Web based platforms are regarded as the foundation behind the success of various services that creative, prominent web solutions companies provide to their clients in today’s fast growing online software sector. There are two different types of web based platforms that most online software companies offer including open source software and proprietary or paid software. For those businesses that plan to build a new website or would like to upgrade their existing website will consider the functionalities and features that differentiate the paid software from the open source ones.

We highly advise companies or enterprises to wisely choose the right ecommerce software as this will let you know which web platform will offer what kind of functionalities; it will also allow you to identify which features are essential for your business and whether those are being provided by the software. A little research behind ecommerce software will guide you whether the essential features are available in your preferred software; if yes, then whether it can be expanded or modified as per your business tailored requirements in current or future scenario, and if no, then you would be able to start looking for other software options. Understanding which one would suit your business the best is very important. This article will help you with the major differences that are notices between proprietary and open source ecommerce software.

Open Source web platforms is available online free of cost for general public use under General Public License (GNU); on the contrary, proprietary web platforms work on custom licenses and that is associated with certain fees which the client is expected to pay when wishing to use the software. Most of the time these licensure fees aren’t disclosed; they are simply included in either support charges or hosting charges. Open source platforms are preferred by most freelance developers as they are well known for their flexibility, future proof advantages and power.

Both open source and proprietary web platforms focus on modules including content management systems (CMS), ecommerce and multimedia delivery. Just like paid web platforms, open source breaking through all misconceptions of free software, is available in the finest technology possible with high-quality features inbuilt. The popular open source platforms include WordPress, Joomla and Drupal; whereas the proprietary ones are developed by various companies and firms that provide web based solutions.

There are certain open source platforms that are available the way proprietary platforms are; that is, you may have to pay a license fee to use such open source software; one of the most common examples include SaaS based web applications. Unlike proprietary software, open source software are secure, flexible, and reliable; moreover, open source web platforms have enormous power to drive towards future enhancements year after year. Proprietary web platforms work perfectly until you are availing services from the company that developed it for you; if you discontinue the services with the existing services, then you may need to undergo partial to complete redevelopment process again, and this may cost you a lot of money.

Karthick is the founder of ThemesAndMods.com. It provides latest premium ecommerce templates designed to work with widely used ecommerce platforms such as PrestaShop, OpenCart, Magento, osCommerce and WordPress. Follow ThemesAndMods on Twitter for updates.

Karthick is the founder of http://www.ThemesAndMods.com. It provides latest premium ecommerce templates designed to work with widely used ecommerce platforms such as PrestaShop, OpenCart, Magento, osCommerce and WordPress.

Author Bio: Karthick is the founder of ThemesAndMods.com. It provides latest premium ecommerce templates designed to work with widely used ecommerce platforms such as PrestaShop, OpenCart, Magento, osCommerce and WordPress. Follow ThemesAndMods on Twitter for updates.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: ecommerce software, web design, ecommerce scripts