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CS-Cart Review

Depends

Should I use CS-Cart?

Self-hosted eCommerce software for launching and scaling online stores and marketplaces. - cs-cart.com

· 1 month ago

Buy only if you're launching a serious multi-vendor marketplace and have technical staff to self-host and patch it. Simple store owners without developers should pick a hosted platform instead.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 40+ public sources: G2/Trustpilot reviews, CVE databases, official pricing pages, and vendor case studies.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo direct support evidence found
  • Security posture

Pricing

Multi-Vendor Standard

One-time license — see /compare

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
UltimateOne-time license — see /compare
B2BOne-time license — see /compare

Best for

  • Multi-vendor marketplace builders
  • Teams with PHP/server skills
  • B2B wholesale marketplaces
  • Buyers avoiding SaaS subscription fees

Not for

  • Solo sellers who just need a simple store
  • Non-technical teams with no server admin
  • Anyone wanting transparent subscription pricing
  • Teams unwilling to patch security themselves

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Self-hosted means known vulnerabilities are yours to patch promptly

medium

One-time license still needs an annual upgrade subscription for updates

medium

Prices changed February 3, 2025 — verify current license costs before buying

medium

Setup adds $1,000–$10,000 in extra marketplace build costs beyond the license

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 4.8/5 rating across 67 G2 reviews
  • One-time license, more predictable pricing than Magento
  • Deep multi-vendor features: commissions, vendor management, mobile app
  • Named a Leader in G2's Fall marketplace report
  • Free CS-Cart edition available to start

Cons

  • Self-hosted: you manage servers, updates, and security patches
  • Multiple 2023 CVEs in Multi-Vendor
  • Users report bugs and checkout issues
  • Trustpilot reviewers complain about pricing transparency

Sources & method

- 8 sources - Several CVEs since 2023 in Multi-Vendor; self-hosting puts patching on you.

official x3review x3security x2
  • CVE-2023-26686 — File Upload vulnerability, File upload vulnerability in CS-Cart Multi-Vendor.
  • GHSA-h863-2hm3-rc4r — Directory Traversal, Directory traversal vulnerability in CS-Cart Multi-Vendor.
  • CVE-2023-26690 — File Upload vulnerability, File upload vulnerability in CS-Cart Multi-Vendor.
  • Authenticated RCE in CS-Cart 1.3.3 (legacy), Public exploit for remote code execution in old CS-Cart 1.3.3 installs.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • One-time license — see /compare

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. One-time license beats SaaS fees; some transparency complaints
  • Ease of use: 2/5. Self-hosted PHP; users report bugs and friction
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Deep vendor, commission, multi-storefront features
  • Support quality. No direct support evidence found
  • Security posture: 2/5. Multiple 2023 CVEs; self-patching burden
  • 4.8/5 G2 rating 67 reviews
  • Yes — CS-Cart Free Free tier No license fee to start
  • Self-hosted Deployment On-premises PHP; you manage hosting
  • Unfunded Company Per Tracxn, Sep 2026

Pricing

Multi-Vendor Standard

One-time license — see /compare

  • Single marketplace storefront
  • Vendor commissions and payouts

Ultimate

One-time license — see /compare

  • Unlimited storefronts
  • Priority support

B2B

One-time license — see /compare

  • Bulk orders, wholesale features

Security

Several CVEs since 2023 in Multi-Vendor; self-hosting puts patching on you.

  • CVE-2023-26686 — File Upload vulnerabilityFile upload vulnerability in CS-Cart Multi-Vendor.³
  • GHSA-h863-2hm3-rc4r — Directory TraversalDirectory traversal vulnerability in CS-Cart Multi-Vendor.
  • CVE-2023-26690 — File Upload vulnerabilityFile upload vulnerability in CS-Cart Multi-Vendor.
  • Authenticated RCE in CS-Cart 1.3.3 (legacy)Public exploit for remote code execution in old CS-Cart 1.3.3 installs.⁴

Companies that use it

  • TackleTarts
  • Fête du Café
  • Unixmo
  • HSQ (17 global storefronts)⁷
Full analysis

Based on 40+ public sources: G2/Trustpilot reviews, CVE databases, official pricing pages, and vendor case studies.

Powerful self-hosted marketplace software — great for multi-vendor builds with devs; overkill and costly for a simple store.

Methodology

Based on 40+ public sources: G2/Trustpilot reviews, CVE databases, official pricing pages, and vendor case studies.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. CS-Cart Products | Read 67 Reviews on G2g2.com
    review
  2. CS-Cart Multi-Vendor Marketplace Platform Reviews — Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  3. CVE-2023-26686 Detail — NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  4. CS-Cart 1.3.3 authenticated RCE — Exploit-DBexploit-db.com
    security
  5. Official CS-Cart Multi-Vendor Pricingcs-cart.com
    official
  6. CS-Cart in 2025: Price Updatescs-cart.com
    official
  7. Case Study: HSQ — 17 Global Storefrontscs-cart.com
    official
  8. Facebook group user complaint on issues/bugsfacebook.com
    review

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