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We get a good number of questions along the lines of 'How do I choose an ecommerce engine' perhaps we should consider creating a generic answer that addresses this particular problem:-

  • The CMS/Hosting answers won't show up in search for these questions.
  • It is asked frequently enough that it's annoying.
  • It's a complicated question to answer.

Thoughts?

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  • I've been thinking the same thing.
    – John Conde Mod
    Commented Apr 5, 2012 at 18:59
  • @JohnConde how do we usually put these things together?
    – toomanyairmiles
    Commented Apr 5, 2012 at 19:13
  • @toomanyairmiles If you want to start up a proposal (see link for example) you're welcome to update this question in the format of a proposal and we discuss.
    – danlefree Mod
    Commented Apr 16, 2012 at 13:18

2 Answers 2

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Just post your ideas for the content of this question and it's answer, perhaps using What forum software should I use? or Which Content Management System (CMS)/Wiki should I use? as a template, and we'll discuss it.

EDIT: here is a draft question and answer:

Question:

*This is a general, community wiki [catch-all][1] question to address non-specific "I need a eCommerce script that does x, y, and z..." questions.*

I have a list of features that I want for my website's eCommerce script - where can I find a (free) script that includes all of them?

  [1]: http://meta.webmasters.stackexchange.com/questions/761/should-we-provide-a-version-of-the-how-to-choose-hosting-question-for-ecommerce

Answer

The Webmasters FAQ outlines the nature of acceptable questions for this site: researching available solutions and providing anecdotal advice falls outside the purpose of this StackExchange site, so this type of question would be better-suited to [chat][1] or another discussion forum.

That being said, there are a variety of free and open source ecommerce systems, as well as licensed software and paid services, which may meet your requirements.

Some of the most popular ecommerce scripts include:

* [Magento][2] 
  * Pros: --
  * Cons: --

All of the ecommerce scripts listed above are built around the concept of mods (plugins) which extend the application's functionality - there are many mods, with new mods authored every day.

If you have researched different ecommerce scripts and available mods but cannot find anything that will meet your needs, you should consult a developer (or do it yourself) who can build something to your specifications either as a mod for an existing ecommerce script or as a stand-alone application.

  [1]: http://chat.stackexchange.com/
  [2]: http://www.magentocommerce.com/
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  • Yep, need to find some time to work on it.
    – toomanyairmiles
    Commented Apr 19, 2012 at 17:17
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Make sure you don't just list stand alone e-commerce solutions such as Magento, but also the various Content Management Systems that have e-commerce plugins, such as WordPress which has heaps (like WP e-Commerce which is one of the best, and there are many many more too).

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