Open-source e-commerce platforms provide you access to the source code so you can customise the system according to your preferences. The source code is free to use, but ecommerce hosting and extensions could come with extra expenses. It will be on top of the ones you already pay for your website. An open source platform gives you the flexibility, customizability, and scalability to accomplish your ambition of starting your own online store.

Although open source platforms let you design your online store, they put installation, management, security, and upgrades in your hands. Therefore open source e-commerce need more care than SaaS platforms. Open source ecommerce solutions aren’t just available to large organisations with a group of web engineers. Even the start-ups and small business can also make use of open source e-commerce platforms. Here’s the list of 10 best free open source e-commerce platform, you can make use of:

1. WooCommerce 

Using PHP as its foundation, WooCommerce is one of the greatest free e-commerce platforms you can find. Over 30% of the market share worldwide is controlled by WooCommerce. Even a beginner can install it without any difficulty, and it only takes a few seconds to set up. WooCommerce can be set up with one click if you are using Cloudways. A multi-vendor WooCommerce marketplace with effective SEO tools is also possible. It offers a significant collection of themes and plugins and is utilised by more than 4 million retailers.

Features
  • Customizable and flexible.
  • Built-in security features.
  • Huge library of extensions.
  • It supports multiple integrations

2. Magento

Magento is Adobe’s open-source e-commerce platform. The open-source version includes catalogue management, integrated checkout, payment, and shipping. These features aid in the launch of your online store. For the template adjustments to go successfully, a developer with expert-level knowledge is required. The different modifications do slow down the site’s speed in comparison to other open-source platforms. You can upgrade to Magento Commerce if you want technical support. In general, Magento open source is an excellent place to start if you want to use a free eCommerce solution from a well-known company. Magento Commerce is the way to go, if you want to choose for feature-rich solutions.

Features
  • 24/7 customer support.
  • Native SEO features.
  • API integrations.
  • Built-in analytics.

3. Joomla

Joomla  is a great option for many businesses looking to go global, because it offers multilingual support for expanding worldwide staff. Many tools on the market today are unable to offer the same level of flexibility. Joomla also provides a selection of templates to help your company stand out. Joomla offers all the capabilities you require if you are seeking for an easy approach to create a distinctive eCommerce website. There are different articles and categories for your website content, so you can also create type of categories and content.

Features
  • 6,000+ extensions available in the marketplace. 
  • Unlimited products.
  • Responsive design.
  • Multiple language and currencies supported.

4. OpenCart

Among PHP e-commerce platforms and shopping carts, OpenCart is very popular. Professionals in the OpenCart community are very supportive. It has more than 8 delivery options, 20 payment gateways, and hundreds of other payment and shipping gateways. All of them are available through OpenCart’s user-friendly interface. You can choose from any of the 2500+ eye-catching themes to personalise your store. OpenCart interface is not only easy to use it is also visually appealing.

Features
  • Admin dashboard with a quick features overview.
  • Restore and backup.
  • Support for discount coupons and abandoned shopping carts. 

5. Drupal

For creating powerful ecommerce platforms, Drupal is one of the most reliable technologies. The product has built-in cach, which contributes to its incredibly quick speed and performance when used with search engines. A high grade of development is ensured by the project’s vibrant community. Due to a vibrant development community supporting the technology, it has a security mechanism of its own. If you consider inventory management , then there are modules for product customization, order management, along with shipping and fulfillment. 

Features
  • Marketing and SEO features.
  • Order management tools.
  • Analytics and reporting.
  • Integration with other systems.

6. PrestaShop

PrestaShop is an easy-to-use platform with lots of ecommerce possibilities. The plugin’s installation and building of your web store are simple. Before registering, you can utilise the live demo of PrestaShop. Easy inventory management and store maintenence are provided by its user-friendly interface. PrestaShop also gives chances to use several currencies and languages, as well as a stunning user experience for building websites. You can modify your store and receive expert website design by using one of the 6,000 PrestaShop themes. PrestaShop’s more than 3,000 modules provide you the power to develop your store, drive more traffic, and boost conversions. With this you can cultivate a devoted following of clients. In addition, PrestaShop enables you to manage several stores.

Features
  • Ease of use
  • With the demo, you can get to know the whole process.
  • Over 4500 templates it has a massive collection of customizable templates.
  • Strong user community
  • Come with lot of SEO-friendly features

7. Spree Commerce

When it comes to constructing a powerful e-commerce platform, Spree Commerce can be the best tool. It is frequently included among the top open-source projects. Spree Commerce offers customization and flexibility features like managing significant changes to the data model quickly. Additionally, such systems have fairly robust security for their site. Both the token-based REST API and strong password encryption are included with Spree Commerce. PCI-DSS compliance is made possible by the accessible payment gateways. It is a solution for operating a contemporary ecommerce business, including a mobile-first strategy and a fully customizable UX.

Features
  • Multi-vendor marketplace.
  • Supports B2C and B2B ecommerce.
  • More than 50 third-party integrations.
  • Supports Vue storefront and Next.js commerce.
  • You can use SEO tools, Analytics dashboards, and inventory management systems.

8. Solidus

Ruby on Rails is the foundation of this open-source framework. You can benefit from its flexibility and simple change management. It features a clear disclosure policy, automated security fixes, and rigorous code reviews. The product has an easy-to-extend API and stability. Additionally, it connects with TaxCloud, AngularSpree, Sentry, and additional business-related apps. On Stack Overflow, there is a vibrant community and documentation for support. You may also sign up for the Slack community.

Features
  • Inventory management.
  • You can store credit support with multiple payment integrations.
  • Support for multi-carrier shipping
  • Analytics and reporting

9. Medusa

You are able to develop a headless eCommerce store using Medusa. Headless eCommerce refers to the concept that you can add the store and product features anywhere you have access to the source code. It is regardless of where your website is hosted online. Simply update a few lines of code to personalize and add integrations after starting out with an admin. And you can use a storefront that works as intended. But Medusa can be indefinitely expanded if you have the right coding skills. The backend of Medusa, which has REST API, is the main focus of the architecture. The front-end, in contrast, offers two different storefront kinds that you may employ. Additionally, you will get access to a dashboard of admin that connects to the backend of your website. With this, you may manage your items, clients, orders, and website settings from here.

Features
  • Set up is very quick, and it can be done with just three commands.
  • Thorough self-help documentation is available. You will get an idea about how to deploy and get started.
  • Active community to help you understand the development process.
  • Medusa is incredibly fast and lightweight.
  • With full access to the source code, it is highly customizable.

10. osCommerce

osCommerce is a popular e-commerce platform that has a sizable developer community and excellent online support. OsCommerce is one of the most affordable e-solutions with more than 7,000 free features. The primary features include support for all PHP 4 versions, customer service, technical assistance, money processing, comprehensive integrations, etc. Your store can be personalized with over 8,000 osCommerce plugins and add-ons, both free and premium. The top osCommerce templates are available for website creation as more themes are available in the osCommerce. Thus, updating your website, enhancing your SEO, and maintaining security will take less time.

Features
  • There are over more than 7,000 free features which you can take advantage of.
  • It is easy to open up.
  • Make more advanced customizations. 
  • You will also have the option to share your own questions or thoughts.

Final Thoughts

Thus, if you want to create a high-performance online store that incorporates cutting-edge functions, this collection is ideal for you. Due to their cost-effectiveness and ongoing development, open-source eCommerce platforms are preferred by startups, small businesses, and medium-sized businesses. It is difficult to categorize the overall best tool, so the decision as to which is best solely rests on you.