In the era of growing eCommerce, building an eCommerce website has become an essential part of how businesses approach and interact with customers. To successfully build and manage an online store, businesses will need to choose the right eCommerce platform that aligns with their business needs and wants. CS-Cart is one such eCommerce platform chosen by many medium and large-scale businesses. 

According to BuiltWith, the platform currently supports approximately 13,232 websites globally, with Russia (about 3,772 websites) and the United States (about 2,809 websites) being the most prevalent markets.

In this article, SECOMM will share insights into what CS-Cart is and the advantages and disadvantages of this eCommerce platform.

What is CS-Cart?

CS-Cart is an open-source eCommerce platform that utilizes a SaaS (Software as a Service) model and was developed by Simbirsk Technologies Ltd. Launched for the first time in 2005, CS-Cart has gradually become one of the popular and trusted solutions used by many businesses worldwide.

Some eCommerce websites currently using the CS-Cart platform include TechAble (USA), Yumbles (UK), Bakeshop (Australia), ToolBrothers (Germany), Inasbay (Canada), Nguyễn Kim (Vietnam), and more.

Currently, CS-Cart offers two main solutions: No-Code (a no-code e-commerce website builder) and On-Premises (an open-source eCommerce solution for website customization).

No-Code solution pricing:

• Basic: $95/month – For businesses with up to 500 products
• Pro: $155/month – For businesses with up to 5,000 products
• Advanced: $295/month – For businesses with up to 200,000 products

On-Premises solution pricing:

• Standard: $1,250/year – For businesses needing basic system customization
• Plus: $3,150/year – For businesses using open source for mobile applications
• Ultimate: $6,950/year – For businesses with multiple global markets and requiring centralized management
• Unlim: Contact for pricing – For businesses needing a permanent solution with a one-time payment.

Moreover, CS-Cart provides a free open-source version for businesses to freely apply for building eCommerce websites.

Advantages of building CS Cart website

Flexible customization

One of the standout features of the CS-Cart platform is its flexibility, supporting businesses of both moderate and large scales in the eCommerce market.

Beyond employing open-source with the PHP language, CS-Cart also implements Headless architecture, allowing businesses extensive customization capabilities. This flexibility empowers businesses to create eCommerce websites tailored to their specific needs, delivering a unique and memorable shopping experience for customers.

Various features

CS-Cart provides a comprehensive range of features from A to Z for operating an eCommerce system for businesses, including over 500 features and 2,000 available add-ons. From product management and order processing to marketing and SEO optimization, among others

This richness helps businesses minimize the need to integrate numerous third-party plugins, streamlining the technology stack of the eCommerce website.

Support multi-providers

CS-Cart is highly praised for its ability to connect and manage multiple suppliers with customers. This multi-vendor capability optimizes the management of different sellers, inventory, and payments, making the website system an ideal solution for businesses looking to oversee multiple suppliers on a single platform.

Disadvantages of building CS Cart website

High costs

The paid versions, No-Code, and On-Premises, are considered to have relatively high usage costs. Additionally, the free version of CS-Cart may not be sufficient to meet the needs of building an eCommerce website for businesses, especially larger ones.

Businesses should note that many advanced features and functionalities will require purchasing licenses or additional add-ons. The costs associated with these add-ons and development and customization expenses can accumulate, particularly for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.

Limited scalability

While CS-Cart is suitable for a variety of business scales, it may not be the most scalable solution for rapidly growing businesses with high levels of traffic and transactions. As businesses expand, performance issues may arise, necessitating improvements to the system’s performance or a transition to another platform.

Depend on extensions

Although CS-Cart provides many comprehensive features, some businesses feel the need for specific functionalities, requiring the purchase or development of additional third-party add-ons outside the CS-Cart ecosystem.

Relying heavily on third-party add-ons can lead to issues of compatibility, security concerns, and difficulties during the upgrade process.

The Bottom Line

In general, CS-Cart is an eCommerce platform suitable for businesses seeking an open-source solution, especially those with a medium scale. However, when upgrading to a more specialized and complex eCommerce website system, businesses will need to invest additional costs and resources to scale up the system.

These are the details about CS Cart, along with its notable advantages and disadvantages that businesses should consider when developing an eCommerce website.

After years of implementing eCommerce solutions for various businesses across different countries, SECOMM has accumulated valuable experience in helping businesses build and develop effective eCommerce websites. 

Contact SECOMM or call the hotline at 02871089908 for advice on choosing a platform and deploying eCommerce today!