The great thing about open source ecommerce platforms is that their core functions are often free, and they are highly customizable. Web designers and coders can get into the program, tinker with it, and even alter the source code to improve the program. Two of the most popular open source ecommerce platforms, Magento and nopCommerce, are both excellent programs.
Magento is a sprawling, powerful ecommerce platform that pretty much has it all. It is a software solution that specifically has developers and designers in mind. Site designs are highly customizable and there is virtually no limit to what you can do with it, so long as you have intermediate to advanced understanding of HTML/CSS/PHP.
nopCommerce is easy to set up and easier to customize than Magento. The software is still buggy, and you have to do your own hosting. Plus, there is not a whole lot of support available outside the community forums, so you’re pretty much on your own figuring out the program. Also, you have to use Microsoft licenses. Given the Magento vs nopCommerce debate, nopCommerce is easier to use but is less polished and comprehensive as an ecommerce solution.
When it comes to the Magento vs nopCommerce debate, I definitely prefer Magento when I go to build a web site. As a web designer who has built countless online stores with many different ecommerce platforms, I’ve found that Magento is one of the best ecommerce platforms you can use, hands down. nopCommerce is a great program, but Magento just has so many more features and customization options, plus you can opt for a more refined version with customer support if you pay for the Enterprise Edition.
If you want to transfer nopCommerce to Magento now, you can use nopCommerce to Magento migration. This tool is highly appreciated by web dev experts to migrate products, customers, orders, categories and even SEO URLs from existing nopCommerce to Magento shopping cart.
