Compare osCommerce, Zen Cart and CRE Loaded

Sonia Chen — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:34:00 +0000

If you are not experienced with online stores based on a CMS system and want to start with something simple and convenient, then you will choose OsCommerce. OsCommerce has a set of standard functions, necessary for an online store; it’s easy to manage and simple to use. The design is already built in, all you have to do is to pick up the template, complete several steps for installation and enter your list of products; that’s all. The store is now completely ready for business. OsCommerce is the most popular online store engine.

If you need a flexible management interface and a more advanced instrument for online trade, which is still easy to manage, then consider the Zen Cart system. It has everything essential for online business. This system will let you change its configuration without problems, simply by way of the admin panel. A built-in system of subpages will let you easily add your information about products and services, and there is a set of modules for operation with the most popular payment processors – to make it easy to set up an online payment system. You can download the Zen Cart engine here.

CRELoaded is the most advanced trade portal with many instruments for promotion of your products. Many, many options for payment and shipping modules, affiliate systems, sales makers, subpages and many others – all in CRELoaded. The CRELoaded cart comes completely supplied with a full range of functions for the goals of any large online store. CRELoaded is the most comprehensive CMS for online trade with the most popular modules and functions fully implemented. You can download CRELoaded engine here.

Package Content

	OsCommerce 2.2	CRELoaded 6.2	ZenCart 1.2.x/1.3.x
Package	Engine (MS 2.2) with design, HTML, PSD, sample database	Theme, HTML, PSD, sample database	Theme, HTML, PSD, sample database
Skins system availability	not available	available	available
Design changing	Via changing of content displaying files or store resetting	With the help of skins system (via admin panel)	With the help of skins system (via admin panel)
Templates count	osCommerce Templates: 297	CRE Loaded Templates: 72	Zen Cart Templates: 44
Localization	There are 3 languages in standard package: English, German, and Spanish. There is a possibility of localization to other languages	There are 4 languages in standard package: English, German, Spanish and French (our templates are localized to English and German)	There is 1 language in standard package: English (our templates are localized to English). There is a possibility of localization to other languages (all presented at www.zencart.com)

Information Boxes

	OsCommerce 2.2	CRELoaded 6.2	ZenCart 1.2.x/1.3.x
Categories (list of products by categories)	available	available	available
Manufacturers (list of products by manufacturers)	available	available	available
What’s New/ Latest Products/ New products (representation of one of the products recently added to catalog)	available	available	available
Quick Find / Search (quick search of products by keywords)	available	available	available
Information (box of links to sub pages)	available (links only to standard subpages)	available (links to standard subpages and to pages, added by the admin)	available (links only to standard subpages)
More Information (box of additional links to sub pages, is being replenished only in Zen)	not available	not available	available
Shopping cart (box representing shopping cart’s content)	available	available	available
Specials (representation of one of the products, which is introduced into catalog as special, special offer)	available	available	available
Reviews (representation of one of the products, on which a testimonial had been written)	available	available	available
Languages (box of localization switching)	available	available	available
Currencies (box of currencies switching)	available	available	available
Bestsellers (list of the most popular products)	available	available	available
Featured Products (representation of one of the products, selected by administrator)	not available	available	available
Tell a friend (box of informing of somebody about the store vie e-mail)	available	available	available
Notifications (box, in which a client can subscribe to getting information about the product)	available	available	available
Affiliates (information box for affiliates)	not available	available	not available
Articles (box of links to CRE articles (news))	not available	available	not available
Order History (list of client’s orders)	available	available	available
Banner (banner, added by a client )	not available (possible to add banner only under footer)	available (possible to add any amount)	available (possible to add any amount)
Downloads (box for displaying of link to purchased product)	not available	available	not available
Manufacturers Info (box of information about the manufacturer)	available	available	available
Donate (box for displaying of “Donate” banner)	not available	available	not available
FAQ (box for displaying of links – answers to frequently asked questions)	not available	available	not available
Google Ad (google adwords banner)	not available	available	not available
Pages (box of links to informational pages)	not available	available	available
Links (box of outer links )	not available	available	not available
Login Box (user’s registration box)	not available	available	not available
Who is online (box representing the quantity of users at the given moment)	not available	available	available
Whish List (box of links to products, introduced to the list of desired by the user)	not available	available	not available
EZPages (box of links to sub pages, created with the help of EZ module)	not available	not available	available
Music Genres (standard box for ZenCart, representing the list of music genres)	not available	not available	available
Shop by Price (box of selecting products by price)	not available	available	not available
Calendar (box with calendar)	not available	available	not available

Boxes management

	OsCommerce 2.2	CRELoaded 6.2	ZenCart 1.2.x/1.3.x
Boxes management (Info Boxes)	Only via direct code editing in column_right.php or column_left.php	Via the admin panel, it is possible to change the header, the color of header, position in left or right column.	Via the admin panel, it is possible to change position in left or right column

Payment modules

	OsCommerce 2.2	CRELoaded 6.2	ZenCart 1.2.x/1.3.x
Authorize.net	available	available	available
Authorize.net AIM	not available	not available	available
Credit Card (cc)	available	available	available
Cash on Delivery	available	available	available
iPayment	available	available	not available
Check	available	available	available
NOCHEX	available	available	not available
PayPal	available	available	available
2CheckOut	available	available	not available
PSiGate	available	available	not available
SecPay	available	available	not available
Freecharger	not available	not available	available
YourPay API	not available	not available	available (1.3.x only)
Credit Card (CCV)	not available	available	not available
Electronic Check	not available	available	not available
EFSnet	not available	available	not available
GeoTrust quick payments	not available	available	not available
PayMeNow	not available	available	not available
PayBox	not available	available	not available
PayJunction	not available	available	not available
PayPalExpressCheckout	not available	available	not available
QChex	not available	available	not available
PlugnPay	not available	available	not available
World pay	not available	available	not available
Quick Commerce Pro	not available	available	not available

Contributions
(additional modules designed by outside developers)

	OsCommerce 2.2	CRELoaded 6.2	ZenCart 1.2.x/1.3.x
Contributions	Quantity: 3721 View here	–	Quantity: 209 View here

Source: MonsterTemplates

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Compare osCommerce, Zen Cart and CRE Loaded