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Open Source. Merchant Owned. Community Powered.

E-Commerce software with room to grow.

Build a store you control, extend it with plugins, and lean on a long-running support community without getting trapped in platform fees.

Track Record
20+ years
Extensions
2,000+ plugins
Ownership
No platform tax
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online shopping platform

Why Teams Still Choose Zen Cart

Built for merchants who want leverage, not lock-in.

20+ years in the market Long-term maintainability matters when your store is core infrastructure. 50,000+ active shops A platform with real operational history, not just launch-day polish. 2,000+ plugins available Extend the platform without rebuilding common commerce features yourself. SEO-aware foundations Clean structure, strong content support, and better control over your storefront output. Community driven support Documentation, discussion, and release knowledge live in the same ecosystem. Flexible integrations Connect the platform to the services and workflows that fit your business.

What's Included

It's free

No monthly costs, no hidden fees, and no artificial ceiling on growth.

PCI DSS compliant

Designed around established payment and security expectations.

Deep support history

Years of discussion and troubleshooting are already part of the platform ecosystem.

Zen Cart product box

No restrictions

Unlimited categories, products, transaction volume, and admin users.

SEO optimized

Excellent search-friendly foundations right out of the box.

Constant development

Ongoing releases and public code visibility through Github.

How It Works

Deploy your website in as little as 10 minutes

01. Download Zen Cart

Download the zip file from our official repository

02. Upload to your server

Upload the file to your server

03. Install on your server

Follow the simple process to install the application on your server

04. Ready to go

Your site is ready for use. You can always add more plugins to extend functionality

Deployment steps

The Zen Cart Advantage

Everything you need, built in.

Stop paying for "apps" to do basic tasks. Zen Cart comes loaded with enterprise-grade features right out of the box, optimized for speed, accessibility, and total control.

  • Unlimited Growth: No limits on products, sales, or admin users.
  • B2B & Wholesale: Built-in group pricing and volume discounts.
  • Global Commerce: Native multi-language, multi-currency, and tax rules.
  • Marketing Engine: Coupons, vouchers, and sophisticated "Specials" logic.
  • Accessibility: Modern core meets the highest SEO standards.
  • PHP 8.x Optimized: High-performance code under active development.
  • Payment Ready: PayPal, Authorize.Net and Check/Money Order out of the box.
  • True Ownership: No monthly platform fees or "revenue tax."
Download Zen Cart

Limitless Extensibility

Tailor-Made with Free Plugins

Need more? The Zen Cart community provides thousands of free modules to customize your store's workflow, shipping, and marketing - no monthly "App Store" subscriptions required.

  • Modern Checkout: Conversion-optimized One-Page Checkout modules.
  • Global Payment Gateways: Native support for Stripe, Klarna, Zelle, Braintree, and Crypto.
  • Full Logistics Integration: Real-time rates for DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS, and Royal Mail.
  • Advanced Media: High-performance image management and automated thumbnail processing.
  • SEO Powerhouse: Structured Data (JSON-LD), XML Sitemaps, and SEO-friendly URLs.
  • Marketing Sync: Built-in connectors for Google Analytics and Google Merchant Center.
  • Data Mobility: Professional Import/Export tools for products, customers, and orders.
  • Global Compliance: EU VAT exemption modules and advanced sales reporting.

...and over 2,000+ more community-contributed plugins available for free.

The Open Source Choice

Ownership vs. Subscriptions

In a market saturated with "rented" storefronts, Zen Cart® stands as a bastion of true digital ownership. Don't let your platform dictate your profit.

Why Zen Cart® Over Commercial Platforms?

There are dozens of open-source shopping cart programs available, but none come close to the options, features, and stability of Zen Cart®.

As for commercial SaaS programs? Watch as their fees ramp up to match your sales! At some point, every growing business is forced to "jump ship" to avoid these revenue taxes. Why not start with an unrestricted solution from day one?

View Comparison

The Real Cost of Selling

  • Monthly License$0.00
  • Revenue FeesNone
  • Core B2C and B2B ToolsIncluded
  • Your Data100% Private

System Requirements (v2.1+)

  • PHP8.1 - 8.3+
  • Web ServerApache / Nginx
  • DatabaseMySQL 5.7+ / MariaDB
  • DevelopmentLocal (MAMP/XAMPP)

Getting Started

A standard Linux-based hosting solution (LAMP stack) is usually all you need. While many hosts offer "one-click" installers, we recommend a manual installation for production environments to ensure maximum security and customizability.

View Full Server Requirements