Menu ULTRAFADE 0
  • Blog
  • Best Shopify Apps
  • Contact us
  • Sign in
  • Your Cart is Empty
ULTRAFADE
  • Blog
  • Best Shopify Apps
  • Contact us
  • 0 0

Should You Use an Open Source or a Hosted E-commerce Solution?

+DISCLAIMER

  • Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with all of these apps, and we recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy one. Please do not spend any money on these apps unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.

Join our newsletter and we'll send you our guide of how to create high-converting product pages.

Home   News   Should You Use an Open Source or a Hosted E-commerce Solution?

March 27, 2017

Many SMEs (small and medium enterprises) find themselves struggling with their decision on which e-commerce solution to use, open sourced or hosted. Unfortunately, there is no absolute answer for the question. If you’re facing this dilemma, your choice would have to depend on your unique e-commerce situation.

In determining whether you should opt for an open source or a hosted e-commerce program, consider these three vital factors:

  • Budget – You might think that open source is the more economical choice, but consider a couple of things such as setup cost and hosting fees and you’ll see that this is not the case. With a hosted solution, the setup cost is usually low, unless you want a custom design, but even then, it would still be cheaper than setting up an open source store. With open source, the cost of setup is usually high, considering the work required. You’ll need to customize code, integrate template, test, and finally implement. As for hosting cost, a full service solution already includes hosting in the fee while an open source program requires you to provide your own hosting, for which you will be charged separately. So, it seems that you should choose the paid program if you’re going for a more affordable solution.
  • Programming skills – Hosted platforms are usually easy to implement and maintain, even for people with moderate computer skills. Meanwhile, open source programs, while easily implemented and maintained by professional developers, present a high learning curve for many users. Again, a hosted solution is best for the layperson; however, if you have tech wizards on your staff, they can optimize the benefits that open source programs offer.
  • Required store features – Hosted solutions would offer limited flexibility in comparison to open source ones in terms of features. Open source programs can be customized through paid for extensions and custom coding, lending them greater flexibility at quite the price. On the other hand, you can take it for granted that hosted programs would already have many useful features included in their plans. There’s no need to pay extra to utilize them.

What other factors should you consider in making your choice? Support is always something that should be taken into account. Hosted solutions typically offer full support through numerous contact channels, while open source software programs don’t really offer any official support.

Upgrades are another concern. With hosted e-commerce programs, upgrades, both bug fixes and new features, are automatically implemented. Meanwhile, open source upgrades would have to be manually integrated by the store owner or the developer.

Open source works really well for those sites that require a great deal of flexibility and have a big budget as well as specialized PHP developers managing them, but, at the end of the day, hosted is what many developers recommend.

If Shopify is the right choice for you, we offer conversions from whichever platform you use. Just contact us to get started. We will also give you an unlimited free trial, so you don't have to pay your monthly fees (in both places) until you are launched. You can keep that unlimited trial whether you work with us or not. If you want the regular 14 day trial, just click the banner below:

Shopify Free Trial

  • Share:


Also in News

What Is a CTA
What Is a CTA? Unveiling the Role of Call to Actions

December 28, 2024

Read More

How to Calculate CTR
How to Calculate CTR: A Complete Guide for Marketers

December 21, 2024

Discover how to calculate CTR effectively to enhance your website's user engagement and boost on-site conversions.

Read More

Click Rate vs Click Through Rate
Click Rate vs Click Through Rate: Understanding the Metrics That Drive Engagement

December 14, 2024

Discover the roles of click rate vs click through rate in marketing content, how they measure engagement, and why they are pivotal for campaign success.

Read More

Follow
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Our Partners
  • Do not sell my personal information

Join our newsletter and we'll conduct a free Email Marketing audit:

© 2025 ULTRAFADE.
Powered by Shopify