I am starting a small online book retail store. Which cart should I use?

I am still using shared hosting but with dedicated ip address.

Have you considered Magento?

Yes I did--many people said it was very server intensive. Right now I am on a shared server and I am afraid that magento will make the server very slow.

It's not that server intensive; except where the server is already having issues with load.

What exactly do you need from your shopping cart software that any of these carts may or may not provide? There isn't a "best" cart in the list that we can give you, although it would help to know your requirements in order to recommend one.

I would prefer a cart that is:

1. easy to install--I am a newbie
2. easy to customize
3. easy to input and change inventory
4. gives detailed reports

Thank you!

I would probably say that any of the carts you mentioned would meet your requirements. Have you tried the demo versions of each product in order to test if they are actually easy to use for you and give you the required reports?

try prestashop it should fulfill all your needs

thank you dark night. what is the difference between prestashop and zencart in terms of usability and:

1. easy to install--I am a newbie
2. easy to customize
3. easy to input and change inventory
4. gives detailed reports

If you are a newbie, go for a hosted service.

You do understand that a downloadable open source free solution needs to be updated a few times a year by yourself to protect it from security hacks.

A hosted service will do this for you, thus allowing you to focus on the ebusiness, not the ecommerce technology.

Jon

I am starting a small online book retail store. Which cart should I use?

I am still using shared hosting but with dedicated ip address.

take a long look at static cart/static store..

very niche provider, but, a simply outstanding solution... we have customers from very small mom and pops to very large enterprises using it. the positive feedback has been overwhelming

If you are a newbie, go for a hosted service.

You do understand that a downloadable open source free solution needs to be updated a few times a year by yourself to protect it from security hacks.

A hosted service will do this for you, thus allowing you to focus on the ebusiness, not the ecommerce technology.

Jon

Yes, SaaS services -rather convenient for small business.

But in some cases self-hosted shopping carts are better.

The ideal solution is Shopping Cart provider with own hosting solution.

I think the SaaS (software as a service) route might be better for your store and server situation as well. This is how a hosted cart like Miva Merchant works .. you pay a monthly fee to use their software. They started the SaaS model because they could not afford to do technical and customer support on very old versions of software.

With a cart like Miva Merchant, you can get streaming updates of new additions and features of the software for free download. As far as managing your hosting, like JonHos said, you won't have to worry about security updates, etc. because your provider will take care of that stuff ... which allows you to focus on what you really need to be focusing on -- running your business rather than dealing with all of the tech problems, etc.


Good luck!

Magento is good but as you mentioned it takes more resources. Another solution is pinaclecart (but it is expensive). There are a number of shopping carts optimized for different CMS. What kind of website platform do you use?

zencart or osc.

in terms of modifying, if you dont want to shell out major bucks to magento development, then stay away from magento and its complicated, obfuscated coding method, and 12.000 files

yes i don't want to pay too much for add on modules.

i am leaning more towards zencart now...

all i need really is checkout and account creation. No fancy coupons or anything.

Would zencart be my best choice?

Anyone used prestashop and can attest to how it is?

Have you considered CMS joomla with virtuemart component?
it's easy to install and easy use

yes i don't want to pay too much for add on modules.

i am leaning more towards zencart now...

all i need really is checkout and account creation. No fancy coupons or anything.

Would zencart be my best choice?

Anyone used prestashop and can attest to how it is?

zencart seems best for you.

it will have access to most osc modules, and the ones that cant work with zencart will be possible to get working cheap,

and you will have the ease zencart brings.


................


never choose a cart based on how it looks, or how easy it is to use, or similar criteria.

choose carts for future. for, even if you start small, its almost inevitable that at a certain not-far-away point in future, you will have to get an odd modification done to achieve something. (increase sales, local accounting needs in your country/zone/business field etc, an absurd syndication with a web service or a website that is not commonly known, some quirky affiliate program so on)

at that point in time most of the 'easy to use' or 'shineeey' carts will give you HUGE trouble, and you will probably have to migrate to another, more modifiable cart just to ensure your future modifications.

i, for example, started ecommerce development with creloaded. it was 'shineeey' 'up and coming' back then. i was even setting up new clients with it, and advising them away from osc like a fool at the start.

not later than 1 years tho, i started to see the real pic; some client wants an odd modification. it will take this much in this cart. but, there is already a module which approximates it for osc, for free. if the cart was osc, it would be possible to do it for much cheaper, cutting a deal for the guy. once, twice, thrice, i eventually started recommending osc, and started working mainly on osc.

osc code is generally ugly, html, even sometimes css mingled with php. there is no templating system (unless you install BTS or STS mods), a lot of other stuff. but, the support and variations for it is almost infinite compared to other carts, and expanding every day. i dont think others will catch up with its community support anytime soon. so, osc is somewhat like windows, but minus the microsoft monopoly.

The creloaded hosted or licensed version could be a real alternative for your needs as well.

Regards Jon

i advise against creloaded. they are getting more 'closed' every release.

In my view, OScommerce is free and reliable.

All of the carts you listed would be perfect for a online book store, I would go with osCommerce though (My personal opinion)

You can pick anyone of the ones you listed by random and it would fit your needs though.

on the paypal website payments pro zencart is on the list of supported carts, but virtuemart is not.

would virtuemart still work?

i have been using magento now for 4 months without any problems. Only 1 major issue erupted last evening. :)

I am starting a small online book retail store. Which cart should I use?

I am still using shared hosting but with dedicated ip address.

Hello guys,

Sorry to getting in somebody's thread but I am also desperate for the best open source cart.

Can anyone recommend a better one than these mentioned on the poll above?

Please, contribute if you are experienced or professional. Do not refer to Magento either.

Thank you v much

we already contributed to this thread. just read the earlier pages.