Create an Online Shop for Free: These are the 7 Best Open-Source Shop Systems

1. What is an open source shop system and what is it needed for?
2. Who is an open source shop system suitable for?
3. How do I find the right open source shop system for my company? 
4. The 7 best open source shop systems ⁠
5. Open Source Shop System: Design web shop according to your ideas

Are you looking for a way to design your e-commerce shop for free and exactly according to your ideas? The solution: an open source shop system. In this article we introduce you to seven of the best open source shop systems and explain how to find the right tool for your needs.

What is an open source shop system and what is it needed for?

An open source shop system is a free software that allows you to design a web shop completely according to your needs. This is made possible by the open source code, which can be rewritten by any user with programming skills. This allows you to change the design, add new features and ultimately adapt your e-commerce store to the needs of your company and your industry.

Who is an open source shop system suitable for?

For entrepreneurs* who want to build their online shop from scratch, an open source shop system is the right choice thanks to its flexibility, adaptability and scalability. While you can fully customize the web shop, you will also have to take care of the installation, administration, security, hosting, maintenance and updates. 

Since this involves a steep learning curve, many companies initially start with a SaaS solution and then switch to a open source software. However, e-commerce platforms are not exclusively suitable for large companies that employ numerous web developers*. You can also start small with an open source system and grow from there.

How do I find the right open source shop system for my company? 

Since the choice of the open source shop system will later have a major influence on the success of your online shop, you should not just decide on any tool. Instead, you should include the following factors in your decision:

User-friendliness: Choose a platform whose interface is intuitive to use. This way you avoid a long training period for your employees*.

Cost: Open source shop systems can indeed be downloaded free of charge from the internet. However, with some providers there may be costs for special extra features and for support.

Features: Does the tool already have the most important functions for your e-commerce store? Otherwise, you may have to add plugins and features.

Support and Security: Are you technically capable of managing the maintenance of your shop? Does the chosen program already offer a support or does it cost extra?

The 7 best open source shop systems
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1. Shopware

Shopware on OMR Reviews

The German open source e-commerce platform Shopware has been on the market since 2000. Shopware was developed with Symfony in the backend and Vue.js in the frontend. The platform has a large developer* community and counts over 100,000 users worldwide, including brands like M&Ms and Aston Martin. 

Shopware scores with more than 4,000 extensions, fully integrated CMS functions as well as integrated marketing and SEO tools. If you use the free version, however, you have to make sacrifices in terms of functionality and support.

Shopware functions

• Control of all business processes from one place
• Integration options for Google Shopping and social media
• Choice between self-hosted and cloud-hosted versions
• Includes various marketing and SEO tools
• Integrated CMS functions
• Easy adjustment of the webshop thanks to drag-and-drop interface
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Shopware prices

In addition to the free version, Shopware has three pricing models. The basic package Rise is available from 600 € per month. In addition, there are the two price plans Evolve and Beyond, which each add a little more in terms of features. The costs are determined individually on request. On OMR Reviews you can find more information about the Shopware prices.

⁠Shopware alternatives

Shopware does not meet the requirements of your company? Then you will find a large selection of Shopware alternatives on OMR Reviews.

There you can compare various open source shop systems and use the verified user ratings to discover the right tool for your online shop.

2. WooCommerce

WooCommerce on OMR Reviews

WooCommerce is one of the most well-known e-commerce solutions. It is a free WordPress plugin, which transforms your WordPress page into an e-commerce shop. The tool offers you all the functions you need to set up a customised online shop. Over six million e-commerce websites trust WooCommerce, about 175,000 of them alone in Germany.

WooCommerce is especially popular with start-ups, who can use it to set up and operate their online shop without technical knowledge. Those familiar with the WordPress administration area will also find it easy to navigate the user-friendly admin panel of WooCommerce.
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WooCommerce Functions

• Large library with extensions 
• Numerous free and paid templates
• Simple user interface that allows even beginners to set up their webshop quickly
• As flexible and individually adjustable as WordPress
• Integrated payment processing and inventory management
• Customer support for WooCommerce products
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WooCommerce Prices

As a pure open source shop system, WooCommerce is free. However, you will need to invest in web hosting and security measures. After all, WooCommerce does not offer a cloud version of its software. Therefore, you must hire a hosting provider to set up an on-premise solution. On OMR Reviews you can find more information about the prices of WooCommerce.
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WooCommerce Alternatives

WooCommerce does not meet the requirements of your company? Then you will find a large selection of WooCommerce alternatives on OMR Reviews. There you can compare various open source shop systems and use the verified user ratings to discover the right tool for your online shop.

3. Spryker

Spryker on OMR Reviews

Coming to Spryker, a German cloud-based headless e-commerce platform that went online in 2014. With Spryker you can build your online shop according to your ideas and constantly further develop it. You have configurable modules and more than 900 APIs at your disposal. In addition to a product search, the tool offers you, among other things, an order and inventory management as well as various marketing and merchandising features.

Spryker Functions

• Seamless integration into the existing system landscape
• Configurable modules
• User-friendly headless architecture
• Interface management via GLUE API
• Agile approach with constant optimization during operation
• White labelling functions
• Templates with slots
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Spryker Prices

Spryker offers three pricing models: Enterprise Marketplace, B2B Commerce and Unified Commerce. Prices are available on request. On OMR Reviews you can learn more about Spryker prices and what features are included in each package.
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Spryker Alternatives

Spryker does not meet the requirements of your company? Then you will find a large selection of Spryker Alternatives on OMR Reviews. There you can compare various open source shop systems and use the verified user ratings to discover the right tool for your online shop.

4. OroCommerce

OroCommerce on OMR Reviews

OroCommerce is an open-source B2B commerce platform that easily connects with ERP, CRM and PIM software. The tool is an excellent choice for customer portals, wholesalers and self-service websites. If you want to use the shop system as an individual without having to worry about your own hosting and installation, OroCommerce also offers a cloud-hosted version .

OroCommerce Functions

• Personalized B2B catalog management
• Easy management of inventory
• Access controls, roles and permissions
• User-friendly interface
• CMS support
• SEO functions, such as landing pages

OroCommerce Prices

You can use the Community Edition of OroCommerce for free. It offers you all the basic features of a modern open-source shop system. In the paid Enterprise Edition all features of the Community Edition are included. In addition, it includes the mentioned cloud hosting, a 24-hour support and the support of multiple organizations and currencies. To learn more about the prices of OroCommerce you should visit OMR Reviews.

OroCommerce Alternatives

OroCommerce does not meet the requirements of your company? Then you will find a large selection of OroCommerce Alternatives on OMR Reviews. There you can compare various open source shop systems and use the verified user ratings to discover the right tool for your online shop.

5. Magento Open Source

Magento Open Source on OMR Reviews

Magento is used by large retailers like Samsung and Nespresso and is one of the most well-known e-commerce platforms on the market. It was released in 2008, acquired by eBay in 2011 and sold to Adobe in 2018.

Magento has a free version called Magento Open Source (previously known as Magento Community Edition). You can download it from the official Adobe website and install it on your own server. The free shop system offers you all basic features, that you need to set up your e-commerce shop. For example, you can search through the numerous themes in Magento Connect and offer multiple payment options. You can also extend the functions of your shop with third-party plugins.

Magento Open Source Functions

• Inventory management
• Product and catalog pages
• Integrated checkout and shipping
• One-click paymentsm
• Supports localized pages as well as multiple languages and currencies
• Integrated SEO and marketing functions
• Reporting and analysis tools
• 3700+ free and paid plugins from the Magento Marketplace

Magento Open Source Prices

Like other open-source shop systems, Magento Open Source is completely free. It has basic functions for online shops, such as a stock management and payment processing. For additional features, there are two Magento editions to choose from: Adobe Commerce Pro and Managed Services. More information about the Magento prices can be obtained on request.

Magento Open Souce Alternatives

Magento Open Souce does not meet the requirements of your company? Then you will find a large selection of Magento Open Source alternatives on OMR Reviews. There you can compare various open source shop systems and use the verified user ratings to discover the right tool for your online shop.

6. Smartstore

Smartstore on OMR Reviews

Smartstore is an open source shop system that is suitable for any company size. It was developed on the basis of ASP.NET, the most innovative framework from Microsoft. This not only makes Smartstore robust and powerful. Developers* can also easily adapt the online shop thanks to the open architecture of the system.

In addition, Smartstore comes with a pre-made responsive design called "Flex". You can then change the design via drag-and-drop on your desktop PC or even your smartphone. On top of that, with Smartstore you can create as many shops as you like from just one database. This means that you can run a B2B and a B2C shop separately - each with its own designs and domain names.

Smartstore Functions

• Responsive theme (Flex)
• Supports unlimited products
• Multi-shop and multi-language support
• CMS page builder
• Marketing tools such as newsletter campaigns and cross promotions 
• Loyalty and partnership programs 
• SEO tools such as metadata and canonical tags
• Supports multiple payment options such as PayPal and AmazonPay
• Reporting and analysis

Smartstore Prices

• In addition to the free Community Edition Smartstore offers three paid editions: Premium Edition, Enterprise B2C Edition and Enterprise B2B Edition. Further details about the Smartstore prices are available on request.

Smartstore Alternatives

Smartstore does not meet the requirements of your company? Then you will find a large selection of Smartstore Alternatives on OMR Reviews. There you can compare various open source shop systems and use the verified user ratings to discover the right tool for your online shop.

7. Drupal 

Drupal on OMR Reviews

As an innovative and open source shop system, Drupal helps companies to create convincing e-commerce shops. You can choose from a large selection of mobile-responsive themes and adapt the design as desired. You can also integrate third-party plugins to expand the capabilities of your web shop. For managing your business operations, Drupal has modules for order management, product customization as well as shipping and processing. In addition, there are extensions like Mailjet, Avalara, PayPal and other business apps.

As far as security is concerned, the active community behind the open source platform sets high development standards and constantly updates the security system. In addition, comprehensive user manuals and a video library are maintained to facilitate the creation of e-commerce platforms with Drupal.

Drupal Functions

• Mobile-friendly e-commerce platform 
• Supports multiple languages and currencies
• Over 2,000 themes provided by the Drupal community
• Modules for content creation available
• Headless CMS
• Personalization and marketing automations
• Shopping cart and checkout forms
• Large selection of third-party integrations for payment gateways, fulfilment services and social media platforms
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Drupal Prices

In the free e-commerce platform Drupal, the most important features are already included. However, if you want an additional data center in Germany for your online shop, you have two options: rent Drupal for 75 € per month (SAAS) or buy it for a one-time price of 1950 € (Enterprise). More information about the Drupal prices and the range of functions of each edition can be found on OMR Reviews.

Drupal Alternatives

Drupal does not meet the requirements of your company? Then you will find a large selection of Drupal Alternatives on OMR Reviews. There you can compare various open source shop systems and use the verified user ratings to discover the right tool for your online shop.

Among the mentioned tools, the right one was not yet included? Then you can find an overview of other E-commerce platforms and shop systems on OMR Reviews. You are guaranteed to find a software that meets your company's requirements based on real community reviews.

Open Source Shop System: Design web shop according to your ideas

Those who rely on a SaaS solution when creating an online shop are bound by ongoing costs and also have no free hand in the design. As an alternative, open source shop systems have therefore established themselves, which anyone can download and use for free on the internet. 

The open source indicates that the open source code can be edited and thus the shop can be completely individualized. 

However, even though the above mentioned tools all have a free basic framework with the most important features for your online shop - without programming knowledge or technical knowledge you need experts, to set up your e-commerce shop. Many providers also only provide technical support for additional fees.

Therefore, you should look for an intuitive, user-friendly shop system to keep additional costs and the training effort for your employees* as low as possible. Also, all functions relevant to your web shop should be included. Otherwise, you may have to add plugins that require a fee.