Comparing Zencart and Magento

[MikeGall2]

What are your opinions on Magento and why?
We're currently in need of upgrading our Zencart site and with our custom plugins it may end up being easier just to start from scratch, so Magento is an option we're seriously considering.
Lots of Magento features look good, and it appears to be very powerful and flexible, but most of the functionality appears to be replicable with Zencart for much cheaper (although often with plugins that may not work as well/look as good as Magento features). So why would or wouldn't you go with Magento? Am I missing some unique functionality that Magento has? Or does it just do the same things as the other platforms but better/prettier?
If anybody here has any experience with Magento I'd love to hear from you - did you use Magento and go back to Zencart? Why? Did you miss anything?
Anything that could help us make a decision would be greatly appreciated. Right now we're in the position of liking both platforms, leaning towards Magento if price weren't an issue, but we're struggling to justify the larger costs of Magento.

[stevesh]

Some here may disagree, but I think it's a little cheesy to come to the Zencart support forum and ask about another cart. There are plenty oif shopping cart comparison sites on the Web. This isn't one of them.

[cvhainb]

I sure that if you have a good developer, you will have a good site :-) that is main problem that most of all people do not know :-)

What are your opinions on Magento and why?
We're currently in need of upgrading our Zencart site and with our custom plugins it may end up being easier just to start from scratch, so Magento is an option we're seriously considering.
Lots of Magento features look good, and it appears to be very powerful and flexible, but most of the functionality appears to be replicable with Zencart for much cheaper (although often with plugins that may not work as well/look as good as Magento features). So why would or wouldn't you go with Magento? Am I missing some unique functionality that Magento has? Or does it just do the same things as the other platforms but better/prettier?
If anybody here has any experience with Magento I'd love to hear from you - did you use Magento and go back to Zencart? Why? Did you miss anything?
Anything that could help us make a decision would be greatly appreciated. Right now we're in the position of liking both platforms, leaning towards Magento if price weren't an issue, but we're struggling to justify the larger costs of Magento.

[torvista]

There are plenty of shopping cart comparison sites on the Web.

True, and I have found them of little use as they are largely uninformed opinions. How often have you found a informative Zen Cart review that tells the truth about its use and development as this forums users know them to be?

While a better comparison may be between Zen Cart and Prestashop rather than Magento, I think asking the same question in the respective forums is the only way to get real-world information as to the nitty-gritty of life with these carts...which will serve any potential user better than any comparison site.

[stevesh]

True, and I have found them of little use as they are largely uninformed opinions. How often have you found a informative Zen Cart review that tells the truth about its use and development as this forums users know them to be?

While a better comparison may be between Zen Cart and Prestashop rather than Magento, I think asking the same question in the respective forums is the only way to get real-world information as to the nitty-gritty of life with these carts...which will serve any potential user better than any comparison site.

Maybe, but I still think it's discourteous to come to a support forum operated (and paid for) by the developers of one shopping cart and ask members to comment on the advantages of another. Might just be me. I would feel the same way if the OP asked a similar question in the other cart's support forum.

[mc12345678]

I would say it could be considered unfortunate that the approach to the question could have been different and gotten the desired results. If instead the question had been: I've been using product x (something else), and am considering using Zen Cart, could someone explain the benefits to help make an informed decision? Maybe someone that has previously used that product can explain why they no longer do, or why they chose to use Zen Cart inthe situation(s) they did?

If the question(s) were asked in that way, maybe we wouldn't be talking about the way that it was being asked and whether it was tasteful to ask. That said, and I certainly am not attempting to instigate anything, I can see huge value in Zen Cart the program and the open source aspect of it. Our group came to use this because another non-profit does and one of our volunteers pointed us in this direction. Free software that permits the opportunity to raise money. First, what could be better than that. Next the adaptability of it, don't like something, change it. Don't like the look, get a plugin, redesign it, "worst case" hire someone to give the look that is desired if unable to do on ones own. Want to find the code or area that is presenting something on screen, use the built in tool that tells you which file and what line it is on. So. Much is there that, personally what more could one ask for. Have we used something else, no, so there is a bit of bias there, but have we found that there is something wrong with what we have available? No. Is the product going towards maybe "looking" better? Absolutely, 1.6.0 is headed in that direction or at least making it more adaptable to provide visual "improvements".

I would though say that it is a fair approach to "speak" with those that live it in addition to the advertising and writeups by others. It's only an opportunity to gain a balanced perspective. Personally though, may consider some way to live it, breath it, sample it by reaching out to the "desired" product team and see if they would entertain that idea for a short time possibly on a development server to see if it is worth investing fully. In essence do some "non-intrusive" research. Visit the help center of the product to get an idea of how things work, etc... But whatever the case, may want to try to determine what it is that seems to be missing or missing the mark and see what it would take to get where desired. May not be the product, but the approach taken to use it.

Just my two cents worth.

[MikeGall2]

Some here may disagree, but I think it's a little cheesy to come to the Zencart support forum and ask about another cart. There are plenty oif shopping cart comparison sites on the Web. This isn't one of them.

Sorry you feel that way. Didn't mean to offend anybody, but we are Zencart users and we're looking for something quite specific - opinions from Zencart users who have experience with Magento. This seemed like the best place to find those users.

True, and I have found them of little use as they are largely uninformed opinions. How often have you found a informative Zen Cart review that tells the truth about its use and development as this forums users know them to be?

While a better comparison may be between Zen Cart and Prestashop rather than Magento, I think asking the same question in the respective forums is the only way to get real-world information as to the nitty-gritty of life with these carts...which will serve any potential user better than any comparison site.

This is also true. Seeing half a dozen comparison charts with the most basic of requirements isn't really useful. "Multiple payment options - tick, tick, tick" doesn't really help in differentiating the platforms.