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X-cart ecommerce platform review

Purchase a license and install it on your own server to skip subscription fees.

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What's in this review?

What is X-cart?

X-cart is an ecommerce platform for online stores. It has open-source software, so you have the ability to add features as needed. X-cart is built on PHP, a programming language that's used by platforms like WordPress and Facebook.

Unlike with subscription-based platforms, you'll pay just a one-time fee for an X-cart license.

Do I need to be a technical whiz?

No, but you do need to know your way around a server. To use X-cart, you'll need to know how to upload software to your site's server. In this sense, it's not as easy to set up X-cart as setting up a platform like Shopify.

X-cart offers documentation on their website on how to install the software, and you can find tutorials online if you need more help.

How much does it cost and what do I get?

X-cart offers four types of software depending on what your business needs. If you decide to pay for the software, you'll get lifetime access to the license.

To get software upgrades, you may need to pay an annual fee depending on which plan you've selected.

Please note this article was originally published on our American site and therefore all prices are expressed in US Dollars.

  • Free: Free access to upgrades.
  • Business: Upgrades for $99 to $247.50 a year.
  • Multivendor: Upgrades for $299.95 to $747.50 a year.
  • Ultimate: Upgrades for $3,155 to $4,295 a year.

Free

The Free license allows you to upload unlimited products. It charges no transaction fees, and you'll get access to five free themes.

The plan also comes with advanced features like shipping quotes, payment order statuses and integrations with services like Facebook Messenger and MailChimp.

Business

The Business license costs $495. X-cart recommends it for mid-sized businesses.

It comes with the features in the Free license, along with advanced features like multiple currencies, Facebook login for customers, product tags and customer messaging. You can pay a fee for access to most other features not included in the license.

Multivendor

The Multivendor license costs $1,495 and allows multiple vendors to sell in one store.

The license comes with all of the features in the Free and Business licenses. Its additional features mostly cater to multi-vendor businesses — separate stores, individual commission rates, individual transaction histories and more.

You can pay a fee to access most other features that the license doesn't include.

Ultimate

The Ultimate license costs $5,995, and comes with all of X-cart's features, including:

  • 24/7 support.
  • A paid theme.
  • Installation by the X-cart team.
  • One year of technical support.
  • Catalog features, such as product questions and paid memberships.
  • Checkout features, such as saved credit cards and abandoned cart recovery.
  • Marketing features, such as loyalty programs and product carousels.

Templates

X-cart offers over 40 website templates, a few are even free. Most are paid themes that cost around $100 to $150.
X-Cart ecommerce platform

Add-ons

The X-cart Marketplace offers free and paid add-ons in many categories, including:

  • Shipping
  • Accounting
  • Mobile commerce
  • SEO
  • Catalog management
  • Checkout
  • Development
  • Security

Payment processing

Use several payment gateways with X-cart, including:

  • PayPal
  • Amazon
  • iDEAL
  • Klarna
  • Catalog management
  • Nochex
  • Skrill
  • X-cart doesn't charge transaction fees.

Customer service

If you need help working with the X-cart platform, visit X-cart's Help & Docs section. You'll find support documentation, forums, a FAQ section and their Help Desk.

Bottom line

X-cart offers enterprise-level solutions and is customizable, making it a great choice for established online stores. But small business and new merchants may want to compare other e-commerce platforms to find one that's a little more user-friendly.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use X-cart if I'm just starting out with e-commerce?

Because you install the software yourself, X-cart might not be the best option if you're just getting started. Consider a subscription service like BigCommerce, 3dcart or Shopify, each allows you to set up a store easily.

Do I need to sign up for upgrades when I select a plan?

You're not required to sign up for upgrades with your plan.

Can I use my X-Cart license for more than one website?

No. You must purchase a new license for each new website.

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