If you can’t seem to select between 3dcart vs X-Cart to create and maintain your online store, you probably have not been able to immediately choose a favorite company because both services provide amazing features for creating and maintaining fully customizable online stores.
3dcart is suitable for creating a platform of any type and bandwidth with loyal pricing policy.
X-Cart positions itself as a more professional platform with the ability to purchase a lifetime license for use.
What Is 3dcart?
3dcart is a cloud-based eCommerce platform meant for both smaller and larger sellers. It is fully-hosted, inexpensive and boasts a vast array of pricing options, as well as numerous features straight out-of-the-box.The platform is focused on three main aspects of the eCommerce field – store owners, shoppers and search engines. The latter is especially important for the company since 3dcart claims to be “the best eCommerce platform for SEO”.
Still, the results you get mostly depend on your skillset and expertise in the SEO sphere. If you feel like you lack these skills, you can always boost them with the help of specialized SEO software.
3dcart: Strengths and Weaknesses
Sales feature- and toolset. If you settle for the cheapest price plan, you will still get a sufficient feature- and toolset. A powerful API is another great benefit. Thanks to the partnership with Zapier, which is the simplest automated tool for connecting applications, 3dcart grants access to more than 1000 apps for the optimization of your business. Some of these apps are Xero, Zendesk, Hubspot, Infusionsoft and so on.
Huge design possibilities. There is no need to use web design software or modify HTML and CSS files to produce an interesting-looking design. Simply choose between 50 templates or a vast array of free and paid themes. Using a one-of-a-kind Quick Edit Bar, a design may be edited at any moment, and the categories or products may be adjusted faster.
150+ payment ways. No other well-known eCommerce platform provides such an extensive selection of payment options. Moreover, you don’t have to code anything since the payment methods are already integrated into the store. Regardless of your pricing plan, any transaction fees are absent. 3dcart wants to ensure the success of every seller and isn’t interested in gaining extra profit from your developing business.
SEO. 3dcart’s SEO suggestions are ingenious and helpful. In comparison to similar platforms, such suggestions increase the visibility of SEO functions on the site, for instance, when you add products. Besides, with pop-ups, you won’t forget to specify SEO details so that your page appears in top positions on search engines.
Help and support. The customer support team is eager to help you around the clock regardless of whether you approach them via phone, email or live chat. One of the most effective ways to solve the problem is to call them. Or if you decide to submit a web ticket, the process is very simple. Another way to contact the support team is via such social networks as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
May be difficult for novices. In the process of building an online store, many users admit that it has been a troublesome task, especially if you aren’t experienced enough. To figure out how to work with the platform, get ready to invest plenty of time and effort.
Mobile app. Unfortunately, 3dcart hasn’t released any mobile apps. It is really disappointing considering the fact that many clients are constantly working on the go nowadays. So, once you leave the store, you can’t control the shopping cart.
What Is X-Cart?
X-Cart is a leading PHP shopping cart eCommerce software. Over 35,000 online stores around the globe are successfully managed under X-Cart.The company’s self-hosted eCommerce software boasts an array of groundbreaking features for seamless setup and running of the online store. Aside from an extensive feature set, X-Cart pleases users with amazing speed and flexibility.
X-Cart: Strengths and Weaknesses
Online store setup. Even though the cloud version doesn’t have a setup wizard, the entire process is quick and hassle-free. You only need to click on the “store setup” section in the admin panel and specify the required info.
Order management. To facilitate the way you run the store, X-Cart offers a comprehensive order management toolset. It is possible to organize orders into payment status and fulfillment categories. Besides, you can combine several transactions in a single order. Orders for customers can be edited in the admin section.
Inventory management. To monitor levels and update inventory accordingly, the admin homepage shows product numbers in detail along with other significant inventory data.
Shipment tracking. USPS shipment tracking tools are present. In addition, the downloadable version supports FedEx and UPS, so we can count on seeing these partners in the other version pretty soon.
Security features. X-Cart impresses us with the top-grade level of security, as well as the presence of SSL certificates, safe checkouts and automatic updates. In case you have opted for the downloadable version, don’t forget to buy and incorporate your security plan.
Extra charge. Some people may be disappointed with the fact that X-Cart requires additional fees. For example, all software updates have price tags on them. You will also have to pay for customer support.
Programming experience is required. X-Cart is designed to create powerful online stores without any restrictions. However, it all depends on how experienced you are in development/coding, or the amount of money you have to pay the developer. In short, you should have previous development experience if you want to try working with X-Cart.
3dcart vs X-Cart: Price
3dcart has four monthly pricing plans along with a 15-day free trial. Essentially, these are four product packages – Startup Store, Basic Store, Plus Store, Pro Store, and a free trial version that lasts 15 days and is suitable for those who wish to test the platform. The pricing plans range from $19 to approximately $229 per month, and from $17,10 to $206,10 per year.
- Startup Store - $19.00/month
- Basic Store - $29.00/month
- Plus Store - $79.00/month
- Power Pro Store - $129.00/month
- Pro Store - $229.00/month
As for X-Cart, you have a chance to pick between a website hosting or a software version that you host on your own server. No matter which version you opt for, get ready to make a choice of the package (license) that fully meets your business requirements. Mind that only one year of free updates is included in the price. To continuously receive the updates, you are obliged to pay an annual subscription fee.
- Business - $495.00
- Multivendor – $1,495
- Ultimate – $5,995
3dcart vs X-Cart - Who Wins?
The winner in the X-Cart hosting vs 3dcart battle isn’t that obvious and depends on your selling capabilities, as well as your business strategy. X-Cart will be a perfect option only for small, medium and larger businesses, but not for freelancers. As for 3dcart, it is a more universal solution that will suit everyone.
3dcart offers a more loyal pricing policy and a huge selection of free templates for any type of business. It is more intuitive in terms of setting up the store and then working with it. In addition, 3dcart’s SEO optimization is in the first place, especially if we compare 3dcart vs X-Cart.
X-Cart is more difficult to set up. Besides, the pricing policy isn’t so loyal. You need to pay the entire license fee at once, rather than using a monthly subscription that you can cancel at any time.
