Zen Cart
vs. NexternalThis video discusses the top 3 reasons why merchants migrate to Nexternal from Zen Cart.
| Criteria | Nexternal | Zen Cart |
| Customer Service | Yes. Dedicated Customer Service Rep. Unlimited support. | No phone or email support. Online knowledge base & forums only. |
| Setup / Installation | Turnkey. | Highly technical. |
| Security | Managed by Nexternal. | Responsibility of Merchant. |
| Backups | Managed by Nexternal. | Responsibility of Merchant or Web Host. |
| Reliability | Nexternal hosts and maintains the application with 24/7 monitoring. | Zen Cart is hosted by a third party. Reliability varies. |
| Load Balancing | Yes. | No, software sits on a single server. |
| Software Updates | Automatic and frequent. | Merchant must download and install. |
| Always On Screen Shopping Cart | Yes. | No. |
| Direct Checkout | Yes. | No. |
| Integrated Shipping | Yes. Real-time rates, label creation, and tracking with all major carriers. | Add on module with rates only. |
| Marketplace Feeds | Automated - run daily. | Must manually create and submit data files. |
| Dashboard | Yes. | No. |
| Drop-Ship Module | Yes. | No. |
| Batch Order Processing | Yes. | No. |
| Affiliate Program | Included. | Add on module |
| Multiple Ship To Address | Yes. | No. |
| Preferred Delivery Date Selection | Yes. | No. |
| Inventory Kits/Product Bundles | Supported | Not supported. |
| McAfee SECURE | Yes. Scanned daily. Merchants can display badge. | Not included with Zen Cart. |
| Security Certificate | Included. | Separate charge. |
| Multiple Admin Access Levels | Yes. 7 different access levels. | Not standard. Need to install add-on module. |
| Storage Limits | None. | Depends on host. |
| Product Limits | No. | Varies depending upon hosting. |
Zen Cart is a Trademark of Zen Ventures, LLC.
This comparison is produced and hosted by Nexternal Solutions.
The Zen Cart comparison information on this page was believed to be correct as of 9/1/2009. Information was collected from Zen Cart's website (www.zen-cart.com) in order to compare it to Nexternal's shopping cart application. To report an error or discrepancy, please email
"I am very happy with the software. My Account Executive has been fantastic. He has responded to 100% of everything asked of myss.com. He is a true professional."
David Smith
Myss.com
Highland Park, IL
