This is a comprehensive ecommerce solution comparison between open source shopping carts TomatoCart and ZenCart.

1. TomatoCart V1.1 vs. ZenCart V1.3.9c
Preface
ZenCart and TomatoCart are both open source shopping cart based originally on
osCommerce, running on the LAMP environment (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and
PHP). Developed since 2003, ZenCart has gained popularity with its reliability,
solid feature list and ease of use. However, TomatoCart, started in 2010 is still a
rising star, which is well known for its innovative “winbows” admin panel with
more concern about user experience and functionality.
This article is written for those who are not familiar with TomatoCart or those who
can’t make a decision when facing the two eCommerce solutions. Focusing on
functionality (built-in functionality in majority) comparison, the content of the
article is objective with no discrimination.
Essentials
Both carts are quick to install and easy to learn. The requirements of two carts
indicate low cost on hosting. However, different from web 1.0 technology based
osCommerce, TomatoCart applies the modern web 2.0 technology such as RIA
(Rich Internet Application), Ajax, which provides a familiar windows operation
environment and boosts the operation efficiency.
TomatoCart Zen Cart
Requirements PHP5.1.6+ PHP4.0+ MySQL4.1.14+
MySQL4.1.13+ or 5.0.7+
Open Source
Unlimited products
Fee none none
SSL support Full or shared SSL full or shared SSL
Knowledge level for intermediate intermediate
coding
Ease of use easy easy

2. Appearance
Front end:
TomatoCart
ZenCart
According to w3schools’research, most users are using a screen resolution of
1024x768 pixels or higher, with a color depth of at least 65K (Learn more?).That
means, compared with the Zen Cart’s 750px width template, TomatoCart’s front
end with a template in 960px width caters to more users nowadays.
Back end:

3. TomatoCart
ZenCart
See any difference? Right, Zen Cart inherits the traditional looking of
osCommerce; while the desktop-looking admin panel of TomatoCart is multi-
window-supported, which brings clients sleek and efficient operation experience.
What’s more, you are allowed to set shortcut, auto run, quick start and context
menu at your discretion.
Site Management
Site management, generally speaking, should include all the basic tools to

4. organize your sites and it decides the performance of your sites and the
flexibility of your site settings. In addition to basic site management tools,
TomatoCart has created its unique tools such as department management,
which allow customers to choose the department they’d like to contact. While
ZenCart is featured with
TomatoCart Zen Cart
Multi-Lingual
Multi-Currency
Tax
Weight Classes
Zone/Country
WYSIWYG
Separate Web Mail
Email template
Newsletter Management
Watermark Tool
Roles Permission Limited Add-on
Management
Reports
Captcha
Maintenance Mode
Department Management
CMS:
CMS, simplifying your publication of web content, is a special and indispensable
part of shopping cart software. If you wanna make your site attractive,
impressive and distinctive, you should turn to help of CMS. Ranging from simple
article to indicative video, high-end CMS is capable of doing nearly anything you
comes up with. But it doesn’t absolutely indicate the more, the better. It’s up to
your demand. Never be too greedy, which always run counters to your desire.
TomatoCart ZenCart
Article
Guest Book
Polls
Slide Images/Image Menu
Product Slider
Product Scroller
Videos
EZ-Pages
Template Layout

5. Catalog Management
As a proverb says, effort doubled, result halved. I do believe a clear catalog layout makes your
work simple! Let’s take a careful look at this part.
TomatoCart ZenCart
Category management
Downloadable/Digital
Products
Manufacturer
Specials
Featured Product
Upcoming Product
Popular Search Terms
Product comparisons
Product reviews/ratings limited
Product Management
TomatoCart is featured with a sleek experience when you are adding new
products; however, ZenCart is a little messy.
TomatoCart ZenCart
Multiple Images Per
Product
Reports limited
Duplicate Products
Batch Add
Product/specials
Short description
Up-sells in Shopping
Cart
Attachment
Accessory
Image Zoom

6. Customer Management
How to manage your customers? Treat them all the same? Definitely not!
Different treatment is needed here to boost your online sales. For example, you
can divide them into several customer groups and give them different discounts
according to their order records. In a word, a perfect customer management is
also a powerful marketing tool.
TomatoCart ZenCart
Status setting
Add in admin
Batch Add
Store Credits
Customer group
Whish List
IP
Order Management
Sometimes, orders will be taken by phone, which requires the shopping cart
system with a manual order-adding functionality. Sometimes, customers may
return a product. And sometimes… There are a lot of exceptions you have to take
into consideration. Let’s see whether your shopping cart software has thought of
the exceptions in advance!
TomatoCart ZenCart
Manage orders from admin
Create, edit orders from add-on
admin panel.
Create one or multiple
invoices, shipments and
credit memos per order to
allow for split fulfillment
Return Request
Abandoned Cart
Track Order
Store Credit/Credit Slips
Order statuses

7. Marketing, Sales and SEO
Nowadays, Marketing is considered as a key to popularity and success. Without
exception, it is also a significant part of shopping cart software. Built-in
promotional tools not only cut down on the cost but also boost your revenue.
Aside from promotional tools, SEO brings you a good result when customers are
searching store or product via search engines.
TomatoCart ZenCart
Google Site Map add-on
URL Rewrites add-on
Meta-information for
products and
categories
Coupons limited
Catalog Promotional
Pricing
Multi-tier pricing
Customer groups each add-on
with its own pricing
structure
Wish list
Cross Sell
Accessory
RSS Feed
Newsletter
Gift Certificates
Checkout
Checkout determines the sales conversion. Customers will be bothered by
complex check out processes and limited choices.
TomatoCart ZenCart
Delivery / Billling
address
One-Page Checkout add-on
Checkout without add-on
account/Guest
Checkout
Shipping to multiple
addresses in one order

8. TomatoCart ZenCart
Gift Wrapping
Payment Gateways:
People all around the world definitely have different favored payment methods.
What if they can’t find the gateway they are looking for or there is no other
alternative payment gateway? What a frustrating shopping experience!
Consequently, multiple choices of payment methods should be prepared to satisfy
all kinds of need. Here we just compare the built-in payment gateways of both
shopping cart.
Till now, TomatoCart supports more than twenty integrated payment gateways.
As to ZenCart, You may see payment module add-ons of it here .