. That means you are free to modify the Source Code of eCommerce Framework as per your needs.  You can get the Source Code, you need to host store on your server.

What is Closed Source?

The “Source” of eCommerce Framework is “Close”. We never get the access of the Source Code so we can modify upto some extent. We do not have full control over system. We need to host store with the owner of eCommerce Framework.

Pros of Open Source

We have full control over Source Code. Whatever change or modification we desire is possible. There are almost no fees. As its free, community of Open Source Programmers is large. As it’s going to be hosted on our server, we have full control over Server. Open Source Frameworks have clear Licenses.  Again, it is very flexible in Deployment and Testing.

Pros of Closed Source

World-class support and security. Since a company is charging you for product, they provide you support which is unbelievable. If you are busy entrepreneur and do not have time to look into hosting, security, SSL certificates, Payment Gateways and Search Engine Optimization then Closed source is for you. You can get your store in minutes.

Who should choose Open Source?

Ideally it is for those entrepreneurs who have enough time to spend on their eCommerce business. Entrepreneurs with limited budget or if they need too many modifications choose Open Source. If you have enough resources to manage your store then choose Open Source. Ideally if you are planning to launch a huge eCommerce store, you should choose Open Source.

Who should choose Closed source?

Busy Entrepreneurs who do not have enough resources or time to spend on their ecommerce store. Entrepreneurs who need their store to be setup quickly with little efforts. People who do not want to get trouble of managing hosting and security of their stores. If you are planning for small eCommerce store, Closed source should be your choice.

Which is more economical? Open Source or Closed Source?

Well, It depends on which kind of store you are planning to have. If you are planning for small eCommerce store and you go with Open Source then you need to pay Hosting & Security Certificates charges, which will be almost near to Closed Source where good support options are available. Cost will not differ much if you are planning for single store however if you have plans to launch multiple stores then Open Source will be more economical.

Examples of Open Source

Magento (Community Edition), osCommerce, WooCommerce, OpenCart, Virtuemart, ZenCart, nopCommerce, Prestashop and many more.

Examples of Closed Source

Shopify, Volusion, BigCommerce, Magento Enterprise and many more.

Hire a Right eCommerce Solution Partner

Origzo is an ISO 9001:2008 certified best Mobile and Web Application Development Company. We cater our clients with their needs and provide services to choose right platform for their eCommerce business. Our range of eCommerce services includes Store Setup, Customization, Custom Theme Development, Payment Gateway Integration, Plug-in Development and Many More. Our Headquarter is in Ahmedabad, India while we have presence in San Francisco, CA as well.  Drop us an email at bizdev@origzo.com or call us at +1 (415) 871 0487 to discuss your eCommerce requirement.